Dulverton Station '62 - Let there be grass...

[Joseph_Pestell]

 

Hi Andrew,

 

That does look a lot better - I don't know why you say it is poor! Once ballasted, it should look great and is what I am aiming for, although at present I am planning to keep the return spring so I can use Seep motors. Othere options for slow motion point action would be expensive with 14 required for the station at Dulverton. I suppose you could add in an extra sleeper next to the tie bar.

 

Westerner, thanks for your message. I have to admit I have been an armchair modeller the last two or three years - somehow my modelling mojo just wasn't there. I think I had got a bit tired of doing buildings without a layout to put them on.

 

Now the boards are on the way, it is proving more fun doing the platforms and starting to develop my ideas on how to create the landscape, so hopefully with that structure in place, I can go back to the buildings refreshed.

 

I have decided to get some proper photographic lights recommended to me by Andy on another thread, so hopefully I can get some more pics posted soon and show how the buildings are constructed.

 

Douglas

 

SEEP do a latched motor - so you can get rid of the spring and its ugly mounting plate. I think the SEEP ref is PM4 (there never was a PM3 IIRC).

[Joseph_Pestell]

Douglas, I so agree with the others. You have made a super start to this project with some of the best buildings ever seen in 2mm/N. Pity that project has stalled but I am sure you will find the mojo again. I am surprised that none of the mfgs have brought out a Mogul - such a useful choice as pretty much a "go anywhere" on the GW.

[Revolution Ben]

 

Hi Douglas,

 

For most of us (I imagine) this is a diverting and relaxing hobby that doesn't need deadlines. If you're not enjoying it then just leave things and come back to them when you're ready.

 

Personally, I've hardly done any modelling since November. I often find at this time of year that I lose a bit of drive, but so what? If I feel like I'd rather do something else - or even do nothing except vegetate in front of the TV - then that's my choice!

 

The work you've done so far is outstanding, BTW, and even if you never do another thing thanks for the inspirational postings you have already produced.

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

[Karhedron]

I am still waiting for Dapol or Ixion (or Farish?) to announce GWR Moguls, as they were the trademark of the Taunton-Barnstaple line :-)

Well Dapol have the 3500 gallon churchward tender drive. The 6-coupled driving wheels from the Manor, the pony truck from the 2884. They Just need to stick a new body on it an Bob's your uncle (well, he's my wife's uncle at least ).

 

I thought you had made a very nice Mogul yourself from the PD Marsh kit. Or am I getting muddled up?

[Douglas G]

Thanks everyone - I do feel encouraged to get going again with my modelling. And as you say, Ben, this is a hobby to be enjoyed, not an obligation.

 

Karhedron, I did build a P&D Marsh Mogul many years back and wrote about it in Railway Modeller. But standards in RTR are just so much higher these days that it doesn't cut the mustard for me. Maybe a Mogul will appear in the next Dapol catalogue, given that Ixion planned it and Dapol have taken over their Manor.

 

Douglas

[Joseph_Pestell]

Thanks everyone - I do feel encouraged to get going again with my modelling. And as you say, Ben, this is a hobby to be enjoyed, not an obligation.

 

Karhedron, I did build a P&D Marsh Mogul many years back and wrote about it in Railway Modeller. But standards in RTR are just so much higher these days that it doesn't cut the mustard for me. Maybe a Mogul will appear in the next Dapol catalogue, given that Ixion planned it and Dapol have taken over their Manor.

 

Douglas

 

"taken over their manor". Sounds like the plot of a gangster movie or EastEnders.

[Douglas G]

"taken over their manor". Sounds like the plot of a gangster movie or EastEnders.

:-)

[Douglas G]

I am pleased to say that over the last few months I have made some progress with my model of Dulverton on the WR Taunton to Barnstaple line, although sometimes when I get home from work I just don't have the energy to get going.

 

I have built the island station building and the two platforms, and have partly built the cattle dock and the surroundings for the Carnarvon Hotel access road and garden.  It has taken a long time to work out how the ground level changed around the Hotel - in the end I had to splash out over £20 on a 1960s Aerofilms aerial view from English Heritage, but unfortunately some details of the garden and retaining wall were still hidden by tree shadows.

 

I am currently cutting sheets of Knauf pink insulation foam for the landscape.  Again it is hard to work out the levels. The road bridge and road provide useful datum levels and I am working away from these.  An old Ordnance Survey map has spot heights at various points on the road, which helps.  Google Maps street view is also proving very useful in working out the levels of the road and surrounding landscape.

 

I am really pleased to see that Farish are going to do the Hawksworth WR autocoaches, as these are an essential part of my model for the Exe Valley line trains at Dulverton.  Now I won't need to build the three Ultima kits I have lurking in the cupboard.  The Farish Bulleid and Hawksworth corridor coaches will also be useful, as will the Farish N Class locomotive (although Dulverton was Western Region, Southern coaches and locomotives sometimes appeared, provided from Barnstaple). 

 

Douglas

[Douglas G]

Phew, it's tough stuff, Knauf foam.

 

What I thought would be a quick job, getting the foam to shape, is taking ages, and knives blunt VERY quickly.  I am using a couple of Kitchen Devils kitchen knives and a serrated bread knife, but am finding for big pieces of foam, to reduce the height, an ordinary wood saw is easiest, and gives a surprisingly smooth finish.  And a Surfoam is proving great for smoothing things off - I was afraid it would tear at the foam, but is working well - pink globules everywhere!

 

I  have cut the height down too far in a couple of places and have had to stick on some extra thin pieces with No More Nails Adhesive - I now need to wait 24 hours for it to dry.

 

But I'm making progress...

[richbrummitt]

It seems that the pink extruded stuff (I'm not sure if what I have is actually Knauf because I acquired it as offcuts from a roof insulating project) can be hacked and shaped with just about anything: I've used a coping saw for most of the cutting and then a surform followed by 80 grit paper, which gives a nice smooth finish. Controlling the mess is the hardest bit!

[Douglas G]

Back in February I managed to get an extra sheet of Knauf Space Board from the last couple that Mansfield Wickes had in stock. Having cut down a couple of sections of the landscape too deep, I now want to get another couple of sheets of the Knauf product. But neither B&Q nor Wickes are showing it in stock on their websites anymore. This problem with supply has been discussed elsewhere in the topic on foam baseboards. However, I have now found it available online from Taskers, if a little expensive compared to the subsidised prices that the big sheds were selling it at, and have ordered a couple:

 

http://www.taskersonline.com/products/Knauf-Space-Board-%2850096880%29.html

 

If you live near Aintree (I don't) it can be collected from their store to save on delivery. I have also noticed someone selling a big batch on Gumtree at a much reduced price compared to the original shop price.

Edited June 13, 2013 by Douglas G

[Douglas G]

After a few weeks of carving the Space Board, the landscape for Dulverton is taking shape.

 

Here is an overview looking to the north (the line to Barnstaple):

 

 

This is a closer view of the road overbridge looking towards where the Carnarvon Arms Hotel will be:

 

 

For comparison here are two photos of the real thing:

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/8577644731/

 

http://www.francisfrith.com/dulverton/photos/pixton-park-and-brushford-1934_86317/

 

 

This is the view in the other direction (south, towards Taunton):

 

 

A close up of the southern end - the land drops down here below the main baseboard level, so I have a cut-down baseboard frame and a foam insert for the field leading down to the embankment base:

 

 

Finally two pictures of the waste foam generated - some bits to keep and the rest to bin.  I can't believe how much I have had to carve away, but then the Spaceboard sheets are around 60 mm thick.  Also I have had to redo a couple of sections - it is easier having done it wrong once to then get it right.  It can be hard judging heights from photos.

 

 

 

I have still to add the slopes behind the station and embankment at the right/southern end.

 

What is not on the layout is the platforms and the raised area of the goods yard and access road at the back - these are grey Sundeala board topped with black styrene sheet.

 

So there is progress, slowly and surely.

 

Douglas

Edited July 3, 2013 by Douglas G

[Douglas G]

For a change from carving foam, I have returned to some of my buildings, which are at various stages of completion.

 

I have now had the chance to spray the specially etched windows for the Carnarvon Arms Hotel and fix them in place in the window apertures, which makes a great difference to how it looks.

 

I have also been working on the surrounds of the hotel, including the road at the front, the garden at the side and the lawn sloping down at the back.  This has involved lots of poring over photographs, Ordnance survey maps and Google Maps satellite views to get the slopes right.  I am still not happy with the garden and path - it is shaded by trees in the photos I have, and I will probably need to do a field visit to take more photos. The base for this section of the model is grey Sundeala board topped with black plasticard for the surfaces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are some pics of the real thing for comparison:

 

http://images.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?_adv_prop=image&fr=altavista&va=carnarvon+arms+dulverton

 

I still need to add the conservatory, porch and larger windows.  My plan is to make these from microstrip stuck to transparent plastic sheet using limonene solvent to avoid clouding. I will also need to add the extension at the back now I realise there will be room for this in front of the backscene.

 

So lots still to do - I sometimes wonder if I will ever finish this project.

 

Douglas

 

Edited August 21, 2013 by Douglas G

[D1059]

That looks stunning

[Douglas G]

Some photos of progress on the platform, yard area and road at the back of Dulverton Station.  Sorry for the poor quality, as they are done with flash and available light.

 

It has been a process of trial and error getting get it right, as I try to interpret photos, aerial views and maps.

 

I have had to add a section to the left of the blue Silcock's provender store as I realised this extended further over, before the embankment leading down to the garden of the Carnarvon Arms Hotel.  This area is obscured by trees and tree shadows in aerial views and in Google satellite view, so it is hard to work out what it was like - there is a house built there now and the road to the Hotel to the left has gone.

 

Once it gets warmer it will all need another coat of grey primer before final painting up.

 

I am doing similar work on the piece of land around the hotel, which will join on to this section.

 

Douglas

[Douglas G]

I have been spending the last week or so on doing fencing in the area between the Station at Dulverton and the Carnarvon Arms Hotel.

 

For the distinctive fencing around the boundary of the hotel, County Rolling Stock etched GWR station fencing is a good match.  The only downside is it is rather bendy and fragile. Also I hate soldering - the sections have to be soldered together and I am using solder paint for this. I will then spray with Halfords white primer and probably not bother with a top coat. It is frustrating that it is too cold at the moment to do the spraying.

 

For the fence around the section of garden in front of the conservatory at the side of the hotel, Faller 272406 fencing is a good match to give the scalloped affect and is more or less the right height from the pics I have , despite being 1:160 scale.  I can't work out from the two B&W pictures I have whether this area was paved or grass - I am guessing it was lawn.

 

For the fencing at the hotel end of the station platform, I have used Slaters white GWR fencing. Ratio also do a similar fencing, but it looks too tall compared to my prototype.

 

The final bit of fencing is a concrete post and wire fence that ran along the access road next to the horsebox siding. My plan is to do this with square brass section and either fine fishing line or invisible mending thread tied and superglued on as the wire. This should be stronger and finer-looking  than any ready made alternatives, I think.

 

I am feeling a bit cross-eyed now after all this - it doesn't help that I spend most of my working day staring at a computer screen, so it is hard on the eyes.

 

Douglas

Edited December 3, 2013 by Douglas G

[Douglas G]

A few more pictures of progress.

 

This overview is towards the back left of the layout towards the site of the hotel.  I have added the concrete posts using 0.81 mm square brass bar, which I thought it easiest to set in place before I spray it all with grey primer.

 

 

This is a close up of the posts. In reality they were tapered, but I think they look OK once the top has been rounded with a file.

 

 

A close up of the site of the horse box siding and the signal and telegraph department shed, again showing the fence posts:

 

 

The last Dulverton photo here shows how this area looked after the station was closed:

 

http://www.cornwallrailwaysociety.org.uk/taunton-to-barnstaple.html

 

Finally the fence around the top garden area of the Carnarvon Arms. This is made from Faller plastic fencing:

 

 

The scalloping of the Faller product was too pronounced so I have cut them down to a more subtle curve, and they match the prototype well now. There is a postcard on ebay (a copy of which I have already purchased) that shows part of this fence:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Carnarvon-Arms-Hotel-Dulverton-Somerset-postcard-1976-/321270789727?pt=UK_Collectables_Postcards_MJ&hash=item4acd3b365f

 

Hopefully soon I can get it all sprayed with grey primer ready for the road surfaces to be painted and grass etc. added, weather permitting. I wanted to do this today, but it has started to rain. I have previously got into trouble with the domestic authorities for getting spray drops everywhere when spraying in our conservatory!

 

Douglas

Edited December 15, 2013 by Douglas G

[Popeye]

What an excellent thread with some stunning buildings. The scenery base is looking good too. I was tempted to model Dulverton but I couldn't do it justice in the space I had available. Keep up the excellent build Douglas I'm avidly following this one

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, I'm looking forward to further updates

 

Andy

[Douglas G]

What an excellent thread with some stunning buildings. The scenery base is looking good too. I was tempted to model Dulverton but I couldn't do it justice in the space I had available. Keep up the excellent build Douglas I'm avidly following this one

 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, I'm looking forward to further updates

 

Andy

 

Hi Andy,

 

Many thanks for the message, and Happy Christmas to you too! It is nice to get feedback.

 

I have been on a bit of a roll with the landscape recently.  Things are at the stage where you can see progress happening more quickly, after a lot of fussy stuff building the base for the hotel and station area and adding small details - a lot of trial and error and redoing things at times.

 

Last Saturday was warm enough for me to spray the hotel section and main station base with Halfords grey primer in our conservatory, which made it all come together and showed up the details. Then yesterday I made a start on painting the road surfaces.  Annoyingly a couple of tins of Humbrol greys I needed for some parts had dried out, so it is off to that wonderful shop RBS in Long Eaton for some more.

 

I will post some more pics soon.

 

Douglas

Edited December 23, 2013 by Douglas G

[Douglas G]

Here are some more pictures of my progress on Dulverton over Christmas taken with my new camera, a Lumix TZ40. These are taken with flash plus a desk lamp - it was too cold, wet and windy to go out to the shed where my photo lamps are set up. I wish I had put up a background, but that was out in the shed too...

 

First, a couple of pics showing the Carnarvon Arms Hotel in place in its base viewed from the left-hand side (from the West or Barnstaple direction) - I have made a start on the porches and bays, but keep breaking the fine styrene frames and have not put them in place for these pictures:

 

 

 

This is the real thing from similar angles:

 

http://www.francisfrith.com/dulverton/photos/carnarvon-arms-hotel-c1960_d60039/

 

http://www.francisfrith.com/dulverton/photos/carnarvon-arms-hotel-c1960_d60055/

 

 

Next the Hotel from the south, as it would appear from the road bridge direction:

 

 

And the real thing from a similar direction:

 

 

http://www.francisfrith.com/dulverton/photos/carnarvon-arms-hotel-c1960_d60037/

 

 

This is an overview of the west end of the station towards the hotel; at the front is the Signal and Telegraph department hut next to the horse-box siding:

:

 

 

 

This is the S&T department hut and embankment for the horse-box siding from the other (west/Barnstaple) direction - I have just made the concrete coal bunker and grind stone:

 

 

The real thing:

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45127721@N05/8578750110/in/photolist-e55kwE-bVygpp-abJCSv-fARriZ-cGXzeJ-c8hYZd-dxKof5-81NXTn-fs7jLj-frSaNi-frSaYF-frS1ZT-a3ywxr-9wrT27-fueECE

 

Finally the rear station yard and Silcock's shed, with petrol pump to rear:

 

 

One of the few pictures showing the station yard for comparison the Silcock's store is on the right out of view:

 

http://www.ssplprints.com/image.php?id=418530

 

I have dozens of other photos of the station, but they are copyright and can't be posted here. The Aerofilms aerial views are particularly useful in getting the layout of things right.

 

Lots still to do.  Not least I will try weathering the concrete, starting with artists pastels, then weathering powders to try to get the right effect.  I will also try rubbing in talcum powder or dry polyfilla on the road surfaces. The thing that always surprises me when you look at the real thing is just how light grey tarred road surfaces can be - not at all black.

 

I will try to post more pictures as I learn how to use the new camera.

 

Douglas

 

[Douglas G]

I am currently continuing to paint the main platform and the land around the Hotel, and as I do, I am pondering how to do the grass in the areas currently painted a base brown.

 

For me a major consideration is keeping things in scale and trying to match prototype photographs as much as possible.  In 2mm scale, 2mm long static grass fibres of course correspond to 1 foot high grass, which is actually very long except for scrub areas and uncut embankments at the end of summer. The grass blades on well kept lawns are 1-3 inches high, corresponding to 0.5mm static grass at the most, so even 1mm fibres are strictly speaking too long. I am therefore inclined towards using Woodland Scenics fine flock for the lawn areas behind the hotel - this has worked well on a test area.

 

I am going to try different techniques and see which works for me.  I have an FMR sieve-style static applicator on order along with some of their 1 and 2mm static fibres.  In 2mm scale I am not convinced of the need for the larger, more powerful static grass applicators, given that they can be over £100. I have also ordered some of the teddy bear fabric from Treemendus, and have already purchase a roll of surgical lint form an online supplier. I am going to try dyeing the lint and the teddy bear fabric with Dylon olive green dye. I will also experiment with either laying the flint and teddy bear fabric directly down on their backing, or sticking them face down with the fibres glued to the surface then ripping the backing off, a technique described by several established modellers.

 

Of course the teddy bear fabric will need to be cut down for 2mm scale. As discussed today in the 2mm scale workbench thread, the Treemendus fur has a very thin backing and it may be possible to get away with using it whole, with the backing underneath.

 

I don't think this will work with the surgical lint though, as the fibres are not that dense and the weave of the backing shows through as a squares. I doubt that dyeing the lint will make any difference to this, but I will give it a go to see. If I use the lint, it will probably have to be the method of sticking down the fibres and cutting/peeling off the backing.

 

Reading around, it looks like different techniques work for different people, and it will be a matter of trial and error to see what works for me.

 

Douglas

[Popeye]

Hi Douglas,

 

Happy New Year.

 

I've not used fibres before but did think that whatever method you use if the fibres are too long trim them down. I'm thinking using a pair of cheap hair cutters may be useful here or hairdressing scissors as they always seem sharp

 

Not sure if this would work but may be worth testing

 

Andy

[Douglas G]

Hi Douglas,

 

Happy New Year.

 

I've not used fibres before but did think that whatever method you use if the fibres are too long trim them down. I'm thinking using a pair of cheap hair cutters may be useful here or hairdressing scissors as they always seem sharp

 

Not sure if this would work but may be worth testing

 

Andy

 

Hi Andy,

 

I have seen both clippers and "fuzz busters" being suggested for this, but perhaps scissors will give a more realistic range of lengths.

 

In 4mm and 7mm scale Barry Norman uses dog trimmers to cut down bleached carpet underlay, but this is too coarse for 2mm scale.

 

Douglas

Edited January 10, 2014 by Douglas G

[Douglas G]

I have been making some very bizarre purchases recently...

 

1 can of hair spray (got my wife to buy that for me!)

1 piece of teddy bear fabric

1 roll of surgical lint

1 pack of Dylon olive green dye

1 reel of nylon "invisible" thread

1 pack of brass needlework pins

1 set of cordless electric hair clippers

1 tea strainer attached to an electric fly swat

1 photographic blower brush

 

...all for landscape modelling.

[Douglas G]

I have been playing around with various free panorama stitching programmes to see how easy it is to produce an image for a photographic printed background.  I posted some of my findings on this thread:

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/39018-photo-stitching/page-3

 

Unfortunately I lost a set of digital photos I took for the background at Dulverton, so for this trial I have had to scan in some very hazy 35mm photos I took years ago. They are not suitable for the final version and miss the left-hand end of the panorama, as I did not overlap the photos enough there for the stitching programmes to recognise that they joined. However, it gives me some idea of how a background could look.

 

This is the best one, produced using Microsoft ICE, after cropping:

 

 

You can see the ex-station buildings on the left and the line of the old railway embankment towards the bottom of the image. As the background on the model is behind these, I intend to use the clone and stamp tool in a photo-editing programme, probably GIMP, to edit out the buildings and trees along the line of the railway and station and replace the fields behind. Conveniently there is a hill above the site of the station which I can use to take the background photos from above the level of the station, matching the sort of height someone would be viewing the model.

 

In the late spring or summer I intend to go back to Dulverton and take some pictures in the evening when the sun will be behind me. Unfortunately, I live quite a long way from Dulverton in the East Midlands and it is a bit of a hike.

 

Douglas