pushpull33

Well, I am chuffed to bits. To have a "crafstmanship/clever" from the man himself Allan Downs. Thank you very much Allan Colin

Hi Peterkern. I did use a beard trimmer to trim around the windows. I went around all the edges and over the windows first with the grasses and let that dry before filling in the main roof area. I just wasn't sure weather it was going to work not that much information around on how to do thatch roofs. After looking at thatch roofs real ones that is, something struck me. More modern ones are not in lines like "brush strokes" all you see is the very end tip of the straw where as old ones (if your modelling 1930s let say) tend to be in streaks. I tried sizzle string but its to wavy, looked like someone had given it a perm. Colin

Hi Peterkern Thanks for the comments It's actually 6mm static grass applied in the usual manner with one of those tea strainer type applicator, glued on a card base with PVA, combed flat after it has dried and sprayed with hairspray to keep it all in place. Colin

Just thought i would share this

A friend of mine use to breed finches. He use to put grit in the aviary to help their digestion. Thing is, it was white and very fine. I wondered if this would be any good for the "BRASTED" sign. Perhaps a trip to the pet shop and have a look. Colin

I am pleased with the way it turned out. Thanks for the comments and help. Colin

This is coming on a treat. Your building it in a similar way that i built my signal box, i made the frame around the windows and then painted it green and then cut out the timber slats and painted them before fitting them into the frame. The windows i made from plastic strip. if its of any help, i drew the windows out on some paper, layed double sided tape over the top, made up the window frames on this and used Humbrol Liquid poly to stick all together and left over night to dry. the liquid poly doesn't stick to the double sided tape very well and you can just carefuly peel them away leaving you with a nice window frame the exact size. Colin

Well i wanted a signal box and this is what i have come up with. Just the guttering, name board and roof vent to do but all in all i am happy with the way it has turned out. The roof hasn't been stuck down yet until the guttering is done and then all will be bedded in Based on Moreton in Dorset, although certain sizes were a bit of a guess a friend of mine had some drawings of Worgret witch helped a lot (thanks Steve).

Smashing layout this. I have a very similar arangement to my fiddle yard but i left one of the cassettes without the sides on solely for the placement and removal of stock, also comes in handy for testing loco's. I also installed a push to make switch on the control panel just to make sure nothing moved and rolled off the end by accident (push and hold button to make fiddle yard work). Colin

NO i don't..... I have that book, yes will be a great help. I like a challenge and was tempted to include the top lights. more fool me. I also found a picture of the inside of the box in Colin G. Maggs book, Dorset Railways. Colin

Hey Chris. I have been looking at them and came across an old photo of Moreton. This is a very strong contender. It has of course long gone so more research is required. A friend of mine lives quite close to Moreton and informed me that The Frampton arms is a good source of some local railway memorabilia. What a fabulous excuse for a trip to the pub. I'm sure the lady of the house wouldn't mind being taken out for lunch. Colin

I have Gone back to have a re-think of my Signal Box. As i have recently pointed out it's a Ratio GWR kit painted in Southern colours that was taken from my old layout. Type 2 or Type 3 ? I had all the plans ready of Liphook, thought this may make a good model, about the right size for my needs. Then learn't that Type '2s' never spread farther out from London than the Portsmouth direct line. So, that's out of the question then. Think it has to be a type '3' ,A,B,C Built between 1884-1897. Hopefuly a prototype from some where, Devon/Dorset area. I understand that there were a lot of variations on a theme. Any suggestions greatley recieved. Colin

Hi Adrian. I am really looking forward to watching you build Brasted station. It's going to be good. Colin

I have just sat here and read this from begining to end. What an amazing layout, it's a credit to you. As so many others have said, the attention to detail, the history lesions and research is second to none. You can have big layouts with lots of train running, work commissioned out for other people to build, a mate of mine did this another mate of mine did that, but you have done this all your self and to my mind this is what the hobby is all about. i admire you for that, for bringing something back to life that was. Well done. Colin

Thanks guys for the good comments and likes. The Blacksmiths garden is nearly complete now, oops he has a name, that will be Edwin then. Colin

The second batch as promised. The local coal merchant delivering coal to Edwin the local Blacksmiths. Did he stop at the Bridge Inn on the way ? It's a long slog up the hill. Almost ready for winter just a couple more logs to chop up. Looking up stream towards the hills. The Engine shed. this is the second one, the first one, a wooden structure burnt down one night. It's cold in there in the winter, someone keeps leaving the doors and windows open Just sitting by the river admiring the view, really must get back to work. The view from Mrs Hayter's garden as she hangs out the washing. She'll be wondering where i am, don't tell her i'm sat by the river admiring the view. All very quiet at the moment, Bet the Bridge Inn is busy. Thats all folks. will see if i can pull the layout away from the wall and take some more from the other side. It gives a whole new perspective. It has taken many hours and much patients to get to this stage. So what's next. Well, we have lots of detailing bits to do, Rolling stock to build and generally operating it as it should be, some sort of timetable perhaps. Hardly a wheel has turned whilst building it apart from the initial track testing stage. The fiddle yard is now complete. Colin

Some more pics. I have made a few more trees and added to the layout, some rather large ones at that It's just down to the detailing bits now. I actualy ran a train at the weekend and seeing nothing has been run for months it all worked perfectly. Just a good clean of the track. Looking up the line from the platform A drivers view coming out of the fiddle yard Across the river Between the houses view of signal box from across the river, i seem to spend a lot of time looking across the river Looking across the farm gate. The railway runs just behind the wood store towards the Fiddle yard Thatch cottage firmly planted I have some more but not got round to resizing them yet so will post those later in the week. Colin

Hi all. Just thought i would add this update photo, yes it's another tree. Steve will be pleased. It took ages. And one of some wagons.

Good looking buildings there and I like the heather on the hillside Colin

I have ordered a backscene at last, one of the Gaugemaster one's so hoping its going to look ok and suit the area. Colin

I have been folloing this layout it is really coming on well. There's a lot of thought gone into this. Colin

Hi Chris I should have thought about this more at the planning stage. i am confused.com. It wasn't really intended to be of any actual place. Just my idea of somewhere in Dorset, SR, early to mid 30s I wanted to build Lyme Regis but it's surprisingly stretched out. Total length would have been getting on for 15' with compression, just not got the room. I didn't want to call it Lyme Regis as my trackplan is some what different . After all it's just a name i came up with. Pine Road has sentimental value to me as i was born and brought up there. I added the "for Corfe Mullen" part so as not to be confused with Corfe Castle as they did with Daggons Road so as not to confuse Alderholt with Aldershot. Pine Road is situated at the east end of Corfe Mullen just where Corfe Mullen Halt was There are limited branch lines in dorset to base anything on, So a big chunk of modellers licence has been used. Some time ago a friend of mine at our local club came up with a signaling diagram for the Layout. It would appear to be fairly straightforward. I am thinking it only needs a small signal box. As all the other buildings are based on Lyme Regis, as an idea lets use Lyme Regis but that was ground based so lets put it on say a wooden base as opposed to brick. The Goods shed was a wooden structure and so was the engine shed originally, before it caught fire one night and was replaced by an asbestos one Colin

Steve, I am but been off with Cellulitus, if that's how you spell it. Back tonight tho.

Hi Chris. I understand what you are saying about the S&DJR prototypes. I want it to be ex L&SWR/SR. I am building up some SR stock, Maunsell coaching stock in maunsell green. I have a fair few private owner wagons mainly from Wessex Wagons etc. all with reference to Bournemouth, Boscombe, Dorchester, Lyme Regis, Axminster and Yeovil. A couple of M7's, one Push Pull fitted. An Adams Radial Kit waiting to be built. As for a time zone i am thinking early to mid 30s. So, where is pine road actually situated in Dorset? Well, i know of 2 in the area. One in Winton and one in Corfe Mullen which is where i was born hence the name which of course is S&D Territory. The Goods and engine sheds are based on drawings from Lyme Regis. So i am using a Bit of modellers licence and putting the location somewhere in west Dorset. As you can see the Station building and signal box are from a previous layout but will be changed in time. Any further ideas greatly appreciated. And as i have said before i really MUST sort this backscene.

Hi all Thanks guys for the comments. I will answer each in turn. David C. The trackwork is SMP along with their plans for the double slip and 3 way point. It is the first time i have ever built my own trackwork. I really enjoyed doing it and it works. I know what you mean about grass colour. I was trying to work out what colour Cob would have been back in the day, very difficult to work it out from black and white photographs. I came to the conclusion whatever was around in the area ie: clay soil colours, so opted for beige/brown mix with a little terracotta thrown in for good measure. Railwest The Signal Box. Well, it's like this. You start a hobby As you get into the hobby and learn how to do things and various methods, you tend to get better.....oh yes, sorry the signal box. It's actually a Ratio GWR kit but painted in Southern Region colours (cringe). The Signal Box and station building, incidentally is a Wills Craftsman kit, are the first 2 buildings i made. Everything else on the layout is scratchbuilt, hence why i don't think these two really fit in compared to what has been built since. The station building i feel is too big for the size of the actual station. I am thinking of replacing it with, perhaps along the lines of Broadstone or perhaps Lyme Regis. The Signal Box, i was thinking perhaps Corfe Mullen Junction. Anyway something that shouts out Southern. Shortliner. That is spot on. A BIG THANK YOU. Silky_jack. The bridge is made from a card base, the sort of thing you get from the back of a photo frame, with a thin layer of Daz Modelling clay glued on top with PVA after which the stonework was scribed in and then each painted with slightly differing greys and browns. Try and keep a weight on it overnight while it is drying as the card can sometimes warp. If you go back to post 40 there is a picture of the card base. I hope this helps