wiggoforgold

I’ve made a start on the buildings. I like me to get at least the basic shape of the buildings done at an early stage as it helps me see how it will all fit together. The first is a disused lamp hut on the old station platform. I used the GWR lamp hut 3d printed model from Dartmoor Model Services. It was given a coat of grey primer. The roof and door were sprayed with Mig “Old rust”. When dry, the roof was given a couple of coats of Mig “chipping effects” followed by a coat of Mig “Matt black”. As soon of this was dry it was hydrated with plain water which made patches come away, leaving the effect of rust coming through the paint. The roof was then lightly drybrushed with Mig “Jet exhaust burnt metal” and allied to dry. I then switched to enamels and gave it a Mig “light rust” wash followed by some Mig streaking rust effects applied with a small brush. The sides were given a couple of coats of Humbrol Matt cream. The window frame was picked out in white and the door in old rust. Weathering was a light rust wash followed by streaking rust effects and dark earth weathering powder. Alex

Thanks Mark. Train pack is interesting. Class 14 is a bit modern for what I have in mind. If it was a 57xx though..... Not sure about Berry Wiggins. They seem to be rather more on the Forest of Dean branch, rather than the Severn and Wye, which is where Lydbrook Dean is set. I do like them though, so I'm looking for an excuse. Hopefully an update or two over the weekend. Alex

One more for tonight

Yelverton will be appearing at the Saltash model show on 8 and 9 October 2022.

I’ve stated painting the tunnel mouth. First it was sprayed with Matt black primer, which was then lightly over sprayed with Mig Faded Sinai grey, leaving the black showing through the courses between the stones. I decided the stonework should have a pinker tinge to it in keeping with the local stone, so it was drybrushed with various mixes of Mig “rotbraun”, earth and “new” wood. It was then given washes of Matt black, a grey/ earth mix and rotbraun, before being Matt varnished. The next stage will be the application of weathering powders. Alex

Hi Tim. My messenger seems to be playing up. I've sent you a pm. Alex

Tunnel mouth construction now complete. I made the raised part by adding a strip of card to the front before applying the Das. The layer of Das was spread up to the level of the card strip. When this was dry and carved, I applied a “sausage” of Das to the card strip, which was squared off and scribed for stone work when dry. The cap strip at the top of the parapet is from the Wills building details kit. Next stage, painting.

The line enters Lydbrook Dean through a tunnel, which on the model hides the entrance to the sector plate. I just wanted a simple stone tunnel entrance, rather like the south entrance of Bradley Hill south of Soudley. I searched online for suitable stonebuilt tunnel mouths, but surprisingly couldn’t find anything suitable. All were too ornate. I eventually found the Hornby “Skaledale” tunnel entrance which I thought might suit, but having repainted it and started on weathering it, I decided that the stonework was too regular for my purposes, so it seemed my only option was to scratch build one. I started with a piece of artists’ mounting board and stuck a Scalescenes tunnel entrance template to it which I down loaded from the Internet. The template was then cut out and the stones forming the arch ring were made from individual pieces of 40 thou plastikard glued round the arch. Das airdrying clay was then spread over the card and allowed to dry (which took about 3 days because the moisture in the Das soaked into the mounting board). It was kept flat while drying by sandwiching it between two plates of glass. When dry the Das was scribed with a stonework pattern. The next stage will be painting.

I forgot to add to my last post: Yelverton will be appearing at the Saltash Model Show on 8-9 October 2022. It will be the only railway exhibit. In this picture, 6400 is seen about to depart from Yelverton with a Tavistock-Plymouth service. Alex

Initial experiments with Sprat and Winkle couplings have been encouraging, and they are easier to fit to locos, which just have the loops.

Baseboard construction for Lydbrook Dean is underway. The board fold out to 8’long and when folded fits on the back seat of the car. I’ve test fitted to make sure there is room. I had hoped to get the boards finished over the bank holiday, but profess has been slowed because the saw in B&Q in Plymouth is currently broken, and I need some more ply strips. I’ve started work on stock building. Here is a 16xx (Model Rail/Rapido) and some mineral wagons, posed on Yelverton. Alex

Yelverton has reached what I call the “tweaking” stage. It’s largely complete, just needing seats, flower beds and a couple of combined telegraph poles/lamp post on the platforms, and there’s a few more wagons including some milk tanks to build. I met Phil (Harlequin of this parish) at Edington. He manufactures GWR signal box nameplates under the name “The Pattern Shop”, and he produced a new name board for the cabin. The photos show the new name board in place. I’ve started work on a new layout, Lydbrook Dean, set in the Forest of Dean in the early 1960’s. Lots of pannier tanks, 16t minerals and trees. What’s not to like? I’ve started a new thread for it. Alex

This has come at a most appropriate moment. Upwell Drove's D2201 has failed and I was looking for a suitable replacement. This will do nicely. Alex

Interest expressed

Might I suggest 3D printed plates from Railtech? You can specify the number you want so they could do no 23 as well. Alex.

With the baseboard tops in place, I’ve been experimenting with the track layout. I’ve decided to use peco turnouts apart from the 3 way. Playing with the track layout like this has enable me to make sure there are no cross braces where I will want to fit point motors later.

One of the design parameters for Lydbrook Dean was that it should fit on the back seat of the car, without obscuring the view through the rear window. The basic frames are now complete, and have been test fitted in the car to make sure everything fits. I have managed to preserve sufficient leg room for the front passenger.

Nice to see you at Minehead Rob. The layout looked great, and it was a very good show, with lots of interesting layouts. I had a useful chat with Maggie Gravett about modelling trees. Dom's photographs reminded me -I meant to ask you where did you source the small wooden station building on Bleat? I'm looking for something similar for the new project. Alex

With Yelverton almost finished, and Diddington being a long term project, I’ve started work on a new layout. Set in the Forest of Dean circa 1962, it will be called “Lydbrook Dean”. It will be set on the former Severn and Wye line, and Ben Ashworth’s book “BR Steam in Dean” has given much inspiration, as has a short stay in the forest. The layout will be 00 gauge, Peco Bullhead track with copper clad points. It will be DC, with the points controlled by Cobalt motors. Motive power will be various types of pannier, mainly Bachmann. Freight stock will be from various sources. I’m going to try Sprat and Winkle couplings instead of my usual DG, as I am finding the DG couplings too sensitive for exhibition use. I’ve learned a lot from exhibiting Upwell Drove and Yelverton, and the lessons will be incorporated in the new layout. The overall size will be 8’ by 2’, and the folded layout will fit on the back seat of the car. The height of the folded layout will give unobstructed visibility through the rear window of the car. As part of the planning process I have made up a test piece to the overall size of the folded layout, and loaded it on the back seat of the care to make sure everything fitted. I’ve sketched out a track plan. I decided to use the copper clad points because I had several in stock that I had made a number of years ago, including a 3 way which I particularly needed. There is a slight differential height between these and the Peco plain track, which will be addressed by packing under the underlay beneath the points. The baseboard frames will be PSE , with tops from ply, the whole glued and screwed together, so that the PSE frame forms and “L” with the base board top. Where the boards fold, there will be a permanent hinge block at the rear of the layout, and a removable on (a la “Upwell Drove”) at the front. I’m hoping to be able to make a start on the frames later this week. Alex

Thanks Phil. As I said on Saturday, it's always great to see other people's photos of the layout because it is fascinating to see how they interpret it. Great photos. Alex

An unusual visitor to Upwell Drove this morning. D5569 on a test run.

Getting ready for Edington next weekend

Nothing wrong with the LNER. I have a family group of J15's.

Sometimes I am brought to the brink of despair by technology. In my previous post I had intended to say a bit about the computer display on the layout, but my phone deleted the explanation when I was editing the previous post and I didn't notice until after it was posted. The layout shows a sequence of typical trains from the last years of the line, run to a sequence based on the old timetables. I've put the sequence in to a Power Point presentation which is displayed on a computer screen fixed to the front of the layout At the recent Exeter show one of the exhibitors was using a similar presentation and I've borrowed a couple of ideas from that to refine mine. I'm looking forward to Edington (23-24 July) and hope to see a few of you there. Alex

Another small prairie has joined the fleet. This one is auto fitted 4575 5572. The basic model is Bachman, with auto fittings from Mainly Trains. I tried a different weathering method with this one, spaying on light coats of Alclad 2 Matt Black and Tan enamels wiped down on the vertical surfaces with a brush dipped in white spirit. Dirt on the underframe and wheels is from Humbrol smoke and earth weathering powders. The rods were painted with a mixture of Mig medium rust and gunmetal. Plates and transfers are from Railtech.