RobBrooks1

Having had a re appraisal of the stonework on the platform side of Bakewell station building, I decided to add more semi circular smooth sandstone details above the windows. Ultimately Duke of Rutland Coats of Arms needs to be added above the centre windows too and I may model these using das clay. The doors have been temporarily added (not glued in place) but no windows yet. I find that it is best to get all the details right before the painting can begin The first chimney is now in place with 3 more to construct. My next update will include construction details on this and how I will add flashing details around them

Hi No46 Thanks for your kind words. I too was contemplating using Das clay but decided to us Slaters Plasticard dressed stone code 0424 in 4mm scale as I did not have the confidence to use the Das on what had turned out to be an expensive customised laser cut shell (it is a one-off project). At least it would have been easy to correct the stone sheet and blend it in. If you want Bath stone it may be an idea to contact Taunton Model railway group as they have a fine model of Bath Green Park station which replicates Bath stone. I enclose the link http://www.ukmodelshops.co.uk/tmrg/ Their model of the station is superb and I am sure one of the group would be able to share information on what materials they used. In the meantime, will keep you posted on my model as I will be working on the chimneys next. Good luck with your search. Best regards, Rob

I have finally got round to adding the stonework to the model of Bakewell station which I have been building for the past few weeks. After much deliberation I chose Slaters Plasticard Dressed Stone 0424 for the stonework as this has the closest resemblance to the real life building, I started with the road side area which was fairly straightforward before proceeding with the platform side. This has proved challenging so I overcame this by using a plastic overlay template for the raised areas of stonework and curves cut recesses above the windows. These will eventually be under the platform canopies once these are built, The template was laser cut from a solid block of plastic and was produced from the the CAD files which produced the main shell of the building. The curved smooth cut stone shows up pretty well and the effect will be enhanced by the painting . I have temporarily added the doors to the building to see the effect on the platform side. Here are the latest photos which show the effects I want to achieve, I have also included some close up photos of the real station taken last Autumn

Here is my latest progress on my Bakewell station project, The front entrance canopy has now been assembled and added to the roof line. The tiles are matched in too. The canopy edge details are laser cut and look superb. I am adding the support columns but these are temporarily there until fixed properly. My normal view of the station will be from the platform side so it makes a refreshing change to see the view from the road side, My dressed stone sheets made by Slaters arrived today. This will be added to the model in the next few days and will form the basis of my next progress update

Hi Al, Just wondering if you received my message sent earlier this week. I was asking if you used Slaters Plastikard on your station building for the stone courses. It has been suggested that I use the 4mm dressed stone. My friend is producing the stone reliefs and we have produced some card mock ups to test before proceeding with the MDF shell. I would be most grateful for your opinion. Best regards, Rob

I enclose the latest progress pictures of my model of Bakewell station. The doors and sash windows have now been painted and assembled from components custom made for me by York Model making. I have also been assembling the platform canopy brackets which are very delicate, The quality of all the components is first class and they fit perfectly into the building shell . Finally, the roof self-adhesive slate tiles have now been finished and added to the roof. Next stage is to add the raised stonework and details to the building prior to the installation of the doors and windows. I need to get this right before proceeding with the rest of the building as the details are quite intricate. At the moment I am still working out what type of stone I need as it needs to be right for the prototype. Slaters Plastikard dressed stone or Redutex seem to be the best options. If anyone has any suggestions, I would be grateful for advice

Hi Alistair, As you know I have been following your progress on Bakewell station with great interest especially your superb model of the main station building which you published in 2014. As shown on my blog, I am building mine from laser cut components specially made for me by York model making. However, I am perplexed how you got the stonework so good as on my model. I am not sure whether to use Slaters plasticard dressed stone or Redutax Aslar sheets. My colleague at my club has suggested DAS clay but I am not confident in using this. Can you point me in the right direction? From the photos of the real thing, the stones seem to be smooth cut sandstone York model making have supplied the correct doors and sash windows ( which are superb) but will do the stonework before adding these, In the meantime, I am now in the process of using their laser cut slates on the roof. I notice that your columns to support the canopy is painted Midland Red and cream ( if you have information on the correct shade) I would be most grateful. I look forward to your reply Here are some photos. Best regards, Rob Brooks

Having written my latest blog on the construction of the Bakewell station building, I thought I would share my experiences of building my 5 arch curved viaduct based on Monsall Head Viaduct which forms an integral scenic part of my layout linking the fiddle yard with the outskirts of Bakewell station. Granted, in real life it is about 5 miles up the line but I needed to fit it into the 11/1/2 x 8 foot layout I have been building so there has been a fair degree of artistic licence. Planning and making the Viaduct By March 2016 I was beginning to get itchy feet. I wanted to make a start on the scenery with Monsall Head viaduct; this was going to link the fiddle yard to the approaches to Bakewell Station. The real viaduct itself was on a slight curve but the track radii over my model were 36” outer and 34” inner respectively. This was going to pose significant design challenges, particularly in relation to the inner arches and brick piers. I found an article in the November 2015 issue of Railway Modeller which adapted the Wills viaduct kit to form a curved viaduct. I did some experimentation with the kit piers but found out that it would not cater for my tighter curves. Having started a forum on RM web and received some excellent and comprehensive replies, I decided to bite the bullet and scratch build the whole unit. The choice of material perplexed me. It had to be strong but flexible; it also had to cope with temperature extremes of the cabin, particularly in winter, although I do have electric heating in the area which heats up quite quickly. 2mm card was chosen as it was strong but flexible. It was easier to cut than thin plywood and stronger than plastic. The card was painted on both sides with emulsion paint thus lessening moisture penetration. The existing trackbed of 9mm ply was cut to shape and the viaduct walls were nailed to the sides. The supporting arches were made from 2x1 timber cut to shape and then glued to the valley surface. They were also angled out to match the curve of the trackbed. I spent quite a few club nights cutting the arches (5 on each side) to shape but used a sharp craft knife. The Wills viaduct arches proved a useful template. I heard various comments from some club members such as “You don’t half make things difficult for yourself!” But I pressed on. I started a forum (RM website) enquiring about how to sucessfully make a curved viaduct and got a very positive response with up to 50 replies. Most modellers used card and sometimes plywood but were able to disguise the arches quite successfully. A useful tip is that a viaduct can be disguised quite easily as one only ever views it from one side at a time. Once the arches and piers were glued in, it was time to fix in the inner arches. I used a flexible card and plywood which were glued in place. Gaps were filled with modelling filler and sanded smooth. Next came the choice of stonework for the structure. I found a pack of Slaters 7mm Cotswold stone (seen at the Alexandra Palace Show in March) to match the photos of the real structure. Although larger than the normal 4mm, the 7mm matched the stonework far better. I used impact adhesive to glue the stonework on the viaduct and any gaps were filled with the filler. The tops of the inner arches were matched to the angles of the stonework as much as possible, but in the end could be somewhat disguised with paint and weathered accordingly. My colleague Ron North had taken a keen interest in my efforts so far and offered his service to paint the viaduct. Ron is particularly skillful in blending in the stonework using washes of differing colours. He also managed to get limescale and weathering to leach out from various areas of the viaduct, which look first class. After a couple of sessions the viaduct looked complete so it was time to construct the surrounding landscape. I decided to build a representation of the Wye river valley from pictures as close as possible to the real thing. Again Google images were a useful source and showed the viaduct in historical context and just as it is today. The scenery was constructed from blocks of polystyrene cut to shape using a hot wire cutter, which was a real help in keeping the mess down. Once these were glued into place they were covered in plaster bandage and coated with plaster of Paris to add to the strength. Once dry all the slopes were painted brown umber. I had built up some useful contacts from various scenery specialists who had visited Wycrail over the past few years. Hedgerow Scenics and Double O Scenics produce fantastic grass matting and static grass to add real realism to the project so I decided to give their products a go. Next the grass matting was applied to the slope and held in place by hot glue. Plaster of Paris rocks made in moulds were added to the slope. These were subsequently painted and various flocks, static grass and textures applied. Finally the river bed was added with a unique product called Mod-Podge. This dries to a glossy finish replicating moving water; the effect was most convincing. Operation The viaduct has added a whole new dimension to the layout and has brought operation of stock to a new level. The sight and sound of weathered sound fitted 9F, WD and 8F locomotives hauling freight trains bring realism to the operation. A variety of passenger trains including Blue Pullman, class 108, Britannia, Jubilee and Black 5 regularly cross the viaduct too. Of course I use artistic licence to imagine that the line never did close in 1968, so heritage steam specials and even the Royal train use the line. The project has given me a great deal of pleasure and is the fore-runner for other scenic work, including Headstone tunnel, Bakewell station and its associated goods yard and other scenery. This will be covered in a future article (once they’ve been built!) I enclose some photos showing various aspects of the construction process

Hi, Thanks for your reply. I have bought the Midland footbridge kit from Churchwood Models part of Phoenix paints as an etched brass kit. It is waiting assembly. The signal box seems to be available with quite a few options. Alistair Green's feature on U tube is good as he shows how to convert the Ratio kit to the exact Bakewell box replica as it was taller than the standard Midland box. Granted, the York Model making kit is excellent.

Hi, Sorry the figure I quoted was slightly wrong. The building shell was about £130 but with the canopy brackets, doors, windows valances etc it was over £200. Yes, I agree the figure is high but you are paying for a bespoke service. There are other laser cutting companies around but on this occasion, I wanted to have the confidence that the correct doors and windows could be supplied. I felt that York's website clearly showed what could be made as in my opinion, this was a unique project. I felt that having waited over 6 months for the CAD drawings to be supplied, it was worth investing in the superior quality on what is not an off the shelf product. Rob

Hi, Thanks for your kind comment. Yes, York Making do work for the general public. They have a comprehensive website of windows, doors, canopies etc. However, I did get them to laser cut the building from my drawings. This kept the cost down but the laser cutting was about £130 for the whole building. You can keep the costs in check by using their generic components as much as possible. These are extremely fine but really look the part. Will up date my blog as I make more progress. Rob

Hi Al, Thanks for your comment. In answer to your question, yes York Model Making have made the canopy brackets by laser cutting but I need to purchase the columns which they also do. Once I have done thsi, the canopies will be added. I will be putting these together once the kit is assembled with the stone, doors and windows I spoke to my colleague at my club who recommended a thin layer of plaster of Paris on the surfaces and then scribe out the stone work on it. He says that it may work better than the Redutex stone sheets. However, I need to show the stone profiles better especially the curved lines above the windows so may scan them in and 3 D print it on thin card or plasticard. If you have nay recommendations on the thickness of material I would be most grateful, My other Monsall Head viaduct was made earlier last Summer . I will post some more pictures on my blog. Best regards, Rob

For the past few months I have been working on my version of Bakewell station as it was pre-closure in the 1960's. However, as it is my layout, the line never really closed and it has enabled me to run heritage steam specials and on occasions, even the Royal train through the station. I have visited the area on a number of occasions due to its close proximity to Sheffield, where my son is at University. It is an interesting station containing wonderful architecture, textured local stone, coal yard, goods shed and a variety of train movements from the Blue Pullman and Palatine express to freight and coal trains. I am able to run some of my favourite trains from 9F's, 8F's Black 5's and LMS twins all with DCC sound, I have read about Alistair Green's efforts on his blog and am indeed most impressed by the quality of his buildings and research into the subject. Mine may have a slightly different approach in creating the station itself utilising CAD technology to create the main station building. I am indebted to my brother-in-law for producing the drawings from the excellent book Through Limestone Hills by Bill Hudson ; this is the "bible" of excellent reference sources for all the original architectural drawings. Once the CAD files were ready, dwg and dxf files were sent to York Model Making who produced the station as an mdf kit with customised windows, door and associated features. It was delivered just before Christmas Today I was finally able to start assembling the station and the photos show my progress so far I will be working on the stonework in due course and will add to my blog soon. Rob Brooks, Jan 2017

Hi Alistair, I have been following your on building Bakewell for some time now as I have been building my layout for over 3 years. I am now at the stage of building Bakewell station and I am about to start assembling it. At the moment it is a laser cut shell as my brother in law produced the model in CAD; then York model made a laser cut kit from 2mm MDF complete with the windows, canopy and doors. I would be grateful if you can give me any tips from your superb model. I will be adding interior details, lights and all other features. My club colleague advised me to download interior details from the scalescenes website. For your information unfortunately I could not access my log in ID so created a new one as Rob Brooks 1 and NOT Black 5. You can follow my blog as I have created a relica of Monsall Head viaduct in another part of the layout . However, for the moment I am working on the station, goods/coal yard and goods shed. The station is my first project and the others will follow in due course. I enclose some photos, I very much look forward to your comments. Best regards, Rob