Bacup - Mills in the hills

[Jason T]

I've been on a mission over the past few days to finally do something about the surface of the goods yard. I've been pondering this for quite a while now as it threw up a few questions and potential issues.

 

Because of the way the goods yard had to be laid out, there isn't that much room between each sidings; definitely not enough to allow a motorised vehicle to turn round between the sidings. Additionally, access to the further sidings is only available by crossing the front ones so whatever surface the yard has, it needs to be at rail level to allow road vehicle access. As such, the options were either to bury the whole lot in ash ballast or have stone setts which continue across the tracks.

 

I've opted for the second option, with the setts being up to the edge of the sleepers and then (still to do), sleepers on top of the sleepers, if you see what I mean. Between the tracks, more setts? Not sure yet.

 

Obviously there is a fair bit still to do but I ran out of the Howard Scenics Setts and I want to wait until I have it all completed before starting to paint and weather the surface, to try and ensure continuity.

 

Thoughts?

 

 

[aberdare]

Hi Jason

 

I love to see setts in a yard and personally I would put them between the rails as well, especially if the traffic in the yard drove over them.

 

As for the sleepers on sleepers I don't know what you mean?

 

Jim

[Jason T]

If you look along the edge of the setts where they run parallel to the track, you'll notice that the setts do not cover the sleepers (to access the chairs easier I suppose?) but there are old sleepers there butting up to the rail.

 

[southern42]

Now, I like that, Jason.  When you mentioned setts I imagined (near) pristine condition.  This is far more interesting.  And just look at all those wagons - and conveyor.  [We bought the Knightwing white metal conveyor for Camel Quay though the base is different to the one in your photo.]

That's going to add a lot to that empty space. 

Go for it.

 

Polly

[billyb_imp]

Jason

 

I very much like the idea of the setts, something I must seriously look at, will keep an eye on your progress to see how its done. 

 

Great work there 

[Jason T]

Nothing too scientific or difficult Billy, basically I am marking out a template for the required area with paper first, by laying sheets of A4 over the area (held down with masking tape) and then doing a rubbing of the track with a pencil. Once done, I cut out just on the inside of the lines and then check this shape against the area to cover.

 

With it laid down (and attached with masking tape again), I then make a pinhole at the ends of the sleepers (you can feel where they are) which then allows me to trim the template back further to the required shape. Once happy with this, I attach the paper template to mounting board and cut round it, to give me a solid base upon which to attach the setts.

 

The setts are from Howard Scenics, and each sheet has an area of cobbles and also a smaller area of square setts. I cut out strips of the square setts (4 courses wide) and glue them down one edge lengthways and both widthways, onto the mounting board, to represent the guttering. I then fill in the centre of this with the cobbled part (and for curved sections, I use strips of cobbles that are about 60mm wide, allowing me to trim the edges to try and keep the cobbles at 90 degrees to the rail) rather than plonk down a full sheet. There are visible lines between sheets but these can be hidden before painting.

 

Whilst adding each section, I trim back the cobble sheets at the opposite edge to allow for a strip of the stone setts to be added along that edge too, checking it with one of the strips I cut out earlier. Once all the centre sections are attached, I add the other edging strip.

 

I found that doing it in this order made it easier to trim everything to the correct shapes, radii, etc, especially as all the sidings are curved.

[billyb_imp]

Thanks for that update Jason, I will visit Howard's Scenic's over the weekend with a view to ordering some gear, you should be on commission with all your suppliers, I was ordering from Parkside yesterday following one of your posts. 

[Jason T]

Before you do Billy, it may be worth looking at the setts that are available from both Wills and Slaters as well. I like the Howard Scenics ones because of the profile, although the Slaters granite setts are used in other places on the layout (they are basically even squares rather than cobbles). In the past, I have used the Wills ones which look very nice (quite deep relief though) although they come in small sheets and are a bit of a pain to cut and align.

 

I wouldn't want you to think that there was but one option. Of course, you could also go down the route that I chickened out of and scribe your own in DAS.........

[billyb_imp]

Jason

 

I am certain it will be the sheet option but I will look at the various options, I don't think I will be ready for them for another two months yet anyway 

[hybridangel77]

hi jason

 

what did you use for the brick flooring in the yard?

 

terry

[Guest bri.s]

Just got upto date on this thread and amazing modelling as usual

[Jason T]

Hi Terry,

 

They are the Howard Scenics Granite Setts from Freestone Model Railways, bottom of the page on the link below. You get three A4 sheets per pack. Being made fom card, I paint a base layer of muck on with acrylics and then, going against what is recommended, wipe suitable coloured enamels over the top to leave muck between the setts but colour the stones themselves. Not the easiest to paint, but the end result looks good. It s what I used for the cobbles on the terraced houses street.

 

http://www.freestonemodel.co.uk/page18.htm

 

Cheers,

 

J.

[aberdare]

If you look along the edge of the setts where they run parallel to the track, you'll notice that the setts do not cover the sleepers (to access the chairs easier I suppose?) but there are old sleepers there butting up to the rail.

 

 

Jason

 

I see what you mean now, I hadn't seen a yard with the setts laid like before up against the other sleepers, either that or I have just not looked closely enough. It looks worth modelling so I hope you are going to give it a go.

 

Jim

[Jason T]

Just down the line that, Jim, at Whitworth. Future exhibition layout perhaps, as I already modelled the goods shed.

[Mythocentric]

Hi Jason

 

Just playing catch-up and as usual Bacup just gets more and more impressive with each visit! Just one question! (You knew that was coming, didn't you!). Wheres the Working Man's Club? I sincerely hope those Coconut chaps haven't closed it down with their strange antics!

 

Regards

 

Bill

[Donw]

That look interesting the timbers laid just where they expect vehicles to cross rather than all over the yard. On the far left it looks like a raised loading platform or is that the camera angle.

Don

[Jason T]

That's the platform for the (closed) station at Whitworth, Don

[Jason T]

Quite a while ago, I saw a thread on here about detailing Hornby's Black Five, which included a note from Larry (Coachmann) that pointed out that the Hornby Stanier tender had a shelf on it that stands out like a sore thumb. Now I must confess that I had never noticed it before then but afterwards, it's impossible to miss. Anyway, I was chatting to Tim at Doncaster and he showed me how to remove the shelf and still keep the structural integrity of the tender with strips of Plastikard on either side. I've been putting this off ever since as the thought of hacking up an RTR model is a bit scary (also, the alterations to the area under the smokebox, which I've still not plucked up the courage to do, yet) but after chatting with Tim yesterday, thought I'd have a go.

 

I'll not go into how I did it as I believe that Tim may have something for publication on the subject in the near future and anyway, he explains it much better than I can (and he does a better job of it too) but of the four Stanier tenders I have, I've so far done two and I have to say that it is simple to do. As in REALLY easy.

 

First, a shot of one that hasn't been modified yet. You can see the shelf at the top of the frames, under the tender body.

 

 

Next, one of the modified ones, with no shelf remaining but the tender body actually seeming to be better located on the frames than the unmodified one (which flexes)

 

 

The two, side by side.

 

 

And yes, I know that these need to be weathered properly

Edited April 3, 2013 by Sandside

[Timara]

Looking good there Jason . Once you get the hang of a couple, the rest really do become second nature. Be glad you've only got a handful to do; it becomes a slight chore when you have fifty tenders to get through.... I'm at least 2/3 of the way through mine!

 

I'll not go into how I did it as I believe that Tim may have something for publication on the subject in the near future and anyway, he explains it much better than I can (and he does a better job of it too)

 

Thanks for reminding me of my need to pull my finger out on that one .   I really must get round to finishing off part one of the above..... The day job rather gets in the way!

 

And yes, I know that these need to be weathered properly

 

They'll look nice when done . Are you going to be lining these two out or do these specific two belong to 8Fs?

Cheers!

[Jason T]

One belongs to 44871 as it was in 1968, e.g. unlined. Of course, as the layout is now based around 1960, then it probably does need lining. .

[emt_911]

Jason

 

I was the same as you and hadn't noticed the shelf.

 

However, now you've brought it to my attention, it does stick out like a sore thumb.

 

Nicely done BTW.   A vast improvement.

 

Duncan

[Physicsman]

Jason

 

I was the same as you and hadn't noticed the shelf.

 

However, now you've brought it to my attention, it does stick out like a sore thumb.

 

Nicely done BTW.   A vast improvement.

 

Duncan

 

I hate to say this, but as a supposedly observant scientist, I failed. I never spotted the shelf either. Probably means both Duncan and myself are going senile! Once it's pointed out, it's bleeding obvious. Always the way though. and I thought the difference was in the "weathering"!!

 

I like the cobbled areas in your goods yard. I'll be doing something similar - and I certainly won't be using Wills sheeting as it'd cost a fortune!

 

Jeff

[Jason T]

All four tenders now completed, and I only sliced my hand open three times

 

Multiple plaster wearing Jason 

[Andy C]

If you look along the edge of the setts where they run parallel to the track, you'll notice that the setts do not cover the sleepers (to access the chairs easier I suppose?) but there are old sleepers there butting up to the rail.

 

 

That was fairly standard L and Y practice Jason, and one I had to repeat on New Hey as it had exactly the same arrangement - I used ply sleepers suitably stained with wood dye, then subjected them to a blast with the Grassmaster.

[Jason T]

Cheers Andy. I was wondering what to use for the sleepers and it makes perfect sense to use, well, sleepers really. Problem with those that once had SMP or Peco rail on is that they have a hole under the chair, of course.