Porth Dinllaen in 0

[Simond]

thanks Chris, all,

 

I have a cunning plan!

 

need to start way back in the mists of time, at post 1...

 

and then read a little until you get to the "fictional map" - well, the map's real enough, but the harbour, the railway, the lifting bridge, well, they only exist in my fertile (or is that febrile) imagination

 

 

Now, you'll see that the trackplan of the shed has changed somewhat, well, it would over the thick end of 7 years or so, but it still ends in a cliff.

 

So, as I was saying, a retaining wall, with nice big buttresses!

 

Stone (maybe even slate?) or Brick?

 

atb

Simon

Edited May 1, 2020 by Simond

[Simond]

Take your pick,

 

one tarred (thick mix Vallejo black and Matt brown) and the other “weathered creosoted timber” grey, brown, overbrushed with grey.  Not quite there, I need to work on it...

 

 

and a quick splash of rattle can grey on the hoist

 

this is taken from my modelling chair.    will think a bit more about that retaining wall...

 

sorry about the photos, lights a bit harsh!

 

atb

Simon

[Happy Hippo]

I think that now you have painted the hoist it appears slightly smaller.

 

However, I'd suggest that you leave it sit there for several years whilst you make up your mind as to whether it's the right size or not.

[Simond]

Thanks Richard,

 

I’m not sure it looks smaller, but maybe less obvious.  
 

I rather think that grey is a later, maybe BR, paint job.  The picture of Westbury (Lyons, Historical Survey of  GW Engine Sheds 1947, pg 39) shows it in two tone, pale from about 4’ or 5’ up, dark below.  Ditto pg 40, Didcot, though the boundary is at least 6’, as its above the bottom of the boiler of the 4-4-0.   In the Westbury shot, it’s level with the colour change of the walls, 
 

Colours could be stone, light & dark, but it looks more like cream above in the Didcot shot, grey in the Westbury one.  Difficult to decide what the darker colour is.  Dark stone? Dark grey?  Black?  Chocolate, noooo!
 

of course, both of these were in Indoor lifting shops.  Maybe the ones outdoors were always grey, all over. Or maybe they were black at the bottom in GW days.
 

Life is so complicated...

 

(Oh, and it will sit there for years, at least until I can find the drawings...)

Edited May 1, 2020 by Simond

[Simond]

Further photos.

 

Beavor - Steam Motive Power Depots - pg126.  Didcot.

Griffiths -Sheds in Camera - Front cover.  Laira.  Outdoors 1962 - looks grey

plate 9 - Aberystwyth - Outdoors 1937 - difficult to see but grey, no obvious colour boundary

Plate 57 - Cardiff Cathays - indoors - no idea, pale upper.

Plate 68 - Chester - Outdoors 1935 - looks like monotone grey

Plate 124 - Laira -Outdoors, 1960, - monotone grey.

Plate 128 - Ditto.  Good close-up.  No sign whatsoever of two-tone paintwork

Plate 200 -Oxley - Indoors 1938 - lots of detail visible. Appears to be all one colour, possible cream or light stone

Plate 234 - St Blazey - Outdoors 1959 - dark grey monotone.

 

Green - Cambrian Coast Railways Vol1

pg 231, Aberystwyth.  Outdoors Hoist visible, but no details evident

pg 260 ditto - limited detail visible

Pg 261 ditto, two views 1926.  Looks monotone grey in both

pg 270 ditto, two views 1962, monotone grey, if somewhat grubbier

pg 271 ditto, ditto.

pg 272 ditto, two views from other side, looks much darker

 

It seems that the two tone colour scheme is limited to indoor hoists.  It’s also evident that there are different sizes.  The Aberystwyth one is definitely smaller than, for example, those at Didcot or Laira.  
 

at least I can paint it grey with some confidence.

 

g’night

Simon

 

 

 

 

[Hal Nail]

Just out of interest, the layout Holmes Road which has a thread in this section, has just posted up a photo of a diesel hoist next to a depot which looks roughly the same size. Obviously not entirely relevant but interesting from a scale perspective.

[Simond]

Thanks Ian,

 

That model at the Derby show is a nice looking layout.  It’s a bit easier with the modern stuff!  I’m pretty comfortable with the size thing, though I’d go for the smaller (Aberystwyth, 35t?) rather than the larger (Laira, 50t?) hoist if I have a choice.  As I currently have no drawings at all apart from the ~Z scale one in Lyons’ book, it may be Hobson’s...
 

The hoist is presumably sized to suit the loco allocation at the depot, which for an outpost such as Porth Dinllaen, is mainly local (panniers, autos, 43xx & various dock tanks) traffic, but of course, the station is supposedly handling big trains & big locos from dahn saaf, (thus “requiring” a population of 4-6-0’s  ). On this basis, I suppose the big one might be justified.  Additionally, there are two heavy freight locos for the quarry traffic, and an express freight for meat and livestock...

 

I guess I’ll see what drawings I can get and build that.  I’m thinking of doing an etch, but I might well use milled brass for the main structural bits.  I think it’ll have to work, too.

 

atb

Simon

[Simond]

More home brew kits...

 

 

the bits to make

 

 

Smoke hoods!

 

I just need to make the longer ones that stick out above the doors.  And whilst I’m at it, the windows above the doors, and the skylights.  It’s amazing what you can get done if you don’t have to go out!

 

keep well!

Simon

 

 

[Simond]

Help!

 

does anybody know where this came from?

 

I bought two grey resin stone walls at a show, and I rather like them, and would buy a few more,

 

but have no idea who the supplier is.

 

 

 

any ideas, please let me know!

ta

Simon

[ChrisN]

Simon,

Ten Commandments?

 

EDIT: Umm, maybe not.

Edited May 5, 2020 by ChrisN

[tender]

You could buy a resin casting kit and use what you have to make a rubber mould and then cast off as many as you want.

[Simond]

Crane update - helpful replies from Steam, NRM York and Didcot, but no drawings so far

 

Steam have some drawings but don't think they have anything like the main hoists.  NRM sent me the link to the humungous PDF index of OPC drawings and images, which I have searched, and Didcot have confirmed that they don't have drawings, but sent me some images.

 

None of the museums/societies can do much at present, due to the health situation, but both Steam and NRM will look when they can.  Didcot have happily said that we can arrange a site survey once they can reopen, so I can make my own drawings. 

 

This is excellent news!  I have CAD on a laptop, and Mrs D is well experienced at holding the other end of the tape measure, and we both have safety boots and hi-vis...

 

atb

Simon

[B15nac]

Hi

 

Not sure if this is any help but I thought loan act sheds like didcot and laira had the newer larger hoists added in the early 30's when  the sheds when modernised An rebuilt . The likes of banbury shed kept the original churchward shed but had a loan act workshop built an had the larger more modern hoist. I believe maybe space an the fact newton abbot wasn't far away ment laira had a hosit outside without the need to have a workshop building. This is only what I thought so it could be wrong. 

 

Kind regards Neil 

[Simond]

Neil

 

thanks for your post.  
 

It does seem that most of the hoists were built in the early 30’s.  There seem to have been several tonnages, certainly 35 and 50t, but there may have been other capacities.

 

My very limited research suggests that there were indoor (two tone painted) and outdoor (always grey) lifts in both capacities.  They have typically a 6t swinging fixed angle jib crane attached to one leg of the portal, with a chain hoist at the extremity.

 

any more info welcome!

cherrs

Simon

[Simond]

Never sticking to one topic when there are 147 other things that catch my interest (and it’s too hot to build the raised beds that I promised for the garden)  I knocked up a “first go” at a 4’ two wheel horse parcels van,   The measurements were from an LNWR version that appeared on WT.  it obviously needs proper shafts, which probably want to be stretched out of softened plastic, and my attempts at springs did not laser cut well.  I guess the shafts would laser out of MDF, something to play with later.

 

 

and the latest distraction is a Corgi AEC 5 ton Cabover, which is definitely under scale for an AEC 5 tonner, but which is within spitting distance of a Thorneycroft forward control A1.

 

I’ll have to replace the cab sides, and narrow the track, and probably fit some of my resin wheels, but it looks do-able.  And Corgi models are dead cheap in remainder sales.  I have another of their Thorneycroft, which are bang-on 7mm, to do as well, but this is today’s entertainment.

 

Atb

Simon

 

 

[bgman]

Good "first go" at the horse drawn parcels van Simon, worthy of a place somewhere on the layout surely ?

 

The Corgi vehicles are a good basis on which to trial projects too, enjoy today's entertainment !

 

I do like a little distraction from time to time too.

 

G

 

 

[Mikkel]

That horsedrawn parcel van is so elegant. I was looking longingly at the very same photo just the other day. I look forward to seeing that develop Simon. 

[2ManySpams]

On 07/05/2020 at 13:06, Simond said:

Crane update - helpful replies from Steam, NRM York and Didcot, but no drawings so far

 

Steam have some drawings but don't think they have anything like the main hoists.  NRM sent me the link to the humungous PDF index of OPC drawings and images, which I have searched, and Didcot have confirmed that they don't have drawings, but sent me some images.

 

None of the museums/societies can do much at present, due to the health situation, but both Steam and NRM will look when they can.  Didcot have happily said that we can arrange a site survey once they can reopen, so I can make my own drawings. 

 

This is excellent news!  I have CAD on a laptop, and Mrs D is well experienced at holding the other end of the tape measure, and we both have safety boots and hi-vis...

 

atb

Simon

 

You might also need a tall ladder...

[Simond]

Yes, you’re right.  Probably better take MissD who seems quite keen on climbing things.  (Just as scary as a competitive horseriding daughter I guess, but less manure...)

 

Atb

Simon

[Simond]

Progress on the van has been made but not without pain.

 

 

the laser cut stencils looked ok, but didn’t stop the paint, and necessitated a repaint of the van upper body.  I will try again using frisk, rather than masking tape, and spraying with acrylic, but transfers would be a simpler solution.

 

similarly, the smoke hoods were not as square as they needed to be, so a couple of gluing jigs have been made.

 

 

I’ve also ordered some thinner card to cut the side panels from as the mount board was too heavy.

 

progress, albeit slow!

 

atb

Simon

 

  

[bgman]

38 minutes ago, Simond said:

albeit slow!

 

Slow but steady wins the race Simon !

 

G

[Mikkel]

Very interesting to see your experiments with stencils etc Simon. When modelling vehicles it soon becomes evident that the lettering can be the main challenge.

 

On 24/05/2020 at 16:29, Simond said:

frisk  

 

Can I ask what that means? For once the interweb comes up short.

[daifly]

https://www.graphicsdirect.co.uk/collections/frisk-film

Dave

Edited May 31, 2020 by daifly

[Hal Nail]

8 minutes ago, daifly said:

https://www.graphicsdirect.co.uk/collections/frisk-film

Dave

When I saw frisk-film I was hoping for some archive Sweeney.

[Mikkel]

Thanks Dave. I should have realized it was a product name. For once Google emphasized the basics before products (as opposed to googling "the sun" or "apple").