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No it’s not a Viking long boat it’s the new platform with cocktail sticks as I’ve no pins. The idea is something a bit more precision than my failed attempt which was a composite of three layers of foam board balsa and sanded filler. This worked well on my previous layout Milton Quay but I think my fitting of the various layers was too inaccurate so the sides were wonky and and the plasticard brick strips couldn’t get a purchase. The new idea is foam board sides and crossmembers with a 2mm balsa top and embossed plasticard sides finished with with filler for the tarmac.... or that’s the idea.

I mentioned in an earlier post it wasn’t going to be chocolate box modelling, it’s been a while since Melviile Street had a coat of paint and a wash and brush up. Been working with the weathering powders.

I have mentioned the platform is not going well. I think the time has come to acknowledge I have completely b#####ed it that the layout deserves better and it’s time to start again.

Roof now completed primed and in a first coat of slate.

Not a problem and I like the dimensions and look of this. Not a lot of swank with this sort of building when you compare to something like Southampton Terminus which was/is neo-Georgian Italianate . So maybe a secondary commuter terminus on the edge of the City or or part of the West London Line where stations like Kew Bridge were in this style. How about a terminus at Hammersmith Broadway and imagine the LSWR lines lasted into the 70s, all ancient grime and semi dereliction, a bit of a Last days of Broad Street look.

Valid point and I have considered an right hand turnout to give access to the line nearest the board edge. That would still give storage for a 560mm train. On the other hand I wanted to keep the possibility of that track being on the scenic side as an industrial siding or similar, we will see. The idea is to complete the main scenic sections and then take stock at what if anything comes next . Many thanks for your interest it all makes it more enjoyable and good food for thought, and it occurs I might just have a cunning plan.......

Station building is coming on nicely. Brickwork had a coat of Railmatch concrete making sure it went into the mortar gaps between bricks and then when dry rubbing over and smudging various suitable shades of colour pencils ,mostly pastels for the brickwork. Stonework painted with a first coat of Railmatch weathered stone and a bit of filling with Vallejo plastic putty. Still hate digital close ups ,so cruel on minor imperfections, but you get the general idea.

Making a total mess of the platform this evening but think I’ve rescued it. Full story when it’s looking half decent. More work on the station building and finished tiling the roof. Ridges flashing and gutters to sort before painting . Quite pleased so far.

Many thanks Steve. The baseboards are two Scale Model Scenery BB017s 1102mm long and 220mm wide. The visible layout will be about 1300mm with the rest fiddle yard. The design is built around a train length of 560mm which accommodates the 2 car emus nicely and gives a bit of flexibility for parcels stock. You could compress the scheme by as using short turnouts, I have used medium, and a cassette based fiddle yard. I looked at this and could cut the length by a quarter and so use one BB017 and a BB021 550mm extension. However I rejected this as I had the length to play with and preferred the simplicity of a fiddle yard with points and a Peco loco lift or two. Also I really like the look of the medium radius points which might seem a luxury on such a small layout but which somehow seem better aesthetically and emphasise the narrow cramped urban feel I’m going for.

More work on scenics which are coming along. The signal box now has glazing and a name and just needs a handrail for the stairs. I tried building the handrail up from thin plastic rod on a jig but it was too flimsy. Will persevere. Tiling the station roof, very therapeutic with Lcut strips, this is the closest I will ever get to an Alan Downes moment and wasn’t he just amazing. Ended the evening with some fun with trains and broke out my blue 2bil which looks rather splendid alongside the 2hal.

Enjoying and admiring this a lot. I agree on Hatton v Hornby coaches. I’ll be going for Hattons for my twinkle in yo eye after 2 other projects IOW branch. Go on add a platform, somewhere for the visitors to the New Inn to stagger to on the way back to Newport.

Thanks Calidore. Had a look at your topics and liked them a lot. Always fascinated by the Meon Valley line and walked it a lot . Great pubs too but with sad thoughts of the demise of the Red Lion in West Meon. A couple of happy evenings modelling buildings and scenics. All a bit messy for the moment but pics soon. Exciting arrivals today some Sankey Scenics signs ( goodness unintended alliteration) and more arches and some laser cut roof tiles from Lcut.

Got out all my blue locos today including running in my class 73 I’ve had abut 18 months but never run. All good fun. The Hymek isn’t really for Melville Street but looks good anywhere. I’ve managed to acquire the correct Mark 1 coaches plus a Gresley buffet for a Cardiff Pompey service on my planned continuous run, next project after Melville Street. Scenics and buildings coming along nicely.

As ever many thanks for the “likes” . More work on wiring and sort of sorted it with feeds to the toe of points but more to do and understand. I managed to cause a persistent short circuit as well. If I’ve learnt anything about electrics and me it’s keep it simple because if I can cock it up I will. The Wills quoins arrived today, lovely product but I really should have had them from the start as they needed quite a bit of work to thin the plastic if attached to a corner already. I’m very happy with the way the station building is going, another mock up to test the look and clearances helps too. I’m going to add a single story extension on one side and am building a vary girder bridge structure to support the whole thing.

Thank you all for the encouragement, much appreciated. Some rewiring tonight as I had broken the cardinal rule (Dutch cleric I believe) of feeding the toe. All done and no collateral damage except a bit of solder on the rail tops to polish off. More scenic work and mock up of arches to measure up some clearances ... and play trains of course.

More work of the station building and a mock up of the station with cookery books as the platform if you get the general idea.

Making progress with the adapted Knightwing footbridge kit for the straits from high level station building to platform and a lot of head scratching working out the station building hipped roof geometry . Using graph paper geometry set and distant memories of O level maths .

Just noticed I grabbed some English bond plasticard and I’m pretty certain LSWR used Flemish bond. I’ll cope but more haste and other cliches, lesson learnt.

Last post was hangover from yesterday. Not sure what happened! Good modelling this evening. Track weathered with Halfords rattle cans from their camouflage range and all running fine and tested after. Started work on high level station building which I am modelling in half relief. Hope to give it a sort of LSWR neo-Georgian vibe. It’s plasticard on a foam board shell with Wills details. Tried making quoins, desperate job and I’ve ordered some Wills ones, worth it for my sanity.

More testing and playing trains with my blue 2 hal and 2epb along with a class 8. All pretty good except the 2hals dummy pick up shoes foul the third rail in places. I have come across the problem before with a Hornby 2bil. I am reluctant to resort to surgery and have relaid some of the third rail. I have also mystified myself with my attempts to wire sections. It all works but not quite as I envisaged. Pause for thought. All in all the problems are detail and not mayor so scenic work will start from now.

New year job done and all third rail is laid. Code 60 track plus Peco insulators is a maddening job, threading the insulators is fiddly as is drilling the sleepers. Any sort of curve creates a spring which makes gluing the insulators to the sleepers a challenge. The look is pretty good but I’m not sure how viable this would be on a larger layout. If anyone has ideas on a better way to portray the third rail I would be interested . Soldering to brass pins maybe ? Anyway job done for Melville Street and I’ve test run with my blue Crompton and all is good. More testing with an EMU and parcels stock to be done before starting with weathering the track and building up the scenics.

As ever a delight and inspiration. Thank you for sharing. Happy Christmas to you and Mrs W-Station from the sunlit uplands of tier 1.

Thank you and well done.delightfully the best of British.

Had some fun with installing and aligning point motors and two duff switches which needed replacement but sorted now and all seems sound and working and clicking as it should.. The layout is now upstairs in the garage loft which will one day be home to a continuous run but in the mean time is a decent dry place to work on Melville Street. I’m sticking to the ground up principle and have been tidying up the track and installed my first length of third rail using Peco components and code 60 rail. I’ve checked Setrack supplement in this months RM and the layout Futers Fork is very familiar and the operation described is pretty well what l have in mind for Melville Street. Hardly surprising given the Futers inspiration for this layout. Pics show the whole layout with fiddle yard and my first length of third rail.

Great location for a model and some lovely innovative modelling.