Chuffnell Regis

[Graham T]

34 minutes ago, Gedward said:

 

It's why in the end, I decided to leave the wires off on Bovey Tor. I find it surprising why we care so much about fence wire, but not with telegraph poles. Which is probably a just as important, if not more so. it's a funny old world playing trains.

 

 

 

Certainly is a funny old world George!  I must say that some of the layouts I've seen with the telephone lines included look really good (some of Chris Nevard's spring to mind).  I'm still considering trying some with EZ Line, but that will have to be the last job on the layout, as they'll just get snagged otherwise.  So that may mean they never actually get done!  And I do wonder how to deal with the ends i.e. the final telegraph pole at each end of the layout?

[Graham T]

28 minutes ago, Gopher said:

I think the fencing looks much better with fishing line, rather than the wire supplied with the Scale Model Scenery kit.  Wish I'd used it.

 

I think the Scots pines are great. The ex GWR stations with pines I have seen (including Raglan), seem to have the pines more closely/randomly  grouped.  Yours seem an equal distance apart from the photo.  You could add more pines (if you have them), or maybe make the five a bit more random in terms of position.  The varying heights look spot on.

 

I'm not sure about the trees either side of the entrance, maybe keep the one on the left which hides the corner.  Not sure what to put on the right of the entrance other than a different tree, maybe a bit smaller or bushes.       

 

Thanks Clive.  I think I'll leave the pines as they are, but perhaps move the big tree from the right of the exiting road, and see how it looks with one of the smaller ones (perhaps the one from the right hand end of that group of trees).

[Gedward]

The main reason for moving to 7mm was precisely because of these kind of issues. As I wanted to scratch build everything apart from the track and rolling stock. But now I've got nothing to complain about? Well we'll see about that, as I'm still working on the first building.

 

[Harlequin]

I think I read that the pine trees planted alongside GWR stations were the idea of the wife of Sir Felix Pole, GWR bigwig and eventually of course general manager.

 

[Graham T]

10 minutes ago, Harlequin said:

 Sir Felix Pole ...

 

 

A made-up name, surely?!

[Graham T]

I have given the trees a minor reshuffle.  I think this looks a bit better?

 

 

[Andy Keane]

1 hour ago, Graham T said:

 

Certainly is a funny old world George!  I must say that some of the layouts I've seen with the telephone lines included look really good (some of Chris Nevard's spring to mind).  I'm still considering trying some with EZ Line, but that will have to be the last job on the layout, as they'll just get snagged otherwise.  So that may mean they never actually get done!  And I do wonder how to deal with the ends i.e. the final telegraph pole at each end of the layout?

Also unless you keep your layout in a glass box I cannot see how one would ever keep telegraph lines clear of dust and cobwebs! Too fragile to clean I would expect. So for me I will include the poles but not the lines.

[Graham T]

Valid point Reg 🙂

[Andy Keane]

1 hour ago, Graham T said:

I have given the trees a minor reshuffle.  I think this looks a bit better?

 

 

These views are terrific - its a really impressive depiction of a GWR BLT - cannot wait to see your station building in place. Just one thought. Is the ground in the yard between the tracks a bit pink or is that just the photo? maybe some nice oily dirt is needed?

[Graham T]

45 minutes ago, Andy Keane said:

These views are terrific - its a really impressive depiction of a GWR BLT - cannot wait to see your station building in place. Just one thought. Is the ground in the yard between the tracks a bit pink or is that just the photo? maybe some nice oily dirt is needed?

 

Thanks Andy, very good of you to say so.  I'm sort of looking forward to making the station building, and also slightly dreading it too!

 

You might be right about the dirt in the goods yard, I'm not sure.  I might spread about some more of the light-mid grey colour that you can see where the Scarab is standing.  But I don't want to make it too dark...

[Gedward]

8 hours ago, Graham T said:

I think I'll leave the pines as they are

 

"I chop down trees, I eat my lunch.."

 

[Graham T]

 

And have buttered scones for tea…

[Graham T]

I'm ok 😉

[Gedward]

 

He's a modeller and he's OK

He sleeps all night and plays trains all day

 

 

Edited August 24, 2022 by Gedward

[Graham T]

Today I have mostly been b***ering about with fencing again.  Like this:

 

 

There was some method to the madness, honestly.  And now I should have enough for a continuous run all along the bank next to the bay platform.

 

I also had a spare half hour to make a start on the hedges at the far end of the layout.  These will still need a bit more firtling before the beech tree can be re-instated in the corner.

 

[Andrew P]

1 hour ago, Graham T said:

Today I have mostly been b***ering about with fencing again.  Like this:

 

 

There was some method to the madness, honestly.  And now I should have enough for a continuous run all along the bank next to the bay platform.

 

I also had a spare half hour to make a start on the hedges at the far end of the layout.  These will still need a bit more firtling before the beech tree can be re-instated in the corner.

 

Clever idea, I've never have thought of that for fixing fence wire. 👍

[Andy Keane]

10 hours ago, Graham T said:

Today I have mostly been b***ering about with fencing again.  Like this:

 

 

There was some method to the madness, honestly.  And now I should have enough for a continuous run all along the bank next to the bay platform.

 

I also had a spare half hour to make a start on the hedges at the far end of the layout.  These will still need a bit more firtling before the beech tree can be re-instated in the corner.

 

Following your advice I got out some fishing line and threaded up a fence yesterday evening which proved much easier than using wire. And then added some paint. As you say it goes on quite well but at least for me it is then not simple to move the posts along the line and if you try the paint just gets striped off the line. And I see above you have them all spaced out for painting so I guess you find the same? But equally painting the wire in situ is clearly asking for accidents.

[Graham T]

17 minutes ago, Andy Keane said:

Following your advice I got out some fishing line and threaded up a fence yesterday evening which proved much easier than using wire. And then added some paint. As you say it goes on quite well but at least for me it is then not simple to move the posts along the line and if you try the paint just gets striped off the line. And I see above you have them all spaced out for painting so I guess you find the same? But equally painting the wire in situ is clearly asking for accidents.

 

I think we may have used slightly different techniques.

 

I used the steel rule to make sure the bottoms of the posts were all on the same level, and then used masking tape to hold each post in position vertically, spaced at 2.5 cm.  Then I fixed the fishing line at one end, pulled it taut and lined it up with all the cut-out slots in the posts - you might have to do a bit of adjustment to get it seated on every post - and finally fixed the other end with blutak, ensuring that the line stayed correctly aligned and taut.  Some mild expletives may have been used...  Next a small dab of superglue on each post to fix the lines.  You probably can't see, but I only added 5 rather than all 7, the main reason being laziness!  (Well, and I don't think the bottom ones will be visible really, plus they are likely to get in the way of adding all the weeds under the fence).

 

So, everything is fixed together before I start painting.  I used Vallejo black grey for the posts and the wire, then a wash of olive green on the posts, and finally some dry brushed earth on the posts too.

 

Hope that helps!

[Andy Keane]

21 minutes ago, Graham T said:

 

I think we may have used slightly different techniques.

 

I used the steel rule to make sure the bottoms of the posts were all on the same level, and then used masking tape to hold each post in position vertically, spaced at 2.5 cm.  Then I fixed the fishing line at one end, pulled it taut and lined it up with all the cut-out slots in the posts - you might have to do a bit of adjustment to get it seated on every post - and finally fixed the other end with blutak, ensuring that the line stayed correctly aligned and taut.  Some mild expletives may have been used...  Next a small dab of superglue on each post to fix the lines.  You probably can't see, but I only added 5 rather than all 7, the main reason being laziness!  (Well, and I don't think the bottom ones will be visible really, plus they are likely to get in the way of adding all the weeds under the fence).

 

So, everything is fixed together before I start painting.  I used Vallejo black grey for the posts and the wire, then a wash of olive green on the posts, and finally some dry brushed earth on the posts too.

 

Hope that helps!

Thanks - interesting to hear exactly how you do it. My worry about gluing the line to the posts before installing on the boards is getting a good tension when they are in situ. I have drilled all my holes and these are as close to one inch spacing as I can make it but I wanted to allow a little bit of play to tension the fence once installed. I actually plan to use straining posts for their literal purpose at each end of a run after the fence is in place as a number of fences on layouts I have seen have rather saggy fence lines. I guess you cannot do this with the Ratio posts but the SMS ones being actually drilled do allow it. Madness in all probability but I will report back on how it goes.

Edited August 25, 2022 by Andy Keane

[Graham T]

I plan to use straining posts at each end of the run as well.  Proof of the pudding will be in the eating of course.  Likewise, I will keep you posted as things develop at Chuffnell R...

[MrWolf]

I will also be using straining posts formed out of bits of scrap rail kindly donated by the LMS, or rather @Rowsley17D.

[Andy Keane]

Do we think wooden post fencing had metal (rail) or wooden straining posts?

I see this has come up before: 

And rail seems to be the answer:

https://content-eu.invisioncic.com/y320084/monthly_01_2015/post-5204-0-99133700-1421961097.jpg

 

Edited August 25, 2022 by Andy Keane

[Rowsley17D]

36 minutes ago, Andy Keane said:

Do we think wooden post fencing had metal (rail) or wooden straining posts?

I see this has come up before: 

And rail seems to be the answer:

https://content-eu.invisioncic.com/y320084/monthly_01_2015/post-5204-0-99133700-1421961097.jpg

 

 

Looks like narrow gauge FB stuff. 

[Andy Keane]

17 minutes ago, Rowsley17D said:

 

Looks like narrow gauge FB stuff. 

I think they thought it was old broad gauge rail, re-used

Andy

[Graham T]

I'll be using some offcuts of BH rail.  It may be inaccurate, but hard to tell from NVD, and as regular readers will know, I rarely let accuracy stand in my way!