Sturminster Newton - S+DJR

[nebnoswal]

I've tried the new blog, but after a couple months it's not doing it for me, so I'm moving my layout updates to this format, just like the old forum. You can catch-up on the progress in the links below:

 

http://www.rmweb.co....php?f=9&t=37739

 

http://www.rmweb.co....r-n-gauge-blog/

 

 

So far over the Christmas break I've been working on the landscaping on the Butts Pond end of the layout.

 

 

My wife tried to avoid giving me train presents this year, but I did manage to get some.

[Benbow]

Hi

Good to see you back.....I can't get on with this blog lark either!

Roger

[nebnoswal]

In between looking after my 39 week pregnant wife, I got a fair bit done today. I've painted 5 packets of Peco fencing, touched-up the ballast on the sides of the up and down lines and I've put down the 1^st base coat of static grass. It still needs a bit of tweaking, but so far so good. I was intending to put in a small pond just below the start of the buildings, that's something I will look into tomorrow.

 

 

And I only got zapped once! Ouch.

[nebnoswal]

As I was tidying up the ballast and grass this morning, it struck me that the milk loading shed I had built was looking to big, the size of the timbers that is. A quick measurement of the upright timber revealed that they were a scale 6 foot wide, what was I thinking? So today I skinned in some planking. It still retains its openness, but now it doesn't look so out of place, I hope. I've given it a quick coat of humbrol, now I have to decide whether to paint it a cream colour, similar to the other wooden railway buildings, or to leave as unpainted timber and give it a heavy weathering.

 

[nebnoswal]

I don't know if it was ambitious but I made an attempt on the 6 strand wire fence that runs along the rear of the station platform. The posts still need to be toned down, and once I place the platform on the layout I can plant some rose bushes and other foliage growing over it. It turned out to be an all day project, the most tedious part being the drilling of all the holes. I tried making-up several jigs, but they seemed to destroy more fence posts than it made, so I ended-up doing each one individually, 6 holes each, 31 posts. I thought threading the wire was going to be the hardest and most frustrating part, and the 1^st strand I did with tweezers. After that I dabbed some superglue onto the end of some handrail wire, attached the wire and then threaded like a needle through the fence posts, so much easier. I only had one minor hiccup, damaging a post, but a bit of glue and weathering and it will add to its derelict effect.

 

 

 

 

[nebnoswal]

The last couple of weeks has had me dip my toes all over the place. Fortunately the heat here downunder has cooled off a bit, it was only 33C as I put a layer of top soil on the back lawn. I'm forever doing some sort of tidying up on the layout, finding those little things that need a touch-up; a bit of ballast here, a touch of paint there. I've extended the cattle yards as I felt I didn??™t have enough storage capacity(for livestock), it was a big market! And then you sit down at the work bench and get distracted and start working on some unfinished kits and projects.

 

 

I've added an album in the galleries showing the latest progress on the layout and also some workbench projects. I was quite impressed with the laser etch kit for a Victorian Railways cattle wagon, a lot of great detail and it just needs a Peco chassis. The ships propeller is something I've been meaning to do since I saw a photo of one many years ago. It's still a work in progress

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?app=gallery&module=user&user=6928&do=view_album&album=661

 

After all the photos and comparing with the real Sturminster, I need quite a few more trees, even some big 50 footers behind the station.

 

Hopefully by the end of this weekend there should be a new Noswal in the world and Sturminster will have a new junior porter/porteress on the staff.

 

Passing the headshunt at Butts Pond.

Cattle platform and Dairy facilities

 

 

[nebnoswal]

Since the arrival of young Douglas, work on Sturminster has been going at a snail's pace (and in N gauge that is a very small snail! ). What time I've had has been spent working reducing the UFO pile, see my blog. Am still playing around with the milk loading stage, adding some trial signage. With a 5 day weekend coming-up, hopefully some constructive work will be done.

 

 

[nebnoswal]

No new work on the layout to talk about, but I’ve received some new rolling stock and vehicles. I got some of the new Mathison and Dapol private owner wagons. They are quite well detailed, but will need to be weathered down to make them aged.

 

 

I also received some of the new Oxford diecast vehicles; the Albion horsebox and the Scammel mechanical horse.

 

Have also been working on finishing off some UFO’s.

 

 

 

[Blandford1969]

Hi Ben,

 

Did you get the next photo i forwarded to you of Sturminster, there will be a couple more to come soon.

 

Kind regards

 

Duncan

[nebnoswal]

I've been slack of late, in particular to updates and actually working on the layout. There has been nothing major to report on of late, hence no updates. But with Christmas/summer holidays fast approaching (only 5 more work days to go), I needed to get back to work on Sturminster. So a good dusting and vacuuming latter and I decided I had better put the photographic backscene up before it gets too late. Ideally I should of done this as soon as I put the backscene up and before landscaping and scenery. The photos don't do it justice, as they have picked up all the bubbles, so this will have to be attended too soon.

Looking into the station

Station overview

Butts Pond

 

 

[NSE DAZ]

Hi Ben,

 

Great work, i will be watching this one with interest as i only live 8 miles away from Sturminster Newton B) a great project being modeled a lot more than 8 miles away

 

Keep up the good work and updates.

 

Darren NSE DAZ

[SteveBedding]

Glad you made the change to the layout thread - I had wondered what had happened to this layout. Although primarily a GW fan, the S&DJR has a nostalgic attraction as my first railway (shared with a younger brother ) was, according to my dad, the Stephen & Duncan Joint Railway... ...it was many years before I twigged to the deception !

 

I love the character of the layout, and am highly impressed by the way it gives the feel of the rural setting. Now you've got you mojo back, I look forward to seeing more...

[Kris]

Good to see that this is still going Ben. The back scene doesn't look to bad ion the photos.

[slow8dirty]

Looking good,

been quite a while since I looked at this one, it really is looking good and I'm glad your still working on it. Really starting to come together quite nicely.

 

Cheers, Matt

[nebnoswal]

Has been quite sometime since any updates on Stur. Things have been progressing very slowly. Trips away, a little person to look after and now winter.

 

But some work has been accomplished. The remainder of the goods area buildings have been started and and progressing.

 

 

The asbestos dry goods shed

The water tower

The Good shed

This is the beginings of the Blandford & Webb Grain and Feed store

[kiwinewt]

Wow that looks good! Watching and waiting for more update from across the ditch

[Kris]

Those building look fantastic.

[Donw]

Some grand building work there.

Don

[nebnoswal]

Some updated photos

 

 

 

 

[nebnoswal]

Back  when i started this , there was no guarantee as to how often I would make updates.  I think  5 1/2  years is a big enough gap.

I could go on about the various house moves (over 3000km traveled), but I wont'!

 

2020 saw me introduced to 3D printing.  While I don't actually own one, I have weekly access to  one, if required, and I provide some resin.  After some trial and effort with various CAd programs, I've managed to  print some wagons, which I think are good enough to run.  More about these latter.

 

During a recent layout clean-up, I removed the Sturminster signal box, and in doing so I noticed that glazing had deteriorate(cracked) since it was first built, wayback in 2013.  This then gave me and idea to see if I could print it, with a bit more accuracy.  While my first attempt achieved its task, it was never very accurate:

• incorrect sized wood panels
• incorrect windows
• incorrect roof material

 

 

Here is the prototype

 

Here is the comparison between the first scratch-built attempt and the first 3d print.  The windows and panel size are an obvious  standout

The roof is the existing one for the first attempt.  I'm still deliberating as to whether I re-use this, or try to print a more authentic one.  i'm still working on the stairs and vestibule.

Edited February 1, 2021 by nebnoswal

[Kris]

What a massive difference that is. - Is the front wall a little bowed or is it the camera?

[nebnoswal]

1 hour ago, Kris said:

What a massive difference that is. - Is the front wall a little bowed or is it the camera?

Yes there is a slight bow, but it is only the first print, still some more tweaking.  Next print hopefully with have nameboard attached.  Should also being doing the vestibule and steps.

[nebnoswal]

Second draft (ver 2B).  This has seen some refinement to the verandah, adding a name board, a a stove in the interior and some thought towards a lever-frame and other furniture.  I've also drawn the vestibule and steps as separate items, so that I can have easier access to paint.

 

All three parts.  Still need a window on the vestibule side wall and and also add balustrade on the end of the verandah. 

 

All assembled.  Even with the phone camera, all the blemish's show out.  The angle brackets under the verandah will need some thickening.  Am quite happy with how the sign turnout.  I've quickly painted it to see it turned out.

 

Here we have the original scratchbuilt (circa 2013), first 3D print and then the second.  Still some more refinement to go.  I think I will stick with roof I have, it works, or until such time as when I figure out how to do it.  In the background is version 2a, which didn't print properly.

 

Ben of Oz

Edited February 7, 2021 by nebnoswal

[nebnoswal]

Sturminster has journeyed 165km to the West to  exhibit at the Toowoomba Model Train show.  A good  weekend away was had with very few mishaps.  It has been 6 years between exhibitions and certainly showed a jobs that need to be updated/completed.

 

 

Looking into the goods yard.

 

Looking out from the good yard/dairy.

 

Definitely not the Pines rushing through the station.

Edited June 9, 2021 by nebnoswal
edit pictures

[Blandford1969]

On 07/02/2021 at 10:59, nebnoswal said:

Second draft (ver 2B).  This has seen some refinement to the verandah, adding a name board, a a stove in the interior and some thought towards a lever-frame and other furniture.  I've also drawn the vestibule and steps as separate items, so that I can have easier access to paint.

 

All three parts.  Still need a window on the vestibule side wall and and also add balustrade on the end of the verandah. 

 

All assembled.  Even with the phone camera, all the blemish's show out.  The angle brackets under the verandah will need some thickening.  Am quite happy with how the sign turnout.  I've quickly painted it to see it turned out.

 

Here we have the original scratchbuilt (circa 2013), first 3D print and then the second.  Still some more refinement to go.  I think I will stick with roof I have, it works, or until such time as when I figure out how to do it.  In the background is version 2a, which didn't print properly.

 

Ben of Oz

You will probably find some might want to buy that from you either in N or OO - it looks great.