Popular Post Schooner Posted September 14, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted September 14, 2021 (edited) Work begins on my first proper layout! It's an Inglenook shunting puzzle, set on a canal-side wharf in the Cotswolds around the year 1900, tentatively named Ingleford. Planning and inspiration This whole process started a couple of years ago. I started designing a layout to fit in everything I could possibly want (a vast scheme, still in the background but very much a problem for the future) and over time whittled away at it until I arrived at the smallest possible layout that would tick my boxes, c.1500mmx600mm. Armed with what looked like the perfect trackplan (@Harlequin's take on the Inglenook shunting puzzle), I settled on a desired aesthetic... Late Victorian Water and commercial sail in evidence Rural rather than urban Set in the late Spring ...and started a planning thread and looking for real-world touchstones over on my general musings thread, starting about here. Inspiration was found along the Stroudwater Navigation, where canal, GWR and MR all run together through glorious Cotswold countryside, an area as industrious as beautiful: Stonehouse, https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EPW050626 It turns out I've been picking desirable examples from this system since the very start of the project, but took a while to realise they were all linked. I can do no better to explain my new-found excitement than to suggest you do as I did. Look at Stonehouse Wharf Go to the NLS georeferenced maps and follow the Midland branchline West, to the interesting junction station, and from there South to the wharf and siding against The Ocean; and then East, past rail-served mills, Dudbridge Junction with it's own short spur to Stroud's second station, past more mills through to the terminus at Nailsworth (which, with its levels, could be massaged into an excellent small-space BLT). All through an area whose Outstanding Natural Beauty (it's official) would've been as evident then as now. ...and then notice the GWR line to the North, and follow that too...through Stroud, through to the junction of the Stroudwater Canal and the Thames and Severn Canal at Brimscombe Port, and on to Inglesham (note!), with its characteristic and characterful warehouse and roundhouse, where the canal meets the Thames proper. Use the excellent Cotswold Canals website, Gloucestershire Society for Industrial Archaeology and of course Britain from Above (do sign up for a free account if you've not already) to explore the architecture and infrastructure of each system - dark red brick to Cotswold rubblestone. For someone interested in Victorian logistics, it's all absolutely wonderful For me, somewhere between Stonehouse and Brimscombe Port could reasonably be invented to form an ideal spot: already old by 1900, half-way rural, a transhipment centre between interesting watercraft (I've a long-held soft spot for Severn Trows), a huge variety of industries (and so rail traffic), well supported by dedicated and general warehousing, and with the Great Western and the Midland of relevance, private railways forgivable...lots to enjoy there, lots to explore... A sketched idea looked something like Which became The Plan: Buildings Available time being short, the plan leans heavily on kit/RTP buildings to reach a functional appearance, but the foreground is due to feature my first three bits of scratch building. From Left to Right (very rough sketches and mock-ups for flavour): A shed, framing based on one of the early transit sheds at the West India Dock (discovered as part of a seperate scheme, for another day) ...a crane, based on that at Burbage on the Kennet and Avon canal... ...and a small occupation bridge over the Stroudwater at Whitminster Watercraft An area of interest for me, so forgive the weighting - I'll try not to forget this is a railway modelling forum! The vessels are very area-specific, and tie the location of the layout more than anything else. In time, they'll be a Severn trow (the smallest of which were very happy going up the Stroudwater Navigation through to Brimscombe Port and the connection to the Thames and Severn Canal). There are plans for the trows Norah and Alma and I hope to doctor them to arrive at something closer to the Willie, below, whose smart turnout, comparatively graceful lines and smack rig (one mast only) appeal. See also sole type survivor, Spry. Then there's a Stroud barge - a type poorly recorded, but unique to the Stroudwater Navigation and the Thames and Severn Canal. No lines plans are available, but working off lock dimensions and the available photographs it should be possible to end up with something which gives the right impression. and a narrowboat, inspired by these scenes of Frank Gegg's coal business at Cirencester: So, that's the plan! Edited April 29, 2023 by Schooner Updated title to fit new limits 23 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Northroader Posted September 15, 2021 RMweb Premium Share Posted September 15, 2021 Very nice theme for the line, which I wholeheartedly approve. If it’s a shunting layout, you might find the need for some form of autocoupler rather than going doally with three links. Here’s the Great Dane hard at it: 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gismorail Posted September 15, 2021 Share Posted September 15, 2021 38 minutes ago, Northroader said: Very nice theme for the line, which I wholeheartedly approve. If it’s a shunting layout, you might find the need for some form of autocoupler rather than going doally with three links. Here’s the Great Dane hard at it: What a cracking display 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb67 Posted September 15, 2021 Share Posted September 15, 2021 Great stuff Schooner, I'll be following this with interest. I like the plan and the size of the baseboard too, giving a greater depth for the buildings. Interesting theme and era too, lot's to look forward too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schooner Posted February 6, 2022 Author Share Posted February 6, 2022 Sorry about the delay. First post edited to bring it more up to date, extra info now below. The Layout... ...takes up a footprint c.1620mmx620mm, a smidge larger than the SCARM design. Built of 10mm foamboard, the sides are double-thickness, inside layer to the size of the table the whole layout lives on, the outer layer then 20mm deeper so the whole thing sits secure on the tabletop and can't slip off in any dimension direction! Initially designed to be cross-braced into thirds: in the end I left it just with the perpendicular braces. This is alright...but not good. Next time I'd be very happy to use the same foamboard but really would cross-brace it. I've lost the pictures of the build, but hopefully the construction is shown in the below: ...mocked up with the horizontal boards loose-laid, like the track and buildings. Over the top of the whole thing went Carr's 5mm foam underlay. Being wary of having just created a large sounding board, the physcal insulation between track and baseboard seemed a good idea. Happy with the decision, the layout isn't quiet but it's not bad. Wiring is for DC, using DCC Concept Cobalt S-Levers and iP Analogue point motors: ...with a slight risk of the point motors also acting as the switches for dynamic scenery (eg. yard gates and crane) to indicate the set of the turnouts. A seperate future project. It's not too late for change for any of the above, feedback welcome! Trackwork... ...is all Peco Bullhead. Bit of waste perhaps, given so much of it will be inset, but it looks better than any of the other options and I've no regrets! It was laid by taking offsets for the points (from the SCARM plan) and glueing them down, following transferred track centrelines, with Copydex. The flexi-track was then cut to length and butted up against the pointwork, with curves pinned in place whilst the whole was weighted with anything to hand as the glue dried. The next day I looked at it...and relaid half of it by eye, using engineering blocks as well as pins to support the straights and letting the curves sort themselves out. I just about got away with this, but was made aware of the difference lengths required through inside and outside rails through curves...! The process could have been smoother (as could the resulting trackwork) but it's okay. Copydex was a good choice (thanks Chadwick!), making it easy to adjust alignment on the fly, and to make changes subsequently. A job for the near future is to ballast the track with chinchilla powder, which really should hold everything in place. The buildings... ...aim to show something like the Stroud valley - substantial warehouses and mills, but in a decidedly rural setting. The hope is to have a different tone to each side of the layout, but all within one coherent scene: the LHS being more built up and with the 3 x inglenook sidings; RHS providing a more low-key aspect. The narrative which the buildings are meant to support is loose but not too far-fetched: 1700s the river was canalised (as per Stroudwater Navigation), and the Old Wharf (RHS) was built. Bachmann Scenecraft Watermill; Wills Barn; Petite Properties 'Blackberry Farm'; Burbage crane (scratch) 1800s the Navigation updated and linked into the burgeoning nation network (as per Thames and Severn Canal), Coal Wharf (centre) was built. Industry expands (LHS, rear). Bachmann Scenecraft Grain Warehouse; Skytrex Stone Warehouse; JSModels Old Mill; local brick occupation bridge (scratch) 1880s-1900 the Canal updated and a 'modern' rail transhipment wharf was built to take trows as well as rail traffic - LHS front. Severn Models Sidings Workshop and Stables; fully paved; timber framed, metal roofed open shed (scratch) Small, old stone buildings to the RHS; focus on the front centre with a busy coaling scene by way of a transition; grander, larger, newer stone buildings at the LHS rear; with most recent buildings of the New Wharf in brick, timber and tin. It sounds very bitty, but I think it could work okay if my modelling is up to it. The scene starts to settle... ...becomes a little more coherent as buildings get their first lick of paint... ..and more recently... It's getting there, but it's very much a first pass at everything and things will continue to develop. For example the stables brickwork went alright... ...but the base brick colour doesn't work so well against the buildings behind it and so will need to be re-done. That's okay, but it won't be tomorrow! In the same vein, the extensive bare ground will need some experimentation to get right and I'm unlikely to nail first time. Plenty of trials, plenty of errors, but it'll get there in the end! I'll save a detailed description of the different ground cover options in a future post...in fact that's quite enough for now. More on the operational side, stock etc next time. Thanks for stopping by, please feel free to comment, critique and straight-up criticise! It's all welcome, and will all be used to improve the layout Cheers, Schooner 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Northroader Posted February 6, 2022 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 6, 2022 Very promising start. Looks good. 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schooner Posted February 14, 2022 Author Share Posted February 14, 2022 A little progress over the past week or so, mostly on building up the canal side and sloshing some paint about to help get a sense of how things relate to each other. Some very WIP pics: The 'old wharf' on the RHS is Wills Dressed Stone Wall topped with a row of Random Stone (the lowest course in that pic), packed in with DAS clay. DAS forms the top of the edging, and will have the individual stones scribed in to match the sides. Planned water level is to just below the edging stones. The little slip is lifted from Parkend Wharf, Lechlade The 'transition' section keeps the Dressed Stone Wall, but tops it with the edging stones from Anyscale's Canal Bank: The Anyscale bank in pure form makes up the sides for the 'New Wharf' on the LHS: Plan A is to press setts into the 3mm foam shown above. The inset track will be in DAS, as will the setts nearest the operator between rail and quayside - I think the greater relief of the DAS will be good to have close-to, and the tool I'm using for embossing works really well for clearing the flangeways and works nicely for inset track. Very WIP Overview: Questions: Are you convinced by the plan/layout? Obviously a long way to go, not a single aspect is 'finished', but this means it's easy to make changes! Cheers, Schooner 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schooner Posted March 1, 2022 Author Share Posted March 1, 2022 A very little progress on Platform and gate area at one end: ...and the bridge at the other (further updates to follow)... ...and a bit of new walling in the middle... Cheers, Schooners 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schooner Posted March 14, 2022 Author Share Posted March 14, 2022 In-Setting: Talc-splosion! Cruel close-up: Not entirely happy with the consistency, but reserving judgement until the relief of the DAS-setts is reduced (filler? More DAS? Chinchilla-dust-as-earth?) and the whole lot is painted. Follow-up problem to solve: I think reducing the depth of the S&W fixing staple should solve the excessive hook depression over the uncoupling magnet...? The rest of the wharf has had it's initial layer of 'earth' (chinchilla powder) applied, which gives the following texture: No bicycle available for testing at the current time, the wagon will have to do! This is 'vanilla' - purely the chi'der, no other products, paint, weathering etc - and whilst very much only a base layer I think could be workable. Opinions welcome... Cheers, Schooner 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schooner Posted March 14, 2022 Author Share Posted March 14, 2022 (edited) Double-post Edited March 14, 2022 by Schooner 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold brumtb Posted March 14, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 14, 2022 Very impressive, keep going! Tony 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schooner Posted March 17, 2022 Author Share Posted March 17, 2022 On 14/03/2022 at 22:40, brumtb said: Very impressive, keep going! Morale +1 Something old The Old Wharf canalside has been scribed. Not wildly exciting, but to contrast with... Something new(er) Slightly on the cruel side, pre-paint. Base coat of grey went on today, which mainly highlighted how long the process of getting the setts to an acceptable appearance is likely to take... Something...mumblemumbledidn'tthinkofthiswhentakingphotos... Contemplating the leet alongside the Bachmann watermill. Options include: a) ignore it b) dried up overgrown ditch c) still soggy... Leaning towards c), but opinions welcome. Something blue! A pleasant surprise to find that a wagon will just fit down the slips (the width of which was dictated by a scrap section of stonework)...and that the two slips suit a 70'-ish long boat (in Severn parlance) nicely. Only of importance to future cameo scenes rather than anything important, if anything at all, but still better than not. Sett-painting, track cleaning, and then playing trains for the weekend...hopefully! Thanks for stopping by 9 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schooner Posted March 19, 2022 Author Share Posted March 19, 2022 On 06/02/2022 at 18:01, Schooner said: I'll save a detailed description of the different ground cover options in a future post... 1) A mix of all the overspill! 2) Scale Model Scenery - Arid Earth 3) Chinchilla Powder 4) Treemendus - Earth Powder 5) Treemendus - Normandy Earth (actually sand) 6) Wood ash 7) Attwood Aggregates - MC Roadstone (purchased through DCC Train Automation mid-May 2021; I've emailed Att. Agg since then...) 8) Attwood Aggregates - SC Roadstone (...regarding their finer 'Dust' line of products, 'Roadstone' being the next coursest, but no response) 9) Scale Model Scenery - China Clay 10) Scale Model Scenery - Limestone 11) Scale Model Scenery - Sandstone 12) Scale Model Scenery - Slate Method Make up a quick card masking plate, mark up the board spray board with dilute PVA apply each product through a small sieve (tea strainer!) for consistency mist with IPA spray with dilute PVA until saturated allow to dry For me, the main purpose of the board is as a colour chart. It also serves as a useful guide to texture, but it should be noted that it should be possible to make all of them considerably smoother by tamping/rolling post-application - see fingerprint in 6) Wood Ash for a little demo - using a finer sieve and by further grinding (all were used straight from the pot) as required. Because of this, I haven't bothered to pose a wagon on each sample. However, if that would be useful for anyone then do say, and I'll do a texture comparison of whichever products are of interest with a scale vehicle or two Right, what was I meant to be doing...?! 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold GWR57xx Posted March 19, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 19, 2022 Hi Schooner, The layout is looking fab . Very nicely detailed. Looking forward to more! Your comparison of ground textures is helpful, thanks, although it’s quite difficult to tell much difference apart from the colour. Which ones did you find the best to work with? It looks as though some of them are quite absorbent: 9 & 10 especially appear to have clumped quite badly? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schooner Posted April 6, 2022 Author Share Posted April 6, 2022 (edited) On 19/03/2022 at 18:30, GWR57xx said: Which ones did you find the best to work with? As a base, I'm settling on both chinchilla bathing powder and Treemendus Earth Powder: Treemendus Earth Powder, straight from the bag Chinchilla bathing powder, tamped down whilst still damp with dilute PVA. Sorry about the focus, but hopefully that shows either end of the texture spectrum, as discovered to date! The Scale Model Scenery stone powders (eg) I'll apply later for colour and texture variation once the layout of the wharf settles. Worth noting that the clumping you noticed were in fact just larger lumps of stone which leapt the sieve! See their promo pic: Colour washes seem to take well enough to both the 'base' products, so between those and final powders I'm fairly confident it will be possible to tie the different ground covers together. I failed to wait long enough for it all to harden off before hoovering up the excess, leading to a slight issue: ...so I ripped it soft area up and started again Flooding with dilute PVA: ...and then sieving ground cover into that, before spraying with IPA and dousing with more PVA mix: Not there yet, but at least I can see a path to a ground texture I'll be happy with for a first (ha!) effort On the left there you can see progress with the setts, which still need a bit of work but with which I'm quietly pleased: The setts are darker, and with more colour variation than is evident above...honest! And on the right of the overall shot above you can see today's little project, another (joing the stables and the workshop) excellent kit from Severn Models: That's the trial run (three required, two packs of two purchased) for proof of concept, and will be replaced - hence leaving the excess glue etc. So, while I look for some decent reference photos for how it should actually be set up, criticism and feedback would be appreciated! Cheers for stopping by, Schooner ps. Order placed for the first proper stock set: 1880s Midland Railway Choo choo! Edited April 6, 2022 by Schooner Spelling etc 15 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schooner Posted April 6, 2022 Author Share Posted April 6, 2022 Oh, and extra texture variation can be teased out with a brush and some water. By washing the chairs and sleepers clean, one also settles and smoothes the finer particles, particularly of the Earth Powder, after which larger grains are left unsupported and can be brushed away. I'd just made a start with this technique... ...when I decided to not do too much in one night and got the hoover out... ...oops. Will update with more info on this as I'm able to try it again in a couple days' time. Perhaps worth noting here that the tie bars will be covered by timber, extending out to the point levers either side. Cheers and gone! 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Multigauge Posted April 6, 2022 Share Posted April 6, 2022 The stone setts look fantastic 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schooner Posted April 6, 2022 Author Share Posted April 6, 2022 36 minutes ago, Multigauge said: The stone setts look fantastic All credit to @Giles! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schooner Posted April 15, 2022 Author Share Posted April 15, 2022 In my usual feast-or-famine fashion, some modelling! Turning this Hardy's Hobies Manning Wardle H Class bodykit for Hornby's Peckett W4 chassis, details from RT Models, to be detailed as per the photo of MW F Class 752/1880, Millwall Dock Co's No.7 in Marden's London's Dock Railways, but liveried in...well, it was meant to be a nod to the early Midland Green livery, but ended being What-rattlecan-I-had-to-hand Green instead! Too blue for my taste, but who's to say it's wrong*?! Into this: As ever, rushed and unfinished but it's progress! Also first crack at surfacing the platform (obligatory fingerprints from handling before fully dry), yard wall and a couple other smaller bits. Plenty left to do with all of it, not a single aspect is 'done' but it's nice to move things along another step, and I'm out of time. Right, back on starvation diet! Cheers, Schooner *I hope he'll be along shortly! 15 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schooner Posted May 4, 2022 Author Share Posted May 4, 2022 Sorry, doing a crap job of updates and narrative. However, another quick couple of pics as the shed mock-up takes shape: As ever, all feedback welcome :) Cheers and gone! 17 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schooner Posted May 7, 2022 Author Share Posted May 7, 2022 A little more detail on the nascence of a Manning Wardle Class H, to log mistakes :) The start, where all is possibility and hope: Adamant that the safety valve covers must change to match the inspiration, step one: Mo' better: ...though fettling still required. Feeling brave, the next change was to the chimbley: ...but it went okay, and the fittings (from RT Models) do improve things to my eye Body updated, to the paintshop! Overspray. Also on the model... More overspray. This time with lining! More body changes... MW springs were prominent, and after a bit of umming and ahhing I decided to fit the extras to the footplate (doubling up those mouded on the Peckett chassis, but these are barely visible) Last fittings were the rails. Went fairly smoothly; undecided on black vs spolished, so ran them through the blacking once to take the shine off while I decide :) Unphotographed: Matt varnish over black-painted areas; satin over the green (pleased with the shine); liquid lead filling smokebox and backhead (loco still to be weighed, not up to the W4 weight sadly, but defs better). Ummmm...and to date, that's it. To add: ModelU details, Andrew Stadden crew and a lot of touching up... Lessons: -or-bust approach (due to time pressures) isn't ideal. But now there's a MW, when before there wasn't. Progress! It's not rocket, and it's not impossible: I'm not super-chuffed with the results...but see above :) Anyone thinking about trying this sort of project, go for it! As a spray-gun and booth isn't realistic in the forseeable, some posh rattlecan nozzles would be a worthwhile spend. Primers (from The Army Painter) were just about okay, but the green (cheap off t'internet, should've known better) left splatter texture which...well, I didn't have to worry about 3D printer lines! I'll give the another coat of varnish when I've stopped mucking about with it, which should help the finish. Otherwise there were few surprises. Cross at myself for rushing, as ever, but choices and consequences - the layout is more project than hobby and that's okay, for now. See previous post for pics of it loose in the wild! 16 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Schooner Posted May 8, 2022 Author Popular Post Share Posted May 8, 2022 Of course, there is an alternative approach which yields a more pleasing result: drop @Carnforth a line, and secure a beautiful and sweet running Neilson from High Level... The bar is now set, so the aim will be to bring the MW (and the rest of the layout) up to this sort of level in fits and starts time :) Cheers Steve! 21 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Asterix2012 Posted May 12, 2022 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 12, 2022 (edited) On 08/05/2022 at 20:36, Schooner said: Of course, there is an alternative approach which yields a more pleasing result: drop @Carnforth a line, and secure a beautiful and sweet running Neilson from High Level... The bar is now set, so the aim will be to bring the MW (and the rest of the layout) up to this sort of level in fits and starts time :) Cheers Steve! Hi Steve I have been following your thread on and off and I must say that neilson is a beautiful thing. Edited May 12, 2022 by Asterix2012 Correct spelling 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schooner Posted May 12, 2022 Author Share Posted May 12, 2022 Evening @Asterix2012 - I must direct your admiration to @Carnforth, who built that beautiful thing! The Neilson's green Manning Wardlesque stablemate is more level... ...and what these meat mittens ham fists give, these ham fists taketh away: Obviously not ideal, but an opportunity to log improvements for the next one while they're fresh in my mind: The Peckett chassis required minor fettling only, but if using a new chassis (unlikely, but for others' reference) then do this first before even opening the bodyshell packaging. Make sure everything is nice a smooth, weighted, and sweet-running. Set chassis aside. The fitting of the RT Models components (chimney, filler cap, safety valve cover, springs; I didn't get as far as fitting the cab spectacles; might add MW buffers to the list) went as planned, and I would repeat that process pretty much...whatever that action equivalent of 'verbatim' is. However, note that time spent fairing is never time wasted... :) I don't like the green! No real feel for the Midland's early green livery but I was aiming for... Midland's good's green, c.1874 ...the actual colour achieved suggests more GWR's Wolverhampton Green. Good to know for the future, not so much for now... I love the corners of the tender lining above, but no way I'll be trying that! The transfers for lining actually went better than expected (the cab-side gaps were laziness, it's perfectly possible to do a better job). That being so, next time I'll have a crack a recurved corners using these from Railtec, which I think might just fit. Pointers welcome. Ummm otherwise no major changes I don't think, shy of feedback from Ingleforders...? Liquid lead in the smokebox and backhead brought the all-up weight up to about 90g. I did think about filling the bunkers, but was worried about balance. The weight is to improve electrical contact rather than tractive effort, but still more = better! Futher details would include tank-top tools, footplate cans/bucket etc, bunker coal, side chains, and probably wooden buffing gear for dealing with inside-framed goods stock, cab crew of course (driver only feels right - is it?) from Andrew Stadden...glad I hadn't got that far! Oh, I definitely prefer the lower loop method of S&W coupling bar, rather than the bar between buffers as seen above. The radii are easy enough for these little locos and their short stock to get away with quite a small fitting here I think, and the aesthetics are much improved if the buffers are left unmolested. Thanks for following and the support so far. If you've got any suggestions, I'm all ears :) 4 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schooner Posted May 13, 2022 Author Share Posted May 13, 2022 Like a buffer stop... ...only smaller! 18 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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