Dulverton Station '62 - Let there be grass...

[Douglas G]

Static grass application underway...

 

 

 

 

 

 

The grass is Green Scene short (2mm), with Minatur and Polak fibres added in randomly for a bit of variation.

 

I am learning with these short fibres that the flock adhesive (I am using WWs base layer glue as it is nice and thin) has to be applied very evenly and smoothly or it shows through - Ok if it is small patches but not so good if it is the line of brush strokes.

 

Also it is essential not to touch the glued are and flock while sticking - I have had problems with the earth wire catching it and spoiling the effect, so now use a long sewing needle as the earth point and try to insert it on the edge. The other thing is to avoid joins between patches of adhesive, as again these show through. I have now learned to do a whole area up to a natural boundary such as a field edge, road or stream. If I do have to do it in pieces at a time, after doing the first area of glue, I do not apply the static fibres right up to the edge but leave some glue free to blend with the next area of applied glue (a little water spray seems to help as the earlier applied glue can start to form a skin and become less adhesive).

 

I have managed to get a 15 x 15cm piece of 20 mesh Woven Wire Mesh from a company called Inoxia on Amazon for £3 and WWs have kindly sent me a replacement cap with the whole ready cut in which I have epoxied a circle of this mesh into my WWS Micro applicator. This works quite well with the short fibres, although it is hard work on the arms to keep shaking it.

 

 

I am waiting for some more static fibres form green Scene and then will apply an extra layer where required using WWS layering spray - not tried this yet.

 

I am pleased with the results so far - there is a subtle variation in colour due to the different colours of the scatter material underneath and mixing the static grass colours in slight variations.

 

 

[Douglas G]

 

 

 

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This last photo shows what happened when I tried to do a new area of glue next to an area with the static grass already applied just before. It was the first bit I tried - a learning curve for me. I am going to sand it down and add a new layer of Woodland Scenics fine turf and then some more static fibres on top. This time I will apply the adhesive for the static fibres in one go using a large paint brush.  I think is the only way to get rid of the glue line and blemishes. This field is at the front so very visible and it seems to have been a cultivated field that was sometimes down a grass ley and sometimes down to a crop, so very even in appearance.

[Douglas G]

Having not done anything for 3 years on Dulverton, I am trying to get my modelling mojo back.

 

I expected by this time we would have GWR moguls in N gauge, but with the demise of DJ models there is nothing on the horizon. Without some moguls an accurate model of the Taunton-Barnstaple line is not possible.

 

I am getting a lot of inspiration revisiting the three volumes on the line by Freddie Huxtable.

[richbrummitt]

My best guess is that you wait for Dapol (now they’ve done a 00 one) or make your own Moguls. If you have deeper pockets you could potentially have them made, although the white metal kit that was/is available in N gauge is not a great starting point. 

 

In 2mm the Manor replacement chassis gives the correct spacing for the driving wheels or one of the etched chassis that Chris Higgs authored could be a suitable starting point. The latter could possibly be a starting point in N with reduced spacers with wheels from something Dapol do have available. However I do recall something from @Atso that was very Mogul shaped born out of a Dapol grange that might be worth a search out. 

[josekimber]

Hi Douglas

 

Great to see you back again.  I am glad you haven't given up.  As you know I also have been waiting impatiently for the Mogul, and have been regularly badgering Joel at Dapol about it.  I think they will do it .... eventually .... hope it's not too long. I don't think I could tackle building one myself.  In the meantime I have plenty (far too many) locos to run, and in my dreams the line never closed so I can also run DMUs too. 

 

In the meantime, I have been pressing on with my Dulverton model, I have started building a kit I ordered from York Modelmaking, and have assembled the main station, I just have to add porches, ridge tiles, gutters, downpipes, chimneys and flashing.  It is nothing like as good as yours but will look good at normal viewing distance.   Being retired the lockdown has given me a lot more time for modelling, and I have managed to complete some of the scenery around Venn Cross as well.  I am looking forward to seeing more of your efforts, so do please keep going!

Regards

Jose

[Douglas G]

Hi Jose,

 

Great to hear from you and your progress with Dulverton.

 

I half wonder if Farish might yet do a GWR mogul. Looking at my Farish Southern N mogul, the same principles of the mechanism could be applied to the GWR version - shame the wheelbases weren't the same, as it might have been a route for a conversion,  I am not a fan of the tender drive in Dapol GWR locos, and they might have trouble fitting it in the tenders used on the moguls.

 

My P&D Marsh Churchward mogul is in bits after getting damaged, and the kit for the Collett cab version is still in the box, probably never to be built.

[richbrummitt]

1 hour ago, Douglas G said:

 

My P&D Marsh Churchward mogul is in bits after getting damaged, and the kit for the Collett cab version is still in the box, probably never to be built.

That was the kit I was thinking of. My memory tells me the firebox is rather portly, though the castings are much finer than the Langley 2251 kit I once bought. There was a rather good model of a Mogul on the Farnham club‘s Basingstoke. When I remarked upon it I was thanked for the kind words and told that the kit had had quite a lot of revision work done to it to create such a rendition.