MrSimon

Hi, Glad to see your ballast and paint turned up! What make is the Mini? I'd like one on Gresby but not sure where to look! Thanks Simon

Hi, thank you for your comments! Thank you - I've always liked building buildings, I did consider using some ready made ones but because of the angle the viaduct crosses the board all the buildings need to have non-square foot prints which made me abandon that idea pretty quickly - also, I couldn't find any that were right for what I wanted. I'm glad theres only a few left to build though! The bricks and the 'pantile-esque-bumps' are slaters (I think they're slaters, they're the A4 sheets sold in model shops) I've used Ratio roof tiles too, the pavements are Artists Mounting Board and all other bits to look like stone are either plasticard sheet cut to shape or Evergreen Scenics plasticard strips - I also file all corners down slightly to take the edge off. I've planned on etched glass on the bottom half of the ground floor windows, I'm thinking maybe stained glass in the top lights of the ground floor and in the firsdt floor windows, but I'm not sure yet - I have to keep reminding myself its going behind a bridge! This afternoon while I let my eyes un-bozz from the windows, I did some messy work - and it was great fun being able to a) work quickly and not be precious about the job in hand Its the embankment from trackbed level down to the disused land behind the car-lot. It was my first time using Finnish filler - it was foamy and quite hard to get in the right place - almost like blancmange! I cut a piece of mounting board to the shape of the embankment and filled up to it, I had to pat the filler down every 10 minutes as it set a bit more - I'm not sure how long it will take to set While I had the filler out I also filled between the rails in the hard-standing area. The wagons were being used to cut the flange-ways. I'll sand it down later when its dried. The good thing I found with the blancmangey filler was it left bubble holes and scars when I was scraping it down, these will be used in weathering, but others will be re-filled. Just waiting for everything to dry now... Lots to do! Simon

Hello everybody! Its been a busy few days here in Helsinki, I managed to get some modelling time in and have finished off all the plasticard work on the pub - it seems to have taken forever! The door frame, this took two goes to get right - the second step came about because I got confused about the step and the pavement and left space for the step twice but it looks OK and so its staying! I abandonned the idea of a bay window after I couldn't get it to look right, so I based the windows on a pub I used to live oposite in Manchester. I need to tone down the gold (I thought it was brass) and weather it all. The front of the pub! I'm going to paint it later on today. The complete building. I've got the detail work to do after the I've finished the signage, and it needs weathering and the internal deatils for the front and back need doing, but I'm going to have a break from the pub for a while. Its been a long build, and I think I would have rather done it in stages with a little break in the middle. Ornate buildings take so long to build in N (the pillar on the corner of the ground floor took 25 minutes, the doorway four hours etc) but on the boards I have now there is only one more ornate building required, I'll have a break before making a start on it though! Still lots to do though! Simon

Hi Haha yes, I've now got much more distinctive fingerprints thanks that chopper Only hope I don't get similar injury when I get round to sorting out the wheels on my dummy class 37s! Thank you I just need to finish the front of the pub and I can take pictures going the other way. The crooked houses look ok - I'm just a bit worried about the bridge piers looking crooked - I can't tell if they actually are crooked or its just some sort of 'fish-eye affect' from the camera. I think its by Slaters and comes in A4 sheets - but most of the plain stonework is just plain plasticard/evergreen strip filed into shape and painted. I've spent the last few hours making the dorma windows for the pub... won't be making any more of these! I decided to make them all different, mainly because I had to after they all turned out different: I think a tickle with the file and a lick of paint and they should come out OK. Lots to do Simon

Thank you Taytrain! Doing transfers is the only part of modelling I don't enjoy Hoping to have the pub finished soon so I can move on to the station Simon

Hello everybody! I've had a quiet few days, mainly because I somehow put the flanges of one of the wheelsets on the class 20 through the tips of my thumb and index finger while I was filing the axle ends for better running The bogies run well now though Today I started to prepare the pub for its final fitting on Gresby: The main issue i have is that there is a bigger gap than I would like between the pub and the bridge, and one of them seems to be wonky Despite the buildings being a bit crooked, its starting to look OK - will be better when the pub front is finished (must make a note to fix the bump in the road!) Here is the back of the pub and the beer garden. Despite measuring the site many times i didn't realise just how invisible the lowest row of windows would be, so I popped out the etches on the bottom row to use again on another building. I'll give the viaduct side a weather before sticking the pub down. Just the door and front window left to do... and the signs and the interior... One of the crazier things I've spent hours doing for the layout... the conservatory! Bringing the beer garden into the dining room I need to wait for the plasticard to harden before pushing it totally into shape and then it needs painting and furnishing; then I want to make a set of fire stairs. I've been spending a bit of time on photoshop sorting out all the signage for the pub and the garage area, then I need to get it printed out so I can call this end of the layout finished. Lots to do! Simon

Hey Mark, Love the work you've done on the cutting, looks just how I imagine the 30s bits of the Southern and the Underground looking when they were new - will have to find space for one of those semi's on Gresby! Keep up the good work Simon

Evenin' all Its been a busy day for me! Firstly I got the back half of the pub stuck in place after all the little alterations needed to the card inner shell and then I started on the roof: Its not stuck down yet, and will probably act as a prototype while I get the dorma windows and the bits around the chimneys right. I also need to get my trigonometrical brain in gear and work out the shapes of the roof coming out of the main roof and going backwards... hmmmm In other news I hearby declare the first UFO of 2011 officially finished: The middle one is slightly over weathered for a fish van, I'm going to see about lightening it up slightly before sending it to my Dad. I went to my to-do list and selected the next UFO on my list: Its a dummy class 20 made with an Ian Stoate Dummy Chassis and Mr Taylor's excellent detailing kit. It needs transfers, weathering and the chassis fettling. When I was putting it in my UFO tray the body came off and I noticed this: Does anyone know how to un-bend Resin? I've moved all (most) of the stock work over onto my workbench thread (see link below) Simon

Hi, I think it might be the daylight being a bit dark and blue in those shots, it looks quite light under my desk lamp! I'll be altering the colour when its weathered anyway so I'm not too worried at the moment. I had a look on google and found one or two to use as research but they tend to be taken from the ground looking up so I can't really just print one out and stick it on - which would be lovely! This afternoon I got the window sills and lintels painted and fitted the etches: Before I stick it down I need to fit the back door and check the card behind all the windows gives enough clearance for the glazing to be fitted later. While all that was drying I bit the bullet at took a saucer of warm water to my desk and started work on one of my UFOs: They only need a some varnish and a quick dab of weathering and they'll be my first UFO completed this year! I'm not sure what will replace them in the UFO Bran Tub. As I had the saucer out and I hadn't put the RMC tray away after measuring it for the pretendolino, I did a few more transfers: Theres a lot of transfers on these but I don't have any 'untransferred' JGAs left in the tray, so theres a Bank Holiday Bonus Still plenty to do! Simon

Morning everyone, here is a pic of last nights work (except for the sign) I'm not sure if its a bit too dark but I can lighten it up with some pastels. Also, i'm going to fire up photoshop later on - but before I do does anyone know a good source of old brewery signs? Its going to be a Mansfield pub, and I've got one or two shots to work from but always interested to see more Busy day ahead! Simon

Hi thanks for your comments guys! It all seems to be taking much more effort than the house took - but I think its looking better and a bit of a shame that it will be hidden by the bridge from most angles! This evening I mixed up a brick-ish colour and gave it its only coat of paint (the rest will be done with weathering and I fancy trying out using pepper like Jim SW did on Birmingham New Street) and I painted all the ratio window frames which are ready to fit. Its a public holiday here tomorrow so I can hopefully get the back finished and make a start on the roof Pics and better grammar tomorrow! Thanks again Simon

Hello Everybody Today I managed to get the last of the brickwork finished on the front and back of the pub - its taken forever and I think I must have breathed in more Contacta than I applied... Here is the back, the low wall coming out the back will be the conservatory (when I've finished painting the brick) and there will be a fire escape at the 2nd floor window. The front of the pub. I decided to try and make the windows similar sized to the shop/flats on the other side of the bridge so I couldn't use the etched windows I'm using for the rest of the building - which is why this front has taken me at least 4 hours already Next job on the front will be to make the pub sign, the entrance and the bay window - but I probably won't fit them until I've finished painting the front. It all needs to set overnight before I can do any more work Lots to do! Simon

Hi The Avonwick ones look good to me - would they be easy to alter if the mood took you? Simon

Hi Kris, For the detail at the top of the chimneys I have been cutting out strips of plasticard either one or two brick courses high and sticking them to the top - I took some pictures of the one I did this evening which should explain it a bit better: A bit blurry but hard to photograph! One and two brick high strips of plasticard. Basic chimney Two brick high strip added to the top Single tier strip added to the 2 brick layer to give a step, 4 brick high bit added lower down the chimney. I'll add detail like the mortar stuff on the top and chimney pots later on. The chimneys will also have pub signs on to attract trade from the passing trains. The chimney I made yesterday The nearly finished side - tomorrow the front and the rear... Lots to do Simon

Thanks Alan - just hope my eyesight holds out until I get it finished! This afternoon I got most of the side of the pub finished, just two more chimneys and some bits adding below the roof and then I'l be ready for the front, the back and the roof to do: The small square in the brick at the bottom left is where I went wrong on the top window. I've decided to keep the detail low from the middle downwards because it won't be visible behind the viaduct, most of the detail work will be on the roof and top storey. The front and rear will be detailed too because they'll be visible from the sides. Lots to do! Simon

Hi Chinahand The attic window will only be 6x4(mm) on the detailed plasticard layer, I make the windows much bigger on the stronger card layer to give me room to stick down the window details while remaining flush at the front. Also its easier to cut the windows accurately on just one layer rather than two: When its painted up the two layers will be glued together and no one will see the card Cheers Simon

Hi, If only it was the extent of the UFOs - as things get done they'll be replaced on the UFO list but I'd like to get everything on the present list finished by the end of the year - and I'm not starting a new (non-Gresby) project without finishing one of the UFOs first! The trick with the pplasticard is layers of thicker plasticard behind it. I think the steps were 1mm thick, but thinned at the edges, they then had a 2mm thick piece stuck to the back of the steps which was in turn stuck to an even thicker piece that butted up to the side of the chassis - my Dad's quite clumsy so I had to over-engineer it somewhat - I'll have to see how it holds up. It seems to have been the one bit of modelling this year that I didn't take photos of! The trains pretty quick, I had a day trip to Tampere a couple of years ago (it rained but seemed nice) I think theres a model club in Helsinki but I've not been Simon

Hi, Thanks for your comments, I'm in Toolo in Helsinki The O1 steps were scratchbuilt from plasticard, I had to make a cab floor and then hung the steps from the floor with thicker bits of plasticard behind for strength. The step treads are made from two layers of the thinnest evergreen strips I could find. Thanks Simon

Thanks Jez! I'm still undecided about the window in the gable and where to put skylights. I've only built the skeleton of the building so far, I cut windows in the mounting board before glueing the sides because its easier than cutting them out later on. I reduced the height of the front section by 7mm and it looks almost how I'd imagined - tomorrow is plasticard day! Lots to do Simon

Hello Everybody! There has been some actual work on Gresby today - I have started on the pub My only worry is, I think its a bit tall. I wanted it to be three floors plus attic rooms, so the roof had to be a bit taller than the shop... When put in position I just can't tell, the apex with an attic window is maybe a bit high, but the lower bit at the back is possibly too low. There will be a hipped roof joining the sideways roof and going to the front of the pub. Maybe I should loose 5mm from the front? What do you think? Simon

Thanks Kris! I had to file the backs of the pumps slightly and cut notches in the handrails, but I managed to get them in gauge so the O1 turned out OK. Its with my Dad now for use on 'Farndon Road' at Bingham MRC. Last night I managed to get one last piece of modelling done - a stock tray for the Pretendolino set: The stock trays fit into metal LP boxes from HMV, each tray can hold upto twelve Mark 3s or 24 HAA length wagons. As the Pretendolino is nine coaches plus DVT there is space in the tray for a dummy class 158, so I cut the lid in two so I can either open the Prendolino side or the DMU. Also last night I picked out the first of my UFOs - there are some quick finishes and some longer projects: A J39 kit I seem to have been (not) building forever. Must apply transfers and post back to Newark... Some LNER tenders I've been putting off finishing for ages. They need filing out underneath so they'll fit onto a Farish tender chassis. They seem to take forever and cover me in resin dust, so these are the only three Dads getting! I can't even remember what this was for! A 4CEP thats been in the halfdone box for years. I'm going to de-classify the FO and the rest need the pain touching up (SO) the roof sticking down (BTO) and the underframes altering I need to do some work on this, I don't like that the yellow bands that go round the front are a different colour to the warning panel. I'm not sure if I need to match the panel to the stripe. Also, the stripes need fettling a bit so the white can't be seem. Then it needs weathering. I'm starting work on the pub on Gresby later today. Lots to do! Happy New Year Simon

Hello everybody! Hope you all had a Happy Christmas I know I did! I think Santas little helper raided the Dapol open day this year because as well as three 2nd class coaches for my pretendolino set Santa bought me this: I'm not sure if I'll ever use the DVT unless the coaches come out, but I'll definitely give the loco a weather and use it on Gresby. Its the first time I'd seen a Dapol 67 up close and I must say I'm very impressed. Whilst trapped in Newark over Christmas I read the N Gauge Journal and the letter on the back page struck a definite chord with me. Next year I'm going to finish my UFOs on top of the work remaining on Gresby. I think I'll do it monthly, either on this thread or start a new one. To start off, I finally finished the O1 and handed it over: I really don't like numbering steam engines. A late change to the spec was my dad deciding he wanted Westinghouse Pumps adding so it could be numbered as a Tyne Dock engine. It would have been better to have been given the pumps in Helsinki so I could get the paint the same as the rest of the boiler: They look OK though. The engine is made from a Union Mills GC tender with no motor or gear worm, a Bachmann 8F chassis, a Langley B1 body, N Brass buffers and I think the Westinghouse Pumps were made by Mr Foxhunter, but I might be wrong. It runs well and is quite strong (but not as strong as a Union Mills or one of the new Dapols). I'm quite glad its off my desk, now I can start with the UFOs! Happy New Year! Simon

Hi, Looks good so far! Do the trains pass that edge/wall OK? Looking forward to seeing furthur progress Simon

Hi, I'll have a look what version I've got when I'm back in Helsinki, but theres some more inserts (etc) I'd like to order next year so I could maybe get a revised version then if I don't have one already I think de-classifying the first class MK2 is definately the way forward, I've been having a closer look at the pictures I'd found of what I thought were firsts and found they were first brakes: http://neilharvey4789.fotopic.net/p64163111.html http://neilharvey4789.fotopic.net/p56033457.html How hard do you think it would be to repaint a window strip from grey to NSE blue? I managed to get out of Helsinki last night, complete with the almost finished O1 which got picked up in security and I had to show it to the security guard - so here it is back in the UK: I REALLY must number it. Happy Christmas everyone Simon

Hi I'm pretty sure the roof panel came off the SO, I followed the instructions that came with the sides Are the underframe bits on the instructions too? I'll have to dig them out if they are! All the best Simon