Ladmanlow Sidings and other C&HPR locations

[The Johnster]

I'd say your best bet for a scenic break obscuring device would be a ruined limestone wall, perhaps once the side of a building.  This is in keeping with the geology, industrial history, and general bleakness and desolation of the place; a couple of sheep huddled behind it could infer the wind and rain...  If you include a ruined chimney stack and cold, empty, fireplace at the bottom of it, this will further psychologically reinforce the 'blasted heath' ambience, and the cameo will draw your attention away from the hole in the sky that the trains emerge from.

[Captain Kernow]

Just to say that I really like this layout and it's atmosphere, which I think captures the feel of the real place well.

 

[Alister_G]

7 hours ago, Tortuga said:

This https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ladmanlow-Railway-Station-Photo-Hindlow-Line-London-North-Western-Railway-2-/252663196142

is a view I haven’t seen before: any help?

The goods shed looks smooth sided rather than wriggly tin - tar paper over wood perhaps?

 I’m not in a position to check my books, but I’ve never seen that cottage (to the left of the level crossing and mainline) in any of the photos I’ve seen before. Could you model the end wall in low relief, but on the opposite side of the tracks?

 

Edit: sorry; didn’t read to the end of the last page before posting!

 

For what it’s worth, I think the tank is fine, but the support structure needs altering to more closely resemble the one at Cromford Wharf. I agree that a collection of long grass and shrubbage inside the support structure might also look good.

 

Thanks Tortuga, no I haven't seen that view before either. Yes, the end of the cottage wall might be done in low relief, that is an option too.

 

Thanks very much,

 

Al.

 

Edited April 29, 2020 by Alister_G
wrong post

[Alister_G]

3 hours ago, Regularity said:

Can also see a water tank by the trackside!

 

Yes, it looks quite a spindly structure compared to the Cromford Wharf one, too.

 

 

I wonder if it's a smaller tank?

 

Cheers Simon,

 

Al.

[Alister_G]

1 hour ago, Captain Kernow said:

Just to say that I really like this layout and it's atmosphere, which I think captures the feel of the real place well.

 

 

Thank you CK, that's much appreciated.

 

Al.

[Alister_G]

2 hours ago, The Johnster said:

I'd say your best bet for a scenic break obscuring device would be a ruined limestone wall, perhaps once the side of a building.  This is in keeping with the geology, industrial history, and general bleakness and desolation of the place; a couple of sheep huddled behind it could infer the wind and rain...  If you include a ruined chimney stack and cold, empty, fireplace at the bottom of it, this will further psychologically reinforce the 'blasted heath' ambience, and the cameo will draw your attention away from the hole in the sky that the trains emerge from.

 

I like the sound of that, too. Thank you, I will have a think about what I want to do.

 

I think as a first step I'll get the fascia done and rework the backscene, then take it from there.

 

Al.

[Stubby47]

On ‎27‎/‎04‎/‎2020 at 14:25, Stubby47 said:

How about the end of a ruined building, maybe just the gable and one wall ?

 

Or just a high wall, stepping down gradually ?

 

2 hours ago, The Johnster said:

I'd say your best bet for a scenic break obscuring device would be a ruined limestone wall, perhaps once the side of a building.  This is in keeping with the geology, industrial history, and general bleakness and desolation of the place; a couple of sheep huddled behind it could infer the wind and rain...  If you include a ruined chimney stack and cold, empty, fireplace at the bottom of it, this will further psychologically reinforce the 'blasted heath' ambience, and the cameo will draw your attention away from the hole in the sky that the trains emerge from.

 

Damm good idea that Johnster, wish I'd said it 5 pages ago  

 

[Alister_G]

Sorry Stu, I meant to say that you'd already suggested that.

 

Al.

[Stubby47]

I wasn't being serious, you had so many responses with conflicting ideas.

 

Just as long as you're happy with what you decide.

 

I also think wings help, but everyone expects there to be a 'hole' of some sort.

 

 

[lanchester]

Could the ruined walls be what is left of the supports for a winding house, because in the early days there was an incline there but more powerful locomotives meant it could be worked by adhesion. For added interest these were often buttressed on the outside. You would have had one each side, but on the far side perhaps only a course or two is left, and as much or as little woodwork/ironwork depending from the top of the nearside one as you feel appropriate. (The kip, and any winding engine, would of course have been off scene to the left). 

[LBRJ]

1 hour ago, Alister_G said:

 

Yes, it looks quite a spindly structure compared to the Cromford Wharf one, too.

 

 

I wonder if it's a smaller tank?

 

Cheers Simon,

 

Al.

 

As a guesstimate  I would think that tank is in the range of 700-800 gallons.

[Andrew P]

Another idea Al.

 

[Alister_G]

Right then. I've been busy.

 

First of all, I added a proper fascia board to the top of the layout:

 

 

And cut some wings, the paint is still drying:

 

 

So those will be attached when they are done.

 

Then I turned my attention to the layout itself. This area in the back corner was never finished off properly, and is just bare baseboard:

 

 

 

 

So a first step would be to complete that. I began by adding the missing cork, to bring the ground level up:

 

 

 

 

Then I can decide further what to do with it. My thought at the moment is to do something similar to what Andy P posted above, and extend the ground level across the main track as a small cutting. To this end, I started on the other side of the hole.

 

Some offcuts of wood were selected, and placed in position:

 

 

 

 

 

Then newspaper soaked in PVA was applied:

 

 

 

 

This can all dry overnight, before I continue.

 

I may shorten the siding a bit to extend the bank as a more gentle slope.

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Al.

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

That water tank looks worse than the last one!!

 

Mike.

[Andrew P]

Much better now Al.

[Stubby47]

The hole to the fiddle yard is much neater now, in fact, I can't even see it - very impressive.

[Alister_G]

41 minutes ago, Stubby47 said:

The hole to the fiddle yard is much neater now, in fact, I can't even see it - very impressive.

 

Yes, the locos might have to get a bit of speed up before they get onto the layout...

 

 

Al.

[Alister_G]

This lunchtime I was getting plastered.

 

Well not really plastered, more papier-mache'd.

 

I've filled in the missing corner at the back:

 

 

 

 

And I've extended the bank the other side by a bit:

 

 

Then I dismantled the fiddleyard and so on, so I can get a good run at the paintage and static-grassage. That will be this evening's little job...

 

 

 

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Al.

[Alister_G]

So here we are then, this is the stuff...

 

 

A nice thick gloopy coat of that over the newspaper:

 

 

It's actually getting a bit old now, this tube, so it's a bit lumpy and grainy, but a couple of brushfulls of water sorted that out. Normally out of the tube its similar to neat PVA glue.

 

And then... GRASSSSS!

 

 

The blue cable is the earth for the flyswatter / static grass applicator, it's a nice solid strand of copper wire with a point on it.

 

 

And then I did the other side:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I will let that dry, and hoover off the excess, then add some more layers.

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Al.

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

Looks more like the Great British bake off!!

 

Mike.

[Alister_G]

Last night I added a second layer of static grass, this time some longer browner fibres, and a few tufts as well:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'll leave this now to dry and settle, then return to it later.

 

Al.

[Les Johnson]

Hi Al, caught up with this just recently and I have to say it’s amazing, but if I can just throw in my three pennethworth on the hole in the wall (or the elephant in the room), why not just build up the field at the back and put in an overgrown occupation crossing and add a few sheep instead of a double decker bus. Whatever else you do the hole is still visible!

cheers Les

 

[NHY 581]

3 hours ago, Alister_G said:

Last night I added a second layer of static grass, this time some longer browner fibres, and a few tufts as well:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'll leave this now to dry and settle, then return to it later.

 

Al.

 

[sb67]

Very nice work Al, thanks for the "how to" pics.  

[Alister_G]

2 hours ago, Les Johnson said:

Hi Al, caught up with this just recently and I have to say it’s amazing, but if I can just throw in my three pennethworth on the hole in the wall (or the elephant in the room), why not just build up the field at the back and put in an overgrown occupation crossing and add a few sheep instead of a double decker bus. Whatever else you do the hole is still visible!

cheers Les

 

 

Hi Les, thank you very much, and welcome.

 

Yes I did consider that as one of the options, and may still do that, but the idea is that Ladmanlow is very much on the top of a hill and therefore to have the ground raised high enough to give clearance for an occupation crossing would look wrong. That said I'm rather taken with the idea of a limestone built bridge and a bit of an embankment..

 

Al.