The Diddington project

[wiggoforgold]

Work on Upwell Drove has progressed! In my last post , I mentioned a couple of issues that had arisen with the tracklaying. I was unhappy with the alignment of the loop siding with the turnout from the main road, so I relaid this. I’ve taken a photo of the new alignment. I’d previously painted the track bed, so the new alignment can be clearly seen.

I wasn’t happy with the painting of the track generally, so I’m redoing this. It’s a bit of a work in progress at the moment, so full details will follow when it’s finished. Suffice to say it involves Railmatch sleeper grime (my new discovery), Tamiya dark brown, chinchilla grit, Das modelling clay weathering pigments and static grass, not all at the same time. I worked up the headshunt to test some of the techniques, and get an idea of what the finished article would look like.

Finally, a couple of pics of D2201 heading by Elm Lane (formerly Middle Fen) on its way to Upwell Drove.

[Bungus the Fogeyman]

Liking this a lot Alex. Whats the track layout of Upwell Drove? Any chance of a helicopter view?

 

Disgusting of Market Harborough

[wiggoforgold]

The Upwell Drove track plan is inspired by Iain Rice's "Elan" plan in the "Finescale in small spaces" book. The sector plate in the plan is replaced by a turnout giving access to the (former) platform road and the loop. Storage will be on a separate cassette deck. The track plan isn't prototypical: mine includes a double slip, of which there weren't any on the Wisbech and Upwell. My trackplan is dictated by the size of the boards, which in turn is dictated by the need to carry the folded layout on the back seat of the car.  I'll take a helicopter shot in the next day or so and put it up to show the overall view.

[jrg1]

Like the trackwork, love the weathering on D5579-is there a description anywhere?

[steaming_chris]

Ballasting 19.03.18.jpg

 

I like the look of your track work in this photo, well done, and I look forward to your write up on how you weathered the track.

 

Regards

Edited March 24, 2018 by steaming_chris

[wiggoforgold]

Hi jrg1. If you follow the link to my blog, you'll find a fuller description of the construction and painting of D5579 there.

Thanks Chris. Hopefully more on the track will appear in the next ten days or so, together with the promised helicopter shot.

 

Alex

[ChrisFordham]

Looking forward to seeing the progress

Cheers Chris

[wiggoforgold]

Track laying at Upwell Drove is now virtually complete - I've just go to finish wiring it up and finish the ballasting. Here's an overall view to show the track layout.

 

 

 

Alex

Edited April 2, 2018 by wiggoforgold

[NHY 581]

That looks great Alex.

 

The slip saves a lot of space. I think the operating will be fun. Looking forward to seeing it develope scenery wise......but first some playing trains....ahem..thorough testing.

 

 

Rob

[wiggoforgold]

Ballasting isn’t my favourite modelling activity, so ballasting Upwell Drove was seen as a necessary stage in construction, rather than an eagerly anticipated bit of model making. I spent a lot of time looking at pictures of the Wisbech and Upwell, and one of my aims in the model is to show some of the different types of trackwork found on the prototype. So we have the “reserved” track as the line enters the station, which is conventionally ballasted and laid, Then there is a section of tramway track, with the rails level with the road surface. Finally in the station some of the ballast is just cinders, and the track is set in the surface.

The track was laid, and painted with Railmatch sleeper grime before ballasting. The sides of the rails and chairs were painted Tamiya matt dark brown. The sleepers were then dry brushed with various shades of Tamiya grey and earth.

The ballast for the model is made by mixing chinchilla grit with fine ash, about 50/50. The ash has the effect of darkening the chinchilla grit slightly, and adding additional variation to the colour. Looking at photographs of the W&U and other secondary lines, I was struck by the quite “open” appearance of the bullhead track, with a clear separation showing between the top of the ballast and the bottom of the rail. Part of the solution was not to use too much ballast, but I also found the cutting away the web between the sleepers after the track was laid greatly improved the appearance.

The ballast itself was spread dry between the rails. Before pouring out the ballast (I did a bit at a time from a teaspoon), I laid a strip of masking tape about 1mm from the ends of the sleepers, which limited the extent of the granite ballast. Once spread out, the ballast was sprayed with water with a couple of drops of washing up liquid in it. WW scenics pre-mixed ballast glue was then poured over and allowed to dry.

Once dry, the sides of the rails were touched up with Tamiya flat brown XF10. The rails and chairs were then given a wash of a dark grey colour, made from various mixes of Tamiya NATO black, dark grey, khaki drab and dark earth. The chairs were then highlighted by lightly dry brushing with Humbrol acrylic brick red. I then applied some rust coloured weathering powders to the rails and chairs. I mixed a small amount of the weathering powder with white spirit, and brushed this on to the sides of the rails. The white spirit evaporates, leaving the weathering powder in place. The chairs were then lightly brushed with a lighter rust shade.

The final step was to lightly spray it all with Humbrol matt acrylic spray varnish, This kills the sheen left by the WW scenics glue, fixes the weathering powder in place, and appears to enhance the contrast between the sleepers and ballast.

There are some variations in the track treatment. Some of the ballast is just cinders, and I spent some time thinking of how to replicate this. I was quite taken by Chris Nevard’s various writing on the subject, and the effect he achieved sing Das modelling clay, spread round the sleepers. I have used this method under the moving parts of turnouts, and at the baseboard joint. Once dry, the Das is painted with an earth colour mixed from various emulsion match pots (I used the Valspar range in B&Q), and the rails treated as described above. The finer cinders ballast outside the main ballast on the reserved track was made by sprinkling fine ash on wet PVA. Finally, the grassy areas around the track were built up with various length of static grass, starting with a base layer of 2mm fibres, and building up additional layers of 4, 6 and 10mm fibres. This is still a bit of a work on progress, as too much static grass can interfere with running, and I need to strike a balance between operability and appearance.

I need to complete the ballasting of the sidings in the yard, and then I shall start work on the grassy areas and road surfaces in the yard.

 

 

Cheers for now

Alex

[NHY 581]

The appearance of the track repays the time spent on getting it right, Alex. Leaving a gap between the bottom of the rail and the top of the ballast really enhances the lightweight look of the track.

 

I too find ballasting a real chore and so di it in short sessions otherwise I lose the will....completly.

 

 

It's looking very good so far..

 

 

Robm

Edited April 8, 2018 by NHY 581

[wiggoforgold]

Thanks Rob. I'm looking forward to seeing Mutton at Taunton!

Alex.

[NHY 581]

Be nice to meet Alex. I'm looking forward to catching up with people.

 

 

Should be good.

 

 

Rob.

[46444]

Nice progress Alex on Upwell Drove. Ballasting and grass looking good.

 

Nice write up in Model Rail of Diddington.

 

Some fabulous pictures from Mr. Nevard capturing the sense of space of Diddington and the great modelling.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

[BlackRat]

Nice write up in Model Rail Alex.......great pics and I recognise some of that grass!

 

I managed to sneak in there to......middle page spread!

 

Surely a first.....two SaLtash layouts in one mag!

[NHY 581]

Nice write up in Model Rail Alex.......great pics and I recognise some of that grass!

I managed to sneak in there to......middle page spread!

Surely a first.....two SaLtash layouts in one mag!

!??

[wiggoforgold]

Thanks for the kind comments chaps. A refurbished Diddington will appear here soon, I've just got to finish relaying the railway room floor. I did have a vague idea of cycling out to Minions this morning, but looking at the weather out of the window, I think the floor wins!

There's lots of grass to come on Upwell Drove Neil! I think that leaving me alone with a grass master and Gordon Gravett's book is a bit risky... I get ideas.

I like the look of that middle aged spread. Is it a bit like marmalade? It's inspired me to have some:)

[NHY 581]

Lovely to meet you and the Memsahib at Taunton Alex.

 

 

I was very taken with your 04. Very nice and looked most at home on Mutton.

 

 

Rob.

Edited May 1, 2018 by NHY 581

[wiggoforgold]

Nice to meet you too Rob. I am awaiting delivery of the 2mm glass fibre brush!

Thanks for posting the pic.

Alex

[Mulgabill]

Nice to meet you too Rob. I am awaiting delivery of the 2mm glass fibre brush!

Thanks for posting the pic.

Alex

Hi Alex

 

Since sharing a lunchtable at Taunton, I have journeyed through this Diddington thread. (It's taken a while as Mrs MulgaBill

managed to break her hip on the Bank Holiday weekend, and time has been at something of a premium).

 

I also chanced upon a copy of Model Rail a couple of days after we met.

 

All in all I have enjoyed the experience. You seem to have captured the near desolation of the area, which reminds me of

vaguely remembered articles in Trains Illustrated, or Railway World. Also a merrymaker excursion to Great Yarmouth in the

late 70s.

 

With the excellent standards you have set, I am now a little embarrassed to have expounded some of my scenic making

theories. I shall now be following with an interest in the East, I didn't previously have.

 

All the best

[wiggoforgold]

Thank you for the kind comments Tony. It was very nice meeting you and Mrs Mulgabill at Taunton, and I came away with several new ideas, including those we discussed. I made a point of searching out your cornish hedge after lunch, and that has given me an idea for an improvement at Diddington.

Alex

[wiggoforgold]

One of the purposes of Upwell Drove is to provide a terminus for the agricultural tramway from Diddington, a function performed by Juniper Hill for a number of years. When I started planning the layout, I wanted to make the proscenium match the existing proscenium for Diddington. Then I realised that since Diddington was built, thoughts on proscenium design had improved and developed, so I  incorporated the latest thinking in Upwell Drove. This meant the proscenium at Diddington needed updating. I decided to paint it. Then I thought I would paint the railway room wall. Then I decided to redecorate the room. Diddington now has a nice new home.

 

[NHY 581]

Splendid stuff Alex.

 

What a smashing place to play trains in. Look forward to seeing this progress.

 

 

Rob.

[wiggoforgold]

With a scrunch of tyres on gravel, roving railway photographer Jonty Chambers arrived at Upwell Drove in his Bentley. In a meeting with the fat clergyman and the thin clergyman at Middle Fen a few weeks ago, Jonty had learned of the fenland terminus of the Diddington agriculturasl tramway at Upwell Drove, and had decided to take a look for himself.

First here's a picture of Jonty at work.

 

 

 

This is what he saw:

 

 

More soon

Alex

 

 

[BlackRat]

And what did he see next.....?