lash

December was more than a little busy domestically and with work so no time and/or energy for modelling. So glowing and inspired by the resolution of a new year I managed a happy hour and a half this evening working on the scenics at the bridge end of the layout. You may or may not notice progress but there has been some with layers of texture with a bit of base colour as well. The LSWR lattice starter will be replaced with a Ratio home and distant SR rail built signal like Lymington , no great reason just an attractive ,interesting and plausible feature which I like the idea of .

More progress tonight. A bit of touching up with paints where needed and working on the abutments smoothing Woodland Scenics foam putty over plaster bandage. It’s a really nice product clean easy to work and very light, haven’t tried sanding it yet but will try. Looking at pics of overgrown abutments now for inspiration.

It may not look too different from the last pics but plenty of progress on the bridge. Abutments all built with foam board substructure and plaster cloth and ground treatment started in the surrounding areas . Bridge deck in place. Third attempt now at painting and weathering the girder bridge and this time I like it . Grey spray can ,dry brush with dark rust and a quick woosh from a distance with a black spray can ,all acrylic.

Some good evenings modelling . Ballast looks ok and rails and ballast given a wash of sleeper grime and a light spray of black. Track cleaned tested and running well, used my 2mt tank and green 08 to test . Bridge now part installed . Seems to be going well. Oh and well worth the tidy up as I’m got going AOT and treading on ground signals ( watch this space) every five minutes

Frankly it’s virtually impossible to overdo seagull poo, years ago when I was living in Portsmouth a seagull dropped a huge one on my head when I was just outside my mum and dad’s house. Not the sort of experience you forget and is fresh in my mind 40 years later , and that is the only part of the recollection that was fresh .......

Thanks gents most encouraging. Spent a while cleaning up the track and in a fit of enthusiasm tidied up around the railway room . Work and domestic demands might prevent progress over the next week but I have a cunning plan . When time allows I’m going to work from the ground up to complete the basics of the layout and get it running then go back to complete the details . Most of the component parts are at least part done so what could possibly go wrong ..........

Not too bad , need to clean up a bit , test the electrics and then some weathering and touching up. Point rods need to be darker to stand out.

Had a peek and general furtle this morning. Not too bad some loose ballast particularly the cinders which were laid deep so a quick dose of scenic cement spray ( protecting point blades and connections of course ) . More waiting now .......

It’s an age thing .

Completed first lay of ballasting , fine mixed stone on main lines and cinder on siding . It’s all drying and the jury is most definitely out. It’s either going to look ok or like the Somme on a bad day ( not sure there was ever a good one ) . I don’t dare post pics to avoid upsetting sensitive modellers . Deep breath and wait for it all to dry.

Just lovely !

Oh and as for ballasting ...... To quote Mao “ what does not destroy us makes us stronger”. Totally bo######ed it . Did the classic pva water and washing up liquid mix . Pva was a bit old and dehydrated and went lumpy , horrid sticky mess to clear up . Will start again with Woodland Scenics Scenic Cement.

Adrian and Steve, many thanks and what a useful site. There was a beam that looked just like mine......... but I have resprayed it with a lighter grey to start weathering again on aesthetic grounds ,just too dark with the brickwork and didn’t look right. Will post pics after some weathering.

Wills vary girder ready to install ,but is it too dark and is the rust too much . I thought so but now have my doubts having seen pics of similar bridges . Honest thoughts please bearing in mind this is not a serious urban grime layout . The look I’m after is in need of a coat of paint ,not the day before cloasure after 30 years neglect and filth

Got in a good couple of hours modelling this evening . Installed Wills point rodding on premade bases and touched up paint . Looks ok I think but will the more exacting observer please note it is not intended to be accurate, more a visual impression . I admire those that do go to the nth degree of tiny accuracy but that’s not for me as should be pretty obvious !! Question is would I bother again ...... jury's out on that . Used Woodland Scenics flexible filler stuff to build up siding by the dock for ash ballast to pretty well bury the sleepers , bit messy and still drying out . Will need to paint before the ballast goes down so let’s see how it turns out . Finally showing off some of my very nice Hornby Mk 1s some from the Wigan show and some off the net . 5 immaculate coaches for just over £100 brilliant , I love a bargain and proves I can buy items suitable for my current layout even if I don’t need 5 for the moment .

Got it in one damn you . Yes a third rail meets widened lines mash up somwhere around Farringdon, Snow Hill ,Holborn, but loads to do on other stuff before that so a pipe dream ............

Not too soon but one day and I have a cunning plan .... Anyway won an eBay auction and 4 more blue mk1 suburbans have arrived. Now back to the south coast.

A slight pause in modelling as children work and sorting my garden have intervened . However next week will see me back in harness with some big moments coming with installing my attempt at point rodding and ballasting ( everyone’s favourite job) . While not modelling I have had time to visits the Wigan show and buy a few things and also I had an online spree and ended up buying some very unsuitable items for Milton Quay , hey ho resistance is useless Here is evidence of my more off piste purchases , did someone turn right at Farringdon via the old Snow Hill and head for the coast ??

Aha just clocked Adrian was Stepney Green and Steve at North Weild . Doesn’t alter my ponderings.

Thanks Steve ,looks like you and Adrian were in the same place ! Did you meet , I don’t know what he looks ,like I’m torn between the young Clint Eastwood and Terry Thomas ............

Pleasant couple of hours working on the bridge and track testing/ playing trains. It’s got to be a good idea using lots of different stock so the 2mt was on passenger duties running round a couple of Bulleid coaches and best of all using the three tracks as an inglenook shunting puzzle reconfiguring a short tanker train from the docks swapping the ends of the barrier wagon and the brake van with my Blackmotor . Great play value and a genuine test for the track

Looks very similar in style doesn’t it .LT makes a lot of sense as the origin.maybyet be the inspiration for a crack at a layout incorporating the widened lines near Farringdon , blue mk1 suburbans a lovely price at Hattons at the moment and memories of class 31s and my first year at university ( the intense smell of meat in the side roads by Smithfield will never leave me or the pleasure of the best doorstep cheese and pickle sandwiches ever from a cafe in Cowcross Street ....I could go on ) All the best and many thanks. Richard

Just going off piste a bit I spotted this along with a few other railway signs and plates in an antique/ vintage shop in Ryde a couple of weeks ago and my partner Christine bought it for me as a pressy for the railway room when this is up and running . I love it but can anyone help with its origins . I reckon London Transport , the paint runs on the back look a bit familiar from a few years back ,but it could be BR southern region ,probably not old enough for SR but how would I know . Any thoughts out there. My internet research has drawn a blank so far .

Worked on the canopy and few odds and ends and put together another mock up . Need to work out how to fit it all together.

Managed some modelling every evening this week so nice to keep up momentum. More work on the bridge and mocked it up with the girder support ( which I found where it should be, amazing)