Buckingham West

[Richard Mawer]

I have been playing with ballast colours. I think I'm happy with this as a base.

 

 

It's 4 parts brown to 1 part buff.

 

I intend to airbrush sleeper grime over the rails and sleepers (centre and edges) to add shading, leaving the shoulders lighter. This colour is the closest I can to the colours in The Big Four in Colour. I wish I had the skills, time and genius of Kevin and Little Muddle. But there is just so much track to ballast even if I could those results at all.

[St Enodoc]

I have been playing with ballast colours. I think I'm happy with this as a base.

 

IMG_6686.JPG

 

It's 4 parts brown to 1 part buff.

 

I intend to airbrush sleeper grime over the rails and sleepers (centre and edges) to add shading, leaving the shoulders lighter. This colour is the closest I can to the colours in The Big Four in Colour. I wish I had the skills, time and genius of Kevin and Little Muddle. But there is just so much track to ballast even if I could those results at all.

Very neat and tidy Rich. Once it's all set you could brush a very thin grey/black wash over it.

[Richard Mawer]

MORE BALLAST TRIALS

 

Following Ray (of Virney Junction fame)'s suggestion, I've modified the spreader. A few bits of plasticard have been glued on. This is it upside down, of course.

 

 

 

As well as narrowing the delivery apperture I had to cut back the front, narrower brush. It was just spreading the stuff far and wide.

 

It now produces narrower shoulders of ballast. But the increased height means it also leaves too much between the rails. I will have to brush that along, but that's not too great a hardship. It was the width outside the sleeper ends that looked wrong for 1930's.

 

 

 

The lines of rucked up foam outside the ballast shoulders is from sharp edhes to the plasticard before I filed them.

 

It does indeed need some random tonal variation from colour in the glue, washes and air brushing.

 

I shall have to consult the books again for when to have a cess (ash) between tracks and when to join the ballast of one track to that of another (if you get my meaning). These days its just ballast everywhere, but it was far more sparse and neatly manicured by comparison.

Edited October 31, 2017 by Richard Mawer

[Ray H]

I was thinking more of reducing the width of the opening through which the ballast flows by infilling the corners of the aperture in the vertical plane rather than fixing something to the base.

 

I doubt you'll be able to glue the infill in place all the way down but I'd have thought that you could apply adhesive to the top of the strip and fix it there.

[Richard Mawer]

I was thinking more of reducing the width of the opening through which the ballast flows by infilling the corners of the aperture in the vertical plane rather than fixing something to the base.

 

I doubt you'll be able to glue the infill in place all the way down but I'd have thought that you could apply adhesive to the top of the strip and fix it there.

 

Hi Ray,

 

You are dead right and I have done that. If you look at the top altered section, there are two pieces of plasticard. The lower one is glued across the aperture. There is a corresponding one on the bottom. When I had added just these, it did indeed restrict the flow away from the edges but some of the ballast "escaped" underneath the card and spread out again. I got a decent shoulder but with a thin and straggly extra 5mm or so beyond the proper shoulder, formed by these "escapees". By adding the plasticard to the base as well, these straggly bits are eliminated.

 

If anything, I need to file the card on the base down a bit more so that the remaining brush can act more strongly and reduce the amount of excess on the sleepers.

 

Its almost there.

[Richard Mawer]

CARRYING COALS TO BUCKINGHAM

 

It's the title from an old article from Railway Modeller in the late 1970's or 80's written by Cyril Freezer about Buckingham Great Central. And I can still recall it: it had such an impact on me.

 

Why bring that up? Because in tonight's operating session (after all the issues mentioned in earlier posts about my 28xx's and ROD) I'm delighted to report that one of the 28's pulled the loaded coal train of 23 wagons straight up the incline with no trouble at all. Bingo!

[Richard Mawer]

WEDNESDAY'S OPERATING SESSION

 

 

The view from the railway room door. Yours truly on the left and Michael. Buckingham West is in the centre and Evenley behind us. Its Friday and the clock says 10.18. The mixed GWR & LNER stock from the Leicester express has been removed from platform 1 leaving the Director at the end of the platform. A Banbury train sits in platform 2 and stock for an express is in platform 3. Over on the right, behind the water tower, going round the continous run (Charlton Junc) before going to Banbury, is the down Wolverhampton freight.

 

 

 

 

 

A last slurp of tea before we start the session. This shot shows the actual Charlton Junctions under the Buckingham station throat, and Buckingham's yard shunter in the headshunt on the bridge.

 

 

 

 

In the foreground are Buckingham's private sidings. The gas works on the left appears to have run out of coal. The dairy is in the centre and Ricketts Engineering on the right.

 

 

 

 

Its now 12.17. John tackles Buckingham West. The Fly (pick up goods) has arrived in the yard from Brackley Road, hauled by a pannier. Michael is taking time out at Brackley Road to sort his camera out. Meanwhile Dave is sitting down on the job at Evenley having completed the shunting of the coal train from Severn Tunnel. It' sitting in Evenley goods loop to the left of Dave and is due to depart for Buckingham at 12.35, so John had better deal with that Fly quite soon.

 

 

 

 

A minute later and John brings the yard shunter down to clear the Fly.

 

 

 

 

John and yours truly both at work on Buckingham West. The station and carriage sidings are full of passenger stock. John brings a Banbury train into platform 1.

[checkrail]

Great to see these overall shots - gobsmacking!  Gives a proper feel for what your layout's all about.  Awesome in its ambition and complexity.  Intensive 'Sherwood Section' operating like that would scare me to death - I'm in a different part of this broad church -  but I can imagine the excitement and adrenalin involved.  

 

John C.

[Richard Mawer]

UNDER THE WEATHER (ING)

 

Today I have spent a cathartic few hours with some brushes, acrylic paints and powders. Some of the coal wagons looked far too clean and many of the interiors clearly had never seen a nugget of nutty slack in their lives. Now every coal wagon interior is black, some with coal residue as well. All the exterior bodies are weathered. I used black washes to allow the planking to stand out. I am surprised by how effective that is. Some wagons are just toned down. Some have clearly been heavily used. There are over 50.

 

The loco coal wagon bodies wouldn't take a wash. I'm not up to portraying rusting steel bodies, so I used powders to dull it all down and add dirt. I did the underframes with frame dirt muck as well. I now need to do all the rest of the coal wagon underframes as well. But today's rain meant nowhere to spray varnish to seal the powder. The 6 loco coals were enough to form a fog.

 

There are about 80 other wagons to do now!

 

I'm trying to hone my skills on wagons before moving onto coaches and then locos.

 

One type of wagon that has really been bugging me is the cattle vans. So I tackled them too. I toned down the roofs with washes and thinned grey paint. They all have slightly different shades now. I used black wash again to bring out the planking and then added the lime wash to the lower sections.

 

They looked quite good wet. I think some might need more lime now they have dried.

 

 

 

Here are 3 at Evenley. The bulldog (to be Pershore Plum) has pulled in with a Banbury to Buckingham West train.

 

The two black dots are screws in the partition. They will be covered with backscenes.

 

The colour coding for shunting can be seen on the soul bars. Blue, orange and pink for these three. Its a compromise I have to accept to make shunting more interesting.

Edited November 4, 2017 by Richard Mawer

[Ray H]

Richard

 

Did I read somewhere that the use of lime on cattle wagons ceased early in the 20^th Century? Apologies if I've got the date wrong.

[RJS1977]

I can't remember the exact date but I believe it was some time pre-Grouping.

[Neal Ball]

Yes that’s true, the use of lime stopped around the 1920’s but if you look at photos of the 30’s or so, they were obviously using more than just water.

 

All cattle wagons had the same white wash in the lower areas.

[Richard Mawer]

Yes that’s true, the use of lime stopped around the 1920’s but if you look at photos of the 30’s or so, they were obviously using more than just water.

All cattle wagons had the same white wash in the lower areas.

This had never crossed my mind. I just assumed the practice continued.

 

I've just done some simple research and yes it seems to have been outlawed in about 1926, give or take a year or so.

 

I've found pre-grouping photos showing brilliant white lower sections. I've found photos from the 50's where the wagon colour is fairly uniform (for what one can tell in black and white). I've found photos from the 30's but the lower sections are obscured. So I can't tell if the replacement disinfectant used in the 30's left white residue or not.

 

I've already compromised on a few locos. A City and a 48xx at the same time? The signals are hardly scale models. The locos have plastic coal and electric motors and the rails are only 16.5mm apart in 4mm/foot. So I guess I'm going to have to compromise on this one too. I think they look quite good/different with the wash and its quite low key on most anyway. But thanks for the info chaps - you learn something everyday!

[The Stationmaster]

Richard

 

Did I read somewhere that the use of lime on cattle wagons ceased early in the 20^th Century? Apologies if I've got the date wrong.

 

We've visited this one, in legislative detail, in the past -

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/70648-cattle-wagons-and-limewashwhitewash/

[Richard Mawer]

We've visited this one, in legislative detail, in the past -

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/70648-cattle-wagons-and-limewashwhitewash/

Hi. Yes I now know. I read that thread last night after people pointed it out. Like I said, you learn something everyday.

 

I appreciate its wrong, but it's done and I like the look of them. But thanks to everyone for pointing it out.

[Richard Mawer]

THE WHOLE NINE YARDS

 

In fact I only have 4 yards: Evenley yard, Buckingham West goods yard and Loco yard and Brackley Road yard. They need ground cover. In steam days it would not have been ballast in the current fashion. Ash would have formed the basis, but there would have been mineral/coal spills as well. In the loco yard there would have been ash, coal, water and oil all spilled all over. In all cases the muck and ash would have been built up to the top of the sleepers at least and in some cases it was up to the top of the rails. That’s the effect I want to create.

 

I decided to start with Evenley yard. I could have used fine cinder ballast, but from looking at photos the surface nearly always seemed to have been highly compacted and smooth where people and horses and carts and lorroes would have frequented. In busier yards there were often cobbled areas between the tracks, but I'm not convinced that would have been the case at Evenley which is more of a country junction local goods yard and marshalling point.

 

I have already trialled decorators caulk (flexible filler) which was very successful, but it comes in small tubes. I have also tried artex (textured paint) and for this area it seemed to fit the bill. It comes in bigger tubs and remains flexible. It is light weight too.

 

I spooned the stuff in between the tracks and smoothed it out to rail height with a wooden lollipop type stick. Any overspill in between the rails was added to and then smoothed out to the top of the sleepers.

 

It does tend to get everywhere and is not going to be as easy to use as air-drying clay, but is probably no worse than plaster.

 

I found out that it shrank a bit on drying, so it took two nights of application.

 

 

At first it looked like it had been snowing heavily in Evenley.

 

 

There are still a few indentations, but these will become puddles/ worn areas.

 

Although I had tried to keep the artex off the rail tops and from building up against the inside of the rails by the use of the sticks, there was still some to clean off. This was easy to do between 12 and 24 hours after application. The artex just peeled off the rail tops with the help of a screw driver edge or rail rubber. What was far harder was getting it out of the rail webs. Without doing this, the stock wouldn’t run properly of course. It took quite a while with a small screwdriver to scrape it out.

 

Once tested with stock and a loco, I decided to paint the artex with a base coat of watered down acrylic raw umber. Upon reflection this is still too dark for the dirt areas and not "red/orange" enough to refelect the iron stone of the area. More to do.

 

 

I will spray soot and sleeper grime along the tracks in the yard so they will be more black and after various washes over the land between the tracks this will be a mixture of mud, dirt, ash and general crud. I might use some static grass in the area near the cattle dock.

 

I will use cinder ballast around the points and in the goods loop. This is less compact and I think will look better in those areas.

[Ray H]

Rich

 

I have a vague idea that someone laid a narrow strip of plasticard on the inside of their rails to protect the flange-way, the strip being removed whilst the infill was still flexible. Presumably it would need a form of non-stick on at least one side.

[Richard Mawer]

Rich

 

I have a vague idea that someone laid a narrow strip of plasticard on the inside of their rails to protect the flange-way, the strip being removed whilst the infill was still flexible. Presumably it would need a form of non-stick on at least one side.

 

Hi Ray.

 

That's another good idea. I had been thinking of just sticking masking tape along the flange way for the next yard.

 

But I am thinking that I need to build the levels up between the rails for an area around the goods shed where vehicles would be able to cross the lines given the restricted space. Using some strip would be really good for that.

 

cheers

[KNP]

Another idea could be laying a length of individual track on the inside giving wheel flange clearance, which in way mirrors what might have been done in real life.

Further idea might be a strip of thick card, guessing 1.5mm, cut to fit between the chairs then this could be painted off board, perhaps sprinkled with ash powder on the top surface and then fitted.

 

Is there any reason to go to the top of the track with the finish as most goods yard just had the surface level (or slightly above) the sleepers? If you did this then the points don't become an issue!

[Richard Mawer]

Another idea could be laying a length of individual track on the inside giving wheel flange clearance, which in way mirrors what might have been done in real life.

Further idea might be a strip of thick card, guessing 1.5mm, cut to fit between the chairs then this could be painted off board, perhaps sprinkled with ash powder on the top surface and then fitted.

 

Is there any reason to go to the top of the track with the finish as most goods yard just had the surface level (or slightly above) the sleepers? If you did this then the points don't become an issue!

 

Hi Kevin,

 

Thanks for the ideas. I'm always happy to take advice from fellow modellers, but very happy to take scenic advice from you. Little Muddle is a wonder.

 

I agree that many yards (and in particular marshalling yards and Loco yards) had the ash/cinders to the top of the sleepers with the rails standing proud, but there were plenty of goods yards (meaning where wagons were unloaded rather than just marshalled), where the surrounding ground was up to rail level.

 

http://www.nrm.org.uk/img/nrm/worksphotos/Derby/1997-7397_DY_1697.jpg

 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=railway+goods+yards+images&tbm=isch&source=iu&pf=m&ictx=1&fir=GTjYVrPB97KEHM%253A%252C8ZPaH3jNrL3-_M%252C_&usg=___4AGPE_80Kh5hsTxy2KhoLgIs1Q%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj0yf3s7LHXAhUIFuwKHXO4BEgQ9QEIMDAE#imgrc=GTjYVrPB97KEHM:&spf=1510242806994

 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=railway+goods+yards+images&tbm=isch&source=iu&pf=m&ictx=1&fir=GTjYVrPB97KEHM%253A%252C8ZPaH3jNrL3-_M%252C_&usg=___4AGPE_80Kh5hsTxy2KhoLgIs1Q%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj0yf3s7LHXAhUIFuwKHXO4BEgQ9QEIMDAE#imgrc=935E3ttsoyXK6M:&spf=1510243316553

 

and in the goods yard of:-

 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=railway+goods+yards+images&tbm=isch&source=iu&pf=m&ictx=1&fir=GTjYVrPB97KEHM%253A%252C8ZPaH3jNrL3-_M%252C_&usg=___4AGPE_80Kh5hsTxy2KhoLgIs1Q%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj0yf3s7LHXAhUIFuwKHXO4BEgQ9QEIMDAE#imgrc=zU3Nz83yE7bfxM:&spf=1510243316553

 

 

That's the effect I want here.

 

Lots of colouring to be done and if I can get anywhere near the realism you have created, I shall be very happy. You seem to have used a lot of creamy, grey, beige type of colours - far lighter than I would have done without looking at reality and your photos.

 

We must arrange these visits. I know the ball is in my court.

 

Cheers

[KNP]

Rich

 

I would agree but in your case you have a set of points in the middle of the yard so a potential problem if you build to the top.

Looking at many of the pictures in the above I couldn't see one set of points with the ground level above the sleepers (there might be of course but I did only have a quick scan of the 'numerous' pictures.

 

So what about just going to the top of the track on the outsides, leaving the middles to sleeper top, which helps with the points, then in places have timber crossings?

 

Regards

[john dew]

Hi Richard

 

I do agree with Kevin.

 

From my experience rail high infill over the sleepers can be a nightmare operationally......even the slightest bit over rail height will cause a pannier to stall and of course its impossible to realistically infill points

 

One of the reasons I am relaying my brewery was poor operation resulting from cobble inlays......they looked nice mind you........before this thread started I had already determined to go sleeper high (or a tad over) with ash and pave/cobbble the space between some of the sidings for road access.

 

I was encouraged to see exactly that in the first photo you showed.

 

I do enjoy following your thread

 

Best wishes

 

John

Edited November 10, 2017 by john dew

[Richard Mawer]

Hi Richard

 

I do agree with Kevin.

 

From my experience rail high infill over the sleepers can be a nightmare operationally......even the slightest bit over rail height will cause a pannier to stall and of course its impossible to realistically infill points

 

One of the reasons I am relaying my brewery was poor operation resulting from cobble inlays......they looked nice mind you........before this thread started I had already determined to go sleeper high (or a tad over) with ash and pave/cobbble the space between some of the sidings for road access.

 

I was encouraged to see exactly that in the first photo you showed.

 

I do enjoy following your thread

 

Best wishes

 

John

 

 

Rich

 

I would agree but in your case you have a set of points in the middle of the yard so a potential problem if you build to the top.

Looking at many of the pictures in the above I couldn't see one set of points with the ground level above the sleepers (there might be of course but I did only have a quick scan of the 'numerous' pictures.

 

So what about just going to the top of the track on the outsides, leaving the middles to sleeper top, which helps with the points, then in places have timber crossings?

 

Regards

 

Gents

 

Thanks for the comments and advice.

 

I seem to have caused some confusion. I was only talking about building the levels of the ground on the OUTSIDE of each track up to the rail level (as opposed to the sleeper level). I have already achieved that. The trouble which I had and which I think Ray was trying to find a solution to, was getting artex stuck to the inside of the rails by accident.

 

I do not intend to build up the area between the rails up to rail level. I am keeping that as sleeper level. That's how it look in the various photos I quoted. I am happy with the levels I have got in the photos of Evenley that I posted. Ie the ground between sidings is to rail level and the ground between the rails is sleeper level. This also means I do not have to build up levels within the points. As you say Kevin, that would be a real problem. I will paint the sleepers between the rails with sleeper grime, rust and soot. I will ballast between the sleepers of the points with cinders in the normal fashion. I will also use cinder ballast along the goods loop - to sleeper height.

 

The only exception to this which I was thinking about is to have a small area in front of the goods shed with ground between the rails up to rail height. This way vehicles could drive over the tracks and around the goods shed. I am short of space at that end of the station and need to have some way for vehicles to access the yard. Only here was I thinking of using the plastic strip to create flangeways and use filler between them. However, I do like your idea Kevin of using planking between the rails in those small areas.

 

I hope that clarifies matters, but it does accord with your concerns and advice Gents - of which I am grateful for by the way :-)

Edited November 10, 2017 by Richard Mawer

[Richard Mawer]

QUARRY LANE BRIDGE

 

I have always planned to have a bridge masking the entrance to the quarry. The bridge spans all 3 tracks, but only the 2 mainlines come out. There will be a removable retaining wall hiding the quarry. It will be removable so the loads can be put in the trucks. The problem is the lack of space between the quarry line and mainlines.

 

I knew there would be nothing like the space needed for a standard product. I would need to alter something. I bought a Metcalf kit and took a load of measurements. The arch was too wide to enable the edge to be between the mainline and quarry and not have the other one far too wide. So for the main arch I had to take 18 mm out the middle. I also chopped the side of the main arch off to leave just a wall.

 

I had to construct a single arch on the side off the main arch. There is only room for a thin wall between the arches. I thought a single high level arch for the single track was the way to go. Here is the card carcass cut down.

 

 

The single track arch looked wrong so I decided to make something along the lines of a flat beam and lower. This is after a blank went in on the single track and the brick overlay added.

 

 

I had to extend the length of the parapets, but it all still lined up and looked right when the abutments went on.

 

The single track flat arch could not just be brick. It needed a beam of some sort and to look right it needed to be higher. I used other parts from the kit and this is the end result.

 

 

The clearance through the bridge is very fine particularly down the quarry. But here it is in situ.

 

 

[RJS1977]

I think it would perhaps look better as a girder bridge across all three tracks (with or without the wall between the second and third).

 

An arch converts the downwards vertical force of the weight of the bridge itself/traffic over the bridge into sideways forces. Thus an arch needs fairly substantial abutments (or another arch) each side to press back against the arch. I'm afraid that wall between the two tracks just isn't man enough to support an arch :-(