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C126

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  1. C126
    Thanks to @phil_sutters selling me some of his surplus road vehicles, I have spent some time trying to re-paint various kits and models, sadly in a quality quite unworthy of his prior work.  The chemical tanker looks as if moulded from icing, so thick is the paint, but all have photographed better than I expected.
     

     
     
     
    Two Bedford chassis will have box bodies made for general grocers' or light engineering companies' collections and deliveries, when I have the inclination.  I am keeping the Army soft-top as escort for meeting 'Army specials'.
     

     
     
     
    Phil's excellent Foden tanker provides an excuse to run the occasional tank-wagon or two, perhaps fuel oil for the barracks.
     

     
    Thanks to Phil for being happy to dispose of some of his collection in my direction.  Only on having posted these, I notice I need to paint a couple of radiator grills : whoops.
     
     
  2. C126

    6. The London Broad Street homage.

    By C126,


    B.R. blue goods yard.
    Snow is falling, which is reason enough to assume air-dried modelling clay will not cure properly in a freezing cold garage as ballast, so I have put the viaduct passenger station frame in situ, and come indoors for a cup of tea and an early brandy paanee.  The station, of which one will see little of the building, is to be my homage to Mr William Baker's 1865 London Broad Street, the memory of whose derelict, un-loved, Renaissance atmosphere still haunts me.  Quite whether it will be worthy, only time will tell.
     
    The frame was a case of 'one step forward, three back', as I glued and hammered, then re-glued what had fallen off, then removed and reattached mistakes and intrusions as the structure grew more complex.  However, when I can buy some more track, I hope to get started on the scenery on this level.  Already, I am wondering about removing the plywood side on the right (under the station) to use as a stiff back for the row of eight Wills brick arches that need to be attached.  However, it looks adequate so far, so I hope this will be of interest.
     
    The passenger station site.  A carriage siding will be on the left, and a milk siding on the right, up against the retaining wall (all yet to be built):
     

     
     
    A view of the full length:
     

     
    This end, nearest the camera, will be hidden behind a warehouse and silos, to mask the trains departing from the station, where the 'Hand of God' will be used to un-couple and reverse them.
     
  3. C126

    38. Bank Holiday engineering works.

    By C126,


    B.R. blue goods yard.
    I have been spending the last few weekends trying to finish a few projects that have been dragging on for ages.  This, the attempt to finish a section of 'new' track for the yard, has had enough done to it as I can manage.  The conceit is that the entrance to the yard has been relayed recently with the lifting of a short siding against the warehouse/ grain silos loading bay (all yet to be built), replacing the king-point with a 3-way and slewing track to a single, shared siding along the side of the warehouse.
     

     
     
    The project was not helped by my buying khaki ballast during the Covid confinement, rather than the grey desired, the only colour available.
     
    I had mounted the points on paper when track laying, assuming they could be reused easily for a future layout if required.  However, this meant the paper edging lifted, needing disguising with glue and scatter material (again, yet to be purchased and completed).  I need not have bothered.
     
    I spread the dry ballast, weighing down the paper edges with a book-snake, then dripped diluted P.V.C. glue and left to dry for a few days.
     

     
     
     
    Then it was simply a case of painting the sleepers brown and the ballast a Southern Region grey, repainting where I had been inaccurate, and re-repainting until I lost the will to live.  Afterwards, I dulled the sides of the rails with a dilute brown acrylic paint mix, returning a few times to touch up missed areas.
     

     

     
     
     
    I will weather the ballast lightly with the centre-line of spilt oil and a wash of brown soon, but am content with the results thus far.  Cleaning the points of excess paint and glue was as exasperating as expected - the 3-way still sticks, of course, because it is an Insulfrog - but the locomotives run reasonably well over the track.
     
    The results are far from perfect, but I am pleased with the progress made in adding more texture and colour to the layout, and getting closer to something looking vaguely 'realistic'.  It is another task to tick off the list towards completion, if nothing spectacular to show.
  4. C126

    54. A Week of oddments.

    By C126,


    B.R. blue goods yard.
    It has been another case of 'two steps forward, one back', spending a few days off in the garage on short tasks.  Panicked last night at realising - why only now?! - that if my track around the passenger platforms was raised on 2.5mm. cork, there would be an unrealistic step up to the coaches.  It had not dawned on me that wishing to sink the buildings into a 'scenic base' to eliminate gaps, meant they would be too low.  Next I was worried the curved platform was too close to the track, so the edge stones would soon wear a groove into the sides of passing coaching stock.  I rushed out to the garage to check this morning:
     

     
     
    Thankfully, the former fault appears to have negated the latter, with under-frame detail safely within the loading gauge, at least on a Mk. I coach.  I will need to check the multiple units when I get the viaduct wired and powered, and can only pray their battery boxes, air tanks, etc., do not stick out any more than loco-hauled stock.
     
    Apart from this, progress has been pleasing.  The dairy-man now has a modified Ratio lineside hut as housing for his milk-tank filling machinery.  The roof is weathered asbestos sheet, and I sunk it into the cardboard 'concrete' base after seeing the photographs:
     

     
     

     
     
     
    I had a go at painting my first passenger, a free Airfix sprue with my late father's model railway mag. about fifty years ago:
     

     
     
    ... and enjoyed it so much another seven followed (please excuse the bases still attached):
     

     
    The beautifully dressed ladies are Andrew Stadden, of course, and my painting does not do them justice.  From left to right: Sir Humphrey watches 1122 arrive, to form the 07.40 to London Bridge, although he requires Victoria for Whitehall.  Col. Chutney, K.C.I.E., waits with his wife Eliza - she of the Fundamentalist Victorian Wing of the 'Irrational Dress Society' - and their maid Maud (Airfix) in the long brown coat (my first attempt at using Milliput to lengthen a costume to an attractive silhouette) for a day in Town.  Meanwhile, their daughter, Harriette, harrangues young Tom, alighting at East Croydon, for his lack of hat.  Major Bloodnok gazes into the middle-distance, wondering when he will ever be able to retire from a dubious financial scheme of his that works.  'Master Stephen' is off to Head Office, to report on progress on the latest widget design by the manufacturing plant in Atherington.
     
    I thought my first attempts at head-swapping, body-carving, and pricking-out moustaches with a pin better than expected,  and am pleased with the ties on Sir Humphrey, Tom, and Master Stephen.  It is a shame Col. Chutney's stick is not more visible, made from a bent Peco track-pin.  His fore-arm, 'donated' from a Preiser figure, is not quite right at all angles, but again I was satisfied at these first attempts.  I must pluck up the courage (and find the ability!) to supplement some of the gents with umbrellas.
     
     
    Boyed up by my unexpectedly steady hand, I added name-plates to 33 025 'Sultan', bought at D.E.M.U. Show-case 2023:
     

     
    ... which sits on slewed and re-ballasted track to fit in the retaining wall behind without fouling the rolling-stock.  Always measure, never assume!  Another day of my life I will not get back.
     
     
    I started laying down a load of chain for an OCA:
     

     
    This comprises second-hand jewellery chain (mostly of the wrong link design) upon a card base painted black and reinforced underneath with long match-sticks (although it still distorted a little).  Put cling-film in the OCA and press the base in, covering it in P.V.A. glue, and slowly lay the chain into it.  After letting it dry, I brushed over Humbrol silver enamel paint.  It requires more 'layers' of chain and paint to fill in the gaps and cover that chain with the 'wrong' links, though.
     
    I have also started re-painting a Coles crane to convert to a grab - three coats and still the logo is visible (should have rubbed it off first):
     

     
    ... made two-dozen brown boxes for pallet loads, and must get on with the bodged 'Inter-frigo' IIB on a Hornby VIX chassis.  But these will be for other posts.
     
     
  5. C126

    43. 'Three Colours : Red'.

    By C126,


    B.R. blue goods yard.
    ... Scarlet, and Crimson with rage.  A point has broken, so must be dug out thus destroying all the track leading from it, then replaced and ballasted again.  I tried to fix it by soldering a 'jump lead' to the following rail, but did the wrong rail (should have been the inner), and cut the wire too short to move it to the correct one.  My, how I laughed on realising.
     

     
     
    There is plenty of 'real life' going on around me to keep this problem in perspective, but why ballast its replacement when it could happen again?  Dazzled by the scenery on the D.E.M.U. 'Show-case' layouts, I realise my 'modelling clay ballast' looks rubbish anyway, needing 'texture' however fine.  Struggling to see 'opportunities' from this shambles, compared to other layouts there is space to add a 'tram-way' siding down the middle and stage a few more wagons to give the atmosphere of Mr Kevin Lane's 1980 'Guildford Shunt', with the hard-standing up to rail level made from cork sheet.
     

     
     
    If I can get some over-time to pay for the replacement permanent way I might have something to report after Christmas.  Now I am off to make the first strawberry jam of the season and try and forget.  Meanwhile, have a look at @Alcanman 's masterpieces 'Craiglang', completed in just two months, or 'Springburn Yard' as examples of how to do things properly...
  6. C126

    9. Aggregate wagon-loads.

    By C126,


    B.R. blue goods yard.
    Killing time waiting for the modelling clay ballast to dry on the left of the yard, I made myself a few wagon-loads of various minerals for my POA wagons.  Cut an oblong of card or plasticard to fit the Open, mould a lump from floral foam and glue it to the former.  Paint, or cover with glue and chippings:
     

     
     
    The wagon on the outer left has two, incorrectly shaped, 'heaps' glued to a base, unpainted.  My first attempt, this will be re-done.  The inner left is an experiment of coating the foam heaps with modelling clay and painting with acrylic for sand (three coats plus touching-up in total), the inner right is a mix of coloured chippings to simulate shingle (higher heaps because it has just been loaded for despatch) glued on with Copydex, and the outer right is painted floral foam (four coats of acrylic) to be covered in chalk chippings when one may travel to Sussex and root around in one's parents' garden.
     
    There is also an OAA with a load of timber planks, made from drinks stirrers (not photographed).  The card bases have been 'raised' with small blocks of balsa wood, so one can 'tip' the load out to simulate an empty wagon.  An enjoyable experiment, I thought.
  7. C126

    45. A couple of photographs, including a new wagon.

    By C126,


    B.R. blue goods yard.
    Pottering between jobs awaiting replacement permanent way for the south fan of sidings, I have tried to maintain my motivation by composing a few pictures of wagon-load goods trains.  Taking delivery this week of a new Bachmann 'Pipe' SOV, I included it in a 'military special' from the West Country, pulled by a Hymek - such a handsome loco.  I took @Fat Controller 's idea of having a filing cabinet buttressed by stout timbers in a VVV as a load.  Thanks!
     

     
    The local copper keeps an eye on the wagon with the ammunition, and the Bedford positions itself to take the filing-cabinet.
     
     
    Here a different train arrives - the daily Up Goods from Tilling port - with some home-made steel loads rather too small to see: some concrete reinforcing mesh (to be rusted) and some 6" R.S.J. for the local builder's merchant.  The '71' is pretending to be a '74'.
     

     
     
    Again, the lack of suitable figures is annoying.  I am trying to think of a shot that captured some of the atmosphere of layouts seen recently exhibiting a real sense of abandonment.  Almost a 'last train to clear out the wagons before the track-lifter moved in', with empty expanses of hard-standing and sidings, but I can not get the result wanted in an eye-level shot.  Perhaps just a '73' with only three wagons?  Time next weekend, I hope, to try more compositions.
     
     
  8. C126

    19. The motor-car appears.

    By C126,


    B.R. blue goods yard.
    It is a Summer Monday morning, and the staff and traders arrive at East Yard with varying degrees of enthusiasm.  Mr Hunt the coal merchant is looking forward to the sound of his coal loader, compared to the noise at home of the grand-children all day yester-day which left him with a head-ache and needing an early night.  However, the family lunch had been excellent, and at least the little 'darlings' ("So spirited!") had given his Austin a good clean beforehand.  Not that this has made up for the football through the greenhouse a few months ago...
     

     
     
     
     
    In contrast, Mr Lacey is in a joyous mood, having taken delivery of his new Rover P6.  A life-time's humouring of his Great Aunt Evadne, or, "Evadne Juliette Philadelphia Ochterlony de Lacey" as she had been at her funeral a few months ago, had paid off with her remembering 'Young Roger' in her will.
     
    Having died at the age of 92, now-not-so-young Roger had heard, several times and in increasingly lurid detail after one-too-many Pernods, Great Aunt Evadne's tales of the distressing loss of her husband in the Boer War - she would never take a glass of Constantia again! - and moving to Paris.  Enjoying a string of admirers amongst the fashionable 'fast set' despite her widow's weeds and bustle, she retired to England twenty years ago with her recipe book and love of French wines.
     
    How she had lived so long no-one in the family could understand, but Mr Lacey was starting to wish he had written down some of those fire-side stories of fin de siecle Paris and the Left Bank.  He pondered buying a bottle of Pernod on the way home, to raise a glass to Great Aunt Evadne after dinner.
     

     
     
     
     

     
     
     
  9. C126
    Waiting for the garage to warm so I can do some soldering, I have been churning out six-dozen 'wool sheets', thanks to @enz and 'British Wool' (formerly the British Wool Marketing Board).  I will edit this post later to provide additional information if the latter's kind correspondent permits, but these white polypropylene sacks took over in the mid-1970's from the smaller, brown, 60lb. hessian sacks to be seen in pictures of the Tetbury wool sack races.  These will be another project.
     
    Thanks to @enzfinding a document with their dimensions, I bent and soldered a piece of 6mm. nickel-silver strip to make an oblong with internal dimensions 16x22mm.
     

     
    This was my first attempt at a butt-joint, and I was rather pleased, even if I did use to much solder.  The two prototypes next to the lorry are before I knew the correct dimensions.
     
    Then it was just a case of rolling out a lump of modelling clay 6mm. thick, pressing out oblongs with the above 'cutter', and pushing them out and smoothing the shape with wet fingers.  Took a day to dry.  Not perfect, but they will do, I think.  Now I need to ponder how to do any lettering, if at all.
     

     
     

     
    A pleasing wagon-load, if having to invoke 'Rule 1' to use it.  Annoyingly, they do not stack inside a OO wagon of 30mm. width, and are not 'pallet friendly'.  Of course, now I am wondering if I should have moulded them in one large 'lump' instead...
  10. C126
    In an effort to provoke the Fates into an announcement of a ready-to-run new 'OO' wagon, instead of all these high-spec. re-releases, I have made a model of an IIB 'Inter-frigo' ferry-wagon to convey (under Rule 1) meat and fish to and from the Sussex Weald.
     

     
     

     
     
    Unworthy of close examination - owing not least to my unsteady hand and unwanted ability to glue tiny pieces of plastic to everything except where wanted - I am content with its capturing the likeness and romance of the real thing for me.  I just wish someone did decals of its singular livery.
     
    Hacking the body off a Triang-Hornby VIX, picked up for a fiver at an exhibition, it took two attempts to build a plasticard 'box' body (the first, built around balsa blocks, looked too low).
     

     
     
    The (erroneously shaped) roof is balsa, the door fastenings and access steps rails plastic-coated garden wire, and the ladders Ratio signal parts.  Only after clearing away the remnants of this project, did I discover some lengths of finer wire for the door-fastenings.  Perhaps I will try a door with these on the other side of the wagon when feeling brave.
     
    If it can be done in 'HO', I hope someone will now release a model of this soon for us.
     
     
  11. C126
    Atherington Victoria station's tarmac platform is laid, and more viaduct parapets are made (if not glued in place yet).
     

     
     
     
    I am unsure where all the photographs of the platform's progress are, but pleased the task worked on over several weeks is better than expected.  My heart-felt thanks to @simon b and @Wheatley for giving their expertise on a previous post (no. 40) about making tarmac surfaces.  This is just the basic structure, with more work needed to vary the surface and add details.  I hope the following description might be of use to others.
     
    Gluing the Peco platform sides in position with Copydex, I then glued cardboard strips diagonally between also with Copydex upon which the surface would rest.  Taping together a long strip of newspaper the length of the platform, I laid it over the edges, and pricked out the insides of the stones on each sides, so giving a template to cut around, to transfer to the two halves cut from an A2 sheet of 1 mm. white art card.
     
    The two halves of the card surface were cut out and placed on the platform edges for 'fit', and adjustments made by trimming slivers along edges.  150-grit grade Wilko's 'sandpaper' was cut and glued to the card with P.V.A. glue and weighed down for a week to dry (sandpaper face down).
     
    The two pieces were placed again on the platform, and a 'best fit' made ready to trim and join into one strip.  I ran out of the 150-grade sandpaper, and the second batch was a different colour, accounting for the paler patch to the right.  I will use this to be the end of the cut-back derelict station canopy to be made and installed later, where re-surfacing had taken place.  This is the excuse to reveal the passenger trains; I do not want them hidden.
     
    Shrinkage had occurred after the sandpaper was glued on, so a thin strip of card was added between the two pieces of surface, and then all was glued with more P.V.A. and weighed down with bricks for another week, with many prayers hoping it would not distort or shrink more.
     
    Yester-day I gave it four brief coats of Halford's rattle-can grey primer over half-hour intervals, after four hours gluing it in place with P.V.A. on the top edges of all the diagonal card strips.  Thankfully, only one small area did not fit, which was trimmed this morning.
     

     
     
     
    Weighing the surface down again with as many bricks as I thought it would bear, I hoped it would dry quickly in yester-day's heat, removing the last of the weights after five hours.
     

     
     
     
    Waking early, I checked the whole thing had not 'deconstructed itself' over-night, to my relief and delight.  This is the final result:
     

     
     

     
     

     
    With my Orientalist leanings, I had to have 33 025 'Sultan' as the first loco-hauled passenger train in the station.
     
    Now, while detailing the tarmac and pondering passenger positions, I must turn my thoughts to canopies, signals, the warehouse at the other end of the layout...
     
     
  12. C126

    49. Work done.

    By C126,


    B.R. blue goods yard.
    I have not posted here or done work on the layout for a long while, owing partly to the temperature of the garage and partly to reluctance to start the destructive relaying and points replacements in the goods yard.  I know I will leave this half-finished and unusable for ages if not fully motivated.
     
    Inspired by @Andrew P 's scenic work on Tonleigh Bridge East Yard and @young37215 's wonderful photographs and work on his West Highland Line, I decided to devote the long Easter weekend to doing something constructive, namely the passenger station on the viaduct at the back of the layout.  However, I should have learned by now, "Man proposes, God disposes"...
     
    Spent Friday placing the hard-board 'sky' over the 'Rustic Fletton' stretcher-bond wall I have grown used to, and lifting the viaduct off the back to lay the track.  After a dozen attempts using the fine Peco track pins and bending every one, I gave up and used the thicker pins, to the detriment of the sleepers, not having a fine enough bit to drill the holes before.  The left hand (bi-directional) line into the distance looked too close to the edge of the viaduct, despite repeated measuring and calculating, so I have skewed the lines to run to the right side of the viaduct.
     

     

     
    Looking 'up' the line, the sidings nearest the camera from left to right above are: Milk discharge siding (to depot in arches below), Platform 1, Platform 2 (for locos), Carriage siding.  The conceit being the line was rationalised in the early 1970's, the right hand line is a run-round loop (the points at the Up end being 'off-layout').
     
     
    I drilled the holes for power (D.C.) and siding isolation ends, popped the viaduct back on the layout, and almost looked forward to doing the ballasting on Saturday.  But I had not realised I needed more than one 200g bag, so ran out after covering about a third of the track.  There appears to be a shortage of Gaugemaster N-Gauge grey prior to its release in a new form.  The results thus far:
     

     
     
     
    Used the spare time to spray-paint for the first time a tanker ferry-wagon, which went wrong: the white top-colour being too thick, so needing stripping and repainting.  The Peco platform edging was more successful, including the curving in hot water, so I have ended this weekend by taking a few photographs of trains in situ.  I had hoped the camera would sit lower, and not reveal the lack of platform top.  Must get some head-codes.
     

     
     

     
    33 039 waits to haul the 18.55 Atherington Victoria to London Bridge.  The head-code will be "59".
     
     
     

     
    33 039 again, with 2H 1122 waiting to follow with the 19.14 departure for Tonbridge, the latter's head-code will be "32".  A milk tank sits on the siding.
     
     
    While the above has cheered me a little, I am weary of the lack of progress; I thought of this layout three years ago.  Wanting just to 'play goods trains', I had hoped after this time all would be running, with only the detailing to complete.  Seeing the fun of modern Lego trains (e.g., Fareham station), part of me wishes to sell up and buy some Lego bricks instead.  Perhaps now the weather is warming I can stop sulking, get on with some constructing that gives a 'big result', and returns the operational interest.  I have tried not to be negative here, but feel 'irritated' at the end of a long weekend with high hopes, for want of a better word...
     
     
  13. C126

    2. Viaduct sides and 3-way turnouts.

    By C126,


    B.R. blue goods yard.
    Apart from problems with 0-6-0 shunters stalling on the 3-way 'king' point, all is going well with the layout so far.  Thus tempting fate, I hope to start sawing the plywood sides of the viaduct level to-day, plus re-number a Dapol '73', and try and see where the shunters are losing power on the afore-mentioned point.  I posed some rolling stock this morning for a 'vacuum-braked wagon-load' photo-shoot to send to a chum, which might be of interest, working along the layout from 'north to south':
     
     

     
     

     
     

     
     
     
    The sherry tubes are where the grain/flour/sugar silos will be, the cardboard boxes the warehouses, to help with sight-lines.  I know the Sussex Weald was hardly a 'hub' for sugar-refining, but I could not resist the wagons.  Sorry about the lurid 'flash' lighting!  The milk tank and PMV is where the passenger station will be (track yet to be found and purchased).
  14. C126

    10. Some photographs after ballasting all week.

    By C126,


    B.R. blue goods yard.
    Weary of paint and modelling clay, as the coal/minerals yard starts to look presentable, I thought I would try posing some stock.  Herewith my efforts.  Sorry about the backgrounds.
     

     
    A 71 pretending to be a 74 pops into the minerals siding with a special delivery of tar.
     
     
     

     
    Said tar wagon is taken off by the yard shunter, releasing the 71.  Now we return to Speedlink air-braked services...
     
     

     
    The aggregates merchant sets about filling and emptying wagons.
     
     
     

     
    The 'old school' Lima 33 waits to take away the agricultural hoppers and tanks (grain and flour).
     
     
     

     
    73 113 shunts an empty VIX, preparing to send it over the seas to exotic Eastern lands.  Please try and ignore the garden tools...
     
     
     

     
    73 111 shunts a delivery of minerals.
     
     
     

     
    The yard shunter brings the day's stock into the Departure Road, in front of the mineral yard.
     
     
     

     
    An overall view of the layout so far.  The nearest 'rust' needs toning down, which I should have done before taking the photographs, but I wanted a break from the artist's smock and palette.  Now time for dinner, and some glasses of Cotes du Rhone!
  15. C126

    12. A control panel, bodged.

    By C126,


    B.R. blue goods yard.
    I managed to endure the cold before the temperature dropped really low recently, and scared the bejezus out of myself by snipping and drilling 0.5 mm. nickel-silver sheet into some sort of electric panel.  The first time I had drilled metal, and I hope the last.  Despite pilot 'dents' with a nail on marked out dots - the push-to-make switches and power-input plugs are at 7/8" pitch - the drill gave a decidedly 'eccentric' hole on seven of the ten.  However, it fits, which is all that matters.
     
    Hole drilled and sawed in baseboard, plate with two coats of undercoat and one of top-coat, and cork trimmed away:
     

     
     
     
    Panel in situ with third coat of top-coat, and only one scratch on installation:
     

     
    I like the 1/4" telephone plugs, with their 19th-century 'telegraphy' heritage.  I always wanted to be a teleprinter operator...  Now I just need the weather to warm up enough for me to spend time in the garage wiring it all in.
  16. C126

    16. The inevitable Sunday Engineering works.

    By C126,


    B.R. blue goods yard.
    Waiting for pay-day and a trip to B. & Q. for more Araldite for the aggregate merchant's office, I could put off the cleaning and electrical testing after ballasting and painting no longer.  Two naughty points caused problems, but with much track-rubber, rag and meths, and ultimately sand-paper, their sidings functioned again.  Not as bad as feared, so I thought this was a photo-opportnity for my second-hand (Douglas J. Fryer of Lewes!), Hornby breakdown-crane.  We saw one of these (or so it looked to my inexpert eye) whenever going to Brighton, so the model has always had a place in my heart from childhood, even if I have no need for it now.
     

     
     

     
     
  17. C126
    Despite Mr David Larkin confirming for me the floor of a XVA wagon is an open frame-work, compared to the BDA steel bolster wagon's wooden platform, I am determined to have a means of conveying over-size steel from the manufacturers up north to a small ship-yard south of Atherington East Yard, at Tilling Docks.  The wagon would be conveyed at the head of the goods train 'passing through' my goods yard, so I need not consider load handling in my little general sidings.
     
    What decided me was if I keep the loaded side facing the viewer, the wagon floor would be obscured largely, and if painted black I hope will not be obvious.  So I bought some packs of Evergreen L-shape angle - Nos. 292, 0.080"/2.0 mm. and 294, 0.125"/3.2 mm. and tried to calculate the dimensions of the trestle frame.  Taking Colin J. Marsden's measurements from his 1984 BR and private owner wagons, pp.87-88, of an 8'6" high frame at a 48Deg. angle, I drew a scale diagram of the trestle arrangement:
     

     
    However, I made the first of several mistakes in thinking the frame propping the 'loading side' was at a right-angle to it.  As one can see from Paul Bartlett's excellent web-site, it is not...
     
    https://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brtrestlexva
     
    In blissful ignorance, I made a paper mock-up to balance on the Bachmann wagon, now stripped of its bolsters with a large pair of pliers, and popped a Lima Class 33 diesel in front of it.  The trestle stuck out alarmingly above the loco, so I trimmed off six mm. gradually by eye, this being the final length of the main trestle 'stakes', giving a measurement of 40mm. and the supporting girders of 24mm.  I cut off three sides of the BDA's 'lip', and painted the edges black.  I should have done the whole floor then as well.
     

     
     
    Then it was just a case of cutting and shaping ten pairs of girders, and making sure they were the correct orientation.  I glued the bottom of each to a thin strip of plastic square to provide a second 'mount', and worked from the outside to the wagon centre, lest the spacing appear in need of correction - I thought this would give better scope for adjustment.  The gap is 19.5mm.  Propping up the 'load frame' against the wagon's edge, I glued on the supporting girders, scraping paint off the wagon floor to allow the Liquid Poly to adhere, and finally the cross-braces on the back.  The 'diamond' junction plates are 120g./m2 paper, cut to shape.  All was then painted with Humbrol silver, no. 11.
     
    One of many errors is the lack of the three 'steps' either side of the larger central one on the 'support side'.  I assume owing to mis-measurement and/or over-size plastic angle, these will not fit, so am undecided as to whether to ignore them (they will be hidden by the sheet steel load anyway) or cut away the step or girder to fit.
     

     
     
    And here is the result in revenue earning service on its way to Tilling Docks, in the yard arrival line.  I intend to fit 0.5mm. painted paper strips over the loads for the plastic strapping.  I assume each sheet was loaded individually, i.e., there was no 'sandwiching' of steel the same size, but could be wrong.  Also there is a hand rail above the steps to add, with painted garden wire.
     

     
     
    Lessons for the future: use smaller L-shape angle.  These were the only two on sale at the exhibition, but are too large; there might be smaller sizes made by Evergreen.  Try and get correct measurements (but I do not know how); this might permit the other steps to fit.
     
    I hope this encourages others to have a go.  My results are going to win no prizes, but I like the look, and it might prompt fate to bring out a ready-to-run version.  And my ship-yard can get its steel delivery.
     
     
  18. C126

    20. "Little people!"

    By C126,


    B.R. blue goods yard.
    My order of figures arrived to-day, so I have arranged a few quick tableaux.  These are Woodland Scenics and Noch :
     

     
    The last pallet is removed from a VIX from abroad, and the lorry is loaded for the last delivery run of the day.
     
     
     

     
    A small crate is put into the back of the N.C.L. lorry, ready for delivery.
     
     
    I am ridiculously pleased with the two ModelU figures, and had to show them off, even if only part-painted and still on their sprus.  The Yard Supervisor chats with the weary shunter, the latter supposed to be leaning on the '03'.
     

     
     
     
    When my partner's Nikon compact camera condescends to work, I am very pleased!  All I need now is for the shops to open to buy some more paints...
     
  19. C126

    28. A slightly better film-set.

    By C126,


    B.R. blue goods yard.
    Unable to resist the 'wide-screen' temptation of my new brick background, I crept out into the garage after lunch to take a few shots, deluding myself I am Peter Greenaway's Director of Photography.  A pity everything looks as if taken 'straight out of the box' (which it is); this will be my next challenge...
     

     
     
    And now in pretend 'Ultra-Panavision 70' ...
     

     
     
    And for art-cinema connoisseurs, the black-and-white option :
     

     
     
  20. C126

    5. Coal and mineral bins.

    By C126,


    B.R. blue goods yard.
    An A.B.S./Speedlink day to-day.  The coal bins have been painted, and thanks to Oasis bought before the latest confinement, some mounds of minerals have been put into them: three piles of 'coal' painted an undercoat of black, and various mounds of 'aggregates', one coated in Woodland Scenics medium buff ballast.  Two more 'green mounds' await painting.
     

     
    The coal merchant's top-loader is fitted with a bodged, larger, shovel from Plasticard, with a 'weights' box added to the rear after the digger was removed.  The blue 'sack hopper' (?) was improvised from more Plasticard, two wooden cocktail sticks, and a pin.
     
     

     
     
    73 113 awaits with the day's departure, the aggregate pens in the distance, now filled with khaakii and green 'mounds'.
     
    Now I need another job to avoid starting the ballasting...
     
  21. C126

    4. Coal bins.

    By C126,


    B.R. Rail blue.
    Having tried scoring 2mm. plasticard to make coal yard bins, and been disappointed with the results, I spent the weekend making up something better looking with balsa-wood OO 'sleepers' (30x3x2mm.) instead.  Slapped some paint down to delineate the areas on the mineral siding (coal, aggregates, chalk and china clay), and knocked up the start of a hopper for the coal merchant to fill his sacks.  Also managed to remove the back 'grabs' off the JCB models.  All in all, I am pleased with the progress.
     
    Alas, I still can not get the hang of the focussing, so the photos are not wonderful, but I hope you get the idea of the layout.  Looking forward to finishing the 'groynes' of the coal pens (another twelve panels needing making) and then painting and weathering them.  Then I need to work out how to fill them with 'piles' without using a solid block of modelling clay...
     

     
     

     
    The task of ballasting hangs over me for Christmas, alas...
     
     
  22. C126

    58. Brown study.

    By C126,


    B.R. blue goods yard.
    Having bought many Preiser figures last month, I have taken photographs trying composition and colours.  The layout is strewn with 1970's wagon-load stock at the moment, and while bauxite shades dominate, I wanted to try other-coloured wagons in some pictures to see the effect.  Sadly, focus and camera-shake is not my strong point, and some backgrounds must be excused.
     
     
    D7070 rests in the grain/warehouse siding, having brought in a special Company train of minerals from Acton Yard (despite what the head-code says).  The '03' yard shunter bustles around arranging the wagons.  I hoped the completed part of the warehouse would dominate, but this teaches me to pull back further, for the train to be smaller in the frame.
     

     
     
    The minerals company's JCB loads an Accurascale MDV, and a lorry arrives with more shingle for one of the bins.
     

     
     
     
    Meanwhile, further down the siding, the coal merchant arranges sacks.  ModelU have brought out some more suitable figures recently, rather than these generic warehouse staff.
     

     
     

     
     

     
    I rather like the way, in the last picture above, the size of the vehicles increases from left to right, and the blue grain wagon gives a splash of colour on the right of the frame, but not out of balance with the drab grey and bauxite.
     
     
     
    Meanwhile, the '33' on 7N44 departs for Tonbridge Yard, taking the grain wagons, an empty Vanfit for sacks of fertiliser, and a VIX Ferry Van back to Kent.
     

     
    I shot this with the camera raised slightly above ground level; for some reason I thought it looked better.  Please excuse the un-painted 'onion dome' on the corner of the warehouse.  I did not expect it to be in shot.
     
     
     
    In the two Mileage Sidings, staff load and unload the day's freight from 7L57, the 09.08 from Norwood Down Yard, with 33 039 deputising for the rostered '73' EDL.  This was the first time I have played with the Accurascale Coil wagons.  These will be headed for a canning factory, an idea for which I am indebted to @Nearholmer .  Still not fixed a realistic hook on that Coles crane...
     

     
     
     
    A Vanfit is unloaded, as two staff bicker about how best to get the load into the back of the red drop-side lorry.  The pale poles on the BEV on the left of the picture were an attempt at 36' telegraph poles from pine felled on the High Weald, made from bamboo kebab sticks.  I must find a dark wood-stainer to simulate creosote.  Again, the colours are muted, but the yellow and red of the road vehicles bring a splash of colour.
     

     
     
     
    71 012 pulls away with the 'Up' after-noon milk train from the passenger station on the viaduct, as the '33' shunts two vans out of the way in the goods yard.  I should not have included the N.C.L. lorry; the picture did not need more bright primary colour.  The yellow 'Freight-Lifter' would have drawn the eye to the loading of the Vanfit and the Supervisor chalking the destination.
     

     
     
     
     
    At last, the train is made up and the '33' pulls its vans into the departure siding, ready to have more added by the shunter, and then run round and be off as 7L58 to Norwood Jn Yard.
     

     
     
     
     
    I like the opportunity now of including more figures in my pictures.  Presumably goods yards were run down and mostly deserted in the 1970's, but there must have been several people bustling about (or, in this decade, probably just standing around) when un-/loading had to be done.  The railways are for people, and British Rail itself employed thousands of them.  It is easy to get fixated on the trains and their constituent machinery.
     
    I will re-take some shots, and try a few more when next I have the opportunity.  I must also repaint more of the figures with high-vis. vests and yellow hard-hats.  Do watch Using T.O.P.S. (1978) if you are interested.  It has been my inspiration.
     
  23. C126

    51. A 'Sorbet course' : the weekend project.

    By C126,


    B.R. blue goods yard.
    Progress on the ballast and station platform being slower and less competent than wished this Bank Holiday, I finished a kit that has been cluttering my work-bench for years.  The Ratio Lineside hut has been modified to be 'more Southern' with a pukka brick chimney and replacing the stone base with brick again.
     

     

     
     
    The chimney is a piece of plastic rod with Milliput to embed it as cement.  I was most pleased with still having the dexterity to attach the drain-pipe accurately.  Even attempted chimney flashing.  The door has yet to be fitted, as it has yet to be decided how to use the hut.  The door-frame is wonky, and the brick-work courses do not line up on one corner, but it could have come out worse.  A pleasing weekend project, I just need to finish that Foden Haulmaster next.  And now back to the ironing and boot polishing...
     
     
  24. C126

    21. Test shot : the coal-men appear.

    By C126,


    B.R. blue goods yard.
    Just a quick attempt at another picture with some more figures.  The coal-men start filling the first sacks for the next round at the hopper.  Sadly, the driver's colleague is obscured in the hopper's frame, but his colleague's coal-sack rests on scales under the chute, if you look closely.  Not the finest pic., but I am learning, I hope.
     

     
     
  25. C126

    24. The new and the old from the West...

    By C126,


    B.R. blue goods yard.
    Just a quick shot of the local staff gathered about the test run of an air-braked PRA delivering a consignment of clay to the Sussex Weald.  All are 'not quite sure' of the '25' and the strange new wagon - my latest purchases - and there was much muttering on their appearance earlier.  Just what Acton Yard will send next is a subject of much speculation...
     

     
    The digger driver finishes his sandwiches, perched on the wagon steps, enjoying the view.  I would have bought two PRAs, but they are not cheap, and one must not be greedy.
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