Chuffnell Regis

[Harlequin]

27 minutes ago, Graham T said:

 

Ah, I didn't know that Phil.  Could have saved myself some time and expense there!  So they were removed from coaches as well?

 

Just curious, do you know why?

 

As far as I know, it was removed from everything.

 

It seems weird doesn't it? I'm not sure why they went to all that trouble (or how closely the regulation was observed) but maybe it gave them a chance to refurbish the system while it was not needed. If a heating pipe was blocked or leaking in the depths of winter your customers would probably not be very happy!

 

[Graham T]

Yes that sounds like a reasonable explanation.  Would seem to be a rather pointless exercise otherwise, using up a lot of time and effort.

[Graham T]

And so here's Aberporth Grange back at Chuffnell Regis, work completed for now, and surprisingly she still runs.  I really must get to grips with focus stacking sometime...

 

 

 

The photos show up that the rear edge of the cab roof is green - I'm guessing it should actually be black, shouldn't it?

[Harlequin]

3 hours ago, Harlequin said:

Just a note: Steam heating pipes were removed in the summer months. Removal commenced in the middle of June and re-fitting was done during September starting with sleepers and boat trains, then early and late express trains and finally all other passenger trains.

 

 

Actually I got that slightly wrong. All steam heating pipes were to be in place again on September the 1st but heat was to be applied in the stages given.

 

[Graham T]

I'll let you get away with that one Phil 😉

 

Being just slightly serious for a moment - thanks for all the info you provide, it's very much appreciated.

 

PS. CR Mk II?! 🥸

[Neal Ball]

8 hours ago, Harlequin said:

 

Actually I got that slightly wrong. All steam heating pipes were to be in place again on September the 1st but heat was to be applied in the stages given.

 

Plus of course, GWR tender locos were not fitted with steam heating pipes at the front. I had an Interesting conversation about that when I was on the Saint footplate for my ride at Didcot.

Lady of Legend is not fitted, which presumably means the King at Didcot isn’t as well…. Which must mean it limits the visits to heritage lines for summer only?

 

8 hours ago, Graham T said:

I'll let you get away with that one Phil 😉

 

Being just slightly serious for a moment - thanks for all the info you provide, it's very much appreciated.

 

PS. CR Mk II?! 🥸

That Grange does look nice and as you say, very good runners.

 

Don't worry about CR Mk 3, we are getting too much enjoyment with the current version…. I might need to start a petition to save it 😎😎

Edited September 7, 2022 by Neal Ball
GWR added, no idea if it applies on other railways.

[Graham T]

1 hour ago, Neal Ball said:

Plus of course, GWR tender locos were not fitted with steam heating pipes at the front. I had an Interesting conversation about that when I was on the Saint footplate for my ride at Didcot.

Lady of Legend is not fitted, which presumably means the King at Didcot isn’t as well…. Which must mean it limits the visits to heritage lines for summer only?

 

That Grange does look nice and as you say, very good runners.

 

Don't worry about CR Mk 3, we are getting too much enjoyment with the current version…. I might need to start a petition to save it 😎😎

 

Thanks for the kind words Neal.  I'd done a bit of photo research on the Grange (yes I know, most unlike me) and had come to the conclusion that they didn't seem to have steam pipes on the front of the locos.

 

But CR Mk 3?!  I'm still only kicking ideas around with @Harlequin for CR Mk II...

[Graham T]

Apparently DPD will be delivering some scenic items from those nice Dutch chaps for me today.  Which means I'll have to go and pick it up somewhere later!

 

Pics to follow in due course, hopefully.

[Graham T]

Evening all.  I need some help please with figuring out the door and window measurements for the station building.

 

 

Going by the time honoured "count the bricks" method, I think that the smaller two doors at each end of the view above are 24 bricks high.  Assuming a brick is 3" high, that would make the doors six feet high.  Does that sound right?  It seems a touch short to me.  Here's a zoomed in view:

 

 

The station was built in 1897, if that helps.  Obviously I'd like to get all the measurements right before I ask York Modelmaking to start up the lasers!

[Rowsley17D]

Probably 6' 6"?

[longchap]

31 minutes ago, Graham T said:

that would make the doors six feet high

 

Definately 6'6'' high . . . I used to be a Quantity Surveyor

[Graham T]

Thanks, I must admit I thought that was a bit more likely.

[Graham T]

2 minutes ago, longchap said:

 

Definately 6'6'' high . . . I used to be a Quantity Surveyor

 

Perfect!  Merci mon ami.

[Andy Keane]

13 minutes ago, Graham T said:

 

Perfect!  Merci mon ami.

When I count your bricks I get 26 courses for the doors which again is six foot six.

Andy

[Graham T]

I think I must need remedial counting lessons...

[Graham T]

And here are some snaps of the sample pasture mats from those nice Dutch chaps.  

 

Autumn:

 

 

Spring:

 

 

Wild summer meadow:

 

 

Summer meadow (not quite so wild, I assume):

 

 

And finally, summer:

 

 

I think these are really rather nice.  I might give them a whirl on the workbench bare patch of ground at the front of Chuffnell Regis.

 

 

[MrWolf]

57 minutes ago, Graham T said:

I think I must need remedial counting lessons...

 

If the door itself is 6'6", the aperture in the brickwork is likely to be 6'9" or so, allowing for the frame. If you have 24 courses of 3" deep bricks, you also need to make allowance for the thickness of the mortar courses too, so if you multiply by 3.4" you should be about right when counting bricks.

[Graham T]

Thanks for that Rob.  I think I'll leave working out all the dimensions until tomorrow, the chances of me getting it right at this time of night are rather slim!

[Graham T]

And another dimension-related question, although this time I'm looking for opinions rather than exact measurements please (as I don't think there is an exact answer to this one, from what I've been able to find out).

 

I'm playing about with parts for the platform-mounted bracket signal, with the starters for the main and bay platforms.  I think I need to cut down the main post, and to my eye this configuration looks about right - cutting off at the point where the cocktail stick crosses the post.  Does that look more or less right?

 

 

Or does this have the bay platform doll too close to the main post?  There is a longer bracket in the Ratio kit.

[longchap]

English bricks are 9" long x 4.5" wide x 3" tall, or in metric (which is so much easier for modelmaking), 215 x 102.5 x 65mm. Adding the mortar course makes the metric version 225 x 112.5 x 75mm and these are the sizes surveyors use for estimating dimensions from photos, by counting the bricks.

 

I stopped being a professional Brick Counter (QS) as Project Management was for more exciting, as lion taming is more exciting than accountancy! The bride was an Accountant, but now tames lions as a hobby.

 

Anyway, counting bricks is a reliable method in ascertaining building sizes for modelmaking, so enjoy.

 

 

Edited September 7, 2022 by longchap

[Compound2632]

13 minutes ago, longchap said:

English bricks are 9" long x 4.5" wide x 3" tall, or in metric (which is so much easier for modelmaking), 215 x 102.5 x 65mm. Adding the mortar course makes the metric version 225 x 112.5 x 75mm and these are the sizes surveyors use for estimating dimensions from photos, by counting the bricks.

 

I stopped being a professional Brick Counter (QS) as Project Management was for more exciting, as lion taming is more exciting than accountancy! The bride was an Accountant, but now tames lions as a hobby.

 

Anyway, counting bricks is a reliable method in ascertaining building sizes for modelmaking, so enjoy.

 

But, but, but. Were 19th century bricks all to one standard size? I've measured engineering brick structures that have 4 courses to 13 inches; trying to scale from photos and known dimensions I've come to a similar conclusion.

 

When the Midland Railway Board were grumbling about the mounting costs of Sir G.G. Scott's Midland Grand Hotel in the late 1860s, one issue was that Scott had specified Gripper's bricks, which were an unusual size and rather expensive... 

[Andy Keane]

43 minutes ago, Graham T said:

And another dimension-related question, although this time I'm looking for opinions rather than exact measurements please (as I don't think there is an exact answer to this one, from what I've been able to find out).

 

I'm playing about with parts for the platform-mounted bracket signal, with the starters for the main and bay platforms.  I think I need to cut down the main post, and to my eye this configuration looks about right - cutting off at the point where the cocktail stick crosses the post.  Does that look more or less right?

 

 

Or does this have the bay platform doll too close to the main post?  There is a longer bracket in the Ratio kit.

Do you have any photos to work from?

[longchap]

As with most things in life, there were of course exceptions and when we look further back to before modern (19th C) times, there were complications in the mix, as other bricks sizes existed, generally due to the many manufacturers preferences over size. The sizes were normality smaller and bricks essentially made by hand, usually with simple moulds. 

 

It's an interesting subject, like all of history, but not NEC weary for modern brick counting modellers, unless you're representing something very much older and a bit special.  

[MrWolf]

1 hour ago, longchap said:

English bricks are 9" long x 4.5" wide x 3" tall, or in metric (which is so much easier for modelmaking), 215 x 102.5 x 65mm. Adding the mortar course makes the metric version 225 x 112.5 x 75mm and these are the sizes surveyors use for estimating dimensions from photos, by counting the bricks.

 

I stopped being a professional Brick Counter (QS) as Project Management was for more exciting, as lion taming is more exciting than accountancy! The bride was an Accountant, but now tames lions as a hobby.

 

Anyway, counting bricks is a reliable method in ascertaining building sizes for modelmaking, so enjoy.

 

 

 

Not wishing to contradict you here, but one inch is 25.4mm exactly. So a 3" deep brick is 76.2mm, so I added just over 3/8" for the mortar course, rounding up to 3.4 inches, that being 86.36mm.

 

Let's not get started on clamp bricks of Elizabethan or Georgian origin though!

[BWsTrains]

2 hours ago, Graham T said:

And another dimension-related question, although this time I'm looking for opinions rather than exact measurements please (as I don't think there is an exact answer to this one, from what I've been able to find out).

 

I'm playing about with parts for the platform-mounted bracket signal, with the starters for the main and bay platforms.  I think I need to cut down the main post, and to my eye this configuration looks about right - cutting off at the point where the cocktail stick crosses the post.  Does that look more or less right?

 

 

Or does this have the bay platform doll too close to the main post?  There is a longer bracket in the Ratio kit.

 

Graham,

 

I've seen examples of both tall and quite short bracket sempahores on platforms. This poor snip from a video I took at Bishops Lydeard shows a rather tall version with the loco off to take on water to the right.

 

Then a very short example, picture easily found online is at St Erth with the siding to the left

 

https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1554950

 

It can be what you think suits best; given visibility not an issue I imagine shorter rather than taller for ease of access.

 

 

Edited September 7, 2022 by BWsTrains