Chuffnell Regis

[Graham T]

However, the way things seem to go with Chuffnell Regis at times, the lid would probably fall off as soon as I got it anywhere near the point...

[5BarVT]

1 hour ago, Andrew P said:

nip into the Bathroom and grab some Talcumed powder.  Its what I use, and I now smell nice as well.

I use deodorant . . . talc is for bike punctures.
:-)
Paul.

[Graham T]

Well, ok.  I suppose I could try spraying some on the point?

[Graham T]

It's been a day for getting little bits and pieces finished off and sorted out at Chuffnell Regis so far today.  I replaced and painted the point lever; can't break another one as I don't have any left now...

 

I also gave the sleepers on the new point a bit of a grey wash, to blend them in to the surrounding track a little.  I actually don't want an exact match (which is handy), as I want it to look like some track that has been replaced.  The FPL ramp is back on now as well.

 

The platelayers hut has had some more weathering, and glazing added with Krystal Klear.  I'll post a pic when it's dry.

 

And I finally got round to replacing the girders on the river bridge; a much better fit now.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 11, 2022 by Graham T

[Andrew P]

Nice work on the Point Graham and I'm really impressed with that Bridge, I should have got you to do mine, (if you lived around the corner, that is), I might need to re do it now.

[Graham T]

Thanks, but you'd probably think differently if you could see it up close!  It's from a Scalescenes kit.  I like those, and they can be built up to be pretty sturdy, but they take quite a while to build (or they do for me, anyway), and I haven't yet found a spray varnish that works well on them.  That last point is a snag for me, as I like to use acrylics for the weathering.

[Graham T]

And as threatened earlier, here's the platelayers hut.  Now with added grime, and glazing, not that you can see the glazing - but it's there, honest!

 

 

 

 

Edited April 11, 2022 by Graham T

[MrWolf]

That's looking good and scruffy. It also reminds me that I have one which will require some further excavations to install, as I forgot to mark where it lives on the baseboard before throwing plaster about. 

[Graham T]

You seem to like digging Rob

[Graham T]

I'm actually very tempted to slap some Das down on this little section, and bed the platelayers hut into it.  But I have this nagging thought that there must be something else I need to do there first...

[MrWolf]

21 minutes ago, Graham T said:

You seem to like digging Rob

 

You never know when you might need a mortar pit in the back yard.

[Graham T]

Trouble with the neighbours?

[Graham T]

Well, I think that's enough for today.  I've been bodging together a couple of Ratio cattle dock kits this evening, to make something that fits the space I've got available.  As you can see there's also an end-loading section, I need to decide on the buffering for that.  Perhaps just a couple of sleepers fitted to the end wall?  

 

I'll also use one of the spare gates to give access to the steps at this end.  At the far end there will be a ramp sloping down to the same level as the goods yard, and then the track (I don't think it's really a road is it?) leading to it will curve away around the end of the sidings, past a weighbridge, and then gradually rise up until it's at a level with the station forecourt - which will be the same level as the platforms.  It all makes sense to me anyway!

 

I did consider facing all the walls with brick paper, but decided that was far too difficult and so I would use the stonework for a bit of variety   

 

I'm going to paint the fence posts as concrete, but am unsure about how to paint the gates.  In the kit instructions Ratio suggest they were sometimes whitewashed; I was thinking of just untreated wood.  Anyone got any ideas please?

 

 

Edited April 11, 2022 by Graham T

[MrWolf]

Cattle dock bodging is fairly close to the top of my list too.

[Graham T]

Here's the reference for painting the stonework:

 

 

Sandstone from the Black Mountains in Herefordshire.

[CoombeTown]

2 hours ago, Graham T said:

Perhaps just a couple of sleepers fitted to the end wall?

Yup, that’s the way to Graham, I’ve got a photograph of the dock at Washford that proves it.

[MrWolf]

I would think that the GWR gave up whitewashing the cattle dock gates round about the same time that they stopped whitewashing cattle wagons?

[Graham T]

7 hours ago, MrWolf said:

I would think that the GWR gave up whitewashing the cattle dock gates round about the same time that they stopped whitewashing cattle wagons?

 

Have I perhaps opened the whitewash can of worms?

[Nick C]

9 hours ago, MrWolf said:

I would think that the GWR gave up whitewashing the cattle dock gates round about the same time that they stopped whitewashing cattle wagons?

Different purpose though - the wagons were done for disinfection, which turned out to be bad for the cattle, whereas the gates would be done to protect the wood. I'd expect them to be painted though, probably white.

[Graham T]

Thanks both for the suggestions.  I think, in the finest traditions of Chuffnell Regis, that I'll delay the decision until I've painted the dock and the fencing

[Graham T]

While waiting for some paint to dry on the cattle dock, I had a play with Das for the first time this morning.  This stuff is tricky!  But gets a little easier to handle with some practice.  The hut still needs a little bit more bedding in, and of course everything will need painting again (if I was modelling Kenya then I suppose the colour would be ok, however...)  I spread the clay out using the back of a spoon, and a wet finger, and then prodded and pushed it about with a cheap paintbrush until I was happy with the coverage.  Not sure if it's too smooth looking?  The area around the headshunt is my attempt at cinder ballast - I think I'll have a better idea of whether or not it's worked when I can paint it....

 

The clay also gets pretty much everywhere.  The buffer stop will need some re-painting, and there's even a couple of red spots on the point rodding.  Once the clay's dry I'll paint it a more suitable earthy colour, and then add a little more ballast next to the point rodding to tie it all back together.  In my mind's eye there will be a path of sorts leading to the hut, some scrubby grass and weeds here and there, and a few odds and ends leaning against the hut.  There will probably be more grass behind the hut, and then the railway boundary fence at some point, before the meadow leading down to the river bank.

 

 

Edited April 11, 2022 by Graham T

[Graham T]

I know it isn't much, but it's just occurred to me that this is the first real bit of scenery on the layout.

[Andrew P]

8 hours ago, Graham T said:

 

Have I perhaps opened the whitewash can of worms?

No Worms, just a Whitewash cover up.

 

Yes, I know, I've already left.

[Andrew P]

2 hours ago, Graham T said:

While waiting for some paint to dry on the cattle dock, I had a play with Das for the first time this morning.  This stuff is tricky!  But gets a little easier to handle with some practice.  The hut still needs a little bit more bedding in, and of course everything will need painting again (if I was modelling Kenya then I suppose the colour would be ok, however...)  I spread the clay out using the back of a spoon, and a wet finger, and then prodded and pushed it about with a cheap paintbrush until I was happy with the coverage.  Not sure if it's too smooth looking?  The area around the headshunt is my attempt at cinder ballast - I think I'll have a better idea of whether or not it's worked when I can paint it....

 

The clay also gets pretty much everywhere.  The buffer stop will need some re-painting, and there's even a couple of red spots on the point rodding.  Once the clay's dry I'll paint it a more suitable earthy colour, and then add a little more ballast next to the point rodding to tie it all back together.  In my mind's eye there will be a path of sorts leading to the hut, some scrubby grass and weeds here and there, and a few odds and ends leaning against the hut.  There will probably be more grass behind the hut, and then the railway boundary fence at some point, before the meadow leading down to the river bank.

 

I used the Grey DAS, and mix with water and PVA, it makes great Rocks as well.

 

 

[Graham T]

That's the interesting, I'll see if I can find some.  Why did you add the PVA?