Bakewell - Peak District Line BR - Layout Views

[Alister_G]

Here is a small section of the hanging basket liner I've bought. It's a 4 meter by 60cm roll, which should just about cover all my newspaper hillsides.

 

It appears to have a "working" side:

 

 

 

and a "sticking" side, which has a green mesh woven through it:

 

 

 

A suggestion I have seen on other threads on here is to separate the layers by hand, but all I've achieved is to get a handful of loose clumps, and a bare mesh, so mine obviously isn't that sort.

 

However, jon and Andy's suggestion of glueing it "working" side down and then peeling it off when dry looks like it might work.

 

If anyone else has any suggestions, please feel free to comment.

 

More soon.

[Alister_G]

Just to finish off the Goods shed, here's a couple of shots of it back on the layout.

 

I need to sort out the floor, as the builders left a bloody great hole just inside the door!

 

Here's a shot looking down (or Up, actually) past the shed towards the station:

 

 

There's a Crab running light engine back to Rowsley.

 

The layout needs a good clean and a hoover, there seems to be bits all over the track. I can't think where they've come from?

 

And here's a view showing the hole through the loading door.

 

 

I realised after I'd taken this that the shed isn't seated properly in it's socket in the layout, which is annoying.

 

There's some strange mould appeared on the baseboard at the bottom left of the picture, too.

 

 

Okay, you got me, I couldn't resist.

 

Here's a shot from the coal sidings looking towards Hassop with a 4F on the down line.

 

As you can see, I have succumbed, and put some HBL on the hillside.

 

 

It's just chucked over and trimmed to fit, not stuck down or anything, but already it begins to look better.

 

 

I won't be laying this properly until I have fixed the track down and done the ballasting, so plenty of time to experiment with different methods.

 

Still, at least I can tell the Lunesters "THERE'S GRAASS ON THEM THAR HILLS!"

 

Cheers,

 

Al

[Andrew P]

Al just a WARNING

 

DO NOT be tempted to paint the HBLit will just go to a mushy pulpy mattie mess.

 

I know as after I laid some at our club, I had a week off and when I come back someone had PAINTED IT ALL BRIGHT GREEN

 

Bodgit

[Physicsman]

You shame me with the amount of grass that's suddenly sprouted!!

 

Al - where did you buy the ROLL of HBL? All I ever seem to see are the pre-shaped ones that fit - guess where - into hanging baskets...!!

 

Good set of photos - the railway melds well into the hilly surrounds and, as Andy has said, the shed looks great.

 

Jeff

[cbeagleowner]

eBay has rolls of the stuff. Usually cheaper then most local garden centres

[Alister_G]

Al just a WARNING

 

DO NOT be tempted to paint the HBLit will just go to a mushy pulpy mattie mess.

 

I know as after I laid some at our club, I had a week off and when I come back someone had PAINTED IT ALL BRIGHT GREEN

 

Bodgit

 

Ah, interesting, I'm glad you said

 

Do you just change colours by adding different flock and scatters then?

 

Cheers

 

Al

[Andrew P]

Ah, interesting, I'm glad you said

 

Do you just change colours by adding different flock and scatters then?

 

Cheers

 

Al

Hi Al yes that's all I do Look and Glenfinick and that has HBL all along the hillside, trimmed, flocked, clumped, scattered, do with i what you will BUT DO NOT PAINT IT.

 

Bodgit

[Alister_G]

You shame me with the amount of grass that's suddenly sprouted!!

 

Al - where did you buy the ROLL of HBL? All I ever seem to see are the pre-shaped ones that fit - guess where - into hanging baskets...!!

 

Good set of photos - the railway melds well into the hilly surrounds and, as Andy has said, the shed looks great.

 

Jeff

 

Lol, It's all going to disappear again shortly Jeff so don't panic.

 

As I said, actually doing the landscaping will wait until all the other little jobs are finished, (you know, like laying, wiring and ballasting the track, building the station, surfacing the platforms, sorting out the fiddle yard), just a few minor bits

 

I just couldn't resist trying it, the roll was lying there looking at me

 

PM sent re HBL

 

 

Ooh, that was cryptic, I wonder how many other acronyms I can fit in one post

 

BTW TTBOMK and AFAIK IANAL, LOL

 

TTFN

[Andrew P]

Jeff almost every Garden Center has it by the roll,I normally pay about £4.50 per meter at about 2ft 6 inches wide.

Cut it, tear it, patch it, stick it, flock it, BODGE IT,

 

you can do almost anything with it, and SAVE the bits you pull off for hedgerows and brambles etc.

 

One thing to remember about grass and hedges is that it is NOT ONE COLOUR, so the more you add to the HBL the more varied it will look.

 

If you remember the video I did on Tebudoc with the flock, well that was on Grass matting and you can do the same with HBL. In fact look at the pics below of T and Glenfinick and you will see what.

 

 

Sorry for Hijacking you thread Al.

 

Bodgit

 

 

 

[Alister_G]

Andy, with pictures like those, you can hijack my thread anytime

 

Those are great, and I'm going to scrutinise them in detail for inspiration, Thank you very much.

 

You really are a master at landscapes mate.

 

Cheers,

 

Al

[Alister_G]

The next structures on the list for modelling are the station buildings.

 

The Down platform has the main booking office, waiting rooms, and various other offices contained in a single large building. There is a stone built toilet block attached to one end.

 

The Up platform building looks, to the casual observer, to be a mirror image of the Down, but is in fact a stone facade with only a small waiting room and a cast iron Gents stuck on the back.

 

You might have noticed that I am gradually working up my skills in scratch building, first modifying a kit, then scratch building a plain hut, and then the bridge and goods shed, both of which were relatively simple. The Station buildings on the other hand are much more complex, with a lot of different surfaces and windows and doors and so on. I'm therefore starting with the Up platform building, as, of the two, it is the least complicated to build.

 

Here is what it looks like today: (Literally today, as I realised I hadn't got many detail shots of this structure, so I nipped up and took some photos this afternoon).

 

This image is a composite of three different pictures, so the alignment is a bit off on the end one:

 

 

As you can see, although at first glance it doesn't look much, when you start to examine the detail it's going to be a challenging build (well I feel it is for me, anyway).

 

Because of the size and details, this is the first building I'm going to construct using plans, instead of working by eye and from photographs, and I'm using the plans reproduced by Bill Hudson in his book "Through Limestone Hills".

 

So, as a start, I've cut out a basic shape for the back of the structure, over which I will add the various layers and the scenic embossed plasticard. I'm going to be using Slater's 4mm Dressed Stone, as I did on the goods shed.

 

 

The building at 4mm scale is longer than an A4 sized sheet, so I am going to have a join somewhere, and I elected to make it in the centre where it will be hidden by a pillar.

 

Here I'm marking out and scribing the arches using a pair of dividers:

 

 

Here's the basic back mounting sheet for one half, with the top layer of the structure laid on top. Between these two will be three further layers, to get the relief details that are needed.

 

 

And here's where I've got to tonight, with the back sheet, the top layer and one intermediate layer.

 

 

For the back and top layer I've used 20thou plasticard, and the intermediate layers are each cut out of 80thou (2mm) sheet to give the desired thickness.

 

So far so good, lots more to come.

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Al

 

[Andrew P]

The next structures on the list for modelling are the station buildings.

 

The Down platform has the main booking office, waiting rooms, and various other offices contained in a single large building. There is a stone built toilet block attached to one end.

 

The Up platform building looks, to the casual observer, to be a mirror image of the Down, but is in fact a stone facade with only a small waiting room and a cast iron Gents stuck on the back.

 

You might have noticed that I am gradually working up my skills in scratch building, first modifying a kit, then scratch building a plain hut, and then the bridge and goods shed, both of which were relatively simple. The Station buildings on the other hand are much more complex, with a lot of different surfaces and windows and doors and so on. I'm therefore starting with the Up platform building, as, of the two, it is the least complicated to build.

 

Here is what it looks like today: (Literally today, as I realised I hadn't got many detail shots of this structure, so I nipped up and took some photos this afternoon).

 

This image is a composite of three different pictures, so the alignment is a bit off on the end one:

 

station-facade-composite.jpg

 

As you can see, although at first glance it doesn't look much, when you start to examine the detail it's going to be a challenging build (well I feel it is for me, anyway).

 

Because of the size and details, this is the first building I'm going to construct using plans, instead of working by eye and from photographs, and I'm using the plans reproduced by Bill Hudson in his book "Through Limestone Hills".

 

So, as a start, I've cut out a basic shape for the back of the structure, over which I will add the various layers and the scenic embossed plasticard. I'm going to be using Slater's 4mm Dressed Stone, as I did on the goods shed.

 

station-up0001.jpg

 

The building at 4mm scale is longer than an A4 sized sheet, so I am going to have a join somewhere, and I elected to make it in the centre where it will be hidden by a pillar.

 

Here I'm marking out and scribing the arches using a pair of dividers:

 

station-up0002.jpg

 

Here's the basic back mounting sheet for one half, with the top layer of the structure laid on top. Between these two will be three further layers, to get the relief details that are needed.

 

station-up0003.jpg

 

And here's where I've got to tonight, with the back sheet, the top layer and one intermediate layer.

 

station-up0004.jpg

 

For the back and top layer I've used 20thou plasticard, and the intermediate layers are each cut out of 80thou (2mm) sheet to give the desired thickness.

 

So far so good, lots more to come.

 

Thanks for looking,

 

Al

Hi Al, I have just had a read through the text and it strikes me that that you are really dedicated to getting every detail spot on and NOT just a representation of the Buildings, track plan and general area, this is developing into almost a Museum piece, i.e. accurate down to the last detail. 

Please keep the build pics coming I am enjoying this build so much.

 

Cheers Andy 

[Physicsman]

Hi Al, I have just had a read through the text and it strikes me that that you are really dedicated to getting every detail spot on and NOT just a representation of the Buildings, track plan and general area, this is developing into almost a Museum piece, i.e. accurate down to the last detail. Please keep the build pics coming I am enjoying this build so much. Cheers Andy

 

Quite agree, Andy.

 

Al - I plan to make my buildings using ply but I'm very interested in what you're doing. I used 7mm Dressed stone for my structures - wasn't aware they did the stone in 4mm. Must check this out.

 

Jeff

[Alister_G]

Hi Al, I have just had a read through the text and it strikes me that that you are really dedicated to getting every detail spot on and NOT just a representation of the Buildings, track plan and general area, this is developing into almost a Museum piece, i.e. accurate down to the last detail. 

Please keep the build pics coming I am enjoying this build so much.

 

Cheers Andy 

 

Hi Andy,

 

Yes, to a certain degree, you're right. I think I said right at the start of the tread that modelling Bakewell is something I've wanted to do for a very long time, but have only now had the opportunity to do so.

 

That being the case, and as it is possibly the only layout I will build, I obviously want it to be done to the best of my abilities.

 

It is also a learning experience, as I have never done anything like this before, and I am constantly learning from you and lots of other members of this forum how to get the results I want.

 

I therefore want the layout to be an accurate portrayal of the real thing, as far as I am able, but I don't think (I hope) that I am too obsessive about every little detail. I have had to make various compromises in the layout of the track to fit the layout into the available space, and therefore this has had a knock on effect on things like the platforms and the bridge, which, whilst similar to the prototype, are not exact copies.

 

However, where possible, I do want the structures to be instantly recognisable as the real thing, especially since (the station buildings in particular) are very distinctive in their architecture.

 

I don't want it to turn into a Museum piece though, at the end of the day this is about playing trains, not a static display.

 

Cheers mate,

 

Al

[Alister_G]

Quite agree, Andy.

 

Al - I plan to make my buildings using ply but I'm very interested in what you're doing. I used 7mm Dressed stone for my structures - wasn't aware they did the stone in 4mm. Must check this out.

 

Jeff

 

Hi Jeff.

 

As you know, I used ply for the basis of bridge, but unlike you, I'm not a very skilled craftsman when it comes to wood, so for most of my structures I am sticking to plasticard (sometimes literally! )

 

You had me doubting myself there, so I went and checked, but yes, Slater's 4mm Dressed Stone item code 0424. It doesn't have much relief or surface detail, but if you look at the above photo of the building, neither does that, so it should work out OK.

[Physicsman]

Hi Jeff. As you know, I used ply for the basis of bridge, but unlike you, I'm not a very skilled craftsman when it comes to wood, so for most of my structures I am sticking to plasticard (sometimes literally! ) You had me doubting myself there, so I went and checked, but yes, Slater's 4mm Dressed Stone item code 0424. It doesn't have much relief or surface detail, but if you look at the above photo of the building, neither does that, so it should work out OK.

Thanks Al. I went and checked too. The 4mm is more like brickwork than the 7mm, but nevertheless attractive.

 

I'll get a few sheets for the next project and have a play.

 

I'd really like to have a go at carving DAS, but 4mm brickwork is a bit on the small side.

 

The funny thing is, we put all the effort into detailing and often nobody ever sees it! But why do it crap when you can try and do it properly?

 

Cheers.

 

Jeff

Edited June 23, 2013 by Physicsman

[Rowsley17D]

Hi Al,following your thread in the background so far. I like Bakewell so much and long for the day when PR get there, but probably not in my lifetime. I have fond memories of waiting on the footbridge for my Granny to arrive off a Manchester train in the early 60s. Bakewell is as near the Midland got to a standard design on the Manchester route with Rowsley and Hassop of a similar appearance and there was another down south somewhere? Are you going to have a go at those lovely awnings which have sadly disappeared?

[LNER4479]

Hi Al,

 

Like others I'm looking forward to seeing this building develop.

 

Just a thought if I may before you get too far into the build - how does your model of the (whole) station compare to the real thing in terms of absolute length? The reason for asking is that, if your platforms are (say 50%) of the scale length of the originals yet you build the station building to be absolutely scale length you might find that, magnificent structure though it will be in its own right, when placed on the platform it will out of proportion with the rest of the scene and you might lose the sense of spaciousness (is that a word?!)

 

If you were to build it 4 bays long (say) instead of 6 then you might find that it 'fits' better (has the added advantage that it won't take you as long!) Might be worth knocking up a quick cardboard mock-up (of the buildings both sides) and just trying it on the platform.

 

Otherwise, if you've already been through this thought process and have satisfied yourself that it'll be OK full size then 'go for it'. If the goods shed and the bridge are anything to go by then should be a cracker!

[bescotbeast]

Just caught up Al after a few weeks away and you've made some stunning progress, the Goods shed and bridge are a credit to you and when i tentatively get around to attempting my own scratch built buildings i'll use your thread as a motivation to keep going. Well done you must be really chuffed mate.

                                                                                  Simon

[Alister_G]

Hi Al,following your thread in the background so far. I like Bakewell so much and long for the day when PR get there, but probably not in my lifetime. I have fond memories of waiting on the footbridge for my Granny to arrive off a Manchester train in the early 60s. Bakewell is as near the Midland got to a standard design on the Manchester route with Rowsley and Hassop of a similar appearance and there was another down south somewhere? Are you going to have a go at those lovely awnings which have sadly disappeared?

 

Hi Jonathan, thanks very much.

 

Bakewell has some hazy memories for me also, as i was very little when the line was closed, but I do remember seeing trains through there, mostly diesels by my time though. Yes, the station buildings were quite distinctive, and as you say Bakewell, Rowsley and Hassop were all built to the same pattern.

 

I'm glad you mentioned the footbridge as I need to ask, does anyone know of anybody that makes a kit or etch for the standard "Butterley" pattern footbridge, which is the one  used at Bakewell. It is unlike any of the models that the usual suspects produce, and although I could try and scratchbuild it, I'm not sure my skills are up to it.

 

I will be recreating the awnings on the Down platform, but by the time I am modelling, the Up platform awnings were long gone. They were removed at around the time of the nationalisation, as far as I know.

 

Cheers,

 

Al

[Alister_G]

Hi Al,

 

Like others I'm looking forward to seeing this building develop.

 

Just a thought if I may before you get too far into the build - how does your model of the (whole) station compare to the real thing in terms of absolute length? The reason for asking is that, if your platforms are (say 50%) of the scale length of the originals yet you build the station building to be absolutely scale length you might find that, magnificent structure though it will be in its own right, when placed on the platform it will out of proportion with the rest of the scene and you might lose the sense of spaciousness (is that a word?!)

 

If you were to build it 4 bays long (say) instead of 6 then you might find that it 'fits' better (has the added advantage that it won't take you as long!) Might be worth knocking up a quick cardboard mock-up (of the buildings both sides) and just trying it on the platform.

 

Otherwise, if you've already been through this thought process and have satisfied yourself that it'll be OK full size then 'go for it'. If the goods shed and the bridge are anything to go by then should be a cracker!

 

 

Hi "Robert"

 

Thanks very much for your interest and support.

 

Most of the compromises I have made to the station area are to do with the curve, (being much sharper on the model than in reality) and the length of the platforms on the Up side of the bridge, beyond the scenic break, so the platform length from the bridge to the goods yard is not far off the prototype.

 

This means that hopefully the buildings at scale length should fit OK. If you look back to the early part of the thread, though, you will see that I did in fact make a rough cardboard representation of the main station building, which whilst not much like the prototype, was to scale length and width, and with this I was able to judge that everything should fit.

 

I'm hoping it will be a cracker, too

[Alister_G]

Just caught up Al after a few weeks away and you've made some stunning progress, the Goods shed and bridge are a credit to you and when i tentatively get around to attempting my own scratch built buildings i'll use your thread as a motivation to keep going. Well done you must be really chuffed mate.

                                                                                  Simon

 

Hi Simon, thank you.

 

I'm glad you like what I've done so far, and if it helps someone else to get started then that's even better

 

I am really chuffed with the bridge and the shed, they've turned out miles better than I thought they would when I started.

 

I'm a little nervous about the station, which is daft, as at worst, I can just give up and start again. I know how I want it to look, and I've got Bill Hudson's plans to work to, I'm just not clear in my head yet how I'm going to get it to look right.

 

This evening, I'm going to make a separate single arch test bit to see if my ideas will work. If it's any good, I might show it on here, if not, tough!

[Alister_G]

So, as (half) promised, I've made up one single arch to try and get some idea of all the bits I need to cut to make it all go together to form something like the prototype.

 

Here's a collection of pieces of plasticard roughly cut out of various offcuts:

 

 

I must reiterate these are very roughly cut, and aren't necessarily square or the right size.

 

Anyway, when balanced on top of each other, they form this:

 

 

I would really welcome some reassurance on this, as I can't make up my mind whether this is a good enough representation of the prototype arch, with all the different levels, see here:

 

 

I'm not particularly happy with the arch bit, but I'm not sure how else to do it.

 

Any help and suggestions gratefully received.

 

Thanks,

 

Al.

[Rowsley17D]

Hi Al, that arch mock-up looks ok to me once the arch stones are scribed and does that wide string course stand clear? Don't forget the plinth at the bottom.

 

 I have an unmade metal kit of a Midland footbridge, but cannot remember who makes it. I'll dig it out tonight and let you know. I seem to remember Hornby did a fair representation of one in plastic quite a few years ago. I had one but all that is left are the columns.

[Alister_G]

Hi Jonathan,

 

I'm not really happy with the arch, to be honest. I'm going to give it another go.

 

If you could find the maker of the footbridge, that would be excellent, thank you very much.