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Train spotting at Finsbury Square


31A
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1 hour ago, Ian Blenk said:

Always look forward to posts on F.P. they never disappoint!

 

IB

 

 

Thank you Ian, very kind of you to say so.  There isn't always much to report!

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20 minutes ago, PhilJ W said:

Isn't it normal practice for the lighter engine to pilot when double heading therefore the J15 should be in front?

 

 

Too difficult to shunt them round that way, Phil - they're only going a little way.  It's just a marriage of convenience!

 

Anyway the Claud hasn't got a tension lock on the front!!

 

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1 hour ago, TrevorP1 said:

My eyes went straight to the excellent brick building. Kings Cross Passenger Loco? 

 

Thank you , Trevor!  The whole area is sort of based on that, as is the building but it isn't an exact copy of anything.  I think I took the proportions of doors, windows etc. from the old Prototype Models kit of Heckington station.  The lean-to lobby at this end is inspired by one on a building at Top Shed.

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19 hours ago, 31A said:

Saturday morning line up in the Loco:

 

IMG_4314.jpeg.17597d569daa4fa30604ff6d9a8ecdc5.jpeg

Triffic photo Steve, full of real atmosphere. Very neat trick using real sunlight on a layout, only seen that once or twice before but it really works... (if that's not real sunlight, I fully accept my poor observational skills...:blush:).

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1 hour ago, Chas Levin said:

Triffic photo Steve, full of real atmosphere. Very neat trick using real sunlight on a layout, only seen that once or twice before but it really works... (if that's not real sunlight, I fully accept my poor observational skills...:blush:).

 

 

Thanks Chas, yes it is sunlight.  It's an unusual viewpoint; I poked my head under the girder bridge that defines the entrance to the fiddle yard and that was what I saw, with the morning sun shining strongly yesterday morning.  I thought it looked quite good so I did a quick snap with my phone!

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On 16/09/2021 at 17:39, 31A said:

Recently I've been doing point rodding, or rather trying to avoid doing point rodding.  About a year ago I did this section between platforms 3 and 4, as a trial (it was).  The rods lead off beneath the platform, at the bottom of the picture.

 

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Emerging from the other side of the wooden platform, they then need to run between platforms 1 and 2 to reach where the signal box will be.  As this is an area where shunters and other staff would be working, it occurred to me that I could avoid modelling the rodding as a whole by instead modelling a boarded covering.

 

Nevertheless, I would have to model one of the rodding runs, as it would be visible from the side.  This is the beginnings of the project, with the boarding made from 1.5mm ply, chamfered at the edge to make it look thinner.  The actual rodding is made from the 0.45mm square N/S wire that Wizard Models sells for the purpose.  The 'legs' are also 1.5mm ply; in reality I suspect these would be metal stands with the rods passing underneath, but hopefully this subterfuge is not too obvious when finished and painted.  The visible ends of the rollers are pieces from the Brassmaster etched rodding rollers, cut off and soldered to the side of the rod.

 

IMG_4240.jpeg.3a3f2319ff42e2148475cc424851a09d.jpeg

 

This shows the finished item, viewed from the north end.  After leaving the cover, the rodding runs have to cross the platform 1 and dock siding lines, to reach the cess.  Having not anticipated this when I laid the Peco Streamline, the rodding runs had to be made up of separate sections between the rails.  Needless to say, the sleepers didn't line up with each other either, so getting  across the lines is all a bit of a fudge really.

 

I have tried using the etched brass rollers from Brassmasters, but couldn't get on with them.  So the stools and in the foreground are represented by sections of copper clad sleeper, with a piece of 1mm square wire soldered across it to represent the roller.  The rodding is then soldered to that wire, and a section of 0.45mm round wire soldered across that to represent the top rollers.  Where the rodding lies within the four foot, I soldered pieces of the rodding wire to 'staples' made from 0.45mm wire, which could then be pressed into the cork underlay.  Luckily, the ballast (which had been stuck down with dilute Copydex) was easy enough to dig out from the sleeper 'bays'!

 

IMG_4312.jpeg.acfc07cc2198b858167a9e265cf6d2c0.jpeg

 

This view from a similar angle shows the continuation of the rodding beneath the dock siding, in the foreground.  I decided the above method was too complicated, so for this bit I cut pieces of black plasticard to fit into the sleeper bays, and represented the rodding in the four foot by sections of 0.5mm square plastic rod painted grey and stuck to the black plasticard.  I think this method is the way forward for rodding within the four foot, as it was easier to get the rodding to lie flat, and to at least try and make it look as if it's a continuation of the rodding from the six foot!  There will be more 'ground cover' in this area eventually, but before that there will need to be more rodding installed to the right.

 

IMG_4305.jpeg.8ed90ec7ee5df0fcf6ef1afa45140c6b.jpeg

 

This view from the other end shows where the rodding crosses the platform 2 road and the middle road, and the runs under the cover between the middle road and platform 1.  There is another short boarded section to the left; as well as shunters walking, this is approximately where loco cab steps often come to rest.  I have blended it all in with an application of 'ground cover grot' and a wash of thin grey / brown acrylic.  I still need to do the bit where it disappears under the platform.

 

IMG_4313.jpeg.b5ae6e4867ecc684320f23fb40d63dee.jpeg

 

This is all a prelude to replacing the dummy colour light Platform 3 & 4 starters, that have been there temporarily for about 20 years, with a gantry of proper semaphores (although don't expect to see that too soon!).

 

 

 

I particularly like the variation in ballast appearance and colour in the nearest track in the final photo.  It very realistically and subtly recognises that ballast is not uniform in either and is affected by dripping water, steam and oil etc etc.  How did you achieve that?

 

Thanks

Mark

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17 minutes ago, Mark C said:

I particularly like the variation in ballast appearance and colour in the nearest track in the final photo.  It very realistically and subtly recognises that ballast is not uniform in either and is affected by dripping water, steam and oil etc etc.  How did you achieve that?

 

Thanks

Mark

 

Thank you Mark!  I'm glad you like it; scenic work is not my favourite task.

 

The track ballast in the loco yard is mainly done with Woodland Scenics Fine Cinders, but I mixed in all sorts of other stuff; real ash, sieved sand, Polyfilla.  Some bits didn't come out as I'd expected so I went back and did them again, so there is quite a bit of variation I suppose.  I see there seems to be a few sleeper bays with no ballast at all on the right hand line off the point; I hadn't noticed that before and it isn't really apparent from usual viewing angles.

 

The areas between the lines were covered by painting with Sandtex masonry paint (a mix of black and French Grey paints) and then 'ground cover' sieved onto it while wet using a tea strainer.  The 'ground cover' is a mix of sand / Polyfilla / Cascamite powdered wood glue / black powder paint.  Again I wasn't always happy with the result and went back and did some areas again.  After I'd finished, I thought the area between the road looked too rough so I went over it again with the Sandtex paint mixture, which has made it a lighter colour, as well as smoother.

 

Here is another view from a more usual angle, and with more normal lighting.  The ballast on the line nearest the office building is meant to look a bit tidier; it is Woodland Scenics fine grey ballast mixed with the fine cinders.

 

IMG_3949.jpeg.a374bf72faea5044b3b3667892c17fdc.jpeg

 

 

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On 16/09/2021 at 17:39, 31A said:

 

 

IMG_4313.jpeg.b5ae6e4867ecc684320f23fb40d63dee.jpeg

 

This is all a prelude to replacing the dummy colour light Platform 3 & 4 starters, that have been there temporarily for about 20 years, with a gantry of proper semaphores (although don't expect to see that too soon!).

 

 

Is that the Ratio LNER signal kit with ekon color light heads? I'd like to make something similar.

Edited by simon b
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Just now, simon b said:

Is that the Ratio LNER signal kit with ekon color light heads? 

 

Nearly; but they're not Eckon colour light heads, they are the non working ones from the Knightwing plastic kits.  I never meant them to work, they were only meant to be 'place markers' about 20 years ago!

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2 hours ago, 31A said:

 

Nearly; but they're not Eckon colour light heads, they are the non working ones from the Knightwing plastic kits.  I never meant them to work, they were only meant to be 'place markers' about 20 years ago!

Thanks for that, they have just the sort of look I'd like to recreate. I shall have to shamelessly borrow your idea.

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1 hour ago, 31A said:

And so, the twenty year jigsaw puzzle that has been the Finsbury Square station buildings is at last finished, with the last section of the Platform 4 buildings finally in place!

 

The proportions of the brick building are loosely based on the old Prototype Models card kit for Heckington station, with a Gents added at the left hand end.  The windows are also from that kit, having been sold as a separate item by Freestone Model Accessories; I'm not sure whether they're still available but if not it's a pity.  They're printed on clear plastic, but provide for the sash windows to be modelled in relief.

 

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The roof makes use of various bits from the AIrfix (Dapol) Platform Canopy kit, as do the other canopies on the station.  Most of the rest is from plasticard, and the skylight is Ratio.  It's clear from the unpainted pictures which is which!

 

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The finished building, with added gas lamps and sign.  Unfortunately when it's in position a lot of this won't really be seen.

 

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As with the other buildings, it sits within a recess cut into the top surface of the platform.

 

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And finally, in position.

 

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Looks superb.

 

Martyn

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I bet that Station is cosy almost all the time during the day due to its' position. In winter it might get a bit murky due to the smoke from the various fires and locally, as well as the locos of course.  I can even imagine the smell on a busy Summer's day. A heady mix of Sulpher, Dettol and Creosote and that was just the Buffet.

Clive needs to get a vest as he is a softy Southerner. He knows nuffink. When I were a lad down west, even in August, we used to have to set light to our spotter's Books to keep warm and we never had any shoes, just old sack that we nicked from the Tin Mine Manager's Bothy. 

Here is a pic of my School Bus in mid Summer:

article-0-07C6C0FC000005DC-3_634x448.jpg.037198001344b57dfdc23453c24ee428.jpg

P

 

 

Edited by Mallard60022
To observe that Bere Regis isn't in Devon.
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