Jump to content
 

Bath Queen Square


queensquare
 Share

Recommended Posts

  • RMweb Gold

Hi,

 

just been catching up on 2mm threasds juring a quite bit in work and i have to say im with Alan on this one, it looks amazing and hope to see if when it is out at a show as the 4mm model is good but this will blow it out of the water.

 

Just need to rasie the bar on my 2mm layout now :unsure:

 

cheers

Simon

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
  • RMweb Premium

Looks very nice: I like signal boxes too. The ratio handrails do look a bit over over scale, but I am involved with the St Albans preserved box and the handrails on the steps are big bits of timber. Your etched ones on the first two boxes may even be a bit skinny!

 

Tim

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Thanks for the kind words chaps.

 

Tim, I think you are probably correct re. the hand rails being a bit skinny. I have no access to an original MR box down here so would be interested in the actual size of those handrails if you could run a tape over them next time you are at the St Albans box. When Andy first blew the pictures up on the screen there were quite a few of the etched bits that I had used which looked a little too 2D but thankfully they don't notice in the flesh.

 

I was kindly given a whole pile of over and under etched bits by, I think, Malcolm Mitchell of Churchward many years ago following an enquiry about getting some windows (this is long before Ratio produced their kit). I still have enough left to do the old Bath Junction box which would complete the set.

 

Jerry

Link to post
Share on other sites

At the Taunton members day this weekend Andy Y kindly took the time to run me through some of the basics of model photography and, to demonstrate, took these superb but rather unforgiving shots of the three signal boxes I have built for Bath. There is a fourth box although not all of them existed at the same time. Why am I building them all? - basically I like signal boxes!

 

Me too! Very inspirational models, Jerry. I particularly like the little Bath Single Line Junction Box. So evocative, I can almost hear the wall clock ticking and the line bells 'dinging' just looking at it. With full interiors, are your signal boxes illuminated perchance?

 

They remind me that I must try harder. Many years ago I scratchbuilt a MR box in 2mm finescale, completely out of plastikard (though nothing to compare with your exquisite models) which I was very proud of at the time and with which I even won a few prizes. Sadly though, it melted away one evening after an unfortunate spilt MekPak-related incident on my workbench. Boy, was I gutted! Which reminds me to make one of those multiple holey paint pot holder thingies before it happens again...

 

Anyway, keep up the inspirational 2-mil work. And take no notice of my disparaging remarks about tree-trunks at Taunton - I was only teasing! Can't wait to see it all come together on Queensquare in the not too distant future.

Edited by Phil Copleston
Link to post
Share on other sites

They remind me that I must try harder. Many years ago I scratchbuilt a MR box in 2mm finescale, completely out of plastikard (though nothing to compare with your exquisite models) which I was very proud of at the time and with which I even won a few prizes. Sadly though, it melted away one evening after an unfortunate spilt MekPak-related incident on my workbench. Boy, was I gutted! Which reminds me to make one of those multiple holey paint pot holder thingies before it happens again...

 

Being resolutely low-tech, not to mention idle, I attach the solvent bottle to the bench with a big blob of Blu-tack!

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Jerry that little single box is exquisite. Those window etches are great on all the models - I assume they are no longer available?

I am really looking forward to seeing this layout develop.

Regards

Chris

Edited by Chrislock
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Jerry that little single box is exquisite. Those window etches are great on all the models - I assume they are no longer available?

I am really looking forward to seeing this layout develop.

Regards

Chris

 

Hi Chris,

I don't think the Churchward kits are available anymore but the Ratio kits certainly are and in my experience they are quite happy to sell just the etches. I bought a second set of windows for the Bath Junction box as it has windows all the way round.

HTH Jerry

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Hello Jerry,

very nice signal boxes, especially the large one. The Churchward kits are still available from Modelex (http://www.modelexmodelrailways.co.uk), I bought some etches a couple of weeks ago to adapt for my Oxspring Junction box.

 

Alex.

 

Hi Alex,

thats realy useful, I may well buy a complete kit for the last of the Bath boxes.

 

Jerry

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Chris,

I don't think the Churchward kits are available anymore but the Ratio kits certainly are and in my experience they are quite happy to sell just the etches. I bought a second set of windows for the Bath Junction box as it has windows all the way round.

HTH Jerry

 

That is good news. Do you have a website URL for Ratio? I keep getting suppliers of the models when I search.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Just found this thread, very impressive, very inspiring!

The brass work is awesome

I also like your photos of the signalboxs and would love to know the technique used to remove the background and fade the image round the edges to white

Rgds,

StuartM

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Just found this thread, very impressive, very inspiring!

The brass work is awesome

I also like your photos of the signalboxs and would love to know the technique used to remove the background and fade the image round the edges to white

Rgds,

StuartM

 

Thanks Stuart,

afraid I can't take any credit for the photos. Andy Y took them at the members day in Taunton earlier this year whilst demonstrating his methods. I learnt a huge amount but am still a long way from being able to do them myself. Essentialy they were taken against a white background (a handy piece of paper if I remember) and then tidied up in photoshop. I have to say I was thrilled when he sent them to me.

Andy outlines many of his techniques in an article in MI1.

 

Jerry

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
  • RMweb Gold

I have been making slow progress on Bath over the last few months including more work on the soldering marathon that is the train shed roof - more pictures when I get a chance.

 

The main object of this post is to flag up the fantastic resource that is the Aerofilms collection which is now available to the nation via English Heritage here http://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/

 

The site is fully searchable and, whilst only a small proportion of the collection is available so far, it is a fabulous way to while away an hour or two. The pictures are of excellent quality and it is possible to zoom in on them - a great use of lottery funds in my oppinion.

Below are a couple of examples of the sort of thing that is available and show Bath Queen Square in 1920 - right at the start of my period. The tree filled square in the centre of the first picture is Queen Square, the SDJ/MR station is centre top.

The second picture has the GWR station just off the bottom right corner, the GW goods yard is centre middle. The SDJ/MR complex can be seen stretching across the middle of the picture.

I have large copies of both these shots which I got from Aerofilms a number of years ago and the quality is superb, especialy when it is remembered they were taken almost a hundred years ago by someone hanging out the back of a biplane with a large plate camera! They blow up very well revealing an extraudinary amount of detail.

 

 

 

 

img004.jpg.3669223dd9ce8011bcefd0b2f3e5513b.jpg

 

img005.jpg.f7e20e4de39681967781a55ce3c8efcd.jpg

Jerry

Edited by queensquare
  • Like 11
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Mind blowing stuff Jerry

 

Very brave to take on a project this size - I just hope I get a chance to see it one day as it looks set to become a 2mmFS classic...

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Thanks all for your kind words.

 

Ian, my collection of G and sash cramps come in very useful for baseboards but the roof was put together in a large jig made of melamine and card, along with my old favourite soldering aid - blutack! When I put it back in the jig to continue work I will take some pictures.

 

Andy, the station and midland yard/sheds area visible in the photo is about 13' feet long and pretty much to scale in length although reduced in width. Behind the camera is Bath junction where the S&D curves away from the line to Mangotsfield and the north. This is all included on the model albeit somewhat compressed. Overall , the layout is just shy of 20' - plenty big enough but not in the Fence Houses bracket. It is, after all, just a two platform branch terminus!

 

Pete, Kim has set the deadline of the 2mm Associations 60th anniversary in 2020 for the layout to make its first of not very many outings. It is designed to go out very occasionaly but is predominantly a home layout.

 

Jerry

Edited by queensquare
  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...