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Captain Kernow

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Blog Entries posted by Captain Kernow

  1. Captain Kernow
    I've made a start on the next signal, which is the Down Inner Starter for Callow Lane. This one is going at the end of the Down platform, adjacent to the water crane that featured in the 'query' post I put up a couple of weeks ago. It is a Model Signal Engineering kit for a Midland Railway wooden post lower quadrant semaphore signal. The kit can also be made into a distant signal, should the builder wish this.
     
    What is unusual (for me, anyway, as I've only built GW and L&SWR/SR signals before), is that the arm rotates on a fixed axle, rather than the axle being attached to the arm.
     
    The arm isn't permanently fixed to the post in these images, and of course, the ladder and other details, such as the lamp and finial are still to be added. Also, the back blinder isn't bent into it's final position yet either, this being to facilitate the removal of the arm from the spindle during construction and painting. The spectacle plate is actually two etchings, with room to slip some pre-coloured glazing between (also supplied with the kit).
     
    The water crane is also now in it's final position.
     

     

     

     

  2. Captain Kernow
    I've almost finished the first of the three semaphore stop signals for Callow Lane. This one is an LMS period replacement for an earlier Midland wooden post signal. The Western Region have got their hands on it and painted the post silver.
     
    I've still to touch in one or two parts of it, such as the back-blinder, and also add a bit of weathering. Despite it having only recently been painted by the W.R., I reckon there would still be a few rust patches coming through on that steel tubular post.
     
    The signal will be operated using a Hoffman mechanism under the board. It is actuated via the balance weight and the operating rod has a small washer soldered to it below the baseplate, to prevent it trying to return the signal to danger too hard, and thus bending the operating wire. There is a small wire 'stop' soldered to the post at the top, as per Andrew Hartshorn's instructions, to ensure that it returns nicely horizontal when the signalman puts it back to danger.
     

     

     

     

  3. Captain Kernow
    A busy day last Thursday and also today, with the final preparations for the Hartlepool show nearly complete.
     
    I put the layout up on Thursday to test the new alignment dowels that Re6/6 and I fitted a fortnight ago, and I'm pleased to say that they are doing what it says on the tin and making the alignment of the three scenic boards easy, saving us a few minutes off the time it takes to set the layout up.
     
    John (Re6/6) has very kindly let me have a couple of his recent trees for the layout, so to ensure that they don't get damaged in transit (they are too large to stay on the layout when dismantled for transport), they had to have a 'Captain's box' built for them. First, here they are on the layout:
     

     

     
    The smaller one has replaced an early attempt of mine, which was built from Seafoam, attached to a twig that used to grow down one of our local lanes, and which will now be quietly retired (unless anyone wants it!). The larger one by the stream has replaced another original tree, which is still OK for use, and which has been moved to the other end of the layout.
     
    The box took a couple of evenings. In the end, I decided to use some Sellotape to help hold the Dalerboard together. In practice, this will last OK for a few years before needing replacing:
     

     

     

     

     
    Some time was also spent revamping the displays that go on the outside of the fiddle yard screens, including a completely new one based around the Hornby Magazine article from 2007, featuring Chris Nevard's excellent photos.
     
    Finally, the last bits of buffer beam detail were added to the Stanier 2-6-4T and some couplings to a Jinty, and the bodies taken out to the shed for the first stages of weathering. A coat of grime consisting of Humbrol Metalcote black, Tarmac 112 & Matt Leather 62 was applied, and then a second spray with a little bit more Leather was added from a lowish angle.
     
    The chassis of both locos had previously been weathered by brush, using the above colours plus some additional ones, including Railmatch 'Oily Steel'.
     
    More weathering, using dry brushing and some powders, will be applied tomorrow and early next week:
     

  4. Captain Kernow
    With the Hartlepool show out of the way, I've started doing things on 'Callow Lane' again over the last few weeks, (and when not making sandwiches and serving bananas at CamRail... ).
     
    One of the tasks I wanted to get done, was the ballasting of the section of track that will normally be inside the removeable goods shed. The ballast had to be exactly the right width, to ensure that the goods shed seated itself correctly when put on the layout (you may recall from a previous blog posting that the goods shed, which is the Townstreet plaster-cast kit), is located on the layout via four brass pins that fit into four brass tubes glued into the baseboard).
     
    First of all, the inside track area was marked out in pencil with the goods shed in situ, and some 60 thou styrene sections temporarily glued in place, giving the ballast something to butt up against. The ballast was then laid and secured in place by the usual method of spraying IPA and then dropping Johnsons Klear onto the damp ballast. When that had set, the whole lot was then subjected to some dilute PVA, to really seal it in.
     

     
    The 60 thou plasticard sections were then removed:
     

     
    The goods shed was then put in place and a couple of bits of ballast trimmed away to ensure a snug fit. I will be laying a bit more dirt and gunge, as the ballast is currently too clean:
     

     

     
     
    I've also started making the first of the three main semaphore signals, using MSE kits. This one is an ex-LMS upper quadrant on a steel post, which would have replaced an earlier Midland Railway wooden post example. The other two signals will feature wooden posts.
     

     

     

     

     
     
    Since the photos of the signal were taken, I've been painting it and have put together a water crane for the end of the down platform (thanks to those who responded to my query in the 'Help' section). The above signal was borrowed and temporarily put in position adjacent to the planned location of the water crane, at the end of the disused down platform:

     
    I've also given the ScaleScenes terraced cottages a waft of aerosol Dullcote, to aid the weathering process:

     

  5. Captain Kernow
    For the last 18 years, each time 'Engine Wood' has been set up, it's been necessary to align the track over the baseboard joints by eye, tightening up the bolts between the boards as you do so. Yes, there are some relatively primitive alignment aids but it generally involves kneeling down and carefully adjusting each baseboard joint by hand, whilst a friend watches the alignment of the rails from a different angle.
     
    I've got fed up with this and have decided to fit C&L alignment dowels between the three main scenic boards.
     
    Today I've fitted the 'female' halves to the two outer boards, and the centre board will have the 'male' halves fitted next weekend.
     
    I bought the two Draper trestles a few months ago, but only assembled them this morning, and they've proven to be very useful:
     

     

     
    Fitting the 'female' halves to the main station baseboard end:
     

     

     
    The same was then done to the station-end of the third board:
     

     

     
    I really don't want these to shift, so they are secured by the screws provided and a generous amount of epoxy.
     
    I'll be using some 30 minute epoxy when fitting the 'male' counterparts, to allow sufficient time to carefully line the baseboard joints up before clamping together. The plan is to glue the 'male' parts in their recesses, and when the glue has gone off, to drill and screw them as well.
  6. Captain Kernow
    Having had part of 'Engine Wood' set up this afternoon to start the process of fitting baseboard alignment dowels, I took the opportunity to take a few more photos of the recently weathered RTR rolling stock that I did recently:
     
    The Gresley full brake:

     

     
    A Hawksworth full brake:

     
    Bachmann Mark 1 BG:

     
    Ex-GW horsebox:

     

     

     
    Two coach Hawksworth set:

     

     

     

     

     
    Finally, another photo of the bogie bolster taken last week:

  7. Captain Kernow
    With 'Engine Wood' planned to be attending 'Hornby Magazine Live' at Hartlepool in early July, I thought I'd open some of the boxes of new R-T-R stuff and introduce a bit more variety in terms of stock used.
     
    Over the last couple of weeks, I've been working on a pair of Hawksworth coaches, three full brakes (one each of Hawksworth, Gresley & Mark 1 BG), a Hornby GW horsebox, a Hornby 'Van C' and finally a single 16t mineral wagon (needed one more to make up a second rake of 16 tonners). I also weathered a Bachmann bogie bolster, which had had it's couplings done years ago, but had never been weathered (you can tell it's an old one, as it has plastic-tyred wheels, which will probably get changed some time).
     
    All have been fitted with screw or three-link couplings and vac/steam heat pipes, and all have been weathered. The weathering has been a mix of air brushing, dry-brushing and powders, but the essence of this job is that they had to be done relatively quickly, as there are other jobs I want to do before the show.
     
    Most of the vehicles are now almost completed, and I thought I'd try a bit of photography this afternoon, but the light wasn't that good, so I only took a few photos:
     

     

     

  8. Captain Kernow
    Having completed most of the work on the Townstreet goods shed recently (as per earlier blog entries), a test placing on the layout revealed just how tight the railway openings were for stock passing through the shed. Definitely a case of 'do not lean out of the window'...
     
    Various items of stock and locos were tested through the building yesterday, with the result that some of the plaster on the door frames had to be removed, ie. thinned down, and then re-painted.
     
    Now just about all my P4 stock and locos will fit through, with the exception of Mark 1 BGs, which were immediately banned from entering the shed furno
     
    This building is very heavy, being mostly made from the kit's plastercast components, so it is the one structure that won't be fixed down permanently to the layout. Just imagine the glue coming adrift and the building crashing about inside the transport framing.... doesn't bear thinking about!
     
    Given the very tight clearances through the rail entrance doorway, however, and also the fact that the ground is going to be 'made up' all around the structure with DAS-type air clay on most sides, and tile grout (for hand-scribed cobbles a la Harrap) on the road entrance side, it was always going to need to be a 'precision fit' every time.
     
    Similarly, with the outer wall (furthest from the road entrance) being somewhat vulnerable, as it's only attached to the rest of the building on each corner and by the roof, I wanted something for it to be firmly fixed to, for transport purposes.
     
    First of all, I drilled a 2mm hole in each corner and glued a 2mm brass spigot in each:

     
    Next, for the 'transport option', a piece of 6mm MDF was cut out, 3mm holes drilled and sections of 2mm inside diameter brass tube epoxied in place:

     
    When the glue had set, the goods shed was placed in position. The whole ensemble will sit inside a strengthened shoe box for transport:

     
    Next, another set of holes had to be drilled in the baseboard, and brass tube glued in, to match the precise position that the goods shed needed to be in:

     
    In fact, each of the four pieces of brass tube was glued in individually, the respective brass spigots in the base of the goods shed receiving a coating of oil, to prevent any stray epoxy glueing the whole thing in place my mistake. When this was done, the shed was fitted to the layout. Any apparent gaps around the base will disappear when it is 'grouted in':

     
    The track in front of the road entrance will be grouted in with tile grout and cobbles individually scribed, as per Brian Harrap's methods. This is why the track appears rather basic. It will make for interesting shunting and (notional) movement of road vehicles on what would have been a very constricted site:

     
    Final clearance tests are performed by D6326:

     

     
    Views of the interior:

     

     
    D6326 caught returning through the shed:

  9. Captain Kernow
    I've completed most of the 'structural' work on the blue Dapol Class 22 now, with the exception of glueing the lifting rings on the bogies. Having run it this evening with some wagons, I think that I'm going to have to replace the Dapol coupling hook with a Smiths one, to standardise it with the rest of my rolling stock.
     
    After having done the basic chassis conversion using the Ultrascale wheels, as described in the earlier blog entry, I decided to put a driver in each cab and do something about the loose valences, which I glued to the body with MekPak, using some 10 thou plasticard inside the body to (i) line the valences up with the outside face of the main loco body and (ii) link the valences to each other, to provide some structural strength.
     
    I also put most of the buffer beam detailing on, but felt that the vacuum pipe supplied was a bit too thin, so fitted something a bit thicker.
     
    The cab units do come out, but mine needed a little gentle persuasion to seperate the cab unit from the main loco body (it seemed to be secured with the grey paint used on the cab units, perhaps they are inserted into the loco bodies by some automated process when the grey paint is still wet?). Anyway, the driver as seen in this photo turned out to be far too tall when inside the loco, so had to have even more of his torso ruthlessly snipped off...

     
    The valences glued in place along one side, with the 10 thou plasticard strengthening pieces apparent:

     

     
    I think that the general quality of the plastic mouldings is excellent, especially the lamp brackets and the very small handrails (other manufacturers could take a leaf out of Dapol's book when it comes to the small handrails on the front ends of diesels). The headcodes are from a Heljan Hymek:

     
    Buffer beam detail going on:

     
    The cab units were then lightly glued back into the loco bodies (having had some material removed earlier to make them an easier fit), with a small dab of MekPak, and the loco body refitted to the chassis. I then gave it a bit of a run on Callow Lane, shunting some wagons in the company of D6347 (SIlver Fox):

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  10. Captain Kernow
    Having previously felt that I wouldn't be able to remove the moulded slate detail from the roof of the road-side awning, I looked at it again and decided that the difference in slate finishes was such that I really ought to make the attempt.
     
    This is how it was done...
     
     
    First of all, the whole structure was encased in card, to protect it from stray movements of the gert big ** file that I was planning to use, and to keep plaster dust from the model generally, and from the interior especially..
    ** technical term

     
    Closer view of the roof before the work started

     
    The gurt big** file turned out not to be the right tool for the job, so I used a rotary abrasive drum attachment on a Rolson 12v drill. This is what it looked like when the job was virtually done
    ** also a technical term

     
    I'd already made up a replacement slated roof, using matching Scalescenes slate strips on a piece of thin card, which I glued to the plaster top of the awning using 5 minute epoxy:

  11. Captain Kernow
    When John (Re6/6) and Peter came round the other day to refresh play on Engine Wood, we naturally had a play on Callow Lane as well. Peter brought his P4 converted ex-Lima GW railcar, which utilises the drive from a Bachmann 158 to power it, and it looked rather at home on Callow Lane:
     

     
    A bit of mindless shunting was also indulged in:

     

     
    Still haven't glued the roof to the goods shed, waiting until after TrainWest:

  12. Captain Kernow
    Since completing the most recent row of cottages for Callow Lane, I've been plodding on with the Townstreet goods shed kit. These are plaster-cast kits, where the plaster takes enamel paints beautifully to create realistic stone or brickwork effects.
     
    I've always liked the idea of their kits, and built a water tower for Bleakhouse Road several years ago. The goods shed always felt 'LMS/Midland' to me, so I bought a kit at Ally Pally some years ago now, and started it fairly soon afterwards, but didn't get round to really tackling it until recently.
     
    I have replaced one or two parts of the kit, where I felt that the plaster-casting process could be improved upon with alternative materials (although it must be admitted that this is one of their earlier kits and they have improved even on this over the years). In particular, I didn't like the plaster valencing over the road entrance, so that was replaced with a plasticard equivilent. The doors were also plaster, and whilst they aren't too bad, there was no hinge detail and in any case I thought that plasticard ones might look a bit better, so I made some replacements. The kit did not provide any doors to the roadway entrance, which I felt would have been the case, so I made some up and glued these inside, with just the edges showing from the outside, as they are modelled in the open position. This also meant that the interior 'runner' detail above these doors had to be modelled.
     
    I also scratchbuilt a wooden loading platform (I did buy their interior detailing kit, but decided against using it, as the whole thing was already very heavy!), and provided some interior detailing, including a crane and various bits and pieces.
     
    The main feature that has been replaced, however, was the main shed roof, where I wasn't happy with the overly-irregular roof slates, so I built a card replacement and glued Scalescenes slate strips on it (taken from their terraced cottages kit). I perhaps ought to have replaced the slates on the road entrance canopy, with the benefit of hindsight, but these aren't too bad and I have more weathering to do on these, to match them to the main roof (I haven't yet glued the main roof on).
     
    Finally, I've fitted a couple of grain of wheat bulbs up in the roof to provide some interior illumination. Only one will be used at a time, the second one is a premanently wired-in spare.
     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  13. Captain Kernow
    Until a few years ago, I wasn't really much of a diesel buff. Pretty much preferred kettles to diesels, to be honest. After all, the S&D was a steam-only line when it was open and before that, my interests were more for the Great Western in the 1930s.
     
    However, all the diesel releases of recent (and not quite so recent) years haven't been in vain and have begun to make a bit of an impression. So much so, in fact, that Callow Lane will be my first layout to have a 100% diesel sequence, when the time comes (although the plan is to alternate the late 1960s/early (pre-TOPS) 1970s sequence with the still-favoured early 1960s mostly steam sequence.
     
    Callow Lane is a freight-only yard set in south Gloucestershire, to the north-east of the city of Bristol, just a couple of miles from the former Midland Railway marshalling yard at Westerleigh, so in a 'proper' incarnation it should feature mostly W.R. diesel hydraulic types, such as Hymeks, D63XXs, 'Teddy Bears' etc, together perhaps with an 08 and may be a Brush Type 4.
     
    However, these days I just can't leave the space-time continuum around Callow Lane alone, and a whole parade of unlikely and frankly naughty deployments of various improbable diesel types is beginning to emerge. I had a play with a few of them earlier. I'm convinced that this version of history is as valid as any other.... although I haven't been able to find much supporting photographic evidence from local photographers of the day...
     
    To start off with, things are relatively normal and as you might expect. Here's a typical W.R. diesel hydraulic at work in this former M.R. goods yard, an innocuous Class 22 runs light under the road bridge:
     

     
    A Hymek arrives with some 16t minerals - nothing to alarm the historians here...

     
    But what's this?! - a 'Sulzer' Class 25 has turned up from Westerleigh Yard with a solitary oil tanker in tow. Probably worked down with a 'go anywhere, any time' Saltley crew on it...

     

     
    And if that wasn't enough, another Saltley crew has brought this Class 20 in with a local tripper. This is normally an 08 duty.....I don't think the Bath Road crew that usually work this turn sign Class 20s, and surely the Saltley men don't know the road to Callow Lane as well?!

     
    And... just when you thought that was stretching it a bit (and I haven't told you about the Class 15 yet either, have I? ), this loco turns up to collect that Fina tank wagon!

     
    My friend at work tells me he saw a Class 27 on a Christmas parcels at Temple Meads around 1967 or 1968, so that was excuse enough to get one of these at a bargain price at my local model shop's sale about 12 months ago...

     
    You will have noticed that I've managed to keep the tablet catcher recess well hidden in these views......
     
    And finally, don't worry about the railbus...

     
    ..it isn't staying. No, that's right, it's 1967, and now that the Eastern Region has decided they don't want them anymore, so rather than scrapping them, a couple have been sent to Somerset to try to bolster traffic levels on the 4' 1½" Somerset & Dorset system on the Somerset Levels...
     
    Just had a thought, I may have to extend the layout this year... I don't think the full length Blue Pullman will fit!...
  15. Captain Kernow
    The doors and sash windows of the latest row of cottages have now been done (albeit door handles and letter boxes still to be done), which provided another excuse to put them on the layout for some photos and play trains for a few moments:
     

     
    The windows weren't so easy to see against a light background, so I placed a cutting mat behind them (they will have a back wall and darkened interiors when they are finished, like the adjacent row):

     

     

     

  16. Captain Kernow
    John also took some footage on his new camera on Sunday afternoon, so here are three representative sample pieces, showing the 08 shunting around. My thanks to John for taking the footage and taking the trouble to upload it to YouTube.
     

     

     

  17. Captain Kernow
    John (Re6/6) visited today and we had a few pleasant hours shunting some wagons around Callow Lane. I put all the completed buildings up, which give a bit more of a flavour of what I hope it will eventually look like.
     
    Bagnall ('Jinty') 47276 shunting a few wagons into the yard:

     

     
    The new cottages are almost finished, in the distance, with just the ridge tiles, chimney pots and guttering/drainpipes still to add:

     
    'Lord Salisbury' waits the road back to Frog Lane pit, a mile or so from Callow Lane:

     
    47276 sits with its train outside the Taffson Evans works:

     
    The shunters cabin:

  18. Captain Kernow
    A bit more progress has been made on the latest row of Howard Scenics cottages. The brick paper has been applied, the main walls glued together and a start made on the chimneys and window frames.
     
    'Bagnall' 47276 poses in front of the new row (it's evidently been borrowed from Radstock shed for a jaunt up to Westerleigh Yard):

     

     

     

  19. Captain Kernow
    I've finally gotten around to doing a bit more on the goods shed for Callow Lane.
     
    To recap, this is based on the Townstreet plastercast kit, which I have always liked, although it is not based on Midland Railway practice in the area I am modelling.
     
    It was one of their very first kit, and as such the castings would appear to be slightly less refined than their later productions, certainly the kit that I picked up has a number of minor casting defects, which I am disguising or otherwise trying to make good.
     
    I am replacing some of the cast components with other materials, where I think these will improve the appearance of the finished model. These include the main roof (which will be from 1mm thin ply, overlaid with thinner card, with Scalescenes paper slate strips), the awning, where I have removed the plaster cast valences and replaced them with Slaters plasticard ones, and the doors, which will be scratchbuilt from plasticard as well.
     
    Thanks to those who responded on the Prototype Questions forum, with information on internal goods shed cranes. I have put a basic crane together using sections of Evergreen plastic strip and one or two parts from the Wills yard crane kit.
     

     
    Closer view of the replacement plastic valance:

     
    Internal view showing crane. More detail will be added such as loads on the platform etc. in due course.

  20. Captain Kernow
    I've started work on scratchbuilding a model of a small brick farm access underbridge, which is located on the north (London) side of the Ouse Valley Viaduct. I will be assisting Rod (10800), John (Re6/6) and a couple of Rod's colleagues from the Eridge project at Scaleforum in a couple of weeks time, demonstrating on the theme of B.R. Southern Region. My contribution to all of this, besides helping run trains up and down the viaduct, (no doubt), will be to continue construction of this farm bridge, which will be incorporated in the first part of this huge project, the viaduct itself. I may also be working on one of the smaller buildings on the platform at Balcombe station, depending on time etc.
     
    After getting to a 'natural break' with Callow Lane goods shed, I started work on the farm bridge today, so that I would have something to start demonstrating on at Scaleforum.
     
    Here is the prototype:
     

     

     
    Here is the limited progress I've made so far - both elevations of the arch cut out, and the four course of edging bricks attached (Slaters brick cut into strips):

     
    I plan to have more done before we go up to Scaleforum.
  21. Captain Kernow
    I seem to be perpetually building card cottages for this layout.
     
    I decided a few months ago that I would need a further row of four cottages in 'half-relief' to go opposite the main goods yard and immediately in front of the backscene. The area just felt a bit too open, and I think that in real life there would have been more dwellings here.
     
    Having painted the main brick colours on the goods shed last night, I really need the enamels to thoroughly dry for a couple of days before I continue with more detailed painting and mortar etc., so I thought I would make a start with this next batch of cottages, again built using the Howard Scenics card kits as a basis.
     
    I have cut the card to size and window and door apertures out, here they are temporarily taped together, next to the previous row I built a couple of years ago:

     
    View from the front:

     
    With the retaining wall removed, this set of cottages have their own integral base. The previous set of four have a seperate base (just me being lazy at the time, really):

  22. Captain Kernow
    I'm a happy bunny tonight, having finally gotten my act together to go out to the shed, put the warm air blower on for a few minutes, in readiness for a bit of spraying on the goods shed.
     
    I decided to spray the exterior brickwork in red oxide, as a base for adding the final brick colour in due course. This will be more orangy in hue, and the base colour will actually be B.R. early freight stock bauxite!
     
    I sprayed the crane with grey primer at the same time.
     

     

     

  24. Captain Kernow
    Having replaced the missing finial on the roof, the only major job remaining is to affix the down pipe to the guttering, which I will probably do later today.
     
    In the meantime, a visit by some friends prompted the chance for a little 'play' on the layout, so with the other buildings temporarily put in place, I thought it would be a good chance to take some photos of the signal box in it's proper location:
     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  25. Captain Kernow
    I posted on a status update yesterday, that I had lost a component, that pinged off my workbench and through a conveniently-placed wormhole to Tharg, the home world of the Zillons.
     
    That component was one of the finials on the roof, which had already been glued in place.
     
    Repairing it wasn't going to be the problem, but finding it was impossible. It is still out there, in the wormhole, hopefully giving pleasure to Midland Railway-modelling Zillons...
     
    Anyway, after a false start last night with some 1.5mm plastic rod, I managed to turn a new one up from some 1.5mm brass rod on the electric drill (yes, the lathe still isn't installed at Kernow Towers..... )
     

     

     
    (both finials are actually parallel, the distortion is due to the camera lens)
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