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barrowroad

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Blog Entries posted by barrowroad

  1. barrowroad
    While on the subject of the wheel drop I have enlarged a view of the wheel drop shelter taken from inside the shed. I am intrigued to know what was the purpose of the 'cupboard' doors at the based of the side wall. Another photo in my possession suggests their were similar 'cupboards' on the other side of the shelter.
    They could of course be for storage but maybe they gave access to the 'hydraulics' of the wheel drop. Ideas anyone?
     

  2. barrowroad
    Following RMweb taking it's unscheduled Christmas break I realise I have not posted anything for a while. Further progress has been made on the main line with both centre boards now having the C&L flexitrack replaced by ply and rivet track. Limited modelling time over the Christmas festivities has seen all 4 lengths fixed and fully chaired with the ply sleepers stained with Coldron dye. All the main line track is now in position ready for the droppers to be attached.
     
    Here are a few photos
     

     

     

     
    I have now started to fit Cobalt point motors and more recently have laid the double slip at the throat to the shed yard.
     
    Further work has seen track added to the ash disposal pits and I will post some more photos in the next few days.
  3. barrowroad

    Bristol Barrow Road

    By barrowroad,

    It's been a while since I posted anything about Barrow Road what with holidays and sorting out the garage not to mention helping my son move to London for a new job.
     
    Yesterday evening I hosted an evening for several members of this illustrious community who wanted to see what progress had been made since their previous trip.
     
    What progress? - well not a great deal on the layout although I am making some, if slow, progress with the trackwork. Last night Morgan brought the 8F, now 48079, in it's resplendent black BR livery together with the body and tender of the Crab, now 42763, for a brief home visit before going back to the works for finishing. They joined my Patriot now in it's stripped condition - should it be named 'Lady Godiva' ? - which is awaiting handover to Ian Rathbone for repainting in lined BR green.
     
    The attached photos show the above locos and Morgans rake of converted Bachmann Mk1s together with Gerry Beales converted Bachmann Hall - 4988 Bulwell Hall - see MRJ 200 - and Morgan's superb 8F 48305.
    Also on view for the first time is my recent purchase of a Bachmann Ash Plant. My orginal intention was to use this as a temporary structure pending the build of a scratchbuilt model but I'm so impressed with it - apart form the plastic elevator rails - that I may keep it after adding replacements in fabricated brass.
    The photos also show most of the pointwork temporarily positioned on the layout pending completion.
     
    4988 Bulwell Hall

     
    Patriot plus Mk1s on the main line

     
    48079 and Patriot

     
    Morgan's 8F 48305

     
    Crab 42763 now part lined

     
    The Ash Plant

  4. barrowroad
    In response to a request from Tim here are a few photos of the saw. I have just used it to cut the other 5 pairs of 'T' section for the top and bottom of the 46' girders hence the brass 'dust'.
     
    There is a yellow safety cover for use during cutting - photo 2 - but it is removed in photo 1 to facilitate accurate lining up for the saw cut - once lined up the cover is put back in place for the cutting operation.
    As these 'T' sections are 179mm I was not able to use the stop fence - see photo 3 - as it is not designed for lengths over 95mm.
     
    The base can be set at angles up to 45deg and this has been used to cut the outer 'T' diagonal bracing to make up the lattice of the girder. This is where the tool comes into it's own for cutting accurate and consistent lengths using the stop.
     
    Photo 1
     

     
    Photo 2
     

     
    Photo 3
     

     
     
    "Tomorrow I shall be adding the nickel silver"
  6. barrowroad
    A package form York Modelmaking dropped through the letter box yesterday containing the laser cut parts for Lawrence Hill Signal Junc signal box which stands at the entrance to the shed yard.
     
    I need to familiarise myself with the kit of parts but hope to start the build over the next week.
     
    The box opened in 1908 and a replacement 45 levr frame was put in in 1938 at the time the shed was modernised with the installation of the coaling plant and ash tower.
     
    To wet your appetite here are a couple of photos of the box which have been cropped from originals given to me by Cedric Catt.


  7. barrowroad

    Brinkley at Blackburn

    By barrowroad,

    I have just spent an enjoyable weekend at the Blackburn Show with the Glevum Group exhibiting the group layout Brinkley where we won an award for the signaling on the layout.
     
    Here are a few photos taken at the show.
     
    Brinkley at Blackburn
     
    Next weekend I am exhibiting my other layout Sheep Pasture - Cromford & High Peak - at the Cardiff Show at UWIC in Llandaff. Please come and have a chat if you are able to attend.
  8. barrowroad
    The Glevum S4 Society Area group, of which I am a member, took the group layout Brinkley to this show at the weekend - hence the lack of progress on Barrow Road.
     
    This show was at Deer Park School, a very pleasant venue and a very friendly atmosphere.
     
    Here are a few photos I took of Brinkley on Saturday.
     
    Cirencester Show
  10. barrowroad

    Barrow Road Shed Track

    By barrowroad,

    Further progress today with all the rail now laid on the three point 'zig zag'. The new gauge really helped with the fine tuning - I will now revisit all the other completed turn-outs to fine tune using this jig.
     
    Just a single slip and turnout to make now and I can start some track laying on the boards.
     

  11. barrowroad
    Having collected some more parts from Chris at the Ally Pally show last weekend, noteably a new shed floor, I have spent some time this week marking out the positions for all the inspection and disposal pits on the layout in preparation for a routing session.
     
    I made a visit to the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre in Chippenham and obtained digital copies of a number of ex Swindon Works Drawings including the 60ft Cowans Sheldon turntable for Barrow Road, Water & Drainage diagrams and drawings for new preparation pits. It is the latter drawings which have given the necessary information to accurately position the pits on the layout.
     
    The new shed floor was required because I discovered the 24 roads are not all at the same angle radiating from the turntable.... I must do my research first!! The shed has two lattice girders supported on octagonal columns, which support the shed roof. There are four columns for each girder and the two centre ones of each set are positioned between pit roads 4&5; 9&10; 16/17 and 21/22. The spacing between these roads needs to be wider than the others in order to give sufficient clearance for locos.
     
    Other parts collected from the show including show new windows - the originals did not have the arched frame 1mm inside the outer edge of the window - and sets of walls and floors for the inspection and disposal pits.
     
    Here are a few more photos of the front of the shed before the new windows are added. The first photo also shows the original shed floor with the equi-distant spacings of each pit road - roads 16&17 are visible in the top corner.
     

     

     

     
     
    In the meantime I have made further progress colouring the front of the shed....... watch this space.
  12. barrowroad

    Barrow Road

    By barrowroad,

    It has been a while since I was able to post anything so here is an update of work done over the past week.
    I have managed to lay exactoscale 5mm foam on the three end boards, add the templot trackplan as an overlay and finally lay the track on the main line. This end of the layout is where the main line starts to rise to attack the 1 in 60 Fishponds bank and modelling this section of the incline has proved a challenge getting the gradient consistent over the length of the pair of boards. To add to challenge the trackwork into the shed yard and coal plant is at a lower level then the main line so the double slip is on a steeper gradient.
     
     
     
     
    I was hoping to add some photos of this work but unfortunately this site is having problems with uploading photos so you'll have to be patient.
     
     
     
     
    In the meantime I collected the rest of the laser cut parts for the shed building and workshop from York Modelmaking at Watford last weekend.... it looks good... watch this space.
     
     
     
  13. barrowroad
    Having finished the sand dryer I can now return to adding the roof to the Office complex. As with the sand dryer I chose to use plasticard over the mdf sub roof and set about cutting and glueing pieces of 2othou plasticard to form the hipped roof. I also attached lengths of plastic rod on the ridge joints in preparation for the ridge tiles. The plastic rod also makes it easier to accurately cut and fit the tiles.
     

     
    You will see I have added roof glazing - I forgot to cut the openings for these before I had fixed the plasticard roof so made to openings in situ... nothing like making life difficult!
     

     

     
    On with the tiling...
  14. barrowroad

    Sand Dryer Roof

    By barrowroad,

    I have now received the sub roof parts for the sand dryer and so decided to take a break from constructing the office complex to complete the sand dryer.
     
    First I attached the mdf substructure to the locating lugs on the internal structure
     

     
    then I cut pieces of 20thou plasticard to form the hipped roof and fixed these to the mdf.
     

     
    the next task will be to add plastic rod over the joints before adding the tiles. These come in self adhesive strips which can be cut to fit using a sharp craft knife, peeling off the backing before applying to the plasticard.
  15. barrowroad
    I have been unable to post anything since Monday so I'll do this post while I have access.
     
    Here is a good photo of the Office block; the section at the front with the lower hipped roof; whilst the Mess and Stores are at the rear, the stores being nearest to the shed building. The model is sectioned along the centre line of the Stores/Mess part of the building in line with the sectioned roundhouse.
     

     
    I have made some progress with the two elevations which make up the model, namely the front and the side. After the last posting I realised I forgot to add the lintels and sills together with the distinctive sill supports. Here are the results with both getting another burst of grey primer.
     

     

     

     
    I am in the process of making some chimneys out of some old Formcraft bits as these were not part of the laser cut kit. Watch this space.
  16. barrowroad

    Sand Dryer Chimney

    By barrowroad,

    The drawings for the shed and all the associated buildings were made using a combination of plans, from maps I have in my possession, counting bricks from photographs and information from other sources. In the case of the chimney I got the drawing wrong.
     
    The laser cut parts for the chimney were cut to my drawings to form a structure 44ft high tapering from 3ft square at the top to 6ft at the bottom. I then received a new photograph taken from a new angle and closer position....... where has that happened before?
     
    The bottom 8ft of the chimney is actually 5ft 6in square!
     
    Fortunately I received this photograph about a week ago before I had made a start on the chimney. There was enough material to cut 32mm off the bottom and reshape the taper to form the square base. I'll leave you to judge the result yourself.
     

     

     

     

     

     

     
    I am advised the laser cut roof pieces are in the post so I will be able to make the hipped roof and finish the building.
     
    In the meantime I have made a start on the office/stores/mess complex....
     
    Does anyone know of a source of Berol Karisma pencils... apparently they are no longer available?
     
    {Posted 21.15 4th Jan 2010}
  17. barrowroad
    Having assembled the carcase of the building I have now fixed the four walls into position. The building is now awaiting final finishing with the attachment of the roof. Unfortunately the laser cut parts for the roof have not arrived yet so I will now switch attention to the sand dryer chimney... watch this space.
     
    Here are a few photos to be going on with...
     
    The prototype..
     

     

     

  18. barrowroad

    Sand Dryer Kit

    By barrowroad,

    It's been a few days since I last did any work on the model, not that I've been idle. I have been doing some more research with a trip to Bath Green Park Station to measure up and photograph the roof support columns. Thanks to the Taunton MRC with their Superb 'Bath Green Park' layout; seen recently at the Wigan show; I have a ready made source of white metal columns. A package arrived this morning from Colin alias Alan Gibson Mk2 complete with a Christmas card... a nice touch. I'll add a photo of them when they are cleaned up a bit.
     
    A number of kind members of RMweb have also sent me some excellent photographs - particular thanks to Patrick - which have added to my knowledge of the buildings at Barrow Road. I will now have to make a minor alteration to the sand furnace chimney kit before assemble - still better to find out before!
     
    This morning I decided to make a start on one of the laser cut buildings. I have choosen the sand dryer as it is compact and has a blank wall which is ideal for a test build. So what do we get. The kit consists of the following parts
     

     
    The kit consists of a core structure of 2mm mdf with walls of the same material, which have the brick courses laser etched into the surface in English Bond formation. The window arches are cut in the same way. Overlays of 'Rowmark' hard plastic are then used to give the corbelling at roof level - 2 layers - a single string of bricks over the windows and a plinth at the base. Windows are cut in 08mm 'Rowmark' and this layer is laminated to the rear of the mdf.
     

     
    So to the trial with one of the ends. First I needed to chamfer the top row of 'engineering' bricks on the base plinth.On the prototype these are at 45deg. The plastic is hard so cutting with a knife is not recommended. After some head scratching I used a steel cutting rule which has an edge conveniently shaped at 45deg. I attached the plinth to the rule with double sided tape and sanded it down to give the desired shape.
     
    The laminated brickwork is then attached to the mdf using superglue being careful not to use too much. Each overlay is overlength at each end to enable it to be cut an sanded back to give a mitred edge.
     

     
    Finally it is given a coat of grey primer.
     

     
    That's it for now. The next test will be using some coloured crayons - Berol Charisma - on the brickwork. I have used these before for colouring a turntable pit on our group layout 'Brinkley' with pleasing results.
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