Gill Head: Kirkby Luneside's neighbour

[John Besley]

3 hours ago, Winslow Boy said:

 

And more to the point is it the 10 minute version or the 30 minute one?

 

Just asking as I've got the washing on and it finishes in 30 minutes so don't want to stay if its not going to be the thirty minute one.

Nothing like a good argument to clear the air...

[MrWolf]

33 minutes ago, John Besley said:

Nothing like a good argument to clear the air...

 

No there's not....

[Physicsman]

I spent 3 weeks building the underbridge and was working at building the stone walling to tie everything together. However, when I looked at the "bridge end" (cow overbridge/station underbridge) of the layout I decided something had to change.

 

Gill Head is, effectively, 2 separate layouts comprising the station-goods area and the viaduct-cutting section. So from the viewpoint of the station, and from the cow bridge, it makes sense to separate the two and a tunnel provides the means to do this.

 

The first 2 pics show the view from these 2 viewpoints:

 

a

 

The next 2 pics show a very rough idea for the tunnel area with 2 portals:

 

 

 

On the KL2 layout, I used a tunnel fascia - made from plastikard - based on the Blea Moor south portal on the S&C. 3 pics attached, part of the references I used for what followed:

 

 

 

 

More later....

 

 

[Physicsman]

2 "portal supporters" were built and fitted into position (May 19):

 

 

A shell of modroc was then fitted into place joining the two supports and plastered over:

 

 

 

Some of the cows were clearly so surprised at the changes in their surroundings that they keeled over!

 

A class 24 stands ready to check the clearances through the portals. A mark 1 coach was later used to do the same thing for a longer wheelbase vehicle....

 

More later....

 

Edited May 28, 2022 by Physicsman

[MrWolf]

Well planned and neatly executed. Putting a tunnel into a layout is not a decision that can be made in five minutes. My usual train of thought is: Is it plausible? Would the engineers have dug a deep cutting? (Does the geography warrant the expense e effort of a tunnel?) Although some land owners insisted on cut and cover tunnels to maintain their nice views. Can it be built without overwhelming the rest of the scenery? Or conversely, can it be done without looking like a train set? 

I think that the part of the country modelled and the size of this layout means that it works, but I can see that you've still been careful with the proportions. To my eye it works, look forward to seeing it blend into the landscape.

 

[Physicsman]

Cheers Rob.

 

You ain't seen nothing yet (are you old enough to remember Bachman Turner Overdrive?)

 

Part 3 around 7pm, after my tea!!

[MrWolf]

Not quite old enough, but old enough to remember a certain BTO track being played to death on local radio a decade later resulting in these two....

 

https://youtu.be/IaQCr4PIsHE

[Physicsman]

The portal supports are just that - they hold the portal in place. Almost impossible to build the portal fascias directly onto the supports, so 2 fascias were cut from 4mm ply and my favourite material.....DAS, of course....used to make/cut stones to shape for fitting. As illustrated below. May 20/21.

 

 

 

 

The previous post showed some pics of the prototype. It's flanked at the front by rock walls - another rather nice image below. Rock faces were made from WS moulds and painted, ready for use. A couple of ply bases were fitted to the front of the portal, ready to take the rocks, when ready.

 

 

 

 

More later. 

 

If anyone is actually looking at this stuff! If not, no more later.

Edited May 28, 2022 by Physicsman

[lambiedg]

1 hour ago, Physicsman said:

Cheers Rob.

 

You ain't seen nothing yet (are you old enough to remember Bachman Turner Overdrive?)

 

Part 3 around 7pm, after my tea!!

I, for one, am plenty old enough to get the BTO reference.

The tunnel has been cunningly placed too. From either half of the layout the viewer has no clue that it isn’t a scale mile long!

Great stuff, Jeff.

 

D

[AdeMoore]

I’m looking more please! 
Going to be a great addition to GH.

[Physicsman]

OK, you forced me onto the fourth post of the evening. Not sure how many this is going to take! So, to May 22/23....

 

Rock walls onto bases and hillside modified/extended. The portal fascia is still removable at this stage as it needs finishing/mortaring/painting.

 

 

 

There's a retaining rock wall buttress at upper left of the tunnel - visible on the 1986 image, so that was manufactured and fitted in:

 

 

 

A base coat of WS earth/green blend flock applied to bring the hillside to life....

 

 

Portal fascia removed and mortared with a PVA/DAS "goo", allowed to dry and given an initial couple of acrylic paint washes:

 

 

 

Phew, that was 5 days ago. I'll sort out batch 5 and maybe stick some more on here later this evening.

 

And David, I had no choice of tunnel position, but your comment is spot on. You can't see through the tunnel from either side, so it could be very long indeed - instead of around 80cm!!

 

 

 

 

 

[Physicsman]

Just 3 pics showing May 24-27 as a lot of the time was taken watching the grass grow and the glue dry.

 

Retaining walls were built using scale 4' x 1' (ish) stone blocks, with a capping. I did try to build these in a more random way, but it looked pretty awful and was binned.

 

The grass in these pics is a mix of 2.5mm (green/beige/brown) and 4/6mm (green/beige). More needs adding at this stage.

 

The fence at the top....Oh, dear. This is likely to be removed. Those following the thread will have read my comment about working at full-stretch. I always build my fences in situ - having cut the posts and drilled-out the holes. I tried to do this, but just couldn't get any angle to work with. So I built a 40cm fence (poles are 4cm apart) at the workbench and TRIED to fit it into place. Poles fitted ok, but the wires - looked a real bl**dy mess! So that idea was scrapped. In the end I opted for dereliction with poles in place, in random directions with no wires. Not sure it works.

 

 

 

 

I've also had an email this evening. from a modeller whose views I completely respect, about the area above the tunnel itself. This may mean further changes and the poles will go. Maybe to be replaced by a couple of lines of snow boards, as at Dent?

 

More pics later this evening or tomorrow - though they may be delayed by a few changes.

[AdeMoore]

Cracking job you’ve done on that Jeff, be interesting to see the changes! 
Thanks for sharing.

[Ramrig]

Really like the changes you have made Jeff. It's nice to see a quality model that has been thought out properly, time has been taken to research and execute each section, whether that is dry stone wall construction, ballasting, static grass application or building trees. Well done Jeff, keep up the high standards you have set your self.

PS. Do I need to buy any more shares in DAS? 😉🤣🤣

[Physicsman]

14 minutes ago, Ramrig said:

Really like the changes you have made Jeff. It's nice to see a quality model that has been thought out properly, time has been taken to research and execute each section, whether that is dry stone wall construction, ballasting, static grass application or building trees. Well done Jeff, keep up the high standards you have set your self.

PS. Do I need to buy any more shares in DAS? 😉🤣🤣

 

I strongly believe that if the prototype has stood the test of time then it's probably as "right" as it's likely to be, in its particular situation.

 

So WHY, WHY, WHY make up something that is likely to be a contrived Bog's todger of a mess? 

 

Yes, people are free to make their own choices, but they then shouldn't expect others to try and dig them out of a mess when they inevitably get into one. My first attempt on KL proves that - only an idiot would have bodged the turnout "arrangement" I invented!!

 

And Steve, as for DAS....just about to open pack 30 on this layout. I'm out of 2.5mm grass, low on PVA, no more DAS after the next pack. Things are getting desperate!

 

 

[John Besley]

That looks sooo right, it wasn't made on a work bench it grew there.

 

Top marks .... BTW how about track cleaning is there access in any shape or form?

[Andrew P]

I do like the Tunnel Jeff, fits a treat. 👍.

[Physicsman]

Andy, John, thanks for your comments.

 

Timely comment from Andy as he often uses a piece of wood to clean his track, rather than a rubber. I can get my hand into most of the tunnel but a length of ply will be on hand for any awkward bits!

 

Some slight modifications today, pics maybe tomorrow.

[Physicsman]

I probably won't put another update on here until the end of the week as I'm going to be busy with time-intensive jobs like gate building, walling, grassing and starting on the other end of the tunnel. So here are 4 pics from today.

 

I've ballasted the top of the bridge (needs weathering now), added an extra bit of height above the tunnel (to the flock stage), re-done the road (filler now, instead of cork) and painted it. A fairly quiet day....

 

 

 

 

[JustinDean]

That bit of extra height over the tunnel has definitely improved the scene Jeff. 
 

Jay

[PeterBB]

The tunnel is brilliant and  the rock faces make it that much better and the last image looks like it has been there forever.  Have copied one of the pictures.

[Sasquatch]

Excellent Jeff. Well worth all the anxiety too!! 

 

Just a small detail but am I the first to notice the suicidal sow in the second image at the top of the page. One thing's for sure, that farmer's about to have his pork one way or another.

 

Regards Shaun.

[Physicsman]

3 minutes ago, Sasquatch said:

Excellent Jeff. Well worth all the anxiety too!! 

 

Just a small detail but am I the first to notice the suicidal sow in the second image at the top of the page. One thing's for sure, that farmer's about to have his pork one way or another.

 

Regards Shaun.

 

Yes, the sow is called Pig and is part of the duo "Pig and Sheep".

 

They appeared in several posts on GH, starting around June of last year. Since the photos have disappeared I'll have to persuade them to play the starring role in an upcoming post.

 

Sheep is currently lounging in a mineral wagon somewhere....

 

Daft, aren't we??!!

[Physicsman]

25 minutes ago, PeterBB said:

The tunnel is brilliant and  the rock faces make it that much better and the last image looks like it has been there forever.  Have copied one of the pictures.

 

As you'll have noticed, the prototype provided the "stencil" for the whole project: detailed portal fascia, adjacent rock faces, buttressed rock wall, retaining walls....

 

No real imagination required, just a few dozen hours of careful modelling.

 

Now I have to do a scaled-down repeat on the other end of the tunnel!

[MrWolf]

1 hour ago, Physicsman said:

 

Yes, the sow is called Pig and is part of the duo "Pig and Sheep".

 

They appeared in several posts on GH, starting around June of last year. Since the photos have disappeared I'll have to persuade them to play the starring role in an upcoming post.

 

Sheep is currently lounging in a mineral wagon somewhere....

 

Daft, aren't we??!!

 

Not at all, I have a number of sheep that have been part of an attempt to reinvent them as Clun Forest Sheep. 

As such they are known as The Experimental Sheep. Experimental Sheep Number 3, (Or Wayne to his friends) tends to appear anywhere but in the pens. 

Due to the house move he's currently incarcerated in a box that once contained business cards, along with 35 of his mates and a couple of petrol pumps.