4mm Llanfair

[Yorkshire Dave]

Peco streamline flat bottom from here....

This would be a good opportunity to have fresher looking rail, ballast and sleepers to appear as if this section of track has been renewed .

 

[LarryG]

This would be a good opportunity to have fresher looking rail, ballast and sleepers to appear as if this section of track has been renewed .

True....

 

[LarryG]

The ground was sanded down further to a smooth surface this morning, then sprayed over with grey, brown and dirty black. It has all turned out much darker than intended....

 

[LarryG]

I may have mentioned before that the light grey ballast is softer than the other colours and more easily files down to dust. I resorted to a half-inch paint brush in the end dry-brushing grey cellulose...


It will probably improve when grassland is added...

 

[Andy P]

Looking very nice Larry, Glad your happy with this now, and seeing good progress. All the best, Andy.

 

[LarryG]

The above goods shed didn't work out for me so I built a replacement. Lost count of how many I've done now...


Built with window walls but no roof lights. Not a lot is happening outside on the layout, which is pretty much par for the course at this time of year.

 

[LarryG]

I ordered a lasercut signalbox kit based on Helston to give me something to do indoors. For guttering, a length of Evergreen 080" channel was glued to the edge of a sheet of 60thou Plastikard. When dry, it was cut from the sheet 2.5mm wide as shown....



It was then glued to the signalbox wall just below the roof...


Drainpipes were bent from brass rod and attached with split pins + Loctite instant glue....


'Tother end.....


As usual, I built the roof to be removable. The steps, windows and doors will be sprayed separately for ease of painting...
The chimney breast is not fixed and will be fitted after painting. The chimney came from a scrapped signalbox....

 

[michael mott]

How many signal boxes is it now Larry?
Michael

 

[LarryG]

How many signal boxes is it now Larry?
Michael

At a rough count, probably around fifteen.

 

[simond]

I’ve got one of them

(since backdated to GW colours and fitted with a Jon Fitness frame, and scratch-built block shelf etc)

 

[Pencarrow]

At a rough count, probably around fifteen.

You could probably start an exclusive club Larry, made of of people who have one of the boxes. Probably needs a secret handshake. Sounds like Simon is certainly a member (but has probably broken the membership rules by disclosing he's a member).

 

[LarryG]

No secret handshake required haha. I think it is just that a good few of us saw the entry of Laser cut building kits into the hobby as almost a hobby in itself.

Easy masking when some parts are left as separate items...

Matt black + white primer decamped into spraygun to make a dirty black roof colour...

 

[LarryG]

I have completed the brickwork first so that the whole building could be lightly sprayed over with Halfords matt varnish. Diluited dirty black was also added on top of the plinth brickwork and under drainpipes etc "Western Region brown" (one of many!) will be dead matt enamel...

Matt brown parts painted...

 

[LarryG]

The new signal box is pretty well finished now. After fitting an interior, I found the roof had bowed over the past few days and so I rook a roof from a scrap signal box and made a new roof over the toilet....


I recommend ensuring the windows are a loose fit in the apertures to allow for the thickness of paint. All the box needs now is a nameboard...


The signal man can be seen...

 

[Captain Kernow]

Scrubbed up nicely, Larry!

 

[LarryG]

I picked the signalbox up this morning and the stairs completely disintegrated and it brought to mind the bad old days of cast whitemetal vac pipes, whistles and even coupling rods. With laser cut kits, it seems we are back to the days of one material suits all and it is asking a lot of unsupported 1mm square MBF to act as banisters etc. Plywood would have been a bit stronger. I am busy this morning trying to patch up the damage, but I think it's time to look for a new way of passing time.

 

[Pencarrow]

Definitely a case of just because you can laser cut from MDF it doesn't mean you should.

 

[simond]

Plastruct do a very good 1/48 open tread staircase, and rails to suit. Might be a bit wide for a box. I believe they do something similar in 1/76 or 1/87, might be worth a look.

 

[LarryG]

Hi Simond, I bought a Plastruct staircase and a Peco plastic one in the past. I would produce etched brass cosmetic sides if I were still etching coaches. Anyway, it's been patched up using parts from the odds & sods box. Awaiting painting....

 

[Paul Tomlinson]

Hello Larry. Brassmasters do this etched LNWR kit. Looks fiddly, but they do include an assembly jig.

Etched brass scenic details