phil_sutters

4 minutes ago, Mikkel said:

Thanks very much Phil. I'd like something better than what I have used, and a search for Guterman upholstery thread does bring up some good looking candidates, e.g. this:

 

That's the thing about RMweb and similar sites, which we didn't have when I started railway modelling, 50+ years ago, the ability to pass on hints and useful information and techniques. If you weren't in a club, there were just the magazines, RM, MRN & MRC and books by Edward Beal and the like. I have two provender wagon kits which I bought cheap, really not knowing what they were. How I can explain their presence on Highbridge wharf in the 1920s I don't know. 

On 13/11/2020 at 15:57, MikeOxon said:

I built my own Provender Wagon many years ago when CooperCraft kits were the latest thing in realism.  I simply made mine to the instructions, knowing nothing about offset V-hangers and such like.  I've always said that my modelling is 'impressionist' rather than accurate. 

 

Your version is far more skilfully executed and I like the way you have added a load and sheeting.

 

In my own case, North Leigh is not far from Didcot, so I consider it reasonable for one of these rarities to turn up occasionally.  I did feature a photo of one being horse-shunted, while the usual crowd of workers with nothing better to do stood by, watching.

 

If you speak nicely to your wife, you will discover that cotton thread comes in many different colours, so I'm sure you will find something to suit your 'roping'.

I found that thread used for upholstery, in a local shop, works very well. The reel I used while rigging my S&DJR coasters was Gutermann CA 02779 - a milk chocolate shade. It is very tough and yet it is flexible, far more so than the button thread I initially tried. So far the rigging has shown no signs of sagging, although the ships are stored in an unheated garage, which can create a slightly damp atmosphere.

In case you have missed some, here are the signs at the entrance to Ramsgate Harbour. I am pleased to see that your site manager has got his or her Portakabin, a reward for good progress!

Bishopstone is deco by the sea! The other side is somewhat less interesting as the building is at footbridge level. You do have the added interest of the WW2 pillboxes around the central tower. There is a station supporters group who have exhibited plans at an open day.

I have some photos of the model of Seaford station in the town museum. I took them for a photographic project I am working on, on the understanding that I did not publish them. However I would be happy to send them to you. I am not sure how to use the RMweb for that, but if you email me at philsutters@googlemail.com I can send them to you.

You will be pleased to note that Seahaven already has its own Maritime Academy, secondary school, food bank and radio station https://www.seahavenfm.com/ . However these are about 75 miles west of Folkestone! Seaford and Newhaven share a number of facilities under the 'Seahaven' banner.

Calling your layout Seahaven will mean I shall keep popping back when the name surfaces. Best of luck. My own static diorama based on Highbridge Wharf is making some, slow, progress, but I have a nasty habit of acquiring bits of kit for it, making and/or painting them and not actually getting anything in the way of track and buildings onto the baseboard! The Wharf was at the seaward end of the Somerset Levels, so I don't need major infrastructure of the type that you are building.

The quayside bit was made some time ago. 

If you are looking for a very neat dinghy for your maritime scene you could do worse than buy a 'Medieval Life Boat' by Zvezda. It is a very detailed little 1/72 model, with eight oars and a furled sail. It is 75mm from bow to stern. I have just bought two and converted one to a day fishing boat. The other one will remain as a rowing boat. The rowlocks are a fixed wooden type and the tiller is a bit olde worlde. For modern use replacement with metal slot-in ones would probably look more appropriate. It costs £6.75 from Wonderland Models, but they have a 'standard' postage of £4.50. https://www.wonderlandmodels.com/products/zvezda-172-medieval-life-boat/  Although the cost for one including postage seems a bit steep, it is by far the best detailed model of this type of boat that I have found. I am just a satisfied customer with no connection to WM. When I have finished them I can add a photo.

This may be of interest - perhaps a better scale - an old barge. Its remains have only been recently towed away. The original contractors gave up on it. I have photos of this vessel from the other side, in various stages of decay, if you are wanting to see the inside structure.

On 25/02/2020 at 21:32, Tricky said:

Very well done as ever Dave. From my limited knowledge of all things GW I usually have to take my cue from you as we model the same era - so I might copy you again! 

On your question of plank loads I know an extremely realistic and reliable source of accurately machined maple ‘planks’ to any size you should require...!

On the subject of plank loads, timber was imported in large quantities into the UK from Scandinavia from way back. From the 1820s it was realized that to maximize the ships loads, timber sawn into planks could be stowed more economically than in log form. Surrey Docks in London had huge timber wharves and the ships cargoes were off-loaded plank by plank by 'deal porters' who carried lengthy planks from ship to the timber stores on their back. There is a sculpture showing the method in the dock area today. http://www.ipernity.com/doc/philsutters/25874997

The SDJR's Highbridge Wharf had a substantial timber import trade from the 19th century until WW2. In Chris Handley's 'The Maritime Activities of the S&DR' John Bland's timber yard can be seen around 1900 with great stacks of sawn timber stored under sheets in the open. Their large timber sheds and saw mills reached the height of their business between the wars. I have only found one photo of a train laden with timber planks in 1924, there on the Wharf, but they must have been transporting the imports away by rail from the 19th century. So to suggest that only raw, unsawn timber was transported prior to 1905 seems unlikely, if timber was being imported in planks well before that.

There are three photos in Chris Handley's 'Maritime Activities of the S&DJR showing wagon loads of timber in apparently random lengths in sidings on Highbridge wharf in 1924 or thereabouts.. They seem to be stacked much higher than the model above and with greater overhang. The planks also seem to be of smaller cross-section. Highbridge wharf had considerable timber imports from Scandinavia and a large timber yard owned by John Bland Timber Merchants. The wagons could, I suppose, be being used for internal transfers as Bland's was on the far side of the wharf, away from the ships' berths, although I seem to remember seeing that 'deal porters' were used to transfer the planks manually across the wharf. This was the method used in London's Surrey Docks, as can be seen in this commemorative sculpture. http://www.ipernity.com/doc/philsutters/25874997

15 hours ago, down the sdjr said:

Lovely little loco that is, i really like your web site as well.

It was never brilliant runner - always quick to go and quick to stop, but I have to admit I have never been one for running trains. I just like making things. I have done a fair amount of painting things, like period wargames figure uniforms.

The ipernity website is run by its members and has a nice clean layout. There are a few railway enthusiasts there and they are all capable of excellent prototype photographs - from the UK, Europe, North America and Australia,

I had a go at 25a 50 years ago and still have it. http://www.ipernity.com/doc/philsutters/26452769/in/album/512733

That is the only one of 28A as a saddle tank that I can see anywhere.

15 hours ago, wenlock said:

I’ve got a midland 3 planker to build, along with a couple of GWR opens that will be in the pre-1904 livery, hopefully with cast number plates

 

I really like the idea of a visiting dignitary arriving at Sherton Abbas accompanied with his staff and horse drawn carriage.

My S&DJR official photos album is at either http://www.ipernity.com/doc/philsutters/album/512561 or, if they are visible to other members now that Gold Membership is required to open or add to albums, 

This is a photo, or rather a rather poor marriage of a couple of photos, of a membership certificate from the London Carmen's Trades Union. It was presented to one of my wife's relatives in 1895 and is now with another relative who is a retired union general secretary. It is interesting in that it shows several of the carman's tasks, not just driving the car/cart but mucking out, harnessing etc. It is a large document - almost A2 to my recollection.

Thinking that I had seen a chapter on railway horses in an ancient (pre-grouping) edition of the Wonder Book of Railways, I looked it up. Unfortunately it didn't answer the question of whether they worked shifts, but it gave a great description of the GNR's horse hospital at Kings Cross. 

Did Farthing have any shunting horses? They could take up a stall or two.

Correction - for Crampton read Crewe - it was a Buddicom 2-2-2. One of the videos is in this thread. Another link seems to have disappeared. 

I have uploaded this to another thread, but since early locos and Bricklayers' Arms have been mentioned, it may be of interest. The photos were lent to me by a friend, who was related to the fireman on the engine, when it was borrowed from France to represent the Crampton type of engine during the Festival of Britain. It was shedded at Bricklayers' Arms. There are some snippets of video in the thread in which I established its story. I will try to track them down and put a link here.

Fifty years ago I converted three L1s into 2Ps. One went into LMS colours. The others went into SDJR versions - No. 77 of 1905 as shown in Athill plate 77 and the other no.70 was similar to the Midland versions. I only have a photo of the LMS version. The others are still packed away as they have been for 45+ years

I won't clog up your blog with my Dad's photos of Barrow Road, but if you would like to see them - including a close-up of 51212 - you can see them at http://www.ipernity.com/search/photo?w=0&q=barrow+road+mpd+bristol 

Some firewalls don't seem to like the french ipernity photo sharing site so let me know if you can't get through and I can post them here.

You have a massive undertaking with this model - but it seems to be progressing to a very high standard - keep up the good work.