Rufford Red Lion Square

[James Harrison]

The station kit arrived yesterday and has been checked over and given the thumbs up- all parts present and correct.  I'm itching to get on with it but there are a few things I want to get finished first.  I want to have a go at embossing the brickwork on this- a task which I have no doubt will take forever and a day- but I like to work to a consistent standard and (if my idea works) it will be well worth the effort.  I'm also considering a lot of improvement work to the bargeboards, the chimney stacks, the guttering....

 

Oh- and an interior!  I'm lucky in this regard as there is of course an MSLR pavilion station in the news as it's up for auction next month.  Plenty of photographs around and even a cursory bit of following links on newspaper articles led quite quickly to the agent's brochure with the requisite floor plans.  How much easier than when I was looking for inspiration for RLS. 

[James Harrison]

Right.... cakebox challenge is about finished, my latest essay in carriage building only needs transfers and varnishing so time I think to start considering the next project.

 

Which can only be Cremorne for Pittance station buildings. 

 

I've decided that the station awnings, the chimney pots and the guttering can all be improved, so first order of business is to see what can be done on those lines.  Well, I visited the Scalelink website and ordered some station canopy columns and awning brackets, which will quite nicely deal with the awnings, and then went to Edward Bay's Emporium and bought Wills Building Pack SS46, which gives me chimney pots and guttering.  This is going to be something of a mixed media project; there's the card kit, the whitemetal awning columns, the brass brackets for same and the plastic chimney pots and guttering. 

[James Harrison]

Work has begun on Cremorne for Pittance... and stopped. 

 

My plan was to try to emboss the mortar courses of the brickwork to achieve a 3D effect, however trying it on the thin brick slip (intended to cover the edges) shewed that although it worked, the effect was almost invisible viewed from most angles.  Then trying on one of the wall sections (specifically on some of the print over-run into a window aperture) suggested on the thicker material I would get less of an embossed effect and more of a general bruised look. 

 

Well, at that point I decided that perhaps continuing would put me on a hiding to nothing, so I stopped. 

 

Onto Plan B?  I wouldn't be happy with just building it out of the box, it would look too flat.... so Plan B.  I've ordered some embossed plastic brickwork sheet and I'll use the kit as a basic carcass to fit embossed plastic overlays to.  The sheet is thin enough that I won't be throwing critical dimensions out, I'll be able to work up a really nice weathered brickwork effect to my hearts content and I'll (hopefully) end up with something that demonstrates just how far you can take a cardboard kit, if you really want to. 

[James Harrison]

Progress!  Quite a lot of it, too.  



Right, so I started off with two sheets of embossed brickwork sheet.  This looked rather plain, so I gave it a drybrushed coat of a mortar colour, and then worked some red and brown chalks over it.  This was then sealed in with hairspray (a trick I learnt during art class at school!) 

This evening then there was nothing for it to make a start.  I've built card kits before and this one follows the same method as the others- the building is drawn as a net and the idea is you cut through the small pips left behind by the printing/cutting process and fold it up.  Slight problem with that; two or three, actually.  

Firstly if you do this, then you are left with unsightly little fold marks in the corners where the card has split and taken the print with it.  
Secondly, my intention being to overlay plastic sheet over it, if the end wall of the building measures say 70mm across with the kit flat, once folded up it actually measures 70mm + double the thickness of the card.  That can add, quite easily, 2 to 3mm to the width.  It doesn't sound much but if you've already cut the plastic sheet then you've wasted the part!- not good in this case considering how tight the margins are for excess material (I reckon my two sheets of plastic will, just about, be enough for the main building.  I've had to order more for the other waiting room).  

So the way I have decided to proceed is to cut out the basic net of the structure, then cut each net down to individual walls. Each wall I then use as a template for marking up the plastic sheet, adding approximately 1.5mm to each end to allow for an overlap.  Impact adhesive secures the plastic to the card carcass, then windows and doors are cut out.  Similar to my goods office building, the intention is that I'll be making new lintels and cills for the windows and doors.  

Well, work this evening has taken the form of building the first part of the main building- the station master's house. There were a few foul ups along the way, but nothing that brought the project to a screeching halt.  Succesful?- I'll let you be the judge of that.  

[James Harrison]

Having clad the main walls last night, this afternoon's effort was threefold.  

1. Add the door and window reveals.  
2. Disguise the joints between the sheets.  
3. Work up the brickwork some more.

So the door and window reveals were easy enough, just cut some 3mm wide strips of brick sheet and fix them into the openings.  As I shall come to anon however, perhaps this wasn't the best thing to do.  

Joints between the sheets; I should explain that when cladding the main walls I just butt-jointed the sheets together in the corners.  Which emans that the mortar courses don't go around the corners, which means that you end up with an odd effect similar (but much more discreet) to what you'd get if you just built it out of card.  So I had to spend a merry hour or two this afternoon with a hacksaw blade gently (very gently!) sawing the mortar courses into the edges of the sheets.  I also had to do this to the door and window reveals, and here I ran into problems due to lack of working space.  In future, I might do this to the reveals before fitting them.  

Once that was done, however, and had been cleaned up, I think the effort and time was well worthwhile.  Now, to my eye the brickwork still looked a little too bright and clean, so I worked over it with some Humbrol #10 in acrylic.  Using a large brush and stipling it on, then wiping away and around with some tissue, which produces a nice random dark, weathered brickwork appearance.  It's curious how colour doesn't scale; to get a believable brick red I've had to use mainly brown hues.

So, state of play as of this evening.    





I think I have reason to be happy with this; you almost can't tell it started life as a cardboard kit.

[Caley Jim]

Might it not have been better to have cut the sides and ends oversize by the thickness of the plastic sheet, and the window openings similarly under size, with the parts for the reveals wider by the same amount, and then chamfer the corners?

 

Jim

[James Harrison]

That was the original plan, but when I found how thin the embossed sheet is I decided to butt the joints instead, because I have tried to chamfer thin plastic sheet before.... and it didn't end well!  It's surprising how quickly a chamfer can become a concave edge, if you don't watch it like a hawk.  I guess this is one of those things where there's more than one way of achieving the desired result. 

[James Harrison]

 

Work then moved onto the booking hall, and before you knew it...

 

The plan now is to fit the windows and internal walls to these two elements, then I'll move on to the last block at the end.  Hopefully by that time the embossed slate sheet will have arrived and I'll be able to start looking at the roof too. 

[Compound2632]

Are you planning to replace the printed windows with proper sashes built up in layers? 

[James Harrison]

I'm debating that at the moment!- having built up the window reveals I find that, as supplied, the window frames aren't as prominent as they should be. Nor do they fit.  I can solve the fitting issue by packing out with some of the scrap card and setting the frames back further into the building, but that doesn't solve the problem of their being too small.  Also then the windows are set too far back!

 

I have one or two ideas to get around this but some experimentation is called for. 

[James Harrison]

Right!  Windows!  I had a bit of a play tonight. 

 

The problem can be summed up thus:

 

1. Fitting window reveals means that the supplied window frames don't seat down securely to the reverse of the walls. 

2. Fitting window reveals means that the supplied window frames are no longer wide enough to be discernable when viewing the window openings. 

3. Fitting window reveals means that the supplied window frames now sit too far back into the building.

 

The nature of the problem only made itself known by degrees; and only became fully obvious after I had of course spent some time last night painting the window frames (to comply with the post-1912 GCR building paint scheme). 

 

Now to get them to seat down securely onto the building was an easy problem to solve; there is a large amount of 'scrap' material on the sheets so it is an easy matter to cut some strips for packing to ultimately glue the window frames to. 

 

That just leaves points 2. and 3. 

 

Making the window frames wider is on the face of it, a simple matter of adding extra material.  In practice, trying to add this extra material can be a ticklish little job.  I opted to solve 2. and 3. simultaneously, by adding extra material to thicken out the frames so that not only do they protrude further into the window opening, but also extend forward into the wall thickness.  I tried this first with some paper- good joke!- and then thought that the better option would be to use more of the 'scrap' card. 

 

 

So here we have one of the window frames (painted green) to which I have fitted some packing and then started to fit out the new window frame material. 

 

 

And test fitted into the model.  Having satisfied myself that it will fit and look acceptable, I added the arched part of the window frame, glued it in place and then filled the gaps with some glue 'n' glaze.

 

Six windows down tonight and I'm planning to do all of the others on the station house and booking hall before I build any more of the kit...

[Edwardian]

Like the concept and the execution so far, James.

 

Nice tone to the brick.

[James Harrison]

Thanks; it's getting there!

 

 

I completed the window frames, then the glazing and the doors were fitted (also, the internal walls were fitted). Now back to square 1; for the waiting room, this time.  At least I can see that all the extra work is worthwhile. 

 

Moving on to consider a bit more of the layout in general; for the present time 'Cremorne for Pittance' is intended to be completed as a photo plank but the eventual intention is to work it into the wider RLS layout. I see RLS itself as being on the edge of the town centre- as we've discussed previously- whilst CfP I see more as being rural or semi-rural; perhaps a 'villa-dotted district that only just escapes the reproach of being suburban'.  Which gives me an excuse (come on, I don't need an excuse) to indulge in some lovely Fothergill Watson houses, like these. 

 

 

 

It would only need one or two, a discreet distance from the station of course, and then paddocks and orchards, perhaps.  If I set it in late Autumn I've got an excuse to indulge in lots of colour other than green and it sets me up for a humourous cameo. 

Edited September 2, 2018 by James Harrison

[Compound2632]

The lighting in that second photo is unnerving - it looks unreal; like an over-zealously colourised monochrome image.

 

Those houses must cost a fortune in roofers' bills to keep rainproof.

[James Harrison]

The lighting in that second photo is unnerving - it looks unreal; like an over-zealously colourised monochrome image.

 

Those houses must cost a fortune in roofers' bills to keep rainproof.

 

I think it must have been photoshopped.  Colour like that just doesn't happen in nature.

 

I shudder to think what the costs just for the lead must be like on those roofs. 

[Compound2632]

I think it must have been photoshopped.  Colour like that just doesn't happen in nature.

 

I shudder to think what the costs just for the lead must be like on those roofs. 

 

Sorry, assumed these were your photos.

[James Harrison]

I should have clarified that they aren't!... No harm done. 

[Edwardian]

Thanks; it's getting there!

 

 

I completed the window frames, then the glazing and the doors were fitted (also, the internal walls were fitted). Now back to square 1; for the waiting room, this time.  At least I can see that all the extra work is worthwhile. 

 

Moving on to consider a bit more of the layout in general; for the present time 'Cremorne for Pittance' is intended to be completed as a photo plank but the eventual intention is to work it into the wider RLS layout. I see RLS itself as being on the edge of the town centre- as we've discussed previously- whilst CfP I see more as being rural or semi-rural; perhaps a 'villa-dotted district that only just escapes the reproach of being suburban'.  Which gives me an excuse (come on, I don't need an excuse) to indulge in some lovely Fothergill Watson houses, like these. 

 

 

 

It would only need one or two, a discreet distance from the station of course, and then paddocks and orchards, perhaps.  If I set it in late Autumn I've got an excuse to indulge in lots of colour other than green and it sets me up for a humourous cameo. 

 

Excellent work on the windows.

 

I love these houses

[James Harrison]

 

I'm starting work on some of the smaller details; such as the lintels.  The original lintels were obliterated when I reclad the building- and it doesn't look right without them!  So I cut some new ones from paper.  I'm not entirely convinced by the ones over the lancet windows, they might be replaced yet.  It's the width of the lintel relative to the height that makes the material thinner, and I'm not sure it's entirely a happy result.  But then making them one big mono-pitched lintel would make them larger than their neighbours....

 

I think this is one of those that could do with being finished before a judgement is made on it. 

[Edwardian]

 

I'm starting work on some of the smaller details; such as the lintels.  The original lintels were obliterated when I reclad the building- and it doesn't look right without them!  So I cut some new ones from paper.  I'm not entirely convinced by the ones over the lancet windows, they might be replaced yet.  It's the width of the lintel relative to the height that makes the material thinner, and I'm not sure it's entirely a happy result.  But then making them one big mono-pitched lintel would make them larger than their neighbours....

 

I think this is one of those that could do with being finished before a judgement is made on it. 

 

That is coming together nicely, James.

 

Those lintels provide a strong but necessary element.

[James Harrison]

Thanks! 

 

I painted the lintels last night and- actually- once finished they look pretty good.  Even the ones I wasn't too sure about initially.  

 

The first of the waiting rooms is approaching the same level of completion as the booking hall and station house- so the plan for this weekend is to do the lintels for it and then move onto the final little outhouse which will complete the main building range- I'm holding off on doing the roof for the present because I'm curious what the slating method to be described in the next copy of RM is.  On the goods office of course I did paper overlays, which look convincing enough but on reflection lack any depth.  I bought some embossed slate sheet, but that doesn't look like any roof I've ever seen, more like brick or stone.  Most obvious is the fact that it is in courses and not overlaid, so it's more suited to slate walls than roofs...

[James Harrison]

 

That's all of the brickwork on the main block done. Now to do the doors and windows for the end structure, then the cills and lintels for same... and then it might well be at the same level ofcdetail throughout. 

 

The window lintels that had previously been fitted have now been painted and the lintels for the waiting room added.  The window cills have been fitted to the station house, booking hall and waiting room.  Once the glue has dried they can all be painted. 

 

The roofs (rooves?) have been test-fitted; as anticipated the booking hall roof needed to be trimmed down a little because it fits between the house and the waiting room- cladding the walls made the fit a bit too snug. 

[James Harrison]

Whilst work continues on the main block (the last of the windows and doors went in earlier this afternoon), my thoughts are turning toward how passengers and staff cross from one platform to the other. 

 

You might think that the obvious answer is a footbridge, but whilst that answers the case marvellously I feel that it could look more than a little awkward, considering how CfP will be abutting a road bridge anyway.  I'll be breaking out my copy of Dow later this afternoon to confirm my initial findings, but a trawl of photographs on the Internet and recourse to my small collection of books on the Cheshire Lines Committee suggests that footbridges were something of a rarity and barrow crossings were the more usual solution to the problem. 

 

Now, why did I look through books on the CLC when Rufford is resolutely sat in Nottinghamshire?  Well, it so happens that the prototype of the kit- the Manchester Sheffield & Lincolnshire double pavilion style of station- most of them were built either east of Sheffield or else on and around the CLC system.  I've already found that photos of the eastern examples of the type are relatively few and far between- and I've got copies of most of the books published on the topic of the Great Central Railway- whilst photographs of the CLC stations are a little easier to find.  Maybe it appealed to enthusiasts more? 

 

I actually feel that the loss of a footbridge isn't quite as disappointing as it might have been.  It saves me the expense of buying one- I was looking at either the Hornby plastic one to hack up or the L-cut LMS type to alter- it saves me the hassle of building it and it gives me the opportunity to model a gate and path to the road on the down side platform.  Which, on balance, I think might be a more aesthetically satisfying arrangement. 

[Compound2632]

As a random example, not all that comparable in terms of number of local passengers as your Nottinghamshire line, only Appleby of Settle & Carlisle stations had a footbridge. Sometimes an over or under-bridge at the platform end could double up but there are examples where the only access to the platform opposite the main building was the barrow crossing. 

 

There's some logic if the main building with the ticket office is on the up platform (or, the platform from which the majority of passengers are starting their journey, in the direction of London or the nearest big town). Then most passengers using the down platform are leaving the station, perhaps by a path up to the road, so there only the porter set over to collect tickets has to cross the line.

[James Harrison]

I think that's exactly the route I'll be going down.  I keep meaning to do a couple of sketches of what I have in mind, but never quite seem to get around to it. 

 

 

Test fitting of all the roofs to check for clearance, after the walls had been clad. Once the last of the cills and lintels have been painted, I'll be torn between permanently fitting the roof or moving on to the walls for the down platform shelters.  I have ideas of how I would like to replace the slates, but at the same time I believe there's a method in the next (October) copy of Railway Modeller, so I might hold fire on that for the few days until publication.