queensquare

A couple of pictures which hopefully answer most of the questions re. the very simple lighting arrangement which is near identical to Highbury. The new lights are a little yellow for my taste and I will change the bulbs for something a little 'whiter' before I get stuck into the scenic work. Rich Brummits info on what the various figures on the bulbs refer to was very useful. Jerry

The brickwork on the platforms is embossed plasticard. The brick edging on the top is from evergreen planking cut brick width at 90 degrees to the grooves which gives a nice flexible strip. The platform surface is card. The lot is painted with a mix of enamels and acrylics as previously mentioned. Hope that helps, Jerry

Came across these couple of shots last night whilst looking for something else so thought I would pop them up. The first picture sees Bodmin indulging in a spot of shunting. This one is for bcn Pete and shows an unaltered Farish 08 which I had chipped for a customer - completely forgot I had snapped it on the colliery to see how it looked. Banger blue looks quite good I think.......needless to say Kim's not so keen on this one! Jerry

Thanks Andy. The corrogated iron is my usual heavy grade tin foil scored on my trusty coffee pot lid. The stone and pan tiles on the mill are Kibri, the slates are cut from strips of paper. Painting is a combination of enamels and acrylics. Weathering is paint and powders but still requires more work. There are still a few more buildings to make, and a Scotch derrick for the timber yard but these are the key ones so getting these done is a huge leap forward. November seams a long way off until I look at the list of jobs still to do! Jerry

Thanks Pete, yes, I have to be very careful about typing it as well!! You are spot on about the lighting. I see proper lighting as a crucial part of any layout design and always include it when planning, I see no point in spending hours creating a model only for it to languish in the dark. Jerry

Thanks for the tip Chris. Not sure I can really justify more 'foriegn' cattle wagons but as I like them I will be getting one! Jerry

A few more 'snaps' taken on my phone to show that progress is in fact being made. The first three shots show the backscene being fitted using 6mm MDF. I have put a concave curve in to increase the apparant depth. The second picture shows ply formers being glued in place to give the curved rear corners to the 'sky', thick balsa strips were later glued in place and sanded to give a smooth curve. Finally we see the front pelmet which conceals the built in lighting being added. I looked at a number of possible prototypes for the station buildings but in the end plumped for these based on those on the K&ESR for no better reason than because I find them very attractive. They do give a very Colenal Stephens look which is not wholly unreasonable for the supposed history of the NSLR - honest!! The engine shed is entirely freelance. A station as small as Tucking Mill would probably struggle to justify one but Kim said we had to have a shed so there you are! The Mill which gives the station its name and reason to exist. Still needs some doors and more dry brush work to breath a bit of life into the stonework. A couple of overall shots of the layout to date. Still an awfully long way to go but it is starting to get there. My next post will outline the process of Fulling and Tucking which will be in a few days when I have a bit more time. Jerry

Morning Pete, thanks for that, I was rather pleased and surprised to see that. Jerry

I was lucky enough to see some of the photos for the RM article when I saw Tim a few weeks ago and they really are superb. They really capture the drama of the GN mainline out of KX and hopefully will be given the full double spread treatment. Jerry

Nth Degree, have you thought about thinking a little sometimes before hitting the send button. Jerry

Splendid.........I won't ask again then! Jerry

I'd have to agree, this is looking very promising. They are my favourite diesels - I gave up spotting when they were eventualy withdrawn - so will probably treat myself to a 4mm one as well as a couple which will end up 2FS. I would, however, still be interested in some thoughts on the shade of BR blue used. Jerry

Thanks all. Don, the levers do indeed work point motors, and in time a signal (honestly!) and the gate to the private siding leading to William Smith's stone wharf. I have used Cobalt motors which so far seem good. Ian, the carriage on the OCT is one of Shire Scenes etches. They are a bit of a fiddle to make and remain very delicate but do make up into lovely little models. Jerry

That looks very good. I always build pointwork that is grouped together like that in one lump. You need to be extra careful as small errors can quickly build up but the benifits in terms of the way the track flows, both visualy and operationaly, are worth it. Jerry

I thought it was about time I started a thread on my new little layout Tucking Mill as its now out of the bag that its due to make its first proper exhibition appearance at this years Warley in November. Now, just to avoid any confusion from the off, this is not Tucking Mill viaduct on the SDJR but is, or rather would have been, just a few hundred yards away next to the mill and the canal in the valley below the viaduct - anyone who knows this stunningly beautiful area around Bath will know what I mean. I am building Tucking Mill viaduct but this is a permanent part of my home layout which will evenualy feature Bath Queen Square and runs around my workshop. The Tucking Mill which will form the subject of this thread is the terminus of the North Somerset Light Railway, conceived in 1902, opened in 1905 under the Light Railway Act and closed in the mid 1950's when the last of the mines that were its main source of traffic closed. I will not elaborate further here on the history of the line because I haven't made it all up yet, suffice to say that Mike Arlett's book, 'The Railways of Midford', outlines a variety of schemes that were put forward in the early years of the 20th century to build a line up the Cam Valley to tap the potential traffic, principaly coal. What was eventualy built was the Camerton and Limpley Stoke line, made famous by the Titfield Thunderbolt, but one of the schemes offers the intruiging possibility of a line, essentialy following the same route, but with a terminus at Tucking Mill and a short spur to some exchange sidings on the SDJ at Midford. These exchange sidings will feature on my home layout and the little terminus will be my new exhibition layout and the subject of this thread. The terminus is situated next to the mill which gives the layout and viaduct its name and adjacent to the Somerset Coal Canal whose traffic it would take. As well as Fullers earth from the mill (more about tucking and fulling in a later post), traffic would include timber from the heavily wooded surrounding valleys, much of which would be sent up the line as pit props and high quality cut limestone for building work from the quarries up on Combe Down which had originaly come down, via a tramway, to a wharf by the canal but now goes out by rail. I will leave this opening post with a couple of pictures to give a flavour of what is to come but will add more details, particularly as the panic of the novemember deadline sets in!! Tucking Mill viaduct in the workshop, the NSLR exchange sidings are to the left. The new layout will feature a passenger service! The layouts only exhibition outing to date, Camrail 2011. My good friend John Greenwood flanked by the Grand brothers. I think the scenics may need a bit of work before Warley! Location, location, location. The terminus essentialy sits where the trees are in the centre of the picture. The mill buildings, now demolished, are immediately to the right of the photographer next to the cottage with the former canal and wharf to the left of the fence. Here I am stood pretty much on the site of the small engine shed, the station is behind me, the branch and canal follow the line of trees to the left of the lane. Jerry

Hi Tim, afraid its not what you think, Tucking Mill viaduct is very much a fixture at home. The Tucking Mill that is going to Warley is my new little North Somerset Light Railway terminus. I will be starting a thread on it soon, when I get a bit of time. There are some pictures of the bare track and boards earlier in this thread. Jerry

Shave your teeth, that Rose is some powerful kit!! Jerry

Thanks again Les. We do have a dishwasher.........me! I think the roof is going in the bath followed by a wash down with the shower. Jerry

Hi Les, thanks for your reply. I did see that post but assumed you just washed it down with the hose after scrubbing. What about all the flux residue and other crud? I think I will give Bath roof a good scrub in the bath washing it down with the shower hose - not an option for you unless you can use the local football teams communal bath!! I have to say, I find it hard to imagine a roof 8' x 5', that knowledge simply makes your achievment even more impressive. I look forward to seeing it in the flesh sometime. I will be starting a new thread in the 2mm finescale section on my Bath Queen Square project soon so will post progress on my roof there. Jerry

This is a truly staggering piece of modelling - the roof in particular is stunning. I am currently plodding away building the roof for my own Bath Queen project which is proving to be a bit of a marathon but, at around 2' long, is a mere tiddler by comparison. One of the things I have been giving some thought is painting the finished roof, and in particular cleaning it in readiness to take the paint. I would be most grateful if you could give some more details on how you cleaned and prepped yours in readiness for priming. regards Jerry

This is excellant news, I am very much looking forward to the N version. If previous Dapol releases are anything to go by they are superb performers and pretty straightforward to convert to 2FS. Can I ask though Dave, will the blue used be sorted out. I have one of the superb 121s and feel the blue is far too green. Likewise, I had a look at one of the equaly good 4mm class 22's the other day and felt, if anything the blue was even further wide of the mark. Jerry

On Tucking Mill I have added a small washer to beef up the hole but Highbury is just a small hole in the middle of the sleeper. I must have been lucky as in almost thirteen years I haven't had one break yet. Jerry

They look perfectly fine to me Tony, I am hoping to get to see them at Nottingham. We are in Macclesfield the week before with Highbury but with such a cracking 2FS lineup at Nottingham am seriously thinking about driving up for the day. Jerry

Its 42, I thought everybody new that!! Jerry

Hi Dave, sorry I think you misunderstood me, I meant what dimension are you going to set the BtoB, not the price. cheers Jerry