Kirkallanmuir

[chrisveitch]

On 11/12/2020 at 18:56, Caley Jim said:

The next block progresses. the older house at the left hand end has now had it's door and windows fitted.

 

Looking a bit more like a house now!  I've temporarily fitted a piece of card on the back to stop it being 'see-through'.  Rather than paint that black, I'm going to see how it looks leaving it in it's natural buff colour.

 

The doors and windows for the next section are at an advanced stage of preparation.

 

Jim

 

What a lovely piece of work, Jim. It really emphasises the value of modelling well-observed prototypes and how much more convincing a model this produces, particularly in that it immediately places a model geographically. The houses have some of the beautiful simplicity of John Ahern's modelling which I'm sure many of us have admired from way back. 

 

Thinking of inspiration from the past, am I right in thinking that you produced a series of article on RM on modelling contemporary BR in the Highlands in the 1960/70s before moving on to the CR? I have memories of coming across some such when leafing through my older brother's RM back numbers. 

 

Edited December 13, 2020 by chrisveitch

[Caley Jim]

57 minutes ago, chrisveitch said:

What a lovely piece of work, Jim. It really emphasises the value of modelling well-observed prototypes and how much more convincing a model this produces, particularly in that it immediately places a model geographically. The houses have some of the beautiful simplicity of John Ahern's modelling which I'm sure many of us have admired from way back.

Very many thanks for your kind comments Chris.  John Ahern's modelling was an inspiration to me as well, so it's humbling to be compared to that.  I do believe that the character of a model comes from attention to some of the little details that bring it to life, even if it is not dimensionally exactly accurate.

57 minutes ago, chrisveitch said:

Thinking of inspiration from the past, am I right in thinking that you produced a series of article on RM on modelling contemporary BR in the Highlands in the 1960/70s before moving on to the CR? I have memories of coming across some such when leafing through my older brother's RM back numbers. 

 

I think you are remembering George Douglas's series on modelling the Mallaig Extension of the West Highland line in N.  Saw that layout once and it was something to behold, standing at one end watching a train wend its way across the moorland between Glenfinnan and Mallaig.  I used to see George occasionally at shows, but he has now taken up modelling commercial vehicles.

 

Jim

[Caley Jim]

The windows and doors are now fitted to the next section, though inside the baker's window has still to be detailed.

I've also made up the dormers and was pleasantly surprised to find that the roof sections, which fold back from the sides, fitted together almost perfectly with no fettling or gap filling needed!    They also fit almost perfectly into the holes in the roof sections, no trimming of the latter being needed.   The only issue being that they sat a fraction low.  That was easily remedied by fitting a scrap of 20thou styrene under where each one will sit.  I can now fix these two front roof sections in place.

 

 

The window frames themselves are just held in place with dabs of PVA for the photo.  They will be removed again for painting and glazing before being fixed in place with a spot of solder at the bottom a cyano at the top.

 I'm quite pleased with the way the sash windows look in this slightly oblique view.

 

Jim

[chrisveitch]

1 hour ago, Caley Jim said:

I think you are remembering George Douglas's series on modelling the Mallaig Extension of the West Highland line in N.  Saw that layout once and it was something to behold, standing at one end watching a train wend its way across the moorland between Glenfinnan and Mallaig.  I used to see George occasionally at shows, but he has now taken up modelling commercial vehicles.

 

Jim

 

Thanks Jim - yes, I think that was it and I'm not quite sure how I'm confusing it with one of yours. I remember it well as an early example of the good use of N for a "trains in the landscape" layout. 

 

[CF MRC]

1 hour ago, Caley Jim said:

I think you are remembering George Douglas's series on modelling the Mallaig Extension of the West Highland line in N.  Saw that layout once and it was something to behold, standing at one end watching a train wend its way across the moorland between Glenfinnan and Mallaig.  I used to see George occasionally at shows, but he has now taken up modelling commercial vehicles.

 

Jim

I only met George once at Keen House, when he came to London, a lovely chap. I recollect that he was disabled, which I had not realised at the time - his layout seriously inspired me when starting out in N gauge.  His series of ‘N gauge niceties’ were masterly and got me making things, because in the 70s there wasn’t much available. 
 

Tim

Edited December 13, 2020 by CF MRC

[Caley Jim]

1 hour ago, CF MRC said:

....... I recollect that he was disabled, which I had not realised at the time - 

Yes, one arm is immobile, not sure what the reason is.  He was an architect's draftsman IIRC.  As you say, Tim, a lovely guy and a skilled and ingenious modeller.

 

Jim

Edited December 14, 2020 by Caley Jim
Spelling correction

[Caley Jim]

The dormers have been painted and assembled.  The right hand one shows the basic 'shell' with the window panels below it, while the left hand one has had these fixed in place.

 

These were then glued into the openings in the roof panels, the latter having been fixed beforehand.

 

 

The baker has put some goodies on display in his window.

 

I can now get on with slating these sections which will take some time.   If (when?) I get scunner'd with slating there are always more doors and windows to assemble!

 

Jim 

[Caley Jim]

Well, slating this section wasn't as big a chore as I anticipated and has gone well, though the dormer was fiddly and the ridging on it isn't as neat as it might be, but it is what it is!

 

Compare with the lower photo in the last post.

Regarding slating the dormer (and I've already shared this on the VAG, so forgive me for repeating it here), I was unsure how to fix the paper slate strips in place.  I've been using Easitrac glue to fix them to the styrene roofs as I've found PVA doesn't give a reliable bond to plastic.  

However, the dormers are etched n/s and I was unsure how to fix the slates to that.  For my signal box I covered the roof with tissue attached with cyano and then used PVA to fit the slates to that, but I wasn't confident that I could do that neatly given the small sections of the dormers' hipped roofs.

 

I carried out an experiment, first gluing paper to a piece of n/s with ordinary PVA over an area of less than 1 sq. cm.  As I suspected, even after leaving it for a few hours, I was able to easily peel the paper off. leaving no residue on the metal.  I did the same with Easitrac glue and this time the paper tore and I had to use a craft knife, with quite a bit of difficulty, to remove the residue on the metal.  I repeated the exercise with a small piece of 20thou styrene.  This took much longer to dry, neither material being porous, but, after leaving it overnight, the joint seems quite strong.  I have not tested it to destruction, but I strongly suspect the styrene will fracture before the joint gives way.

 

Easitrac glue may therefore have other applications beyond its intended purpose, e.g. sticking card/paper to plastic and metal to plastic, though in the latter situation the length of time it takes for the glue to dry out may be a drawback.

 

Jim

 

Edited December 18, 2020 by Caley Jim
Spelling correction

[Caley Jim]

When I started to remove the etches for the next section from the sheet I had one of those 'doh!' moments! I realised that I had completely omitted to draw up the artwork for the shop window and for the house door to the right of the shop.  This meant that both of these had to be made up in styrene, as a result of which they are not as neat as the others.

 

 

Mrs Currie, the haberdasher, has a selection of fabrics on display in her window.

 

Only the RH section to slate and fit windows to now.

 

May you all have as good a Christmas as is possible at present while keeping yourself and your loved ones safe.

 

Jim

Edited December 23, 2020 by Caley Jim

[Nick Mitchell]

22 minutes ago, Caley Jim said:

This meant that both of these had to be made up in styrene, as a result of which they are not as neat as the others.

I wish my not as neat was as neat as your not as neat!

The whole thing is coming along splendidly.

[Caley Jim]

Heading for the terminus now!  The roof of the RH section has been finished off and the windows and door fitted. Tom Munro, the painter, is using the shop unit as a base, so has covered over the window.  He's also showing off a bit by giving the door a 'scumbled' wood finish and painting the step red oxide.

 

 

The paint is drying on the chimney pots kindly 3D printed for me by @Yorkshire Square and the downpipes are under construction.

 

Period photos show a dearth of downpipes on the front of buildings around the town and to this day the LH building has none on the front, but has a gutter running at a slight angle across the gable end, connecting to that at the rear.  I will be using another arrangement, however, at each end of the buildings, by which the downpipe is led from the end of the gutter round the corner and down the gable end.  The centre section will have one downpipe running down just to the right of the pend close.  What I'm not sure about, and can't ascertain from photos, is whether this would have been led down into the drains, or simply turned out at the bottom to drain out onto the pavement.

 

Jim

[Caley Jim]

Getting ever closer to the buffer stops!  The downpipes have been added and the first of the chimney pots in place.

 

 

The downpipe nearest the camera turns round the corner and goes down the gable, as does the one at the other end.  With the centre one, I decided to turn it out at the bottom and make a small 'gulley' leading at a downwards angle from it to the edge of the pavement.  I also got a bit gallus and put the house number on each of the pillars.  I think I've got away with making them reasonably matching!   The road in front has been surfaced and the entry to the pend close cobbled.

 

The chimney pots had to be fitted a few at a time in order to let each set firm up before handling the model to add the next ones so that they stayed vertical and in line.

 

Only the surface of the pavement to finish off now and which will 'bed in' the building.

 

As this will be my last post of this 'Annus Horribilis', can I thank all those who have taken the time to follow my ramblings and react so positively to them.  It is humbling to get encouraging comments from those who are far more highly skilled than I will ever be.   It has been a blessing in this odd year to have an absorbing hobby and the means to share it with so many good friends.

 

A Guid New Year tae yin an' a' and keeeeep modelling!  

 

Jim

Edited December 31, 2020 by Caley Jim
Spelling correction

[David Bell]

And to you Jim.

All the very best

Cheers 

David

[CF MRC]

I think our modelling helps to keep us sane and the 2mm section is the best on RMweb!

 

Looking forward to ‘21.

 

Tim

[Donw]

Really looking good now Jim

 

Don

[Caley Jim]

Finally reached the end of the journey!   The pavement area has been surfaced, effectively bedding in the building.  I've punched a couple of holes in the base near either end which fit over pegs glued into the board, in the same way as I did with the weighbridge building.     These keep the block firmly in place against the pavement.  There is also one in the centre of the station building.

 

 

 

The eagle-eyed will note that the station building has now acquired a chimney to the parcels office.  I decided that it would look better as part of the building rather than painted on the backscene.  Like the one at Stra'ven it is a fairly short affair, the pot only just projecting above the roof line.  I also gave the panel with the company name in it and the monogram in the cartouche above the main door a thin wash of grey, which has help to highlight the lettering. 

 

There won't be anything more posted here for a wee while as I am awaiting the arrival of rail, sleeper strip and etched chairs to enable me to start work on a tandem turnout for the Forth and Clyde group's new layout.

 

Jim

[Ian Morgan]

On 31/12/2020 at 21:39, CF MRC said:

I think our modelling helps to keep us sane

 

I must have started modelling too late ...

 

[Caley Jim]

After a brief diversion into a tandem turnout and finishing some mineral wagons, I've returned to the buildings in the street bordering the goods yard and drawn up the last three.  The two left hand ones are loose adaptations of local ones while the right hand one is a close approximation to a building at the foot of the town here.   It originally was a stationers on the left and grocers on the right.

 

 Once again a mock up has been printed and tried in place.

 

The Station Inn is a nod to the original terminal station having been where the goods yard now is (in my fictional history).  The tall chimney head at the left replicates a situation here where a new, taller building has been built next to an older house and the chimney head extended, in brick.  This time I've designed them to use some windows I have from a sheet that had some flaws in it (missing 'hinges'), but are still useable.

 

Jim

Edited February 5, 2021 by Caley Jim
Add text.

[Ian Smith]

49 minutes ago, Caley Jim said:

...  This time I've designed them to use some windows I have from a sheet that had some flaws in it (missing 'hinges'), but are still useable.

 

Jim

You model the hinges on your windows ??? 

[Caley Jim]

45 minutes ago, Ian Smith said:

You model the hinges on your windows ??? 

As Tim says, there's always one (at least)!

 

Jim

[Caley Jim]

The parts for the second block of buildings have been cut out and the window sills and relief stonework added.

The LH house has had the quoins scribed on and the surface scored for the random stone finish.  The chimney heads have been built up on the end and intermediate walls and the stonework/brickwork scribed on.  The blocks on the front edge of the base are to reinforce the attachment of the front wall, while the holes are for the locating pegs which will be fitted to the baseboard.

 

 

The basic shell assembled and in situ.

 

Jim

[Caley Jim]

A few more steps forward last night.

 

 

The close walls have been fitted and I've sloped them inward by a mm or so towards the back to give the impression of a bit more depth.  I plan to slope the ground surface in there up a little too. 5thou quoins have also been fitted to the inside of the corners of the close and to the RH end wall.  A 'floor' has been fitted into both sections of the hotel (RH) section to give a base onto which to fit the sides of the dormers.

 

I've also cut away the pavement at the close mouth and fitted sections of curved kerbs, which have still to be painted.

 

Jim

[Caley Jim]

Slow progress as each stage has to be allowed to firm up before doing the next.

The dormer side walls have been added along with the capping stones on the gables.  The little horizontal bits were a devil and it took several goes to get them nearly right.  The house has had a false roof added to brace it and a base has been made up for the close.  This a trapezium of styrene with a piece of paper glued to it with Easitrac glue which was then covered with DAS slurry before being marked out with cobbles.  It is supported back and front, the back 1mm or so higher to help the impression of depth, and is only sitting in place at the moment until the close gets painted.

 

The road surfacing has been continued to the edge of the baseboard and the entrance to the close cobbled to match.

 

Ready to start painting now, unless I realise there is something I have forgotten!  

 

Jim

[Caley Jim]

The better weather over the last week (though it's been chucking it down and blowing a hoolie here all day) has led me to be out trying to tidy the garden, so slow progress on these buildings.  The walls are now painted on both sections and the windows fitted to the house along with it's door and gutters.  Also in place is the door at the end of the side passageway.

 

 

The unpainted section on the Station Inn is where the sign board will go and the base of the close has now been fixed in.  Next is to fit the roof sections of the house, for which a central support has been fitted, and then slating that can begin.

 

Jim

[richard i]

Those buildings have a good realistic colour to them. 
Prichard