turtlebah

To be honest, Steve, I’m no expert. That said, general plan was to start with a generous layer of precision paints 961 sleeper grime. Application with an airbrush gives some nice subtle differences in concentration on top of the light grey ballast. Afterwards, and using a combination of sooty / oily coloured paints and weathering powders, I like to highlight details and areas of particular grime and add some static grass to give an air of dereliction. Finally, I use weathering powders to rust the rail sides. I prefer using powders for this as I think they give a much more realistic and subtle finish rather than just bright orange. As I said though, this isn’t necessarily tried and tested, just a mash-up of tips I’ve picked up on this very forum! Hopefully it looks good once complete...watch this space I guess

Thanks Chris. Warren is coming along nicely too!

Hi Steve, i’m trying to get as much as possible done before November when our little girl arrives! It’s a mad race to the line to get much of it finished and will have to be a fine balancing act between nursery and West Park decorating. Really enjoyed your scratch building on Pecketts Wharf, especially the walkway. It looks great :-)

Thanks Rob, i think with colours more is definitely less. I always think it’s amazing when you look at the real railway how much sleepers, ballast and other stuff can blend into one over time (although not always the case). Hopefully the muted colours will achieve the run down look of a station earmarked for closure.

It’s all been a bit quiet on the modelling front the past month or so. Saturdays tend to spent on a cricket field rather than in the “railway room”. Progress has been slow, but here’s a few picks of recent work. I’ve started using das clay to fill in some of the sidings and platform areas where locos were stationary for significant periods of time. One thing i often notice on terminus layouts is that modellers ballast them as if they were running lines, but in reality ballast, ash, water, cinders etc often combine to form a thick grimy silt. Hopefully das clay and a bit of chinchilla dust (tip picked up from a Barry Norman book) should create the correct grimy atmosphere. Ballasting of other areas is also underway - i’m using a light grey 2mm ballast. I like starting with a light colour and then darkening. Finally, a 52xx awaits its next duty in the headshunt for the warehouse sidings. Note the temporary platform canopy support...

This is just what i was looking for. Thanks, Karhedron.

Amazing responses. A combination of Snow Hill and Exeter should do the trick. Any other examples out there do keep posting. That's what a love about RM Web. There's always someone who has an answer. Kind regards, Nick

Dear Community, I’m trying to track down any examples of Western Region signal boxes that overhang track work, particularly in urban settings. I’ve shown below an example (photo accredited to Chris Law) from the midland region. Wondering if something similar ever existed on the Western Region anywhere?

Canopy taking shape... Meanwhile...A modified hall waits in platform 3 with a local service to Worcester and a 14xx, complete with autocoach, working a shuttle to Priestfield.

Sadly my abilities don’t quite stretch to scratch building such a structure yet, but I think the Dapol canopy frames provide a good solid starting point. Hopefully something similar to snow hill / Shrewsbury will evolve, but let’s see.

Whilst on holiday this week I took the opportunity to make a start on the station overall roof - creating the structure involves kit bashing a job lot of Dapol canopies together. Llanvair Grange waits in platform 2 with a local semi-fast to Shrewsbury. The class 47 in the middle road is awaiting it’s empty stock to arrive to form a stopping service to Hereford.

In addition i’ve also started the very boring job of assembling the cassettes for the fiddle yard (expertly provided by Martin of Model Railway Solutions). I’ve still not really thought about how to connect them, but thought about having connector wires at each end that can be linked under the baseboard, although that seems quite fiddly. Maybe good old fashioned crocodile clips above the board...Any suggestions welcome. The view below also shows the two warehouse sidings in front of the fiddle yard.

To some extent is sounds like crews just winged it on obscured platforms. I can also raise the bridge slightly so the view is less obscured.

Thanks Adrian - there’s a long way to go and I’ve got a little one on the way in November so the clock is ticking!

Hi Everyone, My Western Region suburban terminus station has a bridge cutting through the middle of the platforms which, for shorter trains, would obscure the view of the platform starter signals at the station throat. I think I’m after some steam era banner repeater signals, but any guidance would be greatly appreciated. Is there anything off the shelf that would work? Kind regards, Nick

Quick update - Decided to tackle the complex point rodding at the station mouth near the signal box. The box in situ is temporary with plans to scratch building something a bit more in keeping with a small terminus further down the line. A Small Prairie shunts vans out of the centre road. The one rod that doesn’t go anywhere will be for the catch point on the centre road, which will be purely cosmetic when i get round to installing it. Also managed to get all of the excellent Lanarkshire Model buffer beams made up, sprayed and installed in the station.

So far so good. Really looking forward to seeing how this layout develops.

The sequel is on it’s way too. I was a bit put off by the more modern picture on the front, but i’m sure there will be some useful content within.

This is all good stuff. Can you remember anything on the coaching stock formations?

It’s a fair cop, David. I just love the mid-wales line so in a very imaginary world I extended it somewhat. Good to know that Shrewsbury to Wolverhampton semi-fasts included Jubilee’s as i’ve Just acquired one.

In addition i must say i've really enjoyed your work on Low Level thus far. I'm not brave enough to give EM or P4 a go just yet. Looking forward to seeing how your project progresses too.

I actually haven't got a copy of Simon Dewey's "Wolverhampton Railways in Colour", but rest assured there is one on the way now. Great shout - thanks Covkid.

I'd love to do a full scale Wolverhampton Low Level, but sadly i have very little space. This plan models purely the platforms and allows a 3 coach engine from the fiddle yard although the platforms could hold 5 coaches, which aims to give a nice air that once upon a time the terminus hosted a more intensive service.

Finally got the track and points all wired up and a fair bit of point rodding done. A standard class 5 arrives with a stopping service from Swansea Victoria. Class 122 arrives with a local branch train from Stourbridge Town whilst a Standard Class 4 shunts parcel vans out of the centre road.

A quick update - platforms 2 and 3 have got there first coat of paving grime and platform 1 has the edging gaps filled in. I’ve also started work on the point rodding. Although the wills kits are a little over-scale i think they come-up ok with a bit of weathering. A standard class 5 waits in platform 3 with a parcel train for Shrewsbury, whilst a Hymek sits in platform 2 with a stopping service to Birmingham Snow Hill.