brylonscamel

Our signalman is happy and has finally taken up position inside our scratchbuilt signal box at Braeside Junction ..

Thanks for digging out the colour photos - they really show the quality of the models. The tone and overall feel of the location is beautifully rendered - yup I really enjoyed looking at these! PS Does this layout go out on exhibition?

Since I've been clogging up the 'Anything you can do .." thread, I thought I'd post the progress on my large "Caledonian" signal box in here for a change! Here are photos of the painting process on the (mostly) finished exterior. I found some photos of the signal box that inspired the model, showing the brickwork at the junction of the walls being lighter in colour. So I thought it would be fun to reproduce the effect.

This set of photos are great - what a wonderful series of scenes and you really feel like you're part of a sunny waterside atmosphere. The bridge view is spot on!

A quick update on the Caledonian signal box - I've been having some fun with painting the brickwork

Hahaha - I'm also a fan of that method! I just wanted to sound like a grown-up for a change ..

Hi George ... "There is no such thing as a dumb question - just a dumb answer!" Since I was never any good at trigonometry I use a pretty basic means of calculating the hip (the sloped bit of the roof). This is not necessarily the best way but it works ok for me This involves cutting the base of the roof, and then making the triangular braces (cross pieces) and measuring the hip once they are in place. I've included a little diagram of what I mean. I have been known to make a card mockup first - just to make sure the roof 'looks right' before cutting any expensive materials! Online calculator - As usual these days there is also a handy calculator online - all you need to do is put the 4 key lengths in and it works out the rest https://planetcalc.com/1147/ If you were scared of maths at, for heavens sake don't look at the alarming bit of maths alongside the phrase 'Pythagorus Theorem - this is just to show the theory behind the calculator!

Since I'm already clogging up the thread with my signal box posts .. here's an update on progress: The spell of horrible weather on the weekend gave me the excuse I needed to put a roof on my large Caledonian signal box. I haven't converted to the hand-made tiling favoured by the likes of our 'Maverick' maestro Allan - but I'm going to have a go on the next project! I've included a photo that shows my home-spun method of making finials. Sand a point onto the end of a piece of plastic rod. Make some sleeves by drilling out the centre from a thicker piece of rod and hey presto! Thanks to the long tail that I leave on the rod, they make a reasonably sturdy fit once they've been popped into the hole in the roof. I still manage to clumsily break them from time-to-time. But I can easily make another ...

I follow Chris Nevard's Flickr account and have seen lots of pictures from gigs - so I assumed he was also a handy musician! PS thanks to the appalling weather the signal box has been coming along nicely, although too late in the making for the roof to be adorned with individual tiles. I've used the Wills moulding but I'm going to experiment with tiles on another building as I really want to get my roofs to have a bit more pizzazz! I'll get some photos up of progress-to-date when I get a chance.

Hahaha .. how much did it cost you? PS I loved the article - especially the suggestion that you are a "Maverick" model maker! It was a great issue; Chris Nevard's photography and contribution was equally brilliant - you've got some strong competition on the small layout front!! The two pages devoted to the Dutch masterpiece "Ijsselstein" that was on show at Warley was also deserved. There was always a small crowd admiring it whenever I went past. PS I'm stealing all your 'secrets' - I had no idea that you did roof tiles individually. I have much to learn!

Another Caledonian - progress so far ... I thought it was time I got going with another little project I really fancied - another Caledonian signal box! I've fallen in love with these structures and wanted one for a micro layout to use as a setting when photographing stock and locos. Here are some photos of progress-to-date. The model is based on the one at Camperdown Junction, Dundee - this was a box that was extended at some point to accommodate a huge lever frame - with 95 levers! Mine might accommodate 70 as I've got a couple of brass-etch lever frames from the lovely Severn Models. I've taken dimensions from the original as inspiration and tried to be faithful to a style of box that can bee seen at other places like Stirling. Drawings were based on brick counting and I've tried to show how I made the little brackets that support the projection of the operating floor.

I might throw them up on the 'anything you can do ..." thread

I had no idea!

Another Caledonian I thought it was time I got going with another little project I really fancied - another Caledonian signal box. I've fallen in love with these structures and wanted one for a micro layout to use as a setting when photographing stock and locos. Here are some photos of progress-to-date. The model is based on the one at Camperdown Junction, Dundee - this was a box that was extended at some point to accommodate a huge lever frame - with 95 levers. I've taken dimensions from the original as inspiration and tried to be faithful to a style of box that can bee seen at other places like Stirling. Drawings were based on brick counting and I've tried to show how I made the little brackets that support the projection of the operating floor.

POST CLEARED

I've just picked up on this thread again and love these updates on your church model - especially the way you've taken time to document the process. It's like some of my teachers used to say - you get extra marks for showing your working out!

Good lord - there was a post Christmas update I wasn't expecting to read!! Keep feeding through the doughnuts (you failed to mention if they were jam-filled?) and warm wishes of wellness from this modeler.

Interesting curved sections - how is this produced using the laser-cut method - cut then formed or cut on already curved materials?

That's a great model - everything looks square and it has a real feeling of being a substantial structure. PS Do you have any tips on making l a long run of steps? I made some long runs for my last signalbox project and it was really fiddly to get an accurate result!

More of the ModelU locomotive crews have been painted and are filling vacancies on the footplates at 'Braeside' ...

Thanks for the comment - these figures are scanned from real life and then 3D printed so they are remarkably 'natural' in their poses - they are a delight to paint as well. I looked at photos of footplate crew from 'back in the day' for colours and these seem about right ....

Brilliant! - I'm sure I'm not alone in being surprised at the way this discussion headed (in a good way). PS a flat stomach, good haircut and a winning smile helped me get out of trouble at times ... I have to rely on other tricks these days.

Hi Steve - just to pitch in with some ideas that might give you some options. I have built some signal boxes and have a method for the glazed part of the structure. It's quite simple and can come in useful when you have a largely glass structure to reproduce. As you know, cutting fine apertures can be tricky, so going at it from the other way and adding windows to the glazing can save a lot of pain! It involves using sheet glazing and then building up the windows by gluing frames and glazing bars to the clear styrene sheet. I've added some photos which might help illustrate this ...

I have some stuffed ptarmigan in a display case at home (it's a long story involving my Scottish ancestors!) - maybe I could press one of them into use. I've got a feeling I'll get carried away and end up with a scan of myself covered in birds flocking onto outstretched arms.