kingfisher24 Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 It would be easier modelling Wick, with its plain passenger gable, but I am going to have to attempt the curved wooden one that Thurso boasts....... Fun! on the subject of the curved gable, one way that it could be achieved is, that photograph or the real building that is in some of your photo's. if it could be enlarged to near the correct size then you could cut out the gable end on paper and then stick this to some thicker paper, card, or even platsicard and, using the photo as a template to cut the correct shape, this should save you some time. gary Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Physicsman Posted June 4, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 4, 2012 Thanks for the Plastikard info., Richard. Much appreciated and could be very useful! Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Alder Posted June 4, 2012 Author Share Posted June 4, 2012 Thanks for the photo- I've found a copy of the one I was looking for, and I'll come back to this later. Gary- after my mock-up of the train shed it did occur to me that a template might be a way forward. ATM its on the thinking pile, and we'll see what comes from it. I've taken a couple of shots of some of the paint jobs,and although they are still in arctic territory they are another step forward. A couple of the Helmsdale ones first- And a view of the Thurso water tower and coal stage, with a borrowed tank. These are taken against the light, so aren't the clearest, and to avoid seeing the rest of the room are against my travelling backscene. I will have to eventually do a more neutral one for this part of the layout. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingfisher24 Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 i like the backscene by the way, is it home made? i have finally started my layout - at last but it will be a while before any real progress is made i think due to the dreaded work. i have also started my long awaited north british J37 using a Bachmann J39 body as a starting point. keep up the good work. gary Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
artizen Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 Is that brick paper or something more embossed on the water tower? Looks good in the light anyway. The whole layout is really starting to come alive now with all the buildings. Definitely has a Scottish look to it! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Alder Posted June 4, 2012 Author Share Posted June 4, 2012 i like the backscene by the way, is it home made? i have finally started my layout - at last but it will be a while before any real progress is made i think due to the dreaded work. i have also started my long awaited north british J37 using a Bachmann J39 body as a starting point. keep up the good work. gary The backscene is Hils and Dales-the 15" version- and can be got from International Models, and is a most versatile product- it seems to blend in easily on many layouts. The guy that actually produces them is very helpful ay providing semi-bespoke versions of it if needed, and the fact that it can stretch to c12', albeit by mirroring, makes it perhaps the best practical backscene around. The J37 sounds intriuging- make sure you photo as you go along and write it up here . I have acquired a J36 that will be built sometime, again with a pannier chassis. They did run around the eastern bits of the HR, and the wife's uncle drove Maude in his latter years at Haymarket, so this one is a must, somehow..... Is that brick paper or something more embossed on the water tower? Looks good in the light anyway. The whole layout is really starting to come alive now with all the buildings. Definitely has a Scottish look to it! Yes, at last things are happening- progress should be more regular now so long as I don't lose my drive, but the buildings are finished, except for that small hut seen in Graham's photo, and I managed to find a good shot of it a couple of days ago- two nights should see it put together. The finish is Slater's stone sheet- I can't remember its name just now, and it is the first time I've really used it properly- I built some things with it years ago but just plastered it with Humbrol enamel, v. badly, and that put me off it , especially when Wills coarse stone appeared, but I am taken with the finish you can get with it. I used this as it was the nearest match to the stonework at Thurso, and I couldn't be bothered with scribing freehand. There's probably some more work to be done with it-drybrushing- but I've found that knowing when to stop is a useful skill to acquire Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Alder Posted June 5, 2012 Author Share Posted June 5, 2012 A bit more work on the train shed tonight-the stone facing applied and a crude representation of the roof clerestory added. Shortly a decision is going to have to be made on what form of slating is going to be used on the various builds, and I am hoping that a printed one will work, although in general I do not like mixing plasticard and paper, as they never seem to marry well. Some shots of the work, firstly on the bench, showing the lack of precision used in hidden bits- the room block is going to get some more reinforcing, as I think I will make the whole thing removeable. Then some of it in place. And a couple of the terminus as it is. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.C.M Posted June 6, 2012 Share Posted June 6, 2012 Hi Richard, The latest pics are great, I wish I could get my building done as quick as you. They are looking very nice, do I spy something from an old Airfix engine shed on the top of your train shed? Cheers Peter. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Physicsman Posted June 6, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 6, 2012 Superb stuff, Richard. The stone facing looks good and the clerestory adds proper authenticity - many would have skipped that bit. You've convinced me to scratchbuild some of the railway buildings on Kirkby Luneside - when I get round to the railway part. Keep the tutorial (sorry, photos) coming!! Cheers, Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Alder Posted June 6, 2012 Author Share Posted June 6, 2012 Hi Richard, The latest pics are great, I wish I could get my building done as quick as you. They are looking very nice, do I spy something from an old Airfix engine shed on the top of your train shed? Cheers Peter. Thanks for the kind words- most of what I have put together have been basically boxes, and relatively straightforward- fortunately there is no need for much in the way of domestic architecture, which would have slowed me down more. You are indeed correct about the Airfix add-on to the roof- its a habit from my early modelling days that I haven't managed to shake off , and a throwback to the days when there was little around in the way of accessories for scratchbuilding. The Helmsdale mess shed has a collection of booking hall windows, and the old Kyle shed also has its share as well..... Superb stuff, Richard. The stone facing looks good and the clerestory adds proper authenticity - many would have skipped that bit. You've convinced me to scratchbuild some of the railway buildings on Kirkby Luneside - when I get round to the railway part. Keep the tutorial (sorry, photos) coming!! Cheers, Jeff Thanks, the stone might need a bit more drybrushing, but old stone walls are anything but uniform in appearance, and I have spent some time studying the stonework at Thurso station, and it does have a very varied finish. As for the clerestory,... straight out of the Airfix box and not much like the prototype, but a ten minute job as opposed to a two or three evening trial that would probably end up squint or on the Mk IV attempt to get something acceptable.I've too much to do to spend ages at something that will just be part of an overall impression, and as so much compromise has gone into the train shed I felt that one more wouldn't go amiss . Anyway, here is what I should have built....Oh, and you can see the rooflight that I decided could be omitted as well Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Physicsman Posted June 7, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 7, 2012 I wouldn't worry about the rooflight. It looks like a more modern addition to the structure (well, you can use ANY reasoning to omit something!) and the shed looks better without it. And according to Rule 1, it's your layout so if you are happy with it, that's all that counts. Of course, if you are trying to model 100% to the prototype, and if you are obsessive, omitting such details will be driving you mad! Whatever, it's good to see your progress. Cheers, Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Alder Posted June 9, 2012 Author Share Posted June 9, 2012 I'm certainly not worried about every exact detail, but am trying to get across the feel of the stations I am modelling- not an easy task in the small area I have to work with, hence the enforced foreshortening. Here is a shot of the actual train shed in its full length- the unseen side in my model, hence none of it has been incorporated in it To try and do it anything near actual scale size would have made something that overpowered the rest of the scene, at least to my mind. It also shows the variations in the finish of the stonework- very far from a uniform look. The engine shed was hauled onto the bench for a (another) tarting up in order for it to begin life on yet one more layout. It really is a product of a bygone age with its Airfix accoutrements and crude finish, and should have been replaced, but I am rather fond of it, and I have discovered it is older than I thought. I thought I had built it for the original Kyle set-up c1992, but when looking for a photo of the lever shelter I came across this picture of it on a short lived build I actually remember very little of. A bit of personal modelling history now, to put it in context- I used to dabble in military and model soldier modelling as well as railways, and most of my creative effort went into the figure side of things- Historex Napoleonic soldiers with seperate belt buckles and other minutae like that, with every bit of uniform detail researched and applied etc; while my railway modelling was nothing like what it is now- glorified train set stuff- not that there's anything wrong with that BTW- but certainly nothing representative of the real thing in any recognisable way. I built a series of half finished layouts, and enjoyed what I did, but the arrival of a son and an enforced lay-off for two years- railway room commandeered - gave me a chance to think about what I was doing. I knew the railway side was going nowhere, and I was realising that figure modelling was to some extent at least, merely copying, so when I got going again I started making a model based on a prototype, and that was the start of Kylesku.... and now I'm off on another chapter. I have found this approach to railway modelling far more satisfying than the previous freelancing, slap something on the board because its available style I had before, and can't see me changing now. Anyway, back to the shed; there it is in all its glory with Bilteezi backscenes and a liberal plastering of Polyfilla to glue everything together- IIR, running was awful over it somehow!- along with a Lima homemade Class 26 for luck before it went to the Kyle build. The engine shed area changed two or three times in this first incarnation but the shed was a constant throughout, and it has just gained a further life-extension. Basically, another repaint, in the usual style- a coat of Humbrol 110, followed by a diluted wash of Games Workshop Screaming Skull for a mortar line, with the excess wiped off and then when dry some drybrushing with an umber and chocolate brown to give a depth to the stonework. The roof is Wills slates, rather crudely butted together, and a finish I was never happy with, but as a trial I gave them a dilute wash of black to try and get some more definition to the finish, which I think has improved the look of the building -seen here with it half done to show the contrast. I then did more drybrushing of the slates to bring back a bluey-grey sheen to them. All in all, that's it ready for its allocation of engines, and while it doesn't bear close examination, has more or less finished off the terminus buildings. I have some more experiments to do with roofing materials, but am now starting to do platform facings and surfaces, so things should start to change around here soon.... A view of it now; it still need guttering, which I am waiting for, and bedding in, but that will happen after the scenics are added to the banking beside it. A last shot of the terminus for now and then its off to the railway room for more to do... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Alder Posted June 11, 2012 Author Share Posted June 11, 2012 A trial was made with regard to slates, and the Helmsdale goods shed has been given a covering of pre-printed paper , which seems to work OK- flashings have yet to be added, but I think that this will look alright- any thoughts? I have started platform facings, and are going to be representative rather than copies of the various layers of stone and brick that HR platforms had used when platform heights were raised over the years, and a start has been made with the cobbles in the goods yard. I had a close look at the remaining ones, and unfortunately they are far from a uniform colour- some more modellers licence is going to be needed. , I fear..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Alder Posted June 15, 2012 Author Share Posted June 15, 2012 A bit more work, but unfortunately seems to have been one step forward and two steps back- I have roofed the shed, with the same slate paper I used on the goods sheds,but there is a colour difference between two sheets, on the visible side of course - not a huge problem, compared to what I discovered when fitting the front fascia. This was done, thanks to Kingfisher 24's suggestion of using a photo as a template, with far less sweat than I had anticipated, but threw up the fact that I had managed to site the the cross beams inside the train shed 4mm lower than I should have- some calculation gone wrong along the way, somehow. My first remedy was to do a replacement fascia to disguise this error, but it changed the whole appearance of the shed, for the worse, so I removed the first cross beam behind the fascia and hoped for the best. With some careful camera angles it won't be too obvious, but I might take out the second one as well- raising them is going to be difficult now the roof is on, and I can't see an obvious solution ; I'll just hope I manage to filter it out mentally from the "what I've done wrong" section..... Anyway, some photos of the shed with its slates on- again not finished, but getting there..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted June 15, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 15, 2012 Why not make the shed removeable then if it bugs you, try fixing it later and if it doesn't bug you so much the better Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Alder Posted June 16, 2012 Author Share Posted June 16, 2012 The shed is going to be removeable to allow for maintenance and general photo opportunities, and today, after some examination of the problem, I have managed to fit a new truss above an existing one on top of the wall head that I had built as a double skinned structure. So, I'll replace one or two a day to let them dry properly and maintain some strength to the building. The first photo shows , or rather doesn't, the first raised crossbeam. It also shows the lack of a complete rear wall- this is to allow a piece of track to extend through the wall and give me enough storage space in the siding for two 57' coaches, which is going to be very handy. Finally, an overall view- hopefully the last showing baseboards and plaster- of the terminus with almost all the buildings done. I am going to do a mart building behind the far wall of the train shed and will think about this for a while before I go ahead. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Portchullin Tatty Posted June 16, 2012 Share Posted June 16, 2012 Great stuff Richard - this is looking quite like Thurso now. A disk has just arrived (thanks). I will work through it but I am sure it will be of great help to me! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Alder Posted June 19, 2012 Author Share Posted June 19, 2012 Well, my take on it, but its a relief to be at the end of phase 1- getting the basic layout to a state that can now start to be detailed. As a sort of reward to myself for all this work, and because I couldn't stand the sight of white anymore,tonight I went over the landscape bits with a coat of green undercoat and a sprinkling of Woodlands Scenics Burnt grass fine turf. Here is a quick snapshot of the change in season. I also took a shot of two wagons in sunlight on Sunday, although it only shows how much work still has to be done , but provides a glimpse of things to come.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted June 19, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 19, 2012 Starting to enjoy the fruits of your labours now Don Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted June 19, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 19, 2012 More Ben Alder magic. You really do know "how"! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Really looking the part Richard, I must say that the profesional back scene gives real depth and a feeling of space and adds to the whole atmosphere, well done Andy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Alder Posted June 20, 2012 Author Share Posted June 20, 2012 Thanks for all the comments and likes- its now getting to the difficult bit of the surface finish,which I think will take some time, but can be adjusted and tweaked at my leisure. Tonights work involved plastering between the joins on the cork infill and more visibly, starting the painting between the tracks at Helmsdale. After much scrutiny of images, and some application of "it's only a train set" reality with regard to the thorny problem of interpreting colour pictures from fifty years ago, I settled on a base colour that I think reflects the original. Once again, Games Workshop produced the required shade, and I found one of their new range matched the through tracks at least- Stormvermin Fur, if anyone's interested- which has given a base that can be added to as required. I'm not going to do a daily tuppence'worth of progress, but am showing a, carefully cropped, shot of the loading bank at Helmsdale with a van. It's all first coat and debris, but it will get there.I am pleased with the effect of the backscene, BTW,- I know it is becoming the equivalent of the once-generic Peco type, but it does seem to fit into a wide range of locations very well- and after all the struggling I had adding a backscene to the last layout I think the decision to start from the rear was the right one. Thanks once again for all the support. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
artizen Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 You painted the rails Stormvermin Fur? I am about to try Vallejo Brown Leather on mine. Still struggling to find ballast supplies here in Brisbane that I think match any sort of prototype though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Alder Posted June 20, 2012 Author Share Posted June 20, 2012 No, the rails were painted with the last tin of carefully hoarded Humbrol track colour enamel- the GW colour was used in the 6'way with a sprinkling of ballast granules to add some texture. Getting accurate ballast can be difficult, I agree. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold bcnPete Posted June 20, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 20, 2012 the last tin of carefully hoarded Humbrol track colour enamel Gold dust I am still searching for an equivalent but none seem to cut the mustard as this did. Probably a closely guarded Humbrol recipe...bit like Pimms Looks great Ben - Have a soft spot for Thurso myself so its great to watch this coming together... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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