CoombeTown

Well, a busy week. And a fantastic SWAG show to kick it off. It was good to chat to like-minded people around a fantastic collection of layouts. In lieu of much modelling, operational capability has returned to Coombe Town with 4157 giving a hint of what's to come when I make further progress.

So it's been a while, life and another side project has taken out most modelling time on Coombe Town. Today I have managed to make some significant progress, ballasting a large part of the loop and mainline through the platform. It certainly makes a difference, even with the baking parchment still in place. Adding ballast also shows off the different levels looking across the station. Next steps will be to finish painting the platform wall and add the point rodding in front of the platform (I deliberately didn't ballast between the track and platform to allow this). Before that, I will hopefully see some at SWAG tomorrow. Particularly looking forward to seeing Yelverton in the flesh. Dom

The Henbury image is from the Bristol Harbour railway, so Port of Bristol Authority. So if I were a betting man, I would say the GWR Fruit 'B' van, using the Mink A chassis would be the logical bet. Just hoping for a wartime meat van conversion so I can have a random in the late 50s where my layout is set.

Don't really know where else to post this. @rapidoandy could you possibly update the product tracker on your website so we can get our wallets in order?

Another vote for the Shawplan flush glazing, the large windows are very easy to fit. For the quarter lights I used Deluxe Materials Glue'n'Glaze. The quarterlight are the right size to apply the glue at one end then pull across with a cocktail stick.

Thanks all, I’m very pleased with how this one turned out. So here’s a slightly more in-focus shot of the train on the return to Coombe Town. It does now highlight the cleanliness of the carriage. The next purchase for the layout will either be the lights for this so it can be populated and weathered, or a sound chip for the 64xx. It would be nice to have a fully weathered passenger train, although more progress on the layout is required to adequately showcase it…

Continued. Dark Earth powder worked over the entire underframe, including springs. Then brushed upwards onto the body sides. This all sealed with a light coat of varnish, then the Maskol is removed. Which leaves us with a scruffy bit of NPCCS

For my own record, the steps were as below. firstly, the windows were partially protected with Humbrol Maskol to give the impression of being wiped clean. Then Matt varnish was applied over the wagon. A Humbrol dark brown wash was applied to one side at a time, then wiped off with a cotton bud after a minute or so. This not only highlights the plank joints, but also dulls the whole side. To stop the crimson popping so much. The wagon is then sprayed with Humbrol 29 from a distance, mainly aimed at the under frame but not worrying about overspray onto the body. Once dry, onto the powders. Light Rust around the springs and brake shoes. A mix of smoke & black powders on the roof, worked in a bit along the centreline and round the vents, then brushed with a side to side motion with a wide brush.

As a side project today, I decided to weather a Hornby Van C. Being Parcels stock it required a bit of a different approach to go from this: To this:

So my Rapido Iron Mink couldn’t stay clean for long, and was attacked with a large helping of humbrol dark rust worked into the panel edges. It took a couple of attempts to get a finish I was happy with, not helped by the varnish running out… I’ve also completed the initial yard ground cover on the smaller board. Hopefully tomorrow will get the catch pits in so I can ballast part of the loop. The platform walls will need painting and pointing built/installed before the platform road can be ballasted so that will keep me going for sometime as modelling hours can be currently counted on one hand, without any fingers!

I agree Rob, the WWS stuff is definitely better. Even a relative novice like me can produce some reasonable results. I have found that decanting the layering adhesive into an artist’s atomiser works better than using the spray bottles direct for getting the thinner top layers of longer grass though. Dom

It’s been a busy month, but I have managed to finally complete the static grass on the embankment this week. As per my previous experiment, a blend of WWS 4mm spring and summer on top of the 2mm base layer with a top of 6mm Wild Meadow. The 6mm was deliberately built up around the end of the siding to give a rougher transition into the embankment with a bit less definition. With some spare time today I plan to tackle weathering a Rapido Iron Mink, it’s part of a new policy of actually weathering rolling stock before it goes into service to try and have fewer pristine vehicles around!

Mine arrived last night, fantastic levels of detail so congratulations Rapido! Does anyone have any colour pictures of the wagons in BR service in the 50s for weathering purposes? The images of Paul Bartlett's site are from the 70s/80s, by which point I would imagine the wagons were significantly more worn. Thanks in advance.

Thanks Rob, Hedges are the classic rubberised horsehair, teased out a bit, sprayed with Humbrol 29 as a base. Then they’re hit with a good dose of spray of glue and covered in Woodland Scenics Medium Green Coarse Turf. In due course I’ll add a few accents with light green fine turf to represent new growth and add some variation. cheers, Dom

As promised, a short video of 1470 entering Coombe Town this afternoon, the video also shows some of the scenic work that I’ve been doing today. A few stills highlighting the work. Firstly, I’ve started adding the ground cover between the back siding and the running line. The grounded body has been permanently fixed in place. I’ve put the base flock on the hedge row and it into position at the top of the embankment. The lorry will be replaced by a cattle truck in time.

This evening I embarked on a fiddly project, installing sound and stay-alive in the 14xx. Apart from a brief puff of smoke (stay-alive wired backwards…) all went smoothly. The relevant components now stowed in the smokebox. Fireman Bob and Driver Dave were also added to the cab before returning the engine to the layout. The plan for tomorrow being to fettle the programming with synchronisation etc. If I can work out how I may upload a brief running video.

Thanks, It looks like like a much simpler change than I was expecting. Rapido have been contacted and new pickups requested, hopefully they’ll arrive soon.

Thanks Gopher, my 16xx already has a Loksound decoder fitted, but I'd be interested to know what stayalive kit you've used inside? I may ask Rapido for a new set of pick ups as well, although my loss of contact seems to be on the rear wheels. Cheers, Dom

Yes Andy, sorry if it didn’t come across, I do intend on fitting stay alive in the very near future (hence ordering the capacitors to do the job) but am going to try a plug and play approach first, purely to try the sound. Stay-alive will probably get added over the weekend. I know I am one of the lucky few with a decent running 14xx, but still would expect it to be worse than the 16xx given how many of the former seem to have issue.

Thanks for the warning Andy. Mine is currently more reliable than my Rapido 16xx which I think needs sending back for some attention....

So a year on, to the day, from a discussion on @Andy Keane’s Helston topic, I finally got around to ordering the sound kit to install into my 14xx. This has jumped up the queue with Rapido’s 45xx announcement, and the fact that the DR5000 controller I was going to upgrade to is out of stock everywhere. initial sound fit won’t include stay-alive, but I’ve bought the capacitors just in case. but the first bit of the process, she needs a crew as well. So, here they are freshly painted up.

I had a bit of a play on Monday night and posed 1470 leaving the tunnel to see what it looked like with the Rodding and WIP hedges. I think it’s starting to come together now, at least at this end of the layout. Certainly still some thinking to be done at the far end. First looking down the line, with the Rodding more visible than I’d expected. Then two from across the yard, the surface should be in place on the cattle dock this evening.

Cheers Rob, Minehead certainly seems close in terms of modelling time. In fact I haven't made to a show since Taunton. I have SWAG in the calendar and that is looking like the first event for 2023 which I look forward to. Dom

Tonight I’ve had a chance to add so rust powder to the Rodding and get it stuck down on the stools. It’s taken months to get to this stage but I’m really pleased with how it has come out in the end, it really does stand out in the scene. Just the crank rods for the trap point to add now and the catch pit cover! Before some unsuspecting yard walker falls down it talking a post-work shortcut to the pub… Really impressed with the Modelu crank products though, they’re worth the hassle to get the look I reckon.

Thanks Andy, ash it is then! I’ll probably a few small patches of grass around. The cinder path had crossed my mind, and I’d agree it is noticeably missing. I’ll add it in at the same as adding in more yard surface. Weathering/grime/oil spills I’ll add in future when I’ve had a chance to order some of the geoscenics weathering products.