JCL

While the glue on the plastic lattice is drying I've been on Google Streetview to see if I can half inch the images. I've cranked up the Photoshop and merged some test photos together. It's a bit rough and ready at the moment, but maybe something can be done with it. The problem is that, with many backgrounds the landscape goes along. It looks like it is travelling with the photographer. The flat landscape in my part of Lincolnshire has many features that are perpendicular to the road such as straight roads, ditches (dykes in Lincs parlance), and even rows of plants. So do I attempt to make all of these vertical, or do I have a vanishing point? It's a difficult one, and I'm not sure either answer it right. If I'm to be authentic then I can't even add too many trees, simply because Wainfleet isn't known for it's forests! One thought is that I can put some long grass etc against the backdrop, and simply paint items that are near to the horizon, with only a suggestion of the foreground behind the grass. After all, the main feature of the landscape of this area is the sky! Concentrate on that instead. That said, this is just a quick exercise to pass time, and in reality it'll be a while before I need to worry about this! What started me thinking about it was the need to produce a background for the models I've been building while I'm photographing them - I definitely need something a bit more rural than my laptop's keyboard!

Thank you

I've a quick question. Originally I was thinking about wood for the walking surface on the bridge, but then got to thinking about others I'd been on and they were covered in some sort of grit. Thinking about that I was wondering what people would think about using masking tape for the texture as I'd seen this somewhere else used as a road surface. Would this be a good idea or do you think I'd be ruining it at the last minute?

Thanks Jaz! It's very kind of you. I'll definitely be asking for tips when I start on my scenery. Your layout really takes me back to when I lived in Yorkshire!

hahaha, no a spanner, though I may indeed own a couple of bottle openers

Now that IS interesting. What sort of paint would you seal that with? Would ordinary latex paint do it?

So this is where I am today. I've got all of the stairs glued on now and i'm ready to make a start on the lattice bridge. One of the difficulties about putting on the stairs is that each set of steps is a different because of the terrain. The columns will be sited just above track level, and the two sets of steps on the left will be almost the same length, if not the same shape. The steps on the right are longer because one set ends halfway up the platform ramp, and the other goes off down the road. Sooo, basically the only way I could this was to put the footbridge over the tracks and glue them on in situ. I think it turned out ok Lattice, posts and columns under the landings to go (Oh and lights and signal but not yet on those!)

Haha, I did the same a whole back. I created great confusion by replying to a message in a thread that was a couple of pages from the end. Out of context my reply made me look like I was on drugs!

It's been a long time since I've read the words magnum opi anywhere. I completely agree. I love looking at the models on here, but just as much, I enjoy the work other people put into their creations - Freebs/Lee with his station buildings and Al with his footbridge to name but two, but there are many more. In Al's case, the fact that he was a couple of weeks down the line, so to say, he actually helped me loads as I was building mine. Six weeks though! Blimey that's fast! I'm in awe Allan.

This post is called the ghosts of stations past. I used to be a fan of Time Team, and the way some of their people were able to look at the landscape and work out what had happened there. Now, I'm at the other end of the expertise scale, but it's great what you can pick up from modern photos. In this Google Maps image you can see the ghost of the footbridge. The first photo shows how the railings veer into the station carpark. The spear fencing had the wooden rails on the tops even when the footbridge was still there. The second photo is a magnified part of the first one, and show the actual entrance to the footbridge steps in front of a bike box next to the litter bin.

Hi there, I've been on a couple of side projects over the last few days, but I'm back on the footbridge again. I've got the stairs welded to the bridge now, tomorrow I'll be starting on the lattice again. In the meantime here's a photo on Flickr that I found last night. It shows that, while the rest of the network stopped steam by 1968, the Poacher Line in deepest darkest Lincolnshire, not only survived Beeching's Axe, but continued steam power until at least 1981 as shown by the piles of coal at the end of platform 1. Either that or someone's been fly tipping :-) http://www.flickr.com/photos/blue-pelican-railways/9832509306/ On the snowblower, the winch works (which is great news because this is the most expensive part), so I'm checking out switches and the relay next. Pressure's on because it's only a matter of time before it snows again!

Cheers Al. Actually, I've just realised the capitals look a bit like Lego parts, I wonder if they would work for people or if they would be too big.

Thanks very much Adrian. I didn't use the whole of the tip as that'd have been much more applicable to 0gauge. Also, changing pen meant that I could separate the barrel from the ink and nib, so I've been pretty lucky to not have ink problems since that first trial. I'm going to do a push today to make a bit of progress. I bought some Testers glue the other day which has made life a lot easier. It dries a lot slower than the weld I've been using. I've been putting a dab of the Testers on the part, putting the part in place, nudging it, and then using the weld to make sure that the part will then stay where it should be. I've also put some H rod under the deck to help strengthen it when I add the signal. Oh lord, I forgot about the signal until just then. I also need to find some lights as I saw they really tarted this structure up ! The PVA adhesive is a red herring, I promise I haven't been using it on the footbridge! I think one of the main skills a modeller needs is the ability to squint effectively!

Hi Al In the world of card modelling Chubber's your man. You might find post #1 interesting for his interior. Also, if you aren't 100% sure and want the ability to change your mind, you could always build the rooms separately and then drop them in. Personally, I think you have a good handle on things. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/67105-a-free-lance-gwr-themed-terminal-station-building-for-bears-end/ Edited to say - C&WR, I've just looked at your beach thread, you do some amazing work!

Cheers mister! Must get a fan in the kitchen for the next time I open the glue bottle. Woooooooo...

Ah, I can see what that sounded like, not full speed like Hornby's old Smokey Joe! Unfortunately the insulation is a bit like a drum. I'd used cork, below the track, but with a loco and a load of coaches it can get a bit noisy.

I wish I'd heard about this before I glued the track down. I've used expanded polystyrene (not the balls) insulation which is great to work with, but the trains can sound like a stampeding herd of horses then they get up to speed. :-/

Well, 3 or 4 inches of wet snow tried to foil the plan today, but I've made a bit of progress. I had to resize the girders at the tops of the columns (I made them the size they should have been, not the size they need to be because I'm using Hornby footbridge bits) which I cut into .010" plasticard. Each set of girders was then laminated so that they are a bit sturdier. As per Al's thread, I also reamed out the middle of the .0125" tube so that I could pass the tube over the .080" rod to make the thicker part of the column. The capital has changed a bit in that I'm using a different type of pen. The first pen nib was made of nylon or polythene or something and I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to either glue or pain it. A quick trip to the dollar store and I had 16 new pens for $3.50 - enough for all the columns and some left over in case I made a mess of things. Oh, and I can still use the pens. Got to work out what I did to the snow blower tomorrow. I've a winch that winds in but not out, which is only useful once.

No bull, I actually had to stare at the close up photo to make sure it wasn't of the "prototype" you were working from. This is really great.

Looking good. Not sure about the woodchip wallpaper

Seriously, that's the dog's doodads. Should I ever get back to your neck of the woods I'll have to try to track you down so that I can see this in the, erm, flesh as it were. I particularly like the weathered paint job you've given it, as well as your brass curlicues, they can't have been easy. I see I'm going to have to step up my game!

Quite pleased? It looks fantastic!

There seems to be an outbreak of footbridges and footbridge possibilities on RMWeb Mine will definitely be removable, but that's mainly because I can't decide on a particular time period for my layout. As Freddie Mercury said "I want it alllllll, and I want it at the earliest practical juncture"

Do you know how much ink a ball point pen throws out when you drill out the cone end? More than "some"? I think I have a cunning plan for the pillars. What I did on the column below was: Cut of the base of the Hornby column Drill a 2mm (actually .080") hole in the top Ram in .080" piece of rod Surround the rod with some .125" tube that had been drilled out Ali style Drill out a pen nib to .080" Push it onto the rod Push .125" tub to the top The tube will be glued to the rod then sanded to form a flat plane that the girders will be attached to. Obviously the whole thing will be vertical proper like when I'm done. Luckily I've only got eight to do. Edited to outline the cunning plan

So, work is on going on the footbridge. All four sets of steps now have rails on them and I'm thinking about the columns before I can do the bridge lattice. My idea is to cut off the hexagon at the bottom of the Hornby columns (see the photos above), then drill a 2mm hole into it so that I can insert the .080" rod. This will have a sleeve around the bottom of .125" dia. tube. The capital, I'm still not sure about, but pen "nibs" - the cone at the end - seem to be favourite right now. My problem is finding a 2mm drill bit, but I think I have an equivalent of 5/64" that'll work. I can't take any photos this evening of my column ideas, so I've included some photos of the gate wheel at Wainfleet. This was removed a while ago to a private collector who has kindly sent me come photos of it. It'd make one helluva corkscrew! It's a great looking piece of machinery. I'm just wondering how I'm going to put one together I do have half an idea, which is 100% more than I usually have!