Chris Chewter

The crew of 1664 seem deep in conversation this morning.

Another autotank photo, this time facing in the Kemble direction and paired with a single Hawksworth.

Trialled where everything should go yesterday, plus started to work out some of the different levels. Ive stopped the station ramps at the baseboard join. With the barrow crossing here, that should hide the join. The other board I haven’t put the landform in yet, as I need to build the steps down from the road. And a general overview photo. Once a few more materials arrive, hopefully it won’t look so flat.

To redress the stream of panniers, how about an autotank today?

It might be a quiet Bank Holiday, but the allotments still need attention.

Well whilst RMweb has been offline this morning, I’ve been busy making the shelter to platform 2. Windows are left overs from the signal box kit, glued onto a sheet of Will packaging with clear fix and stuck into the apertures. I can’t find any photos of the other side, so I’ve presumed it had two windows on the reverse elevation. Now to let the paint dry before giving it a bit of weathering.

Just popped over to the station site to grab some information on the parapets. Using the surveyors laser I have in the car, I’m also able to get the clearance under the bridge without trespassing! I also took a detour back via the old station site at Langford. You can just about make out the sleeper for the siding on the left. If it wasn’t for the lamp, you’d probably miss this as an old station. Anyway, the public bridleway goes under the bridge, so I can check the clearance here. Well that tells me both bridges are approximately 12ft wide by 14ft high. That means I was too narrow. If I space the abutments correctly, the bridge should look like this! I better create a new parapet.

Baseboards assembled yesterday which gave me the chance to size up my challenge. So I laid out the plans to start thinking about composition. Seems to work Ok, however the distance between the station and the box is too close where I’ve compressed it, so they’ll have to remain at a prototypical distance. Also I’ve been struggling with the width of the bridge. Having walked under the bridge at Langford, they are oppressively narrow, but I think my model is a little too tight. Looks like a trip out might be useful later today!

Another view of the car cameo. Sadly the figures got knocked over so are in a slightly different position now. And a closer crop, but I prefer the wider one as it captures the old gate and poster. (I have also now invested in a pot of tacky wax.)

Sorry, I forgotten to crop the image. If you take a closer look at the train in the platform, the composition of the image looks much better.

A bit of progress last night. Gaps in the station roof filled. Also when the kit was cut, I modelled some barge boards. Not prototypical but they do tidy the sandwich of construction. I also started work on the bridge, but it needs to be considerably narrowed, so a bit of cutting will be required over the weekend. And I finally finished the Bobby. He can watch progress on the layout from his shelf. Gutters and flues will be put on as the layout nears completion.

Another day, another pannier. Driver and fireman have a quick chat before departure.

I had hoped it had been preserved, in which case I could have taken a full set of elevations from it, sadly it is no more. According to http://www.philipsharp.net.nz/CRM/TheOtherCartertonRailwayStation.html "The signal cabin remained on the site until it was moved to the Swindon & Cricklade Railway March 1980. The plan was to restore the signal box but the box had decayed too much and parts of the box were used to repair and restore two signal boxes on the Swindon & Cricklade Railway."

I did think about sanding them, but I thought that by the time I had finished, I probably would have gone insane! Next time I’ll use the clear sheets. I think peeling it off these building might cause more damage than good! Roof now on the station building. And the roof to the signal box has been painted. Now to weather them to hide my dodgy modelling!

And they're off!

Various modelling supplies have arrived including some model corrugated asbestos sheets from Wills. I can now put a lid on the signal box. I normally use the clear sheets which gives a nice thin profile, but didn’t want the roofs being damaged by poking fingers, so went for the normal stuff, and it’s really thick! Although it’s easier to cut than I remember. Hopefully when weathered and painted, it’ll look alright. I couldn’t get going with the station roof just yet. I had some glazing to sort out. This is Humbrol clear fix applied from the inside of the kit. The cloudiness seems to clear as it dries. Ive also taken delivery of some Ratio platforms and track work, so hopefully can make good progress over the bank holiday weekend coming up.

The fireman watches the photographer with interest whilst the rest of the crew sort the train ready for departure.

One of the crew appear to be assisting the guard to fully release vacuum from the cylinders under the coach. I guess they might have been dragging on the way down.

The fireman leans leisurely against the south ground frame, waiting for the driver to finally get the loco into the headshunt!

More progress with the station building over the weekend. I hadn’t appreciated how visible the gap would be behind the fascia without a soffit board. No worries, coffee stirrers to the rescue! That looks better. Now the stanchions are on, its starting to look like the images.

1664 pulls in with a train from Kemble

More progress on the station building. Brickwork painted and windows glued in position. Glazing and concrete frame next.

A quiet Sunday morning view of The Splash by the railway.

Its easy to forget just how much horses were still used, although I think this was rapidly starting to diminish in the early 60s.

Put the station building together and it slotted together as expected. It really reflects the utilitarian appearance of the structure. The opening photos of the station shows it to have originally been rendered, but that soon fell off to reveal some massive red blocks! Where to tabs show through the elevation, this is to be covered by strips to represent the buildings concrete frame.