Dunster. OOgauge on the GWR West Somerset line.

[westerhamstation]

Hi Shaun, yet another great set of photos. As others have said it's difficult to pick a favourite as they all have so much atmosphere. You might want to ask Al of Bakewell if you can borrow his miniture lawnmower for that back garden, which i really like. All the best Adrian.

[Sasquatch]

Hi Adrian.

I doubt Al's mower would do much good in that garden, it's only 20'x 7'!

[Andrew P]

Great pics again Shaun, but that Scorpion is something else, not my idea of fun on the Railway mate.

[Jock67B]

Wow Shaun,

They just keep coming! Although I'm an LMS SCr fan, I have to say that the Ratio bogie van does look special!,

Enjoy the weekend,

Kind regards,

Jock.

[Sasquatch]

I'm afraid that's it for a little while chaps, as panic has set in over the pending show. Dunster is being dismantled to make way for Goathland which needs assembling arse about face to see how it goes together and if it still works that way around. The week after next I hope to find time to reassemble Dunster in its small guise upstairs in the attic bedroom where there is a heater. There's a cold snap on the way apparently!  Snow.

 

Jock. There's a lot of bits in that bogie van kit, it's not for the faint hearted. I gave up on it and boxed it. In the end it took tens years to finish!

 

Sasquatch. {Excited about leaving foot prints again}

Edited November 21, 2015 by Sasquatch

[Legend]

Really great pictures. Very atmospheric and looks like an interesting operating session. What was the thing at the end though? Looks like a baby scorpion!

[Sasquatch]

Hi Legend.

Yes that was a scorpion! They're about 3cm long, nasty looking but I hear the sting isn't as bad as you might think.

Thanks for the encouraging remarks.

 

Regards Shaun  

[Sasquatch]

Well Dunster is back together at last. For some reason it doesn't quite fit. The sloping ceiling around the dormer is not within the loading gauge. What I need to do is cut an inch off of the bottom of the legs.

 

However it isn't a problem as I can still run trains end to end which makes for more interesting operation.

 

Push pull for instance.

 

On the modeling front I've been bringing some stock up to standard.

These two Mainline vans and one by Coopercraft have had the braking system upgraded. Bigger vacuum cylinders(with hangers) tie bars and vacuum hoses have been added.

 

This old Ian Kirk van has been detailed and bashed into a signals dept. tool van.

 

I also put up some much needed lighting.

 

Shaun

[Sasquatch]

The detailing of old stock continues.

Yesterday evening I set about revamping this old Ks (or is Keyser) siphon F.

The couplings were mounted too high so I started by removing them and adding some packing to lower them. 20 odd air rifle pellets affixed with super glue inside to increase the weight to help with stability and now it was functional the details went on. Lamp irons, door handles, bogie steps, wheel paint, bogie ends, draw hooks and new motive as the old G & W were starting to peal off because they didn't fit! Finally I touched it all up with acrylic paints. Oh, some 15mm strips were also added to the tops of the bogies to hide all the daylight.

 

The camera stand has been retrieved from the warehouse which accounts for the better quality of this image.

Shaun.

Edited February 3, 2016 by Sasquatch

[Sasquatch]

Stuck indoors this week I found myself needing a new project.

 

My intention is to extend Dunster on to Minehead which also gives me the opportunity to model a bit of scenery between them.

Then I quite accidentally came across a picture of Crowcombe Heathfield.

 

So I got stuck in to a bit of scratch building.

 

The foam board construction used on the Queensbury buildings has been employed.

It's all drawn and scribed with a pencil onto a sheet of foam board which is then cut out and mitered at the corners. I run in a bead of superglue and fold it up holding it with track pins.

 

Windows and doors are from styrene strips. This time I used thick clear plastic left over from a factory kit for the windows. the styrene sticks to this very well and the toughness of the construction allows a tight fit into the foam board recesses.

I also found a Wills lamp hut in my kits box and have adapted this.

 

After finding my GWR dark and light stone Railmatch jars had dried up I set about mixing my own. These I mixed a little richer which looks much more close to prototype.

The Crafters acrylic in this picture is an exact match for the Railmatch light stone. I added some yellow ochre to make it richer. Note I actually remembered to label the tubs this time Hahah.

 

 

 

 

Here's a daylight photo showing the new colours next to Dunsters signal box.

 

 

 

Now I want to get back to it. Progress as I do it.

 

Regards Shaun.

[Mutley]

Excellent stuff Shaun!

 

I live next to the WSR station at Bishops Lydeard and we travel on the line quite often, so really looking forward to seeing how all of this develops.

 

Incidentally, I'm building Minehead and Blue Anchor in my garage at the moment, although it's not a quick process as we had a new addition to the family last year, so domestic duties have taken priority.  

 

What you've achieved with Dunster really is something to aspire too.

 

All the best

Mike

[Andrew P]

Morning Shaun, Your putting us to shame mate, what with this and the Triangle you have more than enough work to last a lifetime. The Building is lovely mate, and a clever way to do it as one piece.

 

I'm really looking forward to seeing the Track Plan and how it'll all fit around the Loft, will it be transportable like Dunster?

[Sasquatch]

Excellent stuff Shaun!

 

I live next to the WSR station at Bishops Lydeard and we travel on the line quite often, so really looking forward to seeing how all of this develops.

 

Incidentally, I'm building Minehead and Blue Anchor in my garage at the moment, although it's not a quick process as we had a new addition to the family last year, so domestic duties have taken priority.  

 

What you've achieved with Dunster really is something to aspire too.

 

All the best

Mike

 Thanks Mike. Next time we're over we plan to visit the WSR. as I've never been there. This is a quickie project and I'm planning on recycling a lot of stuff or scratch building most of it.

Congratulations on the new additions to your family. Time permitting you should start a thread, I'm sure loads of us on here would enjoy watching your progress.

 

Shaun. 

 

Morning Shaun, Your putting us to shame mate, what with this and the Triangle you have more than enough work to last a lifetime. The Building is lovely mate, and a clever way to do it as one piece.

 

I'm really looking forward to seeing the Track Plan and how it'll all fit around the Loft, will it be transportable like Dunster?

Been trying to knuckle down to modeling lately mate! I know starting another big layout seems stupid. My personal philosophy is that like you  I enjoy it and need a simple project to get me going. Mrs. S. said I need to get off of here and get on with it. She's right of course, I could have built half of it with all the time I spend looking at everyone else's   work etc.

 

The plan is end to end in a full circle. The end of the fiddle yard will be in the railway hotel across the road from Minehead station! I'm going to have to use modeling license and place Crowcombe between Dunster and Minehead. Crwcombe Heathfield is a simple passing station with two Platforms and only two points, seven signals though!

Minehead was extended to cope with holiday traffic to Butlins and can handle 16 coach trains. I wont be needing platforms that long, so much compression will be employed.

 

All I need to spend money on is plywood, point motors and some signal bits. I will treat myself to the newish Ratio signal box for Crowcombe however.

 

Progress last night in the form of the roof, a couple more windows and I cut up and chopped down another Wills lamp hut for Crowcombe.

 

Yes! seeing as I'll be using the roundy roundy end boards from dunster it will be sectional and may be exhibited!

Note to self: no boards longer than 4 feet.

 

Regards Shaun.

[Sasquatch]

What a difference a coat of paint makes. Built up layers of dry brushed Acrylics.

[Sasquatch]

Done a bit of base board work this week and got on with converting some old Ratio signals for Crowcombe Heathfield.

There are 5 signals 2, ground dolls, 9 in all including a junction bracket and a shunt arm.

 

This old view shows a down siding with loading dock, long gone! from the WSR site (links not working).

 

They will all work and I'm doing tests with fiber optics to light the lamps.

Here's my progress.

 

Shaun.

Edited February 14, 2016 by Sasquatch

[Andrew P]

Wow Shaun, I struggled to fit some BASIC interior bit in my Signal Boxes last night, your Signals are just amazing mate, well done.

[Sasquatch]

Thanks Andy.

The bracket signal started out as the distant one in the first picture. After cutting it down and making a new bracket from kit parts I scribed a groove in the post and doll to hide the lamp wires. Fiber optics wont work here due to the sharp bends required so I scrounged a bulb from a ground doll which can be replaced with a fiber optic. The wires will be hidden by covering with white electrical tape so If I ever need to replace the bulb I can simply remove the tape! I might just do the lenses before bed. Next up is this fancy looking ground shunt doll.

Kits need to be obtained for the other two signals, so they'll have to wait. 5 signals in one weekend is more than enough don't you think?

[Andrew P]

Yes 5 is EXCELLENT mate, Nice work.

[Sasquatch]

So it's been trials and tribulations with the fiber optics.
What I have found is that when bent too hard some of the fibers break thus reducing the amount of light that comes out of the end. Also cutting the tiny end that goes in the lamp at 45degrees has the same effect.
What I have come up with is to slice off the top of the lamp at 45 degrees and inserting a tiny piece of foil tape to act as a mirror. The tiny lamp top is then super glued back on, that is if the carpet monster doesn't get it first!
Very fiddly stuff.


Not the brightest but quite prototypical I think.

Edited February 17, 2016 by Sasquatch

[Sasquatch]

Did very little last night, just made two discs for the ground signals and use blue and red cake dye mixed with varnish to fill the lenses.
To get the red line straight on the disc I scored it with a fine knife edge, the paint then stays between the lines!

Edited February 17, 2016 by Sasquatch

[Sasquatch]

The signaling arrangement at Crowcombe Heathfield on the WSR has me puzzled. I'm sure it's all bog standard stuff but I've not come across the arrangement at the down home. There is a shunt arm on the post and a ground disc. Why both?

[Andrew P]

Very clever Shaun, BUT I'm the last one to give advice on Signalling, hahhahha

 

Just Brilliant mate, well done.

[Sasquatch]

Here it is more clear taken from the road bridge on Google earth.

[The Stationmaster]

Beware the traps (pun intended - er, almost) of preservation era signalling.

 

As far as I can trace prior to closure the arrangement at Crowcombe - definitely so in respect of the signals - was relatively normal GW single line passing place with the only substantial difference from 'bog standard' being the provision of trap points at the exits from both loops.  The trap points are clearly still there so it remains 'a bit different' in that respect.

 

What has happened in the preservation era is that the signalling has been altered to allow the layout to do different things, viz -

1.  The former Down Loop has become a bi-directional Main Line and the 'box has been arranged to enable it to be switched out of circuit.  This means that trains can run when Crowcombe 'box is closed - a sensible arrangement when you are relying on volunteer Signalmen and not all patterns of train service require the 'box open to cross trains.  Thus the Up Home, No.2, now reads to the Main and has become a splitting signal with a new No.3 reading to the loop and an Up direction Section Signal, No.4, has been provided at the Lydeard end of the now bi-directional Main Line.

 

2.  The signalling has been considerably enhanced to permit various additional movements but principally allowing a Down train to terminate on the bi-directional Main with the Calling On Signal. No.27, providing a signalled move for an engine running round.  At the same time a shunt signal route, No.26, has been provided from the Down Home into the Loop  and also out of the Loop, No.23. at the Wiliton end although the purpose of it is not entirely clear to me (possibly a 'nice to have so we might as well include it while doing the job' thing but although I knew the chap who designed the locking for the 'box I alas can't ask him as he died some years ago).

 

Hope that helps - next question?                                                      

[Sasquatch]

Thanks Mike.

Interesting that trains would terminate there. When I studied it I failed to notice No.23 faced down!

Preservation signaling can be confusing at times, I found that out when building Goathland.

 

No.23, yesterday evenings work.

 

I built the other ground signal (No.26) as well and will have a go at the down home post (No.28) with its calling on arm (No.27) today.