Devonbelle

Morning - so some early morning effort on the road over bridge and the small freight yard is coming together - with a need to load the layout today ready for Taunton gathering tomorrow. The stone over bridge caused lots of grief - it's modelling clay I scribed and was mounted on very heavy cardboard - clearly I should have used marine ply - so that's a lesson learnt - because predictably the card bent when damp clay applied. Clearly there's much more to do - but I've had a show invite already which is flattering. Will be a pleasure meeting people tomorrow at the RM Web event. Cheers Paul

Spot on GriffGriff - There's a collection of 1/43 scale James Bond vehicles available and the Sherpa van just had to be purchased - so I need a Jaws figure! The Sherpa van model is replete with figures of Roger Moore and Barbara Bach.

Hello - a busy few weeks on the layout - and a few photos of my work. Biggest single change is the fitment of the sky back scene - I spray painted with car paints - at times using blue and white spraying at the same time. The over bridge is in place but needs more work. Paul

Just been working on the station building the last 2 days - guttering and down pipes fitted to station. Guttering was U section of a broken umbrella - and down pipes were coated heavy garden wire. The down pipes were anchored to the building - I got the latter from Wilkinsons @90p - can we all sorts of uses - air brake pipes for wagons. Usual disclaimer about Wilkos - I'm just a happy customer! So shot of building below - slates and wider weathering next up. In second shot and final corner of layout is the beginnings of the loading dock, with a warehouse (6 quid bargain - it's from a Bachmann Underground Ernie set but nicely does for North Devon Farmers warehouse - and after station finished its next up for work - along with the loading platform.

Certainty Phil, cars on the train to St Austell were loaded in such a way that they were driven straight off at St Austell - onto the end on ramp - Penzance end of the St Austell sidings, I don't remember about staff doing loading at St Austell however - certainly BR staff did motor rail loading at Bristol in the mid 80s when I joined BR. Yours Paul

I did a trip up the Barnstaple line last week. Healthy passenger loadings - mid morning on a weekday. The Meldon line has clearly seen some use, lovely shine to the rails. Anyway I travelled as far as Eggesford, for some further inspiration for Lapford Gate my o gauge 70s/80s layout I am building - see in 7mm area of this forum. Shame that heras fencing around the platform front of Eggesford station building. So a few photos follow. Paul

Spent the past week working on the station building. I used alloy paper instead of wet and dry to give a rough finish to the walls. Then use household emulsion, two coats painted over the alloy paper, once affixed to plastic card body of the building. More work on the building to come, notably drainpipes, individual roofing tiles, and fitment of poster boards. It's not a faithful copy of Lapford, but inspired by same. Once fittings finished on building - this week, I'll start on weathering same. Then it's onto constructing the road over bridge, by the station. Paul EDIT - Building not in final position relative to platform edge - it will sit further back.

Great stuff Phil - I am liking the car flats. Seeing them jogged my memory that as a nipper my parents took my brother and I on the motor rail train to St Austell - and father being a keen railwayman saw him and I learning out last mark 1 - watching a string of car flats (loaded) then looking the other way to see the Western powering the train, through the curves around Bodmin Road. I can date the trip as 1974, as when we got off the train, a drunk was singing 'Don't Stay Away Too Long' by Peters and Lee - slurring Jet planes flying high above me, don't stay away too long...... To this day I remember first few cars on the car flat by last mark 1 (our coach), were very clean Austin 1100, Ford Capri and Austin Maxi - of course in pre M5 days heightening demand for a motorail train. Cheers Paul

I was in there today, first visit in over a year, really impressed. Although small it's packed with goodies and well laid out. I purchased some o gauge goodies, and without prompting the proprietor said you must be in the o gauge guild, I am - and he gave me a discount saving a pound - that's really decent service and I've highlighted to 3 friends already what a cracking shop it is, and to get spending. Many thanks and I'll be back in soon.

Hi, I've been busy over the weekend, photos attached - Platform completed - I used marine ply, with slaters embossed brick card attached, then spray painted on the platform copers, 5 coats of grey, then ruled in slab edges. The 5 coats caused a pleasing lip, with rest of platform which has allowed a line of weeds to go in. Underway (and visible in one shot), is a brass kit of a upper quadrant SR semaphore. Concomitant with the signal work, I've started on building the main station building - using 30 mil plastic card, it is based on Lapford - I've added coarse wet and dry paper to the structure and painted with rose (cream) emulsion - since the photo to give the affect of a sandtex finish. Plus the other element of the structure has been added - what assume was the stationmasters home, with gabled frontage. Fence completed and weeds, bushes going in - I threaded the fence. I've finished my GJH Plant kit of a VGA wagon, that's in one of the shots - just need add lettering and weather. Mopar asked about the points, I don't get any problems, I tested the layout tonight and find Bachman, Heljan and slaters wheels on the freight wagons run through fine, cheers Paul

Chris, I'm just swooning having just discovered this thread. Your Vanfit/Vanwide has become the becnhmark I need to attain when I finish my two Slaters vans for Lapford Gate. I like the prestwin too, I don't remember seeing many when growing up the 70s - whereas vanfits very prolific around Bristol. A super standard of modelling. Thanks for sharing, Paul

Steve, although not finished the mouth of the tunnel is great - I remember being posted at the signal leading to the tunnel in1996 when acting as hand signalman, so had plenty of time to admire tunnel mouth, waiting for the next train to arrive an me to issue a Temporary Block Working ticket - cutting leading to tunnel (either end) I always found dismal, irrespective of the weather. Keep up the great work, can't wait to see finished. Paul

Managed some more work yesterday evening. Fence posts (cooks matches), cut and drilled - ready for post and wire fence. They were then spray painted and affixed. And tree - seen in shot earlier in the thread, has been dressed, using woodland scenics mid green foliage clumps. On trees I've built before I've used scenic matting, teased thin, but this one with the clumps, which needs a trim with nail scissors, is growing on me. Following up on Dougals question, I've used garden wire of varying thickness to do trunks and branches. Since earlier photo of tree 'dressed with plaster mixed with poster paint, I've sprayed trunk acrylic mid brown, I'm pleased with effect. Alongside the wagon (OCA I built from a Mendip Models kit), is the planking (cut stirrers from well known coffee chain), ready to form the platform for a 4 lever ground frame, to control both sets of points, FPL, shunt signal.

I can only echo what John has said, and more. Lovely looking layout - can't wait to see grime applied - I found some Scottish freight backwaters in the mid 80s, Cameron Bridge with the co2 traffic notably, what you've built has got me reminiscing - lots of scope for dirty McRats (26s/27s) and class 20s pootling about with van fits and covhops. Great stuff - look forward to more progress photos. Paul

Thanks for posting the recent batch of photos Rich. I haven't travelled the line for 4 years - it looks in excellent condition - quite a contrast to the 80s when it was being run down, and in the 90s when run with minimum infra work. The scale of relaying the last couple of years is quite something. Passenger growth quoted by the Captain is heartening - big conundrum now is what infra works can happen next, after train lengthening ceases to be an option - what seemed logical in Autumn 87 taking the Barny SB box out - would now seem illogical with numbers of passengers. Keep the pictures coming - and I've made note to self to 'do' the line this Spring - to give further impetus to finish my o gauge slice of the Barny line, Lapford Gate. Cheers Paul

Super looking layout - quite an inspiration. Keep the photos coming. Regards

Apologies, an update took a long time - the day job (on the big railway) occupied me, then an operation diverted me - albeit once back on feet post op, I'm plotting next jobs on layout. I've cracked on with further grassing, and now started hedges. The shot from the road bridge with the 08 and BR standard BV shows that I've built the platform fascia. I had a question as to size of board - it's 6 by 2 feet - very light - plywood sheet with a softwood frame. Post op the last few days I've quietly managed some stock weathering.

Morning I've been busy this morning with the static grass applicator, second pass - with a 3rd pass. I'm delighted with the FMR grass applicator (I'm no relative of the firm just a happy customer). I've used varying shades and lengths of Noch grass. And used the spray on adhesive manufactured by Woodland Scenics - it's got a good viscosity - ,meaning it (the adhesive) can be sprayed I used a plant spray. Anyway some more shots will come at the end of the weekend, post kids footy matches this morning, I'll be full on again this afternoon on scenics. And to break cover, the plan is that Lapford Gate will be at the RM web day in April. All the best Paul

And should have said for the Southern stores building I scaled it from a Skytrex stores building I have which resides on Nouvion my French o gauge layout.

Hello - back from holiday and back into work on Lapford. I've taken a break from scenery side and done some building - I've had a crack at a scratch built store shed - which has a vague Southern Region feel - being painted green and cream - I just need some drainpipes to complete - pic below of same which also includes a scratch built station building - which is for my next layout (Japanese 0). Father Dougal asked about tree making - I use wire of varying thickness - shaped with pliers - then dressed with a poster paint and polyfiller mix. Tree foliage is woodland scenics cover teased out to form a canopy of cover - pic of tree underway attached - needs another coat of paint and polyfiller before foliage teased out and glued in place - I learnt the technique from Shirley Rowe when she presented on A Lineside Look at Model Railways - on tv about thirty years ago. Also to answer Dougals question - they are cocktail sticks in an above photo - they are dowel rods to work points - I could quip about near and far - in true Father Ted mode....

Enjoying the thread Dougal, quite an inspiration for my Lapford Gate mini o gauge layout. Perhaps a Pat Mustard character with a milk float could be squeezed on the layout? Liking the clay wagons too. Paul

Busy few days with building up landscape - used a mix of mod roc over a card contoured area, stapled to the wood sections in view of some earlier shots and expanding form filler. The whole lot was painted with Polyfiller, mix with green / umber poster paints, see photo below, then I started with base grass, before I crack on with electro-static grass application. When glueing the grass, I used PVA brushed on, but again mixed in green poster painted, mixed with umber. I'm building some more trees, wire for trunking and branches, so will feature in the next week. Gave every thing a test run over all three lines, first time since spray painting and ballasting the track. Cheers P

Hi, I've been busy (avoiding tele) and modelling - I've attached a shot of the efforts at one end of the baseboard - readying to start further landform work. In attached shot you'll also see the double light switch - I'm planning to operate the layout from the front - and the double switch will isolate/liven the two fiddle sticks either side of the scenic board. Yesterday saw the arrival of goodies from Skytrex - I'd ordered the resin kit for the corrugated store building - plus 2 pairs of Southern Region lampposts - with those charming white glass shades - as I teenager I remember so clearly stepping onto Torrington platform (off the last train on 6-11-82) and looking up and seeing them. The white metal lamppost kits will make up nicely and grace Lapford Gate station platform.

I've undertaken some mod-rocking - building up land levels - with a bridge at each end, the raised land at one end and the station platform there will be many different land levels - hopefully taking away the baseboard look. This week, I need complete the ballast - arrange point control - manual rodding rather than motors then press on with the land form work. I tested my 47, along with the OCA wagon I built today. The wagon was a Mendip/Buzz models wagon kit - part resin, part white metal and part plastic card - it was a pleasure to build. Some more work on the class 47 to occur - now I've got a set of numbers - I can do the 47 and 31 as 200 and 174 respectively. I was cab rode 47200 when in Advenza service so will bring back memories. Paul

Ballasting all but finished - I just want to do some spot ballasting - but overall pleased - I used Woodland Scenics medium ballast - actually quite fine for O gauge. Straight 50/50 PVA glue mix with water - applied with a syringe. I have started on the wooden framework for the over bridge and have cut wood for the platform edge facia. So making some swift progress - aside from Ripper Street - easy to forget TV and get some modelling under my belt. Plus I've been experimenting with weathering some of my vac braked open wagons - about 5 coats of thinned grey wash (using Humbrol acrylics) - I'm trying to capture the look of ball clay wagons used from Peters Marland and Meeth. The photos attached should give a feel for efforts the last few days. Paul