HeatonLodge40

Maestro! What a great idea thanks very much Simon!

This is the real location..

Would welcome some suggestions on this.. I want to portray at least a 2 sq feet of the opposite banking with dead bracken on it. (See B&W pic) I’m using etched brass ‘bracken’ leaves but the problem is how to secure each leaf to the plaster coated banking. I’ve thought of either soldering a 1 inch bit of brass rod to the end of each leaf then drilling a tiny hole and ‘plant’ each one. Hot glue gun won’t work as there is too much glue and it’s too messy for this. Given I’m going to need to do at least 1000 to get any sort of effect it’s a bit arduous! Any suggestions much appreciated..

The Polysterene sheets I just get from B&Q or Wickes and use a hot wire cutter to get them to size. I use no more nails type glue to stick them together..

Pics would help I guess..

Last few days has seen me working on the next couple boards. The real location at HL in this particular spot is covered in gorse. The best thing I’ve found to duplicate this is Polak’s medium bushes (available on line). I spray each individual bush with varnish then sprinkle on dark green scatter before doing the same with yellow to represent the flowers. A hot gun is used to secure each bush - 200 so far so about half way

Allan’s wife Sylvia has asked me to pass on her thanks for all the many kind comments and memories on here. She said he’d have love to have read them. I’m sure he’d have a few choice words in response.! Allan wasn’t known for his political correctness (as some will have gathered), and despite being almost unable to get his words out when I last saw him a couple of weeks ago, he did manage to say that it would be just his luck than when he reached the pearly gates Allah would be there to greet him. Well if that has come to pass then help I wouldn’t want to be Allah. A great man indeed.

I hope Allan’s son Shane doesn’t mind me announcing on here that Allan very sadly passed away in the early hours of this morning after a battle with cancer. In typical fashion I know the reason for all the many recent posts Allan uploaded on this thread was solely to pass as much information and inspiration on to all his fellow modellers before the inevitable happened. So lets try and keep this thread going in his memory? A real maestro of master model craftsman since the early ‘70’s Allan was up there with the very best of them..there’s still some of us who remember his ‘Downesplans’ published by Peco way back. On top of that he was an all round great guy with a fantastic sense of humour and an inspiration to all of us. His willingness to guide me and try and pass on his skills I’ll never forget. I’m sure I speak for all of us when I say he’ll always be remembered with affection and our thoughts are with Sylvia his wife and his family. Rest in peace old mate. Simon

Truly fantastic..

Polystyrene for landscaping is unbeatable in my book. I carve it with an industrial hot knife (Hilltop tools) and use B&Q ready mixed smooth plaster to skim over it. If there’s any gaps over 6/7mm in the polystyrene I’ll use masking tape to cover them.. Here’s a couple hours work..

The thought had already occurred to me! On another note B&Q are selling a range of textured spray paints by Rustoleum which includes concrete and limestone as well as many more shades. I’m usung the concrete to paint the trunking..I also use their matt varnish as layering spray to add multiple layers of static grass .

Thanks, it’s amazing what you can learn from YouTube videos!

Today I began modelling again on HL after 7 months renovating the basement and building a workshop, paintshop and living room. Haven't had one tradesman through the door either and considering I did all the electrics too I'm pleased I'm still here Here are some quick snaps of the modelling beginning again earlier, the first board/frame in 6 months getting the polystyrene treatment, tomorrow I'll begin carving to get the basic shape correct. The other pic is the office complex with some trial colours of BR Blue which I'm using to paint the outside.

Brilliant

They would make a bible never mind a book! Fantastic

Crap building for Heaton Lodge Mr Downes! I ask you! Really great to see you back never get tired of looking at those building (even if I have covered your stonework in DAS and re-carved it).

Great to see you back on here Allan! Stunning pics as ever. Have you ever made a truly cr*p building?

Thanks what a great idea!

Inbetween doing the basement out where the layout now resides, thought I'd post some pics of a BR Crewbus I've been spending a couple of hours on every night for the last couple of weeks.. Its the first of five that will be part of the layout and the one here is prototype Mk1 so please forgive its many shortcoming. Its heavily weathered mainly to hide its glaring faults but that said I've learnt a lot building it and when finished should look ok from a distance (a long distance So for those interested its cab is from the IXO diecast 1:43 model of the Hayes cakes artic available on ebay. Its unfortunately expensive to do since you have to buy the whole artic obviously which is around £40. The body is from an etched kit by PH Designs. Joining the cab to the kit built body means a lot of butchery with a Dremel and puts a new meaning to kitbashing. More like kit slaughtering. I decided to install working lights both front and rear as well as the side orange running lights. These work off micro LED's from Gaugemaster and fed from a 3v gate remote type battery. I've made a mess of the glazing and the interior so I'll know for next time.. the decals are by Fox and the number plates from Ebay. I weathered it with dirty black & frame dirt by Precision and AK interactive grease/oil stains for the wheels and the chimney above the water heater. I also ground the tyres flatter at the bottom so it sits better. Hopefully Mk2 will be much improved...

Thanks David, i’ll update within a week or so.. The mill basement ive been working on (where the layout is now living) is days away from completion so the target date is the 15th July to restart modelling.. Simon

Love derelict factories those building do the real thing more than justice Allan. I know you know Allan but when I was eight years old I walked the 8 miles back home from the now defunct Wakefield Model and Craft Centre to Dewsbury having spent my £3 bus fare on one of your Peco 'Downesplans' which also had plans for derelict building. It took me two hours and my mum went nuts worrying about me. She still blames you.

Why am I getting the urge to ballast the track, add a siding then a goods shed or maybe a motive power depot..

Bit of fun but little things please little minds Just finishing building the paintshop, so on a whim I cut a hole through the plasterboard to the workshop next door, added a tunnel mouth and shortly some track. Now I can kit build next door and have an 08 shunt the finished wagons through the wall for painting.

You’ll be around for years yet Allan! Shouldn’t affect timescales really cos there’s only basic scenery on each trolley fading into the distance.. Think I’ll knock them together from aluminium square box section. There’s a company called metals4u online that also supply 3 way push in joiners for the sections that they can cut to size.