West Horrington - GWR BLT

[danstercivicman]

Looks good

[Dbr1295]

Nice detailing Chris. really like the mail bags on the trolley in the first pic.

 

Cheers, Les

[wigancg]

You are most certainly getting into the finer details, I am a bit away from that stage.

The deck chairs reminded me of one of our trips home and seeing two holidaymakers sitting in deck chairs complete with picnic hamper on top of the Bluff at Penarth near Cardiff ( My wife's hometown ) Thing was they were facing out towards the Severn estuary but between them and the water about 6' from them was an 8' high hedge!

 

Thanks Katwigan,

I really like the finer details. It's what brings a model railway alive and interesting to look at. I suppose the two people on the deckchairs weren't too bothered by the hedge after all? I'll have to keep my eyes open for a figure or two sleeping to put on the deckchairs. Sort of like an older chap fallen asleep whilst reading the paper

 

Chris

[wigancg]

Looks good

 

Nice detailing Chris. really like the mail bags on the trolley in the first pic.

 

Cheers, Les

 

Thank you, Danstercivicman, for your kind words.

 

Thanks also to you, Les. I was after some mail bags for ages but didn't want any cheap looking plastic ones. These are white metal ones with much more detail. I mean, the creases in the bags and tie marks are just amazing. Also, I had some issues with the platform trolley and barrow as I had originally ordered them from Cooper Craft. However, that company is so lackadaisical with meeting the needs of the customer (I waited over 6 months for a non-existant delivery) that I cancelled after much arguing with the owner and instead I found these ones.

 

Chris

[wigancg]

Good afternoon all,

 

I have enjoyed a few more painting sessions recently from a few new additions to the population. So here we go:

 

Alongside Alf Springton (he popped up in an earlier posting whilst busy kneeling down gardening. Watch those knees!), Arthur Lumbrette is eyeing up a prize broccoli with his pitchfork down in the allotment.

 

 

Meanwhile, over at the station, William Barnlow busily has a catch up with porter, Harry Oldburn, whilst waiting for his train. What could they be nattering about? - The latest cricket scores? The glorious weather? The EU Referendum debate? (Ed: Sorry, just remembered, we are in 1959 here).

 

 

 

The 15:30 afternoon pick up goods saunters into the yard from under Tanner's Hill Lane bridge behind grubby 4680.

 

 

Thanks for taking the time for a browse,

Chris

[wigancg]

Hello everyone,

 

It has been rather busy earlier this week since the last update on here with not much in the way of modelling.

Some of the stock has been serviced as we had an exhibition to attend on Saturday and we took some of the stock to use as well as taking a large majority of our products from our model shop as we had a trade stand too. Plenty of interest in both which was pleasing!

 

Anyhow, I recently purchased some newly released Bachmann box vans. They caught my eye with their level of detail and quality and, being fruit/vegetable vans, they would be ideal for a rural branch line look. Here they are after shunting and resting around the yard waiting for their return trips, one of which is to Spalding it seems.

 

 

 

Finally, after shunting the yard, 4560 takes a breather and simmers in the sun.

 

 

As always, thanks for looking.

Chris

[wigancg]

Evening everyone,

 

The camera has been out again of late catching some snaps of some stock and locos that have, until now, dodged the local photographers on the branch around Berry.

 

So...

 

Ex GWR Pannier tank, 9786, trundles into the terminus after arrival with the early afternoon passenger service from the junction. This is the 12:38 from Harbourton General. All change please!

 

 

We see the accompanying autocoach W231 standing at rest after arrival. The coach has been lightly weathered with powders around the bogies and underframes as well as smoke and soot effects on the roof.

 

 

Finally, as 9786 gently propels her autocoach down the platform heading for the platform water crane, the photographer has just time to snap the front end of the coach. These much awaited rolling stock additions are wonderfully detailed and perfect for any GWR themed layout. It will go wonderfully with a new 14xx tank...

 

 

Thanks for stopping by as ever,

Chris

[Andrew P]

Great pics as ever Chris, please keep them coming.

[wigancg]

Great pics as ever Chris, please keep them coming.

 

Thanks very much, Andy.

Glad you found a new home for your wonderful fishing port layout. I must say, I was most tempted...

I am currently thinking of a similar layout for my next one.

 

Chris

[Andrew P]

Thanks very much, Andy.

Glad you found a new home for your wonderful fishing port layout. I must say, I was most tempted...

I am currently thinking of a similar layout for my next one.

 

Chris

Well Chris, if its only HALF as good as Berry Pomeroy then it will be worth seeing, I'm really looking forward to that.

[spiket4]

I like the autocoach Chris are you waiting on the new 14xx release like me.

I have an old airfix 14xx and Dapol autocoach but might save for the Bachmann autocoach and new 14xx release by DJM.

 

Mark

[wigancg]

I like the autocoach Chris are you waiting on the new 14xx release like me.

I have an old airfix 14xx and Dapol autocoach but might save for the Bachmann autocoach and new 14xx release by DJM.

 

Mark

 

Hi Mark,

Yes indeed I am. I have two new DJM 14xx locos ordered - unlined black and lined green which will match perfectly with the auto coaches.

I have a Hornby 14xx which is fine for running in and out on the autocoach but that's about it. They tend to be very unreliable and terrible for realistic shunting in the yard. It will be lovely to actually use a 14xx on a pick up freight to do some shunting for once

 

Chris

[wigancg]

Hello everyone,

 

Following on from the last update, I have been working on a new 8750 pannier tank that has recently been acquired. Some additional weathering has been done and good, quality crew have been painted and fitted. Photos of the new loco in service should be following in due course in a future posting.

 

However, for now here are a couple of shots from earlier this week:

 

Autocoach W231 stands patiently in the summer sunshine ready for the 14:02 departure.

 

Meanwhile, the lunchtime quietness decends in the goods yard as the local delivery lorry stands idle.

 

I have often found older rolling stock mouldings to be tiresome sometimes, especially when obvious details are missed out during production. Fellow GWR modellers have probably picked up the fact that Bachmann's toad brake vans never seem to have their windows glazed. I often find things like this annoying but, still, it gives us another job to tackle.

So, the other week's activities included glazing all of the windows on the toads here at Berry Pomeroy using liquid glazing. I found that it worked pretty well and shows up nicely.

 

 

At least the guard will be happy when the seasons change!

 

Chris

[Unicorn1]

Hi Chris

 

Have just spent a very enjoyable time reading through your thread - I don't know how I could have missed it before! A WR BLT set in the late fifties, just my cup of tea.

 

Some lovely detailed touches, and I particularly like the growing 'population' - figure painting is not my forte, but you have done a great job.

 

Will follow, and look forward to further posts.

 

Regards

 

Les

[wigancg]

Hi Chris

 

Have just spent a very enjoyable time reading through your thread - I don't know how I could have missed it before! A WR BLT set in the late fifties, just my cup of tea.

 

Some lovely detailed touches, and I particularly like the growing 'population' - figure painting is not my forte, but you have done a great job.

 

Will follow, and look forward to further posts.

 

Regards

 

Les

 

Hi Les,

 

Thank you ever so much for such lovely kind words in your comment. They are greatly appreciated. I must admit, Berry Pomeroy doesn't feature as often or as heavily on the Layout Topics thread as I tend to grab time on here as and when I can.

 

As for the population, yes indeed it does continue to grow, however, I think the limit has been reached. I think a layout gets to a stage where population has reached the maxiumum, otherwise it looks very cluttered and unrealistic. I have always presumed back in the day that, especially on branch lines in the fifties and sixties, there tended to be more staff at the station than actual passengers, particularly towards the end. Such a sad thought!

 

I also find that figures look better when posed in realistic positions - chatting in pairs or small groups or doing something if they are alone, such as reading a paper, gardening, checking a watch or sleeping etc.

 

Many thanks for following too.

Kind regards,

Chris

[checkrail]

Just spent a pleasant hour reading through this thread.  Great stuff!  Seeing a new (to me) layout like this from inception to completion in one browsing session is like speeding up time. 

 

I particularly like your placement of figures and some of the lovely detailed photos of them.  Ted the porter, asleep on the bench, is a great one.  And I love the close up of the 45xx tank (even if it is black!).

 

(Funnily enough I nearly called my own layout 'Stoke Pomeroy' before settling on Stoke Courtenay.  It was one of several semi-fictitious contenders mulled over in my mind.).

 

Keep up the good work.

 

John C.

 

 ​(My layout: STOKE COURTENAY. See layout threads.)

[wigancg]

Just spent a pleasant hour reading through this thread.  Great stuff!  Seeing a new (to me) layout like this from inception to completion in one browsing session is like speeding up time. 

 

I particularly like your placement of figures and some of the lovely detailed photos of them.  Ted the porter, asleep on the bench, is a great one.  And I love the close up of the 45xx tank (even if it is black!).

 

(Funnily enough I nearly called my own layout 'Stoke Pomeroy' before settling on Stoke Courtenay.  It was one of several semi-fictitious contenders mulled over in my mind.).

 

Keep up the good work.

 

John C.

 

 ​(My layout: STOKE COURTENAY. See layout threads.)

 

Hi John,

 

Many thanks for your kind words and comments here. Always a pleasure to chat to a fellow friendly GWR modeller. I thoroughly enjoyed browsing your thread earlier for Stoke Courtenay. Incidentally, have you combined two locations for your layout name? I recall a station on the Southern's Withered Arm around Okehampton with a similar name - Sampford Courtenay?

 

As for the figures, I do enjoy painting them and deciding and deliberating on their poses and postitions. Judging from the photo selection it may be obvious that 4560 is one of my favourite locos to use, however, there are a ridiculous amount of Prairies and Pannier tanks here!

 

Kind wishes,

Chris

[wigancg]

A good summer's evening greeting to all,

 

Recently, the weather outside is reminding me of the weather here on the layout at Berry Pomeroy...sometimes. I mean, don't get me wrong, it must rain occasionally at Berry but not half as much as up here in Wigan!

 

Anyway, some local chaps were out and about today having a mosey around the yard and took a few snaps for us. Folk in Berry are good like that!

 

Ex GWR 8750 Pannier Tank No. 9761 simmers happily after running around her suburbans. She awaits the 14:02 departure.

 

 

I think one of the chaps must have climbed a tree for this shot of 9761 waiting for custom:

 

 

Not sure whether Bert, the signalman, has forgotten to return the shunt signal back to the 'on' position or whether he's making a brew. Anyhow, 9761 has completed her run round.

 

 

In a stoke of fortune, one of the wagons in the yard this afternoon was the 1 plank with cable drum load. I enjoyed tinkering with this a few months back. A dab of paint here and there with a few detaily bits and weathering looks the part.

 

 

 

Chris

[wigancg]

Evening all,

 

A couple of recent additions to life here at Berry Pomeroy of late including our newly weathered pannier tank, but I'll let the photos do the talking instead.

 

Stopping for a brew in the mid morning warmth between jobs, Reg Jones perches on an empty crate on the yard crane's base.

 

 

Not wanting to miss the opportunity for some banter, Len Cotterley pauses for a natter with Reg on his way round to the yard.

 

 

 

A short time later, 9794 arrives with the morning goods and shunts the yard. The weathering effect and detailing aspects are highlighted nicely.

 

 

 

 

Fireman Ernie Askby takes a breather as he keeps an eye on shunting activities in the yard.

 

 

 

Finally, here is a low level, wide angle shot towards the fiddle yard through the road overbridge.

 

 

Chris

[Andrew P]

Nice set of pics Chris.

[wigancg]

Hello everyone,

 

Well after a morning's walk to the post office in the rain, it was soon decided that today would be mostly an indoor affair - the plus side being that rainy days can be spent as modelling days, even in summer

 

I have been pondering for a while now whether the small allotment by the railway needed something extra. Perhaps another building of some kind or another focal point of activity. In the end, I purchased one of the Wills kits last week - a small(ish) greenhouse with a couple of cold frames. I have to admit that I did enjoy building these after dinner time this afternoon but I soon realised that the cold frames look rather on the large size! Well, I think so anyway, especially for 00 gauge when compared to some of the figures on the layout. As for the greenhouse, this is lovely but was a tad too large when placed for fitting on the allotment. Ah well, it will be saved for future use.

I also thought the greenhouse needed a bit of colour inside, so out came the scenery and "flock box" (technical terminology, there) to cobble something together. Small bundles of flower patches using a rough base soaked in glue before adding some static grass and a splash of orange and white scatter material for flowers. The small bundles are left to dry before cutting to shape when required. Perfect for little tubs or in greenhouses, such as this.

 

 

 

So, as the greenhouse and cold frames didn't fit the part, the "flock box" stayed where it was. After some careful planning, the result were these lovely runner bean stands. A simple wood frame with flock material attached and a sprinkling of red scatter for the flowers. Careful observations in my grandad's garden reaps rewards with things like this. I'm happy with the results and it suits the small space much better.

 

 

 

So, before I knew it, the afternoon had ran away towards tea time. However, it was still raining outside. What a difference it was yesterday - I was in Bridlington yesterday afternoon too on the promenade in the warm sunshine. Maybe I am being punished for straying into Yorkshire, haha? Seriously though, it was a lovely ride on the line from Hull to Scarborough and back with a stop off in Bridlington.

 

Finally, here is a distance shot of the station at platform. I focused the camera on the raised flower bed on the platform. Perhaps the stationmaster works at the allotment on Sundays or in the evenings? His skills may come in use if he does.

 

 

That's all for today.

Chris

[380John]

Well done Chris,

 

This is a lovely layout and I've just had a look at that operation build it model now that they have modified it in last months mag......only problem is looking through my collection I realise I've not got the first 4 editions covering the build

Lovely detailing well done,

 

John

[wigancg]

Well done Chris,

 

This is a lovely layout and I've just had a look at that operation build it model now that they have modified it in last months mag......only problem is looking through my collection I realise I've not got the first 4 editions covering the build

Lovely detailing well done,

 

John

 

Hi John,

 

Thank you very much for your kind comments. Yes, this layout was designed based on the Operation Build It plan in mind with some slight modifications but all the essential elements are there for a BLT.

I think I purchased a few of the magazines but the layout baseboard was mostly constructed and trackwork was laid and wired within a couple of weeks before testing commenced.

BRM magazine produced a good handy guide to building a basic BLT a while back. It was Phil Parker's design of Edgeworth. Did you catch it? It was an interesting read and development and I picked up a few detail points to use here, such as the station detailing and rail painting, for example.

 

Chris

[Jules]

Nice job on the greenhouse!

 

I (part) built one of these last week to go in the garden of 'the white house' on my layout, but like you I found it much too big!  More suited to a manor house rather than a cottage.

 

I hope to use the cold frames though.

[wigancg]

Nice job on the greenhouse!

 

I (part) built one of these last week to go in the garden of 'the white house' on my layout, but like you I found it much too big!  More suited to a manor house rather than a cottage.

 

I hope to use the cold frames though.

 

Thanks, Jules.

 

Yes, I agree about the greenhouse. I'll stick with the small one that is already on the layout. Perhaps another shed might come in handy, perhaps a different type/design such as a potting shed? I thought the cold frames with the kit also looked a tad on the large side? I placed it on and near a figure and it dwarfed it. Unless they are supposed to generally be like that?

 

Not heard many updates lately from Mayshill. Everything ticking over alright?

Chris