Kings Cross Suburban

[Guest]

I've taken a few photos now that I've finished the planking on both platforms. I shouldn't really complain that my wood strips do actually look like, erm... wood strips, but I think my issue is that they look a little too "new". I have a couple of dozen strips left over, so I'll make up some test sections and attack them with washes and powders until I get a more even, faded look that I'm happy to apply to the layout.

Excuse the Lego in the photos (there had to be some). I just wanted to get an idea of what it would look like with the ramp in place.

I doubt I'll get much more done before I'm off on hols next week, although tomorrow's wedding could be a good opportunity to lock myself in the model railway room 'til it's all over... I may take some shots of some stock posed at the platforms as I've been squirelling away suitable motive power for a month or two now, some of it perhaps more appropriate than others.

 

 

 

[woodenhead]

Lego - it gets everywhere!!

[Mike Storey]

I recognise those steps between the platforms!! Recycling - I like it.

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

...Going back to Kings Cross (but not on the Oxford train), I've picked up a couple of Bachmann Mk1 suburbans in Maroon from a local junk model shop. I've already got some blue ones, but it would be nice to backdate once in a while. The maroon coaches I have are unlined with an "M" prefix, so need renumbered, flushglazed, little people with severed legs added etc etc. I've just realised that the latest releases of these Bachmann coaches are lined. To be correct, would I need to add lining or would unlined maroon suburban stock have been seen at Kings Cross? ...

 Suburban stock all unlined in both BR crimson and maroon. Optional rusted out door bottoms by the time these old wrecks get to BR blue. A welcome blast at the feet during warm summer weather, when some old fogeys didn't want the compartment ventilated by means of the windows, ice blocks for feet in winter, because the steam heat supply from most of the class 31s was 'limited'.

 

I didn't know trains from Kings Cross went to Oxford ?!

Were it that location, that would have been descibed as the insalubrious ancient university city.

[Enterprisingwestern]

 Were it that location, that would have been descibed as the insalubrious ancient university city.

 

Dangerous also judging by all the murders reported on television.

 

Mike.

[Mike Storey]

Dangerous also judging by all the murders reported on television.

 

Mike.

 

and Midsomer is not far away either.....

[lmsforever]

Body,s down every lane round here you keep falling over them and John Nettles keeps knocking on the door!

[Guest]

Suburban stock all unlined in both BR crimson and maroon. Optional rusted out door bottoms by the time these old wrecks get to BR blue. A welcome blast at the feet during warm summer weather, when some old fogeys didn't want the compartment ventilated by means of the windows, ice blocks for feet in winter, because the steam heat supply from most of the class 31s was 'limited'.

 

Thanks for that. I'm glad the suburban stock out of Kings Cross would have been unlined, as that matches what I have. I must have the crimson ones, as they are a totally different shade to the latest Bachmann releases which are marketed as "maroon".

Just out of curiosity, whereabouts would the lined maroon MK1 suburbans have been found?

Edited May 18, 2018 by Pete 75C

[woodenhead]

I recognise those steps between the platforms!! Recycling - I like it.

A signature feature I think they call it, I reckon he has a box full of these that he got cheap and now every layout has to have at least one haha

[Clive Mortimore]

Suburban stock all unlined in both BR crimson and maroon. Optional rusted out door bottoms by the time these old wrecks get to BR blue. A welcome blast at the feet during warm summer weather, when some old fogeys didn't want the compartment ventilated by means of the windows, ice blocks for feet in winter, because the steam heat supply from most of the class 31s was 'limited'.

 

Thanks for that. I'm glad the suburban stock out of Kings Cross would have been unlined, as that matches what I have. I must have the crimson ones, as they are a totally different shade to the latest Bachmann releases which are marketed as "maroon".

Just out of curiosity, whereabouts would the lined maroon MK1 suburbans have been found?

I saw them at Hitchin, so I take it they would have been at the Cross as well. Lined maroon non gangway stock appears in quite a few photos of green locos with small yellow panels.

[Indomitable026]

I've taken a few photos now that I've finished the planking on both platforms. I shouldn't really complain that my wood strips do actually look like, erm... wood strips, but I think my issue is that they look a little too "new". I have a couple of dozen strips left over, so I'll make up some test sections and attack them with washes and powders until I get a more even, faded look that I'm happy to apply to the layout.

Excuse the Lego in the photos (there had to be some). I just wanted to get an idea of what it would look like with the ramp in place.

I doubt I'll get much more done before I'm off on hols next week, although tomorrow's wedding could be a good opportunity to lock myself in the model railway room 'til it's all over... I may take some shots of some stock posed at the platforms as I've been squirelling away suitable motive power for a month or two now, some of it perhaps more appropriate than others.

 

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I really like the quality and neatness of the modelling here, and such an interesting subject.

 

Nice one!

[PMP]

Ref the colour and weathering of the wooden platforms I have an idea that might help. Driving to work today I was behind a 40ft flatbed truck that had a natural wooden deck. The colours on one of these in reasonable condition might be a good colour match due to similar useage. By that I mean it’s outside 24/7, sees a lot of traffic across it, and is treated with preservatives to protect it from the elements. The overall colour was a light to medium grey with noticeable variations and planking.

[manna]

G'Day Folks

 

A lot of railways including the GN, used Oregon Pine for there buildings and wooden platforms, I don't recall if Enfield Chase station was rebuilt during electrification, that used to be Oregon Pine.

 

manna

[Guest]

...I reckon he has a box full of these that he got cheap and now every layout has to have at least one

 

No, it's the same one, so Mike wins the prize. I have a big box marked "Ripple Lane Salvage". I just need to figure out what to do with the scaffolding and the Red Star office...

 

Ref the colour and weathering of the wooden platforms I have an idea that might help. Driving to work today I was behind a 40ft flatbed truck that had a natural wooden deck. The colours on one of these in reasonable condition might be a good colour match due to similar useage. By that I mean it’s outside 24/7, sees a lot of traffic across it, and is treated with preservatives to protect it from the elements. The overall colour was a light to medium grey with noticeable variations and planking.

 

Thanks for that. Strangely enough, I was walking through Sheringham car park into town the other day when one of the heavy haulage outfits was winching the London Transport Class 20 onto a low loader. Looking at the bed of the trailer and some of the massive lumps of wood lying around, yes, there was a lot of grey evident. Some of the newer wood was an almost teak-like brown but 90% was a rather weather-beaten grey.

I definitely need to tone the platforms down somewhat, so shades of grey would seem to be the way to go.

[jamie92208]

No, it's the same one, so Mike wins the prize. I have a big box marked "Ripple Lane Salvage". I just need to figure out what to do with the scaffolding and the Red Star office...

 

 

Thanks for that. Strangely enough, I was walking through Sheringham car park into town the other day when one of the heavy haulage outfits was winching the London Transport Class 20 onto a low loader. Looking at the bed of the trailer and some of the massive lumps of wood lying around, yes, there was a lot of grey evident. Some of the newer wood was an almost teak-like brown but 90% was a rather weather-beaten grey.

I definitely need to tone the platforms down somewhat, so shades of grey would seem to be the way to go.

 

That's why I asked the question about the colour.   When I modelled long Preston I found some surviving Midland creosoted fencing on one of the site boundaries and that was a very weatherbeaten grey.

 

Jamie

[Guest]

When I modelled long Preston I found some surviving Midland creosoted fencing on one of the site boundaries and that was a very weatherbeaten grey.

 

It's a difficult one to call. I can understand cresoting of fences, sleepers, sheds etc, but I'm not entirely convinced that a platform surface that was meant to be walked on would have been treated that way. Part of me thinks that when the platform was laid, superior quality wood (certainly compared to what we're used to in everyday construction today) would have been used. Manna mentions Oregon Pine which, I think, is Douglas Fir. That is sometimes used in yacht and schooner construction which makes me think it must be good stuff. Maybe it was just left to age without any artificial help from preservatives?

Rather than get too hung up on it, I think today would be a good day to get out the weathering powders. I shall adopt the "if it looks right, it must be right" attitude. The imminent media circus Royal Wedding does not appeal, so modelling it will have to be.

Edited May 19, 2018 by Pete 75C

[jamie92208]

It's a difficult one to call. I can understand cresoting of fences, sleepers, sheds etc, but I'm not entirely convinced that a platform surface that was meant to be walked on would have been treated that way. Part of me thinks that when the platform was laid, superior quality wood (certainly compared to what we're used to in everyday construction today) would have been used. Manna mentions Oregon Pine which, I think, is Douglas Fir. That is sometimes used in yacht and schooner construction which makes me think it must be good stuff. Maybe it was just left to age without any artificial help from preservatives?

Rather than get too hung up on it, I think today would be a good day to get out the weathering powders. I shall adopt the "if it looks right, it must be right" attitude. The imminent media circus Royal Wedding does not appeal, so modelling it will have to be.

 

That's probably right.  I used Douglas Fir in a tram restoration project and it's a nice light brown.  However the 110 year old pitch pine that it was replacing was the standard weathered grey. I've got some photos of some of the timbers which might be of interest.

This shows the floor which was unpainted pine probably from North America as the tram was built in Birkenhead..  This had had ribs on it to provide grip and the base colour shows through on the cleaned area.  The dark stripes are where the floor paint went.

This was one of the solebars which were pitch pine. This surface was unpainted but the browner looking part had had a steel plate attached to it which is probably why more colour had survived.

 

Hope that these might be of help.

 

Jamie

It's a difficult one to call. I can understand cresoting of fences, sleepers, sheds etc, but I'm not entirely convinced that a platform surface that was meant to be walked on would have been treated that way. Part of me thinks that when the platform was laid, superior quality wood (certainly compared to what we're used to in everyday construction today) would have been used. Manna mentions Oregon Pine which, I think, is Douglas Fir. That is sometimes used in yacht and schooner construction which makes me think it must be good stuff. Maybe it was just left to age without any artificial help from preservatives?

Rather than get too hung up on it, I think today would be a good day to get out the weathering powders. I shall adopt the "if it looks right, it must be right" attitude. The imminent media circus Royal Wedding does not appeal, so modelling it will have to be.

 

That's probably right.  I used Douglas Fir in a tram restoration project and it's a nice light brown.  However the 110 year old pitch pine that it was replacing was the standard weathered grey. I've got some photos of some of the timbers which might be of interest.

This shows the floor which was unpainted pine probably from North America as the tram was built in Birkenhead..  This had had ribs on it to provide grip and the base colour shows through on the cleaned area.  The dark stripes are where the floor paint went.

This was one of the solebars which were pitch pine. This surface was unpainted but the browner looking part had had a steel plate attached to it which is probably why more colour had survived.

 

Hope that these might be of help.

 

Jamie

[Mike Storey]

How many shades of grey are there? The current Mrs Storey had a definitive book on the subject a while ago, but then some supplements seem to have been published.

[David C]

Try looking at Martin Welch's "The Art of Weathering". He recommends using Humbrol gunmetal (the non metallic version) as does Gordon Gravett. Both work in 7mm scale, which may explain why I found it a little too silvery for my taste, so added a little matt black to tone it down. I've also tried washes of Humbrol 64 (light grey) with varying amounts of black, white, earth and khaki. Martin Welch also suggests painting individual planks different shades of the same colour - his book is well worth obtaining and I usually refer to it when finishing off a model.

 

David C   

[Guest]

I'm much happier with the more subdued colour. Definitely shades of grey, but with the odd wood tone showing through. I think it still has some depth, but more uniformity. This was all done with weathering powders, sealed with a light coat of matt varnish when I was happy with the result.

 

 

Tomorrow, I'll add some photos of the stock I've collected for the layout, as advice may be needed regarding slight livery changes, renumbering etc.

Edited May 19, 2018 by Pete 75C

[Guest]

As promised, some photos of the stock that will appear from time to time once the layout's finished (or close to finished).

Starting in the 1960s...

 

[Guest]

Moving on a bit in time...

 

[Guest]

[Guest]

And finally...

 

 

Apart from 31174 which is the factory-weathered Hornby release, everything is pristine and will need at least a little dirt at some point in the future. Some will need little livery alterations and renumbering. The green Brush Type 2 is crying out for a full yellow end and I intensely dislike the factory weathering on the blue 31. If this can't be removed, it might go for a repaint and gain a white stripe. The Cravens unit at least will need new destination blinds.

[PMP]

Pretty good choices overall. Class 24’s were unusual and class 33’s even more so, I can’t remember seeing either on the ECML, but am aware of the pics thereof. In blue I did see one or two 25/3’s but these were only notable due to their rarity. For that era you could add class 15’s for parcels work (rare) and also 23’s baby Deltic's for suburban passengers, they don’t need to be working models though.

 

Twin head code ‘Peaks’ again rare, usually they were single headcode, or sealed beam units. Significantly outnumbered by 47’s, but 46’s I’d class as common but infrequent.

37’s were rare, but the twin headcode type is correct for those seen.

Class 31’s common as muck, skinhead versions also a good bet.

Class 40’s infrequent, twin headcode type the least seen, gut feeling is headcode disc variant more common at KX than single headcode.

Cravens and DMU’s up to blue, can’t recall any blue grey versions as electrification had taken place around that time. 101’s did do Royston -Cambridge so you could (rule 1) add those in refurbished white, and blue grey.

47’s/55’s/HST’s by the bucket load!

If I were only allowed three types to represent KX, I’d use Cravens, 31’s and 55’s, they’d capture the ‘look’.