Nothing to see here

[shortliner]

Stuart, can I say two things

1) the more I see of this layout, the more I get the impression that it "fits". It isn't difficult to see in the minds eye, that the railway actually existed at the era selected

2) the idea of using a "Time-saver" as the trackplan for the distillery is absolutely inspired - , looking completely natural and as one would expect to find it laid out - it isn't the easiest trackplan to make look logical for an industry, but you have achieved it - My hat off to you, Sir' Very well done!

[Guest Max Stafford]

Marvellous stuff, Stuart. That really is a superb and compact plan, full of interest. If I only had a clue where to start, I'd be trying such ideas myself!

I can almost hear as a backdrop, the strains of that forgotten Glen Campbell song, Garlieston...

 

I didn't even bother taking it off, mate...!

 

Dave.

[Jamie]

I can almost hear as a backdrop, the strains of that forgotten Glen Campbell song, Garlieston...

Dave.

Oh, gawd Dave! I wasn't prepared for that

 

Well done Stuart, and keep at it.

[26power]

I must be looking in the wrong places - found what one looked like though: http://www.ehattons.com/StockDetail.aspx?SID=34673

 

Have you a link for your info? Interested to know if applicable to early 60s and if a specific vehicle found in D&G or just a generic livery/model combination.

 

Cheers,

 

26power

 

 

 

Meanwhile, Oxford Diecasts' release of a Scottish South West Fire Brigade Merryweather pump sent me on a short Google search to see whether I could justify one sitting on the layout. Yes as it happens, but only if it was visiting from elsewhere. At the time the layout is set Portwilliam's part time firemen could boast a whole standpipe and hose all to themselves ! Not even a brigade Land-Rover to cart them about in !

[7APT7]

Hi mate

 

Love the the Layout drawing, is that about 8-9ft by 14'ish in total size...?

 

Your layout photos are excelent, keep up with more photos of the layout...

 

Untill the next time

 

Regards

Jamie

[Guest stuartp]

I must be looking in the wrong places - found what one looked like though: http://www.ehattons.....aspx?SID=34673

 

Have you a link for your info? Interested to know if applicable to early 60s and if a specific vehicle found in D&G or just a generic livery/model combination.

 

That's the one, I think Merryweather built the bodies on a variety of chassis/cabs (not an expert on fire engines though). I think the OD newsletter mentions Merryweather, I'll check if No.1 son hasn't crayoned all over it yet. The info is here, the only specific mention of an AEC Regent I can find is under the entry for Ardrossan, everybody else seems to have got Bedfords around that time. I thought there was a list of equipment for Portwilliam but on checking it I can only find one for Drummore so it looks like a bit of assumption on my part that Portwilliam was similarly equipped. The 'Main Index' link on the bottom of that page accesses the rest of the Scottish fire brigades.

 

Love the the Layout drawing, is that about 8-9ft by 14'ish in total size...?

Your layout photos are excelent, keep up with more photos of the layout...

 

Thanks Jamie. It's based on a 14' by 8' garage, I've worked on a useable area of about 7'9" x 13'9" by the time I've finished lining it and insulating it. It could do with being a couple of feet longer but the geography of the rest of the back garden doesn't allow that. The drawing is MS Paint, which is about as high tech as I get !

['CHARD]

This pic of Colfin has recently appeared on RailScot, some gen about the freight service to the creamery in the caption.

 

http://www.railbrit.co.uk/imageenlarge/imagecomplete2.php?id=34180

[Guest stuartp]

Thanks 'Chard, that ties in with Norris Forrest's account of cream for cheesemaking in churns between Colfin and Sorbie , although I forget which direction it was going in.

 

Progress is currently hampered by a small electrical fire in which my trusty (although ancient) Gaugemaster expired in a puff of magic smoke and a pong of fried varnish. (Always unplug your controller when you leave your trainset unattended gents). I can't do anything else until I've finished the electrical testing.

 

Edit: And in keeping with my new anti-shortbread ethos (for which you can blame Jamie for sowing the seed) note that this rural creamery located in a particularly beautiful and unspoilt corner of a generally beautiful and unspoilt part of the world, has all the grace, architechtural merit and bucolic charm of a concrete shoebox.

[Jamie]

Brave Stuart, have to say it does look a prime candidate to tip the stock down the stairwell. I trust there's sufficient fixity to the bannister to avoid that nightmare scenario.

 

Edit: And in keeping with my new anti-shortbread ethos (for which you can blame Jamie for sowing the seed) note that this rural creamery located in a particularly beautiful and unspoilt corner of a generally beautiful and unspoilt part of the world, has all the grace, architechtural merit and bucolic charm of a concrete shoebox.

 

Ahh crap, I seem to have lived up to a Civil Engineer's stereotype/reputation.

[Guest stuartp]

I trust there's sufficient fixity to the bannister to avoid that nightmare scenario.

 

Er..... sort of. It fits quite tightly to the bannister and it's been there a week so far without wife or child accidentally pitching it down the stairs. No, I'm not convinced either, it will need some sort of restraint of last resort before it enters service properly.

 

Ahh crap, I seem to have lived up to a Civil Engineer's stereotype/reputation.

 

Good job too. One of the earlier plans looked like the result of some ghastly clandestine encounter between CJF and the Peoples' Friend artist.

[26power]

Neat solution.

 

A possible alternative - from your first picture couldn't the curve from the scenic part just continue around, with the fiddle yard projecting across the stairs? This would then avoid the reverse curve with your arrangement, but obviously depends on headroom as you go up/down the stairs. And available length.

 

What are the colour washed bridge drawings lurking on the wall above the stairs?

 

Cheers,

 

26power

 

 

[AJ427]

An excellent and most unusual solution. Maybe some sort of clamp would be in order on the bannister to prevent the inevitable nightmare scenario?

['CHARD]

"Ghastly clandestine encounter between CJF and the Peoples' Friend artist"

 

By HALF MAN HALF BISCUIT, this will be in Song Title Game later, courtesy of Sailor Charon or Halfwit

[Guest stuartp]

Neat solution.

 

A possible alternative - from your first picture couldn't the curve from the scenic part just continue around, with the fiddle yard projecting across the stairs? This would then avoid the reverse curve with your arrangement, but obviously depends on headroom as you go up/down the stairs. And available length.

 

What are the colour washed bridge drawings lurking on the wall above the stairs?

 

I did consider that, but the headroom was indeed an issue and it would mean anchoring the far end to the wall somehow whereas the current solution has no visible fastenings. It's still an option if this doesn't work, I've got a big saw so the Mk1 fiddle yard can be 'notched' fairly easily to sit over the bannister.

 

Ah, the drawings ! I wondered who would spot those first. They are the bridge over Holme Street on the Portpatrick harbour branch, and a wooden occupation bridge somewhere on the Portpatrick contract. They're copies of the original engineer's drawings from Paisley College of Technology who had them gifted from somebody who recovered them from St Enoch just before the bulldozers arrived. You have a PM.

 

 

An excellent and most unusual solution. Maybe some sort of clamp would be in order on the bannister to prevent the inevitable nightmare scenario?

 

Thanks. Also very cheap :-) It certainly needs something although having given it a good prod last evening it's only really going to be a problem when the board is 'stowed'; when in use it will be attached to the main board via split hinges at each end of the lifting section so it shouldn't actually move far enough to slip off the bannister (I hope). Some sort of tether should work but it needs to be discrete.

 

By HALF MAN HALF BISCUIT, this will be in Song Title Game later, courtesy of Sailor Charon or Halfwit

 

Caption to last pic in post 58 edited to reflect wittiest reply I can think of

[Jamie]

The real shed at Creetown is of grey stone rubble (greywacke or whinstone I think, rather than granite) with rustic sandstone detailing.

A feature that screams Galloway.

 

Looks good Stuart. Bit less fiddly than scratchbuilding coach bogies, I'll bet.

[Jamie]

My beautiful pastelly roof with which I was so pleased has had a bit of a setback. Being pastel I thought I'd better give it a quick spray of Artist's Fixative to stop it rubbing off. Easy, I thought, basically varnish so what can go wrong ? Stand it on the radiator for a bit, give it a good shake and apply an even coat taking care not to miss any bits.

 

Wrong.

 

Result one gloss roof with no texture or subtle shading, indeed no sign of any pastels at all. Humph.

 

Does it not rain in 4mm Galloway

[Donw]

No it doesn't rain it just comes down in bucketfuls. Memories of a night in caravan Auchenmailg when a storm force 12 came from the south west. Nice project. I like the fiddleyard.

Don

[TimC]

This is pretty much finished:

 

 

I searched every colour album I own and watched several bits of DVD one frame at a time trying to establish what colour the woodwork should be, but drew a blank. Being a BR-built structure it clearly isn't going to be faded LMS brown, but I suppose it could be ScR brown as they seem to have carried on the LMS scheme in this part of the world. In the end I painted it a sort of nondescript dirty grey.

 

It still needs downpipes, the windows glazing and the wooden access steps refitting but other than that it's done.

 

The metal supports for the canopy above the door are very fine styrene mouldings in the kit and they were a bit battered, so they've been replaced with 1mm brass strip. If I was doing another one of these I would thin down the edge of the corrugated asbestos roof and open out the ridge ventilators as well as the Ratio moulding is a bit chunky. I need to build another for Newton Stewart but it will be scratchbuilt using this one as a guide.

 

Painting was Vallejo acrylics with a dark wash and some drybrushing to add a bit of texture and a bit of pastel. The fragment of the one at Whauphill which sneaked into one of CJ Gammell's pics appears to have been fairly clean, certainly not as well worn as the one at Stranraer was 40-odd years later, and I think I might have overdone it a bit, but I can always drybrush it again with the original concrete colour if it's still bothering me later.

 

 

In situ and making minor adjustments to the provender store and shed before I bed them in. I assumed the steps went on the road side when setting out the yard, with them on the rail side clearances between the shed and the mileage siding are a bit tight for the LAD but passable. I'll put it down to the WR being tight with their original land aquisition !

 

Hi

 

Just caught up with this thread - excellent work!

 

I've got a concrete structure to paint and really like your prefab shed. However, I've had a look through the Vallejo colour charts and can't immediately see what colour you've used. Any idea what you used for the concrete - it looks spot on.

 

Thanks in advance.

[Heruss]

This is absolutely fabulous. Love it, been reading it from page 1 and just think it's great. When it gets into the garage and extended it's going to be even better.

 

Also, there's some good tutorials out there for concrete colours, there's a particularly good one in a back issue of Model Rail by Chris Nevard, Jan 2011 in fact.

[Guest stuartp]

 

Hi

 

Just caught up with this thread - excellent work!

 

I've got a concrete structure to paint and really like your prefab shed. However, I've had a look through the Vallejo colour charts and can't immediately see what colour you've used. Any idea what you used for the concrete - it looks spot on.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Hi Tim, thanks !

 

Erm... from memory I think it was 111 Medium Grey and 120 Buff. There's almost certainly some 140 Flat Brown in there too, and probably some white. The asbestos roof is a little darker but it doesn't show in the pics. That's all a bit vague, sorry, it was mixed up in an old jam jar lid til it looked about right and sloshed on. 'Very pale grey with a bit of brown in' is usually a good starting point for concrete.

 

The base colours for the stonework are easier - 101 Green Grey and 139 Mahogany Brown - I wrote those down because that combination seems to work for the sandstone/greywacke vernacular style.

 

Edit - Just to add to Heruss' post, look at Jim S-W's work on Birmingham New Street too - he uses Plastikote Suede aerosols in large quantities.

[TimC]

 

Hi Tim, thanks !

 

Erm... from memory I think it was 111 Medium Grey and 120 Buff. There's almost certainly some 140 Flat Brown in there too, and probably some white. The asbestos roof is a little darker but it doesn't show in the pics. That's all a bit vague, sorry, it was mixed up in an old jam jar lid til it looked about right and sloshed on. 'Very pale grey with a bit of brown in' is usually a good starting point for concrete.

 

The base colours for the stonework are easier - 101 Green Grey and 139 Mahogany Brown - I wrote those down because that combination seems to work for the sandstone/greywacke vernacular style.

 

Edit - Just to add to Heruss' post, look at Jim S-W's work on Birmingham New Street too - he uses Plastikote Suede aerosols in large quantities.

 

Hi Stuart

 

Many thanks - I'll have to have a play first then. I'd not seen Jim S-W use of the Plastikote spray so I'll try that too.

 

Cheers!

[7APT7]

Hi mate, Happy new Year to you and all RMWener's

 

It's all looking great, love the raised building, and the exstension...

 

Keep up with the photo updates...

 

Jamie

[Jamie]

Station looks superb, really is a delight to behold there.

 

On my last visit a couple of years ago I couldn't see it from the road for trees, and I believe it has been burnt down since. I should really check the next time I'm there.

Now that I think about it, I don't think I've been down that side of Loch Ken - always end up going through New Galloway, so I might be missing out.

[Guest Max Stafford]

"There is evidence of wholesale repainting on the Whithorn branch in the early 60s..."

 

Oh aye, the classic '60s book cooking exercise that one.

Box looks brilliant by the way, those colours look pretty spot-on and thanks for sharing your window techniques - that's very useful!

 

Dave.

[Guest Max Stafford]

I'll echo Mickey's sentiment here, Stuart. That lintel technique is simple and so obvious and yet I never thought of it before I saw yours. I have to say that the colour is pretty spot on too.

The thread that just keeps on giving!

 

Dave.