BurscoughCurves

Hi all, Just a few quick images of some progress to the station building facade. I have added an extra floor to the initial mock up and felt the second mock up sat much better next to the retaining walls now it is taller. I gave the bare plastikard a coat of grey primer and then a base wash of mid-stone. I wanted this base coat in place so I could make some progress on the windows. I am not totally happy with what I have done, although it is my first attempt of this kind of scratch building. I am panning on continuing with the building for now and will decide on whether to use it or not down the line. For the glazing I decided to try using microscope slip covers; tiny (approx. 20mm x 20mm x 0.25mm) pieces of glass which can be cleaned and are not affected by any adhesive. I have also discovered cyno glue activator- an aerosol which is an extremely effective catalyst for super-glue. One of the glass windows firmly glued in place has been broken during cleaning- I'm not sure how to rectify this yet as the tiny shards of glass are firmly glued in place! For the window frames I have used 0.6mm square and 1mm square plastruct rod. A lot of tidying up is needed: An open sash window: I quite like the bricked-up windows and am planning on adding wooden bracing to support the 'deliberate' and sever cracking than can be witnessed around one window. This was likely caused by war time bomb damage which resulted in the canopy being scrapped and removed. A messy rear shot: Posed temporarily in place: The glass microscope covers and plastruct rod; I need to decide on the colour to paint the frames- green? Brown? LMR red? More progress soon hopefully, Pete

Hi Andy, I really enjoy updates from Pencarne- it's really come together. Stunning stuff. Pete

Hmmm thanks gents. I appreciate there may be damp issues but feel there needs to be continuity and disguise the fact that there is a 'real-world' wall immediately behind. I've mocked up an idea from foam board (which would be from the same stone block material as the piece plonked at the end of the rails); Is it grand enough?I can't decide whether it would look better a little taller? Pete

Hi People, Hope you are all well. Not very much to update unfortunately but I am pleased with how the turntable looks. Firstly a few images after an initial coat of grey primer; Next I painted and began to weather the main deck with enamels and powders; I gave the centre plate decking a dabbing of 'oily steel'. Next was to weather the frame (brown/black & rust powders onto the grey primer) and paint the handrails white. I have weathered these too but don't have any photos of this just yet. My next task is to build the low relief station building. I have been thinking about this for an age now and really hope it will bring the station area together. I have not quite decided how to 'join' the station brickwork to the retaining wall stone; Butt them together in the corner- Or add a small section of retaining wall- I'm pretty sure I'll go with the added piece of retaining wall, but reduce the angle so it blends with the rest of the wall. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks folks, Pete

Hi Alan, My mistake I meant Dapol not ratio. The kit is designed to be able to use parts from the classic airfix now Dapol turntable kit and the winding assembly is straight from that. Pete

Hi everyone, Feels like a while since my last update and the only progress I've made is on the South East Finecast turntable. It's a nice kit but I think the instructions could be a little better illustrated. When compared in situ to a Peco 70ft kit I made years back, it really looks more in scale for a small depot such as mine. I realise that the MPD immediately next to a station may bug many purists but I can think of quite a few examples of this. My excuse is that the LNWR didn't want to spend any more money on a second site. I decided to use the parts from the ratio kit, and was thinking of the best way to curve the rail in the well. In the end I have used the ratio rail, suitably trimmed and weathered. The joined and primed rail, with the piece removed to reduce the circumference. The rail weathered with enamels and powders. A tricky part; making sure the rail is concentric with a simple gauge. The assembled deck with the sides from the ratio kit used. The underside of the deck. The four bearing heights were set with a vernier when the rail was glued in place- measuring from the rail top to the bearing bottom. I linked the central stud to the bridge assembly using a removable pin as well as a nut on the top of the deck. I don't think this is suggested in the instructions but felt it needed to be more secure than just a pair of locking nuts. I glued the rails in place on the deck with epoxy after soldering the contact wires in place. An overall view of the area after finally being able to turn locos the proper way! On the cosmetic side, the decking was scribed onto balsa sheet. The winding assembly from the ratio kit is yet to be glued in place. It looks a little large but I will probably use it. The handrails were made from 'L' section with copper wire threaded through 0.75mm holes. A bloke for scale! Ratio decking plate was used in between the rails and for the winding area. I hope to prime, paint and weather the deck soon. Hopefully some more progress soon. Cheers, Pete

Hi people, Jock- thank you as always for the kind words and I do hope you are keeping well. I'll PM you during the week with the turntable photos. Leopard- I thought my jokes were bad! I find guinness an excellent weathering medium though... Well work on the layout has come gradually together over the last few weeks. I need to have a really good clear up as the recent progress has made a lot of mess. It feels like quite a significant moment as the shed is now connected to the rest of the layout and I have been enjoying shunting locos around the MPD. The last track that needs to be laid is the single siding at the very front of the layout and the two which link to the turntable. All of the points are laid and connected to the switch board although the headshunt and coaling siding are yet to be stuck or pinned down. An overview of the MPD area; The finished point-control panel (I have yet to 'learn the road'); Below are a few gratuitous shots of the shed roads, apologies if you get bored! I have added the ramp up to the coaling stage. To the left and at the rear of the coal hole the embankment will be blackened ground and scrub grass and to the right you can still see the brick base modeled on an image found online with a Lanky 2-4-2 engine in front. I used this image to estimate the height of the track against my lanky 2-4-2T. From the retaining wall; I quite like this shot, and a cut from it; Next up is to make a start on the SE Finecast turntable kit which I am looking forward to. Thanks folks, Pete

Hi Scott, Thanks for your post. All I do is dip a cotton bud in some IPA and gently touch it onto each wheel as they are rotating. I'm not sure whether you have clearance in N gauge but I also reach under the loco and clean the inner wheel face where the pickups contact the wheel. It's surprising how much dirt accumulates. I always do this first on factory weathered locos as they are always coated in brown paint! Cheers, Pete

Yes- that is exactly what I'm planning; part brick but with rough scrub grass. Looking at LNWR coal holes the upper track level does not appear to be very high- a few feet at the most. This suits me! Unlike the GWR versions which are greatly elevated... Thanks, Pete

Hi folks, I feel like i'm making decent progress over the last week or so- even though I don't have loads to show for it. I have finished the mechanical point control at the front-left of the layout, although I am yet to wire the frogs to the switches; A close-up of the angled cranks (the ends are yet to be trimmed); At the point end; A job that has been bugging me for a while is to cut the slots for the ash pits. There are two of these- the original one in front of the coaling stage (which will be engineering blue brick) and a later one added by the LMS in the 1930's when the turntable was enlarged (which will probably be concrete). Also, in front of the shed I think i'll add another inspection pit (from the left-over pieces); Whilst the roof was off on the shed (to protect it against wayward elbows!) I gave the interior a much needed dusting; Thanks, Pete

Hi Derek, Thanks for your kind words. I'm a big fan of your layout- the image on your post #406 is truly superb. Well two points and a double slip plus the MPD head-shunt have been laid and wired to the bus rail, and I have started the point actuation. The points on the 'main' are all simple wire-in-tube with sweeping radii as there is a comfortable distance between the lever panel and the points themselves. As the MPD points are very close to the panel and also offset to the left, I've had to use angled cranks. I bought two sets of GEM angled cranks and they appear to work quite well; My only concern is that a siding will be laid directly over some of these cranks. The siding will have to be raised slightly to lift it above the slightly proud moving parts. I was considering this anyway to add a slight amount of variation to the track level under what will be a sparsely used siding. Nothing too interesting i'm afraid but progress all the same! Pete

Thanks Ben I think it was a Bachmann figure (with a small piece of tissue paper glued to his hand). Pete Edit- it is a Monty's figure sorry- I bought and painted/ repainted them at the same time! Pete

Hello again everyone, I seem to have some momentum going on the layout front at the moment and had a good track cleaning session last night. It's amazing how much dirt and debris is left on the track after the cleaning rubber has been used. I tend to use the rubber, hoover then wipe with a cloth dipped in meths. At the Manchester show before Christmas I purchased a set of DCC Concepts rolling road bearings. They are great for cleaning wheels and weathering and I have wired a short section of track to a chunky switch so I can power either the layout or the short programming/maintenance track; 42094 on a wheel cleaning session; A closeup of the driver (oily rag in hand); The switch on the right next to the power cab port; I decided to remove some of the random looking resurfacing on platform 3-4 in favour of more scribed flags. I'm glad I did but still need to tone down the platform entrance/exit area. The following photos are from a running session last night; I have done an initial cutout for the low relief station building, it will have several entrance/exits, office doors and windows; The South Eastern Finecast turntable well can be seen plonked in place and will be bedded in beneath more retaining walls and low relief buildings above. I'm hoping it will give the layout an enclosed urban feel; A few random images, I like the feel of this one; A local spotter is unimpressed with the smelly green coaches; But things pick up with a local favourite (including a chat with the driver); Next to finish prepping points and spacing more sleepers on the MPD track. Thanks for looking, Pete

Hi William, The photos look great- love the weathering on the 4F. Did you do that with an airbrush? Pete

Hi all, Well i've finally made some more progress on the layout front- although I only have a few photos at the moment more to follow soon. I have finished scribing all of the platforms and almost finished painting them. As mentioned previously; Halifax Powell Street is the terminus of a former LNWR venture into Halifax. It was built at great expense due to the required earthworks, running along the route of the current Skircoat Road and terminating near Powell Street (where the station building/entrance was accessed from). The original platform canopy was severely damage during the second world war, and immediately post-war some running repairs were undertaken to keep all of the station at full use. The canopy was cut back and removed, and the damaged central platform was partially (and primitively) resurfaced. Well that is my story anyway! It was a deliberate decision to only partially scribe paving flags on the central platform as I thought it would add a little interest. I think I will stick to this plan but as you can see below the resurfaced area is far too light in colour. I will aim to darken this over the weekend, but I would appreciate some feedback on this in general though as I could always continue the flags along the entire length of the platforms; Now the platforms are more or less complete this means I can start to lay the MPD trackwork. I have started to trim as much excess plastic from the peco points and have started wiring the droppers. I have also purchased a South Eastern Finecast 65ft turntable which I hope to begin building soon. I have just cut a hole for the well therefore track laying can begin soon. Any thoughts on the platform would be very helpful, Pete

Hi Andy, I'm glad you're enjoying the layout and yes I'll have a few updates this week. I've been restraining until I have something update worthy! Thanks again, Pete

Thanks gents, I really appreciate the encouragement you've shown. Unfortunately I haven't been anywhere near the railway room for over a week due to a busy work schedule- I'm hoping to make some serious progress over Christmas. Tony- your layout is a particular favourite. You've made me fall in love with class 40's- I'm starting to worry myself with such strong feelings for a diesel of all things! Thanks again guys, Pete

Hi People, Thanks for the kind comments as always Jock- the filler is just fine plaster filler from the local DIY superstore. I didn't actually get any cracking whilst drying, just as I was scribing the thinly spread areas. As mentioned I like the cracked appearance though and will try to recreate this on the other platforms. Yes- I'm sure you could fill any you feel are too large though. I almost feel as though I wasted time scribing over a thousand flags as I almost filled them all with paint trying to achieve a decent colour today! Although it didn't go quite as I imagined it, I am quite pleased with the finish so far. A few pics of my progress so far; After scribing, I gave the surface a coat of dark grey which I intended to show through like the mortar colour on brickwork; I then gave the plaster area a coat of mid-stone enamel (the relief was too fine to not fill in the scribed gaps- even with dry brushing); My next step was to add a random selection of brown and rust coloured weathering powders: I then gave the whole area a dusting with talc; The next step was to do a similar job on the edging stones. I tried to make them a slightly different shade to the central flags as this is something I've noticed in photos. Finally, I ran a rag with a drop of turps on it along the edge to uncover the white underneath; I am considering a black wash to highlight the flags better but don't really want to risk it just yet, i'll see how I feel later! I'm currently motivating myself for the second platform!! Thanks for reading, Pete

Hi everyone, I'm getting to a stage were I really want to lay the final track in the MPD area. I plan to build the back-scene low relief buildings at my bench and just plonk them in place on top of some wooden support strips located behind the retaining wall. Before I start the final track-laying I need to finish the platform surface- a task I am pretty nervous about to be honest! Nerves aside, I have made some progress with the surface of platform 1 & 2. As the plastic edging is fixed in place, I planned to fill the centre area with fine filler and then scribe the flags into this. I have roughly cut some thin card and glued it in place to reduce the amount of filling needed; The filling was messy! When dry I gave it a rub with sand paper; Now the fun has started! As the platform is fixed in place, the scribing is in a rather uncomfortable position! Still it is good for core strength! It took me about an hour to do around 2/3 of the longest platform; I am pleased with the cracked effect of the filler where I am trying to represent a slightly run-down station; I have quite a bit to do before I colour the surfaces- I am very nervous about this! But plenty of scribing to be on with first...! Thanks, Pete

Hi all, After a busy few weeks I have managed to get a couple of jobs done that had been bugging me for a while. This included adding plastikard sides to platforms 3 & 4, painting and weathering them and also adding the coping stones. This then led me to model large timber buffers at the end of platforms 2 & 3; After painting and the addition of some steps; I will add some general platform clutter to this area eventually, and some hand rails. Although it may be based on a L&Y design, I have mocked up a platform water column from a Peco kit. This was a later addition, installed by the LMS in the early 1920's. I have just added some more weathering to my 4F, it's starting to look better now it isn't pristine! My only issue with the use of an airbrush is I am reluctant to get it out and set it up for a small project or session. So this has just been done with enamels and powders, plus some real coal; I need to start thinking more about signals- both positions and control. I am thinking wire-in-tube again but will need some help with positioning. I also want to start producing a timetable to operate to. I should start work on the MPD area soon, which I am looking forward to. A couple more images; All the best, Pete

Hi Jock, The watercolour pencils are applied completely dry. The first Step is to paint the brick with the mortar colour and when it's dry rub it with fine wet & dry to remove some colour and provide a key for the pencil. The next step is to colour the whole area with a base brick colour and then scribble patches of a second brick colour, and then the odd brick or area with a black colour. When you are happy with the finish it needs to be sealed with a clear spray- although this is the step that left me with a very wet looking building! I got a detailed sheet with instructions and colours to use- I can send you a copy I you'd like. It seems like a quick, odour free method which I will try to use again. Pete

Hi people, I saw an excellent demo at the Wigan show on colouring embossed brick using watercolour pencils and thought i'd give it a go. I have just tried it on a small hut which I am using for the carriage cleaning staff to shelter from the elements in. It may look small and damp but they tell me it's paradise during the winter months! The technique worked pretty well although the final step using a sealing spray made the whole building look soaking wet. To dull this I ended up dabbing on some of my classic black weathering powder so it has pretty much ended up like everything else on the layout- filthy dirty! Before; After; I will definitely use this technique again, I think part of my station building will have brick sections. I have bedded in the cut down canopy pillars and i'm quite happy with how they look; Last pick is my 4F which is only part-weathered. I have started on the frames with powder and will finish it when I have my airbrush out. Thanks folks, Pete

Hi Jock, Good to hear from you, no need to apologise at all! Thanks for the positive comments. I hope your kit building is going well- feel free to upload some pics if you fancy. I was reading about Hurlford MPD last week and was thinking of you. Hope you are keeping well, Sending all my positive thoughts, Pete

I like it a lot- it's a wonderful model. Do you have a layout thread? I know what you mean about the natural light but I don't think it will need much tinkering. One thing I struggle with is the scaling of colours- I think i'm making things too dark- ok compared to colour images but too dark for the scale... If you know what I mean! I presume this could be even more of an issue in 2mm?

Nice one David, hope you are enjoying a nice break. If you have a look at page 4 (or follow the link below), I mention how I finish stone walls. It was rather hit and miss but I couldn't get a satisfactory finish with just paint alone, and I do like the texture the powder adds also. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/94960-west-riding-terminus-halifax-powell-street/?p=1876978 I've got two days off at the end of the month- I've never been to the East Lancashire railway. Does anyone know if much will be running then? I've decided on 5 of the smaller I-beam pillars and will bed them in tomorrow night (hopefully); On the end wall I will be placing a very low relief 'suggested' station building and will (hopefully) weather it in a way where you can make out the outline of the canopy. I also intend to show where some other pillars would have been along the centre of the 2 main platforms. All in good time! I have done a little more of the retaining wall scenics; Thanks again, Pete