aberdare

Hello, I see it's all change round here since my last visit to the Lounge which looks as if it's going to turn into an Asylum oo er. Things have been pretty hard for us over the last few months and despite little or no time to myself I still manage to smile through life - most of the time. Today was MS cakebreak day to raise funds and awareness of the condition so we were persuaded by our good friend to hold an event in our Village Bowls Club and what a day it was, a great success in every way. For such a small Village - it only takes about a minute to drive through it - to raise over £350.00 is just incredible and Linda is absolutely delighted with the result as are we all, both myself and our friend are shattered though after the setting up, running and clearing up. We were both grateful for those who pitched in and helped to make our duties easier and it just goes to show the kindness of people, something I noticed that is lacking in places on this and other forums at times. Anyway a few pics of the day, I know you like them especially if they are cakes A few of the cakes ready for the visitors many of whom made them. A special prize cake made by our Daughter and won by our retired Vicar, someone was on her side weren't they? Some of the visitors, it was like this for just over 2 hours, well it was free cake and drinks in return for donations. Me and Linda enjoying a quiet moment together. So that's the sort of thing I do when not at home now and it takes a lot of time and energy. As for shed action and the layout the spiders are working faster than me as they remain undisturbed for days at time, oh well not to worry I'm sure there will will be more modelling action one day. As for all the action on here I would have nominated the 'Lunester Library' being as how it covers a wide range of subjects but somehow the Asylum seems to fit so that gets my vote too. A bit late I know but regarding VE day my Grandfather fought at in WW1 and survived - just. When he returned home he presented my Grandmother with his pocket diary which he kept in his left breast pocket complete with bullet hole that stopped at the back cover, no wonder they were both avid churchgoers. My father was in North Africa in WW2 and was a sniper on a lot of patrols, despite having a lot of photographs of his time there he rarely spoke of it apart from the comaraderie he had with some of those photographed. Unlike my Grandparents he was not a believer after what he had seen. A bit of a long post from me but who knows when I'll be back but I will try and get to Goathland in July seeing as I have not been to a show since Hull. Enjoy the madness of the Asylum and happy modelling. Jim

Quote - My wife said to me, "You must buy your track this weekend." Sounds good to me Chris, I hope you have done as you are told. Reading through that earlier post also reminded me that I will qualify for my 'Diamond Geezer' card next month so I can go out and buy some wood for the extensions to my layout, I've got the ply just need something fo the frames. I hope your old dhed just needs some new felt too as that is an easy fix and saves money for model railways (one of those important things in life). Looking forward to seeing further progress soon. Jim

Thank you John and Allan for your comments and the ratings. One of the reasons for modelling a prototype was to try copy what was there as close as possible, not easy from the limited photographs of the period, as for the colours I'm so glad to have got them somewhere near, a lot taken from more modern information though. As long as it's recognisable as the early Hemyock I'll always be happy, I just hope to do the same with the Junction in a couple of years time. Currently still planting up the rest of the riverbank with weeds, ridge making and preparing for baseboard extension. Thanks to everyone for looking in, following and commenting. Jim

Fantastic work Al, obviously well out of my period but how you have gone about it is great and what an end result. Now, do think I could do the same with a horse and cart - a three legged horse on bricks?? No, maybe not then. Good to see you back in top form. Jim

Vegetable dyes were used in the early Victorian period, however from 1860 onward aniline dyes started to appear and more vivid colours started to be used on some materials. This link gives a few more details. http://www.victorianweb.org/art/costume/nunn13.html Hope this helps Jim

Hi Nick Really looking forward to seeing the results from the day, whenever and wherever they appear. Jim

Thanks Chris I don't do Facebook so I appreciate you putting the picture up, they do look good again and I look forward to buying these later despite the fact it just adds more to the 'to do' list. Jim

Hi Duncan So far so good, I hope it continues to go OK. Personally I always prefer to add a bit of PVA to my mixes as I have had bits chip off over time in some cases. I can see why you are worried about thatch too, it's not easy the achieve realistic finish, if I do another I think I may try the paint brush bristles as well, I've got plenty spare and if it works I can always get some of those cheap ones - the ones where the bristles always fall out. Best of luck with whatever you do. Jim

Duncan You're certainly not hanging about are you. I know with my thatched model it was quite quick to produce the building and getting it to the roofing stage, however the thatch itself takes an age. I am currently making the ridges for mine and keep having to wait for glue to dry before I bend it over the top, once I feel there is a good enough cover I will do the stitching to look like the original, I can't see any problems with doing it as yet but who knows until I get that far. I also searched for ridge detail to ensure I got it right and there's plenty to look at. Following with great interest. Jim

Thanks again for all the likes from everyone. Thanks Mikkel, the layout is currently 10' 6" by 2' 9" and I have tried to include as many things as I could that created a number of differing views, it took me ages at first with a scale drawings of the board and layout being twisted all ways to include the bits I wanted to model. One of the reasons for me turning it around was to put the flat area (the pasture) to the back as it is then easier to photograph from both sides as well as being easier for me to operate. When I think that I'm only just completing 20% of the whole project I know I will keep busy for a while yet. I just hope I can maintain the standard and my enthusiasm. Thank you as well Jock & Andy for your comments. As for your comment Jock I was inspired by others when I first joined and it feels good to be able to give something back to the forum that I took so much from. I hope to reach completion of this section in another year plus a bit more, I need to keep ahead of Andy. I'm hoping to complete the thatched ridge (slow going though) and the butter factory over the winter as other scenic work takes too long to dry. All the best Jim

Glad to hear you are still managing to do a little Chris during a busy period for you. As for the post above, sorry you lost me too. So like Neil I'll wait for clarification so I know what to do with these bits of ply I'm holding. All the best Jim

Blimey!! I thought I had a lot of stuff in mine but it's nowhere near like that, I've still got room to duck under the boards to work on the back of the layout. Best of luck sorting that lot out Andy, I don't envy you one bit. Take your time. Jim

Lovely work Mikkel. It's interesting to see that you would consider scratch building in the future rather than kits, that is also my opinion though it is based on cost as I would only wish to spend on things I know I can't make myself. Great to see all those bits though and the links to the sites, I will have to have a look and see what's there. Thanks Jim

I like the sound of that, I do like to see how these ideas progress as I think we can only improve as modellers if we challenge ourselves now and again. I hope whatever it is that you are thinking about works out eventually and we get to see the results. Best of luck Jim

Hmmm, I obviously did it all wrong as I have moved mine three times - I blame it on the wife changing her mind on the odd bits of furniture I have in there. Jim

Crikey Adrian, I'd just done a similar post and thought I'd done quite well to get as far as I had, but I come on here and you got yours built and published while I'm still only halfway through. Not that I'm deflated in any way though, it just encourages me to make sure progress continues to reach that same goal. Looking forward to following more of your work in the future now that I see there is more to come. Envious of East Yorks. Jim

Thank you all for the replies and likes I have received. It was a pleasant surprise to see the response after the last post so I guess I must be doing something right. Just to answer a couple of questions that cropped up: Chris - Yes, the tank engine is a Metro tank, it was the closest to No 1300 until I get time to have a go a scratch-building it, even so I would still need to alter the cab to the open version to get it to look right for the period. I just wish I had the knowledge I have now years ago, I would have got things right from the start. Khris - That is one of my local finds when out walking. I live up a quiet, no through lane and a bit further up on the hill is 'Chalk lane', after heavy rain it gets washed down and some settles in front of my house, gets crushed by the odd feed lorry supplying the farm at the top and I end up with this lovely finely ground mix. It's a bit strange though as I end up with a light mix on the far side of the lane and a darker one on this side, the latter being the one I like to use. Not much help to you though I'm afraid but I do try and use natural materials if I can and always wander out with a carrier bag just in case I see anything useful, especially at this time of year. It's good to hear which are peoples favourite shots as well, most of them are the same ones I like too. I'm trying to get this end of the river complete so that I can then work on the next board (or two) to get the full length in - which includes a pool - that will end being around 13ft long, once that is formed I'm hoping to get a few larger trees in again, including a weeping willow of which I have a specimen to copy and will get reference photos of over the next week or two. I've got a few ideas that I believe will work but that is very much a wait and see project, no-one will see it until/unless I succeed. Looking back through the thread it was only August last year when the boards were pretty bare and I was relaying some areas of track after Hemyock was re-assembled in the new shed, so even though progress seems slow to me it has moved on a lot when I look at it now compared to then. An overall view last August. Compared to now. This time next year may well see this section complete and I can move onto the Junction to fill the rest of the shed. Thanks again to all who have looked in and replied and/or rated.

Thanks for the positive comments again, they are much appreciated as are all the likes. Stefan & Duncan - glad you like the colours and texture, some thanks has to go to the wife for her colour sense and making sure I stick the right label on the right tin of my homemade stuff. Mikkel - You made me smile with that comment, a unique end quote, yes, but hardly a great cliff-hanger. I must admit I'm very glad I took the extra time and trouble to get it right but I must let the wife have her scouring pads back now before she discovers they are missing. Andy - I only 'frightened you for a few moments', I must do better next time, Hahaha..... hang on that's your line. Jon - It makes up for the night before, those hedge nightmares.....they were terrible. Enough light-hearted banter and a final update for now to bring things up to date. A view of that wall and of the 'string tree' end I should really have used some extra lighting but you can see the wall itself pretty well covered. I thought it was about time we saw some stock here and there, so I had a quick rummage through a box and pulled a couple of bits out from my modelling days 30+ years ago, this was when I had no books of my own and assumed anything with panelling was c1900. I've learnt a lot since then. A few general views that show the work on the river area. Looking toward Tiverton from the bridge. The afternoon passenger train is glimpsed through the trees from across the river in the pasture. A quick sprint to the riverbank means I could capture a closer shot, good job there's a speed restriction on this line. A shot down the river between the trees. As I leave on the next train I couldn't resist one final shot. So it's goodnight from me until next time. I'd better go and make something. Jim

Jaz When you decide to put some lintels in Boy! do you put some lintels in Looking good though. Jim

Hi Adrian Congratulations on getting Westerham into BRM, it looked great and it was good to get some of the background information too as to why it was built. I love your scenic work and often pop in for a comparison to my own and hope to reach the levels you have once it's all together. Keep the photos coming with their little stories as if/when they stop it will be a sad day and I will miss them a lot. All the best Jim

My first post on here with a view from Hemyocks old refreshment room, no trains though.

Hi Jason It's been a while since my last look at Bacup and a lot has happened in that time. So congratulations on getting married and getting Bacup in BRM, I enjoyed reading about that and it was well deserved. I now need to try and keep up and watch your kit building as that is something I need to do so I can actuaally get some stock on my layout. Keep up the good work and photography on what has been and still is one of my favourite threads. Jim

Thanks Duncan, Andy and Paul. Oh, and you have reminded me to say thanks to the lads at TMC too for their comments on the trees, the requested order for 50 is underway Now that hedge that I didn't like. It just looked wrong to me so I set about making something different to try and produce the more open texture I wanted with a few straggly bits. So I cut a few bits of wire between 20 - 25mm and superglued them into a cardboard strip, a little sprinkle of mud was added to help them stick and create some groundwork, then I flattened them and scrunched them up, anyone would think I'd gone barmy at this stage. They were then straightened a bit but still left tangled and some shredded string was added into the mix to create the framework, as seen in this photo. A quick spray then to disguise the colour of the brass wire. A sprinkle of my dyed tea leaves and assess the result. The two together. Yes, that was more what I had in mind and I thought it will be easy for me to change the height and create an out of control large hedge. So it grew a little bit more..... ...and a little more... ....until it got quite big. I went to bed a happy modeller that night. Jim

Hi Duncan I have kept having a quick look at this until I had more time to post. I like the concept you have of setting it during the war years, I love those kinds of layout as there is plenty of scope for scenic details and little cameos, I really am hoping that we shall see a bomb damaged building at some as they are a challenge to get right, but once completed must give a great sense of achievement if it looks authentic. I wish you the best of luck if you do go for that and I will watch with interest. I can't help with track layouts as I'm hopeless with that which is why I model prototype. I remember some time ago meeting the couple who exhibited Q dump which was a WW1 layout which fascinated me, a great bit of work. I look forward to seeing this up and running. Jim

Thank you for the positive comments and all the likes too, I'm very pleased that the trees look as good as I intended them to be - they took long enough - but I have enjoyed making them and I'm looking forward to some other challenges I've set myself with trees, not just yet though. While I was away with the wife to aid her recovery I see I have raced past 20K views so thanks to you all for helping to reach that figure. Just before I move onto other things apart from trees just a couple of pictures of what I call my gap fillers, trees made in other ways that is, I just wanted something quite simple that I could knock up in a few hours but look similar to those I had done but with a little less detail. So I looked around the shed.....thinking.....thinking some more and dismissing a few things until..... Looking at my ball of garden string and my superglue I had that 'I wonder if' moment again, as it was only a bit of string and some glue what did I have to lose? So here is a couple of shots to show the result. All in all for something that is going to sit at the back of the layout or behind larger 'Proper' trees it will serve its purpose. Also as I started to vegetate the river area I kept some Thyme prunings from my gardening days and used them for bare or nearly bare trees. So that's it for trees for a while until I complete a section somewhere that is worth posting. Right the walls. Now that the cottages were progressing I had to think of building up the ground area around them, so after forming the landscape with card and covering it, it was time to form some walls around the garden edges. The first was for the brick cottage and is the front wall that ran from the factory entrance to a side lane, my thoughts were that as this was the front wall on the main road it would be of better quality than any others. It was formed from card with Slaters stone card glued to both sides and after a dab of paint or two, glueing in place and a few weeds it looked something like this. I then set about making the walls that line the lane alongside and continue in front of the thatched cottages, this time I wanted some older random stone walls that were in a poor state with weeds/Ivy growing from or over them. to do this I again cut some old cardboard box up, coated it liberally with PVA and tipped a load of large ballast over it, rolled it around a bit and left it to dry. Once fitted in place the foliage was added to cover most of the wall so it just becomes a background item, not the best of pictures but I can't find another yet. That almost brings the wall story up to date so I'll leave it there until complete. The hedges. I started off with the old scouring pad method as it is a tried and tested method so not much to say here apart from showing a picture. I was quite happy with this as it looked just like my hedge out the front, nicely trimmed by the ....hedge trimmer....ahhh!! Doubts started to creep in. Old pictures were consulted and I was convinced they were just wrong, they did not look anything like what my vision for this area was like, some old cottages with hand trimmed hedges that were a bit sparse in places and with one cottage having a very overgrown hedge, how would I do that with scouring pads? They were scrapped. Back later with part 2. Jim