Tricky

Ha ha! Love it! Thanks for letting us all know you are actually human after all!

So clean!

Doesn't look like it...!

Are they the same shape as Midland ones (they don’t look it...!) if so I have some artwork for paper ones which work well.

Its a beauty Kev. And only 4 hours left to finish...!!! Oops, we crossed....

You are all too kind!

Here’s my drawing for the timber framing, probably not very clear but in two sections so that it takes on a bit of a curve. I’ve cut most of the blanks from maple and planed them to section. Here I’ve cut the pieces to form diagonal cross braces and cut slots in each at an angle with a chop saw (one for the woodworkers - Queensquare!) to form half lap joints. Much easier than fiddling about trying to glue together as individual bits. And lastly, glued up and ready to be trimmed to size when dry.

Something like that Stephen, yes. Although the budget probs won’t quite stretch to a ‘fleet’!

Here’s a few overall shots of the layout, it is very nearly there. A few tweaks here and there. I am however going to make one more structure which will go above the right hand bridge nearest the front and will be a timber frame with a corrugated roof to given the impression of covering tracks which run over the railway on the curved bridge. I felt this corner was a little bare and needed some height to help ‘frame’ the scene a bit more. Photos to follow as construction proceeds.

Resistance is futile.

Thought I would add to this thread by detailing the build of the weighbridge office that just about still stands at Berkeley. I took the opportunity to measure it when I visited the site back in September. So far, I’ve made a display base and formed the main walls. It’s at the same scale (1:24) as the LNWR signal cabin I’ve just finished. The walls are 6mm MDF covered with mount board and scribed. And these are the blanks for the windows and door. The weird holes are so I could get solvent in without getting it all over the acrylic. And lastly, these are paper strips of slates, partially cut through and roughly painted. They’ll then be stuck down onto the roof and detail-painted.

Hi Richard, There's been no progress unfortunately since my last post, which I see was over two months ago! I've been distracted on other things but hope to resume in a few weeks. Brickwork for this model will be Slater's sheets purely for speed. But previous methods used for other models have been either scribed DAS or scribed mount board. Richard

That’s a very impressive feat of engineering!

Today I took delivery of 11 sets of sprung w-irons from Slaters - so guess what I’ll be doing in the new year...! Final scenic details currently being finished, although there will always be something to add. I’ve also got the long-suffering tank loco to rebuild (again) but this time with an ABC gearbox and radio control, and a new set of coupling rods. Plus some extra details from Laurie Griffin. So looking forward to getting to the completion of this project. It’s been great fun along the way. Happy New Year to you all. Tricky

I’m afraid the best I can come up with at the moment are a couple of shots of ‘Bristol’: this first one is of a companion for Ned. I haven’t found out his name yet. And this quick snap of an abandoned yard broom. Happy New Year to you and yours! Tricky

Here’s my completed model of a Type E Signal Cabin. It’s based on Beeston Castle & Tarporley but re-named the fictitious Monks Gate, complete with fictitious diagram hanging therein. However, if you could look closely enough you would see the arrangement and colours of the levers matches the diagram! The based measures 500mm x 260mm and the model is about 360mm high to the top of the finial. It is all entirely scratch-built. Nothing has been bought ready-made. As you can see, it’s a cut-away model inspired by the drawing in LNWR Portrayed, and shows the construction of the walls and roof. The roof is removable so that the fully-modelled interior is easily visible. Materials used are mostly wood, styrene, brass and acrylic and glass glazing. A few assumptions and educated guesses have been made over the constructional details and I’m sure I’ve not got the arrangements of the instruments absolutely correct, but I’m happy that overall it’s a reasonable representation.

It’s finished! I’m just about to post my 12 photos over on the main thread. I’ve really enjoyed the change of focus from the Midland to LNWR and also the challenge of modelling at 1:24. So much so, I’ve started another 1:24 model on a similar sized base, this time of the weighbridge office that is just about still standing at Berkeley Station in Gloucestershire. Back to the Midland I’m afraid, as I can’t stay away from it for too long...!

....working on it....still!

That all looks very impressive. How is the main building coming along?

Excellent tale and excellent photos - wonderfully believable. Season’s Greetings to you and yours too!

Blimey, they’re good.

Please humour me as I’m a pre-grouping steam man, but why are they called Rats?!

A tantalising shot of 1761 at rest hiding behind the yard wall. I hope to be in a position come the New Year to do a bit more work on Monk’s Gate at long last. It has become very neglected and various bit and bobs have been robbed off it for Bristol. I hoovered it over today and was quite alarmed at how much dust I had allowed to settle on it!

Very nearly there, I’ve got the name letters to put on the side and a couple of lamps to make and hang. Then I think that’s about it. Although I have a nagging feeling in the back of my mind there’s something missing...?

The flowers look a bit like summer though, rather than the depths of winter...!