THE RAMCHESTER CHRONICLES

[HSB]

I've made a bit more progress on the brewery this week with all the windows and doors on the main building now cut out with most of them deepened and reinforced with bits of coffee stirers

 

Rod has obtained a Skytrex chimney to go behind the boilerhouse. It has needed a little fettling but this will be mainly hidden out of sight at the rear. Here it is shown in it's intended position.

[HSB]

A bit more progress with some SE Finecast brick sheet now stuck on one of the walls and headers from York Modelmaking put over the window openings.

 

Here's a shot of the back of another wall showing the framing around the windows I mentioned in a previous post. There will eventually be more framing inside the building to hopefully keep it all rigid.

[Re6/6]

Glad to see that you're using SEF sheet Howard. I made the mistake of using 'Plasticard' brick sheets on the viaduct with its 'sloping' courses (worn out injection moulding machine?) making it impossible to get accurate corner joins particularly with everything slightly sloping!

 

I had to remove some of it and replace it with SEF stuff!

[gismorail]

The Brewery is coming together well gentlemen it’s quite a large structure that you are taking on there but in will make a very dramatic impression at the front of the layout. 

[railwayrod]

Hi Gismorail.

 

It will certainly make an impression when it is finished. So far all is going well and Howard is making a really good job of it. He is a skilled modeller and I am lucky to call him a friend. In the meantime I have been working on the chimney base and doing my best to ensure that the block remains as a true cube - not easy with my limited vision. I started with a short piece of what used to be called 2 X 2 planed all round and cut it to the required length to form a basic cube. This was squared off on my sanding machine - so far so good. Next I cut some thin 3 ply and glued these around the edges of the block to bring its size up to the same as the chimney base. The next step will be to form some walls around the block to form a hollow "box" into which the chimney will sit. Next time I will post a picture of progress so far.

 

Best wishes

 

Rod

 

[HSB]

13 hours ago, Re6/6 said:

Glad to see that you're using SEF sheet Howard. I made the mistake of using 'Plasticard' brick sheets on the viaduct with its 'sloping' courses (worn out injection moulding machine?) making it impossible to get accurate corner joins particularly with everything slightly sloping!

 

I had to remove some of it and replace it with SEF stuff!

Yes, John, we became aware of the problem with Slaters brick some time ago.

 

As Rod is now working on the base for the chimney today I put some brick sheet on the front of the boilerhouse which will go in front of it.

Edited June 24, 2022 by HSB

[railwayrod]

As promised in my post yesterday here are a couple of photos of the chimney base.

as Howard indicated in the post above this will stand behind the boiler house butting up to its rear wall. I glued this up today and tried the chimney into the cradle and to my amazement it fitted perfectly. It still needs a little cleaning up before the SEF brickwork is added but so far so good.

All for now

 

Rod

 

[HSB]

The reason the bottom of the chimney will be hidden inside the base is to reduce the overall height slightly and this seemed the best way of doing it. I want the top of the base to come just above the top of the boilerhouse wall.

[HSB]

A bit more work done today with the rear wall of the main tower now being covered with brick sheet. 

[HSB]

A month since our last post during which time we've only managed one or two afternoons a week when neither of us was tied up with other things but we have managed to make a little bit of progress.

 

[HSB]

The gaps are getting longer! We have only managed a few sessions since my last post including a gap of over three weeks when Rod first had back problems, then his wife had Covid, then he had Covid, then we were both away on holiday at the same time! Anyway, there's been a little bit of progress on the brewery but still a long way to go. 

 

[Re6/6]

Looking good Howard!

[gismorail]

So good to see a new post I was getting worried for you both 🤒

The brewery is coming on very well such inspiration for all of us thanks for posting 👍

[HSB]

We've managed a couple of sessions this week but won't be able to get together again until next week. I've propped two walls up against the mock-up and stood the chimney in position which gives quite a good impression of what it will eventually look like. I've also been cutting out the walls of the small three storey extension which will be next to the loading docks.

 

 

[daifly]

I can't help feeling that the chimney ought to be much taller than the adjacent building - else the upper floors of the building will be swamped in smoke! 

Dave

[HSB]

1 hour ago, daifly said:

I can't help feeling that the chimney ought to be much taller than the adjacent building - else the upper floors of the building will be swamped in smoke! 

Dave

This might be true of some of the bigger breweries but I've got a picture of a chimney which is actually a lot shorter than the adjacent tower!

 

[daifly]

3 hours ago, HSB said:

This might be true of some of the bigger breweries but I've got a picture of a chimney which is actually a lot shorter than the adjacent tower!

Fair enough!

Dave

[HSB]

A little bit more done this week with all the headers now in place over the windows.

 

[gismorail]

I’m enjoying this brewery build and how your putting together the structures etc and it’s making me realise what is ahead of me when a I start building my first 7mm layout. Keep up the wonderful work gentlemen most enjoyable to follow 👍

[railwayrod]

For my 80th birthday Howard presented me with a Minerva Models ex GWR open wagon. While he has been busy with the brewery (and making a 1st class job of it) I have been fiddling about fitting tension lock couplings to it. I have not progressed very far with this project but as soon as I can I will post a photo of the finished task. Some time ago I commissioned a LNWR loading gauge from Chris Ward so in between times I have been assembling this. Again photos to follow in die course.

 

It is nice to hear that some of you at least are enjoying our thread which we will continue to keep up dated as time permits.

 

Thanks for following our progress.

 

Rod

 

[Re6/6]

Belated Happy Birthday greetings Rod.

[HSB]

More progress with all the window sills now in place and two walls of the annexe glued together.

 

Edited October 10, 2022 by HSB

[gismorail]

On 08/10/2022 at 09:37, Re6/6 said:

Belated Happy Birthday greetings Rod.

I’ll second that too 😄

[railwayrod]

Last week another visitor to Ramchester rumbled into the station on a test run. The 05 diesel belongs to my friend Peter Martin and is a Heljan model fitted with a Zimo chip. This is his latest purchase and I must say that the sound emitting from the loco was first class. I have posted some pictures of the run for your perusal.

This week Howard has been working on the brewery and is engaged in painting the sides "in the flat" Pictures soon.

I have been busy fitting the tension lock couplings to my GWR open wagon which is now almostt complete. Again picture soon.

 

Rod

 

 

 

 

 

[railwayrod]

Hello one and all. Today Howard and I had a further session in Platform 2 to work on the railway. Howard continued with painting the walls of the brewery which is a  slow and tedious task but it is coming along very nicely. He is having to use a small brush to avoid paint getting into the mortar courses. For my part I have finished the GWR open wagon which Howard brought for me for my birthday and it is now resplendent with its TL couplings in place. It will need weathering in due course but in the meantime it can enter service on Ramchester to earn its keep. Here is a picture of it standing in one of Ramchester's sidings.

Well that is all for now until next week.

 

Rod