Bishops Stoke, change for East Lee ..Making rubbish from rubbish

[PhilH]

Retirement is looming (74 days) and I have been planning some projects to enjoy during this happy state. One will be the layout formally known as Roundyroundytrainset, which was so named because it is. It was started some time ago, but sloth and dissatisfaction gained the upper hand so it hasn't been touched in a year or two (or four).

 

It's now been renamed Bishops Stoke, change for East Lee, an homage to where I was born and did my trainspotting. The name is the only semblance of reality though, again I should stress it's just a roundyroundy trainset with a goods yard, branchline and engine shed nailed on. All I wanted, and still do, was to watch Bulleid Pacifics with 9 on belt through a biggish station in between shuffling engines, coaches and wagons around. So it is what it is, could be fun though.

 

I've decided that the only way to keep my interest up is to try and complete a bit of the trainset at a time rather than flit from bit to bit - to that end I've started work on the engine shed area, mind you remedial work is going to take a while/

 

I hesitated to post more on this, as due to lack of skill and possibly commitment it might not be the best, but it might just serve to keep me interested if I keep a thread going, plus, of course, someone's got to post some dross amongst all the masterpieces on here.

 

Anyway I've started to tidy up the engine shed area, plus added some bits and bobs. Still a lot to do...

 

Till next time (but don't hold your breath!)

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 7, 2017 by PhilH

[Sidecar Racer]

Welcome to the dross amoung the masterpiece's club Phil , I say that because it's how I feel about

the layout my mate and I are doing .

 

Our efforts have been over two years in progress so far and still some way to go .

 

 It will never be a Retford or Pempoule but it will be ours to enjoy the way we want it .

 

 We are now at a similar stage to you , we have all the main infastructure ( ? ) in place and have

now started to do the scenic work in earnest , this involves starting at one end and just working

our way round to the other end filling in all the details .

 

 I think this has to be a better way of getting the job done than jumping from one area to another

wth no ' game plan ' .

 

 I know a while ago you posted how you were unsure what to do with the layout , you had a lot

of feedback in support of continueing and I for one am pleased to see that you will be . There looks

to be plenty of potential to produce a nice model railway that will fulfill your plans .

 

 I will be watching your work with great interest and look forward to further updates as and when you

have someting to show us .

 

 Oh yes , welcome to world of retirement , if you  are anything like me you will not regret getting away

from work .  

[The Stationmaster]

.

 

 Oh yes , welcome to world of retirement , if you  are anything like me you will not regret getting away

from work .  

If you're anything like me you'll wonder how on earth you found the time to go to work!!

[gordon s]

Hi Phil, so glad to see this up and running again.  It was far too good to be left behind, particularly after all the stick you've given me over the years...

 

It's great news that your retirement is now within touching distance.  You've earned it so enjoy every last minute of it.  I'm staggered it's getting on for six years since I packed up and like most seniors on here, I have idea where the time went.

 

I shall look forward to following your progress updates...

[Pugsley]

it will be ours to enjoy the way we want it .

And that is the most important thing 8)

 

Look forward to seeing what you get up to Phil!  Edit - whatever happened to Bodge City?

Edited August 27, 2013 by Pugsley

[PhilH]

And that is the most important thing   Edit - whatever happened to Bodge City?

Still mouldering away - all track made and laid (Fastracks method, 1 tie in 7), probably what's been holding it off is the thought of laying a couple of thousand cosmetic ties...

Edited September 6, 2013 by PhilH

[PhilH]

Okydokey, time to send another clump of tumbleweed blowing through the ghost town that is this thread...

 

For some bizarre reason I decided that it would be a good idea to have a fence along the front side of the engine shed. That's ok, except it works out to around 1300mm in length, and having just finished the mortgage I wasn't about to take out another one to either purchase a proprietary product or finance the care home after I'd tried to thread fishing line through Ratio concrete posts.

 

So I had a thunk for a few days - then the Eureka moment. I was looking through an book of engine shed photos when I noticed lurking hazily in the background what appeared to be a fence of old sleepers placed on end. It appealed to me as a) it was made of scrap materials and B) it was delightfully higgledypiggledy, so it would fit in with the rest of my modelling.

 

Once I'd seen that photo, it became very obvious how to replicate it. 

 

I took some wooden coffee stirrers (every modeller should have these, useful on so many levels)

 

 

and using a home made jig and piercing saw slit them lengthways (I did this while watching some telly, not sure if the telly made the slitting less tedious or vice versa)

 

 

I then cut them to length using an old paper guillotine. After that I used this beastie

 

 

to cut a slot in the baseboard

 

 

PVA was then dribbled in and the individual sticks stuck on end in the slot.

 

 

Making sure they are fairly straight

 

 

In the nude

 

 

Edit : ###### pressed post too soon, anyway add some homemade sleeper grime, some gras and some flock stuff, it ended up like this WARNING lots of photos if bored easily leave now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PS Yes I know the minerals are clean, only chucked there to set the scene and yes, I know there is subsidence in the engine shed!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 8, 2013 by PhilH

[eldavo]

That works but where are the small boys with notebooks peering over it?

 

Can't believe you didn't drill holes for the chair bolts!

 

Cheers

Dave

[Sidecar Racer]

I like that Phil , now the eye is drawn into the scene by looking over the fence , it's made a huge difference

already .

[PhilH]

I've been playing around with the back of the engine shed, I think this will do for now apart from a buffer stop, especially as most of this can't be seen from the normal operating position. 

 

[PhilH]

Baby steps on the trainset aka not much to report, just a couple of these in the engine shed.

 

 

 

[Bibby Line]

Coming on well Phil.

 

Love the view of the Bulled 5500 gallon tender poking through the rear of the shed. Brings back many memories. Do you run the Bulleids with 10 on?

 

Also the cycle rack and what could be toilets at the rear of the shed. Looks much like a photo at 71A.

 

Eddie

[PhilH]

Cheers Eddie.The privy was indeed modelled from a picture of the thunder box at 71A. 

[eldavo]

Looks like it'll stop most things. More coffee stirrers?

 

Cheers

Dave

[PhilH]

Looks like it'll stop most things. More coffee stirrers?

Cheers

Dave

No, it's the Peco plastic jobby, but instead of the plastic top I filled it up with the coarser bits left over when I sifted the beach sand for the ballast.

[PhilH]

or how to try and make a bit of dead tree look like it's not a bit of dead tree, um, with some green stuff. 

 

Tarting up the cutting 

 

OOps too much glue..

 

 

 

TTFN.

[eldavo]

Looks allright mate though obviously it ought to be a chalk cutting!

 

Cheers

Dave

[PhilH]

Funny you should say that, I found a bag of chalk lumps in the loft today...couldn't find it when I wanted it.

[Bibby Line]

Any progress Phil.

 

How about a video of a Bulleid with ten on passing by the shed.

 

Eddie

[PhilH]

Three and a half years...doesn't time fly. Anyway I've decided to have another look at the roundy roundy trainset. A lot to be done but I thought I'd start with a foorbridge for the main station. It's a bit of a beast having to span six tracks over three platforms. Usual construction method, design as you go, use any rubbish lying around (I did have some Dornoplas windows in stock though) It's not good, I'm not a good modeller,but I've quite enjoyed it which I guess is what it's all about.

 

I'm going to put a representation of banner repeaters on the platform, have no idea how I'll do that yet but it will come to me (they will be non working)

 

I just have the main and stair roofs to do plus details. With a bit of luck I'll finish it before I get bored with it. Anyway this is it so far.

 

Edited May 7, 2017 by PhilH

[PhilH]

Made some progress with the bridge, but as predicted a bit bored with it now. Weathering and more details to be done but temporarily plonked on the trainset now, out of sight out of mind for a bit.

 

Anyway, current state of play.

 

 

Edited May 14, 2017 by PhilH

[Bibby Line]

Over 3 years since my last post! Well done Phil.

 

I think it looks like an important mainline station. The bridge looks really good, reminds me of Clapham Junction.

 

Ed

[Colin]

Great work Phil, the bridge looks very Southern, reminds me of pics I have seen of one of the stations on the outskirts of Bournemouth- I forget which one.

Edited January 13, 2018 by Colin

[PhilH]

Crikey...don't think I've been up in the loft since that last post. Everything is probably covered in cobwebs now, might have a look at some stage.

[Colin]

Reminds me of when I left my old garage layout untouched for about 3 weeks; when I came back from holiday and ran the first train there was a big cobweb, complete with spider, hanging off the front of 34013 as she exited the fiddle yard.