Old Parrock

[NHY 581]

You're not alone Paul.

I have rebooted Bleat Wharf after withdrawing.


Rob

 

[PaulR]

That's great news Rob.

The real prize for all of us is that we'll have something to show for a couple of years of messing about with wood, plastic and bits of metal!

Good luck with Bleat Wharf.

 

[NHY 581]

Thanks Paul.

I must say having looked at things with a fresh pair of eyes, I am looking forward to this.


Rob.

 

[adrian]

Huge congratulations to the finalists. I'm coming along to Railex and look forward to comparing notes. The quality of work of many of the layouts, including those not selected, is awe inspiring. It has been good for me to see this great modelling as it spurs me on to do better myself (I can be a bit slapdash at times!).

I would say a huge congratulations to all the entrants, irrespective of whether they made the final list or not. There's been some great modelling and I've enjoyed all the contributions. Well done

 

[PaulR]

I've become a true shed-man. I'm spending happy hours in there (while my wife is working - she works from home) listening to classical music, tedious folk, unfashionable 60s/70s stuff and Classic FM, and no-one can comment on my general naffness! And the great thing is, it can be left at the end of the modelling session - no more clearing up for lunch or tea - just switch off the light and shut the door.

The grace of an extra year has enabled me to change the concept of the cameo a little and I'm excited about the new idea. The layout will now be a light railway terminus (acquired by the LBSCR, run by the Southern Railway). The KESR is the inspiration. With that in mind I have re-aligned the front of the loop to give me extra space for a small platform.

This photo shows the platform base with the extra piece at the rear for the building which I've designed by drastically reducing the vernacular KESR architecture. This is my indicative drawing:

The intention is also to have a small signal box which is an loose amalgamation of two small LBSCR signal boxes - Northwood and Fittleworth:

Because it's now a terminus I realised that I need to be able to swap locos back to the front in the fiddle yard, so that has been completely re-designed - this has been my focus for the past few weeks - those cassettes take an age to make:

I'm really motivated at the moment. My next jobs are to sort out the electrics for the fiddle yard and set up the automatic coupling (Dinghams). I'm also pondering signalling. Assuming that it's worked by single line tablet, I'm wondering whether I'd get away with a starter and distant on a single post - at the entrance to the fiddle yard. Any thoughts, I'm fairly clueless about signalling?

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

You could always go for one of the earlier LBSC signal box styles such as Pulborough Junction .

 

[PaulR]

Thanks for the photo Dave, that has real atmosphere. I like the Victorian delicacy of it. I'd need to reduce its size.

However, you have set off a train of thought and a research trail. There's an early photo of Brighton Yard signal box (I can't reproduce it here as it's copyrighted, but you can do a search) which is also wooden and on stilts - and basic. It may adapt very nicely to my layout.

Another alternative is to have a covered ground frame which may be more likely, but I want a slightly more imposing building to offset the small shed and station. Art versus likely historical accuracy?

 

[76043]

I think if the line is on the 'one engine in steam' principle, tablet or staff would be issued, see link below.

OES staffs

Therefore as Paul says a ground frame would be all that is needed to control the station area turnouts. In terms of signals I suppose a starter might be added, but I'm not sure it would be needed. Reading the Cavan & Leitrim book recently, that line used staffs/tablets and had staff employed in the ground frame at some locations to manage the trains, but other parts of the line the train crew managed the ground frames.

Tony

 

[PaulR]

Thanks for this Tony - it makes good sense. I'll work on that as an idea.

 

[76043]

No problem, I'll have another look in the C&L book, because I think signals were put up where the ground frame had a signalman, but not where train staff worked the frame.
Tony

 

[simond]

Makes sense that for there to be a signal, there would need to be a signalman of some sort, and more than one engine in steam.

You wouldn’t want to pull the signal off, drive past it, stop, walk back and return it to danger to protect yourself from a train in rear that couldn’t be there...


Simon

 

[PaulR]

So, it looks like it will be a ground frame and a starter signal close to the hole-in-the-sky exit. Many thanks for your help with this.

 

[PaulR]

I've been quiet for a month but have been working on background stuff. I've fitted most of my stock with Dingham Couplings and am very pleased with them - I've just got four locos and a couple of wagons to fit. I'm pleased with them, apart from the fact that they slow everything down because I want to play trains.

I've made up a Brighton Buffer stop and a couple of PO wagon kits and now the layout is wrapped in newspaper because I'm about to paint the track. I've been experimenting with various ideas for this and just want to check my consistency this morning before committing paint to precious trackwork - another one of those irreversible anxious moments is coming up!

Pictures will follow soon - I promise.

 

[PaulR]

I realise that these photos may look a little boring, seeing as they are basically scenes of empty track, but to me they are very exciting and represent a month of diligent application of new skills. My track is now painted, has point rodding, a set of buffer stops and ballast (the ballast and track is set for some judicious further weathering this week). Added to this, there are magnets buried in there at key and hopefully useful places to enable the miraculous working of Dingham couplings.

Being a bit of a technical dinosaur, I can also state with relief that the electrics and points are also all working.

To help me achieve all this I overdosed on the Classic FM Easter Hall of Fame weekend, took in a couple of talking books and listened to nerdy folk music and some raunchy dinosaur rock and roll.

I'll post some more photos up in the week with some stock added, my two completed trees and the coal office.

I'm spending an absurd amount of time on these 6 square feet of our glorious planet, but... I'm thoroughly absorbed in it, finding it very enjoyable and rewarding. It's certainly better than watching mindless telly anyway.

 

[76043]

The ballasting and track looks really nice, the sort of look I'd like to achieve, would you mind explaining your techniques a little?
Tony

 

[PaulR]

The ballasting and track looks really nice, the sort of look I'd like to achieve, would you mind explaining your techniques a little?
Tony

Thank you for the kind comment Tony.

I looked at lots of photos of track, particularly in my geographical area of interest. As we all know, photos are notoriously difficult to assess in terms of colour so in the end I got as near as I could - but went with my instinct about what looked right to me.

First of all, and this was the scary bit, I sprayed the whole thing with a can of Halfords Car Matt black spray. I then dry brushed the sleepers with a progression of Tamiya Acrylics - Light Grey XF66, Flat earth XF57 and White. I did this a little at a time, stopping to ensure that I wasn't overdoing it. In fact I may have actually underdone it.

The rails and chairs were painted with Humbrol Matt 62.

The point rodding is Wills Point Rodding SS89, and I'm indebted to the modeller of 'Little Muddle' (whose name I believe is Kevin) for this excellent article on how to set it up: Installing point rodding and a signal box - Part 1

I painted mine slightly differently, once again photos offered huge colour variations so I made my own decision about what looked right. Mine were painted with enamel colours, Humbrol Matt 113, brushed in with an old colour pot I found in my box, Revel Matt 79. Humbrol 113 is possibly a bit too 'purple'.

The ballast is mainly Gaugemaster N Gauge Granite Ballast GM115, with some Woodland Scenics Fine Buff B73 mixed in. I can't actually tell you the proportions because I mixed it quite a time ago. It was glued down in the usual way, soaking it with water from a spray diffuser, then pipetting a mixture of 50/50 PVA and water with a little Fairy Liquid added.

Once dry, finishing touches are being added using weathering powders. I've done this on the point rodding so far, but I want to darken down the rust a bit and the ballast between the tracks a little, especially in the station area and the yard. For this I'm using two AK Pigments, Smoke (AK2038) and Europe Earth (AK 042).

I must admit to being pleased with it. In the end I had to just take the risk and go for it - and this time it seems to have worked.

 

[76043]

Thanks Paul, that's really helpful, I shall be giving it a go using your technique quite soon.
Cheers
Tony

 

[PaulR]

Here's a quick update on progress with the cottage:

The next stage is to fold it up and glue it. I'm using 1/16" basswood for the frame. There will be touching up to do once it's constructed, and the roof, doorstep, down pipes etc, all those things that bring it to life. I'm cogitating on how to tone the colours down a bit as it looks a little bit like the Technocolor of a 1950s western at the moment - more on that later.

I've also been becoming quite obsessed with the process of haymaking in the 1920s - more on that later too.

 

[PaulR]

It has now become three dimensional:

I need to add a couple of strips around the weatherboarding, and to touch in the corners, but I'm really looking forward to cracking on with the chimney and the roof.

 

[Pencarrow]

Very nice Paul.