Fishplate

2 minutes ago, Will Crompton said:

Thanks for the links. I've looked at a lot of the (wonderful) Kentrail site but this bit had passed me by. I like your model BTW, is it part of/goiing to be part of a layout? This might be the first steam area single road WRD shed I've come across. Presumably there were others.

I had an idea to build a model of Faversham MPD as it is quite self contained. The long bridge (footbridge) would make a great scenic break (except the Wagon Repair Shed is on the wrong side. . . ). 

However, space was a constraint and I wouldn't actually be able to run trains, just shunt locos and wagons. The depot building consequently sits in a box. It's only when you build something like this you realise just how big the real version is.

I did contemplate incorporating it in my current layout, but I concluded it would dominate (there is a photo in my topic) and reduce the destinations in my goods yard. 

Faversham, Kent, Wagon Repair Shed situated in the MPD area adjacent to the Up line from Ramsgate.

http://Faversham_Shed_2_Final.jpg (701×487) (kentrail.org.uk)

The white paint is for sighting of the semaphore signals that used to be behind the shed.

There is an interior shot at the bottom of this page: 

https://kentrail.org.uk/faversham_73E_3.htm

Similarly photos 6 and 7 on this link (which also includes interior shots of Faversham MPD (73E):

https://www.derelictplaces.co.uk/threads/abandoned-train-station-july-2012.23167/#.WZf9Wz6GPIU

I have built a model of this shed based on plans and counting bricks:

I must admit that after I read this :

16 hours ago, MrWolf said:

It's only about a third loaded with bottles as yet, there should be three of each to keep up on busy nights.

I thought you had put this comment in the wrong post 🤔:

16 hours ago, MrWolf said:

Now all I have to deal with is waking up in unfamiliar surroundings with torn clothes, aching limbs, the taste of blood in the mouth and nightmarish flashbacks to terrible events of the previous evening.

2 hours ago, Annie said:

Buying a house is actually quite simple, - it's all the horror, madness and blood sweat and tears that comes along with it that's the challenging part.

Other than shunting a few wagons, that is why I haven't run a train on my entire layout since August 2020. . . .😔

On 30/12/2023 at 20:47, boxerbayrailway said:

Most kind of you John.  It's my first real attempt at a layout that has made it this far, I'm enjoying the journey.

 

I've had a quick look over Canterbury Road,  picked up a few tips from your post regarding the dock wall construction.

Something that I'm about to tackle on my dock area.  Your layout is a neat design,  I like it.  Will follow with interest.

 

Best wishes for the New Year from Oregon,

Felix

Don't know how I missed your comment on my efforts Felix. Thank you. Hope your dock wall goes well. I look forward to seeing the results. 

43 minutes ago, Geep7 said:

It's got me thinking now whether this could affect any other Dapol models (eg. the Class 73?). Must take a look.

Panic. . . 

14 minutes ago, NHY 581 said:

The class 73 etc have conventional axles/gears. 

Panic ye not. 

4 minutes ago, Geep7 said:

Thanks Rob, just taken a look during my lunch break, and you're right.

Panic ye not confirmed. Thanks chaps.

56 minutes ago, NHY 581 said:

Remember, A Pannier's for life, not just for one layout. 

Agreed. Just somebody else's life and layout.  😁

I hope you recover fully from your Op soon Rob.

Booze bracket looking good 👍

9 hours ago, Schooner said:

Also, to my own slight surprise, bought a house. A downstairs room c.16'x11' has got hobby den/railway room written all over it... :)

Sounds great. When do you move ?

9 hours ago, Schooner said:

Spent a little bit of my eve having another look at the Barbados Railway and still finding it appealing. Bought a book (the only one I could find on the sunject).

Looks like an interesting book. Just looking at the table: Is there a typo on the Daily Outward timetable, or is there something else operational happening ? The time from Bridgetown to Rouen takes 2 hours 13 mins for 2.5 miles and the overall journey is over 4hrs. The other Outward tables show 12 minutes for the same 2.5 miles. 

The Inward Daily shows 23 minutes between those stations, with the other two at 12 minutes.

2 hours ago, Worsdell forever said:

Not really sure of the ratio of PVA/water but probably 60/40 although the PVA I've used here is quite thin to start with, usually mix 100 - 150ml at a time and that probably gets a bit less than a teaspoon of washing up liquid. Then it's warmed gently in the microwave. 

Usually do a whole board in one session, using a dropper to gently dribble onto the sleepers to let it seep into the ballast so it doesn't cause craters. After it's seeped in more can be dribbled directly onto the ballast. 

Any colour change isn't an issue for me as its black ballast and it will be sprayed with mucky brown anyway.

Thank you for taking the time to explain that @Worsdell forever. I have discussed optimum time in the microwave with Mrs FP. Will let you know how I get on.

52 minutes ago, john new said:

If it is any help I use 50/50 PVA mix a lot as it makes a good primer for using water colour paints for weathering. I always use an orange or a red. No problems with using onto limestone gravel, with fixing artists chalk scrapings or on plastic but can't comment on granite ballast going green as I don't use granite chips for ballast. Brief YouTube intro' here - last use of it onto crumbled limestone was on the inside of the Rufus Castle model seen in the video.

Thank you as well @john new for your time and the video. Two methods to consider! 

I presume the Orange or red you mention is the washing up liquid? I should have clarified that the granite is Woodland Scenics, so not real stone.

(Another excellent example of asking a question on RMWeb and getting help).

Fixed the backscene board to the fiddleyard temporarily. Spent some time this afternoon picking some of my favourite local landmarks from my home town to add to it.

Because these will be immediately behind a wall, and theoretically on the other side of a road, I've maintained 4mm scale. There will be subsequent layers in the background to give a feeling of distance / depth. I'm taking Leicester East and Copper Wort layouts as inspiration, to guide my approach. 

This is a tin church. A bit of a challenge as no bricks to count. However Google Earth is your friend to give plan dimensions, and then I've taken vertical dimensions from a face on photo / street view and proportioned accordingly. 

I've cut it out and stuck it on with blue tack at the moment. When I've drawn up a few more I can then move them around. Hopefully I'll get a pleasing combination before committing to a particular arrangement. 

Backscene board to hide the fiddleyard made this afternoon and covered with lining paper. Took over the Dining Room table. Drying time took it past dinner time, so treated us to a Chinese. Very nice. 

Needs trimming and then I need to channel inspiration from other layouts and my O level Art.... 

A number of things need to happen in parallel to get the layout joined up and rebuilt. Hoping to have some time over the next two days to progress things. 

I'm about where I should have been at some point during the Christmas holidays (2023) .... 

Hope you feel better soon Andy. 

All looking good.

Tickets bought for Doncaster show. List already made of necessary stuff required to progress. Particularly looking forward to seeing Copper Wort* as well as other layouts I follow on here.

* Hope we can get near it ! 

2 hours ago, AY Mod said:

It's something I've often wrestled with but never resolved. Maybe an 'In memory of' subforum within the layouts section? Should they be locked or remain open?

That's a nice idea Andy. 

Perhaps they become locked after a period of time for any final comments, such as Robs above? Those topics will then become the RMWeb equivalent of the old pile of Railway Magazines that people can look back at.

2 hours ago, NHY 581 said:

this evening marks the passing of a great friend

A nice tribute in your post Rob.

There have been a few people pass away over the last few months who have created very nice layouts and topics on RMWeb. I know one layout has been pinned to the top of the layout pages, but I've wondered if there might be a better receptacle/ archive for 'past members' work and contributions?

Without the pinning, they will just sink down the live list. But I realise you can't just end up with numerous pinned topics.

I'm sure there are probably other issues as well, such as the cost of storage space on the interweb. 

Just a thought.

I hope your mojo returns soon Rob

1 hour ago, RobAllen said:

I don't think that you're helping 😁

Just offering options. . . . .😇

(One of which can be 'do nothing')

1 hour ago, RobAllen said:

It's a very nice model though, isn't it? I also can't think of why I would want one on an 1930's SDJR railway, but…

Now who's not helping ??? 🤣🤣🤣

8 minutes ago, Gopher said:

Get thee behind me Satan (and keep pushing). 

 Either its a Railtour. Or. Perhaps...... Dewchurch has become a 1980's preservation line . . . 😇

22 minutes ago, Gopher said:

Been a while since the Curran's siding was used

The infernal combustion engine and associated economics starting to mark a change in approach to transportation of goods and people by rail that will soon see the demise of so many similar facilities.

But I'm telling you the plot. . . . .

On 08/11/2023 at 20:36, Worsdell forever said:

Ballasting is going well,

Hi @Worsdell forever. I'm just embarking on ballasting . Various methods on RMWeb explain percentage mix water/pva (70/30; 50/50) and the magic drop of fairy liquid. 

I've read horror stories of the fairy colouring the ballast. We currently have red (!).  Mrs FP has some clear window cleaning detergent. I know it's only required to destroy the surface tension and make the mixture flow, so I guess it's ok. 

Having seen what you have achieved, please could you list your glue mix and application method for the lengths you do at a time? From your pictures it obviously flows really well without floating the ballast away, or creating blobs of ballast. And how big 'a drop' of washing up liquid is required 🤔?

All high level tracks now painted up to a point within a few inches of the board joints on the main and goods lines. I can then blend in across the joints when everything gets put back together. 

I've obtained some Woodlands Scenics 'medium cinders' ballast. Started on the Carriage Sidings. 

It looks coarser in-situ than I thought it did in the bottle. Looks more like contaminated 4mm scale stone ballast rather than 4mm scale ash? But this is 'multi-scale' product, so up to me/ the buyer to confirm it is ok. 

I'm happy with what I've bought for these sidings, although I think I should have picked the 'fine cinders'.

Put some PVA down each side of both tracks to contain the ballast spreading too far away from the sleeper ends.

There will be a concrete carriage cleaning platform between the two tracks, so I didn't want to cover the 6ft. Components are in the post to scratch build the platform. 

Used a teaspoon to place the ballast a few sleepers at a time, then a small paint brush to clear the sleeper tops/ ends. Efforts so far in the picture below. 

Now need to soak the ballast in 50% PVA/water mix. Getting there.... 

Looking good. Following with interest 🙂

On 23/01/2024 at 12:50, Southernman46 said:

Indeed on my old section, I had the long bridge at the west end of Wimbledon which was paradoxically longer than Bookham Tunnel

When in BR(S) Gauging section, we went to survey a short tunnel. Can't remember the location. 

Our chainman was unimpressed: "That's not a tunnel. I can stick my xxxx through that".

Not convinced he was telling the truth, but we didn't ask for a demonstration.

1 hour ago, 2ManySpams said:

"spending time on buildings is a waste, some people only look at the trains"

Modified the above and sorry to hear of your experiences on RMWeb.

Others (like me!) enjoy looking at layouts at an exhibition between trains. The whole layout can place it geographically without a single item of rolling stock. The vast majority of the pictures I take at exhibitions are of the layout, not the trains. I often wait until a train has gone before taking a photograph.

Maybe I'm just odd.

It might explain my wildly non- era specific train collection. I'm looking more at location, albeit, due to space and my wish list, non-prototype based. Hopefully, in due course, people will be able to recognise the geographical location of my layout.

They may be slightly confused by the combination of stock though. Rule 1 being applicable!

4 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

I was actually thinking, specifically, of track gauge rather than alignment.

Ok. 4ft 8.5inches = 1435mm.

Modified at the end of steam to 1432mm in plain line and S&C.

Now back to 1435mm, with some cases of 1438mm. And designed transitions between various gauges when renewals are undertaken.

Then there are manufacturing and maintenance tolerances. . . .

So the absolute gauge answer is site, era and tolerance dependent.

Anyone doing a layout in P4, can have some more excitement 🤯.

With all that excitement in the day job, I'm sticking to OO 👍