wiggoforgold

And any thoughts on when the picture was taken? There looks to be a couple of 16t minerals in the siding which suggests 1950's Alex

There’s a row of four huts behind the signal box at Yelverton, which would make a rather interesting cameo on their own. There’s a GWR style corrugated hut, a large wooden store hut, which appears to be windowless, a brick built hut with a sloping roof, and finally a brick built trolley store. I’ve started work on modelling these, starting with the corrugated hut. The hut appears to be slightly unusual for a GWR type hut, in that it has the window in the side rather than the end. I couldn’t find an exact match commercially available, so I looked for what might provide a starting point. I decided on the Wills lamp hut, which I have seen described as GWR, although to my mind the dimensions aren’t quite right. In particular it seems to be too wide. However I accepted the dimensions, and once assembled I think it has the character of the original. What I was looking for in the Wills kit, was a starting point that dealt with the thing I couldn’t do so well myself. To this end it gave me a curved roof and matching accurately produced end profiles, all in a representation of corrugated iron. In one end there is a helpfully moulded door. I didn’t like the end window, which to me jars because it is wider that it is high. Moreover, the Yelverton hut had it’s window in the side, not the end. Worse was the moulded canopy for the fire buckets, which would have been better made from a separate moulding, giving the builder the option of using a plain side. I didn’t like the moulded ventilator base on the roof either, but this came off with some scalpel strokes and a bit of cleaning up with a file. I made the window end in to a plain end by cutting away the window down to the bottom of the cill, and inserting a plain piece made from part of the discarded side with the fire bucket canopy. I made a new side by first making a plain side from 40 thou plastic, with a “U” shaped aperture for the glazing. The outer skin was from Wills corrugated plastic, with an opening cut for the window. The window frame was 10 thou plastic, with glazing bars from plastruct strip. Glazing was a 18mm square glass microscope slide cover slip, which was slipped into an aperture behind the window, created by fitting an inner side. The model was sprayed with Mig rust colour and the given a coat of MIG chipping effect, before being oversprayed with MIG new wood colour, which gives a faded cream. This coat was then brushed with water, which causes cracks to appear in the paint, giving the effect of rust breaking through. Once dry, this was given a wash of Humbrol smoke and dark earth weathering powders, mixed with water and Decalfix to the consistency of a wash. Once dry this was removed with micellar water (make up remover) , leaving traces of grime in the corragations. The use of micellar water rather than plain water at this stage is important, as the micellar water does not seem to reactivate the chipping effects as ordinary water would. Anyway, that’s the first of the huts done. Next up will be the wooden hut. Alex

Hi Duncan (slight thread hijack here - apologies Nick) I'm building a model of Yelverton circa 1958 (see my layout thread) so anything you have of that place will likely be of interest. Alex

Thanks Nick. I'm trying to get a "worn but not dilapidated" look. Then there's the up platform building. Modelling it as it was in 1958 is going to be fun. However, tomorrow I plan to start on the row of huts behind the signal box. Alex

My usual Friday cycling activities were curtailed today by the weather. I spent the time working on the down platform building for Yelverton instead. I've nearly finished the building, it just need canopy supports and downpipes. I'm still thinking about an interior and the best way to fit the brackets, so they will wait for a while. Any similarity between the first two two pictures and the ones on Malcolm Mitchell's Facebook page are entirely coincidental Alex

Thanks Nick. Yes, that's the hut I meant, the one on the extreme left in the photos. I agree, the ome's behing the signal box make a nice group. I may make a start on the this weekend.... Alex

I'm rather taken with the PW hut Nick, but I'm not sure whether to do mine with a corragated roof (I like yours) or to change it for slates. Do you know if the one at the south end of the up platform at Yelverton had a slate or corragated roof? Alex

The Wills hut looks ideal! I'm off to get one.... Alex

Brian, Frith photo from similar view point dated 1906 shows baulk track and no pagoda. Alex

I do indeed Tim. I've asked, but I haven't heard anything yet. I'm not too worried though as I've found some really good photos on Malcolm Mitchell's "A" shop Facebook page, which George Illife Stokes took when he was working on the model. We've established the main dimensions I think, so I've got enough to produce some workable drawings. Alex

Thanks for posting the picture Phil. Yes it is of use. It's quite a common view point over the years but I hadn't seen that one before. As well as another end view of the down platform , it give some useful views of the platform surface and the fence panels behind the platform, which will all go onto the model. the pagoda on the down platform must be nearly new; there's a similar photo from the same viewpoint which mst have been taken a few years earlier, and the pagoda is not present. Alex

The down platform building is now primed and almost ready for painting. I want to add a few more details (eg down pipes and canopy supports) and do a bit of cleaning up before painting can start. Alex

This is the current state of play with the Down platform buildings for Yelverton. The pagoda is from two Wills kits, but I'm not happy with the front wall, and am going to rework it so the windows and door are not recessed so far. The waiting room is being scratchbuilt from styrene sheet and strip. Next on the workbench is a 45xx. I reckon for now I can spend about another 10 days on this, before doing some work to get Upwell Drove ready for it's next show, Alex

Hi Phil looks like you have to be a member of the group to see the pictures. I'll join up later. Alex

Tavistock South has possibilities.. Where might I go from Yelverton? Tavistock South, Shaugh Bridge and Princetown all come to mind.. and the other day I saw a picture of Clearbrook... Alex

I shall be following this with interest Nick. Good to see the Screwfix trestles being used. Some scope for standardisation here I think. I have spent a productive weekend cutting ply into strips for baseboards for Yelverton.; Alex

Thanks Phil. That's what I needed. I'm thinking a ratio signal gantry or an N gauge girder bridge might provide a starting point. Alex

I counted the planks on the awning, and measured a strip of Slaters GWR valence and that gave me 26'6"! can I be cheeky and ask your view of the width of the accommodation bridge? Alex

The sides are 55mm high from platform level to the top of the sides. The front is 40 thou lower than the sides and ends to allow for a false ceiling which will also support the back edge of the canopy. The panels are from Slaters 2mm planked plasticard, which is 30 thou I think. The length of the sides is calculated by counting the number of planks on the real thing, and using the same number of plasticard planks. The vertical framing is from 0.8mm x 2.0 mm Plastruct strip (90734) and the board beading is 0.4mm Plastruct rod ((90710). I can pm you a scan of my very rough scketch if you like. The panels have a backing of 30 thou plastic sheet (with apertures for the glazing) for strength. Alex

I've started work on some of the buildings for Yelverton. First up is the pagoda on the down platform. I used two Wills kits, and I've taken a picture of the completed building posed with the Wills packet, to show the changes. The width is the same, but it now has widows in the front, and double doors. I haven't weathered it yet and the roof isn.t glued in place, which is why it is slightly offset in the picture! Having got this far, I'm not totally happy with the front, as I feel the windows and door are set too far back in the sides, and I may rebuild this. I've started wotk on the down platform building, and the pictures show progress to date. I'm keen to start work on the up platform building I'm ptretty confident we have establised the shape, and I've found some useful pictures. In the period of my model (1958), the south end in particular was heavily weathered, due, I suspect, to exposure to the elements, and this presents an opportunity to try some new techniques. I'm hoping to get the framework for the baseboards cut ths weekend, then I'm planning further development on the motive power front. There will then be a hiatus for the next few weeks, as I need to do some work on Upwell Drove to make it ready for a couple of shows later in the year. Alex.

Thank you all for the replies. My apologies for my lateness in replying, but I've only just seen them as I've been away from here for about 10 days. Special thanks to Phil if I may for the plans. We walked along the line from Pricetown a few weeks ago. It,t a nice walk, and it was interesting seeing the road from Dousland from a different angle. I know the Fox Tor well, as it's a coffe stop on my regular cycle rides. I have a loyalty card... Alex

Thanks Brian I think I'm more or less there with the building. As you say in the absence of definitive information, a little modellers licence won't hurt! i've found a wonderful set of colour photos of the buildings at Yelverton on Malcolm Mitchell's "A" shop Facebook page. They were taken by the late George Iliffe-Stokes in about 1958 when he was researching for the models at Pendon. Have you seen them? Alex

I’ve been studying photos of the pentagonal building, and I think I’ve worked out the relationship of the sides. Side A-B is the Up platform face. Side D-E is the Princetown platform. I think the angles at A,B and E are right angles, which leaves acute angles at C and D, the exact values of which will be influenced by the length of the sides. Which just leaves the roof: I think the centre section of this must have been flat, but does anyone know, or have thoughts, on how it was covered? I’ve got a couple of new questions as well: Studying photographs, I can see that the rodding and wire for the point and signal at the Tavistock end of the station ran alongside the Down platform face. I can’t see how the rodding and wires ran to the points and signal at the Plymouth end. I presume that after exiting the signal box, it crossed the track to the Up side, covered by the barrow crossing, and then ran south parallel to the track. Can anyone confirm? Finally, the line at the southern end is on a gradient as it leaves the station. On the model, the plan is to have the gradient on one of the boards. My thoughts are that the transition should start after the baseboard join, so that the track crosses the joint on the level. I don’t think the transition should be from a level board to a line on a gradient. Second, while I don’t envisage the gradient as being excessively steep, the effect on a 6 wheel tank loco with a rigid (rtr) chassis crossing the transition would be to potentially lift the centre wheels off the track, with adverse effects on pick up and running. What would be the maximum sensible gradient, bearing ion mid I’ll be using Hornby/Bachmann wheels on code 75 bullhead track? Alex

Upwell Drove is now up and running again following the completion of buiding works in the railway room. An early visit by Jonty Chambers caught 68223 arriving with a 1949 style freight. Alex