Cwm Bach - A South Wales Branch Line

[Barnaby]

WOWSA looking very lived in and coming alive.

 

Nice work Chris

 

regards

[Earl Bathurst]

Nice pictures of your progress look forward to more updates. Is the fowler sold in black aswell?

Scott

[81A Oldoak]

Nice pictures of your progress look forward to more updates. Is the fowler sold in black aswell?

Scott

Scott,

The Fowler is sold in GWR lined green and plain green. Kitchener is a simple respray with Halfords sating black and you can seem close-up photos at Post 109 on this page: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/78328-ixion-0-gauge-fowler-diesel-loco/page-5

[81A Oldoak]

After months of procrastination, I am seriously turning my attention to the backscene and in particular the retaining walls. I have ruled out a handmade job from clay a la Chaz Harrison as I I don't think I have long enough to live to complete it so the choice is between Slaters' 7mm scale stone and Wills Coarse Stone SM200. The photos show the results of some experiments. I painted the stonework with Precision Paints Dirty Black and wiped off the paint before it dried. I think the Wills stonework looks better and looks quite convincing despite being nominally 4mm scale. I would require a fair number of sheets and they will need careful assembly to disguise the joints.

[DanielB]

Looking good Chris. I prefer the smaller stone, but it depends on what the prototype looks like really.

[Barnaby]

Chris, SE Finecast do "dressed stone blocks" embossed plastic sheets FBS 717 which are similar to the Slater version.  One BIG  asset is that the sheets are approx 14" long by 10" high so they might not look as good as the Wills ones but will save a lot in install. Swings and round-a-bouts I guess.

SE F/cast web page is a bit sparse but Antics model shops hold their stock if there is one near you.  I asked SE F for some info on them and he sent me a photo copy of the 7mm range, but I don't think they would stand copying again.

 

I have ordered some "Granite setts" to check them out for my project as I'm a little worried that the bigger sheets might effect how good the embossing is.

 

Regards

Edited August 12, 2014 by Barnaby

[alant]

Chris,

 

Good progress.

 

I personally think the Wills offering looks better than Slater's, although more work to join as you say.

 

Alan.

[ffayolle]

Nice trackplan

Thanks for this sharing

Edited August 12, 2014 by ffayolle

[81A Oldoak]

Chris, have you thought about casting your own stonework in resin? I made a master from polyfilla, with added PVA in the mix. Then carved the pattern. From this I made a rubber mold, then cast as many as I wanted.

Paul,

I confess that I haven't considered resin casting. I am aware of the method, but as I haven't done it before it's not at the forefront of my mind. Would a panel of approx 10" x 7" be viable and what typically is the weight? It seems I may need to proceastinate a decision pending research, but there plenty of other things to be doing including ballasting.

 

Regards,

 

Chris

 

Chris

[Giles]

I made a simple latex mould, and then cast sections in hydrocal (the light-weight plaster) with a but of muslin cloth at the back for strength, for the long wall on The End of the Line. This had the advantage that paint soaks into it (small advantage, but it suited me) and you can also hack it about......

 

[3 link]

Hi Chris,

 

A bit off topic but I have just notice that there is a couple of your loco's residing on one of my favourite layout, Hospital Gates and they are well suited for that type of layout. If you have not seen the thread from " over there " try :-  http://www.westernthunder.co.uk/index.php?threads/hospital-gates.949/ if this is old news to you please ignore my waffle!

 

ATB,

 

Martyn.

Edited August 12, 2014 by 3 link

[Donw]

Alan Darg did an article on casting resin and making the moulds which I put in the gazette  about 15 years ago. It would be accessible on the guild archive just search using the Authors name.

I thought it a good article but I did take the pictures while he went through the process. These days I would probably do a video.

Don

[81A Oldoak]

Hi Chris,

 

A bit off topic but I have just notice that there is a couple of your loco's residing on one of my favourite layout, Hospital Gates and they are well suited for that type of layout. If you have not seen the thread from " over there " try :-  http://www.westernthunder.co.uk/index.php?threads/hospital-gates.949/ if this is old news to you please ignore my waffle!

 

ATB,

 

Martyn.

Martyn,

Hospital Gates is one of my favourite 0 Gauge layouts. Superb in every respect, but especially concept, design, execution and operation (which I think covers everything).

 

Regards,

 

Chris

[ianwales]

I have started work on the embankment that separates the colliery branch from the "main line". The photos show the sequence of work so far. For this small area a foundation made from redundant cardboard packaging (the sheets that sit in between the layers of Ixion locos in the packing cases) cut and glued in place with the ever useful hot-glue gun. This is covered with the cheapest brand of kitchen roll available which is held in place with diluted pva glue. It forms hard, but lightweight shell that takes paint well. The small retaining wall is built from Wills Coarse Stone SSMP200. It is nominally 4mm scale, but looks well. I painted it with Precision Paints matt dirty black and wiped off most of the paint while is was wet. The result is effective, but may not work for a large expanse of walling. We shall see.

 

The next stages are to apply ordinary flock as a grass base followed by an application of static grass as demonstrated to me by Maggie Gravett at Railex in May. I still haven't finished the ballasting so work is not quite progressing in a logical sequence, but I do like to punctuate boring jobs with more interesting tasks. I must  fit facing point lock covers to the three-way and I will scratch-build a platelayer's hut to fill the flat space to the right of the signal box. .

 

There will probably be a short hiatus in activity as my grandson and his parents arrive from the USA today in readiness for my son James's wedding on Saturday.

 

Chris

 

Can I ask how you did the Signalbox nameplate please?

 

ian

[2ManySpams]

Hi Chris,

 

A bit off topic but I have just notice that there is a couple of your loco's residing on one of my favourite layout, Hospital Gates and they are well suited for that type of layout. If you have not seen the thread from " over there " try :- http://www.westernthunder.co.uk/index.php?threads/hospital-gates.949/ if this is old news to you please ignore my waffle!

 

ATB,

 

Martyn.

Love Hospital Gates too - shows what can be done in a reasonably small space. Certainly influenced my decision to build a layout in 7mm.

 

(pity about all the tiresome references to 'the other forum' though - I wasn't aware RMweb was Satan's forum ;-p )

[3 link]

 

(pity about all the tiresome references to 'the other forum' though - I wasn't aware RMweb was Satan's forum ;-p )

 

Jovial banter dear boy ;-p

[DanielB]

It's all about the banter!

[81A Oldoak]

Chris

 

Can I ask how you did the Signalbox nameplate please?

 

ian

Ian,

The signal box nameplate was custom etched by Guilplates and cost about £12 in 2007. As a precaution, I had nameplates etched at the same time for Abersoch and Boduan Junction just in case I decide to resurrect those famed locations in 7mm scale and, needless to say, I can't remember where I have stored them.

 

Regards,

 

Chris

[ianwales]

I thought Steve Fay might enjoy this. The theory is that she might have wandered off the Brecon & Merthyr line to Cwm Bach following a trip to Newport. The Ivatt 2MTneeds to be renumbered, probably as a Brecon-based loco that would have run up to Moat Lane or down to Newport. I also need to procure and fit a suitable DCC sound decoder. More tasks to add to the list.

 

Hi Chris

 

Many thanks for your reply regarding the Signalbox Plate, can I also ask how long is the 2MT over buffers please? I want to make the headshunt for my run round Ok for smaller locos, but, have to use a station pilot for longer ones.

 

Ian

 

P:S I'm currently sat in the Signalbox at Port talbot not far from Abergwynfi.

Edited August 13, 2014 by ianwales

[81A Oldoak]

Hi Chris

 

Many thanks for your reply regarding the Signalbox Plate, can I also ask how long is the 2MT over buffers please? I want to make the headshunt for my run round Ok for smaller locos, but, have to use a station pilot for longer ones.

 

Ian

 

P:S I'm currently sat in the Signalbox at Port talbot not far from Abergwynfi.

Ian,

The 2MT is 37.3 cms over the buffers. 

Chris

[Osgood]

It's all about the banter!

 

You mean Big Bertha?  The Lickey Banter?

[81A Oldoak]

Here is the final stage of grassing the embankment that separates the mainline from the colliery branch on Cwm Bach. The grass is made from static fibres applied with the Noch Grassmaster applicator.  The base layer of grass is a blend of Woodland Scenics Medium Green FL635 and Woodland Scenics Burnt Grass FL633 laid in Unibond PVA adhesive. The fibres range in length from 1mm to 3mm. when set, I vacuumed the grass using the foot from a nylon pop sock in the pipe of the vacuum cleaner to catch the loose fibres. A second layer of 6mm fibres called Harvest Gold (brand forgotten) was applied using the cheapest available hair spray from Morrisons (purchased in Alylesbury on the way home from Railex in May). Interestingly, Maggie Gravett recommended and used cheap hair spray on the Gravetts' demo stand at Railex that day, but Gordon's book on modelling grassland advises against the use of hair spray; I'll leave them to sort out that little domestic difference.

 

This is my first proper attempt at using static grass and I am generally satisfied with the appearance, though I think it looks a little too neat. I did place some Woodland Scenics clumping material on the uncercover to break up the surface, but I think that further detailing of the ground is necessary in 7mm scale. I may position some sheep on the bank as they were notorious trespassers on railway property in the upper reaches of The Valleys. A lot of detail work needs to be done around the base of the signal box ladder and coal bunker. I also need to install the boards that cover where the point rodding emerges from the signal box, but I must turn my attention to finishing the ballasting and installing the retaining wall along the backscene.

[Miss Prism]

Looks great, but to be brutal and unfair, it's too neat, too perfect, too consistent, and too green.

[DanielB]

It's definitely too neat - try adding some straw coloured grass too as well as some darker coloured grass, plus bushes, flowers and some railway detritus.

 

The line behind the signal cabin is to the colliery(?), maybe add a couple of lumps of spilled coal that might have escaped from a wagon at some point.

[Barnaby]

This early first stage lay down of grassing is looking very good Chris.   Can't wait until that lived in look has been applied but already imagining the hiss of steam and the hum of a diesel.

 

Regards