Brian D Posted August 20, 2015 Author Share Posted August 20, 2015 Some pictures follow showing platform construction as promised. First of all I am reposting the picture in post #390 which shows the 2 mm thick platform top prior to "demolition". And now a similar view showing the reconstructed platform with 1 mm thick platform top. I know which one I prefer but each to his own. The following shows the structural form with the many hidden supports. These and the platform edge strips are 15 mm wide which, with a 1 mm deck and Peco track 4 mm high, gives a platform level 12 mm or 3 scale feet above rail level. The DMU and the 08 shunter are checking clearances. Where the platform tapers, I used grease proof paper as tracing paper to get the right shape for the decking card... ...and the usual kentledge applied following a liberal but careful application of UHU glue. This shot shows progress so far - nearly all of platform 1 is complete and about 75% of platform 2. Thoughts are now turning to station building construction but more on that topic another time :-) Regards, Brian. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 Nice job there Brian, but what's that YELLOW THING for , hahhah, that's something I never use. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sp1 Posted August 20, 2015 Share Posted August 20, 2015 Nice job there Brian, but what's that YELLOW THING for , hahhah, that's something I never use. UHUoooo! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted August 21, 2015 Author Share Posted August 21, 2015 Nice job there Brian, but what's that YELLOW THING for , hahhah, that's something I never use. UHUoooo! Andy, The YELLOW THING - do you mean the spirit level? It's a cheap one out of Asda which gives different readings depending on which side you look at it but is a useful longish heavy weight. Or the glue? which strings at the drop of a hat but thankfully not over anything crucial yet. sp1 UHUooo to you too Regards, Brian. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted August 23, 2015 Author Share Posted August 23, 2015 Platform construction is taking a rest - I like a rest from time to time For a while now I've thought that a stepped terrace of houses should be positioned behind the retaining wall, finished in the same ashlar stone, the theory being that these were built as railway employee cottages at the same time as the station. The trusty TurboCAD was used to fab up a kit of parts (i.e. A4 drawings to stick on sheets of grey board to be cut, covered with texture sheet and glued together). Below is the drawing of the front elevations of the cottages duplicated to save card waste. This afternoon I have manufactured the first two wall panels and have plonked them in position to see how they look. This will be a very slow build but probably worth it in the end - nothing running on the track will be scratch built but most of the buildings will be. Regards, Brian. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Removed a/c Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 very nice following along with interest. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted August 23, 2015 Share Posted August 23, 2015 Far to technical for me Brian, its given me a headache, back to Grass I think its much easier to do. hahhaha Looks really good though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted August 23, 2015 Author Share Posted August 23, 2015 very nice following along with interest. Dear britfarmer, It is always great to have posive feedback about my ramblings, especially from so far away. Regards, Brian. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted August 23, 2015 Author Share Posted August 23, 2015 Far to technical for me Brian, its given me a headache, back to Grass I think its much easier to do. hahhaha Looks really good though. Thanks Andy. At some point there will be some (the dreaded word) grass on the layout but not at the terminus end, or at least not much. Regards, Brian. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted August 27, 2015 Author Share Posted August 27, 2015 (edited) Not a huge amount of progress made this week - I've been laid low by a bug of some sort, feeling much better in the last couple of days though. Two dwellings in the "cascade of cottages" have now been completed, apart from chimney caps and pots - see below. Two more to add full relief with up to 5 more tapering low relief. More in due course. Regards, Brian. Edited August 27, 2015 by Brian D 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted August 30, 2015 Author Share Posted August 30, 2015 Latest Update: The cottage cascade now has 4 dwellings completed, the intention is to add 4 more tapering down in relief but still preserving a full size chimney on each. Here they are posed on the layout. Please note that the chimney for the next, as yet unbuilt, cottage forms part of the party wall of the fourth cottage. The final cottage at the top of the cascade will have a chimney-less gable end - 8 cottages, 8 chimneys. I've been researching suitable NER style station buildings for the layout. Handily, in one of my North Eastern Railway Association (NERA) books there is a plan, or more correctly a series of elevations, of a decent looking building so I have scanned it and fiddled about with it in TurboCAD (importing it as am image) and managed to print it on to 4 A4 sheets at what I hope is full size for 4 mm scale. Today, I have spent a happy hour or so in the shed cutting the printed images out, gluesticking them on to corrugated card, cutting the shapes and some others and hot glue gunning the bits together to form a mock up of this "H" shape building. This is the result. I am still undecided as to where to locate the building so have posed it in two locations. Firstly, perpendicular to the platforms behind the buffer stops (probably the best location considering this is a terminus station). Secondly, parallel to the platforms thus. Sorry about all the clutter in the background - the layout is obviously still a work in progress but hopefully you will get the idea. I'm probably leaning towards situating the station building behind the buffer stops but I'm still unsure whether this building has enough presense, perhaps additional stories on all three wings. Anyway, food for thought. Regards, Brian. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
emt_911 Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 Looking good Brian. Personally, I'd place it behind the buffer stops. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 That's excellent Brian, I've never seen it done that way before I don't think, it should look really good. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted August 31, 2015 Author Share Posted August 31, 2015 Looking good Brian. Personally, I'd place it behind the buffer stops. I tend to agree with you Duncan - that's probably where the final version will end up. That's excellent Brian, I've never seen it done that way before I don't think, it should look really good. Thanks, Andy - it's only a mock up but helps me in the overall planning. I'm looking forward to building the real thing once I've finished the cottages and the platforms. Regards, Brian. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Latest Update: The cottage cascade now has 4 dwellings completed, the intention is to add 4 more tapering down in relief but still preserving a full size chimney on each. Here they are posed on the layout. Please note that the chimney for the next, as yet unbuilt, cottage forms part of the party wall of the fourth cottage. The final cottage at the top of the cascade will have a chimney-less gable end - 8 cottages, 8 chimneys. station1.jpg I've been researching suitable NER style station buildings for the layout. Handily, in one of my North Eastern Railway Association (NERA) books there is a plan, or more correctly a series of elevations, of a decent looking building so I have scanned it and fiddled about with it in TurboCAD (importing it as am image) and managed to print it on to 4 A4 sheets at what I hope is full size for 4 mm scale. Today, I have spent a happy hour or so in the shed cutting the printed images out, gluesticking them on to corrugated card, cutting the shapes and some others and hot glue gunning the bits together to form a mock up of this "H" shape building. This is the result. station2.jpg I am still undecided as to where to locate the building so have posed it in two locations. Firstly, perpendicular to the platforms behind the buffer stops (probably the best location considering this is a terminus station). station3.jpg Secondly, parallel to the platforms thus. station4.jpg Sorry about all the clutter in the background - the layout is obviously still a work in progress but hopefully you will get the idea. I'm probably leaning towards situating the station building behind the buffer stops but I'm still unsure whether this building has enough presense, perhaps additional stories on all three wings. Anyway, food for thought. Regards, Brian. Just a quick question on the NERA book. Which one please, and does it include Croft Spa? All the very best Les 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted August 31, 2015 Author Share Posted August 31, 2015 Just a quick question on the NERA book. Which one please, and does it include Croft Spa? All the very best Les Hi Les, My volume is entitled "A History of NER Architecture - Volume 3: Bell and Beyond". There is, unfortunately, no reference to Croft Spa in the index. I know of Croft aerodrome/race track which prompted me to refer to my railway maps which confirmed this location as just south of Darlington on the ECML. Maybe the earlier volumes make reference to this station, or you can always join NERA and hopefully research further. Intriguing - what are you planning? Regards, Brian. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les1952 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 (edited) Already an NERA member. It looks like vol 1 or 2 then. Many thanks. Croft Spa was a short station on the ECML South of Darlington. Main line trains never stopped there (only Richmond branch trains). It lay between two overbridges and certainly in later years there were no points in the station. It was also in cutting between the overbridges- ideal for an exhibition roundy-roundy- and it will almost fit into a ten foot layout in N without compression. It also had low platforms with portable steps to get into the trains- a real anachronism. One pair of odd trains passing through were the Catterick troop specials, which were worked to Catterick by a tender-first V2 as the working reversed first at Darlington then at Catterick Bridge. the loco was turned at Darlington to work South but this also needed running tender-first from Catterick Bridge to Darlington Assuming I can find workshop space the layout will start next year after No Place is finished. All the very best and apologies for hijacking your thread. Les Edited August 31, 2015 by Les1952 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted September 1, 2015 Author Share Posted September 1, 2015 Hi Les, Your reference to Croft Spa prompted me to look in another of my NERA tomes entitled "A Portrait of the North Eastern Railway". On page 18 there is an old colour picture (not sure whether it is a painting or a coloured photo) of the station showing a single trailing cross over between the two main lines. There is also a paragraph of info. Please PM me if you want a copy. Regards, Brian. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted September 7, 2015 Author Share Posted September 7, 2015 Not much progress has been made in the last week or so - "real world" stuff has intervened (daughter's wedding, new car, replacing kitchen mono mixer tap, preparing for forthcoming jollies, etc). However, the Scalescenes' church has caught my eye so I have purchased the kit. I just need to find room for it. I'm hoping it will "fit" behind platform 4 with the elevation shown in the photo at the foot of the above collage facing the railway with perhaps a small cemetary green between the church and the station boundary wall. It's a big beast though, over a foot long and 10 inches tall. I need to build a mock up to see how it looks. If it doesn't fit there, I'm minded to place it behind the as yet unbuilt viaduct - shades of Durham on the ECML. Anyway, there will now be a short intermission whilst me and Mrs D hop off on further jollies - ah, the joys of retirement - off peak jollies. I'll be keeping watch on my tablet though. 'Bye for now. Regards, Brian. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted September 30, 2015 Author Share Posted September 30, 2015 (edited) Holiday and wedding now behind us, back to reality, or more correctly the shed Having decided to place the station building behind the buffer stops, a short term programme of work is now evisaged including extending the further most platform road to match the other three, finishing the platform construction and making the station building. I must also finish the row of cottages I started. So, track laying has recommenced - a 384 mm length of straight track to extend the rear most platform road. Here it is, sleepers spaced, droppers soldered to the rail underside and spray painted. The baseboard has already been painted grey and the track will be laid and ballasted tomorrow. Meanwhile, we have a visitor from 31A Cambridge (via a certain Liverpool store). I'm sure we will see more of this diminutive little engine on excursions from the south. Regards, Brian. Edited October 1, 2015 by Brian D 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted October 6, 2015 Author Share Posted October 6, 2015 The latest progress report follows. Platform construction is now complete. The "podium" area supporting the station building and its environs is well advanced. The supporting frame work is 2 mm thick x 15 mm wide greyboard strips glue gunned to the baseboard and each other. I have posed the station building mock up on a sheet of Scalescenes' paving to get a feel for how the area will look when complete. I'm minded to ramp the area down to the right of the station building to give supposed vehicle access down to the goods yard area. Regards, Brian. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted October 7, 2015 Author Share Posted October 7, 2015 I've not been in the shed much today (my back is playing up) so I've spent some time sitting down on the computer using TurboCAD to draw the various model elements of the station building. Firstly the windows. These were scaled from the drawing in "North Eastern Railway Architecture: Bell & Beyond" but the various arches modified in radius to match Scalescenes' stone arch lintols. They will be printed on to A4 self adhesive label paper, the window glass apertures cut out and the windows stuck unto clear acetate sheet (report cover material). Secondly the main front and rear single and double storey walls. There are numerous construction lines here as well as the main outlines, windows and doors. These are to help construction. The main external walls will comprise one outer 2 mm thick greyboard section covered in Scalescenes' ashlar texture sheet with the acetate windows glued to the reverse side and an inner 2 mm thick greyboard section glued behind to form a sandwich type construction. The window openings have been "cut & pasted" from sheet 1 so also show the various panes which obviously will be cut away to form the window opening. Finally, the main two storey gable ends incorporating the relatively massive chimneys and the side walls of the single storey wings. I'll post more pictures as the build unfolds. Regards, Brian. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted October 8, 2015 Author Share Posted October 8, 2015 A summary of todays progress follows. Construction of the station building has commenced. Below is a picture of the work area (dining room table) showing some of the tools and materials used. The primary elements of the sandwich construction are shown here... ...and glued together here (you can't have too many clamps!). Meanwhile, I ordered a Dapol/Kitmaster footbridge kit which arrived in the post this morning. So I spent some time figuring out how I might butcher it to fit the location. A cross section through the intended footbrige location was drawn to scale on a sheet of A4 and the various components laid thereon and a possible solution developed - see below. Have I got too many pots on the boil? Probably Regards, Brian. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jock67B Posted October 8, 2015 Share Posted October 8, 2015 Brian, that is beautiful workmanship on the computer, would you mind telling me which version of TurboCAD you use as there is quite a confusing number available, and prices vary considerably! The end wall you have just completed would suggest that the station building is going to look superb. Kind regards, Jock. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian D Posted October 8, 2015 Author Share Posted October 8, 2015 Brian, that is beautiful workmanship on the computer, would you mind telling me which version of TurboCAD you use as there is quite a confusing number available, and prices vary considerably! The end wall you have just completed would suggest that the station building is going to look superb. Kind regards, Jock. Jock, Many thanks for your kind remarks. The version I have is "TurboCAD Designer 20 - 64 bit" and cost about £25 if I recall correctly. I previously had "TurboCAD De Luxe version 15" but upgrading Windows from XP to 8.1 rendered it useless (incompatible) which is why I'm not rushing to upgrade to Windows 10. Your question prompted me to research availability and it seems what I've got is no longer available. I therefore suggest you try TurboCAD De Lux version 20. You can down load a free trial at http://www.turbocad.co.uk/windows-trial-versions. If you like it then buy it on Amazon (much cheeper). The Pro versions are hugely expensive. I hope this helps. Regards, Brian. All of these TurboCAD versions are pretty similar in terms of draing in 2D and I downloaded a trial version before purchasing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now