cornamuse

Externally finished, I think, other than bedding in a bit around the base, but needs some internal lighting and clutter. Maybe a vent on the roof as it is a loco shed would be a good idea! Want a fancy one, just because - any suggestions? A little coaling stage and water crane should finish the loco servicing area nicely. No space for anything chunky, looking at how tight the shed door is!

With paint and daylight. Avoiding tiling the roof again... intend to to put a fair amount of internal clutter, too...

Thanks, Jerry, yes. Mounting board, card overlays, superglue. Used my silhouette cutter because I’m lazy, though!

Water tower, windows and inside walls. Windows are printed on acetate, which was ok, but a little transparent, so I have glued one sheet over another with superglue. Might go cloudy, but I bet they don’t often clean them...

Added the left hand end and exit. I like how tall it is, so might beef up the right hand complex to match

more progress... mocking up buildings to get a feel for the layout. Perhaps should have done this first... The style is is supposed to evoke the mills of Leeds, there will be an arch and large building behind the loco shed.

Latest couple of buildings; tower bank arms, a warehouse and the start of an industrial engine shed -

Thanks- it is mount board, layered up (5 layers in places) - the black is 5mm thick foam board, just to save on mount board). The models are pretty heavy and fairly seriously robust!

Starting an engine shed; based on bits from ones I like, hopefully not too unbelievable once finished. I thought I would post photos showing the stages... again... draw it out, press the mortar lines in hard basic all over colour to kill the black and white paint the stones ones one at a time use white pen pen on the mortar build... and add bits; e.g. a water tower because I messed that gable end up... I think i might need to darken the stonework on the original bit.

I might cut some of the points back and interlace them a bit to create some space, I’m not worried about needing to run into the building, it adds a bit of complexity to the shunting! Giod point and suggestion though. I have already flipped it, largely to make the warehouse I already have fit the plan... wrong way round, I know

Ok, we have a new track plan and a rebuild due... i was floundering about trying to decide how to progress when... I had a message a while back from Phil Parker about using plans I had deposited on one of these pages years ago. To my delight, 2 appeared in this month’s BRM in his book case article. Having recovered from the shock, I thought I might see if I can build the layout that I don’t think he is going to use. And I’m not up to wiring double slips. I have flipped the initial plan and put 3 Y points in to free up some space. The other her bonuses are a run round loop and a smaller layout, plus space for a loco shed. Downside is building new boards, but tbh the first lot were rubbish, so here goes. 75x25 cm, still has a dock, and will feel even more crowded, making the locos look tiny. This time I will mock up the buildings before I lay track, and make sure I am happy. A little shuffling is needed to make the end of the loop take the loco and a truck, and it will need a fiddle yard to operate, but I’m happy with the initial feel. I’ll sleep on it for a bit and see if I don’t change my mind!

4mm scale- stones are a touch hefty I think

Thompson’s Warehouse

Outdoors, new sign- I decided the original was too untidy also a few posters for medicine and to join Her Majesty’s finest; a random workman and a chain for the hoist. A bit gold, admittedly...

Finally finished the warehouse, so some cruel close-ups to celebrate. I will try a few in the outdoors too tomorrow. I know hand drawn signs aren’t the neatest, but I like the look. Might try some 1860s style printed posters too, hand drawn and then photographed and reduced. Need to look at the plans for the rest of the site as I am floundering a little.

It is supposed to be Jemima Puddle-Duck, as the pub appears in her story. However, it is an H0 swan/goose with aspirations.

Tower bank arms in the Lake District... realism slightly spoiled by boot...

Progress is slow, but pleasing. I think the roof will be further weathered and aged, as this is supposed to be an old part of the complex.

Thank you! I had better get a wiggle on, then, seeing as the majority of the model will be a Dalton Mills style edifice. This was just a trial area, with little detail. Although, thanks to a hypo, the tiling is now done

Back on with the mill... roofing in progress. Words cannot describe how much I hate this, but I don’t really like the alternatives. The pub only used the Metcalfe roofing card to make it tie in with the rest of my son’s layout- I feel that it is best to use similar media across one model to give it a harmonious look. So, tiles it is for me. At least the silhouette cutter did the initial graft, although it did mean heavier tiles than is perhaps really accurate. The last photo gives a basic idea of how the church and pub will go together, with Hill Top farm to go to the left, and the grasmere gingerbread shop in front, then a Lakeland barn the near side of the road... eventually... after the blinking tiles!

JFinally finished... The Tower Bank Arms, in all it’s glory, even with Jemima Puddleduck (ahem, swan) waddling past. The landscape is foamboard covered in egg box card to give a nice rough surface. Has worked ok with the gentle contours and is very strong. Careful supergluing it- the exothermic reaction is hot enough to get smoke and pretty nasty fumes. I didn’t need sinuses anyway!

Another room done- the dining room, with my parents and my son having a meal. Built to the requirements of said son, who was disappointed I hadn’t modelled the room where they ate... rods and own own back are words that spring to mind! The glass vase vase is a clear LED, artwork by various online modelling sites offering home printed bits. Bit of a gash job, but not too bad through the window and at normal viewing distance. Roof now now glued on, home straight in sight!

Signage and some greenery. The sign was hand drawn and then photographed, reduced and printed. Using a photo of the real th8ng would be better, but I can’t get a good view of it!

More progress at the pub. Wee Jim has popped in for a pint before the rush... need to put chairs in; can’t decide if I should make or buy, but, either way, they need to hide the very dodgy tablecloths!

Some progress on the pub. Windows and porch once I get home... the sloping bit of roof is due to the recessed wall bing not at right angles, but the end table following the main building shape, just with a slice cut off. Never seen it on another building. The stone wall will be mostly buried under a road sloping down from right to left, just under the level of the steps. The pillars will support a bay window. Again, another unusual feature.