Chuffnell Regis

[Graham T]

I don't have much work to do today, and the boss is feeling a tad under the weather, so she decided to stay at her flat (we live separately, which suits us both).  Which meant that, apart from going out to get my Covid booster this morning, I've had some time to do a bit of pottering.  Amongst other things I've had a go at making my first tree.

 

I started off with a fairly naff looking plastic thing bought in a big bag of assorted naff looking things from the interwebs.  The plastic is flexible so I could bend it into a slightly better shape, and then gave it a coat of acrylic paints (a mix of yellow, black, and brown).  Next step was to cut up some sea foam for the branches, which have been fixed on with superglue.  Some accelerant would have been handy, but I don't have any, so never mind eh?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's how it looks so far.  Not all the ends of the plastic branches have sea foam attached, so I think I will try to get rid of the excess ones with some snips.  And then give it a blast of hair spray (with fingers crossed that the branches actually stay on!) and some flocking.

 

 

Edited April 12, 2022 by Graham T

[MrWolf]

That's going to look a flock sight better....

 

[Graham T]

Groan button por favor, Senor W

[Graham T]

The tree (of species unknown) has now had its excess plastic branches pruned, and been flocked to within an inch of its life.  I think I probably need to stop now before I ruin it...

 

 

Edited April 12, 2022 by Graham T

[Graham T]

I also patched up the grass around the weighbridge office, and made and planted the rest of the hedge behind it.  The second photo is from the back of the layout, and so from a view which won't actually be visible - sorry about it being a touch out of focus.   Irritatingly, it shows the end of the retaining wall that I didn't colour!

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 12, 2022 by Graham T

[Graham T]

The difference between the bricks on the retaining wall and those on the office itself is also irritating me ...  I really need to get better at painting brickwork.

[Graham T]

Thought I'd get the tree planted while dinner's cooking   Shame about the shadow on the backscene though.

 

 

Edited April 12, 2022 by Graham T

[Graham T]

Well, that was a busy day.  And quite productive, lots done.  But that's enough for now.  I've just finished a bit more work on the landscaping around the river.  The gap you can see in the card strips will have a rock face in it, basically mirroring what will be on the right hand bank this side of the bridge.

 

 

Edited April 12, 2022 by Graham T

[Graham T]

A question has bubbled up to the surface of my brain...

 

In the 1930s, would a cart track going through the countryside have had drainage ditches on either side of it?  I'm wondering because this will be a factor in how I represent the track on this part of the layout.  It will run where the paper strip is, in front of the pair of cottages (they'll be on the flat piece of cardboard you can see in the centre of the photo).

 

Hopefully someone out there will know the answer!

 

 

Edited April 12, 2022 by Graham T

[MrWolf]

Cart tracks were often slightly raised, in the same manner as a railway track bed, depending on how wet the ground was.

One thing to remember is that unlike the appearance of a modern cart track used by motor vehicles, there would be very little grass growing up the middle of the track as that is where the horse would walk.

[Graham T]

So it might look slightly cambered perhaps?  But without actual ditches?

 

Good point about the grass up the middle of the track, because that's exactly what I was going to do!

[Graham T]

Here's the scene that I'll be trying to recreate, but with a dirt track rather than tarmac.  I might leave out the gate as well, not sure yet.  My grandparents lived in the further of the two cottages.

 

[MrWolf]

If you have a strip of card as the raised base of the track, you can fake things with another narrow strip of card the same thickness set 4-6mm away from it to create a runoff say 6 inches deep and 12-18 inches wide. It's unlikely to be a big ditch as you wouldn't want your wagon to run off the narrow track and turn over.

[Graham T]

19 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

If you have a strip of card as the raised base of the track, you can fake things with another narrow strip of card the same thickness set 4-6mm away from it to create a runoff say 6 inches deep and 12-18 inches wide. It's unlikely to be a big ditch as you wouldn't want your wagon to run off the narrow track and turn over.

 

That's very close to what I was thinking actually Rob, except that I'll probably use cork sheet for the road.

[Graham T]

That will have to do for today.  I had my COVID booster yesterday and it's knocked me for six a bit.

 

I guess I've got about one-third of the card strips on now, and have also laid some 2mm cork sheet for the cart track.  Think it looks more or less ok, but would appreciate any feedback.  Cheers!

 

 

 

@MrWolf's thread has reminded me that I must remember to add a cinder path as a walkway this side of the track sometime as well.

Edited April 12, 2022 by Graham T

[Graham T]

I think the track could be a bit wide as I've done it.  Anyone have any idea how wide a Herefordshire country cart track would have been in the 1930s?

[Graham T]

Bloody interwebs and double posting...

[MrWolf]

 

Does that help?

[Neal Ball]

6 hours ago, Graham T said:

I think the track could be a bit wide as I've done it.  Anyone have any idea how wide a Herefordshire country cart track would have been in the 1930s?

If it’s a lightly used cart track….

 

6 hours ago, MrWolf said:

 

Does that help?

….not much wider than this….

 

If it’s going to a farm further up the lane, then it might be wider.

 

I would suggest you get something that looks right and stick with that.

 

A Google search for “UK country lanes 1930’s” brought up this image:

 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/gallery/2016/nov/28/lost-england-photographs-from-1870-to-1930#img-9

 

But of course this could be a major lane of that time connecting two villages.

 

Or perhaps this is more the lane you have in mind, which judging by the size of the bike, is probably no more than a carts width:

 

 

https://pendonmuseum.com/friends/the-vale/vale-scene-clues-to-transport-development

 

For such conundrums, I often look at the Pendon website…. If only I could model to such standards, but I have to accept that, it’s a bit above me! But inspiring nonetheless.

 

Good luck Graham, as long as it looks right, then it’s right.

 

[Graham T]

Thank you both for the info, that's very helpful.  My feeling is that it is a little too wide for what I have in mind, so a bit of trimming will be done later today.

[Nick Holliday]

8 hours ago, Graham T said:

I think the track could be a bit wide as I've done it.  Anyone have any idea how wide a Herefordshire country cart track would have been in the 1930s?

You could try the NLS maps and use their measuring tool on a suitable subject.  This is a random example from Gloucestershire.

Edited December 13, 2021 by Nick Holliday
Spelling

[Graham T]

Thanks Nick, I'll take a look at that.  My gut feel is that the track should be about 10 feet wide at the most.

[Graham T]

53 minutes ago, Nick Holliday said:

You could try the NLS maps and use their measuring tool on a suitable subject.  This is a random example from Gloucestershire.

 

It's probably me being a numpty, but where is the measuring tool?  I've found exactly the site I need, even down to the actual cottage building.

 

[5BarVT]

If you’re in the geo referenced maps, look in the top RH corner of the map (next to the North symbol if you’ve twisted the map).

Paul.

[MrWolf]

If it's any help with the width of the lane shown with the cyclist, a racing cycle of that era is generally 5'6-5'8" long in total.