Upper Hembury, East Devon - a GWR / SR Branch line

[BWsTrains]

Quite a bit of my time has been taken up with the next two buildings on my list, viz. the Stables and the Tannery.

 

The first stage was to build up a collection of reliable drawings with measurements and then planning my requirements for windows and other misc. supplies. As for the Stables I'll be building a much smaller version of Mikkel's @Mikkel which was based on the Park Royal Block. His posts are here...

 

and there are extensive details for which many thanks are in order. One thing I can't do is follow the main build route as that made heavy use of a Silhouette Cutter which I don't have. Additionally the windows are a odd size so off-the-shelf items are ruled out. Then there's all the in wall ventilators under and over windows, all cut by Silhouette.

 

The Vents seemed to be a good place to start, crack these and the rest should fall into place. Only catch was the vents are very fine at scale 12 slots in a 14mm length means each slot + divider is just over a mm.

 

I did not fancy cutting anything this fine at all accurately in PS sheet so the challenge sat on the shelf while I considered solutions. Bizarrely, my solution was sitting on my desk staring me in the face, an stainless steel fine mesh from a kettle which had died. This is shown top left in the Pic. The holes are about 0.5mm and a very careful cut with tin snips along one side of a row of holes delivers a handy template spaced at 1mm intervals.

 

A trial assembly run was done today.

Upper Right - a 1mm * 1mm strip of PS is loosely glued to the angle (Uhu glue stik) up against the mesh. Short lengths of 0.56mm * 0.28mm PS strip are places upright in each slot with a tiny drop of limonene applied with a fine screwdriver tip. the second 1mm sq strip serves only for support at this stage.

 

Once set, the assembled piece is removed from the angle support and offered up to the mesh at the desired separation - Bottom Left.. The second 1mm sq PS strip, now against the mesh can be glued to the strips as per before. With the strips each in their respective slots it all assembles easily.

 

Finally, Bottom Right, strips of 0.45mm * 1mm PS are glued over each face, the thicker supports being for the rear.

 

 

 

 

Edited April 29 by BWsTrains

[Harlequin]

Hi Colin,

 

Making fiddly architectural details like roof ridge ventilators, with parts that need to repeated and accurately spaced, is where 3D printing come into its own.

 

For instance, I made a vent for @Schooner in the past:

with pinnacle!

 

Edited April 29 by Harlequin

[BWsTrains]

1 hour ago, Harlequin said:

Making fiddly architectural details like roof ridge ventilators, with parts that need to repeated and accurately spaced, is where 3D printing come into its own

 

Agreed.

 

Mind you, "handomatic" can produce very fine results indeed! (in the right hands)

 

H/T to @Mikkel for handcrafted parts of this masterpiece. I'll be happy if mine is half as good.

Edited April 29 by BWsTrains

[Schooner]

1 hour ago, Harlequin said:

For instance, I made a vent for @Schoone

Damned fine it is too! Sadly the railway is near the bottom of a growing list, but I shall be pestering you again for a repeat order!

Edited April 29 by Schooner

[Mikkel]

14 hours ago, BWsTrains said:

Quite a bit of my time has been taken up with the next two buildings on my list, viz. the Stables and the Tannery.

 

The first stage was to build up a collection of reliable drawings with measurements and then planning my requirements for windows and other misc. supplies. As for the Stables I'll be building a much smaller version of Mikkel's @Mikkel which was based on the Park Royal Block. His posts are here...

 

and there are extensive details for which many thanks are in order. One thing I can't do is follow the main build route as that made heavy use of a Silhouette Cutter which I don't have. Additionally the windows are a odd size so off-the-shelf items are ruled out. Then there's all the in wall ventilators under and over windows, all cut by Silhouette.

 

The Vents seemed to be a good place to start, crack these and the rest should fall into place. Only catch was the vents are very fine at scale 12 slots in a 14mm length means each slot + divider is just over a mm.

 

I did not fancy cutting anything this fine at all accurately in PS sheet so the challenge sat on the shelf while I considered solutions. Bizarrely, my solution was sitting on my desk staring me in the face, an stainless steel fine mesh from a kettle which had died. This is shown top left in the Pic. The holes are about 0.5mm and a very careful cut with tin snips along one side of a row of holes delivers a handy template spaced at 1mm intervals.

 

A trial assembly run was done today.

Upper Right - a 1mm * 1mm strip of PS is loosely glued to the angle (Uhu glue stik) up against the mesh. Short lengths of 0.56mm * 0.28mm PS strip are places upright in each slot with a tiny drop of limonene applied with a fine screwdriver tip. the second 1mm sq strip serves only for support at this stage.

 

Once set, the assembled piece is removed from the angle support and offered up to the mesh at the desired separation - Bottom Left.. The second 1mm sq PS strip, now against the mesh can be glued to the strips as per before. With the strips each in their respective slots it all assembles easily.

 

Finally, Bottom Right, strips of 0.45mm * 1mm PS are glued over each face, the thicker supports being for the rear.

 

 

 

 

 

Hi Colin, that's a very creative solution. I really like when ordinary household items are brought into use.

 

Can the strips be angled slightly downwards or is that too fiddly?

 

 

[BWsTrains]

3 hours ago, Mikkel said:

 

Hi Colin, that's a very creative solution. I really like when ordinary household items are brought into use.

 

Can the strips be angled slightly downwards or is that too fiddly?

 

 

 

Thx Mikkel,

 

I was keen to see how well it worked and I agree that at 0.28mm the bars are too thin. This prototype will be consigned to installation as a gutter drain on the approach road and I'll work on producing a better Mark II.

 

Colin

[BWsTrains]

The Water Tower

 

With the Ratio Kit in hand, it remained to decide on the final details before any assembly. Would it be shorter Cylinder (as at Wallingford - early), full Cylinder or the Conical top type? At Wallingford this latter type was installed to replace the short original tank soon after the Karau photo of 1919 . Greater capacity and higher head being obvious benefits.

 

In the end I decided my Upper Hembury setting would have warranted a large early cylinder tank since both GWR and SR Operations were planned from shortly after the outset of Operations.

 

Later on, increased demand was met by fitting a large (8" pipe) pumped feed to maintain the head during periods of heavy usage. Hence there was no need for a costly replacement exercise. The large feeder pipe design which I'll use can be seen at both Wallingford and Watlington, plus many others no doubt, but I've not found photos.

 

This option is not supplied with my kit and I note that just a very modest ~4" feed pipe comes in the Dapol Motorised Kit. Mine will get the works, which I'm planning to fabricate from some filled PVC, of which more later.

 

Next to the Kit build. Nothing particular to note other than I took a lot of care during assembly, having been out of practice with assembly of PS kits for some time. It is coming together much as expected, now only requiring the final detailing items and touch up painting. The GWR light and Dark stone shades were blended up by my standard method using various Vallejo Acrylics and hand brushed.

 

Edited May 12 by BWsTrains
Revised pipe dimensions and date info

[Neal Ball]

3 minutes ago, BWsTrains said:

The Water Tower

 

With the Ratio Kit in hand, it remained to decide on the final details before any assembly. Would it be shorter Cylinder (as at Wallingford - early), full Cylinder or the Conical top type? At Wallingford this latter type was installed to replace the short original tank somewhere between 1919 and 1937 . Greater capacity and higher head being obvious benefits.

 

In the end I decided my Upper Hembury setting would have warranted a large early cylinder tank since both GWR and SR Operations were planned from shortly after the outset of Operations.

 

Later on, increased demand was met by fitting a large (9 inch pipe) pumped feed to maintain the head during periods of heavy usage. Hence there was no need for a costly replacement exercise. The large feeder pipe design which I'll use can be seen at both Wallingford and Watlington, plus many others no doubt, but I've not found photos.

 

This option is not supplied with my kit and I note that just a very modest ~3" feed pipe comes in the Dapol Motorised Kit. Mine will get the works, which I'm planning to fabricate from some filled PVC, of which more later.

 

Next to the Kit build. Nothing particular to note other than I took a lot of care during assembly, having been out of practice with assembly of PS kits for some time. It is coming together much as expected, now only requiring the final detailing items and touch up painting. The GWR light and Dark stone shades were blended up by my standard method using various Vallejo Acrylics and hand brushed.

 

 

I used parts from the Ratio conical tower kit for my model of the Henley-on-Thames water tower. I had to shorten the arm, but the rest was used. I still haven't put the ladder and inspection bits on yet - one day I might finish it!

[BWsTrains]

Completing The Water Tank

 

The remaining fittings were the various other fine brass items off the fret, a water outlet and the water feed. All these are shown in the two photos (ladder still to be cut to length).

 

Station Side

 

   

Engine Shed side

 

 

Various details to follow.

 

Edited May 16 by BWsTrains

[peterm1]

Really nice modelling and attention to detail.

 

This isn't meant as criticism.  I don't know what length the real ladder would have been, but if it was cut to be the same height as the top of the tank, it would be pretty dangerous to get on or off.

[BWsTrains]

2 hours ago, peterm1 said:

Really nice modelling and attention to detail.

 

This isn't meant as criticism.  I don't know what length the real ladder would have been, but if it was cut to be the same height as the top of the tank, it would be pretty dangerous to get on or off.

 

Thx Peter,

 

A few points are relevant

1. That's how it was, plenty of photos to confirm. I still need to trim mine back
2. The ladder was to an inspection hatch directly in front of it. Others might comment if it was used to clamber onto the roof but clearly NOT in the case of the later conical type tank.
3. OHS was not a concept back then. I'd not be on a ladder that high lacking a hand rail or two. Top sits some 32 ft above ground! Also, in modern parlance inside the tank would be probably be classed as a "Confined Space".

All of which makes the need for a permanent ladder a mystery to me.

 

[BWsTrains]

The Water Tank Feed Pipe

 

As noted previously, early GWR water tanks had a low volume water feed but later upgrades saw the installation of powerful pumps and large (8+in) piping. This is an example, joining flanges and lagging on the lower sections. The shiny upper section suggests steel piping.,

 

 

I decided to replicate this feature on my tank, It is an interesting omission from the Ratio kit and the Dapol kit has just a narrow gauge early pipe.

 

For the pipe I repurposed something from COVID times, the handle from the test kit nasal swabs. These appear to be in an engineering plastic grade of Polypropylene, tough as blazes and fortuitously for me me 2.5mm diameter - perfect.

 

For the flanges I used Sculpey PREMOI modelling medium. A thin sheet was rolled out and 5mm discs punched out. Then a feeder hole was punched in the centre of each. They were then hardened (130C 30min)

 

 

Next the centres were drilled out to 2.5mm diameter and then the edges trimmed back to a little over 4mm. Then the flanges were rounded off with a diamond file

 

 

Having bent the rod by warming over a flame, the flanges were fitted and glued on with CA. A small circular 3mm Neo magnet was glued at the tank inlet end and another inside to hold the pipe in place. This means the assembly can be more easily removed as required.

 

 

 

To finish the pipe, I primed it and painted with Vallejo Steel Model Color. The outcome exceeded my expectations.

 

 

 

Edited May 17 by BWsTrains

[john dew]

Hi Colin

 

Excellent modelling! The stone paint finish is superb and I have to admire your dexterity with the fire devil.

 

I found the etched “ chains” for the crane and supply were rather short and inflexible. Jewellers chain looks more realistic and can be hooked on to a post.

 

Adding the external water supply pipe is a master stroke - I dont believe I have seen it modelled before. I realise you have painted it as per the historic photo but I wonder if by 1937 it would have been able to escape being painted in Light stone to match the rest of the tower..

 

Whatever- it is a super model

 

Best wishes

 

John

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BWsTrains]

Traverser Access Sensor

 

This has been on hold while Graham sorted out the tech problem of short range in Mark I. Now I've taken delivery of the much improved Mark II and set about installing it for a trial run.

 

For those unfamiliar with the issue, access to the traverser has been deliberately screened with a scenic break and so the boundary of layout and storage zones lies well out of the operator's view.

The purple line marks the approximate boundary overlaid on this earlier photo, over 40cm behind the last point of clear vision from in front.

 

 

While I have a suitable wide angle mirror available, the Traverser operation point is around 2m removed from the crossover and one near miss move convinced me I needed a more comprehensive security solution. Graham, who'd built the Traverser control system figured it'd be easy enough using an IR emitter (remote control type) and a matching sensor.

 

Mark II is certainly strong enough and gave me the luxury of deflecting the beam with a mirror to simplify the installation.

 

The mirror was easily installed at the inside end of the traverser boundary, adjustable for alignment. As will be seen shortly, putting the LED emitters at that spot aligned accurately would be difficult.

 

 

Next a test with a small red laser. This confirmed that a beam could easily be directed parallel with the boundary at a suitable height for detection.

 

 

Then the IR LED emitter and control modules were installed.

 

 

The device is powered by 5V from a USB power supply.

 

Finally the sensor at the other side of the entrance lanes

 

 

A quick test and alignment tweak gave me a perfect operating detector. push even the lowest wagon onto the boundary line and lights flash back at the Traverser control. With no blockage one of the two LEDs (the green) stays ON alerting that this system is operational.

 

As set up the beauty of the system is that the light will be solid green to confirm that the traverser is free to move AND to monitor the movements of trains onto/ off the storage area. The lights will flash Yellow/Green while the movement is underway then revert to solid green once the transition is completed.

 

Very fine work indeed by my good friend. The electronics control aspects have been submitted as a topic to Silicon Chip (not yet accepted for publication)

 

 

Edited May 19 by BWsTrains
more info

[Siberian Snooper]

Lineside fencing bridge rail straining post.

 

 

[Siberian Snooper]

Second attempt.

 

 

[BWsTrains]

Completion of the Traverser monitor installation had me moving on to running some trains and to some final checks before doing more work on the ground details at the Engine Shed end of the platform.

 

In addition, with the Water Tank now at an advanced stage and installed, I dared to think about fitting all the GWR fencing and gates on the approach road and platform side. It's all been painted for months but waiting in the wings to avoid damage.

 

Yet fate was poised to strike! I pulled a two coach train headed by a 57xx and an NPCCS into UH. The loco was uncoupled from the front, ran around to the rear and pushed the NPCCS forward over the uncoupler in the spur adjacent to the Engine Shed to separate if from the coaches. Those first bits went perfectly, next I pulled the loco and coaches back, except the coaches stayed put.

 

My uncoupler modules are very effective and it had not occurred to me that I might get two coupling pairs aligned and hence uncoupling at the same time. The centre to centre spacing of the two uncouplers is 47cm (18.5") closely matching 2 * Collett 57' coaches.

 

Prompt - a major lift and fix project on the station area having decided that the only viable solution was to put a lowering device on the middle uncoupler. Kadee helpfully provide ideas in the form of a trapdoor design for use with their 308 ceramic uncoupler.

 

Preferring to use the Kadee 308 with it's wider tolerance for alignment and greater weight I set about cutting, but not before a fair bit of lifting and shifting.

 

 

For the trapdoor I added the spring because despite all the weight, the hinge will stick if left pulled up. 

 

The default position set to UP as this uncoupler will get a lot of use; it is held in place with a simple flat slide bolt. (not shown)

When moved to DOWN it can be raised back with the short draw string and held with the bolt. Exceedingly rudimentary but effective, the positioning of the uncouplers WRT to the framing was thought out at a very early stage; a simple step which rewards when things go off plan..

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 30 by BWsTrains

[Andrew P]

On 19/01/2024 at 07:26, BWsTrains said:

Pushing ahead with the Back Scene I went back to Google Street View for more insights on the weather in late autumn, the colours, clouds, etc.

 

One thing which became very clear was that the Western slopes of the Blackdown Hills get plenty of "weather". Barely a shot posted around all the local roads and lanes without the hills shrouded in mist or worse, medium to dark clouds and fields in a dull olive green.

 

So to complete my setting I decided the mixed clouds over Hembury Fort (Trraverser end) would mark the rear end of a passing rain system, still visible over Upper Hembury itself (looking to the North East).

 

My first efforts are shown here, with suitable cutout props to represent the future buildings and at @john dew 's suggestion, a hint of a bridge in the background.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Excellent sky and clouds, well done.

[BWsTrains]

While all the major infrastructure was removed, I took the opportunity to do more work on finishing the yard surfaces. Firstly some fine tuning of the various siding placements was done.

 

The method I've settled on for yard dirt of using <0.5mm sieved polymer paving sand works very well. A generous layer of 1:1 light brown Acrylic paint/ water is brushed on and then the powder sprinkled on taking care to keep distribution even and not to heavy. It didn't take long to get the yards looking more the part.

 

 

 

 

Near the corner the newly assembled paving for the yard entrance and the weighbridge are innplace. The hut will be just this side of the entrance area in the space marked by the white rectangle..

 

[BWsTrains]

Progress with the Goods Yard

 

The local landowner in those parts of East Devon at the time the railway arrived was James Wriothesley, 7th Earl of Southhampton, the most wealthy landowner in all Devon (the Duke of Devonshire having little or nothing to do with the County despite his title).

 

Southampton granted access across his lands for much of the route between Cullompton and Upper Hembury and in exchange he bargained for and expected much influence over diverse outcomes. After all, under his relatively benign watch, Upper Hembury had prospered and developed into a thriving commercial and Market town by 1880, restricted only by the very poor road access. 

 

Wriothesley was known to everyone if not to his face, as "Call-me-Risley", a nickname dating back to the 1st Earl in Tudor times. In matters of Trade, "Risley" wanted the best and as can be seen in my representation of UH, a fine Goods Shed and Cattle handling facilities were good examples. The entrance to the yards were also designed with the same flare.

 

I've now moved onto the build, again drawing on the design and research expertise of my colleagues on here. For the weighbridge and entrance way this was my inspiration, from @Mikkel

 

 

 

The entrance point will be setback towards the corner, opening onto Stafford Hill, the road which forms the northern boundary of my layout. This means it will be of limited visibility for viewers from the front hence excuse any odd rough edges.

 

First I built the paved entrance section, this time from Wills Sett sheets, doing custom hand pressed EVA sheet here was a Bridge to Far! The photo shows after priming in a dark shade.

 

 

 

Next I prepared two short sections of paved roadside to take the spear fencing. As at Farthing, the gates are a pair of spear fencing modules opening outwards and closing at the centre. I think this is based on the Park Royal Yard.

 

The Setts were weathered with very dilute grey primer to give the desired finish and then the three components glued down onto a strip of Slater's Plasticard to give an integrated module. 

 

 

Some of this will sit behind the buildings on the Yard side of the road but the entrance, will I hope give a sense of depth to the setting rather than just a line of half-relief buildings. We shall see!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BWsTrains]

The Stables

The Farthing Blog has a wealth of info on the various Stables found at many GWR stations including modest termini. It seemed most fitting that there would be one at Upper Hembury given the focus on and volume of commercial traffic from its earliest days.

 

Design was straightforward thanks to the plans on @Mikkel's blog and I settled on a 6 Stall configuration with an internal fodder store and an external manure pit.

 

As to the build, this will be a slow affair, even by my standards as will be seen from the drawing. Six each of hand built windows, lower and upper ventilation grills and installs of lintels and sills, and then the doors and more vents.

 

Not confident that I could manage all the various detailed cuts required into Slaters' sheet or the detailed two tone painting of the brickwork, I settled on Scalescenes printed papers.

 

This is progress so far, very rough with seams and minor dints needing touching up. It's going to be just over half-relief so that I can have full roof-line vents rather than having potentially odd looking half vents perched on top.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited Saturday at 07:11 by BWsTrains

[pacerman]

Looks good 👍 

[peterm1]

Skilful modelling.

[Dragonboy]

I think an external manure pit is an excellent feature. 😂

[BWsTrains]

On a truly wet and miserable Melbourne day (but not as wet as Sydney I'd add!) I set to some more work on the Stables and advanced the cause more that I'd expected.

 

1. Touching up the Scalescenes paper.
I've created color matches for both the Red brickwork (Vallejo Flat Red: Beasty Brown: White in the ratio 3:1:~0.5) and Engineering brickwork (Vallejo Ultramarine: White: Black in the ratio 2:1:~0.25) and did some touching up before applying a protective Acrylic Polymer Matt coat. Still more work needed but at least some progress

 

2. Vents and Sills

Quite some time ago I built the first two trial window vents. Time to test them out and it suited me to try creating a sill to go underneath. Results are quite promising. The blue of the Engineering brick in the photo is not a great representation of the reality which is much more muted. I'll try a photo in some better light, when we get some!

 

3. Minor features

The drain exit and the recess for the tap/ riser have been progressed, now with lintels and completed brickwork.

 

 

Edited Sunday at 09:23 by BWsTrains