kirtleypete

The track on the second baseboard is coming on; I hadn't planned to have a point half on and half off the pier but I rather like it now. The point onto the wharf sidings in an A5, the others are all B6 which I hope will show when it's finished...the wharf shouldn't see anything bigger than a Terrier. The platform will end at the end of the pier, with the ramp on 'dry land'. I will line up the rails properly at the end of the A5 point! The varnish water on the first board is almost dry so I'm hoping that on Monday I can give that a second layer to build up the depth. Peter

Bristol 0 gauge show is coming up a week on Sunday, so I'm building a model of Nailsworth station building to put on the stand. I've always liked it but I've never had the chance to model it until now. I'll have all the books, printed papers etc. there as usual of course and if there's time maybe a second model to tempt you! Peter

The whole idea was to build something that wasn't going to be just like the layout next to it at exhibitions...after all it's really just another 20' long terminus to fiddle yard layout, but it looks different. Peter

I've got the rest of the pier in place now and bedded it in to the adjoining wharf area. I can get on with laying the track while the PVA dries, but not until it warms up a bit in my garage! Peter

Don't forget that the varnish was still wet, I'd only just poured it on so it does look like water. The hard bit is keeping that look after it's dried. The other problem of course is that it won't move so it will always look better in pictures than actually looking at the layout. Fortunately Langstone isn't on the open sea so I don't need waves but there would be some movement of the water especially around the wooden uprights which I'll have to try to suggest. Then there's the join between the baseboards but that can wait until everything is dry. I suppose I could have a row of ducks all swimming in a straight line................... Peter

Finally I've been able to pour on the first layer of water, and suddeenly it really looks like a pier. I've begun the structure on the second baseboard too so that should develop now. It's amazing how different the unpainted wood looks. I've put a strip of plastic card between the baseboards so hopefully they won't glue together with the PVA and varnish. Fingers crossed! Two men are passing the time at the end of the pier waiting for the steamer to arrive. I've replaced the chain with some ready blackened which looks a lot better. A wider view showing how effective the cut out paper steamer looks. I've added the first figures from Omen and Detailed Miniatures on the platform though a lot more are going to be needed. The water is just two large tins of Polyurethane varnish poured over the board; it will take weeks to harden and then will need more coats, but it will end up looking good as the layers build up. I've learned the hard way that varnish is the best thing to use; it's cheap, flexible and looks effective. I put a little Woodland Scenics foliage between the layers to look like seaweed, and some green weathering powders can look good to as they mix into the varnish. I've got some ducks but they will have to wait for a while yet. The final job will be to add ripples and so on using propriety paste, but that's a long way off yet. The Tichy Trains NBW's transform the wooden uprights; they are ready coloured and were just glued in place. A few streaks of rust running down need to be added. The end of the line with three LBSCR buffer stoops from Ragstone Models. You wouldn't want to fall in! ​Peter

More than anything it was to stick down the pier to the baseboard, but I covered the whole surface because it would be inaccessible afterwards. There will be varnish over the PVA but that is thin enough to flow and cover the whole surface. The PVA does seal the surface nicely too of course. I've solved the paddle steamer problem; take one period postcard..... and hey presto! I still need to add the flags and rigging when I'm feeling brave enough. Peter

Hopefully when I exhibit it you will be able to hear the sea, just gently in the background. I draw the line at the smell of seaweed though! I was idly pondering the possibility of modelling a paddle steamer until I worked out the size of the hull....the only kit I could find was in 1/50th scale so smaller than 0 gauge and that was still over four feet long. I think I'll settle for a picture on the backscene if I can find something suitable, Peter

I've done a bit more today - thankfully it's been warmer! I'm not sure whether you'd have a water crane on a pier, but I can always take it off when the other boards are built. The water is just painted plywood at this stage; there will be several large tins of gloss polyurethane varnish poured over it in due course. I've got the sky backscene in place, printed on self adhesive vinyl from ID Backscenes. It's a shame it's not higher but on an exhibition layout I have to be able to lift the baseboards and move them around. The fence will go right up to the building, I ran out and on a pier you can't fill the gap with a bit of hedge! For the same reason there are no flower beds though I suppose a few plant pots might be OK. The white patch is PVA that hasn't dried yet, not foam from a departing paddle steamer! The building is just resting in place; there won't be light showing along the bottom of the walls. There wasn't anything suitable to copy on the LBSCR so it's pretty much a fantasy with elements from Myers designed stations. Hopefully it doesn't look too out of place. Peter

Langstone Pier was 100% LBSCR, naturally! Peter

I've got a copy of the RM thanks jetmorgan; it was a cracking layout for it's time. It was in MRJ as well. I found myself with time on my hands Ian due to a job falling through so I thought I may as well make a start; I hadn't intended to build it yet. I'm glad I have though, I'm really enjoying it. Peter

Four more pictures showing progress to date; finally it looks a bit like a real pier. I'm waiting for the stripwood to arrive to surface the platform, and hopefully I can get the sky backscene on tomorrow which will transform how it looks, It will look better when I can fit all the Tichy Trains boltheads to the timbers. Peter

I'm glad she likes it! The tide mill would be lovely but no, I won't have room for that. Peter

I've done a bit more to the pier - the main thing is that the station building fits! The PVA is finally beginning to harden but it seems to have taken forever. Once it's hard I can begin the painting and then put on the decking. The rest of the building will be on the next board. LBSC buildings were painted a very pale cream but I want to make this look as though it has been a while since it was last painted so the cream has darkened and the wood colour underneath is showing through. It would have been pretty exposed standing on the pier. Peter

I was joking about the tip ! I think he will want to keep them and let me carry on with the rest of it. Pete

I'm hoping that my customer will still want me to do all the buildings but I'm waiting for him to make a decision. I'd rather not have to take the overall roof and station to the tip! Peter

Three more pictures showing how things have progressed - that's half the pier, it's going to be almost eight feet long. The station building and canopy will stand on the wider section towards the back. It's not the right time of year to be waiting for the sea of PVA to dry, but I can't do any painting until it does. The section with the vertical boards will have a ladder; it's hiding where the timbers underneath didn't line up very well! Peter

B&Q are cheaper and five minutes from home so I can pop down there and stock up. I've ordered the planking for the platform from Cornwall Model Boats who are excellent and do a huge range of the smaller sizes that the likes of B&Q don't have. It makes a really nice change working in wood rather than plastic. Peter

This is what I've done as far; I'm reusing two baseboards from an 00 project that is not now going to proceed. This is less than a quarter of the pier; I built this section in the workshop but the rest will have to be done in situ. The backscene will have to be raised to protect the station building once it's in place. The top surface will all be planked and the rails laid on longitudinal timbers using C&L chairs, but not until the whole structure has been painted using spray cans. I've ordered packs of NBW's from Tichy Trains in the US but they can be added after painting as they come in rust coloured plastic. I'm going to be busy finishing the rest of it....the trouble is now I've got to wait until B&Q get another delivery of stripwood! Peter

Let me know if any have got pictures of the pier station in! ​Peter

Amazing Andy, I had no idea! There's nothing new under the sun.................... Peter

With my 0 gauge LBSCR Saltdean now prettty much finished thoughts have turned as to what to do next. It would be LBSCR again because I'll be using the same stock which poses a problem because there were very few places in Sussex not already served by the company. I like to set a layout in a real location as the made up part then at least has a grounding in reality. The other problem was that I didn't want it to be any bigger than Saltdean, which means 21' long and realistically another terminus - fiddle yard layout. The challenge is to produce something in the same space that looks totally different. After a lot of consideration and sessions in the pub with John Smith, I've settled on Langstone. Langstone is where the Hayling Island branch crossed onto the island by way of the famous wooden trestle bridge. This picture clearly shows the site of the bridge, with the modern road bridge to the right: However, when the branch opened the bridge wasn't ready, and the trains ran as far as Langstone and were met by a ferry. My idea is that the bridge was never built, and that a proper pier was built with a station in the manner of Port Victoria on the Isle of Sheppey. A proper ferry service operated to the island, warehouses developed along the riverbank and then a paddle steamer service along the coast was introduced. The area to the left of the picture is where I imagine the station to have been built, looking something like this: This is the real ferry to Hayling Island....mine will be a bit more commodious! The track plan I have come up with is this; The two boards at the end are the pier itself, with the warehouses along the river bank on dry land and a loco servicing area behind them with a 46' turntable. The goods sidings can be operated without interfering with passenger trains and a Terrier will probably be kept there all the time with larger engines bringing the goods trains in. The biggest problem was how to operate the three points on the pier; I didn't want point motors showing underneath the wooden structure. The answer is to use Megapoints servos inside the station buildings with wire in tube running to the tiebars. It's all totally ridiculous, of course, but who cares....I like it. The first two boards are already built and I've begin work on the pier, so watch this space! Before anyone asks, unfortunately the paddle steamer has just sailed so I won't need to model it! ​Peter

I've built a couple of new engines for Saltdean, both Stroudley designs built from etchings by Mike Waldron. This is a C class goods engine, as built without brakes on the loco and with the simple black lining. She's a bit early for Saltdean in this condition but I like her. The picture really picks up the difference between the painted areas and the printed paper panels; she looks better than that, honestly! The second engine is the pretty little mixed traffic 'Lyons' class 0-4-2 which was very much a D class without the tanks. Both engines are waiting for the number plates to arrive from Guilplates, but they should have been fitted before the layout is out next. Albion needs crew too, of course, plus lamps or destination discs. Peter

Unfortunately the 00 layout in the pictures above is not going to proceed, it will be built in EM gauge by another comapny though all being well I will still be doing the buildings. I'll update on progress from time to time. Peter

Thanks Eric, that's all the excuse I need, Peter