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I must say when I compared it with the drawings in OS Nocks book on the Stars Castles and Saints. it seemed a fiar representation of the original bogie, the bolts seemed to be in the right place, the bend on the flange and the slight indent at the top all seemed to match. It seems strange that Hornby who normally only make new engine announcements at the Christmas should suddenly come out with something mid year. Dean

So what do we think the CAD is from?

Hi I can't get access to Facebook at work - Have Hornby revealed what the CAD drawing was from? Dean

I did this build many years ago. I made the trailer car and made a start on the other one but never got beyond the body sides on that one. I was quite pleased with the outcome. I think I've still got it somewhere. Looking forward to seeing progress. Dean

I never knew the station in service, but my researches (rather grand way of saying I've read everyone elses books) suggest three entrances, one from Colmore Row and the top of Livery street into the main ticket office. the second midway down Livery Street through this doorway which led into a subway under the platforms shared with the parcels traffic and the third under Great Charles St bridge, the white arcaded remains of which can still be seen. I've often wondered what it must have looked like walking down those side streets of Colmore Row with Snow Hill at the end rising like a brick glass and cast iron cliff face at the end of the street.

The latest CAD ramblings. I've been playing with the canopy parts to see if construction could be made simpler by putting all the parts together and this is the result. I've ordered three of these to test out the modular design and see if it works. if it does I shall be selling a lot of unopened ratio canopy kits. The eagle eyed amogst you will have spotted that one of the arms on the support has lost its detail. I don't know why this keeps happening, but it does not look like this on the Shapeways site. We shall have to see what it looks like when it arrives. I am expecting it any day now. If this works then I shall need a canopy end piece and here it is So you can see with these two parts and a spare support canopies of any length of a tolerable GWR design can be built for reasonable outlay - lol for example Though seriously I am wondering if there is a market for these. We shall have to see what the actual products look like. Finally as a bit of fun (who am I trying to kid) this is the entrance from livery street. Still a bit of work to do on the brickwork and the crest above the door will have to be added in modelling clay. Again the rivet counters will have noticed that the inner door is not arched. I have done this because the topology of my Livery Street is a little lower than the actual one which has resulted in me stretching the door downwards to meet the proposed pavement. This made the door too tall and narrow for my liking, so I lowered the lintel by adding the inner archway. Still some brickwork to add - and my goodness that is laborious. Dean

Looking good - I really appreciate all your ard work on this

Arrived home from work today to find that the sample side all had arrived from shapeways. This was done in FUD and I must say looks a far better product than previous samples. However this is reflected in the price. I've sprayed in brick red as a primer and also to help it show better in the photos below. An exterior shot. close up of the column detail Another exterior shot and a partial interior shot. The top and bottom screens will be glazed and you can see in the last photo how I have created a recess to take some plastic glazing. This should also help to strengthen these peices. Although there are not that flimsy. The distorted look is caused by two factors - the hole the column has been planted in is a little too large (so the column is not standing upright) and the bottom barrier is somewhat distorted, but hopefully this will be resolved by the glazing and gluing them together. Cost is going to be an issue - this was about £30. A cheaper material could be used but wouldn't print. I'm not sure whether it would be possible to cast this, given the complexity and I don't think resin would be a solution. Also as Livery Street rose towards Colmore Row on the real thing the heights of the columns got progressively shorter and this may mean designing each one individually. it might be possible to design this with the screens as separate parts and then perhaps these could be cast along with the standard length columns, with the ones getting progressively shorter being 3D printed. Another thought would be to hollow the columns out to reduce the amount of material used and perhaps run plastic or brass tubing up the middle for strength. As the original columns were cast iron dressing on H girders this rather has the merit of imitating the real thing. Dean

As promised in my last entry, I have finished the design work on a section of the platform building. My idea is to create a kit of parts and to create the platofmr buildings from this "pack" of standard parts. This is the image for the first of these, what I might call "full length large windows section". All the time has been taken in adding the brickwork. it all having to be drawn in by hand - if you thought scribing individual bricks was a long haul - think again. A column with attached wall section will go either end of this piece and so on.

Thanks MIkkel, it struck me that the platform buildings lent themselves to being broken down into standard parts - bit like the old timber framed buildings do. I'll be posting a picture of the finished design work for this bit of wall probably tonight. Although it has taken an awful long time adding all the brickwork, if it can be used either as is or for producing castings. At least it will mean that the arches and such like do look then same which would have been the problem with scratchbuilding. As to materials, like you I don't know much about them, but the cheaper the material the coarser the level of detail. Shapeways wouldn't print the exterior column as it was too brittle in White plastic, but was ok in Fine Ultra Detail acrylic (and more than twice as expensive). Horsetan - I'm toying with moulding and resin - something else new to me - but I think it will work better for the wall sections, than for the columns and girders as these have relief both sides and the walls are flat on the back - or could be. If I do cast the walls I need to consider whether leaving the windows out and perhaps having these etched. At the moment the wall section includes the window frames.

The one with the little moustrache looke like he's about to drive his engine into Poland!!!

The laser prints arrived today. So I am posting a few pictures for comments. I apologise for the quality of the photos but my camera isn't up to much when it comes to close ups and the flash bleached everything, so I had to turn it off. These are probably the best of the photos. The surface is a bit rough and I managed to mismeasure the roof column so this is a bit short. I've corrected the uploaded version, so next time should get it the right size. Would appreciate knowing what people think This is screen shot of a possible wall piece - a work in progress. I am contemplating making up several different types and constructing the main station buildings from these. Still work to do including adding a brickwork texture - Is there an easy way of doing this. Does anyone have any thoughts on the best material to use. The above were printed using frosted acrylic - but its quite expensive when you consider the quanitiy I'm going to need. I was wondering about white plastic - which is considerably cheaper. All opinions welcome Dean

Last week I finally took the plunge and ordered the results of my CAD doodles. I sent for one roof pillar and enough canopy parts to make up some three sections. I decided not to buy the valance sides and having designed a roof and failed to upload it properly decided from a cost point of view that these bits could be more readily constructed from plasticard. When the items arrive I shall post the results. For the last few days I have been playing with the roof column to make a piece for the sides of the roof. Here are the preliminary results. an amended column and screen - still needs the lower part of the screen wall designing. and here a bit of a play to show what they will look like with several joined together. Dean

Well this 3d printing malarkey is something that can cause the brain to melt and dribble out of your ears. I have been playing around with a model for the overall roof columns. The hope is that if I can succesfully design one than it can be amended to create the other two types. So having beavered away, I then have to convert it to a "dae" file, then download another programme and convert it to an "stl" file, then downlaod another programme , because Shapeways doesn't like the design - something to do with holes - this programme every time I pressed fix made it worse. Finally I discovered a function which allowed you to upload the model to the cloud - it fixed it and then you downloaded it. However something funny happens along the way a model which started out as 92 mm is suddenly 3.2mm abns too small for Shapeways. So I go back through the conversion process and open it in Sketchup, now its over 16 metres long????? Anyway after reducing it down again I've managed to get it to upload to Shapeways. The girders for the canopy were too thin? so I have to decide whether to proceed or beef them up a bit - they only seem to be 0.1mm to thin, so I might risk it and see what one of each looks like. Anyway here is a presentable version of the roof columns

I don't know about a talent, persevernace may be a better way of putting it - lol I don't know anyone else but Shapeways. I'll let you all know what they turn out like Dean

Well a pleasant afternoon which should have been spent in the garden - or at the very least doing some productive modelling has been spent beavering over my new toy - sketchup - on the computer. The results are here. The Central girder The intermediate girder the valance and all four compenents shown together - roughly Now I shall no doubt find that what I've created is unprintable.

Impressed with what can be acheived with 3D printing I have been having a play over the weekend with "Sketchup" a free 3D drawing programme that can be downloaded off the interweb. I had intended to use the ratio canopy kits to produce the extensive canopies that covered the bay platforms at Snow Hill. Each one being approximately a metre long (or more) in model form. However the work needed to beef these up was concerning me, and I wasn't sure that they would look high enough. They also (whilst a prototypical GWR design) weren't right for Snow Hill - Although I don't know why I'm being so precious on that score. Anyway having seen other people's efforts I thought I would at least try and draw some up and see If could create something that could be printed up. Given the nature of the beast it lends itself to a mass production technique like 3D printing. So here is my attempt at drawing the support column and cross beams. - lots of these will be needed. I'm quite pleased with it. the programme is quite easy to grasp, The only thing I haven't got to grips with is making rivets - any ideas anybody. Dean

Hi, have only just discovered this thread and I have found it really interesting. I am currently (very slowly) working on a model based on the old Snow Hill station. All four platforms outside the trainshed had canopies which on the model will probably exyend to at least a metre each. I had intended to use the ratio canopy kit which gives a fiar representation of the GWR later style modular canopy. However its not quite right for Snow Hill and will involve quite a bit of beefing up. I can see how a "printed" canopy would probably be a lot simpler, involving in effect a few statndard parts, the main support. The photo above gives an idea of the structure.My space restraints mean the canopies will not be as wide as those for Snow Hill and would probably need the following parts: 1 girder support and cross beams, 2 central girder support for the roof 3 one side girder support for the middle of the roof - this could probably use the same design as central girder with the vertical support reduced. 4 valancing for each side 5 valancing for the end 6 roof covering. I assume that this would be feasible given the rather more complicated canopy that you have designed. How would I go about creating the masters, given that whilst I'm no idiot in a computer I'm no expert (and have very little partience with IT - lol)? regards Dean

Following on from last nights post, here's the same thing after ten years of wear and tear. Weathering has been done with some Humbrol white weathering powder and some old cars weathering powders, mainly black, brown and rust. The leadroof was first washed with the white powder and white spirit. Lead tends to whiten as it ages and then it was given a wash of the black and whiote white spirit. This took the edge of the white and added the soot. The sides were done in a mixture of the brown and black. whit copious amounts of white spirit to prevent it looking to extreme. Finally the girders were done in rust. This has been washed down a couple of times and I may do it again, as I had forgotten just how far a little rust powder goes. Dean

I have got around to painting the model of Brackhampton (pronounced Birmingham) North Signal Box I made several moons ago. I have been unable to find any decent colour pictures showing how the box was painted in real life and the girder supports were causing me some heartache. "black" seemed too stark and dark stone didn't seem appropriate either. Anyway, last week I was leafing through a new book of GWR structure colours in Ian Allan's Brum bookstore when I found out that some features on GWR buildings were painted "chocolate" and this was before BR(W) region adopted it for surviving GWR buildings - and so I seed was planted. The girders would be painted "chocolate", the rest would be painted in typical light and dark stone colours. So was born what must be one of the most colourful of buildings to grace the layout - Lawrence Llewelyn Bowen would be proud. Of course the whole thing is going to be weathered considerably. I want to aim for a building that hasn't been painted since before the war and has been standing out in Brum's sooty atmosphere for ten years. railings and a door need to be added, and I shall have to dig out my Coopercraft Signal box name kits and add a name to front and back (it appears to have had plates on both sides - although that on the back looks more like an enamel one on one photo I've seen. With all those windows some representation of an interior will need to be added - as it was an electrical box this means I can avoid having lots of levers. EDIT Some work done on an interior - as its not pianted yet the camera tends to bleach things. But I've built the 37ft electrical lever frame with lots of little levers (thank you Station master ). The photos I;ve seen show a writing slope and two benches at the back. Also a number of cast iron radiators along the front - I'm going to see what I can do to represent these. The false roof I've inserted means I've lost some of the space where block instruments fitted, but again I'll have to see what I can do. Some of the interior photos (http://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwrbsh1772.htm) show some extra instruments added in front of the lever frame. They look like black cylinders about a foot long - one of top of another - anyone know what these were for? A final shot showing a badly painted signalman enyoying some fresh air now the platform is safely railed off.

Thanks without wishing to appear lazy, is there anywhere on RMweb that discusses the likely modifications needed? Dean

You're worrying me now! Are the motors likely to be too strong for the point or not strong enough - I hope not since I have loads left over from my old layout?

Oh before anyone mentions it, the scissors crossings will be put the correct side of the bridge and not as shown

track laying has recommenced. I don't know if I've mentioned this before but following an expansion problem and an experimental track fixing method I lifted all the track on my layout and decided to start again. This time 4mm cork underlay has been glued down with copious amounts of undiluted PVA glue. On top of this the track plan has been pasted. It was printed out on heavy duty printer paper and then pasted down with wallpaper paste. This should ensure that the track is in the right place. I'm starting in the middle but before the scissor crossings which were such a feature of the original Snow Hill go down, I've decidd to try and make a representation of Great George St Bridge. The photos show the attemprts so far. The cork underlay is cut out and a 20 thou plasticard peice fitted to shape. track chairs are fitted to two pieces of 4mm square plastic strip from evergreen, using a lenght of track to ensure there are in a striaght line. With sleepers attached to each end these are glued down to the 20 thou sheet. Cross timbers are then added and the whole sprayed grey, the timbers picked out and then the sides of the rails painted brick red to represent the rust. All will be suitably weathered once in situ. I am also taking the opportunity to paint the sides of all the rails to represent rust. I only hope my patience lasts. Now for a question. This time around I intend to wire up as I go along, including the numerous point motors that will be needed, but where to put them. The point motors that is. Obviously they will have to be beneath the track, but do I cut out a small hole and feed a rod up, or cut out a larger whole and fit the point motor directly below the track. If the motors go immediately belowthe point I was thinking as all points are handmade I would fit a plasticard rectangle beneath the tiebar and then fit the point motor to that - I intend to use peco point motors operated using old Hornby passing contact switches (assuming that will work). Do any one have any thoughts, opinions etc?

Would it work as a back story, that this track originally was the branch to Slapton. When the branch was closed and lifted, this section was retained for use as a carriage siding?