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PaternosterRow

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  1. PaternosterRow
    The Express Models welding unit has finally gone in and, apart from eagerly awaiting some goodies from Ehattons, the layout is more or less complete.
     

     

     

     

     

     

     
    The building could be slotted into a larger layout if need be but that's for another time. At the moment I'm having a bit of fun modifying a SuperQuick Ash Plant for a small shed scene.
  2. PaternosterRow

    1984

    By PaternosterRow,

    I was reading 1984 a few weeks ago when I came across a blog entry by Scots Region called Victory Road - http://www.rmweb.co...._fromsearch__1. A fictitious layout of a station from the novel. This really got the modeling juices flowing and I began the usual postulating when we get an idea into our heads. I had a half completed station throat model that I'd never been happy with and started to put two and two together. I PM'd Scots Region who kindly allowed me to proceed with his original idea.
     

    The original model underneath the new overall station roof.
     

    INGSOC logo - Newspeak for English Socialism
     

    Underneath the arches - old derelict London where the Proles live.
     

    The Platform and INGSOC advertisements. These were sourced from the internet.
     

    Another shot of the platform and the INGSOC logo.
     
    With most of the work been done it was easy to knock up a bunker style roof out of 6mm ply - this was covered in PVA and given a shake of fine sand.
    I wanted to capture the feel of the novel by using a 'Big Brother' utilitarian style overlaying the remnants of old London (Air Strip One). The four big ministries from the novel are housed in pyramid type structures so I wanted to also capture a Pharonic architectural feel - this seems apt to the 1984 theme.
     
    Orwell has to be one of my favorite authors and I'm a great admirer of his plain English prose. Many of his novels contain a gritty reality - read 'The Road to Wigan Pier' for a desperate description of poverty in the North of Britain in the 1930's. He is, of course, most famous for '1984' and 'Animal Farm', both parodies of Totalitarian society's, but he was also an avid reformer. He championed the need for a welfare system, but was always aware of the hidden dangers of ideologies and religions. Most particularly the Soviet regime of 1930/40's Russia - it seems that just causes can always be twisted out of shape by zealots or a power hungry elite.
     
    There's a lot of fun to had with this scheme and I can't wait to start knocking up an armored train. If anyone has any ideas for motive power and coach types I'd be glad to hear them. The novel suggests that things started going awry shortly after the Second World War and the only R and D that went on was related to all things military. Steam would therefore be still being used in the alternative 1984 and there would be a lot of run down engines and coach stock about.
  3. PaternosterRow
    The arch infills and girder bridge are now completed.
     
    There are no station names in 1984, only Newspeak abbreviations. The station is known only as INTSEC 3/19 (Intersection of Main Line 3 and tube station 19) - you can make your own mind up as to which North London Station it represents!
     

     
    Winston stands alone on the platform and watches a B set pull in amid the smoke and steam - I must get around to giving him a pair of eyes!
     

     
    I figured that seeing how Orwell wrote this in 1948/9 BR would have already come into existence. Praries and Mark 1 coaches would have therefore been used and continued to have been used in his alternative future.
     

     

     
    The Prole area - Old London, although bombed and derelict, still exists under the concrete monoliths of Big Brother. Under the official party posters Winston could make out various prole advertisements. As long as they remained dormant, the majority of the population were allowed their cheap thrills and entertainment. Party members were strictly forbidden from attending these events, but if offered a glimpse of how the world was before INGSOC.
     

     
    Winston had met Parsons on the way in. He had a low level job at the Ministry of the Truth and was therefore Winston's colleague. He also lived on the same floor of his apartment block so it was difficult to avoid the man. Short and rotund, Parsons was full of boyish enthusiasm and was endlessly attending meetings, community hikes, demonstrations and the like. He was a leading member of the INGSOC Sports committee and cut a ridiculous figure especially when bounding about in his jogging shorts. It was Parson's sort of unquestioning devotion, along with thousands of others just like him, that the party depended on. A blind faith that was more important to its survival than the Thought Police. He and his ilk irritated Winston with their slogans and doubleplusgood mindset. Parsons had been discussing some or other droll event with a couple of members of the anti-sex league in the subway entrance. The tall blond women, with a scarlet sash wound tightly round her waist, the vile symbol of self imposed purity, reminded Winston of his own wife, another empty-headed party devotee. The memory of her chilled him and he'd been relieved when they had decided to part ten years earlier. Their type had survived the endless purges of the last 30 years until they now dominated the ranks of the outer party; any chance of a counter revolution had therefore long since vanished. Winston was dead, he'd known that the minute he'd committed his first thought crime, but Parsons and his type would thrive and the party would endure for a thousand years because of it.
     

  4. PaternosterRow

    1984 - Un-Person

    By PaternosterRow,

    Battle of Britain Class pulls in to the station. Winston knew it was an InterCity (INCIT in Newspeak) and was reserved for upper party officials only. Passes to travel to other cities for outer party members were rare indeed. Only the upper party and proles could freely use these trains.
     

     

     
    I've included another shot of the Prole area showing an armoured car this time. This is an Airfix model and I made the very same kit 35 years ago would you believe. They say that there's no continuity to our lives and that it's a forever changing landscape, but this little kit took me right back to where my love for modelling began. Thank you, Airfix!
     

     
    And Finally
     

     
     
    As Winston had approached the station entrance from under the bridge he had spotted Syme talking to two guard officers. Despite his nervousness he’d managed to carry on walking straight toward them in a nonchalant manner; an evasive trick he’d subconsciously developed over the years. As expected, the guards had wanted to know what he had been doing in the restricted Prole area, but Winston had already got his story straight by the time he’d reached them. He’d simply said that he’d been looking for razor blades; a perfectly reasonable excuse given that there was a shortage at the moment. After an awkward moment of silence they had even asked him if he’d found any and if he had any spare to give away. Winston replied that he had found none, excused himself and carried on walking to the station after they had checked his permit papers.
     
    Syme also worked at the Ministry of Truth but in the Research Department. Whilst he could hardly be called a friend, he and Winston often lunched together in the canteen. Just yesterday, over a mug of that awful Victory Gin, Syme began expressing his delight over the destruction of words as usual. He was a philologist, an expert in Newspeak and was working on the eleventh edition of the Newspeak Dictionary. The man was a fanatic and had those piercing eyes that constantly searched your face for the slightest sign of heresy. If he’d have had the slightest inkling of Winton’s thought crimes he’d have reported him in an instant.
     
    Before Winston walked into the station entrance he glanced back at Syme. He was still talking in that animated, over enthusiastic fashion. Probably even telling the guards how important his work was and that when he and his department had destroyed the last adjective it would be impossible for any person to commit thought crime in the future. The absence of adjectives coupled with contracted nouns and verbs would prevent free thought according to the current political philosophy. In Winston’s mind this was impossible for how do you destroy a person’s memory?
     
    Winston found himself pitying Syme as walked up toward platform level. The man was dead. He was destined to become an un-person just like Winston, it was only a matter of time. The Party hated his type; he simply knew too much and was too much of an open talker given the opportunity. They wanted dumb followers, not intelligent lecturers. Winston pulled up his collar and hunched his shoulders forward against a chilling thought; another purge would be imminent after the release of the eleventh Dictionary. It was certain; the only way to destroy words and the free thought they inspired was to physically destroy the minds that contained any memory of them.
     

  5. PaternosterRow
    Winston Smith arrived this morning courtesy of Gaugemaster. I've trawled the net looking for a suitable figure, but could only find one from the Preiser Mechanics set. Although you can tell that H0 figures are slightly underscale for 4mm, Preiser still have the best range of rendered figures. They are so well painted and detailed that I personally can't resist them.
     

     
    Winston looks lost under the claustrophobic concrete roof. I've also bought some East German guards (which have yet to arrive), the German POW set and the Refugee set (these will need painting) - all from the Preiser Range.
     

     
    A shot of the whole model with all of the concrete structures in place. Just the arch infills, roadway and pavement to do plus the backscene and old shop fronts under the bridge.
     

     
    This is a shot of my Dapol Prarie. It is just a plastic kit, but it is well detailed and I'm going to build a few more I think - any suggestions as to which I should buy will be well received. I've an old Lima Shunter that's going to be converted to an armoured train - I absolutely refuse to mess about with any of my other stock.
  6. PaternosterRow

    80 years on the GWR

    By PaternosterRow,

    Another mess about with video. This is much inspired by Mikkel's Farthing Layouts although it's nowhere near his modeling standards. I'm also sure that many GWR fans will know that inappropriate stock has been used, but it is my first attempt. I hope you like the concept.
     
     
     
    I don't think the attachment has uploaded properly so take a look at this link instead:
     

     

  7. PaternosterRow

    A Duchess at Carlisle

    By PaternosterRow,


    Carlisle
    The latest project.  I've been off and on with this layout over the last couple of years.  So I decided to buckle down and get on with it.  The roof is still under construction and I'm very much at the McGuyvering stage.  There's always a lot of niggles to sort.  This is a quarter of a station scheme with a mirror at the rear to double the length.  The whole layout is a mere 6.5 foot long.
     
     

    This is an original Hornby Margate version of a Duchess which has been fettled with.  The track is all Code 75 and the baseboard was made from an internal door picked up from my DIY store.  Using a door is quick and almost as cheap as making up one yourself.  It's also very straight and square as you can imagine and therefore helps when you make roof structures out of wire.
     

     
     
     
     
     

     
     
     

     
    Although the station is not an exact copy of the North End of the station I have tried to remain faithful to the roof profile.   This has been made with 1mm dia wire that has been soldered together in various jigs.
  8. PaternosterRow

    A Duchess at Carlisle II

    By PaternosterRow,


    Paternosterrow Blog
    The latest pics of progress.  The roof is complete and a backscene of joined, white mounting card has been erected.  Just a small section of some platform buildings and a LCut footbridge to install.  I also need to get a printout of the real citadel building seen to the rear of the station - this will be pasted to card and placed in the correct position on the backscene.
     
     
     

     
    The above looks a bit like a painting in a way.  There is no photoshop trickery here - the photo has been merely cropped.  Taken by a Fuji Bridge, F11, 1 sec exposure, ISO 100 with a slight adjustment on the white balance to prevent washout.  I've used my homemade lighting rig cobbled together from an old overhead projector.   A mirror has been placed at the end of the roof section to make the station look much larger.
     

     
    Just under the screen - again, a cropped Fuji shot.  Note the reflection of the inside of the end screen in the distance.
     

     
    This picture was actually taken at night using a spotlight and a diffuser box powered by a LED 100 watt equivalent bulb (see pics below).  I got the spot from a man who used to be a projectionist many years ago.  The spot is as old as the hills but works brilliantly and it only cost me around £10.  I was trying to emulate streaming sunlight, but, as my wife pointed out, it just looks like someone shining a torch through the roof.  Some more thinking required.
     

     
    Another night shot - this time with my Panasonic Lumix shoot and go camera.  I used the 'Starry Night' long-exposure setting - placing my hand over the lens after about 4 seconds to prevent white out (the camera only goes down to 15 seconds exposure on this setting).  
     

     
    The cheap spot with my own version of a beam splitter taped to the front.
     

     
    The LED diffuser box.  It is just a simple cardboard box with tracing paper front taped over an ordinary bulb holder.
  9. PaternosterRow
    In response to fellow RMweb members who were interested in how I made the overall wire roof the following is an article that was scheduled to appear in a future edition of FRMR. The baseboard for the model had been completed by the end of December and the roof structure by the end of January. It was around this time I emailed some pictures to the late Bob Barlow, who in response asked me to write a short article about its construction. By the time this was sent the poor man was probably starting to become very ill. It would be in bad taste, as much as a lack of respect, to send it on to another magazine but it’d also be a great shame to just bin it. So here it is. I’m sure Bob would have put his experienced editorial eye over it before it made it to print so this is it how it was submitted without any adjustments.
     
     
    An Overall Station Roof from Galvanised Wire
     
    By Mike Lynch
     

     
     
     
    After the success of my ‘House of Shadows’ layout I decided to push the concept further and use the same internal lighting technique for a small station scene. The general idea was to construct an overall arched roof on a 6 foot long curved layout and enclose it in a custom made lighting box. Most of my previous roofed dioramas have been made from 1mm diameter galvanised wire and I could see no reason why this roof couldn’t be made the same way. Being from the ‘make do and mend’ generation, I’m always looking out for ways to model on the cheap. This can be an expensive hobby and the amount of brass material required would cost way too much for what will only really be a photographic display. Bundles of galvanised wire were found at a tip some years ago so all my roof schemes have only ever cost the price of the solder and flux! Many modellers would recoil at the thought of using material like this because it is not an accurate representation of that used on the prototype. But I’m more of a ‘fine art’ rather than ‘fine scale’ modeller (if there can be any such thing) so it’s only the overall impression I’m interested in. To me, the background is incidental to the stock so as long as it looks fairly realistic that does for me.
     
    The first thing to do before undertaking any such scheme was to trawl my collection of prototype books for pictures of Victorian Overall roofs. The thing I noticed most was how the curving steel stanchions seem to disappear into the sides of the support walls instead of sitting squarely on top of their masonry columns. This means that the feet of these half circle stanchions rest much further down toward platform level. In order to create the same effect small curving flutes were made from cardboard, painted and then mounted onto the wall. This arrangement dictated the circumference of the wire arches; they would now need to be about a third of a circle in diameter instead of a half. The photorealistic wall texture, Carlisle Station Wall, is from the Smart Models range and very much lends an authentic look; the three arch bays also neatly predetermined the stanchion spacing.
     
    Station roofs, like all roofs, are made from a collection of standardised components that have been pre-made in a factory, delivered to site and erected. The same process needed to be mimicked in model form. Therefore, each of the arches had to be made exactly the same in order to achieve the duplication found in roof structures of this type. The layout needed 13 spans; 11 of these were going to be double sided with two single arch spans at the entrance and at the rear. The entrance span was going to be glass fronted so it required window bars to match the acetate texture that was going to be used. A mirror was going to be employed to double the length of the scene at the rear of the layout so the other span would need to be single in order to create the correct reflection and neatly reinforce the illusion. In total then, I’d need to make 24 single sided arches in some sort of a jig.
     
    A side elevation plan of the layout was drawn up for reference beforehand and then transferred to an old off cut of plasterboard which would be used as the master jig. The wires would need to be held in place by small grooves during soldering so these were simply scored out with the tip of a small screwdriver once the paper covering had been cut away to reveal the Gypsum underneath. Plaster board is excellent for this type of work as it’s easy to score out (try scoring curved lines in wood!), it also doesn’t absorb much heat from the soldering iron and subject metal.
     
    Once satisfied that all the measurements and lines were correct the wire was prepared. This had to be stretched by use of a vice and pair of pliers in order to straighten it out; the wire is quite soft so this also introduces a little tension and ensures that it doesn’t bend as easily when working with. It was then cleaned with some Emery paper and cut into the predetermined lengths required.
     
    During the making up process I found it best to quickly drop a little blob of solder on each of the joints first, let it cool and then go back and work it around properly. I also like to be liberal with the flux; it’s messy but it makes for a solid joint and there’s also nothing quite so satisfying than watching solder flow easily over metal. In the first test arch only the uprights between the outer and inner curving wires were soldered. This was then taken up and offered to the master plan for checking. However, the outer wires started to bend up out of shape after a few minutes and I thought that at this point the scheme would come to nothing. Going back to the prototype pictures I soon began to realise why the engineers had introduced angled locking bars between their uprights. These were introduced into the master jig and another arch was quickly soldered up; it worked and provided a powerful insight into the design of these types of structures. In fact, just to ensure against any further springing a longitudinal locking bar between the arch feet was also incorporated; these can be found in a lot of roof structures and are commonly referred to as Collars.
     
    Once these arches were complete 22 were joined together at 10mm apart with temporary wire spacers to make the 11 double arch spans required. These wires would be removed later when the spans were finally linked up with each other. The entrance and mirror arches were modified accordingly. Once washed down the spans were transferred to a master plan that had been carefully drawn out on a separate board. This plan mimicked the curving wall and its column locations exactly. At this stage another template was scored out on the plasterboard in order to make the triangular glazing sections that sit atop the arches. These were relatively quick to run off and were soldered on in situ without too much fuss.
     
    Joining all of the spans to form a cohesive whole was very straightforward. Using cardboard spacers as guides, simple lengths of wire were soldered along the outside length of the span run. It was crucial to ensure these joiners were spaced correctly in order to accommodate the acetate glazing panels that were going to be used. Where these joining bars needed to be thicker, individual lengths of wire were soldered together before being fitted. In order to ensure the curve remained true, so that the structure exactly fitted the sweep of the wall, 5mm square metal bars were soldered on the feet bottoms at both sides. These were picked up quite cheaply from a local DIY store and were easily bent to shape. Once the structure was complete it was thoroughly washed down with hot water and detergent. I did this in the bath and won’t be doing anything like that again simply for the sake of domestic harmony!
     
    On a final note, this has been a very cheap project to date; even the baseboard came off a disused hoarding found at the road side. The roof took about 30 hours to complete and, as described, was very simply and quickly put together. Researching the prototype was also very enjoyable and gave plenty of insight into the design and assembly of this type of roof construction. Some of these Victorian super structures are now over 150 years old and despite the weather, Hitler’s bombs in some cases and the appalling lack of maintenance during the BR era they remain solid and true. They are testament to the abilities of the original designers, engineers and erectors. This has made me wonder just how long my simple model will last; that’s in scale years of course!
     
     

    The Master Jig - an old off cut of plasterboard.
     

    The jig took a bit of a bashing but is still servicable should an extension be made at a later date.
     

    Once joined together the arch spans were transferred to an accurate plan of the layout drawn out on a 'making up' board.
     

    There was a fair bit of fiddling about during the making up process and the entire structure was regularly test fitted against the layout.
     

    Once the structure was complete it was offered up to the mirror. The purpose of the single arch span at the rear of the layout is now obvious. Its reflection reinforces the illusion of an unbroken series of double arch spans.
     

    An initial test shot during the covering stage and before the Light Box section was made.
     

    A shot of the completed structure under natural lighting conditions.
  10. PaternosterRow
    State of play thus far with 'The Works' - new wire roof fitted before covering. The roof is designed so that it can be removed for track cleaning and loco placing. I've tried hard with this one to get everything straight and square.
     

     
    I'm trying to achieve something like the roof at Loughborough Works. This photo is from The Railway Magazine (Nov 2012 souvenir issue) - it show the works in the late 80's building the Class 60. It's a former wagon works, but loco erecting shops and wagon works shared similar architecture. The overhead cranes, however, were much bigger in erecting shops due to the higher loads. Therefore, the running beams were much deeper and chunkier.
     

     

     

     
    For the illusion to work it's absolutely essential to get everything in line to form the perfect repetition you get with real factory roof structures. Everything is made from 1mm fencing wire which has been soldered up in jigs.
     

     
    I will be adding two cranes per run (the two would often be used in tandem to lift heavy loads) and all the other stuff you'd associate with works once the roof is covered.
  11. PaternosterRow
    Just a few pictures of a model of the Launch Umbilical Tower in 1/400 scale I made a few years ago.  The Saturn V is a Dragon model.  This is my tribute to those magnificent people that worked to put a man on the moon before 1970.  I still quite can't believe that there are still people who refuse to believe in this brilliant achievement.  Especially given the plethora of scientific information available on the web nowadays.  I'm really enjoying the event and there has been some great stuff on the TV showing a load of previously unseen footage of the event.
     

    A picture sourced from NASA showing the real Apollo 11 en route to Pad 39A.
     

     
    My take of the Launch Umbilical Tower as copied from the picture of the real thing behind.
     
     

    Outside shot in the garden.  The plane going over was just a lucky coincidence as I took the shot.
     
     
     
     

    All the way from Cape Killarney!  This is where I live in Southern Ireland.
     

    A night shot - the tower has been stuffed with a set of cheap LEDs run from a battery.  The light shines out of small drilled holes in the tower.
     
     
    I was a young boy in 1969 and the Apollo moonshots dominated our lives.  It was an exciting time to be alive during an era full of hope for the future.  We were a lot less introspective back then and all of us thought we'd be living on the moon by now.  What a wonderful achievement - the benefits of which we have been living off ever since.
  12. PaternosterRow
    Just a quick update on progress so far.
     
    The track is down and wiring nearing completion. There's been a lot happening here of late with family matters of one thing and another so modeling time has been severely compromised.
     

     
    My wiring method ain't neat, but it works! All points are motored and the frogs wired to Peco switches - a lot of work but worth the effort for a yard type layout. So hopefully loco stutter will be non existent and slow running should be superb when all things have been tested. I like to attach the motor directly to point then cut out a hole in the board to take it - note the piece of mounting card between point a motor that fills the gap in the hole. This is going to save a load of work patching up the holes at a later stage when it comes to ballasting.
     
    When wiring, I tend to draw a crude track plan on the side of the layout support boards then put a load of screws in that represent the point switches and isolated sections etc - these have the appropriate wires under the board soldered to them. I then use stud probes to test the under board wiring by placing them on the screw heads. Later on these screw heads will have wires soldered to them that, in turn, will connect to surface switches on a control panel. It seems a good way of testing first and also limiting the amount of wires under the board itself. I've already identified a point that was giving a short - forgot to remove the tiny wires under the electrofrog that connect the blades and frog! If you look carefully at the picture you'll see these screws.
     

     
    This is a pic of the layout on its side on my workbench. I've tried to nail that fan shape that's typical of Barrow Hill. Hope I've succeeded - only time will tell!
     

     
    Another pic of the track plan.
     
    That's all for now - testing during the week!!
  13. PaternosterRow
    I've finally buckled down and decided to build a layout based on Barrow Hill's Service Yard. At first I'd made great plans to somehow incorporate this with my layout of the Roundhouse, but reason has prevailed and I've decided to just model the yard which will butt up against a low relief version of the Roundhouse.
     

     
    The coaling stage and ash plant, heavily modified versions of the Super Quick models, are just for scale. I made these at the same time as my 'D' Shop model during the brief interludes whilst glue was drying etc.
     

     
    I've used the brilliant Peco track templates to help get that fan shape that's typical of the point layout at Barrow Hill. I've also used a Google Earth Print out of the prototype to help get the planning right - you can see this and a photo of the site pasted down on the layout boards. Also learnt that a bargain isn't always a bargain as I bought the plywood in a sale at a local DIY store only to find that it started to slightly de-laminate once I started pasting down the paper templates. So I've resorted to tacking down certain areas with panel pins where it has lifted. As my dear old Dad used to say - "there's no such thing as owt for nowt."
     

     

     

     
    The above demonstrates how I constructed the coaling stage ramp. I've gone for Scalescene's brilliant coaling stage kit which has been slightly modified. Although there is no stage at Barrow Hill at the moment there are plans afoot to restore the original. However, this was more like the Metcalfe version, but I just thought the Scalescenes Didcot type was better looking.
     

     

     

     
    I'm just waiting for track, points, motors and some other bits and pieces to arrive now.
     
    I don't use DCC, too expensive, so I've come up with a cunning plan for a lot of isolating sections. This will involve screw heads, lots of wire and some stud probes - more later as the layout develops.
  14. PaternosterRow
    I was going to have a go at making the yard at Barrow Hill to compliment a previous model of the Roundhouse made about a year and a half ago. However, after much thought, I decided that the original model just wouldn't do - so here are some pics of my second attempt.
     

     
    The turntable is from Walther's Cornerstone which matches the one at Barrow Hill although it's longer. Some say the model isn't up to scratch, but it was easy to put together. I did have some problems with the motor, but after a bit of jigging about it works okay. Pollyfiller was used on the last model, however, I decided to go for card this time. The sections were carefully measured up before cutting and placing between the rails.
     

     
    The roof structure is made from stretched lengths of galvanised wire (0.75 mm thick), which has been soldered together. Templates were made in order to ensure all the trusses lined up. This a pic of it being cleaned of flux in the bath - I got into a lot of trouble over the mess!
     

     
    A test shot of a few models before the walls get made.
     
    Few more pics today of the roof being test fitted before measuring up for walls etc:-
     

     

     
    I've used a couple of Peco inspection pits and probably could have used more, but costs are always an issue and also having too many holes in the base board would have weakened it. I'm keen to avoid sag especially when all the stock goes on.
     
    By the way Will J, the plan is not based on Tyseley as stated - sorry, my mistake - but on the Saltley Depot in Birmingham.
  15. PaternosterRow
    Smoke hoods now in. I only intend to cover 12 roads out of the 24. I took on board the advice about lowering them closer to the locos but looking at the pictures of Saltley and old pics of Barrow Hill I noted that they are about this height anyway. I guess that when initially installed in Victorian times they suited the height of the tall stacks on the steam engines of that time. Hoods for newer roundhouses were then brought down much closer to suit later train design.
     
    Below is a picture I took during my visit to Barrow Hill for a comparison with the model.
     

     

     
    Also a shot between the locos
     

     
    Another shot of the hoods.
     

     
    I'm not sure if I should cover all the roads for effect but it'll have to be done before the roof covering and lights go in so comments are most welcome.
  16. PaternosterRow
    Tried a couple of smoke hoods just to see if they look okay. These are copies of the old types as used at Saltley. I tried another design first and made twenty before deciding that I didn't like them!! The ones in the pics actually look as if they are designed to do the job.
     

     
    Tried a long exposure shot -
     

     
     
    Comments most welcome because I don't want to destroy the look already achieved without the hoods. I notice that at Barrow Hill only under half the roads have hoods for the steam engines whilst the diesel end has none. Therefore, I'm only going to cover 8 or 9 roads.
  17. PaternosterRow
    Progress so far. Walls are up - some Scalescenes papers and a few spare Brassmasters windows later and the roof still fits fine. Smoke Hoods, detailing and roof covering still to complete.
     

     
    Another pic from a different angle.
     

     
    It isn't an exact copy of Barrow Hill, rather a mish mash of what a Round House would look like although the roof profile is the same. I've used a pictures from Both Barrow Hill and some old photos of Saltley as a reference.
  18. PaternosterRow
    Finished!!
     
    Had a play about with the stock today, but had a few problems. The usual suspects - dirty track and wheels, bad connections etc. This is the frustrating aspect of 4mm scale - especially when you've double checked the circuits and cleaned everything about a 100 times!
    A few pics below - more tomorrow if I'm allowed - we're supposed to be going up some hill or other for a walk. Know what I'd rather be doing!!
     

     
    Managed to capture the streak through the smoke with the internal lamps, but still can't get it from the light through the roof windows. Tried more smoke and spot lights, but it just wont have it.
     

     

     
    Can you guess which is my favorite train at the moment. The Heljan Class 33 is a really beautiful model - get little runner too.
  19. PaternosterRow
    Smoke Hoods are now all in - phew! I actually do think it looks better now, but comments/suggestions always welcome.
     

     
    Been experimenting with a roof finish also. On the last model I used 160gsm light card that was photocopied with Scale-scene's corrugated texture on both sides and transparencies with the same pattern as the windows, but it never looked right. This time I've used 1.5mm card with cut out window openings - the papers have been pasted on and transparencies with the corrugated finish have been used to cover the openings. Anyone who might have a better suggestion, please let me know. The roof structure is a lot stronger than it looks and can easily support the weight of the card without sag.
     

     
    A shot of the real location taken on a visit 18 months ago.
     

     
    However, the lights are going to be a headache. I'm trying to keep to a tight budget so suggestions from those with plenty of experience with LEDs, grain of rice bulbs etc would be gratefully received.
  20. PaternosterRow
    The Lights are in - blew one up by not using resistor when testing, but the rest work fine! Here's a smoky shot (cigarette smoke) with the lights on (I've used 8 in total).
     

     
    The next shot is a smoky one with outside daylight (simulated by a couple of 100watt bulbs). I'm trying to get the sunlight streaming through the smoke effect, but just can't get it to work yet.
     

     
    I've included this last picture because I quite like the mottled effect from the roof windows on the walls.
     

     
    These are the lights I've used from Express Models. At £3.25 a pop, they are an extravagance especially as this model was supposed to be built on a tight budget. However, I think the whole look would have been compromised if I hadn't used them and given that they are exquisitely made (and come with a resistor) they are cheap at twice the price.
     

     
     
    Just a few more jobs to do - cover up light electrics on top of roof, fit a fascia and attach the control panel then it's time to start playing trains.
  21. PaternosterRow
    Stage 1 of the roof covering. Scale scenes corrugated roof texture has been photocopied on to 160 gsm light card and window openings cut out. I thought I might get away with just one layer with the texture on both sides, but it leaks too much light. Another layer will be applied - another lot of windows to cut!! The openings have been covered over with a transparency which has had the same texture copied onto it - this nicely emulates dirt that has collected in the corrugations as on a real roof.
     

     

     
     
    The other layer will cover up all those nasty white bits. One bugbear - the photocopier at work broke down last week so I had to use the local newsagent, but their copier is not a good one and the texture has come out with a slight pink tinge. I'm hoping a bit of weathering and some matt varnish will tone this down a bit.
     

  22. PaternosterRow
    The roof panels are now complete. A couple of pics to show different light levels achieved by altering the camera settings.
     
    A first shot showing the Stygian gloom on an ordinary indoor setting (candlelight).
     

     
    The next shot on a sensitive setting at a longer exposure. Quality is compromised on this type of setting.
     

     
    I'm not entirely happy with some of the openings - they are not all flat, but this is because of the thinness of the card used. However, what can you expect when there are 152 of them!
     
    Next - the lights. I bought some ready made pendant lights from Express Models (very prompt service - I got the package only 2 days after ordering). 8 of these will hopefully bring up the interior light levels for some good shots of the locos.
     
    Comments most welcome.
  23. PaternosterRow

    BILSTON STEEL WORKS

    By PaternosterRow,


    BILSTON
    Some months ago I came across a fantastic website - www.britishsteelbilston.com - about the Bilston Steel works in Wolverhampton, West Midlands.  This has been put together by Mr Andrew Simpson who worked there and is well worth a visit - there are some fantastic photos including a section on the Work's locomotives.  In fact, I contacted Andrew and he put me in touch with a Mr Roger Deans, a chief fitter at Bilston, who has provided me with information and a lot of stories about his time there.  I was so taken with Bilston itself, and is a place I clearly remember from my childhood cycling adventures down the canals, that I decided to recreate a small shunting layout based on a typical British steelworks. 
     

     
    Bilston in its early 70s heyday - a clear shot of how close you could get to a Blast Furnace from the canals in those pre H&S days!  The furnace was called Elisabeth (with an s not a z) in honour of the owner's daughter and not the Queen as often suggested.  She was first lit in 1954 and closed down in 1977.  Her weekly output was about 5000 tons.  
     

     
    Canal boats would often float past even on the most busiest of days at the Steelworks.
     

     
    My take on part of a steelworks.  Note the mirror underneath the building at the end of the canal.  Like all micro layout creators I am obsessed with successful scenic breaks!  Apart from the obvious join line across the canal I think the trick works rather well.
     

     
    The Engineering Shop at Bilston.  Notice the uneven buckling of the corrugated panels - that is how they actually look in real life on all industrial buildings.  I'd like to claim that I have successfully emulated this in my own model but can't as it was entirely accidental. I guess when you use the correct thickness of foil you get the same effect!  The colour match is also a lucky guess and came from a discarded paint can found at my local tip.
     

     
    The above picture is actually from Shelton Bar Steelworks in Stoke on Trent.  I was so taken with the scene that I wanted to recreate it on the layout.
     
     

     
    May take on the Shelton Bar building over the canal.
     

     
    I love these wagons from Golden Valley Hobbies.  They are being hauled by a freelance version of a Hunslet 0-4-0.  Based on the cheap Hornby mechanism I have used bits and pieces from an old Dapol Shunter kit and a second hand Bagnell.  The Dapol 16T mineral is permanently attached and its wheels have been given extra pickups that feed the Hornby motor via small connect wires - whilst not a brilliant crawl type runner it works really well on the layout.
     

     
    Plan view of the layout - it has a fiddle yard to the right and is connected via a link to my Floodgate Street layout to the Left. I've done this for space considerations and also to allow FGS to share the new fiddle yard.  
     

     
    More pics to follow about construction etc.
  24. PaternosterRow

    BILSTON STEEL WORKS part 2

    By PaternosterRow,


    BILSTON
    I have decided to put another removable, half-relief shed where the backscene photo of the Cooling Towers are - they can still be viewed by simply removing the new structure if desired.  The new shed is being constructed at the moment.  I have also still got a pile of work to do on the steel wagon fleet - all will need Spratt & Winkle couplings like the rest of my wagons.
     

     
    The Yorkshire, sloped-sided shunter, common at Bilston was from Judith Edge.  I'm not particularly good at kit building and tried to short cut the process by using the motor and wheel set out of an old On30 Bachmann Porter.  It was a disaster and I just couldn't get it to run right - the motor was eventually removed and the Shunter is merely a cosmetic scene filler.  Maybe one day I'll save enough up and have one commissioned!
     

     
    Another picture of Shelton Bar in Stoke on Trent - a marvellous shot from a 1970 amateur film.  Proving how close you could get to Steelworks back in the pre H&S days.
     

     
    The start of construction.
     

     
    I make my own point switching devices - they work too!  The switch block shown here was temporary in order to test the isolated sections.  I have since replaced the nail contacts of each DIY polarity switch with Brass screws and a piece of conductive spring wire from some very old Lima points.
     


     
    The freelance Hunslet 0-4-0 - copied from the background picture.  This is permanently attached to a Dapol 16t mineral with added wheel pickups.  Not a crawl type shunter but works really well on the layout for a bit of general hauling.  A superb Bachmann Class 08 does all the heavy work on the layout.
     

     
    The end shed during making - just a 3mm MDF shell covered over with foil corrugated sheets.
     

     
    I'm not sure if Wills would approve but I used their basic corrugated sheet as a template to create my own foil ones.  Interestingly the foil came from the underside of a Thatched Roof at a holiday cottage complex!  The owner decided to have the roof replaced with a tile one and I was right in their gathering up bits and pieces of the foil as it was being torn down.  It's about the same thickness of baking tin foil you find under your Steak and Kidney Pie and holds the grooves well.  The foil was laboriously flattened out with a jam jar in order to remove any creases and folds, given a light sanding and then cut into 32mm wide strips.  These, in turn, were simply placed on top of the Wills sheet and a small screwdriver was used to scribe out each run of panels.  I think it has worked out rather well for a freebie!
     

     
    A superb shot of a Yorkshire shunter approaching the scrap steel bays at Bilston.  I might take a leaf out of Mikkel's book with his 'one bit at a time' method he uses for his Farthing layouts and have a go a modelling this bite of the Bilston cherry next!  Notice how dirty and black the track bed is - I tried to emulate this on the layout.
  25. PaternosterRow
    Had some fun with another Dapol 9F kit. I've tried to emulate the scene below from British Railways Illustrated (August edition). The prototype photo shows a 9F being fitted with a Crostis Boiler in March 1955 at Crewe. My take, however, has to make do with a standard boiler.
     

     

     
    This is a shot from the other side.
     

     
    A final pic of the welder at work on a stripped down 4MT
     

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