CoombeTown

So I did start the fence yesterday, but no photos until it has been Weathered... I've also completed construction of the retaining, with painting to go next. The Large Prairie made it to the platform under test. It runs much better now I have modified the trailing wheels, as others have suggested elsewhere. I have realised that part of the issue is the fact that the switch blade on the point at the entrance relies on touch alone, and is very unreliable... so the rest of my evening shall be spent with the soldering iron!

Thanks Rob, I shall be cracking out the tin of cream this afternoon then!

Very busy weekend & week at work means not much progress on Coombe Town, although I have made a start on the wall... I am hoping to get some painting elsewhere on the layout done this weekend. Which leads me to this question, would the fence between the car park and the platform be painted Cream or White in BR (W) days? It's hard to distinguish in photos really, I would imagine the taller fence by the gents would be Cream, but I'm not sure about the smaller ones. The fence in question:

I've had a little post work running session this evening. The recent scenic work has really started to bring the feeling of a little country station which is very pleasing. Firstly, 4134 arrives at Coombe Town. Having uncoupled, begins to run round, but faster than the signalman can react! Which provides an opportunity to look down the platform, which requires a few figures! And finally 4134 draws forward to couple for the return journey. Hopefully some progress on the signal box retaining wall over the weekend. In between rugby and a trip down to Yeovil to help with the preparations on Evercreech New for its display alongside Heaton Lodge Junction and friends.

Further progress with the landscaping around the station. Plastercloth down. Then added the station forecourt. This turned out better than expected using a random bag of sand I found. Next on the station development will be constructing the retaining walls, in a mixture of stone and brick, around the signal box.

That was my thoughts exactly, I will be looking at fitting mine with lamps. The Kernow website also states Q4 2022/ Q1 2023 as a delivery date, I will certainly be getting my order in this week.

A little bit more progress yesterday with the completion of the brickwork on the signal box. In celebration I ran 82020 on a parcels working. This proved that it very much needs a good service, stopping randomly all over the place... something for later in the week I think!

Another day of progress today. Pretty much all the paving is completed and the first coat of grey across most of it. I've also stuck together the fencing on the end of the platform with two parcels gates providing entry to the platform. This runs all the way to where a larger fence blocking the toilet entrance shall be. Finally, I found some time to highlight some brickwork on the signal box. All in all, a very productive day.

100% agree Rob. This is what I have produced with the help of a 3D printer. I hope I'm not taking the thread too far OT.

My longest Cassettes are 750mm, which allows for a Mogul and 2x 57ft coaches. I think 4ft would be a stretch and a little unwieldy to turn, but 3ft is definitely a reasonable length.

Thanks Rob, I have to admit, I was not expecting the foam to make such a difference. I reckon there's a good 18 months at least to go yet, but thanks for the encouragement!

I was very thoughtfully bought some 3D printed running in boards by my girlfriend as a Valentines present, so this afternoon has been spent working on station landscaping. This shows the hill rising away from the headshunt end of the station. I've also cut the paving slabs for the platform. These will get a coat of primer and be glued down tomorrow. I also carved out the point rodding area last night which means I have got a first coat on the platform face.

The 2 servos don't seem to suffer with the 9v supply. Although I did try putting the switches in the control panel and the interference just created ghost movements.

Hi Andy, Yes they are the Dapol signals but instead of 12V I use a 9V phone charger to power them. They still work fine, just aren't quite as Christmas tree like.

A few shots of 5541 entering the station at Coombe Town. I've now found a decent photo stacking method that makes post-processing slicker, hopefully this means more photography sessions.

Thanks. I did consider getting a 3D printer a year or so ago but I reckon for the benefit the cost isn't worth it. I only get an evening or maybe two most weeks that I can dedicate to modelling and tend to spend the rest and the weekend either socialising or scouting. In terms of tweaking, the Goods Shed was rather smooth thanks to the laser cut shell. The signal box is another story! But I have a plan for the v2 windows...

Some more progress this week. Initially I painted the upper half of the signal box. Then today I managed to find time to construct the roof, add guttering to the main structure and begin tiling. Unfortunately I've now run out of tiling and modelu guttering bits to finish off the box so it will be stalled for sometime. After a running session on Thursday evening leading to the scene below. I had a photography session with the small prairie tonight now I've switched the formations around a bit. Photos from tonight will follow when I've had a chance to process the DSLR images on my laptop.

Given that the Deltic thread had a peak of a driver, looking very much like a Modelu CAD. And that Modelu posted on Instagram on the same day last week, I would suggest that is an Accurascale special crew for the Manor. Maybe a mini- @Accurascale Fran or @McC

In other news, a parcel turned up from Rails this morning. It contained a Sound Fitted Dapol Large Prairie. Despite being limited to a sugar cube speaker it has reasonable sound but suffers from the intermittent stalling caused by the rear pony truck. Either way, I'm happy with the model and will probably tweak the rear pony in a few weeks once it's had some more running. With No.18 Kadees Fitted it has been brought into service on my lunch break. The Kadees allow reasonably close coupling as well, to the extent the buffers touch on the curve.

Might do in Z gauge?

Sure Graham, it's SE Finecast embossed plasticard. I've normal English Bond for the regular brickwork, for the top I've used a strip off their arches sheet (FBS411) as it has a long strip of capping bricks.

You could always claim that it's a two level layout...

Don't forget Kinematic Couplings as well. Kudos to Dapol here, they do seem to be trying to set a new standard. Now just to work out how to validate one or two corridor version on a 1957/58 Somerset branch line...

I've now had a chance to put a base coat of static grass along the embankment leading to the signal. It feels so good to get some greenery down! In celebration I ran some trains and experimented with some new angles using my phone. Firstly, 1470 leaving Coombe Town with a short Goods train. This is going to require my DSLR to perfect, but I do like the view under the bridge. And from the other side, looking across the yard. Finally, 7310 bursts into Coombe Town. These two shots really help me picture the layout in its final state, which is the first time I've actually imagined it coming together.

Thanks Andy, The cream is Phoenix Precision SR Buildings Cream. Sounds bizarre but online references suggest it is the best match for the BR WR Cream, using Humbrol 98 for the chocolate colour.