Llanbourne North Wales in the 80s.

[P.C.M]

Hi mate, your backscene catches the look of Trinity Ave football pitch behind the box at Llandudno, well done.

 

Thanks Dirty Diesel,

Sounds like you know the place well. I am thinking of painting a few of the houses on the backscene white as I notice alot of houses on the coast are rendered white or grey.

 

What do you think?

 

Cheers Peter.

[P.C.M]

Thank Jeff And Doug,

Still plenty to do and it's getting colder out in the garage these days, had the heater on the other day.

 

I was going out to have a go at making some trees tonight but I might stay inside in the warm now.

 

Cheers Peter.

[P.C.M]

Hi Peter,

You've done a great job with that backscene. It looks spot on.

The fuel point and hard standing also look really nicely done.

Cheers

Scott

 

Thanks Scott,

Hope you had a good time down at Swanage, I am happy with the bit I have done I just need to work out what to do behind the station building.

 

Cheers Peter.

[P.C.M]

 

 

But without the box ! (See Beast's above)

Agreed, it looks really good. Merf.

 

Hi Merf,

Don't worry I still have the pics of Llandudno box you took for me, it will happen one day.

 

I said to Dirty Diesel that I was thinking of painting some of the houses on the backscene white as I noticed alot of houses on the coast are rendered. What do You think being a local?

 

I had a practise on an offcut, thoughts anyone.

 

Cheers Peter.

[Physicsman]

Hi Peter,

 

It's been a couple of weeks since I've looked at Llanbourne - I should be ashamed of myself! Everything is up to the usual standard!

 

I do agree about the rendering, and your backscene "conversion" looks to be a great success - so I would persevere with it.

 

As I've said before, it's layouts like yours that are keeping me motivated while I wait to start mine.

 

Best wishes,

 

Jeff

[Merfyn Jones]

Hi Merf,

Don't worry I still have the pics of Llandudno box you took for me, it will happen one day.

 

I said to Dirty Diesel that I was thinking of painting some of the houses on the backscene white as I noticed alot of houses on the coast are rendered. What do You think being a local?

 

I had a practise on an offcut, thoughts anyone.

 

Cheers Peter.

 

I like the look of the rendered effect, but just looking out of the window, and those that are done are all different. White, cream, grey, natural stone. Just depends what B&Q had in stock at the time. Our house is half natural pebble dash and half brick.

Cheers Merf.

[Waverley West]

I like the look of the rendered effect, but just looking out of the window, and those that are done are all different. White, cream, grey, natural stone. Just depends what B&Q had in stock at the time. Our house is half natural pebble dash and half brick.

Cheers Merf.

 

Hi Peter,

 

I'd support what Merf. said. What you've done looks really good, but a bit of variation would make it even better I think. They look just a bit too uniform at the moment, I'd say. Good colouring though.

 

Cheers,

Dave

[P.C.M]

Thanks Guys,

I got the paint out tonight, and did a couple off white and a grey. looks alot better, time to leave it alone now and make some trees.

 

Thanks agian Peter.

[bcnPete]

I had a practise on an offcut, thoughts anyone.

 

Looks good Peter...I like the mix of brick and render together...which is what you can often see in the streetscape

[taybridge]

Looks great Peter. Don't know about Wales, but in Scottieland early 80's there was some uniformity. e.g. this block of houses had been upgraded while this block hadn't. Only once Thatcher's revolution of council home buying had taken effect did the uniqueness of each house start to take effect (with horrifying effects like "my window panes should be Elizabethan"). Of course I have no idea if your back scene is privately owned or a council developed area... but looks good to me!

 

Hope you are all well and not getting too cold in your garage!

[MRDBLUE17]

Hi Peter,

 

The work on the back scene adds even further realism to your layout. The way the back scene blends in behind the fence with the 25 passing in front is fantastic.

 

Keep up the good work

Mark

[P.C.M]

Thanks Pete, I have added a few white ones now, looks alot better I think.

 

Hi Doug, All well here, hope it's the same with you. It's not too cold in the garage at the moment, the small heater helps take the chill off. It will get colder though, I just put extra layers on.

 

Thanks Mark, I think it looks better now I have painted a few houses and added a few trees. I still need to make a bigger one to hide the backscene join on the left.

 

I have made the backscene removable so I can still take pics from the back.

 

Cheers Peter.

[bcnPete]

Works really well Peter...

[SRman]

I'll third that!

 

The only real giveaway that it is a model is the shadow on the backscene from the tree on the right.

[Unicorn1]

The backscenes look great - especially in the last two shots.

 

Les

[Jack]

The backscene makes so much difference ... not that there is that much wrong with your garage wall

[Waverley West]

Hmmm, nice Peter.

 

No further comments your honour.

 

Cheers,

Dave

[yellowvanman]

Hi Bruv..you been busy ..great back-scene .

[Grimleygrid]

Superb Peter, have you made a start on the depot building yet?

[P.C.M]

Thanks everyone,

I have added a couple more trees but I am not happy with one of the bigger seafoam ones so will try and make a wire one. I picked up some Woodland senics foliage today so I will see how I go.

 

Alex I haven't started the depot building yet, I know what I want to do. It will be a smaller version of the one that used to be at Holyhead.

 

Now here is a question everyone. For the secound time in as many years I have been thinking about OHL I have been drooling over pics of Bachmanns new class 85 last time it was Heljans class 86. The class 85 was my favourite electric loco though I was thinking how would Llanbourne look with some OHL. I can replace the signals with colour light jobs but can I have OHL and Point rodding in the same place as I couldn't bring myself to remove that. Any thoughts?

 

Cheers Peter.

[ian b]

Thanks everyone,

I have added a couple more trees but I am not happy with one of the bigger seafoam ones so will try and make a wire one. I picked up some Woodland senics foliage today so I will see how I go.

 

Alex I haven't started the depot building yet, I know what I want to do. It will be a smaller version of the one that used to be at Holyhead.

 

Now here is a question everyone. For the secound time in as many years I have been thinking about OHL I have been drooling over pics of Bachmanns new class 85 last time it was Heljans class 86. The class 85 was my favourite electric loco though I was thinking how would Llanbourne look with some OHL. I can replace the signals with colour light jobs but can I have OHL and Point rodding in the same place as I couldn't bring myself to remove that. Any thoughts?

 

Cheers Peter.

 

Fantastic work- been watching this thread for ages but never commented!

 

Thoughts are that Stockport has a couple of huge lever frame signalboxes but has had OLE since the 60s- theres a distinct possibility one or more of them have manual points so would have rodding alongside the masts. I reckon it'd be a goer to have both!

 

Anyway, even if they don't theres no reason why Llanbourne can't be the one place that does have the mix!!!

[P.C.M]

Thanks ian b,

I had a look at some pics, Longport is the same. it still had rodding and old type shunt signals too. Both have early OHL with gantrys and not the later post type set up. Its definitely got me thinking though.

 

Cheers Peter.

[BernardTPM]

OHLE is not very North Wales though.

[beast66606]

I was thinking how would Llanbourne look with some OHL. I can replace the signals with colour light jobs but can I have OHL and Point rodding in the same place as I couldn't bring myself to remove that.

 

No problem with mechanical points in OHLE areas, I remember pulling my first lever in such a box and thinking - "All that 25kV around, is this going to sting?" but I survived. The running (main) signals would be colour lights, you could get away with semaphores in the yard, caged to protect staff if necessary. You would have to decide if the electrification was part of the 1960s / early 1970s scheme or a later add-on (as has been proposed several times) as later schemes tended to go for all colour lights.

 

As Bernard has mentioned OHLE is not North Wales, personally I would alter some of the signals - colour lights on the approach as per Holyhead - and leave it without OHLE

[Merfyn Jones]

Or just buy the 85 and park it in a siding, just like what happened a few years back at the Junction with a Class 90. Thanks to 'Dirty diesel' for not letting it go to Holyhead.

Merf.