aberdare

Jim,

It is looking good Jim.  The slates on the roof are superb.  Brilliant.  It does not really matter what order you do it in as long as you enjoy yourself.

 

You were looking for tools and equipment a while back.  I am not sure what we said then but Langley have recently re-released theirs.  They are towards the bottom of the page.

Chris - My first thought was 'Was I', but then I remembered it was for the Engine and Carriage sheds, I should really have picked some up when I was at York earlier in the year but I'm easily distracted as you know. I have also turned the layout around so I now look down the hill into the station as this makes it easier for me to operate as I will be closer to the track with less things to reach over, so the change has now made me focus on the cottage/factory end as that will be against the far wall so needs finishing first so I can finally fix it in place. I'm glad you like the slates as I tried hard to get them right, it's the first thing everyone sees isn't it - the roof.

Jim,

 

Those slates look fantastic. And as someone who hasn't tried it and doesn't know how long it takes I can only imagine. I'm not sure I'd ever finish a single cottage if I tried that, but the end effect is superb. Having found this thread for the second time around I've made sure it's well and truly followed as I'm very keen to see it all coming together.

Thanks Neil - and of course for the mass of likes that appeared. As for the slates they do take a bit of work and I know Jason (Bacup) used to get a few aches and pains from cutting them as well, I spread mine out a bit to make it easier. It took a few coats of paint though to get the finish I wanted and I think I will need an odd stain or two from the stacks now they are fitted with the flashing.

Hi Jim, great to see progress on Hemyock again. Things are really coming to life now with the landscaping details going in. I like the look of the grass in the foreground of the photos.  And as others have said above, those slates really are the crown on a superb building!

Mikkel - thanks for your kind words once again on the building, believe it or not there are a few bits I'm not happy with but I'll keep them to myself. As for grass I've lost count of the number of times that has gone down but I think I now know what I want to use after accumulating a huge amount of different materials.

My thanks to everyone else for dropping in and leaving feedback.

Jim

Thanks Gary,

I'll try and keep you updated too.

Updates have been a bit thin on the ground lately due to my caring role, however the modelling did not cease entirely and looking back I seemed to have achieved more than I first thought, so here is some of what's been happening.

The cottages are approaching completion and are starting to have all the surrounding groundwork completed ready for bedding in, so I'll have to take you back a bit to where I left off.

As I keep changing from one thing to another as the mood takes me - or failures in some cases - it has been difficult to arrange the pictures into groups of the same topic, so it's possible you will see something not talked about with the part I am on about, if you see what I mean.

The slate roofed cottage was first to have its top completed and for those that do this you know how long it takes, but here it is.

I then got around to adding gutters, chimney stacks and of course painting the slates and this is how it stands at the current time, still a liitle to do here and there when I feel in the mood for fiddly things.

The thatched roof has also been progressing with stacks added and now the ridge under construction, I'm looking forward to seeing this complete and matching what is in my mind, how I'm going to get there is something else

While all this was going on the groundwork was underway so I could finalise the positions with everything else and I must admit I did get a bit carried away with this and ignored the cottages for a while, after giving myself a severe talking to I got back on track - for a little while.

(I think the next picture shows how I drifted away to scenics from building, no gutter or chimneys and only a half thatched cottage)

First the roads and some grass went down to set the boundaries.....

...and now some walls are going in, more on this later.

Still a lot more to sort through and I'll try and get these up toward the end of next week when I will have a little more time. I hope you have enjoyed your brief but long overdue update.

See you soon

Jim

Hi Andy

I can't believe that my first post on here is on page 67, and there's still no sign of a railway. Since I was last active on RM you have had a lot happen but still achieved so much, I think you need to come up here and I can teach you how to live in the SLOW lane.

I think we are both on our lifetime projects now but I have no doubt that this time next year you will have passed me and left me trailing in your wake, probably sticking the 547,123rd leaf on a tree

Take it easy mate and stick to that 1 or 2 hours a day like me - I can't have you getting too far in front

Cheers Neil

I found a number of likes from you when I logged back in today, thank you.

Jim,

(Neil, I hope you do not mind if I cross post.)  Could you point me in the direction of any information on the 517s and if any ran from to Ruabon in the 1890s please?  I have a Metro tank which I know ran down there but not until the 1920s I think.

 

Thanks

I use one of the RCTS locomotive books, part 6, four coupled tank engines. For my own use I have then cross referenced with the GWR engine sheds for more info and sometimes into the RCTS absorbed engines, part 3. I'm usually lost under a pile of books when researching.

From what I've read it would seem unlikely that a 517 would have run into Ruabon but what do I know? I;ll keep an eye open and if I find anything I will let you know.

Hi Neil

I love the photo in #82, the 517's are one of my favourite locos so I had a read through some of info and found that 215 was built in June 1876 and scrapped in Jan 1934. It spent its early years in the Northern divisions until around the late 1920s, it was in an accident at Curry Rivel, Somerset in 23 so probably moved to the central Wales area after that. It was fitted out for auto train working prior to 1922.

The number 215 was later used on an 0-6-2 (I think), anyway if you want me to look for any more details if there are any I will happily do so.

Like I said they are a favourite of mine with very interesting histories as some of them changed so much during their lives.

Jim

Hi Chris

I think the first coach roof is the one to go with, it just looks right.

As for the panels on skirts/dresses if you remember I did one of mine with a metallic type paint (#44 in the Victorian figures thread) to try and give the impression of a more expensive material, my theory being this could be a finer, better quality than the rest as it could be lifted slightly if needed. Oo! a flash of ankle how thrilling.   

I'll have a more thorough look later, so a few more likes on the way.

Jim

Andy, if your plan was to put a new one in its place could you not keep the roof stacked on end next to the new one it would be out of sight till you could afford a new one. Then you only need two skips and no asbestos charges.

I must admit that I have three sheets off the last demolition job stored behind my new shed, as long as they aren't drilled or cut they are quite safe sitting there until I get round to disposing of them.

Maybe I'll smash em up and put em binbags one dark night  

Sorry to hear about the shed dilemma mate; what's the reason for it costing a grand to remove; is that an asbestos roof?

A cheaper way would be to hire a skip and then smash the crap out of the garage with a sledge hammer - fun too.

 

See you on Saturday or Sunday, whichever day you come to DEMU

I should think it is due to the cement/asbestos roof sheets as they usually seal all your doors and windows, spray the area with water when dismantling and double bag or wrap the sheets, or at least they do round here. I got a face mask from a builder friend for asbestos and then set about mine with a sprayer bottle and some heavy duty plastic sheets and kept them as intact as possible as recommended, but when I got to the tip I was amazed to find everyone else had just smashed theirs up and put them in two binbags. The old boy who controlled the asbestos skip said that was quite normal and said it was unusual for someone to go to the trouble I did.

So in your case Andy I'd check your councils guidelines, get a good mask or two, remove the sheets and bag up then take a ruddy great hammer to the rest and skip it.

Like a lot of  people I used to cut this stuff up, drill it and fit to houses back in the 70s.

Hi Neil

Good to see that you have made a start on a thread and what you have done so far has been given careful consideration which is obvious from your plans.

I'm all in agreement to follow the prototypical route where possible - I just can't do freelance - and try to get the model to look as good as it can when compared to photographs, I have managed to get Hemyock near as damn it to scale size and only shortened the line to the butter factory. I will have to make similar compression to you for the junction though.

Reading DLTs post is it possible to get a few extra inches at the station end by having a slight taper on the board so it has a little extra width that end or are you definitely at maximum allowable space.

I'm looking forward to seeing it progress over the coming months (years?) so I can compare it to the photos in my branch line books, I can then see what I missed by not choosing it.

All the best

Jim

Hi Chris

Some useful pointers there so thanks for that.

I know the other figures well as I always have a chat to the owner of MRD at Doncaster and buy a few every year, but I am yet to paint any to see what the results are like, the last set of figures was the one with the Holmes and Watson.

I also have around thirty Aiden Campbell figures and have enjoyed some long chats with him at York about the best way to paint especially with my colour issues, I got some mixed bags of cheap flashed figures which need cleaning up but I thought they would come in handy for cutting up for interchangeable parts. So look out for a few Frankenstein type characters when I get around to it.

like Jeff I congratulate you on reaching the 1000 mark.

I like the changes you made to the Dart figures, they look very good. 

This is something that I have thought about doing but have never bought any figures to try so far, maybe when I am at York next year I'll have a closer look at them and try and decide which ones I can use.

You have a great eye for detail Adrian and I have picked up quite a few good ideas from your posts. I now spend much more time taking notice of my surroundings to observe how things grow and look in the real world.

Thanks for sharing your work with us.

Hi Al

That goods shed is absolutely brilliant inside and out, you have set the standard for us to follow now and I have my work cut out to come anywhere near close to that when I build mine, I'll have to start giving it a lot of thought.

I always thought I wouldn't bother with lights but you have shown how good they can be, reminds me of my Pendon visit and also why it is a good idea to model interiors, yet more food for thought.

Keep up the great and inspirational work.

A superb photo and it shows the detail off so well. what makes it so realistic to me is what is in the foreground, that chimney stack, the weeds on the bridge walls and the work on those roofs. The whole scene just looks right and shows what a great modeller you are Jason.

Setting standards for the rest of us to follow.

Great stuff.

That's actually quite worrying!!

 

My god, do I really utter such vast quantities of drivel? Bodge freely admits he churns out plenty of that!!

 

Just imagine what it'll be like once the bunker work commences! Hours of building followed by hours of gobshiting!

 

And Jason - I've always admired your eloquent way with words.....

 

Jeff

I'm saying nothing but you joined this forum just over three weeks after me and I have not long passed only 600 posts. , but you do keep us fully entertained and we keep coming back for more.

It's a great group to be part of.

Just one question before I sign out for a little while.....

 

Where is Bodge?

 

Back later.

 

Jeff

Well I've not seen him around here unless.........He's under that pile of rubble  

Khris - it will be just like the real thing then so maybe in a few years I can model it being re-thatched, I'll have grown some more hair by then too with more grey in in it, perfect. As for the beard to head ratio if I had a beard at that sort of ratio I'd keep tucking it my trousers with my shirt.

Thanks for the link John, I had seen it before but it is always good to watch again as it reminds me of how thorough in measurement I should be.

Andy - I remember that from your Kingsley thread and thought then how it looked pretty good, I had a choice of that, hemp or my hair, guess which one was free and I had a limitless supply of - so far.

Back into the garden tomorrow and there will be no modelling until I move the other shed and put all the stuff back that is in mine.

Mrs. S. says she'd love to come over and do your scenics Andy! We think 20 pounds sterling an hour is fair for such quality work. Not bad when you think she did the whole Goathland layout, trees and all in 6 days flat!!

 

Here is a collection of retouched pictures from both layouts which I hope do Ieva's work justice.

Just 6 days Bl**dy hell! it takes me that long to do one tree and months to do the rest. Great respect for your good lady.

Jim

OK guys, got the pics at last, this is Hemyock built 8 years ago but I'm afraid the scanned pictures are rather grainy and I don't know why.

 

Anyway, it's got to be a welcome break from Tudor !

 

Cheers.

Allan.

 

 

That's a nice surprise coming across that today Allan, I never knew you had made a version of Hemyock but then again I don't think I was doing or reading any modelling around that time.

I bet it took you a lot less time than mine is taking me. It looks very good.

Thanks for posting 

Jim

Chris, I always thought as my hair dropped onto the floor 'I wonder if .....' so gave it a go and it seems to be working OK so far, as for thatch in Wales it tends to be on the other side to where you are modelling as there are quite a few around the borders. Weeds, Jaz got it in one.

Jaz, well spotted they are in fact dandelion seed.

Cheers Andy, I'm looking forward to seeing it finished too, I just hope it turns out OK, if you hear no more then I ****ed it up.  

Thanks Mikkel, maybe enough hair for a small cottage? What I haven't said is how many cuts it has taken to get that much  and as for the seeds, two different activities indeed.

Now those seeds. I was up in the Polytunnel a few days back and moved some boxes out of a corner and there it was, this huge dandelion head, nice and dry and ready to use so in the bag it went. When I had time I shook the seed off into a carrier bag, loaded the air brush with some light tan/brown or something like that, poked it in the bag and sprayed while agitating the bag. It's best to let the fumes die down a bit before opening to have a look and do it outside. I let them dry for around fifteen minutes and then shook them out, a bit of a spray with varnish later and they were trimmed and ready to go.

I poked them into gaps in the other foliage and with another spray of varnish, job done.

It looks a lot drier today so back to the garden work.

Thanks for looking in.

p.s I do remove the seed from its floaty bit, just in case.

When I was a young man on holiday from College I used to help out a neighbour on a building site - I learnt a lot there - and inside the managers office was a project planner with the time scales for builds on, the 3 bed bungalows we were working on could be built in 53 days as long as everyone turned up on time and completed their job. As with most projects they always over ran. Theories good though.

I hope yours is on time Jeff.

Thanks for the comments Andy, Chris, Jaz and Nick.

I'll try to keep a few pics coming but I have a major garden project on the go at the moment which limits time, but I can't resist popping into the shed so who knows.

Here are a few from a few days ago that I have only got around to loading. These show the start of each cottage roof under construction.

The first one with it's lines of slates.

With the second one being thatched I decided to go all Pendon on it and used real hair, mine as it happened as I still have enough despite it getting thinner. Luckily the wife has a home hairdresser visit so it is easy to gather it up later when I clear up, the hairdresser hasn't asked why I bag it up yet instead of binning it but I'm sure she will. Unless she just accepts that I'm a bit odd.

Anyway a clump is taken and trimmed.....

stuck to the board....

and weighted until dry.

Both of these have progressed a bit further but no pics yet, the thatch has been brushed and flattened and is waiting trimming.

When external work has been halted due to showers and sanctuary is sought in the shed I try to find odd little things to do to pass the time and one of these was more weeds for the riverbank.

When I was at the old station site last Autumn I took a few pictures of the weeds on the bank in case I could model them, well that chance occurred this week-end, something caught my eye and I had a Eureka moment. So here it is

The weeds at the old Hemyock site

My 4mm version in amongst the grass ( the single stemmed spiky ones)

Could be a couple of weeks before any further progress is made unless I sneak in when SWMBO isn't looking.

Catch you later.

Hi Chris

I just love those little Dean Goods engines and look forward to seeing you backdate it, I also picked a couple up in recent years one of them an outside framed version (2301 class) and think I need to do the same. The standard model (Kays kit) I got  really cheap at a toy fair as it is badly glued with impact adhesive and unpainted, a complete rebuild for this one which will make any mods easier.

Looking at your coaches I would have thought that the interior would be varnished wood so a brown would be fine, just a guess though as I know very little about coaches in that area.

Don't worry about changing your mind and doing something different, I'm always doing it as I spot something I missed in a photograph, or even stumble across an image I forgot I had and then wonder how to get round it.

I need that mental challenge now that the big 60 is getting ever closer.

All the best

Jim

I have just been given a major garden project by the wife so modelling has taken a bit of a back seat for now.

It involves a bit of demolition (outbuilding), moving a shed (not the modelling one), building walls and coal bunker, then laying a patio, making a raised bed and planting up. Should keep me busy for a while. It won't take me 120 days though.