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Roath, Cardiff


Pixie

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  • 2 weeks later...

Things are plodding on well at Roath HQ - resin is being poured and demolded throughout the day, various little packages turning up with useful nik-naks and it's very slowly starting to come together. With the looming deadline I'm not rushing anything and as a result the layout will not be finished at it's inaugral show, but I hope that there will be more than enough to give an indication of what's to come.

 

The biggest developement in the last few days has been the completion of the mastersand castings of the panels that will form the Roath Furnishings Warehouse. I'd originally planned on using the Scalescenes kit but I couldn't get a finish on the bits I'd built up that 'sat' quite right with the surrounding scenics. So the decision was taken to build a nigh-identical building in plasticard and cast the panels. Here's the first two panels and connecting pieces straight out of the moulds - I must admit I'm quite pleased how they came out! One of the advantages of using similar dimensions to the Scalescene's kit is that I can use the etched windows offered by Brassmasters.

 

todger015.jpg

 

Looking good - the long grass and weeds work well.

 

Thanks! I must admit I'm really starting to enjoy working with the static grass machine and I think it's the key to forming that long, dead grass look that seems to be evident withing old yards that aren't seeing much use anymore. A little recent playing has led me to the conclusion that instead of airbrushing any toning onto the strands it's easier to heavily thin the paint and brush it on. Some results shown below! (Apologies for the naff photography again - I must, must, must try and get something decent)

 

todger013a.jpg

 

 

todger014.jpg

 

 

Good luck with the exhibition!

 

I've got a feeling I'll need all the good will I can...

 

 

Keep us informed of its further outings and of course I know where you will be in September 2011!

 

There's been interest from a fair few shows now, as soon as they're all set in stone I'll pop a list up!

 

OMS - Nothing, I'm knackered.

 

Pix

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Thanks! I must admit I'm really starting to enjoy working with the static grass machine and I think it's the key to forming that long, dead grass look that seems to be evident withing old yards that aren't seeing much use anymore. A little recent playing has led me to the conclusion that instead of airbrushing any toning onto the strands it's easier to heavily thin the paint and brush it on. Some results shown below! (Apologies for the naff photography again - I must, must, must try and get something decent)

 

 

The results look superb! Definitely worth the effort and capture that overgrown run down look perfectly.

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".... Roath Furnishings ...."

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My father undertook his apprenticeship as a "cabinet maker & joiner" with this company, commencing circa 1943/44.

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I would dread watching 'Antiques Roadshow' with him, because his knowledge of antique furniture, and construction techniques was astonishing.

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".....wrong,...it it was built by so-and-so it would have a ball and claw foot ...!"

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No throw away tools for him, sharpen and set his own saws, sharpen his plane every five minutes, and strop the blade on the palm of his hand !

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"You're not a good joiner until you've taken the tops of every finger"

"If you were any good, you wouldn't take the tops off them."

"Exactly"

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Brian R

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Hi Pixie,

 

Dont know how I have missed this thread blink.gif What an absolute fantastic layout!

You have deffinetly captured the run down atmosphere, and your static grass is great too! Must add some on my layout laugh.gif

 

Keep up the good!

 

All the best,

 

Georgie

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T minus 2 weeks...

 

....and I'm not quite in panic mode yet. Quite conviniently my parents are away this weekend so I've been able to invade the kitchen/dining room/front room to be able to get a lot of jobs on the go that need to be done before the show. It's working quite well as I can put paint on the backscenes and then wander off and pour some resin while it dries although the clean-up operation to get the place looking presentable for their return on Tuesday could will be mammoth.

 

Referring back to the list of jobs to be done on the previous page this is how I'm getting on:

 

Finish the fiddle yard

 

Raw materials bought but I still need to pull my finger out on this one. Something for tomorrow!

 

packing crates

 

Check!

 

badger004.jpg

 

stock boxes

 

Check!

 

badger022.jpg

 

front fascia boards, backscenes

 

Same status as the fiddle yard at the moment, although I'm wide awake at the moment so I wouldn't be surpised if they see a coat of paint shortly.

 

installed the LCD screens

 

On hold at the moment while I work out how to mount them. Not really a priority for the show but it'd be nice to have them in.

 

Complete the layout 'curtain'

 

Check! (No photo, but 22' of black material and velcro isn't that interesting is it?!)

 

Get enough stock ready for the show (2 x 37s, a 47, a 08, Falcon, a 31 and however many wagons I can get done)

 

Getting there!

 

badger020.jpg

 

badger021.jpg

 

Finish off the Warehouse and get the terraced houses as far as possible

 

Everything is cast - 'just' got to glue it all together, fill any gaps, paint them, glaze them, detail them, attach them to the layout. I think I'd better get cracking!

 

badger031.jpg

 

Test it all and iron out any errors

 

On the agenda in about a weeks time although I've ironed out a few tight spots in the trackwork which has really helped things.

 

I think I'm doing quite well at the moment althought there's a long way to go before the layout is at a stage I'll be happy to present it at the show. To be realistic I think that a lot of the basic bones will be at the show but many of the smaller details will not be there, but I hope it should provide a taster of what I'm trying to do. The same can be said for the rolling stock - a lot of the easily built vehicles will be there but some of the more esoteric wagons won't be finished in time.

 

The results look superb! Definitely worth the effort and capture that overgrown run down look perfectly.

 

Thanks James. smile.gif It's still got a way to go but I'm getting there slowly with the static grass. I'd like to add a few different plants for variations and a lot more clutter that you find lying about old yards.

 

You appear to have got the hang of static horticulture laugh.gif

 

Thanks chap! I'd like to find some shorter fibres too, perhaps around 1-2mm, but I've not come across any yet.

 

There's one here: http://www.emgauge70...lpageindex.html (go via 'layouts' and Roath is about two-thirds of the way down). That's coming on very nicely Pix.

 

Thanks Adam - saved me hunting around for it! It's probably worth mentioning that the running line at the back of the layout was dropped before any wood was cut - it would of been a nice feature but prototypically wrong and might of made the layout look cluttered. I'll have to save the mainline running for the next project... wink.gif

 

What kind of glue are you using for the static grass?

 

I'm still messing about at the moment. For dense areas I'm using either superglue (I found PVA just didn't work - I think i had to put it on to thick and once the fibres had sunk in, the pull of the static wasn't enough to get them to stand up) and for less dense areas I'm using Testors Dullcote. This is sprayed on and the fibres applied but once dried I tend to give a coat of hairspray (ultra-mega-super-strong hold stuff) and then another coat of matt varnish. Only thing with the latter method is to make sure that when applying the fibres ensure the applicator doesn't arc, otherwise there will be flames and scorced grassy patches.... looks quite real though truth be told...

 

 

My father undertook his apprenticeship as a "cabinet maker & joiner" with this company, commencing circa 1943/44.

 

Out of all the people I've met along the way Brian, you've got some of the best stories and tales that have helped build a real background to the layout for me. I look forward to reading your memoirs one day smile.gif I must admit that the choice of Roath Furnishing was purely by chance - a weekly search of ebay for anything Roath left me with a couple of tram tickets with their advertising on the back, a couple of flyers and a few order forms. One day they'll all go on the front of the layout although with the other tat artifacts I've gathered.

 

Do you know anything about the Noel & Dunkerly/Roath Brewery at all? I recently bought the beer bottle below but I'm struggling for information on them.

 

badger028.jpg

 

You must be very proud laugh.gif

 

Not yet - once the layout and stock is finished and it's all operating smoothly at an exhibition I'll be happy but until then I'll keep swearing at it and threatening to burn it. wink.gif

 

Dont know how I have missed this thread blink.gif What an absolute fantastic layout!

 

Thanks Georgie! I tend to have a mad couple of weeks of progress (and subsequent updates) on the layout but then disappear for a few months so it's quite easy to miss, although now I'm a graduate there should be a more steady stream of updates!

 

One last photo and another attempt at me being arty...

 

badger032.jpg

 

OMS - Muse @ Glastonbury (Swish!)

 

Pix

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Do you know anything about the Noel & Dunkerly/Roath Brewery at all? I recently bought the beer bottle below but I'm struggling for information on them.

 

 

Pix, knowing Brian, he had his first tipple there and I bet thats the actual bottle!tongue.gif

 

Hoping to meet up with Bri next time I am back in Keeaardiff, huge gaps in my knowledge which I hope he can fill!

 

Have to see if we can all get together sometime.

 

Here's another couple of names (dont think Roath tho) Kardov flour mills and Excelsior ropes!

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Do you know anything about the Noel & Dunkerly/Roath Brewery at all? I recently bought the beer bottle below but I'm struggling for information on them.

 

badger028.jpg

 

 

S.A. Noel and Co. Ltd., Roath Brewery, Bedford Place, Roath, merged with Fred Dunkley 1903. Fred Dunkley, the Black Lion Brewery, was on St. Mary Street, Roath. Oddly enough the original S.A. Brains brewery was also in St Mary Street before building a new brewery in Nora Street, Roath, 1914.

 

G.

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S.A. Noel and Co. Ltd., Roath Brewery, Bedford Place, Roath, merged with Fred Dunkley 1903. Fred Dunkley, the Black Lion Brewery, was on St. Mary Street, Roath. Oddly enough the original S.A. Brains brewery was also in St Mary Street before building a new brewery in Nora Street, Roath, 1914.

 

Beat me to it, albeit I wouldn't have been as thorough as Grahame.

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BTW - the wife's family are from Bedford Street, although she was brought up in Alfred St. (also Roath).

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St. Mary St. is actually in the city centre, and yes Samuel Arthur Brain did establish 'the old' brewery there, and it closed but a few years ago and was converted into 'the Brewery Quarter' - one of these places that sprang up during the time the last government de-regulated the sale of alcohol and Cardiff became a mecca for Hen/Stag/21st/end of season Rugby or Football do's that require an army of people to maintain order, marshall taxis (and drunks) and clean up the litter / vomit and bodies on a Saturday and Sunday morning.

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S.A.Brain took over the former Welsh Brewers brewery at Crawshay St. off Penarth Road and adjacent to Cardiff Central several years ago.

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I had the pleasure of working for them in the early 70s as a barman in 'The Bulldog' where Michael Crichton did his research for 'Jurassic Park !

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Brian R

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BTW 'Black Rat'

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My first 'pint' was in 'The Quarry House' Fairwater, Courage 'AK' and it cost me 13p ........... then we discovered 'screech' was on sale in 'The Mitre' in Llandaff, at only 11p a pint, and the licensee was a 'Patsy' Sullivan !

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Have to see if we can all get together sometime.

Well if you're both free on the 7th August, I know a little exhibition that could be a venue.... G'worn... wink.gif

 

I noticed in another thread that you mentioned the Plymouth branch of Modelzone - are you near by? Only reason I ask is my girlfriend lives just across the Tamar in Torpoint and I'm down there very regularly. Maybe we could have a natter over a Oggy's and bottle of Rattler.

 

Here's another couple of names (dont think Roath tho) Kardov flour mills and Excelsior ropes!

 

They're both on the list but it's quite hard to include them without making it too obvious that I've tried to include them. I do have a little space resevered for a long-dumped trailer bear the warehouse so maybe I'll do a Kardov or Lowes pop branded one. I must have a dig around for some photos...

 

S.A. Noel and Co. Ltd., Roath Brewery, Bedford Place, Roath, merged with Fred Dunkley 1903. Fred Dunkley, the Black Lion Brewery, was on St. Mary Street, Roath. Oddly enough the original S.A. Brains brewery was also in St Mary Street before building a new brewery in Nora Street, Roath, 1914.

 

Thanks Grahame. Did they have some links with Guiness at all? Only reason I ask is that this recently appeared on Ebay: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rare-Roath-Brewery-Cardiff-Guinness-Stout-Fieldings-Jug-/330449795358?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_Collectables_Breweriana_SM&hash=item4cf057b91e. Note the price... blink.gif

 

 

My first 'pint' was in 'The Quarry House' Fairwater, Courage 'AK' and it cost me 13p ........... then we discovered 'screech' was on sale in 'The Mitre' in Llandaff, at only 11p a pint, and the licensee was a 'Patsy' Sullivan !

Almost as cheap as Cardiff SU. wink.gif

 

Muse at Glasto - class!

 

Aye - it was missing a certin something though, possibly the shuffle dance from last time they were there... (

- 3:13 to 3:18)

 

OMS -

 

Pix

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Pix, see you on the 7th! tongue.gif

 

Cracking! I'll see if Brian is poping up too with any of the South Wales posse, I know he was certainly thinking of it before.

 

And live but a few miles (as the chough flies) from Torpers so give us a shout!

 

I'm down at least once a fortnight for 3/4 days at a time and as Lind's now got a job I'm likely to be at a loose end. We'll have to swap details and so on at the show!

 

I love the layout! the grass looks so real, wish i could make mine look like that!

 

Thanks! Would a step-by-step be of use? There's no black magic and I'm sure that a similar effect could be achieved anyone on the forum, the hardet bit is probably finding a supply of the old stype carpet underlay.

 

Pix - Off to Parkend to do some research for the next project...

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".... I'll see if Brian is poping up too with any of the South Wales posse, ......"

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Sorry Pix - committed both days that weekend, collecting grandkids from their other grandparents in Worcestershire (good people, also follow THE/THIS faith !)

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Hope to catch Roath sooner rather than later.

 

As for 'Black Rat' - let me know if you plan a return to your roots, I can rustle up several WAGgers for a meet in Whitchurch village.

BTW

Found an unopened bottle of solvent last night, with a Beatties price sticker on it ...... did you sell it to me ?

 

Brian

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