Bradford Interchange (circa 1987-91) in N

[jonhinds]

23 minutes ago, Davexoc said:

Definately Rule 1 for DMUs. So few available that I run mainly 101 and 108s due to the lack of suburban varients.

Yes, it’s frustrating that the range of 1st generation DMUs is so limited! I’m holding out for Bachmann to apply the shrink ray to the 105, but it’s probably wishful thinking.

 

 

 

 

[jonhinds]

Been racking my brain on how to model the chimney stack on the Red Star building. Finally, an idea 💡

 

 

Stuck two lengths of plastic tube together with MEK, then scribed panel lines on a piece of 10 thou plasticard to the same height.

 

 

Then it was a case of using a hairdryer to slowly heat and bend the thin plastic around the sides of the tubing before sealing with another dab of MEK. Quite happy with the outcome.

 

 

A wee bit of filler, then ready to prime and gently sand down any edges. Still loads to do before the building’s finished…

 

 

Quick DMU bonus shot with the buffers now in position. Ah, what I wouldn’t give for a RTR 104 and / or Express Parcels 105!

 

[jonhinds]

Decided to bite the bullet and finally replace the last dodgy point. I opted to use continuous lengths of rail wherever possible, which also required replacing the dummy trap point. It gave me the opportunity to paint the turnouts black to represent wooden timbering. 

 

I finally have a smooth-running and completely functional turnout, perhaps the first bit of trackwork I’m genuinely proud of.

 

 

[njee20]

Rightly so, Jon. That looks superb. 

[jonhinds]

5 minutes ago, njee20 said:

Rightly so, Jon. That looks superb. 

Thanks! Looking forward to further developments with Rugby BTW.

[jonhinds]

P.S. @njee20 your observations about building code 40 track earlier in the topic thread were really helpful on the rebuild!

[njee20]

1 hour ago, jonhinds said:

Thanks! Looking forward to further developments with Rugby BTW.

Yeah, me too! 🤣 Hopefully life will stop getting in the way sometime. 

[jonhinds]

The 156 has returned! Outstanding weathering work by @jonas

[jonas]

18 hours ago, jonhinds said:

The 156 has returned! Outstanding weathering work by @jonas

lovely to see the unit in its natural habitat! Glad you are pleased 😄 

[JBM37404]

On 24/09/2022 at 14:13, jonhinds said:

The 156 has returned! Outstanding weathering work by @jonas

Sorted the front window yellow out which is on the inside of the frames. Why Dapol leave them looking like that is beyond me. Yours looks great with the work done. 

[jonhinds]

Overpass complete!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jonhinds]

First ballasting test using chinchilla dust (24h after scenic glue applied). The buff colour obviously isn’t right, but I think the texture is bang on.

 

Might try adding some grey weathering powder and/or a 2mm grey ballast blend. Opinions welcome!

 

[03060]

51 minutes ago, jonhinds said:

First ballasting test using chinchilla dust (24h after scenic glue applied). The buff colour obviously isn’t right, but I think the texture is bang on.

 

Might try adding some grey weathering powder and/or a 2mm grey ballast blend. Opinions welcome!

 

 

There was a discussion on using this to represent ballast in some N gauge Sealion / Seacow wagons a year or two ago but I can't remember in which thread ... most probably the Shirebrook thread ... or possibly Kensington Olympia. Whether or not the photos will still be there I don't know, I will try and find it later and post a link (getting daggers from the wife as we are supposed to be going out !! LoL) 

 

I know that I bought a tub of it on the strength of the comparisons but haven't had chance to use it yet.

 

Regards,

Ian.

[jonhinds]

6 minutes ago, 03060 said:

 

There was a discussion on using this to represent ballast in some N gauge Sealion / Seacow wagons a year or two ago but I can't remember in which thread ... most probably the Shirebrook thread ... or possibly Kensington Olympia. Whether or not the photos will still be there I don't know, I will try and find it later and post a link (getting daggers from the wife as we are supposed to be going out !! LoL) 

 

I know that I bought a tub of it on the strength of the comparisons but haven't had chance to use it yet.

 

Regards,

Ian.

Many thanks Ian. There seem to be as many approaches to this as there are layouts!

[jonhinds]

When space is less of an issue in the longer term I’m thinking of extending the layout with an additional board. This vintage layout plan from 1984 is food for thought:

 

[03060]

This is the page on the Shirebrook thread that I was thinking of regarding the ballast but as suspected none of the photos are currently available, so a bit pointless now ! Sorry.

 

Love the 1984 plan, I'm also collecting stock for a layout based around this period so this would be what I would aim to build .... but I have several other things to build first .... maybe one day.

 

Regards,

Ian. (03060)

[Davexoc]

10 hours ago, 03060 said:

 

There was a discussion on using this to represent ballast in some N gauge Sealion / Seacow wagons a year or two ago but I can't remember in which thread ... most probably the Shirebrook thread ... or possibly Kensington Olympia. Whether or not the photos will still be there I don't know, I will try and find it later and post a link (getting daggers from the wife as we are supposed to be going out !! LoL) 

 

I know that I bought a tub of it on the strength of the comparisons but haven't had chance to use it yet.

 

I too bought a tub, but is more grey, I also have Chinchilla sand, but that is much finer. It was discussed in Duncan's Shirebrook thread which was the time where the images are missing.

 

This was the one I used, a bit pale, but nothing a light blow over with the airbrush loaded with some track colour won't cure.

https://www.petdrugsonline.co.uk/supreme-science-bathing-sand-for-hamsters-chinchillas?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjdPAorTb-gIVhuvtCh2_qArqEAQYASABEgKcMvD_BwE

[Duncan.]

Hi, 

I will try to find out my original  photos and repost, it may take a few days as I am busy and I'm away  for a week.

Cheers 

Duncan

[Duncan.]

Hi Ian,

Sod's law I don't have the originals. Here are some alternatives I hope they will help

This is Finescale track, extream left Chinchilla bathing sand, which has been sieved, this being the finest particles, perhaps too small for the main lines but OK for depots, yards etc. Middle are the larger particles from the bathing sand, my preferred, to the right is Dapol finest grade.

 

 

Here we have NGS kits loaded with the bathing sand as it comes, you can see the variation in particle size.

 

 

These wagons have been loaded with a sand I collected from Anglesea and below is a close up of the same

 

 

And finally another wider view of the 'ballasts' on the track

 

Cheers

Duncan

[jonhinds]

10 hours ago, Duncan. said:

Hi Ian,

Sod's law I don't have the originals. Here are some alternatives I hope they will help

This is Finescale track, extream left Chinchilla bathing sand, which has been sieved, this being the finest particles, perhaps too small for the main lines but OK for depots, yards etc. Middle are the larger particles from the bathing sand, my preferred, to the right is Dapol finest grade.

 

 

Here we have NGS kits loaded with the bathing sand as it comes, you can see the variation in particle size.

 

 

These wagons have been loaded with a sand I collected from Anglesea and below is a close up of the same

 

 

And finally another wider view of the 'ballasts' on the track

 

Cheers

Duncan

This is really useful, thank you Duncan! The larger particles of chinchilla dust do look remarkably better than the alternatives.

 

12 hours ago, 03060 said:

This is the page on the Shirebrook thread that I was thinking of regarding the ballast but as suspected none of the photos are currently available, so a bit pointless now ! Sorry.

 

Love the 1984 plan, I'm also collecting stock for a layout based around this period so this would be what I would aim to build .... but I have several other things to build first .... maybe one day.

 

Regards,

Ian. (03060)

The BR Blue era definitely does seem to be a sweet spot operationally for Bradford, although I’ve committed to a later date as it’s more the era I remember.
 

In the late 1970s there up to five daily London express trains, including the Deltic-hauled ‘Bradford Executive’, as well as plenty of pilot duties for the resident Class 03. 40s on parcel trains and Peaks aplenty!

 

[Flying Pig]

12 hours ago, Duncan. said:

These wagons have been loaded with a sand I collected from Anglesea and below is a close up of the same

 

i prefer the more even tone of the chinchilla sand as a basis for weathering.  What strikes me in these pictures though is the excellence of your laying and colouring of the ballast and cess - beautifully observed and executed.

 

[jonhinds]

1 hour ago, Flying Pig said:

 

i prefer the more even tone of the chinchilla sand as a basis for weathering.  What strikes me in these pictures though is the excellence of your laying and colouring of the ballast and cess - beautifully observed and executed.

 

Couldn’t agree more on both counts. Shirebrook is one of those layouts that sets the standard for realistic weathering and detailing in N.

[Duncan.]

2 hours ago, Flying Pig said:

 

i prefer the more even tone of the chinchilla sand as a basis for weathering.  What strikes me in these pictures though is the excellence of your laying and colouring of the ballast and cess - beautifully observed and executed.

 

Hi,

The material used inthe cess areas is a quartz sand I collected from a disused quarry at Fairlight near Hastings. It is extreamly fine, I am in fact off to Hastings tomorrow for a few days. After laying i used an airbrush to weather.

Cheers

[jonhinds]

Had a look at the UK standard ballast size and it’s typically 30-50mm aggregate, at least presently. So that means a particle size of roughly 0.2mm-0.35mm in N.

 

Ordered a cheap 0.2mm mesh sieve from a Chinese eBay seller, which should do the trick with the chinchilla dust. Meanwhile, I’ve put the sand in a lidded container with some mid-grey weathering powder and given it a good shake, which definitely produces a more realistic base colour. Also bought a pack of DCC Concepts grey blend 2mm ballast and will experiment adding in a few different ratios.

[Duncan.]

Hi,

Well I'm back from Hastings and I visited the quarry at Fairlight. I found an information board about the quarry. I photographed it and attach it here and I collected a handful of the sand.

 

The sandstone is in a range of different hardness and grain size. The sample below is some of the finest and is very soft, the rock can easily be 'crushed' in the palm of your hand. Other layers require the use of a hammer.

 

Cheers

Duncan