Westerham, + Weald. Tarmac surface for the platform

[sp1]

Excellent!

Just one tiny thought: a lot of old postcards like this had what looks like handwritten captions in white (presumably written onto the negative with something?) - I think this subtle change would make this utterly convincing.

 

Edit: something like this:

http://postcardvalues.com/realphotopostcards.html

Edited August 17, 2018 by sp1

[westerhamstation]

Hi sp1,thanks for that thought I like it. All the best Adrian.

[lash]

All my dads old albums from the 20s and 30s use white china graph for notes ,it was very common and written directly on the photo or sometimes in the album itself . Happy days

[westerhamstation]

Well time to dust off the cobwebs on Ewer Street and get back on with some modelling. First job is to try and remember where I put all my stash of coffee stirrers, straws and other assorted bits of junk so that I get going again. The Grand Vittesse was a very long building and as I havn't got much room to fit it in, it will in fact not be quite as grand as the original, saying that I hope that I can capture some of the character of the building in my compressed version of it. From the pictures that I have got, it would seem that the roofs are going to be the hardest part to make. with many supports, curved and with canopies. A start has been made with the platforms these are made from mount board, some rough card mock ups have been used to give me an idea of different road levels  for access to the yard from ground level and to give a feel for the space of the finished building. Anyway lets get on with it and here are some pictures of progress so far.

All the best Adrian. 

[sb67]

Glad to see some more progress Adrian, looking forward to watching this unfold :-) 

Steve.

[jcredfer]

The Forehead is already planted square on the little Mat, bum raised no further than proper respect requires.  Such skills as have been accumulated over the past 70+ years, here, are about to be made to look like the first puny efforts at painting done at Primary School with an inch wide brush and powder paint, splashed across the paper, with absolutely no idea what effect it might produce.  

 

To clarify a little - you have tracks laid to a set layout - then make a card platform shape which simply fits into the available shape around the tracks!!  I look on helpless to imagine how the platform shape is traced from track which is fixed down and which [even to my small brain] is raised above the baseboard.

 

Respect  .....   more forehead lowering commences here  .......

 

Regards and respects

 

Julian

[westerhamstation]

Hi Julian, thanks for your reply, which made me realise that I had left a description on how the platforms were marked and cut out. track was laid in the finished position and secured with carpet adhesive from a spray can,

then paper was laid over the top of the track and the rail underneath was rubbed to mark the paper, this visible mark was traced with a pencil. Next stage was to lay the paper over the sheet of card  that is going to form the platform surface securing it  with tape so that it can't move, following the pencil line cut through the paper and card, the resulting shape should if you are lucky fit inbetween the two tracks tight up to the sides of the rail.

   As done by many others tape or hold a pencil to the side of the biggest wagon or coach that is going to use the track run the afore mentioned wagon along the track marking what is to become the platform edge, then remove the card and cut along the line that you have marked out the resulting shape should be good fit. Some pictures that might explain it better than my ramblings. All the best Adrian.  

Edited September 21, 2018 by westerhamstation

[Edwardian]

Great flowing curves to the track and platform

[ISW]

Hi Julian, thanks for your reply, which made me realise that I had left a description on how the platforms were marked and cut out. track was laid in the finished position and secured with carpet adhesive from a spray can,

then paper was laid over the top of the track and the rail underneath was rubbed to mark the paper, this visible mark was traced with a pencil. Next stage was to lay the paper over the sheet of card  that is going to form the platform surface securing it  with tape so that it can't move, following the pencil line cut through the paper and card, the resulting shape should if you are lucky fit inbetween the two tracks tight up to the sides of the rail.

   As done by many others tape or hold a pencil to the side of the biggest wagon or coach that is going to use the track run the afore mentioned wagon along the track marking what is to become the platform edge, then remove the card and cut along the line that you have marked out the resulting shape should be good fit. Some pictures that might explain it better than my ramblings. All the best Adrian.  

Adrian,

 

Brilliant, both in execution and explanation. I really like it when someone gives such a clear and useful information. Something I WILL use in the future.

[westerhamstation]

Short posts something to hold the roof up.

A start has been made on some of the outer supports that will hold the twin curved roofs of the Mini Grand Vitesse Depot, these outer supports are made from square section spruce strip, set into holes that have been partially drilled into the baseboard, and set at the same height with a simple bit of wood and cardboard jig, glued in places with pva. As usual some pictures of progress so far. All the best Adrian.  

Edited October 7, 2018 by westerhamstation

[ChrisN]

Short posts something to hold the roof up.

A start has been made on some of the outer supports that will hold the twin curved roofs of the Mini Grand Vitesse Depot, these outer supports are made from square section spruce strip, set into holes that have been partially drilled into the baseboard, and set at the same hieght with a simple bit of wood and cardboard jig, glued in places with pva. As usual some pictures of progress so far. All the best Adrian.  

 

Adrian,

Where did you get your square drill from?  Or are these all doomed to be square pegs in round holes? 

 

Either way another masterpiece in the making I expect.

[westerhamstation]

Hi Chris, If you have a big enough hammer, then any post can fit into any hole. All the best Adrian.

[Andrew P]

Excellent work as per norml Adrian.

[CHAZ D]

Adrian,

Where did you get your square drill from?  Or are these all doomed to be square pegs in round holes? 

 

Either way another masterpiece in the making I expect.

Square drill   (Mortice Drill)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zo8Xk4jMtco

[westerhamstation]

We all need something uplifting in or lives, and what could be more uplifting than roof trusses. A start has been made on the roof for the Grand Vittese, cardboard roof trusses have been made from greyboard and balsa wood, the purpose of the balsa wood is for the first six trusses that span the yard below are connected by girders, on hindsight I needn't have bothered cutting out the trusses as they can't be seen, it is all proving to be a very time consuming process with lots of different angles and lengths of span to adjust for the different widths and curve of the roofs. My next job will be to fit the platforms in place before glueing the trusses and further uprights to support them. Some pictures so far. All the best Adrian.

[ChrisN]

Adrian,

Of course you had to cut the trusses out because you will know they are there.  You can get people to kneel down ad look at them.  Doing it as if it is the real thing just adds something to a model.  One modeller on RMWeb has trusses in his engine shed that are more complicated and are unseen but (un)fortunately one of the panels on the roof got broken, either by a tree branch or a lad with a stone/rock so it now shows them off.  He has got a man and a ladder to fix it so it may be repaired sometime.

[westerhamstation]

Hi Chris, I think that's a what a lot of modellers do when building anything, somethings just have to be made, either for your own satisfaction, or that as you say they give some form to a model that which by their absence takes away something from the finished article. All the best Adrian.

[westerhamstation]

Now most of the roof trusses have been cut, I need to finish off the platforms before the trusses can be erected on to the pillars that will support them. the twin platforms will have brick edgings on the outer and inner edges also the two inner ones will have timber protection beams. To allow for the brick work to be flush with the platform surface the top paper layer of the mount board was cut back to accomodate the width of brickwork, the surface of the platform was then sprayed from a rattle can and lightly weathered with chalks. Brickwork strips were then glued in place with pritstik. As usual some pics to show progress, next job will be the wooden protection on the inner facings and the positioning of the supports for the trusses. All the best Adrian.

[Lacathedrale]

Really impressive - where did you get the texture from? Is it just printed and bent (how do you avoid kinks?) ?  The platforms look like 'just' thick card, was there a reason you didn't go with ply/etc. ?

[jcredfer]

Really impressive - where did you get the texture from? Is it just printed and bent (how do you avoid kinks?) ?  The platforms look like 'just' thick card, was there a reason you didn't go with ply/etc. ?

 

You need to read back, to answer the second question - Adrian's neighbour has to keep replacing his washing machine on a frequent basis, to provide sufficient supplies of cardboard boxes to maintain the materiel requirements of Adrian's modelling enthusiasm.

 

Simple really.

 

Regards

 

Julian

[westerhamstation]

Really impressive - where did you get the texture from? Is it just printed and bent (how do you avoid kinks?) ?  The platforms look like 'just' thick card, was there a reason you didn't go with ply/etc. ?

Hi Lacathedrale, thanks for looking in,the brick edging is part of the Scalescenes range TX24, I find that with using Pritstik it provides sufficent moisture to the paper to allow a little bit of movement enabling the paper to be curved, if it looks like it might start to kink I just cut it and start with another section, It helps when using any paper overlays to spray the paper first with matt varnish this helps in keeping the paper clean and free from marks and also assists with weathering later on. As Julian remembers from previous builds I tend to use what ever comes to hand to build anything, Westerham & Brasted platforms are built from plasterboard and vinyl flooring whilst Chevening Halt is all Balsa wood construction. I have just had a look at your thread it is looking really good and will be a cracking layout. Off now to see my next door neighbour for some more corrugated cardboard boxes. All the best Adrian.

[sb67]

Once again fantastic work Adrian, great stuff.

Steve.

[Lacathedrale]

Not sure if you've seen, but Kentrail has a few 1970's photos of Grande Vitesse now: https://www.kentrail.org.uk/ewer_street_southwark_depot.htm#southwark_depot_1974

[Edwardian]

Hi Lacathedrale, thanks for looking in,the brick edging is part of the Scalescenes range TX24, I find that with using Pritstik it provides sufficent moisture to the paper to allow a little bit of movement enabling the paper to be curved, if it looks like it might start to kink I just cut it and start with another section, It helps when using any paper overlays to spray the paper first with matt varnish this helps in keeping the paper clean and free from marks and also assists with weathering later on. As Julian remembers from previous builds I tend to use what ever comes to hand to build anything, Westerham & Brasted platforms are built from plasterboard and vinyl flooring whilst Chevening Halt is all Balsa wood construction. I have just had a look at your thread it is looking really good and will be a cracking layout. Off now to see my next door neighbour for some more corrugated cardboard boxes. All the best Adrian.

 

Excellent work, as ever.  Your experience here is particularly helpful, as I am planning to use paper overlays to represent bull-nosed engineering blues as platform edging and, like you, would be dealing with a curved platform.  Thanks for showing your work.

[westerhamstation]

Thanks La Cathedralel for the link to Kentrail I have visited before but didn't realise that it had been updated, what a great picture of the Grand Vittesse building and upper level, this will be a most useful reference point. All the best Adrian.

https://www.kentrail...wark_depot_1974

Edited October 25, 2018 by westerhamstation