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Mikkel

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Blog Entries posted by Mikkel

  1. Mikkel
    As mentioned in the previous blog entry, I've been restoring a small collection of secondhand scratchbuilt 4- and 6-wheelers. I should point out that I'm cutting some corners here: The premise for this project has been to see what I could do with the coaches with simple means and materials, and without breaking them down into their constituent parts and starting over.
     
     

     
    First job was to remove the rooves and discard the glazing and droplights, which were beyond saving. The coaches have etched brass sides, but have been assembled with glue. However the original builder did it properly and only the coach seen here (another First to dia R1) needed a bit of reinforcement in the corners.
     
     
     

     
    This 6-wheel First/Second Compo to diagram U16 was restored some time ago. Most of the repairs are hopefully self-explanatory. The coach was built with droplights in the luggage doors, which it shouldn't have. This mistake is probably due to an error in Russell's Great Western Coaches vol 1 (p47). Fortunately I have a copy of the Newsletter of the Great Western Study Group No. 51 (1996), which includes an invaluable list of known errors in the Russell volume.
     
     
     

     
    The windows were blinded with plastikard filed to shape. A bit tricky, but filing and fitting can be a strangely pleasing exercise, I find.
     
     
     

     
    This 6-wheeler was originally a W3 parcels van. Certainly an interesting prototype, but I already had a W1 parcels van and didn't really need another. So feeling a bit reckless I converted it to a V13 PBV, which as far as I can see has virtually the same dimensions. The main difference was that the V13 had guards lookouts, and I found some in an old K's kit that happened to have the right measurements. I wait with baited breath for someone to tell me that there was some major difference between W3 and V13s that I haven't noticed! (if so please do tell, it has not been painted yet so there is still time to change it back!).
     
     
     

     
    On some of the coaches I added new springs, while on others I repaired the existing ones with thin strips of glazing (the thinnest material I had to hand). I am not sure the latter is totally rational, but then modellers rarely are :-)
     
     
     

     
    Here we have another unusual beast - a six-wheel saloon to diagram G20, the one that is preserved at Didcot. It is currently receiving the standard treatment of repairs.
     
     
     

     
    The interior of the G20 Saloon, which has had a new lick of paint. I haven't been able to find any drawings of this diagram, so I am not sure if the arrangement of the seating and tables is correct?
     
     
     

     
    The brake gear has been replaced on some of the coaches. This is of course a simplified representation. In fact, brake gear has for too long been one of my blind spots and I'd like to learn the details better.
     
    That's it for now. So far I'm very much enjoying this work. It may not be text-book modelling, but I find it relaxing and it's nice to breathe some life back into these old models.
     
    Go to part 3
  2. Mikkel
    This 4 minute video spans the period 1867-1947 on The Farthing Layouts. These 4mm layouts are normally set in 1907, but occasional forays into earlier and later time periods has allowed for a bit of pragmatic "out of period" modelling and operation.
     
  3. Mikkel

    Design principles

    By Mikkel,


    Intro
    Here's an introduction to the main approaches and principles behind the Farthing layouts.
     
     

     
    1. One bite at a time. Each layout can be set up and operated in our living room in a short space of time. They show different parts of the same overall station, meaning that I can explore my interest in junction stations in a limited space, step by step. Some of the layouts use Peco track, others use C+L handbuilt track.
     
     
     

     
    2 . Into the scene. The layouts are designed for close-up eye-level viewing, seeking to place the viewer 'inside' the scene. 'See-through' structures (eg a canopy) at the front of layouts are used to enhance this effect.
     
     

     
     
    3. Trying for atmosphere. The layouts have a focus on atmosphere rather than high accuracy, and tend to follow a 'less is more' approach. That's not a judgement on other approaches to modelling, this one just happens to suit my interests and skills. For a related topic, see the Farthing Station Weekly Discussion Club.
     
     
     

     
    4. The human dimension. Hardware is great, but railways are also a lot about people. In my view, there is still some un-exploited potential in the way we think about the human dimension on our layouts, and we owe a lot to the railway staff and their communities. I like using human stories as a way of presenting the layouts, and creating the sense of a real place. All within reason of course: You won't catch me talking to the figures!
     
     
     

     
    5. Time warp. If you can't expand on space, expand on time. Because each layout is independent, they can be set at different times. While all the layouts are set in Edwardian days, they show different years, allowing for variation in stock and liveries from layout to layout. Just to add to the scope, I also do occasional out-of-period running sessions. This is good fun, provides variation and allows some of my back-of-the-drawer stock to stretch it's legs. This video tries to capture some of that fun.
     
    That's about it then. Best not to take it too seriously, at the end of the day it's all mostly an excuse for a bit of laid back modelling.
     
     
  4. Mikkel
    What goes through a modeller’s mind? 'Very little', my wife would say, and she’s not far off! Am I the only one who enters a Zen-like state of mind when operating the layouts?
     
     


    It begins like this. You decide to run some trains, forget all the worries. Get the gear out, set up on the dining table.

     
     


    The engine purrs into life, pulls a train off the traverser. You get down to eye level, begin to dream. What if there was something else behind those windows?
     
     
     


    Distant spires maybe?
     
     
     


    Lots of spires!
     
     
     

     
    Then even that melts away, and you enter a world of dreamy blue skies.

     
     


    Floating freely…
     
     
     


    …in an uncomplicated world…
     
     
     

     
    …where time…
     
     
     


    …stops…

     
     


    …and the light…
     
     
     


    …is mellow.

     
     


    Peace, man. 
     
     
     


    Then reality kicks in.
     
     
     


    It seems I’m expected to lay the table. 
     
    Ah well! 
     
     
  5. Mikkel
    This little project was described some time ago in my workbench thread. A couple of recent discussions suggest that the modifications involved may be of interest to others. I don't seem to have posted the usual build summary in this blog, so here it is.
     

     
    The Coopercraft GWR 4 Plank Open kit (4mm scale) has an error which means that if you build it as designed you end up with 4 planks on the outside and 3 on the inside, as seen here.
     
     
     

     
    So, following good advice (thanks Nick) I cut along the red line indicated above, in order to remove most of the big fat lip on top of the solebar. This in itself lowers the floor by 1.5 mms.
     
     
     

     
    The floor provided in the kit is 1mm thick, so I decided to gain another 0.5 mm of internal depth by replacing it with a 0.5mm styrene floor.
     
     
     

     
    I suppose this is on the limits of how thin a floor should be, but with bracing underneath it all seems solid enough. There are two pips on the inside of each wagon end (not shown), these had to be removed to fit the new floor. The gaps at the end of the solebars were fixed with filler.
     
     
     

     
    The lowered floor. Not perfect, but at least the bottom plank is now visible.
     
     
     

     
    Most of my wagons have lever brakes but it's time I introduced some DC1 brakes too. So I splashed out on this Bill Bedford etch.
     
     
     

     
    I worked with available drawings and pictures in the GWR wagon book  by Atkins, Beard & Tourret.
     
     
     

     
    I think I used the wrong link component below the swan neck lever, lesson learnt for the next one. Still, the exercise has helped me understand better how these brakes worked. Sometimes the absence of instructions can be a learning experience!
     
     
     

     
    The low number belies that No. 781 was built in 1902 as part of Lot 374,  thus sporting DC1 brake gear from the outset. I debated whether to add a sheet rail. Some of the 4-plankers were certainly fitted with these later on, and the O5 diagram in Atkins Beard & Tourret features a sheet rail - but I have a suspicion that the diagram stems from 1905 when the wagon index was drawn up. On page 54 of the same book is a picture of a 4-planker showing off the new DC1 brake gear in 1903. It does not feature a sheet rail, and is in the same condition as No. 781.
     
     
     

     
    The wagon is in GWR wagon red (I follow the 1904 theory). I chose a slightly redder shade than normal to suggest that it is fairly recently painted.
     
     
  6. Mikkel

    Railway Modelling and Art

    By Mikkel,

    Once a week, a meeting takes place at Farthing Station where staff and regular passengers engage in learned discussion about some of the great questions of our time...
     

     
     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     
     

     

    Link to Far Twittering & Oysterperch
    Link to the Wallace and Gromit layout
     

     

     

     

     

     

  7. Mikkel
    The whitemetal wagon kits from David Geen have tempted me for many years, so I thought it was time I gave them a go.
     

     
    I began with this round-ended 3-planker of 1881 vintage, for use in my “out of period” running sessions.
     
     

     
    The good stuff! Nothing like a bit of research to start off a new kit. The round ends were not long-lived on the 3-plankers. From 1883 the GWR introduced square ends, and many of the existing round-ended wagons appear to have been cut down to square ends within a short period. Perhaps to allow for extended loads? Or possibly an early EU regulation .
     
     

     
    The parts are nice and reasonably crisp. Some had flash but it was easily removed.
     
     

     
    The kit was built using Araldite. All very old school but I find it less stressful than soldering when it comes to whitemetal. Which says more about my soldering skills than anything else! I added wheels from Alan Gibson, running in Romford pinpoint bearings.
     
     

     
    I rarely regret being an OO modeller, but this is one of those occasions when the gauge issue raises it’s ugly head. That's no fault of the kit, though, but of the gauge! No doubt I will soon have forgotten all about it and go back into the usual state of denial .
     
     

     
    I went for a slightly worn look. We tend to imagine Victorian liveries as completely spotless, but I can't bring myself to believe that it was really like that at all times and in every case. The 3-plankers were originally 9-ton wagons, although those that retained grease axleboxes were downgraded to 8 tons by the 1900s.
     
     

     
    The wagon on "The bay". There is still some debate over the exact period of the red wagon livery. 
     
     

     
    This was a straightforward and enjoyable build. A square-ended version has also been purchased, for future use on "The depot" within my more normal 1900s timeframe.
  8. Mikkel

    Ready-to-plonk freight

    By Mikkel,

    A parcel arrived today with a small selection of ready-to-plonk freight items.
     
     

    There's still something magical about opening parcels. With a cheerful Hornby logo peering out at me, I even longed briefly for the Christmases of my childhood. Then I remembered the two months of hysteria we have ahead of us, and good old cynicism returned .
     
     
     

    The depot is going to need a lot of goods. I already have some of the white-metal offerings from various sources, but thought I’d see what the ready-painted items from Harburn Hamlet are like.
     
     
     

    Wooden crates from Harburn. These come as a single casting, but as evident here there is plenty of relief detail.
     
     
     

    The castings have been designed to fit as loads in wagons. Here is an example in a seven-plank wagon - it seems to me a five-planker would be too low. In any event, I assume the real deal would be carefully stacked and roped (and sheeted?), so this particular casting is perhaps better used outside of a wagon.
     
     
     

    A cruel close-up of the whisky barrels from Harburn. As I understand it the material is a mix of synthetic resin and stone. I'll see how it responds to a little cleaning up and some further weathering/painting.
     
     
     

    Also in the parcel was this Mechanical Horse from the new Hornby/Oxford Diecast "SkaleAuto" range. Hornby's own website images seem to show a CAD representation and has white sides instead of cream, so here are some detail shots of the actual model.
     
     
     

    Delightful as it is, I am not entirely confident that the GWR actually employed this particular type, with the 3-wheel rigid wheelbase. Perhaps anyone can help? Incidentally, all the photos I can find have the roundel positioned nearer the front, eg as seen here. The Mechanical Horse Club has a nice little website here.
     
     
     

    You may be wondering why I need a vehicle like this on an Edwardian layout. I plan to do a little video about Farthing through the ages, so am collecting a few 'period identifiers'. 
     
  9. Mikkel

    Playing with mirrors

    By Mikkel,

    Been experimenting with back-scene effects for The Depot. Basically it's a mirror, thereby doubling the size of the interior in visual terms. The idea is to take a photo similar to these once the building is finished, and blow it up in size for use as a moveable backscene when viewing the layout from the alternative side. In the photo above, the mirror begins between the twin pillars behind the wagon. Everything beyond that is a reflection. The lack of buffers at one of the wagon is not part of the trick!
     


    Here, the mirror is more clearly visible, ie the dividing line in the middle-ground. In a way I wish I had built the depot this big in real terms - but then again, the mirror method is quicker .
     
     
     

    Hopefully this drawing explains things. The normal viewing side is from the front, but I want to be able to view the layout from the opposite side on occasion. This requires a moveable backscene that goes on the side that is normally the viewing side. Hence these experiments.
     


    Naturally, all this only works for still photos, as it looks rather silly when the wagons begin to move. Unless, of course, there was such a thing as "synchronized shunting" back in 1907!
     


    Looking in through one of the cartage bays. These photos are angled to avoid the camera reflecting in the mirror. When I take the actual photo for the backscene it will have to be directly from the side, with the camera subsequently edited out.
     


    Meanwhile, the depot is now finally fully clad in English bond brick sheets. It may not look like much progress, but it's been one of those sticky patches that unexpectedly took ages to get through (all my own doing, I hasten to add), so it's nice to have it done.
     


    Overview shot of the main building. Still experimenting with the number of pillars - just three of them here, but that wouldn't be realistic I think.
     


    I do like the GWR goods livery. The wagons need some weathering though. That front wall looks odd in this photo, must be the pixelation effect. Forget English bond: "Pixel bond" is here!
  10. Mikkel

    Downsizing

    By Mikkel,

    The Farthing layouts have seen some major rebuilding in the past months.
     

     
     In the early autumn, we sold the house and moved to a flat. Having made sure that the layouts survived the move without damage…
     
     

     
     … I immediately cut them to pieces. It was clear from the outset that downsizing was needed, as the only place to store the layouts is in a small attic room reached by a narrow flight of stairs.
     
     

     
     The Down Bay was the first to suffer. The sky backscene was dismantled and the integrated fiddle yard was cut away, leaving a 92 cm scenic board. 
     
     


    The Old Yard was given a similar treatment. A third of the scenic section was cut away. It’s built on foamboard, so I was able to make a good clean cut with nothing but a craft knife.
     
     

     
    That left a 100 cm board (left). The off-cut went into storage, maybe it will return as a diorama some day.
     
     

     
    A bit of work was needed on both layouts to adapt the track to the new formats. 
     
     

     
    An attempt at repairs. Looks a bit like Texas! The Down Bay still uses code 100 track, whilst the other layouts use hand laid C+L.  I don't really mind the difference.
     
     
     

    My third layout, the Goods Depot, didn’t need shortening. It’s a micro built in an Ikea box, which fits neatly in a large old closet. I’m still negotiating for access to the lower part of the closet!
     
     

     
    In order to operate the now truncated layouts, my trusty “Bumblebee traverser" was adapted with extra tracks and sturdier height adjustment legs. It continues to work well against all odds, and is now able to feed all three layouts.
     
     

     
    So trains are now running again at Farthing   Here is the Old Yard set up on the dining table. The small size of the layouts means that I am able to enjoy some relaxing “shunting puzzle” operation in our living room during weekends, without too much bother.
     
     

     
    Here is the Goods Depot, which is small enough to operate on my new desk/workbench, also in the living room. I have an agreement with my wife that when seated here,  I'm invisible. She gets the point but says my activities are not exactly "invisible" 
     
     

     
    And finally the Down Bay, taking up a tiny bit of space on the dining table .  The retaining walls need to be realigned and proper sky backscenes are on the cards.
     
    So that's the current status. Ironically, there is room for further layouts as long as I keep them small enough. Plans are afoot for a modular approach, but more on that later. 
     
     
     
  11. Mikkel
    Here's a little video showing scenes and train movements at Farthing station - including the arrival, shunting and departure of the Westbury stopping train. It's 2,5 minutes long. Be warned that it features music, although only a quiet piano.
     
  13. Mikkel

    Mezzanine floor

    By Mikkel,

    Some time ago, Miss Prism suggested that I could add a mezzanine floor to one end of “The depot” for extra goods storage.
     

    I liked the idea, and sought inspiration in some of the larger GWR depots, including (very loosely) the arrangements at Hockley. I tried to build the structure to look like an afterthought, added by the GWR when it ran out of storage space on the ground floor decks. The visible part of the mezzanine is imagined to connect to a more expansive off-scene section.
     
     

    After various experiments I built the structure right across the middle of the depot, thereby dividing up the layout both vertically and horisontally. Visually, what used to be a single large space is therefore now four spaces, as illustrated here, plus the yard outside.
     
     

    The “cut-away” effect at the front follows my preference for see-through structures at the front of layouts, which I think adds to the impression of depth and forces on-lookers to view the layout up close and at eye-level height, thereby placing him or her “inside” the scene.
     
     

    The main structure was knocked up from various bits and pieces, including Evergreen H sections and tubing, Slaters Plastikard and left-overs from various kits.
     
     

    The stairs and fencing are modified and detailed Scalelink etches. These save some fiddly work but are fairly basic as they come and do, I feel, need some detailing to look right. The fences were detailed with Evergreen strips and drawing pins for posts.
     
     

    I ended up extending the stairs with plastikard to fit the necessary height. The r/h side shows the original folded-up etch.
     
     

    Goods will be moved to the mezzanine floor by way of cranes that I plan to build for the ground-floor decks at a later stage. If I’m not mistaken, that was the arrangement at Hockley, with goods lifted to balconies such as this one.
     
     

    In retrospect there are various things I would have liked to do differently. A lower and more expansive mezzanine might have increased the visual interest further, and I wish I’d copied the structure at Hockley more closely, to increase the GWR imprint on it. Probably best to move on though, it's about time this stuff recieved some paint!
  14. Mikkel
    Here's a brief illustrated write-up on my recent experiences with modified and detailed HO figures for Farthing.
     

    My normal source of figures is to backdate OO whitemetal figures from Monty's and other ranges (see this separate blog entry). But this can be time consuming, and for pre-grouping modellers the options are limited. Like others before me I have therefore been attracted to the large German HO ranges, and especially Preiser who have a small series of figures from the Victorian and Edwardian period. Some of these can be seen on the Preiser website. The big issue is size. The photo above shows medium-sized figures from Preiser and two UK ranges. In this case, the height difference is not particularly noticeable. As an aside, the different OO ranges also seem to differ in average size, with Monty's often being slightly larger (and I suspect thereby more correct) than eg Langley.
     
     

    In other cases, however, the size difference is quite noticeable. As this photo illustrates, it's not just the height difference, but just as often the difference in "bulk" that gives the game away.
     
     

    So in my view, HO figures often cannot be mixed indiscriminately with OO figures, and often need to be used on their own or in carefully selected places on the layout. One place where I find them particularly suitable is in cramped loco cabs, where their small size is a distinct advantage. There are other examples of that in this earlier blog entry.
     
     

    The large number of figures and poses in the German ranges means that there is good scope for light modification. Even if a particular type of figure isn't available, there is usually always one that has a similar stance and which can be modified with a little tweaking. This driver was originally a portly civilian frozen in mid-stride.
     
     

    The Preiser figures are fairly well detailed compared to some of the UK whitemetal ranges, although it does differ from figure to figure. Further detailing doesn't hurt though, and beards are great period markers. Here I've added a beard using plastic putty from Model Color, applied with a wet needle to ensure it goes on without clumping.
     
     

    Funky Victorians! Victorian beards are a whole study in themselves, it seems. These gentlemen sport different styles of plastic putty beards, based on the illustrations that I found on the internet.
     
     

    The Preiser figures are rather brightly coloured as they come, so I tone down or repaint them. There are, of course, lots of figure painting techniques available on the internet, but some are a bit out of my league, and some just don't seem to work for 4mm scale. So I usually go for something simple and indicative.
     
     

    In my view, faces are a particularly criticial area, and a model with a well-sculpted face (such as this one) makes a big difference in terms of realism.Painting eyes etc is particularly tricky in this scale, so if a face is well-moulded, I often simply give it a blackened wash and let it settle in the right places, touching up lightly with skin colour afterwards.
     
     

    The difference when toned down/repainted is usually very significant!
  15. Mikkel
    Farthing, 1887. The Great Western is a sleeping giant. The system is plagued by gauge inconsistencies and circuitous routes, and the Churchward revolution is yet to come. In the bay platform at Farthing, a Buffalo tank sleepily knocks a few wagons about.
     
     
     

    For the past ten years the world has suffered from a global economic depression, but Workman P. Quince has never read a newspaper and is more concerned with the stinging pain when he urinates. Perhaps he should find a better way to spend his meagre wages.
     
     

    The Buffalo tank shunts the empty Open and brake van into the storage siding.The locos and rolling stock carry the features of a vanishing age. The livery follows Atkins, Beard and Tourret when they state: Before about 1898, a light red colour had been adopted for the wagon stock with white lettering, but the goods brakes were grey.
     
     
     

    A bird's eye view of the scene. The timber sheds are a bit crude and don't feature in the normal 1907 set-up of the layout, but I thought they suited the slightly Wild West atmosphere of the early days. They were loosely inspired by similar sheds at the old Newbury station.
     
     
     

    As if rebelling against the slumbering nature of his railway, Driver P. Appledore demonstrates his uncanny ability to make even the slowest shunt look like a mainline express. "It's not what we do" he would tell new firemen, "It's how we carry ourselves. Look sharp!".
     
     
     

    The shunt brings the wagons up against the buffers. This is a 3-plank Open of 1881 vintage, and a pre-diagram brake van of 1882. The former was built from the David Geen kit, and the latter was restored from an old van originally scratchbuilt by Chris Edge.
     
     

    The brake van is left in the storage siding while the Open is propelled to the loading dock. Certain aspects of the loco are not, I fear, entirely correct for the period. Eg I am unsure whether the curve of the cabside is right for 1887. The otherwise appealing number 1234 is also problematic, as I am not sure that this particular loco had yet been converted to narrow gauge by this time.
     
     
     

    The loco has left and brought the brake van with it. The bay has gone quiet, and Porter C. Walker appears to be lost in thought. Or is he secretely savouring the whisky fumes from the load he carries?
  16. Mikkel
    Time to get some track in place for The depot. For a pragmatic modeller like myself, it's easy to dismiss finescale track as something for the purists only. A little too easy, perhaps! With this in mind, I'm currently taking a closer look at some of the C+L track components. The idea is to see whether this sort of thing works for me, and how much it adds to the overall impression of the GWR in the 1900s. It's still OO, and so far only straight track, as that is all I need for the scenic part of The depot.
     
     

    After some helpful advice from Brian Lewis at C+L, I decided to experiment with the Timber Tracks system of laser-cut track panels, onto which you build the rail, chairs etc. The photos above show the GWR 44' 6" straight panels. These have the 8' 6" sleepers used after WW1, whereas the 1900s saw use of 9' sleepers. But since the gauge is OO, the visual result will hopefully look about right. Nothing is actually fixed in place on the Timbertracks panel, so some chairs etc are a little out of alignment.
     
     

    Apart from the Timbertracks system I am also trying out the C+L ready-built flexitrack. This is strictly speaking not suitable for the GWR as it has a different sleeper spacing and uses 3-bolt chairs rather than the keyed 2-bolt chairs used by the GWR. On the plus side, it is quicker to lay and the big question is of course just how much of this detail is really noticeable once it's all weathered and in place.
     
    The following photos show various detail differences between Peco, C+L flexitrack and C+L hand-build track in close-up.
     

     

     

     

     
    In fairness it should be said that the Peco track seen here is the Code 100, which I have been stubbornly using until now (bought a large quantity very cheaply some years ago). I currently have some Peco Code 75 track on order for use in the fiddle yard. Once it arrives I'll post some birds eye-view photos of the various track types for overall comparison. So far, though, I'm rather liking the Timbertracks system and the unexpected pleasures of track building...
  17. Mikkel

    Comparing track

    By Mikkel,

    A follow-up here to the track experiments in the previous entry.
     

    A batch of Peco Code 75 has arrived, enabling a comparison of the four types of track seen above. Everything is OO, ie 16.5 mm gauge. The Timber Tracks panel is the GWR 44' 6" version for P4/EM, and it's interesting to note theslight narrow gauge look this track has when viewed directly above. This isn't C+L's fault of course, but a result of the slightly incorrect gauge.
     
     

    But we don't often view layouts directly from above. As soon as even a slight sideways angle is introduced, the wider sleepers and spacing really starts coming into it's own, I think. The Timber Tracks panel has the later 8' 6" sleepers used after WW1, whereas the 1900s saw use of 9' sleepers on the GWR. But since the gauge is OO, I am hoping that the visual result is right. I have not actually cut the timbers from the panel yet, so the side supports have been edited out in these photos.
     
     

    C+L Flexitrack vs Peco Streamline. In both cases the rail is Code 75, but the different sleeper height makes quite a difference. Nevertheless, I've heard from other modellers that the two can be combined with no major problems. Unless anyone knows differently? The plan is for "The depot" to have C+L Timbertracks track on-scene, and Peco track off-scene. The height difference will in this case be accommodated by building the fiddle yard a tad lower than the scenic section.
     
     

    Just for good measure, here is Peco Code 100 vs Peco Code 75. I have happily used Code 100 on "The bay" as I had large quantities of it. With attention to weathering and blending in, I think it can be made to look reasonable from a distance (see eg this post), but it doesn't do well on closer scrutiny (see eg fourth picture in this post).
     
     

    I hadn't previously noticed that the chairs are different on Peco Code 100 and Code 75. Not sure what prototype the Code 75 chairs represent. Of the two, the generic Code 100 chairs look a bit more GWR'ish. For close-ups of the C+L chairs, see this post.
     
    Edit: The photos below compare the different sleeper lenghts (and sleeper spacing) of C+L and Peco track. See the dicussion on this issue in the comments below.
     


     
     


     
     

  18. Mikkel

    Progress on "The depot"

    By Mikkel,

    After a less than glorious summer (too much work, too much rain) it's time to get the autumn modelling season going. The past weekend saw a bit of progress on "The depot".
     

    As some may recall, the depot can be viewed from both the inside and the outside. These are the three outside walls, now approaching completion.
     
     

    Still need to add downpipes etc once the roof is fixed on.
     
     

    I’ve used a photo of Windsor goods depot as inspiration for this side of the building. Sides still not assembled, hence the poor corners.
     
     

    The canopies were knocked up from plasticard, with some leftover Ratio bits here and there.
     
     

    The brickwork was done using the good old method of two washes of white over a reddish foundation base (left). Nothing special, but I never cease to be amazed at the transformation that takes place once the washes are added.
     
     

    The decks were washed with thinned down Carr's sleeper stain. Heavily used places were given a light rub with wet and dry paper. But overall, still a bit too dark I think?
     
     

    For the inside, I was after a whitewashed look with the bricks just showing through. Ordinary paint was too thin, so I ended up applying two layers of lightly thinned plastic putty. This was then toned down and weathered. Perhaps I should have applied a third layer.
     
     

    View from the inside (sides not yet assembled). Looking at this photo, I think the colours need a bit of "blending in".
  19. Mikkel

    4mm slate roofing

    By Mikkel,

    I've been looking at options for modelling the slate roof on the goods depot at Farthing. For what it's worth, here's a quick overview of the options considered. Above is one way of doing it: Lengths of thin card strips scribed vertically, and overlaid. I think this can give good results - in 4mm at least.
     
     
     

     
    But thin card also has its drawbacks! I recently noticed that the roof on the parcels office at Farthing has buckled. Either the glue has simply let go, or it was caused by a repaint I did a while back. Using the same method but with plasticard might have been better, as convincingly demonstrated in this blog entry by 45584 (albeit in Gauge 1!).
     
     
     

     
    An alternative to scribing things yourself are these "ready-scribed" slate sheets from Slaters (ref no. 0427). The idea (I think!) is that you cut out each length and overlay them.
     
     
     

     
    I may have failed to grasp the concept here, but my experiments with the Slater's sheets suggest a significant overscale thickness of the slates (according to the Slaters catalogue, the plasticard thickness is 0.015'). Or have I misunderstood something? Until someone tells me differently, I've decided not to continue down this road.
     
     
     

     
    A third main option is of course the ready-to-fit embossed sheets, available in various guises. There seems to be two main types here: Those that are printed "flat", and those where the slates actually appear to "overlap". The flat-printed ones can sometimes work well: This roof on a (rather careworn) Coopercraft platelayer's hut gives a reasonable representation, I think.
     
     
     

     
    However, the Wills slate sheets seem to me the best of the ready-embossed solutions I've seen yet. The shingles actually give the impression of overlapping....
     
     
     

     
     ...and they have an ever so slight irregularity that can be further accentuated during painting and weathering, as on the right.
     
     
     

     
    But of course, nothing is perfect. One well-known issue with the Wills sheets is their limited size, which means several have to be joined for larger rooves...
     
     
     

     
    ....and another issue is their thickness. I don't think the individual shingles look overly thick, but at the edges it becomes more of a problem, as seen on this canopy on the goods depot. Nevertheless, so far I think I'll go ahead with the Wills sheets as the preferred choice. 
     
    Update Feb. 2019: 
    Since this post was written I have experimented with:
    Pre-cut slate sheets from York Modelmaking (more on that here) Slate strips cut from vinyl (more on that here).  
  21. Mikkel
    A few more examples here of prototype-inspired short trains for Farthing. These are all a bit unorthodox, as opposed to the more standard formations shown in an earlier entry.
     
     

    PBV - Composite - All Third.
     
    Above: The above formation, for instance, illustrates that not all short trains were pulled by tank locos! This train was inspired by a photo on the Warwickshire Railways website, which shows a 2-4-0 3226 class pulling a 4-wheel PBV to dia V5 (or V11?), a 6-wheel compo to dia U16 and a 6-wheel All Third to dia S3 (many thanks to RMwebber "Penrhos 1920" for help with the coach identification). My interpretation also has the V5 and U16, while the S3 has been replaced with an S9. A 3232 class is standing in for the 3226. I have just finished restoring and repainting the U16, which was originally built by Colin Edge.
     

    "Toad" - Composite - Brake Third.
     
    Above: This formation was inspired by photos on page 69-70 of "GW branchlines: A pictorial survey" by C.W. Judge, which include a 517 class loco hauling a "Toad" goods brakevan and two 4-wheelers (Composite and Brake Third) on the Presteign branch in 1906. It seems to have been a regular sight on that line for several years. Some photos also show the train without the "Toad", giving an even shorter train. Other similar examples are mentioned in this thread (thanks gents!). The Toad seen here is from an old K's kit for the AA3 type. I'm not sure if the metal end and cab sheathing are appropriate for the 1900s, or if they were added later?
     
     

    Autotrailer and PBV.
     
    Above: I've always found GWR autotrains a bit boring, but the trailers were sometimes used in interesting combinations. This little train was inspired by a photo on page 31 of "The Lambourn Branch" by Kevin Roberts and Roger Simmonds, which shows an 850 class loco hauling an Autotrailer and a 4-wheel PBV to diagram V2 in the 1900s. Both of the model coaches seen here are second-hand: The trailer is a scratchbuilt oddity picked up some years ago (featuring real glass windows!), depicting one of the gangwayed diagram D types that worked behind railmotors in the Plymouth area. The V2 is another Colin Edge scratch-build, which I have restored and repainted.
     
    Although these trains are not exactly mainstream, they all feature that ungodly mix of stock that was quite typical of the GWR around the turn of the century. Good fun to replicate in model form!
     
    Note: The GWR would have called a Passenger Brake a "Van". I use the former term here as it seems more intuitive.
  22. Mikkel
    I've been exploring some of the smaller and lesser known 4mm whitemetal figure ranges recently. Here's a handful of photos showing a selection of some of them. These are cruel close-ups, but if we're concerned about the details of our stock, shouldn't we be equally concerned about whether the figures look right?
     
     

    Above: This group of horse shunters are from the Geoff Stevens range, which features sets of railway staff that can be used together in little cameos. As evident from the header photo, some of the figures in this range have well sculpted faces. Very often, I think, it is the face that makes or breaks a 4mm figure.
     
     

    Above: No, not a fight but a sheeting gang, also from Geoff Stevens. I am not normally attracted to figures that are frozen in mid-motion, and cameos like these can very easily become a cliché. However I couldn't resist the two sets pictured here, which fit well with a concept I have in mind for a future third layout in the Farthing series.
     
     

    Above: These figures are from Model Railway Developments (MRD). I've been wanting to have a closer look at these for some time, as the range is focussed on my own Edwardian period.
     
     

    Above: Two further MRD figures. This range demonstrates how whitemetal figures can vary considerably in quality and detail within the same range. The little girl seen here is very good, but I don't think she takes after her mother :-)
     
     

    Above: The same figure seen from two different sides. Quite often, I find, a figure can look unrealistic from one side but quite good from another. I wonder if this has something to do with the original sculpting process? In any case, careful positioning can sometimes bring out the good side in a figure.
     
     

    Above: This loco crew is from the small Alan Gibson range. Figures in the range seem to have a 1900s-1920s look and feel. The loco crew is made for L/H drive, which is a pity for GWR modellers. But I suppose non-GWR modellers deserve decent figures too ;-)
     
     

    Above: Two porters, also from Alan Gibson. I might change the pose of these, but the faces have a certain character! Captions, anyone?
     
     

    Above: A line-up of station staff from the above ranges, plus a figure from the better known Monty's range from Dart Castings.
     
     

    Above: Clearly there's a dinner party nearby! Another comparison here, with a couple from the large Langley range thrown in.
     
     

    Above: A group of Monty's figures. While there are individual useful figures in all of the above ranges, they don't trump the Monty's range, which in my view wins hands down every time. They have the right bulk, relaxed poses and the faces are usually good.
     
  23. Mikkel
    Been doing some further experiments with the Timbertrack panels from C+L. This is mundane stuff for experienced track builders (especially as there is no pointwork involved), but for me it's all new and part of an exercise to see if this whole track-building lark is something I want to get seriously into. 'The depot' is a good test-bed for this, because most of the track won't really be seen anyway J Above: The C+L GWR panels are essentially intended for EM/P4. In the comments to an earlier post, we discussed that my attempt to use OO 16.5 mm gauge on them gave a narrow gauge impression. Nick kindly did some maths and found that 31.5 mm sleepers would give the best proportional appearance of GWR 9ft sleepers with 16.5 mm gauge. So I cut down the timbers to that length, as seen above.
     
     

    Above: I then conducted some highly scientific experiments to determine the correct colouring of the timbers.
     
     

    Above: After much testing, I finally arrived at the exact formula: Slosh on some sleeper stain and see how it goes!.
     
     

    Above: Next, the timbers were weathered with powders. Again, clinical testing in a whisky-free environment led to a clear conclusion: Add some light stuff, then add some darker stuff. (Note the flying sandpaper. Dunno how that came about, but anyway it was useful for distressing the sleepers a bit.)
     
     

    Above: So it ended up looking like this. Those are thin timbers!
     
     

    Above: Just a test here with rail loosely in place. I think the proportions are better now?
     
     

    Above: Finally I did a test with Carr's ash ballast. I wanted to see if I needed to remove the webbing between the timbers. The C+L website says it's up to you, as it won't necessarily be visible. It is in my case though, as you can see above. So that will have to go.
     
    So what did I learn from this?
     
    1. Trimming the timbers does make the OO solution look less narrow gauge (I think). However, it also makes the timbers exactly as long as the C+L ready built flexitrack, which makes it tempting to just use that instead.
     
    2. I might as well have purchased a bag of individual timbers instead of panels, since I'll be cutting away the webbing anyway once the panels are in place.
     
    3. Bread crumbs make for lousy ballasting.
  24. Mikkel

    Here's looking at you

    By Mikkel,

    It was the winter of 1997 and I was in London for the Watford show. Or to be honest: My life was a bit of a mess, and I was trying to escape from some difficult decisions that had to be made.
     

     
    I had arrived a day early and was staying in a cheap and gloomy hotel not far from Paddington. The idea was to spend the day touring the model shops around London, but things were not going well: The weather was cold and windy, the shops were uninspiring and I couldn’t escape my own thoughts.
     

     
    So I caught a train down to Eastbourne. The warm carriage and gentle rocking of the train lifted my spirits a little. In Eastbourne I stood on the empty pier for a long time and tried to clear my head.
     
     

     
    Then I walked over to the Train Times model shop to see what was on offer. I saw her almost immediately, and I knew I had to have her.
     

     
    Sitting on a shelf was a 633 class loco, slightly scarred by life and hardly glamorous. Yet beautiful in her own way and longing to be loved.
     

     
    I bought her and walked out into the streets of Eastbourne, feeling a little lighter. On the train back to the chaos of London, I finally made those difficult decisions.
     
    ...
     
    So that was the story of the day I bought No. 643. I'm telling it here because I've just sold the loco, and I thought she deserved a proper goodbye. She'll be going off to another man now, but that's how it had to be. Here's looking at you, kid ;-)
     
     
  25. Mikkel
    All those close-ups of Code 100 track in my past couple of entries made me want to push ahead with the C+L track for "The depot". So here's a little interlude to the "All in a day's work" story, showing what I've been up to with the track inside the depot.
     
     
     

     
    Timbertracks panels stuck down, sleepers shortened to appropriate length, and webbing removed (see the earlier dicussion in this entry). Next time I'll just lay some individual timbers!
     
     
     

     
    The track is inside a goods depot, so I wanted that look where the timbers are almost embedded in the ground. Using the plastic filling knife in the photo, I "dragged" Polyfilla at a 45 degree angle across the timbers, until it was level with the timber tops.
     
     
     

     
    When the Polyfilla dries up it contracts a little, leaving the timbers just proud of the ground. A slight "shoulder" is left on some timbers, which I scraped away with a scalpel.
     
     
     

     
    The result was more or less what I was after: Timbers slightly proud of the ground. But they are looking a bit thirsty!
     
     
     

     
    The Polyfilla residue on the timbers was cleaned off with a wet cloth (you'll notice the high-tech approaches here!) ...
     
     
     

     
    ...and the timbers were given a bit of thinned matt varnish to restore some of their colour. I should've done this before laying the timbers, which would also have prevented the original wood stain from seeping into the Polyfilla. I managed to cover this by rubbing dry Polyfilla powder into it.
     
     
     

     
    After giving the ground a light wash of grey and cork, I laid the track. The chairs were threaded on to the rail first, and then stuck down with Butanone. I was worried if the latter would give a strong bond, since the timbers had been exposed to quite a lot at this point! So far I am satisifed, but time will tell. It seems there are as many experiences with Butanone as there are modellers!
     
     
     

     
    Hey dude, want some good dust? A heady mix of white baby talc (sic) and Carr's light grey weathering powder. Rock and roll! This was brushed across the track to blend things together and tone down colours.
     
     
     

     
    C+L etched fishplates, shortened to simulate the GWR type. I bet you can't see the gap in the rails. See how good a joiner I am? ;-)
     
    That's it then. I do wonder if the timbers are a bit too light, but things will look darker once the depot is placed around them.
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