Havenhouse - the reboot

[LNER4479]

Just the details to do now - guttering, stove-pipe and finials.

 

Hi Jason,

 

Are window sills (ie at the bottom of the window surround) on your list of details? Seem quite noticeable on the prototype pix but simple enough detail to add.

 

Building looks lovely in its 'setting'. And I'm with you re the feeling of 'space', I think that's starting to come across very effectively in your recreation.

 

Keep posting!

[freebs]

Waiting room is looking brilliant, Jason!

[JCL]

Thanks everyone! I've just been for a few nights in a cabin in the woods ("A Cabin in the Woods" movie is not a great brochure for this type of holiday - don't go in the cellar!) and I'm raring to crack on.

 

Hi Ian - Princeton - you're only a 19 hour drive away! We've had guests to the B&B drive from St Paul in the past. All that flatness must have been like driving around Skeg On the Mablethorpe idea, there's some good information about the station in the "GNR Engine Sheds vol 2" book if you're still thinking about it, and I know someone else of this parish was thinking about Mablethorpe in 00 last year ( http://mablethorpe00.blogspot.ca/ ). You know, I wonder how many Lincolnshire layouts there are knocking around.

 

Anyway, I'll definitely be putting sills below the windows as well. I don't have a colour photo of the waiting room from the '60s so I think I'll be using the cream or blue from the signal box windows (see page 8 for a photo). The blueish colour I'm taking from this photo http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidwf2009/5537864768/in/photolist-9rn1g3-9W86V1-8Q9bys/ although, looking again at the door behind the signal box I'm starting to think I should have gone greenish...

 

Does anyone have any thoughts?

[JCL]

I'm very excited about..........guttering! I seriously need to get out and see a bit of the world.

 

I've amended the method I used on the signal box. If you've seen that thread you may remember that I borrowed an idea to use a jig used by BRealistic here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/69987-a-wr-engine-shed-tips-for-painting-please-making-louvres-ridge-tiles-and-guttering/?p=996866 . The jig was then used with aluminium foil to create the shape of the guttering. I wasn't happy with this as, even though I used heavy duty foil, the guttering was too frail.

 

In BRealistic's photos, the lower side is on the left

 

So, my new method is as follows:

1. Wet a strip of paper about 1.5cm wide and as long as the jig (to make it more malleable)
2. Dab the card dry on a clean tea towel
3. Lay it over the jig, and push a thick ruler up to the lower side (the outside edge of the gutter
4. Use the thick ruler to hold the card against the rod in the middle and pull a thin ruler down to the upper side
5. Do the same on the other side
6. Finally use your finger nail to really get a sharp crease on each side
7. Use a craft knife to cut down the lower side to form the edge of the gutter
8. Cut about 0.5cm away from the upper side to form the tab that is glued under the tiled roof

Sorry about the blur, but hopefully this will show that the thicker ruler on the right is holding the card against the metal rod while the thin ruler is dragged towards me.

 

 

If you keep it all tight you will end up with a pretty convincing piece of guttering that will stand up to more knocks than the foil!

 

If you use coloured card (I used the same colour as my doors), you don't even have to paint it! maybe a little bit of ink along the inside to look like gunk.

 

 

And now in nasty zoom-o-vision!

 

 

I'm pretty pleased with how it's turned out. Drainpipes tomorrow and window sills. The latter will be scale 4x4 lumber painted blue.

Edited August 26, 2013 by JCL

[JCL]

That's it then. I'll look around for a H stove pipe but essentially this one is finished.

 

 

I'm hanging on for measurements of the railings either side of the waiting room, so I'll get on with the level crossing next. Recently changed to lifting barriers, the current level crossing has been there since the line was doubled, although the gates have changed from time to time. Sometimes there were two sections on each gate, sometimes three, and sometimes a mixture of the two. I'll be making the gates using the laminated card process that I wrote about in the "Old Skool 3D printing" thread here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/70173-old-skool-3-d-printing-ish/

 

Here's a photo from that thread to give you an idea of a two section gate. I'll update the topic above while making the gates and then show them in place on this layout thread. So if you'd all like to gather your coats, I'll see you there!

 

 

[Ian Holmes]

That is absolutely spot on. Great stuff.

[freebs]

Your building looks brilliant. Nice work Jason

[JCL]

Thanks everyone, though I don't think I'd want to put it too close to yours Lee!

[JCL]

So, a quick update. I've decided to keep the work on the crossing gates here, and only do a quick technique update on the old skool thread.

 

I'm currently working on the wood inserts between the track and under the gates on the level crossing end of the station. I did start with real wood, but there didn't seem to be enough texture there (I realise that's ironic as I'm using card and brick paper elsewhere!) so I'm using styrene sheet. I've found a great website here: http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/aging_wood that shows how to wood grain styrene sheet and then age it, so I'm going to have a go at that. Getting the sheet cut correctly between the rails is proving to be difficult, but I'll get there.

 

In the meantime, for anyone that's interested in excursions, Skegness, Nottingham, Sheffield, seaside trains etc, the August copy of Railways illustrated has a long article about loco hauled trains to Skegness in 1984

Edited September 5, 2013 by JCL

[JCL]

So I've had a chance to paint the crossing boards and the stage is set for the gates. I took the ideas on the site in the previous post, stuck the plasticard down with double-sided tape and scribed the planks. Then I rubbed the card up and down with 120 grit sandpaper to get rid of the shininess, before gouging at it with 40 grit sandpaper. A good workout for the thumbs I can tell you! Finally I went over the grooves between the planks again to make sure you could still see them and that the ink would get in there later.

 

So the end product can be seen in the picture below. After the distressing, I sprayed the card with white acrylic spray before painting it with burnt sienna acrylics. Finally a wash of black India ink brought darkened the whole lot off. (Sorry about the photo, the tripod was packed away).

 

 

I think the end result is slightly too red, so for the actual crossing I mixed burnt sienna in with a bit of raw umber (or bronze yellow) to produce a colour reminiscent of cow manure (really, it does!)

 

 

This photo shows a bit of detail in the one above.

 

 

So all I have to do now is give them a wash with the india ink, spray then with Testors "Dullcote" to take off the sheen and glue them down.

 

As I have something the right size, the crossing gate posts will be made of wood. They'll then be painted white and then weathered. The difficult bit will be attaching the rods to the posts and then the rods to the gates. Oh, and making sure that when I glue them down I get it right and that the wheels will actually go over them!

 

Sorry about the edits, posting while tired isn't clever.

Edited September 7, 2013 by JCL

[JCL]

Ah, double post, sorry.

 

Here's the boards in place. Some touch-ups needed to the road, and a small wall will go in to the left on the outside of the curve. The white area bottom left is where a post will go.

 

 

[JCL]

Well, I have some time on my hands again. I've been knocking around on here, but it's been all go out in the 1:1 world so all I've had time to do it run trains around the room for five minutes at a time. Not that I'm complaining, I'd rather be busy than twiddling my thumbs,

 

Anyway, back to it. The level crossing is on hold for a little while. I'm going to landscape around it, but I've found some information about automating the thing with a long screw thread. Hopefully I'll be able to do this using items at my local hardware store instead of having to send off for stuff. The actual automation will be done manually by turning a wheel on the fascia. If I'm going mad, hopefully I'll be able to make a (smaller) replica of the wheel that sat in the signal box in Wainfleet to do this (these tasks are lining up, it may happen one day). The next few days will be tidying up. That is, clean up paint edges, install the Wills signal box interior that's just arrived, smoke stack on the waiting room (I've just bought a caboose smoke stack would you believe?) etc.

 

Sorry for the boring post, it'll get interesting again soon!

[westerhamstation]

Hi Jason, It's good to see that your back on track!

    I like the idea of the level crossing gates it sounds interesting looking forward to seeing it develop.

           Regards Adrian 

[JCL]

Thanks Adrian.

 

I have the Wills kit out, and the old track diagram, so  I'm researching the appropriate colours. There is a level crossing capstan in the kit, but I'm hoping to get information about the actual assembly that was in the Wainfleet signal box. Good to see there's an armchair in the bag of tricks. Of course it'll need careful but heavy weathering.

 

I'm going in!

 

cheers

 

Jason

[class"66"]

Some realy nice work here!!

[JCL]

Thanks very much

 

I opened the Wills signal box interior and found myself completely underwhelmed. How much flash? Looks like I'll be filing later. Until then, I have found the 1899 signal box diagram http://tillyweb.biz/gallery/ww/wainfleetdiag2.jpg . The only change between 1899 and the 1960s was the removal of the engine shed and its single slip and point. This means that from the diagram in the link, I think the colours will be:

 

1    distant   yellow

2    home      red

3    home      red

4    spare     white

5    spare     white

6    spare     white

7    spare     white

8    lock      blue

9    ground    red

10   point     black

11   ground    red

12   point     black

13   ground    red

14   spare     white

15   spare     white

16   spare     white

17   spare     white

18   spare     white

19   spare     white

20   home      red

21   home      red

22   distant   yellow

23   spare     white

24   spare     white

25   gatestops brown

 

Please let me know if I've got any of them wrong.

 

I'm going to have a go at fashioning a different base for the levers that will be a bit neater.

 

I've already put a fireplace in the signal box, so the stove was quickly painted up and added to the waiting room. While working on the waiting room, the caboose smokestack was drilled into the bottom, then the bottom filed at an angle, a track pin added. A quick hole drilled into the roof and there we are. It just goes to show, answers to problems can be found in unlikely places. So, that's the waiting room finished.

 

 

And yes, I also have a banjo, I can't grow a beard though.

Edited October 18, 2013 by JCL

[JCL]

Argh, double posting. I'm afraid I have no manners, as I'm just going to carry on with this one. I've been thinking about the whole road end of the layout. The thing is, see, there's a whole load of stuff to put into a very small space. There's the signal box, the footbridge, the fencing, the crossing gates, and, I've just found out, the cabin for the coal merchants. All of this takes place in such a small place in 'real life that the signal box at Wainfleet still has a piece of the roof pared away so that the footbridge could fit in behind it. You can see it in the pictures below from my signal box thread. The spacing really is that tight.

So, I bought a new photo of Wainfleet station I hadn't seen before on Ebay and I've been able to trace it and mould it into some sort of plan. I've a feeling that the bridge will have to go in first, then the gates after that (I'll have time to work through the automation), then the fencing, etc way into the future. I realise I'm chopping and changing, but it's a bit like a jigsaw puzzle where you have to make your tiles before putting them together to form the picture.

 

Anyway, here's the plan. This horrifying footbridge has four sets of steps (two to the platforms and two to the street and a signal growing out of it for good measure. We'll see how close I get to authenticity. I'll aim for it, but it's daunting to be fair. Well that was to keep me busy this evening, I've still got the signalbox interior to finish. But first, sleep.

 

[Alister_G]

Hi Jason.

 

Just had a quick glance through your thread, as I'm at work, I'll start from the beginning tonight, but I can't believe I've missed this thread!

 

Oh, and your prospective bridge looks even more daunting than mine

 

Excellent stuff, I will be watching from now on.

 

Cheers,

 

Al

[jrg1]

Argh, double posting. I'm afraid I have no manners, as I'm just going to carry on with this one. I've been thinking about the whole road end of the layout. The thing is, see, there's a whole load of stuff to put into a very small space. There's the signal box, the footbridge, the fencing, the crossing gates, and, I've just found out, the cabin for the coal merchants. All of this takes place in such a small place in 'real life that the signal box at Wainfleet still has a piece of the roof pared away so that the footbridge could fit in behind it. You can see it in the pictures below from my signal box thread. The spacing really is that tight.

 

So, I bought a new photo of Wainfleet station I hadn't seen before on Ebay and I've been able to trace it and mould it into some sort of plan. I've a feeling that the bridge will have to go in first, then the gates after that (I'll have time to work through the automation), then the fencing, etc way into the future. I realise I'm chopping and changing, but it's a bit like a jigsaw puzzle where you have to make your tiles before putting them together to form the picture.

 

Anyway, here's the plan. This horrifying footbridge has four sets of steps (two to the platforms and two to the street and a signal growing out of it for good measure. We'll see how close I get to authenticity. I'll aim for it, but it's daunting to be fair. Well that was to keep me busy this evening, I've still got the signalbox interior to finish. But first, sleep.

 

footbridge plans.jpg

These footbridges were failry common in East Lincolnshire-with variations.  I 

[manna]

G'Day Gents

 

Like this layout, (anything GN) the footbridge looks a lot like the old Hornby model, bit of cut and shut !!

 

manna

[Ian Holmes]

These footbridges were failry common in East Lincolnshire-with variations.  I 

Those last two picture bring back happy memories. I used to love running across that footbridge watching the trains below.

 

Ian

[JCL]

Thanks everyone, and thanks for those other photos of a footbridge (where're they from?) The last one is especially interesting to me as it shows the columns much better than anything else I have. They also seem to be similar, if not the same as the ones at Wainfleet, so I'll have to see how much of them I can incoroporate into the model (skill set notwithstanding). The idea of a cut and shut of the old style Hornby footbridge didn't pass me by. I've got two of them stashed away for their columns and their steps if nothing else!

 

I got word from the person that sold me one of the photos that I'm working on that I can upload it with a copyright, so here it is!  I'm including it to show how much has to be packed within feet of it. You'll also see how close the signal box is. It is also on uneven ground because the road changes height from track level to platform level along its length. The plan on the previous page, which was created by tracing over and squaring up the photo, will be more of a starting point than a rigid plan so that I can tinker with length, height etc to get everything to fit.

 

The photo has been great for two more reasons. It clearly shows a grounded van in the station carpark, and that the local coal merchant had a cabin by the platforms (two good sides shown there). I'd always supposed that both of these items were in the yard. Finally, a good end shot of one of the benches at Wainfleet. I think that I'll get away with a Metcalf bench with the GWR roundels cut out of them.

 

 

[JCL]

I can't claim to have done this today, but here's my starting point for my footbridge. Hi Manna, as I say, we think alike! I found a couple of cheap Hornby footbridges a while ago. I've already sawn off the middle section and replaced it with plasticard. It fits well into notches underneath the platforms at the top of the steps. My current thoughts are:

 

- keep the columns - they are the right height as they are on low platforms, and do after all look very similar to the ones in Wainfleet

- attempt to fabicrate the lattice between the tops of the columns (I'll base this on xx's pictures as any photos I have of the lattice are pretty blurred.

- fabricate the latticework across the bridge and replace the "hand rails" on the steps with those made of plastic strip

- remove some of the steps so that they conform to the contours of their proposed location also cut in half whatever's left and create the short platform halfway down

- create the signal (hmm, can I get it to work I wonder?)

- Paint a greeny-grey colour based on family recollection

- have some serious beers when done

 

Simples!

 

As you can see, I've also put together the four Metcalfe benches I need. Basically I got a sharp scalpel and cut out the middles, coloured them blue with a whiteboard marker and put them together as directed. I only need four for Wainfleet so one packet was enough.

 

 

Below are some photos I took back in the 1965 of Wainfleet station (kinda). Local subsidence means that the footbridge needs shoring up Actually, you can see what I mean about cutting off some of the steps pretty vividly here.

 

 

And the benches. I think it looks passable now that the circle in the middle bit of the legs have gone. This view will disappear at some point as a fence will go up at the back of the front platform.

 

[jrg1]

Those last two picture bring back happy memories. I used to love running across that footbridge watching the trains below.

 

Ian

The Mablethorpe footbridge was a fine piece of rivetted work, and I drove by just as the scrapman had finished chopping it up.  What a waste of a fine piece of industrial design and excellent craftsmanship

[jrg1]

Here are views of Edwinstowe and Sutton Bridge footbridges-the columns are fairly well defined