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Worseter - update


Killybegs
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I think I've caught the demolition bug off Coachman, so It's two steps forwards and one step back! Having completed the lock structure, I decided that the stone edgings to the rest of the canal didn't look right, so this morning they were chiselled out and will be replaced with blue bull-nosed bricks as per the prototype.

 

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In addition to re-doing the edgings, I have to fill in the ground around the lock, weather the brickwork and do a spot of hard and soft landscaping.

 

You will see that both sets of paddle operating gear have now been completed. The second one took much less time, all the design work having been done and problems sorted. Fortunately I do make notes (see below) when I build things so there is no excuse for getting it wrong second time around! Incidentally, each set of gear (as modelled) comprises 27 parts!

 

post-7952-0-11493100-1402662730_thumb.jpg

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In between bouts of garden maintenance, when the weather has just been to good to stay inside, I have made more progress on the lock. The ground level has now been built up and the roadway  and tow path have been extended beyond the bridge. At the moment only basic ground cover has been applied, the undergrowth typical of a barely used canal has yet to be added and I still have to make the new brick edgings to the canal and redo the water. The whole lock and road structure beyond the bridge is still a removable unit and will continue that way until the last minute. Working on it in-situ would be a real pain!

 

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Edited by Killybegs
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Fantastic!

 

Despite the inevitable relocation of some geographical features you are capturing the atmosphere of the canal basin in the prototype superbly

 

The rail over canal bridge is iconic - for those who may not have seen it heres a link to a prototype photo

 

http://www.miac.org.uk/canalbridge.html#gwr4113

 

Many thanks for sharing this super layout with us - are you local to 85A?

 

Phil

 

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Fantastic!

 

Despite the inevitable relocation of some geographical features you are capturing the atmosphere of the canal basin in the prototype superbly

 

The rail over canal bridge is iconic - for those who may not have seen it heres a link to a prototype photo

 

http://www.miac.org.uk/canalbridge.html#gwr4113

 

Many thanks for sharing this super layout with us - are you local to 85A?

 

Phil

 

 

Afraid not, but I did live in Gloucestershire for 30 years! My inspiration for the bridge came, originally, from Colin Gifford's book 'Decline of Steam', supplemented by the shot below which I would have taken some time in the late sixties or early seventies. Eventually the layout will include warehouses based on some of those at Gloucester docks. The line passing between the factory buildings to access the shed is reminiscent of those to be found at Gloucester docks, so wonderfully illustrated in 'The Last days of Steam in Gloucestershire, So Worseter is a rather awful pun on Glos and Worcs!

 

I'm now living in Donegal, but do get back as often as I can!

 

John

 

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Suspected something like that

 

Used to pass this way every day when I was at Worcester Grammar - we went straight up the hill to get our pie and chips in Laslett Street , ate it at Railway Walk and then back to school this way

 

Happy times

 

Phil

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Suspected something like that

 

Used to pass this way every day when I was at Worcester Grammar - we went straight up the hill to get our pie and chips in Laslett Street , ate it at Railway Walk and then back to school this way

 

Happy times

 

Phil

Oh what bliss, if we were caught off school premises at lunch time were were in serious trouble! So it was dreadful school lunches for us.

 

John

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Smashing John!

 

Now just a thought - had you considered signalling the road traffic on your crossing by the warehouses prototypically?

 

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~mercurytravel/notebook/232/notebook.htm#shrub

 

This page is also a mine of info on the area

 

http://www.miac.org.uk/vinegarmap.html

 

Cheers

 

Phil

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Smashing John!

 

Now just a thought - had you considered signalling the road traffic on your crossing by the warehouses prototypically?

 

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~mercurytravel/notebook/232/notebook.htm#shrub

 

This page is also a mine of info on the area

 

http://www.miac.org.uk/vinegarmap.html

 

Cheers

 

Phil

Phil, you are a little wonder! I was going to have the crossing controlled by a flagman but semaphore signals on the road sounds like a much better idea and so prototypical.

 

Many thanks.

 

John

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Phil, you are a little wonder! I was going to have the crossing controlled by a flagman but semaphore signals on the road sounds like a much better idea and so prototypical.

 

Many thanks.

 

John

I guess the ground frames would be typical GWR with a single lever. I'm also going to have to put in a catch point and probably a ground signal at the shed end, they would be 'off stage' and out of sight at the other end. More research required!

 

John

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John that sounds great - glad to be of some help!

 

Have you seen the signs that were used to warn road traffic?
 

The NRM has them IIRC

 

Cheers

 

Phil

 

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Well, all this hot weather and a drop of rain has got the vegetation growing apace. Now, if the bricklayer turns up, we can get on with those blue brick edgings to the canal banks! Meanwhile, regardless of this state of affairs, 6154 coasts across the bridge with the local goods.

 

post-7952-0-35500500-1403698896_thumb.jpg

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Well, all this hot weather and a drop of rain has got the vegetation growing apace. Now, if the bricklayer turns up, we can get on with those blue brick edgings to the canal banks! Meanwhile, regardless of this state of affairs, 6154 coasts across the bridge with the local goods.

 

attachicon.gifbridge 05w.jpg

Double Wow!

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After a short break - a very pleasant long weekend at Strangford Lough across the border in NI, and two days hard slog in the garden, it's back to work on the canal. This morning I finished scribing all the straight sections of blue brick edging and pretty much finished the curved section. Following that, I rubbed down the surface of the water and gave it a new coat of paint. I even found the pot of paint that I mixed several years ago when the canal was first painted! However, I've always thought it was too green so an equal amount of brown was added to the mix. These are humbrol enamels nos. 114 and 186. It's now all covered up to keep the dust off and, in a couple of days time, I shall start putting on the varnish top coats. I can't make up my mind as to whether to go for a smooth finish, as before, or go for a rippled effect. The smooth finish does give nice reflections!

 

I'd better leave you with a pic! Here are the blue brick edgings. The curved section has been secured to its backing (making a total thickness of 3mm) and, once the solvent has finished doing its work, it will be cut out and the front edge scribed. I might even get around to applying a little paint after lunch!

 

post-7952-0-27390800-1404300546_thumb.jpg

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While waiting for the painted surface of the canal to cure, I set about producing some drawings for the abandoned barge. Two days later, it was finished and primed! I think these were known as "butties" and were seen towed behind narrow boats. This particular one if a fifty five footer and is based on one I photographed up in the Black Country back in the sixties.

 

It's had a first coat of water in the bottom. After a second coat the water will be varnished and, hopefully, it will match the colour of the canal in which it is partially submerged. It's sitting on a bit of not very flat green card for the photo. The barge itself will be painted a dark rust colour before being weathered with powders.

 

Now, it's time to get the first coat of varnish on the canal itself!

 

I am (quite correctly) informed that this is not a butty but a BCN Dayboat. Thank you Figworthy.

 

post-7952-0-34767200-1404561575_thumb.jpg

Edited by Killybegs
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Smashing John!

 

Now just a thought - had you considered signalling the road traffic on your crossing by the warehouses prototypically?

 

http://members.optusnet.com.au/~mercurytravel/notebook/232/notebook.htm#shrub

 

This page is also a mine of info on the area

 

http://www.miac.org.uk/vinegarmap.html

 

Cheers

 

Phil

Hi Phil,

 

While looking for an article on Gloucester Docks in Great Western Railway Journal, I found an excellent article on the Vinegar Branch. Loads of pics and a great aerial photograph showing the railways in that part of Worcester. It's the first photo I have found that shows the area this side of 'my' bridge as it used to be. I don't know how I missed this back in July 2005. I think I was probably too wrapped up in getting Clinkerford finished, while Worseter languished unloved!

 

John

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Hi John

 

That's great to hear - inspiration info like that is always a great stimulus

 

Progress looks super - cant wait to see more

 

Kind regards

 

Phil

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in a couple of days time, I shall start putting on the varnish top coats. I can't make up my mind as to whether to go for a smooth finish, as before, or go for a rippled effect. The smooth finish does give nice reflections!

 

 

Hi Killybegs, If you don't mind advice from a complete stranger: I'd go for the smooth finish. I think canals are almost always deep and slow moving - or not moving at all apart from a boat's wash - and therefore tend to be smooth apart from wind ripples which would be too small to see if done to scale. Certainly all the canals I've been on or near have looked flat and smooth except near the tail of a lock.

 

Great looking layout mate,

 

Al.

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For what it's worth, to add the kayaker's perspective, smooth and mirror-like is right for a canal. I should be able to illustrate this with a shot of a bridge on the Kennet & Avon where the reflection of the arch made a wonderful circle, but as I stopped to get my camera out the person I was paddling with carried on a few metres and the mirror effect was lost.

 

But even the Bristol Avon here in Chippenham has been mirror-like on several evenings in the past week.

 

There is a very slight "flow" detectable on the Kennet & Avon at Devizes, but as that is pretty much the top of the Caen Hill flight of locks, it's to be expected, but it's not anything to disturb the mirror-like surface.

 

Can I also echo the remarks of several others, what a great looking layout!

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