Kirkby Luneside

[Peter Kazmierczak]

This reminds me of a story which I think is worth recalling.

 

For some reason the secondman on a diesel brought his dog to work with him. He was going to leave it in his van, but the driver said bring it along for the ride.

 

As they were approached a manned level crossing, the driver said to put the dog in his seat. The train crew ducked down (though still obviously in contol of the freight train). As the train passed the crossing, all the crossing keeper saw was a dog sitting in the driver's seat.

 

The crossing keeper 'phoned the signalman in the next 'box, but as the train passed that the crew had resumed their normal places so everything looked as it should.

 

The crossing keeper only found out the truth some years later on the day of his retirement, when all was revealed.

[Physicsman]

Peter, you should write a book entitled (something along the lines of) "A Railway Modeller's Take on the Funny Side of the Railways".

 

You are packed full of anecdotes and always have the knack to see the amusing side of a situation!

 

Jeff

[Peter Kazmierczak]

Not my story Jeff, but one I found in a railwayman's memoirs.

There are a lot of these on Amazon at the mo - if you've a Kindle you can get them for a couple of ££.

 

Anyway, I'm sure you've got lots from your teaching career.

 

One I remember has a railway-link. I taught in a school in SE London, not too far from Hither Green depot. One Monday morning I arrived at school to find one of the then quite new "Networker" EMU vehicles parked outside. It was on a low-loader and it looked like the lorry had broken down.

 

Fortunately I had my camera with me (as you do.....) and at playtime I got all my class to line-up alongside it for a photo. Don't think some of them were all that amused at missing some of their play.

Edited January 17, 2016 by Peter Kazmierczak

[Physicsman]

Well, Peter. Looks like a private conversation between you and me.....

 

I'd better spend the week in Cumbria dreaming up something entertaining to pull the crowds in. Maybe a bit of stone-walling - I need to experiment with my new design - will do the trick.

 

In the meantime, I'll keep tuning in to Ais Gill and Dent for inspiration (Ben's backscene looks really good).

 

Jeff

[New Haven Neil]

On the subject of fascias, there was a layout in Model Railroader a few years ago with the strata and geology of the underlying rock etc painted on the fascia - I thought it really clever.  Trouble is, a friend's wife is a Dr of Geology, and she would always be complaining it was not right.....

[Physicsman]

Yes, Neil. Physics is my speciality so I don't think I'd dare do the geological subterranean formations. It'd probably look pretty but some rivet-counter would tell you your Devonian and Silurian were the wrong way round!

 

Better to leave them plain and unpainted.

 

As for the surface. Well, I'm looking forward to getting a lot of that covered when I return home. Who knows, there may even be some of the green stuff in place by Easter?

 

Jeff

[New Haven Neil]

Yes, mine are dull green - and safe from Lizzie-Anne's criticism!  I presume the example I saw was done by someone in the profession.

 

Now, where is the bunker situated in the fascia.....   

 

Love the fell developing, scenery with 'Z' - elevation.  excellent.

 

PS Loved the moon photo too - jealous!

[Physicsman]

Neil, thanks for the comments. I think a bit of variability in elevation is a necessity for an S&C layout, though I freely admit that the Fell is totally over the top. I decided to build one for the KL layout and couldn't resist doing a variation on the theme for KL2. It'll require a lot of grassing, sheep and a lot of time building the stone-walls.

 

As for the moon pics. There's a sampling in the Asylum. Pages 60 and 67, for instance have some gibbous phases, page 65 a waning crescent etc. The problem with the Forum is the 1Mb limitation on Jpegs. Some of the pics I post are only around 100kb, whereas the originals - in RAW format - could be over 20Mb. So Forum pics don't enlarge too well.

 

I'm off to bed shortly as I'll be heading to Cumbria early in the morning. Good luck with your own layout..... Z axis and all.....

 

Jeff

[Physicsman]

Apologies in advance for the "lack of action" as I'm now at my dad's in Cumbria.

 

Please feel free to post on here - comments and suggestions will be mulled over while I'm not in the Bunker!!

 

Jeff

[Donw]

I come on here to see how much you have progressed and find you have gone walkabout again. Hope this are ok with your Dad.

Regards Don

[Physicsman]

I come on here to see how much you have progressed and find you have gone walkabout again. Hope this are ok with your Dad.

Regards Don

Cheers Don.

 

Dad seems to be in good spirits and on the mend from his stiffness problems.

 

It's also good to get away for a while as it gives me some perspective and builds the energy for the next burst of activity!!

 

Jeff

[Andrew P]

Have a good time at your Dads Jeff, time to plan the next phase I guess.

[Physicsman]

Have a good time at your Dads Jeff, time to plan the next phase I guess.

You're right there, Andy. I've already been busy this afternoon - been in touch with one of my suppliers to order some more Plaster of Paris for next week.

 

Jeff

[Peter Kazmierczak]

For some reason, every time I see that Fell, the song "Edelweiss" comes into my head.

[Physicsman]

For some reason, every time I see that Fell, the song "Edelweiss" comes into my head.

Trust you to think of that. No doubt you imagine the von Trapp family clambering over my stone walls as they "Climb every mountain!! "

 

Back to reality, I've got another 50kg of Plaster of Paris being delivered next Tuesday. With an additional 20kg of interior filler already in stock, I ought to be able to make inroads into the landscape. I'll also be casting a number of rock structures to "dot" around on the Fell.

 

Jeff

Edited January 19, 2016 by Physicsman

[Peter Kazmierczak]

The fells are alive, with the sound of plaster.......................

[Physicsman]

Being away from a project gives you a bit of time to think and plan sensibly ahead. I've decided on the next set of "actions", commencing next week when I get home:

 

"Rough" plaster the body of the main Fell using Plaster of Paris

"Fine" plaster the viaduct area and construct areas as bases for stone walls/ pathways using filler (much slower setting)

Build the main platform sections

Build the under bridge

Paint the Fell area Brown

Start producing "rocks" for the walling using DAS and the existing jig

Build a new jig for additional width/thickness rocks

 

This all seems a realistic use of time over the next few weeks - and a focus to concentrate on.

 

Apologies for spelling errors - using the blasted mobile!

 

Jeff

[60091]

Being away from a project gives you a bit of time to think and plan sensibly ahead. I've decided on the next set of "actions", commencing next week when I get home:

 

 

Paint the Fell area Brown

 

Apologies for spelling errors - using the blasted mobile!

 

Jeff

Hi Jeff

After I read through your list of "to dos" , I was wondering why you've chosen brown as the base colour for the fell?

Why not a dark/mid green to give depth to the predominantly green grass, heather and scrub that will cover the finished fellside? 

 

Humbrol do a handy dark green spray (Humbrol No29?) which does the job quickly, though I'm sure how many cans you'd need to cover that area.

 

Cheers

Alan

[Physicsman]

Very good point, Alan....

 

I use a dark brown because the Fell is so steep in places that even with a couple of base coats of "fine turf" (I use Woodland Scenics Green and Earth blends) there are exposed, "eroded" areas. I think these look good in a more earthy colour.

 

This time round there are a few more steeper areas. I'll be incorporating a few (not very many) vertical rock faces as well as a number of flatter outcroppings. The surround to the vertical faces will be a mix of brown earth and vegetation.

 

The thing I really enjoy about landscaping is that it usually develops on the spot. Great fun!

 

Jeff

Edited January 22, 2016 by Physicsman

[67A]

Hi Alan and Jeff,

 

I always have a brown base to any hills and such and I agree with Jeff that the eroded areas look better this way and saves trying to recolour patches to suit. I buy a suitable size pot of mixed to order paint from B&Q and give the Mod-Roc two coats. I then mix a blend of Hornby scatter to give the 'whole' area a general colouring before further detailing with static grass, shrubbery and the like. I also agree that the landscape 'develops' and in my case nowhere near what I had planned most of the time!

 

Looking forward to phase...........erm??????? whatever it is I'll be engrossed!

[Physicsman]

Yes Mike, the grassing and landscaping process seems to acquire a life of its own!

 

I need to stock-up with scatters and fibres. I've sufficient flock for a reasonable area, but the Fell is just a crazy size - and I built it! Just the first couple of base coats of scatter material will clear me out....

 

.... oh well!

 

Anyway, that's a little while off!

 

Jeff

[Alister_G]

 

I've got another 50kg of Plaster of Paris being delivered next Tuesday. With an additional 20kg of interior filler already in stock, I ought to be able to make inroads into the landscape.

 

I'm starting to get concerned about the sheer weight of all this plaster and filler.

 

Not, you understand, because of the layout, not even because of the baseboards - we all know Jeff has built them... shall we say... robustly!

 

No, what concerns me is the likelihood of subsidence, after all the builders thought it was going to be a garage, so the foundations reflect that, and the earth's crust can only take so much abuse

 

I just hope that you don't return home to find a sinkhole where the bunker used to be...

 

Al.

[peach james]

Hi Alan and Jeff,

 

 I buy a suitable size pot of mixed to order paint from B&Q and give the Mod-Roc two coats. I then mix a blend of Hornby scatter to give the 'whole' area a general colouring before further detailing with static grass, shrubbery and the like. I also agree that the landscape 'develops' and in my case nowhere near what I had planned most of the time!

 

 

I know over here, one can get mis tints for dirt cheap...might be an idea to get a 4L mistint, and use that instead.  (they were cheaper for 4L "mixed mistint" than for 250mL of equally green craft paint...)

 

James

[Physicsman]

Hi Al.

 

You always make me laugh!! What I will say is that I'll actually be using less plaster this time than last. The new Fell only has a "skim" of the stuff - maybe 1cm. The last one was up to 5cm in places. Cost me a fortune in filler - using Plaster of Paris for the bulk work this time is provingmuch cheaper.

 

I have heard that some orbiting satellites have suffered deviations in their orbit as they pass over the Durham area - presumably because of the mass concentration in the Bunker!!

 

Jeff

[Physicsman]

I know over here, one can get mis tints for dirt cheap...might be an idea to get a 4L mistint, and use that instead.  (they were cheaper for 4L "mixed mistint" than for 250mL of equally green craft paint...)

 

James

Good idea, James. But I'm afraid we live in "rip-off Britain". Cheap paint - not a chance. The stores probably sell mis-tints as something special - and put the price UP!!

 

Jeff