Chuffnell Regis

[longchap]

11 minutes ago, Graham T said:

 

Thanks Andy, I'm reasonably pleased with how it's turned out so far.  I did consider your suggestion for powering the new lamp, but I'm not confident that I could open up the Dapol post without making a complete dog's dinner of it, so I think it will stay unlit for now.

 

You could add a cameo with a lampman with fresh lamps on his carrier heading to the signal to swap over the lamps, thus potentially excusing the unlit lamp, but possibly getting the lampman on a fizzer for not filling the extinguished lamp with sufficient oil last time.

[Graham T]

You know Bill, I had thought about having somebody wandering along the cess to deal with the offending lamp.  Any idea what he would have been carrying though?  Did they take an oil can, or actually switch the lamps over to refill them?

[longchap]

12 hours ago, Graham T said:

You know Bill, I had thought about having somebody wandering along the cess to deal with the offending lamp.  Any idea what he would have been carrying though?  Did they take an oil can, or actually switch the lamps over to refill them?

 

It would have been a 'lamp man' Graham, an industrial grade who had a set responsibility for a group of signals, including the ground signals. Usually each signal box had an associated lamp hut where paraffin, spare lamps and tools were kept.

The lamp man would re-fill spare lamps and carry a number of them to the signals hanging from a long wooden carrier fitted with a handle. I've a picture somewhere, but where exactly is the challenge.

If a signalman received word usually from a driver, who passed right by the box, that a lamp was out, he would be expected to climb the signal and attempt to relight it. In windy weather this would probably involve bringing it to ground level.

 

Not a dream job, but once with the company and if one applied oneself and was honest, the GWR would see you alright for life.

Edited April 25, 2022 by longchap

[Compound2632]

2 minutes ago, longchap said:

It would have been a 'lamp man'

 

In many places, a role taken on by one or more of the station porters.

[Graham T]

Thank you both, I shall start hunting for a photo of a lamp man, and then a suitable figure.

[Graham T]

In what feels like quite a major development at Chuffnell R, but didn't actually take too long to do, I've also made a start on the station platform.  I'd already used the pencil taped to longest coach method to mark the clearances required, and then used tracing paper to transfer the lines onto some 4mm cork, which will be the base of the platform.  I'm planning to use plywood for the platform itself, but haven't decided what to top it with yet - I'm leaning towards plasticard.  The facing will be brick papers, but I also need to figure out what the platform surface itself will be, and how to simulate that.

 

Here are some pics of the first layer of cork. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 24, 2022 by Graham T

[Graham T]

And here it is with a train!  This is obviously the longest length passenger service that Chuffnell Regis will be able to handle; I expect it will more usually be the autocoach, or a B set and pannier.

 

 

[Andy Keane]

16 minutes ago, Graham T said:

In what feels like quite a major development at Chuffnell R, but didn't actually take too long to do, I've also made a start on the station platform.  I'd already used the pencil taped to longest coach method to mark the clearances required, and then used tracing paper to transfer the lines onto some 4mm cork, which will be the base of the platform.  I'm planning to use plywood for the platform itself, but haven't decided what to top it with yet - I'm leaning towards plasticard.  The facing will be brick papers, but I also need to figure out what the platform surface itself will be, and how to simulate that.

 

Here are some pics of the first layer of cork. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you seen Coombe Town by @DRoe96 ? He uses a combination of plasticard to good effect for his platform tops. There is also a good table of platform dimensions in RMweb, do you have it?

Edited April 24, 2022 by Andy Keane

[Graham T]

I have seen it, yes - it's one of the threads that I follow.  Will take another look.  Thanks for the tip.

[Andy Keane]

23 minutes ago, Graham T said:

I have seen it, yes - it's one of the threads that I follow.  Will take another look.  Thanks for the tip.

Are you planning on the standard three feet from rail head to platform surface with corbling and three inch thick flags?

[Graham T]

In a word - yes!

 

Exactly that.  So 1mm plasticard seems like a good option for the top surface.

[Neal Ball]

Typically the area around the station building will be flagstones, with the outer area of platform being gravel. (Still with flagstones along the edges).

 

GWRJ will be a good source for you, plus of course the Stephen Williams branch line books we spoke about a while back.

 

Im away at the moment (lovely long weekend in Alicante), but can scan some bits when we get home.

 

As ever, good luck with the next phase.

[Andy Keane]

10 hours ago, Graham T said:

In a word - yes!

 

Exactly that.  So 1mm plasticard seems like a good option for the top surface.

On Coombe Town I think DRoe96 used 1mm pre-printed flags for the main platform area and a hand scribed strip for the edge flags - then perhaps 2mm sheet below that for the corbling?

I am planning on using fine wet and dry rubbing sheet from a roll for the gravel areas, suitably painted over but I would be interested to know how you are thinking of doing the gravel - seems a hard thing to get right.

Andy

[Graham T]

2 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

Typically the area around the station building will be flagstones, with the outer area of platform being gravel. (Still with flagstones along the edges).

 

GWRJ will be a good source for you, plus of course the Stephen Williams branch line books we spoke about a while back.

 

Im away at the moment (lovely long weekend in Alicante), but can scan some bits when we get home.

 

As ever, good luck with the next phase.

 

That sounds good 🙂

 

I have the first two Williams books, so will study those.  Volume 3 is very hard to track down unfortunately.

[Graham T]

32 minutes ago, Andy Keane said:

On Coombe Town I think DRoe96 used 1mm pre-printed flags for the main platform area and a hand scribed strip for the edge flags - then perhaps 2mm sheet below that for the corbling?

I am planning on using fine wet and dry rubbing sheet from a roll for the gravel areas, suitably painted over but I would be interested to know how you are thinking of doing the gravel - seems a hard thing to get right.

Andy

 

I was also thinking about wet and dry for the gravel, but as you say a roll would be needed to avoid joins.  Or I might try sanded down chinchilla dust.  Will need to do some experimenting.  The flagstones should be relatively easy!

[aardvark]

I read recently about the Walburg project's use of AK Terrains Asphalt paint.

 

https://projekt-walburg.blogspot.com/2018/03/asphalt-splitt-und-schotter.html

 

(in German, use Google translate)

 

I've not tried it personally, but the Walburg guys seem to know what they're about. The results look good to me.

[Andy Keane]

1 hour ago, aardvark said:

I read recently about the Walburg project's use of AK Terrains Asphalt paint.

 

https://projekt-walburg.blogspot.com/2018/03/asphalt-splitt-und-schotter.html

 

(in German, use Google translate)

 

I've not tried it personally, but the Walburg guys seem to know what they're about. The results look good to me.

Thats a great link - their roads do look really good. And I see there are also concrete and muddy field options so maybe I will get some of each.

Andy

[aardvark]

They also have neutral texture paints which, I think, you can add your own colour over.

 

Again, no current experience, but I do plan on giving it a go.

[Andy Keane]

12 minutes ago, aardvark said:

They also have neutral texture paints which, I think, you can add your own colour over.

 

Again, no current experience, but I do plan on giving it a go.

Have just watched some youtube on this stuff and it looks relatively easy to do - much better than sticking down sheets of wet and dry - I'm sold on it. Thanks for the tip.

Andy

[Graham T]

Thanks Aardvark, I remember taking a look at that project before - some fabulous stuff.  

[Graham T]

3 minutes ago, Andy Keane said:

Have just watched some youtube on this stuff and it looks relatively easy to do - much better than sticking down sheets of wet and dry - I'm sold on it. Thanks for the tip.

Andy

 

Could you post a link to the video please Andy?

[Andy Keane]

9 minutes ago, Graham T said:

 

Could you post a link to the video please Andy?

Graham

there seem to be lots but this one seems good and not too long:

Andy

[clachnaharry]

Will your signal arm for goods yard entry be working? 

 

Edited April 25, 2022 by clachnaharry

[Graham T]

8 minutes ago, clachnaharry said:

Will your signal arm for goods yard entry be working? 

 

 

Only by the tried and tested"hand of God" method I'm afraid!

[Andy Keane]

What we need is for Dapol to offer us more than just two arms on one post of course!