7mm Pencarrow - Cornish BR(S)

[Pencarrow]

I made a trip to Stafford to see it quite a few years ago now. Looking over it felt like being near the top end of the M5 looking south-west. I was very impressed by the 'railway in the landscape' rather than the track gauge. But then I am something of an 'over the fence' modeller.

Regards
Allen

Cheers Allen, that's exactly the look we were aiming for, an engineered railway in the landscape.

 

[Pencarrow]

A fine layout indeed, with that superb backscene, and yes, the British Steel artic (a modified AEC mk V from EFE as I recall) was a brilliant contribution to the overall scene. I think I saw somewhere that the layout is still about, but I don’t know about Arthur - if anyone does, I’d like to know, he’s a fine modeller of the steel industry and in my experience a generous fellow.

Adam

Hi Adam,

Had a few responses back from the BCB lads, and he's not been seen for a while. Last sightings were 3 and 5 years ago.

 

[Alan]

A brilliant layout.

 

[AJC]

Hi Adam,

Had a few responses back from the BCB lads, and he's not been seen for a while. Last sightings were 3 and 5 years ago.

Thanks Chris, that's roughly when I last heard from him, well that sort of ball park. Hope he's doing well, whatever he's up to.

All best,

Adam

 

[Pencarrow]

Bored of window openings and bricks now...

 

[Alan]

Looks good Chris.

 

[Dave Holt]

Understandable as it's a lengthy, repetitive process. I think I've answered my own question, but does the lower RH window only have one set of stepped bricks because another part of the building abuts up to it?
I admire the accuracy of interlacing the bricks and stonework shown previously. I had a similar situation on a bridge portal (that was large stone blocks meeting rough coursed stone) and couldn't manage such a neat join line.
With reference to an earlier discussion, I seem to recall reading somewhere that, when laminating plastic sheet, there should be an odd number of layers, with alternate rolling directions (like plywood) to avoid warping. I suspect your heavy bracing is a more effective approach.
Lovely work, as always, by-the-way.
Dave.

 

[Pencarrow]

Understandable as it's a lengthy, repetitive process. I think I've answered my own question, but does the lower RH window only have one set of stepped bricks because another part of the building abuts up to it?
I admire the accuracy of interlacing the bricks and stonework shown previously. I had a similar situation on a bridge portal (that was large stone blocks meeting rough coursed stone) and couldn't manage such a neat join line.
With reference to an earlier discussion, I seem to recall reading somewhere that, when laminating plastic sheet, there should be an odd number of layers, with alternate rolling directions (like plywood) to avoid warping. I suspect your heavy bracing is a more effective approach.
Lovely work, as always, by-the-way.
Dave.

Hi Dave, thanks for dropping in and for the question.

Yes, the bottom window that only has one set of stepped bricks has an outbuilding butting up to it (there's a scribed outline next to it). I forgot about that on the first house bay and after the effort of adding a full column of stepped bricks, ended up trimming the stretchers down. Muppet.

The neatness of the joints is down to undercutting and lots of adjustment cuts. Oh and solvent blurring the joint!

Yes, the theory for laminating plasticard is that it should be off laminations. Despite this I still got warping. Hence on an earlier building ended up adding the ribs to straighten it out. This then moved on to applying the ribs to the single sheet and missing out the lamination bit. Seems to be more effective IMO (but overkill for small buildings).

 

[Pencarrow]

Looks good Chris.

Cheers Alan, appreciated.

 

[Pencarrow]

Bit of a trawl this morning for more photos of the buildings. Found a few where the level crossing and, usually, a train is the obvious focus of the image but where the buildings are just visible in the background.

Extracts as follows for discussion purposes:

The first two are from the same image and confirm that the end gable of the left-hand building (right-hand on my model) was rendered and that the window surrounds of the upper floors were very simple. The ground floor is more ornate as it was on the corner of a shopping street. My quandary is whether to go with the prototype ground floor treatment or something simpler that would better fit a location next to a road embankment.





Roughly the same view but c1951 and better lit which shows up some interesting detail with bargeboards, pipes and cables. Great detail shot of the quite grand doors, the window surrounds and the simple sash windows.


Final extract is a useful colour shot which shows that the render is a drab grey and the windows (to me) look cream. Nice staining on the render.

 

[Pencarrow]

Interesting to see detail differences in the same area between two photos:





There's a big lump of something missing in the second photo at the base of the bargeboard.

 

[Osgood]

With this range of buildings, to what extent can you ascertain if the render (and also hung tiling) covers an original external stone / brick face, or if it was rendered from new, being perhaps a later extension?

 

[Pencarrow]

With this range of buildings, to what extent can you ascertain if the render (and also hung tiling) covers an original external stone / brick face, or if it was rendered from new, being perhaps a later extension?

The slates hung on the house wall were an addition as there's the original photo from B&W days that shows the original brick / stone. The render to the later added house / shop seems to be original or, put it this way, I've not yet found a photo where the render isn't present.

 

[Osgood]

Interesting.
Perhaps the missing projection was at one time a hopper for waste drainage, it’s down pipe removed?
The outlet from it may have run down and across over the doorway stone arch to the hopper shown in second photo above the van.
The waste outlet (sink?) that might also have run into it is shown diverted after its disconnection from a down pipe into the gutter.
What a puzzle!

 

[Pencarrow]

Tools being used for the window opening task.



Can't believe I'm having to wear magnifying glasses. What has the world come to? Handy lights though.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

I use magnifiers all the time now, just wished I'd used them earlier in my modelling making days.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Perhaps the missing projection was at one time a hopper for waste drainage, it’s down pipe removed?

Given it's position on the building it could have just rotted over time then removed.

 

[Phil O]

I have x3 prescription reading glasses and on the odd occasion I use an optovisor as well, such is the march of time.

 

[Pencarrow]

Given it's position on the building it could have just rotted over time then removed.

Not sure what the blob was but it looks like it was timber, so the rotted away idea would fit. Looks an awkward lump whatever it was.

 

[Pencarrow]

Been trawling for more bits of building in the background of photos. Not many cameras were pointed in their general direction. Oh for a time machine.

Got two more extracts:


I am wondering if the roof tiles on the original section of the building (the middle 3 houses) are bigger than those on the newer left hand shop? Certainly different ridge tiles. The more you look, the more you see.


The next is a tiny extract of a photo showing the yard cleared and the shed demolished. The useful thing is that, being a distant shot, there's not much distortion to the verticals and horizontals. The photo does confirm that the left-most dormer window seems narrower but taller than the other two . I'm guessing the date is early 70s? The middle house has been rendered and had some ground floor extensions (plus a horrible 1st floor window).