Focalplane's Workbench (mostly 7mm)

[coachmann]

Did you notice 1459 lurking in the background?

Yay, shame that seeing as I have one for sale ha ha....

[Focalplane]

Isn't yours 1458?  Had a longer life in Oswestry than 1459.

[Focalplane]

AAARGH!!!

 

I discovered today that my search for umbrella stays/spokes isn't working.  They are all circular rods unsuitable for gutters.  It looks like my search will have to be in the hypermarkets when I next go there.

 

Also, my brass tubing looks like it is over scale for the downpipes.

 

I am slowly coming round to the need to book a crossing so that I can visit GOG Telford on September 2nd.  In fact I have already contacted three purveyors of goodies so this plan is going to happen.

 

So what next on the workbench?  There are plenty of projects lined up.  On the Penmaenpool engine shed I can still fit the windows and do the roof barge boards.  And there are coaches to complete, a guards van and some other soldering jobs.

[coachmann]

Isn't yours 1458?  Had a longer life in Oswestry than 1459.

Had to delve to find out. Yes it is 1458.

[Focalplane]

This morning I completed weathering the roof prior to fitting the end barge boards.  Weathering involved using a black weathering fluid applied directly to the photo paper roof tiles, then brushing it into the white paper edges and quickly removing all surplus, wiping down the roof and along the ridge so as not to disturb any of the 'single' tiles.

 

 

 

 

The roof is now drying prior to receiving a coat of matt varnish.  Then I will glue down the four smoke vents after they have been "distressed" to match the prototype toward the end of steam.

 

Photos suggest the barge boards were painted black but then heavily weathered.  As I will be using real wood the weathering should be easier than with plastikard.

[Focalplane]

Still no luck on finding an umbrella with gutter shaped spokes and my brass tube downpipes look too large a diameter.  Otherwise just about everything is finished on the Penmaenpool engine shed, except for final weathering of the walls.  So patience is required until I can source the needed parts.

 

I have started on the build design for the small shed office, another black painted corrugated sheet structure on a brick foundation, but with a curved corrugated sheet roof.  I will use the same brass framework as for the engine shed.  Measuring from the available photographs proved to be easy - I would say I have a confidence of more than 95% on the basic dimensions.  Even the windows were easy to place on the rear side wall as they are visible through the opposite side windows!

 

The placement of the shed office is easy to spot on old maps, adjacent to the point/switch leading to the two shed roads.  A wooden coal stage existed between shed and office and this will have to wait until after Telford.  The other structure I can tackle now is the small water tank.  This can be entirely made of plastikard, along with brass pipes and valves which I should be able to purchase at Telford.  Upon returning to France after Telford I should be able to start building Module 1.

[Focalplane]

Re my previous post, since nothing much more can be added for the time being, here is an update on the engine shed, latest additions being the barge boards and the window glazing.

 

 

I also made the basic brass skeleton for the shed office today.  Definitely overkill in terms of strength but at least there should be no warping!

 

[Focalplane]

Despite a number of distractions, the Penmaenpool shed office has been advanced to a basic structure sans roof and glazing:

 

 

 

There remain a lot of exterior details to add, but the most important part remaining will be the pre-formed curved corrugated sheet roof.  Before that is added I need to prime and paint the interior.  I will not be adding any interior partitions because I have no information on where they should be.  The placement of the windows and end doors is well documented.

 

As with the shed, the structure is of brass strip.  The floor is scribed box wood, while everything else is plastikard.  It is quite heavy and very robust.

 

The goods shed will be a very similar project but will not be part of Module 1 so will have to wait a while.

[Jintyman]

That shed is looking excellent Paul, very well executed.

 

Jinty

[Focalplane]

I have now primed the engine shed office building. But the older photos on line show that the end doors were not black but a lighter shade of grey. But were they? Green perhaps, or GWR brown. Any ideas from those who should know? Daifly, where are you?

 

More tomorrow, Paul

Edited July 16, 2017 by Focalplane

[daifly]

It was rust coloured in 1970!

I'll see what else I can find tomorrow.

Dave

[daifly]

Found this too - 1970 again

Dave

[2ManySpams]

Unusual to see rust so widespread and uniform in colour. The rust almost looks like the building was set on fire, burning all the paint off but extinguished before levelling the building. The freshly exposed metal would have quickly rusted.

[Simond]

Chris,

 

I'd say "exactly" rather than "almost"!

 

Best

Simon

[Focalplane]

The archive photos taken in 1970 have been most useful for estimating the size of the office, but the all over rust appearance does indeed seem to have been due to a fire.  Black and white photos from when the office was in use show a similar black paint was used as for the engine shed, but the doors were a different colour.

 

I know the goods shed was painted in standard GW colours, but the shed office was not, so what might have been the colour of the doors?  I was going to paint them black but that would not fit the older (1960-ish) photo evidence.

[daifly]

I wouldn't argue with the burnt building scenario. That was my first thought when I found the photos. I've trawled through all of my Cambrian books but found nothing useful but a further search on t'web found some other images that you may have seen before. They don't really help much to be honest. My own take on the mess hut is that it would have been painted with a bitumen-like coating, including the twin corrugated doors. The wooden door at the station end is, as you say, a lighter colour which is indistinct even on the colour photo below. You might want to do what workers of the time probably did and paint it with any old colour that you have knocking about! If we make the assumption that the window frames are white then the door will presumably be a shade of grey or brown. Sorry that I can't be of more help.

All three photos date from c1960.

Dave

Edited July 17, 2017 by daifly

[Simond]

I'd concur with Dave's suggestion of bituminous paint on the shed & white window frames.

 

The door might be stone or grey, (or several other shades including blue, green or red!) but I rather fancy the enginemen might have kept a tin of stone paint to keep the shed looking proud...

 

That said, there's a distinct blue tinge in the colour photo, which suggests grey is more plausible

 

Best

Simon

Edited July 17, 2017 by Simond

[Focalplane]

Although I have all the photos above, it is amazing what others see and can deduce from them. Thank you all for your ideas and suggestions.

 

I think grey or stone would be a good compromise. The bluish tinge is visible elsewhere on the colour photo, and it reminds me of old Ektachrome slides.

 

I have some 4mm scale lamps which will be a good fit over each doorway. One of the photos suggests there was a coal burning stove in the office, but its exact location is hard to determine from the position of what may be a chimney. I can add this feature later if necessary.

 

Another clue to the probability of a fire is that the corrugated sheeting has buckled considerably in the five years since closure and there appears to be no inner wall lining. Whatever it was it must have been inflammable.

[coachmann]

Wouldn't the corrugated shed have been painted standard GWR colours....you know, a sort of orange-ish yellow. Bitumen paint could have been added in BR days but over the years might be removed by a combination of very hot weather melting it and then being washed away leaving the GWR paint that was underneath. I doubt it was orange though fire when the window frames are intact. Random thoughts...

[Focalplane]

Some additional thoughts

 

I think I can place the stove as suggested here with a blob of blutack.

 

 

The rear door is indeed wood but I used corrugated material and added hinges like on the twin doors at the front. I will think about replacing it.

[daifly]

Wouldn't the corrugated shed have been painted standard GWR colours....you know, a sort of orange-ish yellow. Bitumen paint could have been added in BR days but over the years might be removed by a combination of very hot weather melting it and then being washed away leaving the GWR paint that was underneath. I doubt it was orange though fire when the window frames are intact. Random thoughts...

 

Here's Shipston-on-Stour goods shed in the 1930s. The GWR were not averse to using bituminous paint to protect and waterproof wiggly tin buildings - even very big ones!

Dave

Edited July 17, 2017 by daifly

[daifly]

Some additional thoughts

 

I think I can place the stove as suggested here with a blob of blutac.

 

The middle one of the three photos I posted suggests the chimney is offset slightly to the rear of the hut.

Dave

[Focalplane]

Yes, and that would make more sense than in the middle.

 

Paul

[Focalplane]

Daifly

 

I have a 4mm scale model of the Shipston goods shed, made by SteveNCB7754 which is currently in storage. A fine model with full interior detail, etc. if my fingers continue to improve I hope to get back to finish this modular layout.

 

Steve was able to measure everything before the station yard was turned into a modern housing development.

 

Paul

[Simond]

Wouldn't the corrugated shed have been painted standard GWR colours....you know, a sort of orange-ish yellow. Bitumen paint could have been added in BR days but over the years might be removed by a combination of very hot weather melting it and then being washed away leaving the GWR paint that was underneath. I doubt it was orange though fire when the window frames are intact. Random thoughts...

Interesting point re the window frame, particularly the one that's still white.  Surely it was wooden, rather than steel?  It certainly appears to be.  And if it were steel, the paint would surely have burnt off, as it appears to have done elsewhere.  Curious

 

I think the building would have been bitumen by the 50's if not earlier.  I suspect the dark & light stone (iron oxide and white lead, varying proportions) would have been more likely on buildings passengers were intended to see. 

 

it's all a bit speculative...

 

best

Simon