Gresby - N Gauge Great Central (MS&LR 90s-2000s)

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

Today I have actually done some work on the layout - not much because today was cloudy in Helsinki so it got dark two hours earlier and I still don't have a work lamp



I painted the sides of the rails on the second board and made a start on the concrete loading area and fuel delivery siding - I didn't quite get finished by the time it got dark but if the sun comes out tomorrow I'll try for some better pictures. This is the first layer of the hard standing in mounting board, the second layer will either be in mounting board or layers of thinner card.

I'm not sure whether to do the space between the rails with card or filler - any suggestions?

I also did some tidying up of my bits boxes and found this:

Not sure if I should try and save it or put it back in the box for another few years...!

Tomorrow I want to get the ducting and dummy point motors on the second board; then ballasting and I'll have to see about weathering!

Lots to do!

Simon

Edited August 30, 2017 by MrSimon

[Kris]

Good to see that you're going again. I think that your lamp should be right at the top of the list of purchases.

[MrSimon]

I think a lamp is definately the next thing i buy - I touched up some paint on a coach earlier and I've just seen what a mess I made!

 

Simon

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

The sun came out today and I managed to take some better pictures of yesterdays work:


This is the buffer stop end, the siding on the left will be fully inlaid with concrete, the siding on the right will be ballasted and weedy with a Noch crash barrier protecting the track.


This end of the sidings will have security fences and gates with an oil pipe running on a bridge over the mainline hiding the sector plate.

I'm going to put a second layer of card on this afternoon but I have to go up to the attic first and find where I put it

Snow tomorrow!

Simon

Edited August 30, 2017 by MrSimon

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

This afternoon I christened my new lamp with a spot of modelling. It was hard to know what to do first, its been so long since I've done much, so I decided to start finishing the house I started in the summer.

The sides had curled a bit, I think its the normal plasticard curl combined with lashings of cement on the back and a few months wrapped up in a box - I'm hoping the curl goes when its stuck to some sort of strengthening skeleton:


I thought I would start on the back of the building because of the large ammount of construction still needed on the front, so I stuck together the extension - next job is the chimney and neatening up the joints/paint work and then gutters and some sort of interior detail - must get my mojo back after two months off!

I think maybe the Ratio roofing sheets are a bit thick...

I also prepared a test piece to try out using milliput for inlaid track. I'll put some pics up when there is something to see.

Lots to do!

Simon

Edited August 30, 2017 by MrSimon

[Kris]

Well, it's going to be easy for the owners of that house to give it a name.

 

I have found that it is always work while giving some form of frame to "larger"* plasticard models to stop the warping. In many cases this framework has turned out to be internal walls.

 

* In my eyes that house would count as a larger model due to the height.

[BernardTPM]

As a test, starting on a smaller and simpler structure, at the start of this month I made two mirror image walls layered from 80 thou." Evergreen sheet with Slater's Flemish bond 20 thou." brick Plasticard one laminated with cyno and the other with normal (Humbrol) solvent and left them to see what happens. Well, after about two and a half weeks the cyno bonded wall is still dead flat when laid on a mirror while the solvent bonded one just shows a chink of daylight, which wasn't there at the start. Conclusion, I'm planning on laminating with cyno and keeping the solvent for bonding corners and other places where there is direct continuous support (e.g. round a floor or ceiling or at a corner).

Incidentally, if you build compartment stock, don't glue the partitions to the sides, but do ensure they are all the same tickness and in line; I guess building internal walls and intermediate floors would be much the same. If glued, there's a tendency to create a slight dimple effect either side of the partition. I build a NG Third like that just over 30 years ago and the sides are still pretty much flat. They're not that thick either; a layer of 10 thou. clear overlaid with a 10 thou." white panelling fret. Of course, the bodyshell is glued at floor and (false) ceiling height and at the corners. On the other hand, a side I built for a 4mm scale 1930s Collett full brake just three or four years earlier, laminated from three layers and over 1mm thick, has warped all over the place.

[MrSimon]

Hi Bernard,

Whats cyno? I've seen it written in places but never known what it was - is there a brand you can reccommend? Is the advice about compartments also true for brass sides/compartments? I've still got a load of stuff to build for my Dad...


Today I found the mounting board inner-shell I bult for the house in the summer and glued it in:


Its a definate inprovement to yesterday's picture! I'm slightly worried that the evostick I used will eat the building from the inside out - the small test piece I did hasn't been dissolved yet but I'll know for definite in the next 24 hours (and if it dissolves I've still got the front and will build a new back and sides and chalk it down to experience)


Here is the view from the side, the card managed to get all the curl out! This evening I'll be making a start on the interior details and the back yard.

I need to get the hang of using the lamp for taking close up shots

Thanks again for the advice Bernard and Kris!

Simon

Edited August 30, 2017 by MrSimon

[Kris]

Cyno = superglue (at least to me) Simon.

[BernardTPM]

Yup, cyno = cyanoacrylate = superglue. These days I tend to buy the cheap multi packs from 99p/£1 shops as you can never seem to get to the end of a large pack without it going off. I have also used double-sided tape for laminating plasticard as well, but it's hard to get really good quality stuff, tedious to apply to larger areas and adds to the thickness.

Come to think of it, I should probably say cyano rather than cyno

[MrSimon]

Morning!

I would never have thought to use superglue for laminating - I'm usually pretty messy with it and would end up with things stuck in my hair and allsorts! I'll give it a go on the next thing I make

Last night I made the interior walls for the house I've been working on, then I think the glue fumes got to me and I made furniture to go in it...


Here is the front, I've not put the furniture in the downstairs flat yet, it needs a bit more detail than the upstairs flat because it has large windows and its right on the front edge of the layout.


The back, I'm not sure why I put the full flight of stairs in - I think I thought it would be more visible than it actually is!


Her is the back of the house with the interior fitted. I put the roof together last night but it needs a bit more work (and sticking down) once the interior is fitted I can put the front wall on and detail the outside walls!

Lots to do!

Simon

Edited August 30, 2017 by MrSimon

[MrSimon]

Hello Everybody!

This afternoon I did a bit of work trying to finish the house and got the interior finished and the front inner and outer walls fitted:


I can't tell if the front wall bows out slightly, but the corner is slightly off and I can't quite get it square - but i do know which corner I'm putting the downpipe on! Later on or tomorrow I'm going to make a start on the shop front and see if I can wrestle the roof into position...

So much to do!

Simon

Edited August 30, 2017 by MrSimon

[Kris]

That's looking very nice Simon. Are you going to light it so the furniture can be seen?

[Steven B]

I'm really enjoying reading about the progress on this layout - you can almost smell the stale urine and vomit from the underpass!

 

Any plans to exhibit the layout when it's finished?

 

Happy modelling.

 

Steven B.

[MrSimon]

Hi Kris and Steven,

Thanks for your comments, its good to be getting back into the swing of building things and posting the progress on here - it really spurs me on! I thought about putting lights in but decided against it; but its something I'd like to try on Gresby's replacement (assuming I can get lights small enough )

I would like to exhibit when its finished - either in its present form or extended - it will be a few years before its ready and back in the UK, but I'd maybe give exhibiting it in Finland a whirl.

I managed to get a bit more modelling done, I would have liked to do more but it took me forever to cut out the arch above the front door - the inner arch is smalled than my cutting-compass thing can manage


Here is the shop front, I'm going to paint all the wood work later today and then make the window frames when the paint is dried.

I also made a new base for the building. The original bit of street I made in the summer didn't go back far enough and I thought it would be a good idea to make the backyard the same level as the street, and make it in one piece so the building can be fully bedded in away from the baseboard:


The front showing the pavement. When I've finished all the paths etc in the back yard I will cut out the footprint of the building and fit it to the base. I'm not sure if I like the back wall yet, and I might make a new one later.


The back yard. I need to add some meter boxes on the end of the extension, some gates, a shed, down pipes from the kitchens and bathrooms, and I need to dig out the lawn and lay some grass. If I change the back wall it will be plainer and will have a coal hole.

Lots to do!

Simon

Edited August 30, 2017 by MrSimon

[Kris]

From a bendy start that has come on very well. The door frame is particularly effective.

[MrSimon]

Hehe thank you - the walls are like a British Rail sandwich in reverse

 

I gave the doorframe its first coat of paint today, one more and I'll be ready to fit all the upvc-style window and door frames - will take photos tomorrow when its light

 

Thanks again

 

Simon

[grahame]

Great observation, great modelling, great thread. Keep it up.

 

G.

[MrSimon]

Thanks Grahame!

Yesterday I got the barge-boards, gutters and some of the downpipes done on the main house - they need a bit more work and the black toning down:


I also need to alter the roof slightly so it sits a bit lower, but I'm pretty happy with how it looks.


The guttering and downpipe on the extension, just the pipe coming from the appliances in the extension to put on and then add some mossy weathering on the north-facing bits.


Here is the shop-front with the uPVC glazing fitted... it took forever! It looks a bit white and I want to tone the white down, but not too much because its supposed to be uPVC - does anyone have any tips?

Lots to do!

Simon

PS. its -14 and snowy outside and the traffic and trams are still running smoothly

Edited August 30, 2017 by MrSimon

[Kris]

Possibly just painting it white rather than using the colour of the raw plastic will take the harshness off it. At the moment the raw plastic will have a different texture to the planted surface, being semi glossy.

 

The flat black finish of the shop front makes me think that you have modelled a "Private shop".

[MrSimon]

Haha I never thought of that! Its supposed to be an old shop thats been converted into a ground floor flat, hence the windows being filled in with white plastic instead of glass.

 

The white paint sounds like a good idea, I'll give it a bash!

 

Simon

[Forward!]

great to see it coming on. Are you going to paint the blocked up window differently? A piece of masking tape applied to the outline of the window between the final 'brick' colour and the weathering coat will do the trick.

 

I envy your new location! We have friends over here who are from up near Tampere, so we get an occasional holiday on the lakes. It really is such a 'well sorted' country!

[Southernboy]

Some lovely detailed work there Simon ... always an inspiration.

In particular the shop front is an eye-catcher

[MrSimon]

Hi Forward!

I'm still getting used to being here, its pretty cool but I've not ventured furthur north than the airport The window on the shop front is a PVC window with the lower parts made from opaque uPVC panels like on the building I'm copying - it must be more reversable than bricking the window up - so they've just been painted matt white to match the frames. Theres a bricked up window round the back which is a slightly different colour to the surrounding brickwork, but I'm not sure how well this shows up on the pictures.

Hi Southernboy

Glad your enjoying it, how's Frankland coming on? I've not seen an update for a while

I'm almost ready to attach the shop front to the shop and move on to the next building. Today I was doing a bit of work on the back yard of the shop, first off was a replacement back wall with coal hole and old coal bunker. Next up was a garden shed:


The shed was made from plasticard, and then clad in Evergreen 0.25 x 1.00mm strips after trying to scribe the planks didn't turn out very well.


The shed and coal bunker. I need to paint the paving slabs the shed is placed on before everything is stuck down.


The shed from the end of the drive. Todays third little task was adding meter boxes to the extension - they just need some details scribing in to them and dirtying up a bit.

Lots to do!

Simon

Edited August 30, 2017 by MrSimon

[Flying Pig]

Great observation, great modelling, great thread. Keep it up.

 

G.

What Grahame said, in spades, particularly the observation.