Tetbury

[Chris Chewter]

Studying Randolph this afternoon, I need to work out how to build a larger pair of corrugated steel stores to the goods yard. Probably best illustrated on this plan.

 

 

Perhaps easier to deal with is the garden to the cottages. Not quite the quintessential English cottage garden, but apparently strewn with brambles and some more tumbled down stone sheds.

 

 

Let’s see how I can build these features into the layout.

[Chris Chewter]

What to do with a bank holiday? Well what about one part of the layout I’ve been avoiding. I’ve been putting off the cliff faces for a very long time and the plaster moulds were still white. 
 

After some experimenting, myself and my daughter followed the woodland scenics leopard spot method and the Earth Colours kit and decided that spots of light grey, umber and a final wash of yellow ochre seemed to work.

 

 

We then moved onto applying it to the main cliff face.

 

[Chris Chewter]

Things didn’t go to plan as expected when the black wash was a bit sludgy and was applied a bit too thick, but after washing it off slightly and applying some Woodland scenics coarse turf, it was looking good to me.

 

 

The smaller rock face behind the pre fab was painted in situ. The photo was used to find any remaining white patches.

 

 

And the cliff face put back onto the layout.

 

Most of the work was done by my daughter under supervision and I think she’s done an amazing job.

[Chris Chewter]

Interesting how the little details make the layout come alive. Lamps fitted and the platform trolleys in position tonight. 
 

 

And I really like this one, although the lamp is too tall really.

 

 

I’ll attack it another night.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Looks very good. It is great when the kids can get involved and make such a good job of things.

 

I see from the track plan that the same coal merchants were in business at Malmesbury (the line I am modelling) just a few miles down the road.

 

Cheers, Ade.

[Chris Chewter]

When supervising the kids playing trains, I’ve noticed that the railway needs some cameo scenes to keep the viewers interest. That’s slightly challenging as most photos of the station are normally devoid of people.

 

After a Modelu shopping spree, I’ve set these scenes up which seem to have come out quite nicely.

 

A quick glance between the trees towards the cottages reveal a couple in conversation.

 

 

And I thought a pair of children would give a bit of interest half way down the layout.

 

[Chris Chewter]

After studying KNPs Little Muddle, I need a bit more ground cover on parts of Tetbury (although I have to be careful as the photos show the steep bank to be fairly sparse!) so after consulting Gravetts “Modelling grassland and landscape detailing”, I made up some foxglove type plants using some wallpaper brush bristles and some purple scatter to give a bit of colour against the sheer amount of green.

 

 

Also popped a couple of Hardies Hobbies figures in the goods yard area to give it a bit of life. Hopefully a couple of foxgloves in the background give a splash of colour. (I know I need to tidy up the trees.)

 

 

As for KNPs Little Muddle, it’s a beautiful layout to aspire to and it’s well worth studying. I was also pleased to see that I’m firing his pannier on page 41!

Edited April 14, 2020 by Captainalbino

[Chris Chewter]

I do think tank engines look better when they are fitted with crew, lamps and fire irons. Not too sure I’m brave enough to weather it just yet...

 

[Chris Chewter]

Spent the afternoon repairing trees. Any damaged or white bits have been painted. The poor trees by the goods yard have been filled out, and I’ve added in a few more pines.

 

 

I’ve made up a few more trees, but I’ve   now run out of spray glue!

 

[Chris Chewter]

How about something slightly different.
 

There’s a lot of kit that is required on a footplate. Whilst in most model locomotives it isn’t seen, but with its short roof, a 28xx was never a loco of comfort, and that cab is clearly visible on this model. The 28xx class never made it to Tetbury, I own one because I fire one on occasion.

 

 

I’ve included the broom in the corner and the bucket that you keep tripping over but is very useful if your gauge frame blows. Then there are the kit bags that you end up fumbling over when operating the slacker pipe. But what’s the most important bit of kit. The shovel propped in the corner? What about the tea cans on the warming plate? And for vanity, yes that’s a figure of me in my usual pose on a 28xx, leaning against the cab side and monitoring the water and pressure.

 

Bags, Cans and the shovel are from Hardys Hobbies. Bucket, and broom are Springside. Figures are Modelu.

[Oldddudders]

Many of us think we're cool if we've managed to get a couple of figures on the footplate. This reminds us we're not even close to authenticity!

[Chris Chewter]

I’ve always been a bit cautious about weathering due to the chance of wrecking a decent model. I’ve purchased a Dapol 9f kit to experiment on and to give things a try. It’s been useful because I can simply wash the model and start again. The photos are attempt 3... or is it 4? I think this is as good as is going to get, although the tide marks by dome is annoying and might need a dab of black to hide it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This has been made up with Railmatch frame brown to the frames, dabbed with Humbrol dark earth weathering powder. Humbrol brown weathering powder wafted around below the running plate. Above the running plate it’s Humbrol dark earth with Humbrol smoke powders to the barrel and tender sides.

 

So is it worth me persevering, or shall I hang up my stipple brush and leave it to the professionals?

[Chris Chewter]

It’s a shame heavy goods engines never made it to Tetbury. They do look smart simmering at the platform!

 

 

I also decided that the children in the lane needed a bit of adult supervision!

 

 

From this angle you can see that I really need some planting behind them. Just waiting for a copy of John de Frayssinet‘s “Scenic Modelling” to land on my doormat, plus a box of seafoam, because lumps of rubberised horsehair covered in foliage doesn’t seem to be the full picture!
 

[Andy Kirkham]

On 07/02/2016 at 02:04, DavidCBroad said:

Especially as it was intended to be a through station, like Fairford and several others...

 

Where was it intended to continue to? 

[Salmotrutta]

20 hours ago, Andy Kirkham said:

 

Where was it intended to continue to? 

According to Stephen Randolph in his book "The Tetbury Branch" there were a number of failed proposals which included joining with the line to the Nailsworth line amongst others.  By the time the GWR actually progressed the project it was as a branch line.  There were also plans at one time to reach Malmesbury but the impression I get is that by the time the line was opened by the GWR it was pretty much confirmed to be a branch.

[Chris Chewter]

Not much to report tonight. Just been doing the weeding.

 

 

However I used coarse yellow scatter, so instead of dandelions, they look more like daffodil heads or primroses.

 

Edited April 23, 2020 by Captainalbino

[Salmotrutta]

16 hours ago, Captainalbino said:

Not much to report tonight. Just been doing the weeding.

 

 

However I used coarse yellow scatter, so instead of dandelions, they look more like daffodil heads or primroses.

 

Small dabs of yellow and grey acrylic onto dark green scatter should work. Haven't got round to putting the weeds into my layout yet though... Like the daffs

[Chris Chewter]

Bit of weathering tonight following the practice on the 9f kit. A lot happier now I’ve adjusted the technique!

 

 

And a reminder of what it looked like:

 

[Chris Chewter]

Spray glue arrived. Let operation stick green stuff everywhere commence!
 

I present: one brambly garden with a few plants near the house because they look nice and attracts the eye.

 

 

I also present: a few more trees near the end of the roadway to hide the fact it runs off into oblivion!

 

 

 

[Chris Chewter]

Certainly more green stuff seems to be doing the job. However this is the limited result of 3 hours work. This could take me some time!

 

 

Well, it’ll keep me out of trouble for a bit!

[Chris Chewter]

One problem with modelling a real location, is that you can’t just stick stuff anywhere. Well, technically you can but if you do you miss part of the point of modelling a real location. At least twice, I got too far into a routine, checked the photos only to find scrubby grass and had to rip up and relocate chunks of seamoss bushes. However I think I’ve done the station entry now.

 

 

And reality:

 

 

I think I’ll start planting along the splash next, but I’m going to leave that for another night. I’ve had enough untangling seamoss for tonight!

[Chris Chewter]

How about another photo of the cottages? I’ll just leave that here:

 

 

[Chris Chewter]

Well I know I previously said I was happy with the station approach, I’ve never been convinced by the ‘reeds’ by the cottage. Reeds is inverted commas because I never knew what I was making, and turned a blind eye they were frankly massive in scale. I know we all like to see nicely polished photos, but I thought these photos may help others in the same situation.

 

[Chris Chewter]

Firstly, I’ve corrected the cliff face river bank by creating a fake bank of Woodland Scenics coarse turf. The flat plateau by the house can be covered with coarse turf and finally some Jarvis foliage.

 

 

This is then fitted out with some Seamoss sprinkled with Gaugemaster mid green leaves. I think that looks a lot better.

 

 

Next, perhaps I’ll get rid of those loops from the adjacent tree! The white is the white PVA holding down the seamoss bush.

Edited May 2, 2020 by Captainalbino

[Chris Chewter]

What to do whilst obeying the governments social distancing rules, let’s spend an afternoon winding up a few additional wire tree armatures. A nice scale 50ft!