kirtleypete

These pictures should give you a better idea Jonathan: These photos show the work in progress on the lines running into the roundhouse and the straight shed. You can see from the map that the real roundhouse had two entrances, but we did not have room to model the second because of the overly tight curves that would have been needed to link it in, and we would also have struggled to model those very characteristic crossovers. What this has also meant is that we have invented two 3 way points to get the same broad connectivity. York yard in reality only had one 3 way, a little further north, and facing the other way. So as always, modellers license to the rescue. Peter

The tracks are there but not wired up and operational yet. Unfortunately to do that all the boards with the shed on have to be removed....it's like a very big jigsaw puzzle! I'm happy that I'm only doing the pretty bits that don't have to work, Peter

I've been down to 'York' this morning with the models. Making the power station with the tower and chimney was certainly the right decision. The Leeman Road bridge is my next job, plus the coal yard on the right next time I visit. The huge expanse of the loco shed roof is now complete. The view looking across the layout. The straight shed alongside the roundhouse shows well here. Clearances are tight but acceptable. I've got a carriage shed to build plus some smaller buildings and when they are complete I'll go down and finish off the coal yard and Leeman Road bridge. Peter

It's cheap, quick and easy - what's not to like!

Naturally having said that I wouldn't touch the grass I haven't been able to resist having a play! As I mentioned earlier I regard the grass mat as a green undercoat. It looks like a bowling green and the area around the building was pretty overgrown, although probably less so in 1958 than now. First I put Woodland Scenics foliage around the walls, partly to hide any gaps. I then sprayed the grass with Photomount glue and sprinkled on a coat of fairly dull green static grass. I don't use an applicator, I put a clump between my palms and rub my hands together, it works perfectly. I then gave it another spray and added a thin coat of slightly brighter green. I made some areas look rougher, as here alongside the building where it is unlikely to have been touched. The parts in the foreground might need reducing when we model the coal yard. I'm delivering the model on Wednesday so there will be pictures of it in place and bedded in then. Peter

It might Jonathan, I've never tried it. Peter

Here we go then, step by step: First you need the hole for the window cut in the wall! Hold a piece of plastic card behind the wall and draw round the openings. Because the pencil lead is tapered the drawn rectangle will be slightly smaller, which is what we want. I use 0.5mm (20 thou) thick for 4mm scale, 1mm (40 thou) for 7mm. Then you can finish off the opening with a window sill and the brick courses above the openings. You can fold the brick paper around and glue it behind but I prefer to paint the edges in 4mm scale as it's difficult getting a really tight fold in the paper. On this building I used Tamiya flat earth paint. While that dries it's on with the windows. Cut out the two rectangles....you may laugh but I always mark the top, there is nothing worse than putting the windows into the wall covered in glue and finding you've got the damn things upside down! Next I cut a piece of 2mm glazing and a piece of black card to match the plastic rectangle. I use clear Polystyrene sheet as I need to glue the glazing bars to it; I buy it from B&Q in large sheets, it's under the 'Aerial' brand name. The glazing is stuck behind the frames and the card behind the gazing. Now the glazing bars have to be added; this building has a very distinctive pattern and there was no chance of finding something suitable ready made. I used 1mm and 0.5mm strip from Slater's; I put a little solvent on one end, glue it in place, cut it to length and then run solvent along the whole length. It needs a good sharp blade in the scalpel. I put on all the horizontal bars first. I position them by eye, but I have done this many many times over the years! Then the vertical bars can be added in the same way, one at a time. When there are an odd number of bars as here always start in the centre and then do the ones on either side. Two finished windows, but they look far too bright. The final job is to give them a wash of diluted black acrylic paint, after which they can be glued in place and admired. I did the skylight in exactly the same way, Peter

Yes, I do all my windows the same way. First I put a piece of 0.5mm/20thou plastic behind the openings and draw round the opening onto the plastic, usually two or three at a time. These rectangles are then cut out to give the window frame and if it is a double thickness frame I repeat the process. The frames are then glued to a piece of 2mm clear Polystyrene, and a piece of black card is glued to the back (unless the interior is being modelled). The glazing bars are then added one at a time from Slater's plastic strip stuck directly to the clear plastic glazing. Finally for a building such as this I give the window a wash of dilute black paint and when that is dry they are glued behind the openings in the wall. It's not the easiest thing to describe; the next time I do some I'll photograph each stage which should make things a lot clearer. Peter

I'm looking forward to being able to play trains David. The power station board has moved on - I have eased the curve in the road. I was a bit concerned about a slightly rough area where I removed some pavement but of course this is England, a few pot holes adds to the realism! The grass mat is just green undercoat, but I may not do the scenery properly until the board is in place as it has to match across the board joins. We're going to need more road vehicles! With this part nearly finished I'll move on to doing the shed roof and there's not much sense in posting more pictures of that so there will be a lull for a couple of days now. Hopefully I can deliver it all next week and take pictures of it in place. Peter Peter

Don't forget that I'm doing this for a living so it's at least eight hours of modelling a day, I can get a lot done in that time. Having said that it is Grantham beer festival on Friday.......... Peter

The model is coming along nicely: Lower right is part of the coal yard which I won't do until it is in situ on the layout. We decided that because the power station is being modelled before it was rebuilt it should be in LNER green and cream rather than the BR colours used on the station. I use the Duck Tape to create the basic shape of the scenery before covering it with something more realistic! I should finish this section tomorrow, then it will be back to the main loco shed roof. Peter

I've begun work on the building that we have been calling the power station which stands between the loco shed and the station alongside Leeman Road. Although it is still there pictures from the 1950's have proved to be elusive. I managed to crop this image from a much larger one taken in the later 1940's: the building is the one with the tower to right of centre. That presented a problem because the tower was demolished in 1957 and the layout is set in 1958.......however we decided it was too nice not to include so we have backdated the structure by a year. Isn't modeller's licence wonderful! This is the same view today: The power station is bottom right, right next to the Leeman Road bridge and the NRM is behind it. Here's the first stage of the model: I brought the wooden base home with me as it an awkward shape and the building has to be set into the area around it. Peter

It's a classic case of being able to get a phone where a conventional camera wouldn't be able to, not to mention the human head! For interest, this is one of the pictures before cropping: Peter

I'm back for another most enjoyable visit to 'York', and the shed fitted into position beautifully. This is the shed with the main roof removed, and the turntable installed. With the roof in place obviously much is hidden, which is why the glazing had to be kept as clean as possible. The area in front of the shed will house the power station and Leeman Road, with the entrance to the coal yard. On the right is the straight shed which I wanted to put in position to make sure it fitted before finishing it. The nearest wall of the offices needs moving back 10cm to clear the tracks. The missing part of the shed roof will also be done at home and just placed in position when it's complete. First though I need a couple of days rest from cutting and sticking glazing bars! This picture shows the relationship of the shed to the station. Now it's the NRM of course. Finally, a couple of shots taken by putting my phone right up to the entrance door; both pictures have been cropped. It really needs some digital smoke adding. I've brought home the board that will have the power station on, so I'll go back when that an the remaining shed parts are complete. The Leeman Road section will be best done in situ, Peter

I've toned down the glazing bars with dilute grey paint to get rid of the bright white of the plastic. You can still see through the glazing into the shed, the only viewpoint there will be once it's on the layout. Does anyone know how the smoke escaped from the shed? Five roads had smoke hoods with presumably a chimney above it, but the others didn't and the smoke must have escaped somehow. Peter

I've spent this morning working on the roof that will cover the side of the shed alongside the straight shed; this will have three lengths of ridge and furrow glazing and needs to be removable. . First I built up a frame of 'concrete' beams from Plastruct, fixed in position; this will support the removable section. Obviously it is important to follow the real thing as closely as possible but it is more important that it does it's job on the model. It also has to allow the large roof behind it to lift off without getting in the way. A second framework of concrete beams was them assembled which just sits on the fixed beams and can be lifted straight off. This will support the roof glazing. Unfortunately I can't finish it yet as I've run out of the guttering; I never know how much I'm going to need until I build the model and then I need to order it and wait for it to arrive. I always have some in stock, but not enough for a model this size. When I deliver the shed on Thursday I can simply bring the roof section home with me to finish it off. The main roof is nearly complete but I've had to raise the gable wall at one side which I'll finish tomorrow when I've got more brick papers. The last bit of glazing on the right is the next job for this afternoon now that I've had a sit down doing this! Peter

I've finally been able to finish the roof structure and paint it, using spray cans. Having a removable roof certainly makes life easier. First was a coat of grey primer. Then I sprayed a cream colour, allowing some of the grey to show through. Onto this I misted a spray of mid brown followed by matt back, so that all four colours showed in different places. I didn't overdo the black as it was a new shed and wouldn't have time to get really dirty. This is the roof in place: Now I was able to begin the glazing, which I had prepared while waiting for the Plastruct to be delivered. The glazing is 2mm clear plastic with 30 thou strip glued on for the glazing bars....these will need to be toned down considerably. I'm assuming the roof between the glazing was concrete. I will be filling in the gaps at this end. The glazing is going to be kept pretty clean so that the interior can be seen. Peter

I just hope it's dry on Thursday, It's not really something I can cover up. Peter

I'll be delivering in next Thursday David and of course will take some pictures of it in place. I now need to build the straight shed that goes alongside the roundhouse, then the power station and finally bed it all in and finish the Leeman Road bridge area. By that time it should be looking pretty good hopefully. It will be nice to see the shed with a turntable instead of a big hole in the middle! Peter

I've completed the walls this morning, just the roof to finish now. I have put in a central pillar as the span would have been too great otherwise even using concrete beams. A two road straight shed stands here, the next part of the build. The walls are thicker where the open area is but it was more important to keep everything strong and straight. The foreground area looks very bare but I think some bike sheds or similar will liven it up. The missing part of the roof will rest on the concrete beam. Peter

I've been able to finish the third girder today, as well as the second gable wall and one more corner. Sadly the Plastruct I ordered on Wednesday has not arrived so that's going to delay getting on with the roof until Monday. In the meantime I can complete the fourth wall where the timber beam is. Peter

Thanks chaps. A nice man has finally delivered my plastic so I've made good progress today. The gables on the end walls have been added and the roof is nearly ready to be painted. The photo we found yesterday shows a concrete canopy over the entrance and although we have only one track going in I have added an adapted version. I will add some more black so the smoke stain is actually over the track! I have done the tops of the shed walls in brick rather than concrete as that is what the photo's suggest. I'm out all day tomorrow so I'll add more on Saturday. Peter

Thanks David. Still no sign of that plastic though! On a brighter note, we've finally managed to track down a photo of the entrance to the shed, so tomorrow I can make the necessary alterations. Peter

I've had a frustrating couple of days because I've run out of 2mm plastic sheet and the new delivery hasn't arrived. I can't finish the roof until the end walls are completed and I can't do those until the plastic arrives. As soon as I've got the plastic I'll be able to make good progress again. Peter

Well, yes and no. I ordered twenty roof spans from Julie who runs the firm and they arrived last week. This morning I realised that I actually needed twenty two, so I e-mailed York asking if she could do me two more. Julie e-mailed back saying she had actually done me twenty two as it always pays to have a couple of spares - I hadn't counted them, I'd just assumed I'd got twenty. What a woman; able to see in the future and mind read at the same time!! Peter