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Mikkel

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Blog Entries posted by Mikkel

  1. Mikkel

    Second bite: "The depot"

    By Mikkel,


    Layout design
    Hmmm, now what can we build here?
     
    I've decided to move ahead with the next installment in the series of micro-layouts based on the fictional Farthing station. Again, it's Edwardian GWR during the period 1904-1908. Here's a rundown of my thoughts so far.
     
    Concept
    The basic idea is to model the inside of a large Edwardian goods depot. Or rather: just a section of it, showing maybe 3-4 busy loading docks. I envision an overall roof structure extending over the entire layout, under which we'd be seeing vans and wagons entering and leaving the loading- and transshipment docks. The visual interest would include the kind of detail I like, such as a fleet of horse drawn vehicles in the trans-shipment dock, goods of all shapes and sizes, and Edwardian workers going about their business. To get an idea of what I'm thinking about, have a look at this photo: Paddington Goods Depot [scroll to first image].
     
    Snackboxing
    The scenic section of the layout will be housed in the Ikea "Snackbox" shown below, which has had one side removed. The outside measurements are 56 x 37 cms, which I believe is approx. 22 " x 14 5/8 ". The Snackboxes have previously been discussed on RMweb, and in one or two cases also applied. There is even a Yahoo group for Snackbox modelling, although it has gone rather quiet (edit: the "Snackbox" has now been discontinued from Ikea and the group no longer exists). Indeed it seems that most people who have embarked on Snackbox layouts have subsequently abandoned them, possibly because the space really is quite limited. I'd like to give it a try though, as I think it might just work for this kind of scheme
     
     

     
    Benchwork done!
     
    Operation
    One of the challenges will be how to create a reasonable degree of operational interest, since we are basically just talking about a set of parallel tracks with some loading docks in between. Here I'm thinking of bringing the fiddle yard into the picture; ie by adding a couple of points to the fiddle yard it could help generate some interesting moves in itself. We'll see. My knowledge of the workings of these larger depots is very limited at present, but as a start I hope to find some useful info in "GWR Goods Services Part 2A", for which an order will be placed shortly.
     
     

     
    Aha, a chance to build some "foreign" goods stock!
     
    Stock
    One of the things I like about this idea is that it will most definitely not be loco-centric! In fact, I am not even sure locos were allowed to venture inside such a depot at all, due to the fire risk. Again, though, the fiddle yard would come into play, as the domain of 1-2 shunting locos. Wagons and vans would form the bulk of the stock (in fact, all of it). This will require some additional stock building apart from what I already have, but I enjoy this and since we're talking OO here it won't be all that time consuming. I'll also get a chance to experiment with the little known red livery that was used on GWR wagons at one stage.
     
    Questions to investigate
    Lot's of things to delve into, here's a few off my initial list - if anyone can help it would be very much appreciated!
     
    1. Good prototypes of large-ish GWR goods depots that can provide inspiration?
    2. Were locos at any time allowed into these large goods depots?
    3. Was foreign goods stock admitted and handled similar to GWR stock in such depots?
     
     
  2. Mikkel

    Signs, posters and adverts

    By Mikkel,


    Misc.
    Here's a selection of the signs, posters and adverts that I've used on "The bay" to help enhance the ambience.
     
     

     
    The station sign for Farthing, summarizing the fictional geography of the old N&SR line. The sign is printed, a temporary measure that may become permanent now that the RMweb competition is tempting me to move on quickly to the next layout in the series. I intended to use Smiths 4mm and 2mm etched letters for the job, although testing suggested that it would be very time consuming as there is so much text here. The sign was printed using fonts stored in the files section of the always excellent GWR e-list.
     
     
     

     
    The Smiths etched letters are good though, and for a simpler station sign the job would quickly have been done. These are 4mm and 2mm scale respectively. This type of letters appears to have been introduced on the GWR around 1906, replacing an earlier more elaborate style.
     
     
     

     
    The screen for the Gentlemen's lavatory. The posterboard is a modified card item from Tiny Signs. I built up a frame from thin strips of Plastikard to bring out the relief. The posters are reduced and printed from examples found on the web. I've since noticed that many GWR posterboards from the period had a darkish frame. I assume it is the brown colour discussed in this thread? In that case I'll need to send in the painters.
     
     
     
     

     
    The posterboards from Tiny Signs as they come. An alternative set is available from Smiths.
     
     
     

     
    Enamel adverts, mostly from Tiny Signs. I tone them down slightly with satin varnish and weather them with eg a little rust at the edges. I've also made a few adverts myself, based on real prototypes that I've reproduced on the PC. Unfortunately my printer can't match the sharply printed commercial offerings. New insights from David Bigcheeseplant here on RMweb indicates that when the painters are done with the posterboards, they can move on to the window frames and apply the same brown colour.
     
     
     

     
    A sheet of adverts from Tiny Signs. It can be quite hard to tell what period the different adverts are from, as appearances can be deceitful and a check of old photos doesn't always help. I seem to remember there was a series of articles about enamel ads in Model Rail some years ago. Does anyone remember what issues they were?
     
     
     

     
    Etched station signs from Scalelink. These were painted all-over black while still on the etch, after which the paint was wiped off the raised letters. The letters were then painted white by carefully dragging a broad flat brush across them.
     
  3. Mikkel

    The trials of Mr Bull

    By Mikkel,


    Stories
    Here are some progress shots from "The bay", the first of the Farthing layouts. They mainly show the platform as I still need to detail the yard behind it.
     

     
    Mr Bull waits impatiently for his train on platform 2 at Farthing station. Behind him, 517 class No. 835 rests quietly in the bay with a newly arrived stopping train. The loco is an Alan Gibson kit that I bought secondhand in a rather unusual condition, sporting NER fittings and numbering! I returned it to running order and gave it a repaint, and it now serves as a regular engine on "The bay". The first two coaches are six-wheelers built from Blacksmith kits, namely an R2 First and a T38 Center Brake Third.
     
     
     

     
    A further view of No. 835. In a somewhat hazardous gamble, the Management has decided to delay securing of the roof on the R2 until passengers are onboard. Perhaps sensing the impending disaster, the crew is nowhere to be seen.
     
     
     

     
    Throughout his life, Charles R. Dixon categorically denied being shortsighted.
     
     
     

     
    The luggage belonging to the party of Mr and Mrs Longbottom, with whom regular readers (if there are any!) will be familiar. It is a little known fact that some Edwardian women were able to hover a few inches above the ground. Must fix that!
     
     
     

     
    Sometimes I think a cameo can be more effective without people in it. This one needs a bit more work though, and I seem to have gone over the top with the highlighting on the barrow. The lamp is a standard GWR type from the old Mike's Models range. They look ok from a distance, although close-ups like this show the thickness. The working lamps from DCC concepts provide an alluring alternative for future layouts, although I have not yet checked whether they resemble true GWR types. Does anyone know?
     
     
     

     
    The branch train has taken its place in the bay, ready for its return trip to Overbourne. The 850 class No. 1961 is again from an Alan Gibson kit, and yet another restoration job. The dome and chimney are not actually sliding down the boiler side, it must be the angle of the photo! The clerestory behind it is a chopped up Triang coach now running as an all Third to Diagram C10.
     
     
     

     
    Mr Bull is still waiting. His day has been bad enough already. When he discovers what he has stepped in, it will get worse.
     
     
  4. Mikkel

    My friend the operating chair

    By Mikkel,


    Musings
    Before you think RMweb has become a dental forum, I am referring here to a new chair that gracefully supports my backside during layout operating sessions.
     

     
    Strangely, neither my wife nor teenage kids have been able to mobilize any enthusiasm for this great find - I guess they have finally given up hope in me. So here it is on RMweb, a place where people are able to appreciate the finer things in life. It is in fact an old hydraulic barber's chair that the founders of my workplace picked out of a scrapheap when they first started the business (well we all have to start somewhere!). It was duly employed for many years as an office chair and became a sort of symbol of the company's humble beginnings, until it was finally considered too outdated to match the fancy new postmodern office furniture. How unjust the world can be!
     
     

     
    So I saved it from a return to the scrapheap and it has now quickly become a good and much valued friend. You will kindly note the lambskin and the glass of whiskey. Life can be tough, but it does have its moments!
     
  5. Mikkel

    Low-tech pre-grouping stock

    By Mikkel,


    Coaches & Browns
    My ability to build brass kits is limited, but I've decided that I won't let it keep me from modelling the pre-grouping world that I find so fascinating. Instead I try to make the best of whatever skills and means I have available. Here's a few examples of what I like to call "calculated bodging"!
     
     

     
    1. Simple kits. Above is a Toplight Composite Slip to diagram F15, built from an ex-PC Wheeltappers kit. These feature pre-printed sides, which gives a quickly finished coach but also means the sides have no relief when viewed close-up. For today's spoiled modeller the latter can be hard to accept, but it gave me confidence to continue with kit building, and a rake of these does look rather good when moving by. Sadly, I hear that Wheeltappers are no longer renewing their stocks. Fortunately there are other simple kits available for the pre-grouping modeller. This includes the Ratio 4-wheelers, and I've written up a brief introduction to these over on the GWR Modelling site.
     
     

     
    2. Kit-bashing. The standard features of many GWR coaches allows some possibility for hacking up sides in order to join them in new ways. This W1 Parcels Van was composed of two Ratio brake thirds, following an idea from J. Russell. I've done some notes on the build here. I don't really like pristine white rooves any more, so they are due for a repaint. Edit: For some excellent additional examples, have a look at buffalo's blog.
     
     

     
    3. Conversion kits. This is a Siphon C built using the Shirescenes etched brass body kit fitted on a modified Ratio 4-wheeler chassis. The body is brass, but has been treated so that it can be assembled with superglue. You can read how it was built here. The Shirescenes kits offer a number of good conversions of the Ratio 4-wheelers. There are more examples here.
     
     

     
    4. RTR bashing. There's something strangely satisfying about sawing up RTR coaches to produce different diagrams. This is a V5 passenger brake van, built from the ends of two old Triang clerestories. Again, there's a write-up of the job on gwr.org.uk. While on the topic of RTR coach bashing, have a look at the current work being done by rovex, which although not pre-grouping shows nicely what can be achieved.
     
     

     
    5. Restoration. Bringing old second-hand stock back to former glory is a favourite pastime of mine. This 6-wheel Compo to diagram U21 is a current example. She looks a little sad right now, but there's a warm heart beating in there! The model was originally built by Chris Edge, using what I believe was a very limited production run of kits that he made largely for his own use. My restoration has so far included new step boards (always a weak point) fashioned from strengthened Plastikard, as well as simplified Comet brake shoes, Romford pin-point bearings, Alan Gibson wheels, and gas lamp tops from IKB. I'll also add a new interior, new glazing and give the coach a complete repaint.
     
    At this point you may be wondering what I do for locos. Here again I tend to resort to restoration of secondhand locos. I'll feature these separately later on, but meanwhile there is also the option of converting selected RTR locos to the pre-grouping period. There are nice examples here.
     
  6. Mikkel

    Platform trolleys and barrows

    By Mikkel,


    Scenery
    I've been enjoying myself assembling a variety of 4mm trolleys and barrows for "The bay".
     

     
    Platform trolleys from Coopercraft, with loads from the Monty's range. The one with the milk churns is a bit of a cliché I'm afraid, but I can't help liking it and it was a very common sight it seems. The heavy load of luggage on the other trolley belongs to the party of Mr and Mrs Longbottom. They have yet to discover that the maid has forgotten to pack their pajamas.
     
     
     

     
    These are from the Monty's/Dart Castings range and were a simple and pleasant build. I've always liked the barrow type in particular, which has such a rustic look to it. I initially thought the luggage trucks looked a bit too modern for Edwardian times, but they do seem to appear in photos from the period. Since I bought these kits I've discovered that Langley have a pack of etched brass kits for what appears to be the same prototypes (kit # F129, packed with some station seats, see it here). However I decided to stick with the whitemetal ones, in order to maintain consistency of thickness with the other platform fittings and vehicles.
     
     
     

     
    The handcart on the left is of an early GPO type, but will play the part of a GWR cart until I come across a model of a specific GWR prototype (if anyone knows of a kit, please do get in touch). My version of the kit came from Monmouth models, but I believe it is now available from PD Marsh. Looks like I still need to clear off some flash! The wheelbarrow also came from Monmouth.
     
    Here are some of the finished items in situ at Farthing:
     

     

     

     

     
    I have yet to find a detailed study of the trolleys and barrow used by the GWR, although photos of platforms usually show some interesting examples. There's also a nice little assembly of photos of trolleys and barrows in Vol 2 of Stephen Williams' "Great Western Branchline Modelling", although these appear to be taken in the latter years of the company.
     
  7. Mikkel

    Simple structures for "The bay"

    By Mikkel,


    Structures
    In keeping with my happy-go-lucky approach, the buildings and structures for "The bay" were kit-bashed, scratch-built or otherwise put together using whatever materials, kits and parts I came across (you realize of course that this so-called "approach" is really just an excuse for my limited modelling skills). The parcels & cloak room seen above is loosely based on the wonderful wooden building style so typical of Didcot station. This was done by scoring the cut-to-shape plasticard sides and ends of the building to emulate the plankings, and then adding strips of further plasticard to give the panel effect. The roof is made from card strips. These simple techniques were copied from a similar old second-hand building I picked up a while back, from which some of the parts have been recycled.
     
     
     

     
    The canopy uses heavily modified parts from a number of Ratio Platform Canopy kits, purchased cheaply on E-bay. The valances are etched brass examples from Muswell Models, replacing the rather crude versions that come with the Ratio kits. By the way, the loco is my Armstrong Goods built by Chris Phillips from the old Nu-Cast kit. It has that revealing white-metal thickness, but it's a good old friend!
     
     
     

     
    The kit-bashed canopy included cutting up the Ratio roof parts to form one long continuous skylight as seen on many GWR canopys (illustrated above with original parts on top and modified below), and adding extra layers to the roof to widen the canopy and making the roof level with the skylights.
     
     
     

     
    The Ratio canopy supports are a fair representation of a widespread design that was also used at Newbury, so these were built as supplied, but with a rod-in-tube system built into the base which allows the canopy to be removed from the platform if necessary.
     
     
     

     
    The rough-and-ready water tower, less final details (laddder etc). It is based on a rough and simple design that was widespread on the GWR, including in the early years at Newbury (although that was a six-legged variant). The model was put together in an evening from bits and pieces from my scrap-box, including Ratio parts for the tank itself. I rather like these simple little projects, which contribute nicely to my objective of using as many existing or leftover parts as possible, while still drawing on prototypical features.
     
     
     

     
    The main platform was built using adapted Peco platform sides and edging, faced with brick-pattern Plastikard from Slaters. The surfacing is Wills Victorian stone paving, cut to shape and mounted between the Peco sides. I have always rather liked this kind of paving, which was used on the Newbury platforms and, of course, many other locations.
     
     
     

     
    As for the brick embankment walling, I thought I'd experiment with some new options and used the vacuum formed plastic walling available from Langley. This is preformed and comes with four bays in each section. It is very lightweight and can be mounted with quick results. However the brickwork lacks the sharp crisp edges of plastic kits, which can be dissatisfying when viewed close up. On this particular layout I think it works out OK, but it may not be the best choice for embankments that are more visible at the front of a layout.
     
  8. Mikkel

    Backdated Monty's figures

    By Mikkel,


    Figures
    Off with their heads! Farthing is set in Edwardian times, but good figures from this period are not easy to come by. I've therefore been doing a bit of backdating to the excellent Monty's range of 1930s-50s figures from Dart Castings. The photo above shows a rather gruesome selection of body parts left behind from butchering and modifying the Monty's figures.
     
     

     
    This lunar landscape shows my preference for blu-tacking the figures to inverted cups, so I don't have to handle them during painting. The cups give a good grip and you can turn them any way you want to get the right angle for painting. Paint and varnish is Vallejo acrylics, which are superb and work fine for me on whitemetal as long as its primed and varnished.
     
     

     
    Mr and Mrs Longbottom in trial position on the bay platform. They will shortly be joined by Mrs Longbottom's niece, who is slightly delayed due to her currently having no head.
     
     

     
    Mrs Longbottom is the result of a bit of fun figure-bashing (terrible word!). The face and upper body is from a Monty's figure (this one), with a bit of DAS modeling clay added to the hat and body to suit the style of the period. The lower body is from the Langley range of Edwardian figures, whose dresses are rather good, but whose upper bodies are a bit too stick-like for my tastes.
     
     

     
    Adding various types of beards to the figures (well the male ones at least!) helps to backdate them. This ganger is remodelled from a Monty's figure, adding a moustache made from Miliput, and with a modified hat. The latter was inspired by a similar hat worn by a ganger in a photo I have. None of your fancy bowlers here!
     
     

     
    This is the station master of Farthing. He is in fact a skipper from the Monty's range (one of the more recent additions), with the cap cut to look GWR-ish. The cutting of the coat isn't quite right, but life is short...
     
     

     
    This was originally a 1930s porter that I've attempted to backdate by filing off his pockets, modifying his cap and adding a moustache. His arm has been repositioned as he will be standing by a cart.
     
     

     
    This gentleman has had his original hat replaced with a bowler made from bits found in the spares box.
     
     

     
    This seems to be one of the more popular figures from Monty's. I've filed down his hat to represent the boaters of the period, and modified his nose just a little to make him look different from all the other ones out there.
     
     

     
    This worker is entirely unmodified, with the moustache painted on. I go for relaxed poses when I select figures, as I'm no great fan of the "frozen movement".
     
     

     
    Hmmmm, went a bit too far on the backdating there! Jokes aside, this is one of my son's plastic Warhammer figures that I painted. Now I know they're a bit larger than 4mm figures (I don't believe there's an exact scale for Warhammer - for good reason!), but they're not that much larger, and look at all that crisp detail. Imagine those production techniques applied to 4mm model railway figures! But I suppose the cost would be too high and the market too small?
     
  9. Mikkel

    C+L underlay and Carr's ballast

    By Mikkel,


    Track & Traversers
    For what it's worth, here's a quick recap of some of the products I tried out for the underlay and ballast on "The bay".
     
     

     
    C+L foam underlay. I used neoprene foam from C+L Finescale for the underlay. This was of 5mm thickness, although I believe they now also have an 3mm version available. The foam may at first seem rather sensitive: Even a light prod of a finger leaves a noticeable hollow. However, the foam eventually evens out, and in any case becomes much less sensitive once fixed in place. For this I used a gooey, water-based glue, normally applied to carpet underlay. I extended the foam across the entire baseboard, rather than using it only beneath the track. This also allows buildings and structures to be recessed into the foam by cutting appropriate holes, thereby eliminating the problem of unsightly gaps between structures and ground surface. Look at that heavy chipboard - stone age baseboards, but it was what I had lying around at the time.
     
     
     

     
    Carr's 4mm ash ballast (left) vs 2mm stone ballast (right). In Edwardian times, neat ballast shoulders were rarely seen in bay platform areas on the GWR. Photos of the Newbury bays suggest a light sprinkling of a rather fine ash-like ballast, and sleepers almost level with the surrounding ground. Since most manufacturers seem to insist on over-scale ballast, I experimented with both 2mm stone ballast and ash ballast. The picture above compares Carr's 4mm Ash ballast (left) with 2mm Dark Grey Ballast (right) from the same company. I opted for the finer Ash Ballast, a dark grey matter of non-stone material. This gives a nice representation of the very fine ballast I was after.
     
     
     

     
    Ballasted track. I applied the ballast to the track through a film cannister, pierced with holes at the bottom to get an even and controllable spread. This was then adjusted with a fine brush and a not-so-fine index finger. I sieved away some of the finer ballast dust beforehand, and then later added it to the top in order to enhance the "fine" look.
     
     
     

     
    Original and extended sleeper spacing on Peco track. The track is Peco Code 100, left over from an earlier layout. I consider this a compromise, but I stuck to my principle of exploiting the items I already had available. Moreover, with careful ballasting and weathering it is a compromise I can live with. I did experiment with the sleeper spacing, to see if I might create the illusion of scale track gauge. I realize this is a very subjective thing, but for me the extended sleeper spacing gave a slight narrow gauge look with which I wasn't quite happy, so I decided to leave the track as it came.
     
  10. Mikkel

    First bite: The bay

    By Mikkel,


    Layout design
    "The bay" was the first of the Farthing layouts. The layout portrays the bay platform for the GWR Overbourne line at Farthing. It is inspired by the bay platforms at Newbury and Didcot, and combines selected features from these.
     
     
     

     
    The trackplan is very simple, but allows reasonable scope for operation. The bay platform and its canopy is positioned at the very front of the layout, in order to provide a viewblock which forces the onlooker to look beneath the canopy, thereby also avoiding the "birds eye view".
     
     
     

     
    The photos seen here are rather out of date by now. "The bay" is nearing completion, with just a few details remaining. I'll begin taking photos of the finished layout shortly, once we get a clear day. Meanwhile, there's a more detailed account of how "The bay" was built here, although this has not been updated for quite some time.
     
     
  11. Mikkel

    How to eat an elephant

    By Mikkel,


    Intro
    Question: How do you eat an elephant?
    Answer: One bite at a time
     

     
    "The Farthing layouts" are a series of OO micro-layouts that depict small sections of the same overall junction station. The period is Edwardian, although I occasionally have heretic out-of-period operating sessions. The layouts are operationally independent of each other, ie they are not connected or modular. In this way, I can explore my interest in larger stations in a very limited space. In other words, I'm eating an elephant one bite at a time!
     
    The station of Farthing is located on the GWR line between Newbury and Westbury, and serves as the junction for the fictional "North & South Railway" line from Swindon to Salisbury, now part of the GWR system. It is also the starting point of the local branch to Overbourne.
     
     

    Map showing Farthing and the old North & South Railway, now absorbed by the GWR
     
  12. Mikkel

    LSWR stone wagon

    By Mikkel,

    I’ve always been fascinated by this old photo, which is reproduced in Matthew Bagnet’s “The Railways of Farthing” (not sure about copyright, hope it’s OK).
     
     
     

     
    This enlargement (apologies for the poor quality) shows the presence of some interesting "foreign” wagons at Farthing, including an MSWJR 3-plank open and an LSWR one-plank stone wagon. I’ve already modelled the former, so I thought I’d do the LSWR wagon as well.
     
     
     

     
    So here it is in 4mm scale. I built it using the resin kit from Graham Baker of Gramodels. Below is a description of how it was done.
     
     
     

     
    The kit consists of the body only. The photo above shows a 3-planker that I had also ordered, and the one-planker (with flash cleaned off) below it. As you can see, both wagons sport a graceful curve.
     
     
     

     
    Fortunately the instructions deal with this: Take one bowl of hot water and add the body...
     
     
     

     
    …bend body back to shape on a straight surface, and apply weight until cool.
     
     
     

     
    ...serve with a pragmatic state of mind and a healthy dose of modeller’s joy.
     
     
     

     
    The kit gives you the body, and you have to source the other parts yourself. I first had a go at building my own Panther’s axleboxes (above right), using a modified GWR grease box (above left) as a basis. They were a little coarse though, and I’m not sure the LSWR would have approved of their GWR origin!
     
     
     

     
    Instead, I cannibalized the W-irons, axle boxes, brakegear and buffers from a spare ABS kit for an LSWR 5-plank open. The ends will be used for another project, so not too much was wasted.
     
     
     

     
    I used an old MJT unit to align the ABS W-irons. I really do need to get myself a decent jig for this sort of thing.
     
     
     

     
    I’m not 100% sure about the brake arrangements for the wagon. My best guess so far is double block single side brakes, right rod over left.
     
     
     

     
    This is a very light weight body so lots of liquid lead added.
     
     
     

     
    I’ve seen debates about what glue to use for liquid lead, as some glues seem to bring about an expanding reaction. Deluxe materials recommend their own card glue and I have to say it works a treat.
     
     
     

     
    Standard open spoked wheels and a few rivet transfers from Archer’s to complete the build.
     
     
     

     
    I used to spend a lot of time trying to get the interior of wagons right with multiple shades of paint. To save time I now use a less subtle but quicker method. First step is to paint the interior 1-2 coats of Vallejo pale sand. This looks wrong but provides the necessary light base.
     
     
     

     
    When fully dry, I add a liberal dose of Carr’s dark black weathering powder. Lighter shades won’t work so well at this point, it has to be that rich dark powder that really gives off colour.
     
     
     

     
    After brushing all around the interior with a soft brush, I remove the surplus weathering powder, giving this result.
     
     
     

     
    Ligther shades of grey weathering powder can be used to add shades as appropriate for the type of load. I plan to add a stone load in due course. Jonathan has kindly shared some photos of Ron Rising's LSWR wagons with stone loads. Looks great I think, see: http://s1307.photobu...s?sort=3&page=1
     
     
     

     
    There goes the neighbourhood! Wagons from the SDJR, LSWR and MSWJR being shunted outside the goods depot at Farthing.
  13. Mikkel

    Undecided sky (1867)

    By Mikkel,

    More "out of period" operation here. This time going back in time quite a bit. In fact, it seems they didn't even have flush-glazing back then .
     
     

    The year is 1867, and it is early days at Farthing station. Mr Crummles gently guides his wife towards the first class carriage, while Mr Doyce looks on in anticipation of the journey ahead.
     
     
     

    Mrs Crummles is somewhat apprehensive. It is only a few months since that dreadful accident at Warrington, and who knows what could happen?
     
     
     

    Meanwhile Mr Doyce, ever the optimist, studies the magnificent engine that will be whisking them to Salisbury. For him there was never any doubt: These fine machines have forever changed the world!
     
     
     

    Plucking up her courage, Mrs Crummles asks her husband one last time if he is quite sure that it is safe to get on?
     
     
     

    While the last passengers finally board the afternoon departure, an undecided sky develops over Farthing. For worriers and optimists alike, the future seems uncertain but exciting.
  14. Mikkel
    The LSWR was the biggest of the GWR's neighbours at Farthing, so I thought I'd better make myself some stock from that company for my 1900s goods depot. Last night I finished my LSWR sliding door van, to SR diagram 1410, built from the David Geen whitemetal kit.
     
     
     

     
    Above is the kit assembled as it comes. Having done that, I realized that a couple of details didn’t match the photos and drawings in my newly acquired “Illustrated History of Southern Wagons, Vol 1”. The kit has the door rail below the roof, while all photos I have seen show it in front of the roof. Likewise, the kit has the vent covers below the roof, while most (though not all) photos show them flush with the roof top.
     
     
     

     
    It's possible that the kit is correct for some vans at some point in time. Nevertheless, I decided to lightly modify it to match the photos I had available. I filed back the roof and original door rail, and added a new rail from scrap brass. The vent covers were extended to the roof top with a sliver of plasticard.
     
     
     

     
    After a first light coat of primer, Archer’s rivets were added to the door rail – 12 little devils each side. For all its bad reputation, rivet counting can actually be quite fun! Can you tell I was in a hurry when I did the priming?
     
     
     

     
    I was confused about the brake gear. A sketch in the instructions show that for a single lever arrangement, the arms should be fitted left over right. So that’s how I initially fitted them, but it seemed wrong: The only photo I can find of a 1410 van with single-lever, one-side brakes has them right over left, and so do other single-lever LSWR (and GWR) vans and wagons. So eventually I re-fitted them right over left. Did I get it right though?
     
     
     

     
    Except for the primer, I prefer to brush paint my models. I like the flexibility of it. For this van I decided to experiment a bit. I first added a basecoat that was deliberately a little darker than the ideal colour.
     
     
     

     
    On top of this, I semi-dry brushed a lighter shade. By “semi” I mean that the brush was more loaded than you would normally do in dry-brushing. I like the resulting “depth” of the colour.
     
     
     

     
    Due to a mix-up with my mail orders, I found myself with not one but two LSWR lettering sheets: One from HMRS (left) and one from Fox (right). This allowed for a bit of comparison. The two sheets are almost identical when it comes to the actual wording/styles provided. The HMRS sheet has lettering for all the main SR constituents, and a little more variety in the LSWR lettering styles. I personally like the HMRS Pressfix method which I have gotten used to over the years. The Fox transfers only have LSWR lettering, and water-slide transfers are not my favourite - but significantly, the smaller letters and numbers are a good deal finer than the HMRS ones.
     
     
     

     
    I ended up using a bit of both. By using the HMRS tare numbers for the tare, I could use the finer Fox tare numbers for the paint date on the solebar. The latter is a little overscale I think, but I thought it would be fun to include. Incidentally, January 22 1901 was the day Queen Victoria died, and thus the beginning of the Edwardian era. It does date the van, so I'll be in trouble if I decide to model a later period! For the number/builders plate I initially fashioned one in photoshop (bottom of picture), and printed it to the correct scale. But when fitted to the wagon it looked like… a paper printout! So I used a non-descript builders plate from a Mainly Trains etch instead.
     
     

     
    I went for a lightly weathered look, but not too much. I find it hard to get that faded look to the lettering that I have seen on some models. Any advice would be much appreciated.
     
     
     
     

     
    Today was a nice day here in Denmark, so I took the goods depot outside to get a few photos of the new van and assess general progress. I recently managed to crush the mezzanine floor, and am slowly rebuilding it. That's the second disaster I've had with this little layout, the other was when the roof structure got smashed. No wonder my son calls me Homer Simpson!
     
     
     

     
    Views like this make me happy though. Comparison between the LSWR van and the contemporary GWR iron mink shows two different approaches to the standard goods van of the late 19th century. The LSWR van was introduced in 1885, and seems fairly large for the time with its 18ft over headstocks. The GWR Iron minks were introduced the year after in 1886. With a 16 ft (later 16’6) length it stuck to a more modest size but experimented instead with iron for body construction. I wonder which of the two designs was more economical in the long run?
     
     
     

     
    One day I'd like to try building a lightbox, but for the time being I'm content with that big old lightbox in the sky.
  15. Mikkel
    Books are good, but there are some things you only notice in real railway environments. Here's a selection of detail shots from my recent quick visit to Didcot. I know that preservation isn't the same as the actual railways, but there are still things to learn from and be inspired by, I think.
     

     
    Lubricated points... I don't recall seeing that modelled, but maybe I haven't looked hard enough. It would be easy to replicate, but would it look odd in model form?
     
     
     

     
    Track keys. First time I've had a chance to study them in close-up since I began dabbling in hand-built track. Before that I was happily indifferent to this sort of thing!
     
     

     
    I wonder just how perfectionist gangers were back in the day. Was a rotting key like this commonplace, or would it have been replaced before it got to this condition?
     
     
     

     
    The key on the right is centered, thus breaking the right/left pattern. Maybe to make up for rail creep?
     
     
     

     
    A ballast wagon to dia P15 of 1936. I see Cambrian have a kit for it. A couple of these would make a nice little project in case I decide to do a 1940s shunting layout at some point.
     
     
     

     
    Peeling paint, but of a very subtle kind. How to model that? Slice up the paintwork with a scalpel, maybe? Then again, that sounds like something that could go awfully wrong!
     
     
     

     
    Can of worms! Two P15s in different liveries. My knowledge of GWR PW stock liveries is very sketchy. As far as I remember, there is a debate about black vs dark grey, but the details evade me. I remember reading a piece about this on-line recently, but can't for the life of me find it now. Can anyone help?
     
     
     

     
    We never get to model wagons that are actually braked. Would be nice to do one in model form. A small removable diorama at the end of a siding with a wagon being unloaded. And the brakes on!
     
     

     
    Close up of the DC3 (I think?) hand brake. Jim Champ has done a nice intro on GWR brake types
     
     

     
    Loco Coal to dia N34 of 1946. Another interesting wagon to model, I think. Either scratchbuilt or a modified version of the (incorrect) Dapol Loco Coal.
     
     

     
    Note the cobweb here on the N34. Now that would be a modelling challenge :-) Strings of glue maybe? Problem is, once you go down that route, everything about the wagon has to be the same level of detail!
     
     
     

     
    Morton handbrake lever on the N34. Note weathering on the brake lever.
     
     
     

     
    My first "live" Iron Mink. I do like them. I have one of the old ABS kits in the pipeline for The Depot (1900s).
     
     
     

     
    Very nice attention to detail here. These little things are what makes a preservation scene come alive.
     
     
     

     
    I assume the lighter colour on the Iron Mink doors is a temporary measure, but the question arises: Did this sort of thing also happen on the real GWR at times? Or was the painting process too standardised/systematic for that to happen?
     
     
     

     
    Looks familiar, doesn't it? Anyone who ever had trouble with transfers will recognize this. I don't recall seeing this kind of thing in prototype photos though. Were transfers ever used for numbering GWR wagons?
     
     
     

     
    The little imperfections that make it real: A bent step. Don't get me wrong: I find the standard of maintenance very high at Didcot. The question is, could we model this sort of thing and get away with it?
     
     

     
    Again: The everyday wear and tear of things. Ideally it would be an interesting challenge to replicate in model form. But the irony is that it would probably just look like sloppy modelling!
     
     

     
    Foot crossing with more room on inside of rail, to allow for wheel flanges I assume.
     
     
     

     
    Point levers with newly replaced boards. A nice little bit of detail to model.
     
     
     

     
    More replacement wood, this time inside the loco shed. Wish I'd done something like this inside "The depot". Maybe next time. Lovely copper cap, eh? :-)
  16. Mikkel
    I’ve been making my own crates and tea chests from printable veneer. Today I installed them in the goods depot at Farthing.
     
     
     

     
    The mezzanine floor at Farthing was used as a storage facility. Traders could have their wares stored while awaiting dispatch and distribution.
     
     
     

     
    Space was literally at a premium, and this floor was always tidier and more well organised than the busy decks below.
     
     
     

     
    Farthing wasn’t far from Britain’s first Nestlé factory, built at Chippenham in 1873 for the manufacture of condensed milk.
     
     
     

     
    This part of the goods depot was inspired by the balcony floor at Hockley Goods, which seems to have been used for similar purposes.
     
     
    The following is a description of how the crates were made, summarized from the workbench thread:
     

    I like the smallish wooden crates that could be seen in goods depots before cardbox boxes became common. So I began by designing a few of these. The top one above is photoshopped from a pic of an original Nestlé crate. The rest are tongue in cheek
     
     

     
    I wanted to capture that light wooden look of a new crate, and wasn’t quite happy with the texture of ordinary paper. After searching the web I came across these veneer sheets intended for creative photo printing. I bought mine from Crafty Computer Paper (no connection).
     
     
     

     
    It’s important to note that these sheets only work with top loaded ink-jet printers. They will jam if you use a printer where the paper bends over on itself. I have a cheap top loaded Canon IP2850 printer, which cost about 30£ a year ago (colour cartridge included). It does take the sheets, although each sheet needs to be pressed down gently when the rollers try to “grab” it. I would be weary to do this on a high-end printer!
     
     
     

     
    Test prints suggest that the wood effect is pretty much as I had hoped. The lettering comes out OK I think, although I’m sure a more expensive printer could give an even better result.
     
     
     

     
    The veneer sheets can be cut fairly easily with a normal scalpel.
     
     
     

     
    I've experimented with two different ways of building the crates. The first and most laborious method is to cut out each side separately, and glue them on a block of laminated plastic rod as seen above.
     
     
     

     
    This method gives a fairly neat final appearance, as seen above. This pic also shows the texture of the veneer, and how the different shades of the sheets can be used to add subtle variety: The ones on the left are from one sheet, the ones on the right from another.
     
     
     

     
    A quicker method is to cut each crate out in one piece, and lightly scribe the rear of the veneer at the corners with the back of a thick scalpel blade (a sharp scalpel or deep cut will break the veneer). The crate can then be folded and glued with a good quality card glue or similar. You inevitably get a light tear at the corners though - so this method is best for crates that aren't seen close up.
     
     
     

     
    I've made rows of stacked crates by glueing individual sides to the front of a long block of laminated styrene strips, as seen above. Saves time, and can't be seen once completed.
     
     
     

     
    The fake rows can then be stacked and glued or just blu-tacked together.
     
     
     

    The tea chests are based on real ones but photoshopped to fit my setting and period.
     
     
     

     
    The metal edges on the "East India" one didn't really come across as I hoped in the printing...
     
     
     

     
    ... so thanks to Dave and other RMwebbers I tried using the dull side of foil for the metal edges. I cut the foil in strips and then fixed it with card glue to one side first. It can then be bent around the edge and stuck to the other side.
     
     
     

     
    It’s worth the effort to spend some time cleaning up the edges afterwards. With a ruler and sharp scalpel, edges can be trimmed straighter and narrower as required. The superfluous foil can be scraped off leaving no visible mark. Small problem areas can be fixed with a quick lick of metallic paint. The veneer is very forgiving, so paint can also be scraped off if necessary.
     
     
     

     
    The crates are strenghtened inside like this.
     
     
     

     
    The tea chests represent different types and sizes, some with metal sides and some without. Judging by photos I have seen, the metal edges don't seem to have been common until the 1920s or so.
     
     
     

     
    As mentioned earlier, the sheet itself is quite forgiving and glue and paint can be scraped off without leaving much trace. The lettering is another matter. The print on the right has been treated to a light coat of Vallejo matt varnish!
     
     
     

     
    Finally a comparison between a veneer crate, an earlier paper-printed effort (right) and a parcel made from Manilla envelope paper. The crate has that nice and square look.
     
    Thanks to all who have helped and contributed to this little project, see the discussion in the workbench thread for more ideas and suggestions.
  17. Mikkel

    GWR Outside Framed 8 Ton Van

    By Mikkel,


    Wagons
    Been working on this little van - an Outside Framed 8 Ton Van from the David Geen whitemetal range. Still need to add rainstrips, I completely forgot about them! According to the instructions, these lovely O/F wagons were introduced in 1879 - although the Atkins et al bible seems to have different dates?
     
     

    I tried out Vallejo acrylic primer this time, brush-painted on. Doesn't look so neat at first sight, but once the van was fully painted I couldn't tell the difference between that and those of my wagons done with spray-painted primer.
     
     

    A nice feature of the kit is the inclusion of both grease and oil axleboxes (top lef and right respectively). The vans were built with grease axleboxes, but many later received oil boxes. The kit also provides for both non-reversible and reversible brake shoes.
     
     

    I went for the grease boxes, but used the reduced 8 Ton classification to suggest the 1900s. I haven't been able to find any record of when the reversible shoes were introduced?
     
     

    Posed in front of "The depot". The wagon will form part of the shunting puzzle together with other wagons currently being built. My stock weathering techniques are still rather crude, so any suggestions for improvement are much appreciated!
  18. Mikkel

    Painting coach panels

    By Mikkel,

    My coaches are brush-painted, and I have sometimes been asked how I paint the panels. This video shows it. Be warned though that this is one of those bodged (hopefully not botched!) techniques I seem to often end up using - there are definitely more "correct" ways of doing it!
     
     
     
    Edit: A bit more info as a supplement to the video:
     
    In my experience, there are four key factors that effect results of this technique:
     
    (1) Using the right paint. The Vallejo paint is very richly pigmented and dries quickly and evenly. It can therefore take the dilution while still needing only one application. Having said that, it is possible to repeat the process with a second layer if necessary, though I rarely do it. But everything must be completely dry first!
     
    2) Getting the mix right. It has to be just "runny" enough to flow easily to the edges, but not so much that it dries up thinly. As mentioned in the video, something close to a milky substance - although perhaps a little thicker than that.
     
    3) Good sharp edges on the moulds of the coach, which will hold and "guide" the flow of the paint. Etched brass is particularly good, but plastic like the Ratio sides has also worked well for me.
     
    4) Good brushes - as always. The two black ones below (3/0 and 1) are the type I use in applying the paint in the video. The yellow one in the middle is a cheapo thing used for mixing the paint and water thoroughly. The blue ones are quality broad brushes (8 and 12), used for brushpainting the brown sides in several thin layers, to get smooth sides with no visible brush strokes.
     

  20. Mikkel
    Just a silly little video clip here, fooling around with an off-cut from another Farthing video. It seems Shunter George "Bulldog" Mullins had a bit too much of the good stuff last night.
     
     
     
  21. Mikkel
    As part of the wagon building programme for Farthing, I wanted one of the early 1-plank opens with wooden solebars. There is no 4mm kit available, but then RMwebber Wagonman pointed out that they are in fact a very straightforward design. So I thought it would be a good opportunity to gain some experience in scratchbuilding wagons, which I’ve never tried before.
     
     
     

     
    I chose to build one of the 18ft types - namely no. 5141, of which there is a drawing and photo in "GWR Goods Wagons" by Atkins et al. Thanks to RMwebber Buffalo, another good photo was found in the BGS Broadsheet No. 46.
     
     
     

     
    Yet another RMwebber - Miss P - recently pointed me in the direction of the MJT range of underframe components. This etch for their (rocking) axleguard units is very nice and has the added advantage of some good plates and rivet strips.
     
     

     
    The axleguard units fold up nicely in just a few seconds. They are designed to be compensated by allowing one unit to rock under the wagon, but I didn't really see the need in my case. There are guide holes on the back for punching rivets, but I didn't have an appropriate tool and so will add them later.
     
     
     

     
    I built the wagon directly on the axleguards. This seemed easier and safer at the time. In light of what happened later, it would probably have been better to build the body first, then add the axleguards. Regardless, this shot illustrates that scratchbuilding a wagon doesn't have to be rocket science.
     
     
     

     
    "GWR Goods Wagons" has a useful cross-section diagram in the introductory section which shows how wagons with wooden solebars were built up. I tried to follow this as far as possible. Here the "side rail" has been added to the solebars. On these particular wagons, the side rail extended over the headstocks as seen here.
     
     
     

     
    Gotta keep things level. This wagon was partly built while on holiday, so I used an app in my smartphone which turns it into a spirit level - a tip I got from Phil Parker's Blog (the exact page eludes me). There are various apps available for this purposes, I use one called "Carpenter's Friend".
     
     

     
    I tried to build up the underframe bracing using an illustration in "GWR Goods Wagons." That's one of the nice things about scratchbuilding, you begin to understand how things were constructed.
     
     

     
    Here the floor has been fitted between the side rails. The floor planks should extend to the end of the wagon, but because the styrene sheet is thin it would look wrong when seen from the end. So I added separate deeper styrene sections at the ends. This trick cannot be seen when the wagon is fully built up.
     
     
     

     
    Uh-oh! Up to this point things had been going smoothly. I was becoming smug. I had visions of scratchbuilding the Eiffel Tower. Blindfolded. In 1:1. Then I put the wagon on the drawing and came right back to earth: The body was sitting too high on the axleguards.
     
     
     

     
    There followed a lengthy process of dismantling nearly everything, swearing, becoming impatient, getting glue all over the place, blaming the government, swearing some more and finally managing to re-assemble the whole thing. I ended up back where I started, but with the axleguards now at the right height and the side planks added.
     
     

     
    The side- and end- planks were 11 inches heigh.The siderails can be seen inside the wagon, as per the prototype.
     
     
     

     
    MJT have some nice GWR grease axleboxes (right) that are a good fit with the axleguards unit I was using. But they are fitted with the standard 4 (5?) leaf springs, which later became standard - whereas no. 5141 that I was building had 9-leaf springs. MJT also have some universal 9-leaf springs, but only separately (left).
     
     
     

     
    So I cut away the 4-leaf springs and prepared the 9-leaf ones for adding to the grease axleboxes instead.The hole in the back of the axlebox fits over the bearings in the axleguards.
     
     
     

     
    Miss One Planker wearing her jewellery. Axleboxes, springs and detailing in place.
     
     
     

     
    For the detailing I bought this nice set of wagon detailing etches from Mainly Trains. As it turned out I only used a few of the parts, as most of it was already on the MJT axleguard etches, which are even crisper.
     
     
     

     
    The one-plankers had wooden end stanchions with metal plates, which adds character to the wagons, I think. I had planned to use the cornerplates from the Mainly Trains etch seen above, but the rivet pattern was wrong. So instead I used scrap parts from the etch, and will add the rivets later.
     
     

     
    So this is how far I've come. She's a little dirty here and there after the unplanned rebuild, but that should clean up. I need to add buffers, brake gear and not least rivets. For the latter I've ordered some rivet transfers, which will be interesting to try out. Many thanks to Wagonman, Buffalo and Miss P. for the help and tips so far.
  22. Mikkel
    I've managed to finish my early GWR one-planker, built mostly from styrene. Just to recap, the prototype is one of the 18ft types with wooden solebars, originally built in the 1870s. We don't hear much about GWR one-plankers, but there were more than 2300 in service in the early 20th century. They appear to be a bit of minefield with a variety of dimensions, so mine is based on the drawing in "GWR Goods Wagons" by Atkins et al. Details are based on no. 5141, of which a couple of photos exist.
     
     
     

     
    Here she is with a light dusting of grey primer, in preparation for the rivet transfers. It seemed a shame to cover all those nice brass detailing bits, but sooner or later we all loose our shine!
     
     
     

     
    For the rivets I used Archer's resin transfers, as discussed in this thread (thanks gents!). I bought the mixed-size sheet as it is a bit difficult to assess beforehand what size you need. There doesn't seem to be many UK stockists, but DCC supplies have them. They are not cheap, but there should be enough here for several jobs.
     
     
     

     
    Pacman? No, rivet transfers. The clever bit is that you can cut out strips of rivets and therefore don't have to add each one individually. But it depends on the prototype of course. In my case I did have to add a lot of them individually to get the right spacing.
     
     
     

     
    The transfers need to be soaked in warm water prior to application. The instructions suggest retaining the backing paper until the rivets are in place, and then sliding it out from under them. I personally found it easier to tease off the backing paper with a brush while in the water, and then simply add the transfer directly to the wagon.
     
     

     
    As long as they're wet, the transfers can be gently nudged in place and repositioned as required. Once they dry up they start to harden. As RMwebber Sasquatch advised me, the transfers really do need a coat of primer to stick to if you want good adhesion. As you can see, the transfer film is fairly obvious...
     
     
     

     
    ... so as recommended in the instructions I used Microsol on top of the transfers, which interacts with the primer and transfer film so that the latter essentially dissolves.
     
     

     
    Train spotting. The transfer film is gone and the rivets are stuck in place. One of the fun things about scratch-building is that you can replicate the idio-synchrasies of a particular wagon. The real no. 5141 also had a rivet head missing on one corner plate, and lacked rivet plates on one end of the solebar. The ribbed buffers are from MJT and this close-up is a little unfair to them.
     
     

     
    Another of those little imperfections that I rather like, and that noone else will ever notice! Photos of no. 5141 show the wagon with two different wheel types, one axle with split spokes and the other with solid spokes. I'm sure it wasn't built like that, but something happened along the way. We all know the feeling!
     
     
     

     
    Here she is again after another coat of primer to cover the rivets. The brake is a bit of an enigma. We know that these wagons had a single large wooden brake block, but the details of the arrangement are not clear. The two photos that exist of no. 5141 are from the unbraked side, and the brake is only seen as a ghostly shadow. Photos of other wagons with single brake blocks suggest that there were several different types, so that is not much help. The arrangement seen here is therefore my guesstimate, based on consultations with knowledgeable RMwebbers (any mistakes are entirely my own!).
     
     
     

     
    Then came the question of livery. As discussed elsewhere, my working assumption is that wagon bodies were red right up to 1904. But what about the bits below the solebar - the axleguards etc? Were they red or grey? I tend to think grey, but looking at photos of the real 5141 it does look as if it's the same colour all over. I can't show the prototype photos, so above is a shot of my model instead, taken with the "monchrome" setting on my compact camera. As you can see the wagon is clearly the same colour all over....
     
     

     
    ...except that it isn't . This photo was taken immediately after the one above, and to me it indicates just how difficult it can be to tell colours apart in monochrome, even with today's technology. Admittedly, these shots aren't of a very good quality (they were taken with the macro-focus on), and I realize that it is problematic to compare modern photos with those of the 1900s.
     
     
     

     
     
    No doubt it also depends a lot on the colour shade and lighting: This photo was taken indoors with artificial lighting, after I had given the wagon a second coat in a different shade, and treated it with weathering and varnish. Here you can actually see a colour difference between the axleguards and the body. This may explain why the evidence from prototype photos is so ambigious. In any case, for the time being I'll stick with "red on top, grey underneath" (to paraphrase the old Kerryman joke).
     
     
     

     
    So here she is in more or less finished condition. I say more or less because the prototype photos of no. 5141 show her with broad gauge-style incised lettering on the solebars, and a variety of chalk markings on the sides. I must admit I am at a loss on how to reproduce these, especially the incised letters, so I might have to compromise and leave it off. As for the shade of the red colour, I wanted to try out something a little more worn and toned down that on my other wagons. Experimenting is half the fun of modelling, I think.
     
     

    Lady in red. Not much to look at really, and quite labour intensive. But she's all mine!
     
     
    Edit August 2015: I recently came across a photo on the web which I think may show one of these wagons. There aren't a lot of photos of them around and I have never seen this photo mentioned before in the literature. Note especially the enlargement available in the r/h column: http://www.dudleymal...ak/roundoak.htm
  23. Mikkel
    My model of the GWR stable block at Park Royal is now almost done. Here's an overview of the build and some pics of the finished item.
     

     
    The stables at Park Royal followed the classic outlines of what I call the “Style B” of GWR stable blocks. Above is a sketch. The model itself was built using the GWR drawing that is reproduced in "Great Western Horsepower" by Janet Russell and in Adrian Vaughan's "Pictorial Record of Great Western Architecture".
     


     
    I used my Silhouette cutter extensively for the build. The GWR drawings were imported into Inkscape, on top of which I then drew up my own drawings for the cutting file. Getting the hang of this was a learning process in itself, and I’m grateful to Jason and Mike for their excellent threads on using the Silhouette and Inkscape.
     

     
    The digital drawings were used to print the main sections on my Silhouette Portrait cutter. The cutting mat for the Portrait is shorter than the length of the stable block, but I eventually discovered that two mats can be used in extension of each other, with the styrene sheet bridging them, as seen here.
     

     
    The Silhouette can't cut 20 thou, which is a problem if you’re using embossed sheets, since most of these seem to be of that thickness, including the SE Finecast sheets that I favour. So I used the Cutter to score the rear side of the sheet, and then cut through manually with a scalpel.
     

     
    The cut sections were laminated onto further layers to create depth. I ended up with five layers in total. The front of the building was done before I discovered that I could cut the full length of the building in one go.
     

     
    The vents, lintels and sills were also cut on the Silhouette. This is where it started feeling like making your own kit.
     

     
    I initially struggled a bit to get the windows cut well. The silhouette isn’t really designed for this sort of detail work. The best I could manage was 0.3mm glazing bars. The hit and miss vents aren’t perfect, but once painted I think they came out OK.
     

     
    The doors were built up like this. They were quite tall and wide, which initially puzzled me until I realized that some rather big beasts had to pass through them!
     

     
    The windows and doors were fitted as the middle layer in the 5 layer sandwich.
     

     
    I modelled a couple of the windows in open position, to add signs of life.
     

     
    The rear wall was easy work. It was very plain on the prototype, as per most GWR stable blocks. I assume to give the horses a bit of peace and quiet (windows were sometimes retro-fitted when the stables were converted to garages).
     

     
    The slates for the roof were cut from vinyl, a tip I got from Lee’s blog.
     

     
    Once cut, the vinyl strips can easily be pulled off the backing and are not as fragile as paper or card strip, which allows repositioning.
     

     
    Right, I thought, nearly done! But then came the roof vents…
     
    The roof vents – aka cupolas - turned out to be a whole project in themselves. I needed six, which eventually amounted to some 220 individual pieces. The photos below show how I made them. I hope they are more or less self explanatory:
     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     
    There followed a discussion in the workbench thread as to whether slate was actually used on the cupolas. Some photos *seem* to show it, but it remains an open question. The safe bet for anyone else would be to use metal sheeting instead, as several photos and one drawing shows this - although whether this was zinc, copper or lead sheeting is not clear to me.
     

     
    After painting, I realized that the individual slats in the roof vents had come out with slightly different angles. So my method for making them could be improved on. The camera is cruel though, and it's not that noticeable in real life.
     

    A view from above. The roof vents were not evenly spaced on the prototype.
     

     

     

     

    I have done a bit of light weathering, but it probably needs more. There is also the question of a manure pit, which I haven't built yet. I need to make some planning decisions first, more on that later.
  24. Mikkel
    These past weeks I have had some pleasant early morning modelling sessions, building a GWR covered float for my early 1900s setting. 
     

     
    The model was built using  two drawings in Great Western Horse Power by Janet Russel (figs 180 and 182) and a photo in Great Western Way p.163 (original edition). I was a bit slow to discover that there are variations between the drawings and the photo. The prototype is not in the GWR diagram book for horse-drawn carriages, but is arguably a variant of  the E5 diagram (see GWR Goods Cartage Vol 1 by Tony Atkins).

     

     
    I say 'scratchbuilt', but the wheels are from an Arch Laser kit for another wagon (see discussion here). They conveniently represent the correct 4'6" diameter 14 spoke pattern used by the GWR in earlier days.
     
     

     
    Although just a lowly float, the prototype had a certain Victorian elegance in the design. Like all floats, they had cranked axels to allow for a low floor and thereby easier loading of goods.
     
     

     
    The hoop sticks for the tilt were formed over a jig, stuck on with duct tape and dunked in boiling water.
     
     

     
    The drawings show the tilt with vertical sides and a curved top. The wagon in the reference photo suggests a rounder shape. I initially concluded that this was an optical illusion. In retrospect I am not so sure.
     
     

     
    The shafts were also nicked from the Arch Laser kit. They are flat as they come, but on my prototype they have a curve so I rolled them with a round scalpel, and modifed them to allow proper fixing to the body.
     
     

     
    The shafts had extended mounting plates/irons along the side of the wagon. Mine are a bit over scale.
     
     

     
    The springs were cut on my Silhouette. A rough outline was enough as the wheels obscure the details. 
     
     

     
    The brake design seems to have varied on these vehicles. The reference photo shows a somewhat crude external design, operated by a lever from the front, so I imitated this.
     
     

     
    For the painting, I followed Tony Atkins who in GWR Goods Cartage Vol 1 states: "According to the Railway Magazine, at the turn of the 19th/20th centuries GW horse lorries for delivering goods had red wheels, shafts and framing, while horse-drawn  vans used for collecting and delivering passenger train parcels were painted chocolate all over [...] In 1909 horse vans were also given the same red shafts and wheels as lorries."  Although floats sometimes doubled as parcels vans at rural stations, they were first and foremost intended for goods cartage, so I opted for red wheels, springs and shafts for my early 1900s period. As an aside, I'm never entirely confident about livery references in the Railway Magazine of the 1900s, but that is another story.
     
     

     
    Then along came Charlie, new to the GWR stables. Young and hopeful, he dreamt of a career in tap dancing and an endless supply of Cheese & Cucumber sandwiches.
     
     

     
    We quickly put an end to that! Here he is being modified with extra harness.
     
     

     
    I modelled the harness so that it loosely indicates the method used to pull fixed-shaft wagons, while also allowing the wagon to rest on the back of the now disillusioned Charlie. This solved the problem of balancing a one-axle vehicle. 
     
     

     
    The tilt was made from plain paper, with the lettering copied from the reference photo. Period photos show that tilts of this type were very taut, with the impression of the hoop sticks sometimes showing through. To indicate this I wetted the paper and formed it around the hoop sticks.
     
     

     
    The tarp was then varnished several times, and holes punched in the sides to emulate how it was fixed in place. I wish I had used the number of a wagon that hadn't been photographed, as that would have solved the problem of inconsistencies between the drawings and the reference photo!
     
     

     
    The reference photo shows two thin and rather unsightly boards along the sides of the tilt, presumably to pin it down further and stabilise it. I made them from masking tape.
     
     

     
    The lettering in the reference photo shows a style used during the 1890s (sometimes with, sometimes without the "Co."). I pieced it together from a couple of photos using this style.
     
     
     

     
    The tilt had separate protective tarps fitted on the inside of the hoops at the front and rear. Again, these were simply made from paper. Photos suggest that in daily practice the rear "flap" on horsedrawn vehicles was often secured in half-open or fully open position.
     
     

     
    Lastly the wheels hubs were fitted, made from a styrene tube and filled with putty.
     
     

     
    So that's it. I won’t be fitting reins at this point, as I have to set up my layouts every time I want to run trains, so reins are just not practical. In this view you can see that the wheels are Lasercut, but it's OK from normal viewing distance.
     
     

     
    There are photos of fixed-shaft vehicles resting like this in GWR yards. Smaller carts without a tilt were sometimes, er, tilted the other way.
     
     

     
    By and large, Charlie appears to have accepted his fate. Though sometimes, out of the corner of my eye, I can see him doing a secret little tap dance.
     
     

     
    Lastly a view of the horsedrawn GWR fleet at Farthing as it currently appears. So much for corporate identity! 
     
     
  25. Mikkel
    On Twitter today:
     


     
     
     


     
     
     


     
     
    Anyway, enough fooling around. The wagon sheets (aka tarpaulins) seen in these photos are the preliminary results of experiments with aluminum foil. My original plan was to go the whole hog with cords and ropes etc, but as I started fitting sheets to my wagons I got cold feet. My wagons are nothing special but I like to look at them, and here I was covering them up!
     
     
     

     
    So as a compromise I have decided - at least for the time being - to go for removable “shells” made from 0.05 mm aluminum foil and a paper skin, as seen above. The foil is self-supporting and maintains the shape, so the sheets do not need an actual load beneath them. This means I can add and remove them as I please. They can also be exchanged across different wagons of similar dimensions.
     
     
     

     
    I initially used pre-primed foil for military modellers from Dio-Dump, but then found that I could buy the "raw" foil here in Denmark and prime it myself. Incidentally I also tried ordinary kitchen foil, which is thinner and therefore easier to fold, but it is also more fragile and less self-supporting than the 0,05 mm stuff.
     
     
     

     
    I first tried using transfers directly on the foil as seen here (details in my workbench thread), but making the transfers was a bit time-consuming and they proved difficult to weather.
     
     
     

     
    So instead I printed the designs onto ordinary printer paper, gave them a coat of varnish and glued them to the foil with a thin layer of PVA. The designs are appropriate for the 1900s and were originally drawn up by Ian – thanks again Ian!
     
     
     

     
    The sheets were then folded and “massaged” into shape, and given an oily but not too shiny look. This was done by applying 3-4 layers of matt varnish, brushed over with weathering powders when each coat was almost dry (hence the mess!). Perhaps this technique could also be used to give the popular ready-made sheets from Smiths a less “paper”-like look.
     
     
     

     
    Photos show that in general the sheets were more “loose” than one might think. They also show that at the ends, the top was usually (but not always) folded down first, with the side flaps folded down outside that. The foil-plus-paper combo does add thickness to the sheets, so folding them naturally is not always easy and requires patience.
     
     
     

     
    Above are the sheets fitted to two 5-plank Opens to diagram O4, the first GWR designs to feature sheet rails. The sheets look older than the wagons, I always overdo the weathering! The biggest compromise is of course that the sheets have no cords or ropes. For the time being I’m prepared to accept this in return for the ability to add and remove the sheets as I please. My excuse is that the sheets were normally tied down with short thin cords, which can be hard to see in prototype photos. Actual roping was only used on particularly tall or bulky loads.
     
    Even so, the method is obviously a compromise and I may return to these experiments later to see what can be improved. For now I’m a bit tired of wagon sheets though. And politics. Plus, we still don't know the secrets of GWR wagon red. The livery instructions can't be found. I bet the Chinese have them. James, got a minute?
     

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