Elmham Market in EM

[James Spooner]

Interesting. Local authority housing? The location and general look hints at that.

Adam

Yes, I think so. They do have the appearance of houses erected between the wars by a number of local authorities. Interestingly some still have the original steel framed windows, which would have been made by Crittall at one of their factories in either Braintree or Silver End, thereby supporting the local economy.

Nigel

 

[AJC]

It’s easy enough to check - if you were so minded - the records of Cosford RDC (probably including planning drawings) - can be found in Bury. Crittalls were so common that you can probably discount that: the local authority was generally more concerned with the cost and such things were at the discretion of the builder. Quite handsome examples of the breed.

Adam

 

[James Spooner]

Interspersed with celebrations for my middle son’s 21st birthday I have managed to make some progress with the new houses. Photos attached.

Nigel

 

[James Spooner]

Despite the ongoing birthday celebrations I have managed to make some more progress with the semis. All sides have been completed to the same stage.

I think my next step is to add a thin strip of micro strip above each window and then taper the surface back to the main sheet with some model filler. This is to try to replicate the pebble dash having a sort of rain protector above the windows. I have some sand coloured textured paint I can then use to replicate the pebble dash and can cover that with some slightly different coloured paints to give the final surface colours. That’s the plan anyway and it is all a question of trial and error until I arrive at a solution I’m happy with. A photo of the current state of the sides attached.

Nigel

 

[D6356]

Hi,
I would test pebble dash paint on anything else- I tried some on a 2mm Scottish croft and wiped it off it was far far too coarse, for 4mm it would be coarse, the pebbles at 12 - 15mm would be shadow texture and not a 3D one. I would think a base colour with talc powder more what you after . Might be worth a paint and shading with a grey light over spray would give the hint of texture.
Happy modelling regardless!
W

 

[James Spooner]

Hi,
I would test pebble dash paint on anything else- I tried some on a 2mm Scottish croft and wiped it off it was far far too coarse, for 4mm it would be coarse, the pebbles at 12 - 15mm would be shadow texture and not a 3D one. I would think a base colour with talc powder more what you after . Might be worth a paint and shading with a grey light over spray would give the hint of texture.
Happy modelling regardless!
W

Yes, that’s probably sound advice. I do have a pot of Tamiya textured paint that I used for the platforms on Elmham Market and was reasonably happy with the outcome, but it is always wise to test on some scrap first.

Nigel

 

[James Spooner]

Well I have been experimenting a bit this evening. I have had a gloriously messy time adding 10thou by 20thou micro strips to the tops of relevant windows and when set smearing some Humbrol filler over the area in an attempt to replicate the flare on the pebbledash. This was then sanded down once it had hardened (quite quick with the thin layer I was smearing on).

I also test painted a piece of plasticard with some Town & Country scenic sand paint. As I found out when painting the Tamiya tarmac, it does need a couple of coats but the overall effect is quite pleasing. I have now test painted a coat on one end to see how it covers the filler and that seems OK too. It definitely needs another coat for coverage though. I attach a couple of photos of the mess I have been making this evening! Still keeping fingers firmly crossed that it will be all right on the night!!

Nigel

 

[James Spooner]

I have now tacked the four sides/ends together to visualise how it will look and identify my next steps.

Nigel

 

[Philc]

I've only discovered this thread today and have spent a pleasant hour or two reading through from start to finish. I'm also an EM modeller of BR GER and have recently bought from that well known auction site an Alan Gibson F5 kit. My next thing will be to buy the Rumney models chassis but money is tight at the moment so it won't be an immediate purchase. In the meantime I've got plenty of other kits, such as a PDK J19 once I've got my workbench sorted.

I don't, yet, have a layout. For the last 7 years, my wife and I have lived in four different places, all rented, but we've now bought a house and I will, once we've sorted out boxes etc. start something. Your layout is an inspiration. Thanks for all the posts you've put up.

 

[James Spooner]

I've only discovered this thread today and have spent a pleasant hour or two reading through from start to finish. I'm also an EM modeller of BR GER and have recently bought from that well known auction site an Alan Gibson F5 kit. My next thing will be to buy the Rumney models chassis but money is tight at the moment so it won't be an immediate purchase. In the meantime I've got plenty of other kits, such as a PDK J19 once I've got my workbench sorted.

I don't, yet, have a layout. For the last 7 years, my wife and I have lived in four different places, all rented, but we've now bought a house and I will, once we've sorted out boxes etc. start something. Your layout is an inspiration. Thanks for all the posts you've put up.

Welcome aboard WT Phil and especially so as you are also planning on modelling the railways of East Anglia. There are a number of us camping out in, what was originally and mostly still is, a Western based forum. The western guys are very tolerant of us but just don’t threaten to do anything nasty to a pannier tank….

You will find WT full of modellers with a lot of experience and they are generally pretty happy for those of us with less experience to tap into their knowledge, which is a great benefit all round, so please don’t be afraid to ask if there is something puzzling you or you can’t work out. Good luck with your kit building!

Nigel

 

[Philc]

Thanks, Nigel. I'm not an inexperienced modeller, just a very frustrated one! Life has not been a smooth running event for me. I won't go in to details, other than after leaving my parents house in 1990, I've never been in a single place for more than four years and the lack of stability has been a major reason why I've not had a layout. However, I have had a workbench and I've built some nice models. For example, a Stephen Poole (that dates me!) E4 with the chassis using Alan Gibson milled frames with compensation etc. I've also built Stelfox J17.

Since moving from Essex to Scotland, life has again proven difficult with eviction from a rented property and more, but at last life seems to have a stable future so I hope to be posting stuff in the future. In the meantime, I'm involved with Wharfeside - a lifetime project that you'll find elsewhere in the layout progress threads, which gives me the opportunity to indulge another passion, BR Midland.

In any case, enough of me hijack8ng your thread, I look forward to more updates.

 

[James Spooner]

This evening has been a case of one step forward and another step back. I have made the soffits and fitted them, using them also as a form of strengthener for the front and back. I have also cut and fitted the main roof. This required some 40thou square strips to pack out the end walls but eventually I got it all to line up satisfactorily. The backward step relates to the semi-bay roofs where the two halves of the houses join together. I carefully (not carefully enough, it seems!) measured and cut a pair of triangles and then some tapered strips to keep them the right distance apart from the main roof. The first attempt gave a ridge higher than the main roof so was ripped off (the plasticard roof is going to be covered by York scenic roof tiles anyway). The second attempt was too short. More thinking time is needed so I will put it down now and come back to it tomorrow evening, hopefully with some fresh thinking!

Nigel

 

[James Spooner]

Some more trial and error on the roof but I think I now have a bay roof that does the job. I decided to use thinner plasticard (20thou instead of 40) for the thin diagonal strips. This made it much easier to get the size right with all of the different angles involved. I created those first and glued them in place, then worked out the size of the triangular front. One down, one to go, then chimneys and guttering…

Nigel

 

[James Spooner]

Cracking on this evening! The second bay roof has been added and the first chimney stack made and glued on. I’m currently mulling over how to create the pots…

Off to North Wales in the morning for a weekend Mutual Improvement Class on the Ffestiniog so this project will have to take a back seat for a few days.

Nigel

 

[simond]

Give my regards to Boston Lodge, the Ship, and the Australia…

 

[Lyndhurstman]

That’s some lovely work, Nigel.

 

[James Spooner]

Give my regards to Boston Lodge, the Ship, and the Australia…

Will do! MICs now in the Gweithdy (old tin tab) in Minffordd station car park So not sure how much of Boston Lodge I’ll see but the others will no doubt get visited…

 

[Dave Holt]

Not too long till the Snowdonian, now. Our booking includes a trip round Boston Lodge on the Sunday morning.
Enjoy the MIC.
Dave.

PS. Perhaps I should have said "visit" as we hope no-one trips during the tour.

 

[James Spooner]

Not too long till the Snowdonian, now. Our booking includes a trip round Boston Lodge on the Sunday morning.
Enjoy the MIC.
Dave.

PS. Perhaps I should have said "visit" as we hope no-one trips during the tour.

Dave,

I may well see you on the Snowdonian.

Nigel

 

[James Spooner]

Back from Wales, having been ‘mutually improved’ and working on the chimneys and pots for the semi detached houses. The pots are the bits that take the time. I’m making them from 3mm diameter plastic rod, sanded down to give a bit of a taper, drilled 2mm at the top to give an impression of the flue and then with a strip of 10thou by 20thou microstrip glued around the top. I need ten and have made five, although only three are currently fitted to the end chimney. Photo attached.

Nigel