Aldgate Box Boy

Coopers I'm working on the interior for the cooperage, with a bit of careful posing you can get four different coopers from one model. Cheers Tim

Water Tower progress Latest progress includes working on the tank and cutting out the brick card for the building itself. Cheers Tim

Hi all, these are images of the Grain Van primed, I'm not sure whether to paint it BR Gray - is there a lot of difference. I still need to do the sole bar etc, then the transfers. Very please with it in the end. Cheers Tim

Water Tower Bit more progress with the Water Tower. I made up the base of the water tank. Cheers Tim

Water Tower Hi all, I've started work on Green Leaf's water Tower. It's going to be a bit different from the other buildings I've done so far. This is the penultimate building on the back scene. At the moment it's the bare bones. Best Tim

Hi all, pretty much finished the Grain Van. I've really enjoyed making it, lots of handrail detail and roof features. It's certainly the most detail/ complex one I have made to date. Very tempted to get another one as I will know what to do! Anyway The Store House can now accept a load of grain. cheers Tim

Hi, I spend a couple of hours on Sunday restarting work on the Grain Van I had begun at Christmas. I needed to reset one of the wheel sets and I put it to one side. Over the weekend I finally managed to sort out the brake gear threading 0.45 wire through holes in very small parts. My wife was laughing at the swearing. I've also prepared the buffers, although they are not fixed. It's a lovely kit and I would like to get another one as I have learnt a lot of lessons on this one. Cheers Tim

Hi all, I've added brick detail and put in the windows to the Cooperage. Still a bit to do. Last shot shows the run of buildings Cheers Tim

Hi Jim, lovely trackwork, can you tell me about your signals - the shunts at great. cheers Tim

Some progress this evening with the mortar course. Needs a bit of work but getting there. Cheers Tim

Hi All, just as a record shot here is the cooperage with the terracotta paint on before the mortar colour goes on. I must admit I've learnt a lot from building this model. I still have 5 or so buildings to go so the knowledge won't be wasted. Cheers Tim

Hi all , next stage with the lintels etc on. I sometimes regret the number of windows! Best Tim

Hi All, just finished putting on the brick card and detail. Cheers Tim

Hi all, some more progress on the Cooperage. The window and doors are cut out as are the brick card which should go on this weekend. Cheers Tim

Cooperage Building Hi All, thanks for the comments. I'm on a bit of a roll and decided to start on the next building along which will be the Cooperage. It will form a yard with the barrel wash building. One side will be flat against the back, then a return out. I'm experimenting with construction by using tenon/ mortise joints. Basically I think this helps with stability. Here is the foam board shape showing the rough idea. Cheers Tim

Thanks David, here are the latest images with the supports painted and the awning in place. Cheers Tim

Thanks David, it is quite easy - compared to painting rolling stock for example. Here are the latest images. I am really impressed with the first two pictures, they really evoke the atmosphere I am trying to create. there is still a bit to do. what you see is after most of the brick work has been done, the windows and glazing put in and the supports (in undercoat) in place. cheers Tim

Hi David, yes I try and rub the paint off before it dries. You can take more off later with a damp kitchen towel. Here are some pictures of the whole building done before adding individual bricks. Cheers Tim

Hi David, thanks again for your comments. Yes I like the size too - it worries me what I do with them when time comes to pull them down! I've attached some pictures here of the basic process I use. The building a sprayed with Halfords matt red undercoat rattle cans. After 24 hours I apply matt emulsion from a B&Q tester pot, any white will do then rub off. It can be quite an uneven process but for me that doesn't matter. I look at some of the building people make and they are too prefect with the brick work to uniform. I could leave it there, but after cleaning up I then go back and apply different colours to individual bricks. This gets me in to a Zen like place and the hours fly by listening to BBC sounds and 606. The look I am going for is impressionistic rather than realism as the building are viewed at a couple of feet distance. I've seen some people spay the mortar colour first then colour the brick but I don't see how that works as surely the brick colour would go into the mortar lines.

Hi all, some pictures of the Store House with the terracotta courses done prior to putting the mortar on. cheers Tim

Thanks Mike, that is a really useful picture. I really liked building your kit but some/ any instructions would have been useful. I could guess most of it and took some calculated risks. I've ended up with a nice wagon - not as nice as your one. Cheers Tim

Hi thanks for the comments - I looked into skyhooks but my model shop only had 4mm ones and I'm not going to Telford this year! The building is Iron/ steel framed but in addition as you can see in these pictures it has I beams supporting the extension which will be supported by columns Cheers Tim

Hi all made a bit of progress with the Store House, I have put on the headers and lintels etc. now I need to do a bit of filling before painting. Cheers Tim

Hi All, just assembled the parts of the Store House. Pleased with it so far Cheers Tim

Hi Nigel, just to add in some thoughts. I bought a Dapol LT pannier a little while ago. I only really went that way as Minerva, quite understandably, didn't want the cost of extra tooling. I love the model but if you are DCC I would think about either the Minerva or fitting a better stay alive chip for the Dapol. My Pannier is very sensitive to my dirty track - yes I know that is my fault. I have just purchased a Terrier and fitted a You Choos sound and stay alive chip and it works really well. I saw a demo on the Minerva stand and they seemed to be much better. In terms of looks I think they both look great. Hope that helps. Cheers Tim