Chuffnell Regis

[Graham T]

23 minutes ago, GWR57xx said:

Great Western Branch Line Terminii, Paul Karau, OPC either Volumes 1&2 ... are great. Ashburton appears in V2 along with a clear photo and description of the ash pit.

 

I'd actually forgotten that I had those, and to look in them - d'oh!  Thanks

[Graham T]

There has been a bit of activity here this evening, as well as the usual heavy bouts of procrastination.  I got the brick paving installed around the t***table, courtesy of a print from @Harlequin (thanks very much for that Phil, looks just the ticket I think, and a perfect fit).  I sprayed the print with a couple of coats of matt varnish, so that I can weather it with acrylics in due course, and then stuck the prints onto some thin card.  I wanted it to have a bit of depth for representing the very shallow ramps around the tracks, and also because I'll be putting a thin layer of ballast around at least some of it.

 

Next major task is to replace the side girders on the table with something a bit less gargantuan...

 

 

 

 

I also need to add some edging to join the brick paving to the capping stones at the top of the well, and may add very thin strips of plasticard to show the foot grip strips (whatever they're called).

Edited April 1, 2022 by Graham T

[Harlequin]

That looks really good. I think it will weather in to the scene quite nicely!

 

How easy was it to cut the curves? I think I need to make that easier!

 

[Graham T]

8 minutes ago, Harlequin said:

That looks really good. I think it will weather in to the scene quite nicely!

 

Thanks, yes I think it will look really good.  Very pleased with it

 

8 minutes ago, Harlequin said:

 

How easy was it to cut the curves? I think I need to make that easier!

 

 

Fairly easy to be honest.  I was too lazy to use your suggested technique I'm afraid, I just used a new blade (well a couple actually, as I was also cutting card), a steady hand, and a good spotlight.  I found that using one of those knives with the snap-off blades helped, as I could extend it longer than I usually would, and that made seeing exactly where the blade tip was a lot easier.  I suspect that the two coats of varnish might have helped too, as that made the paper a bit more resilient of course.

 

Thanks again for making the print for me, much appreciated.

[MrWolf]

1 hour ago, Graham T said:

There has been a bit of activity here this evening, as well as the usual heavy bouts of procrastination.  I got the brick paving installed around the t***table, courtesy of a print from @Harlequin (thanks very much for that Phil, looks just the ticket I think, and a perfect fit).  I sprayed the print with a couple of coats of matt varnish, so that I can weather it with acrylics in due course, and then stuck the prints onto some thin card.  I wanted it to have a bit of depth for representing the very shallow ramps around the tracks, and also because I'll be putting a thin layer of ballast around at least some of it.

 

Next major task is to replace the side girders on the table with something a bit less gargantuan...

 

 

I also need to add some edging to join the brick paving to the capping stones at the top of the well, and may add very thin strips of plasticard to show the foot grip strips (whatever they're called).

 

The turntable looks really good now, it looks like your earlier doubts were unfounded, you've made a great job of reworking the kit. I still fancy building one just because...

 

The foot grips are similar to those around canal lock gates and generally known as strakes. A single row of edge on bricks raised an inch or so above the surrounding brick flooring.

 

Do I win the golden anorak?

[Graham T]

Strakes!  Thanks Mr W that's exactly the word I was looking for.

[Graham T]

The cart has had a few layers of paint; black first, and then dry-brushing with greys and light browns.  I'm guessing that the verticals would have been metal strips?  If so I will pick them out with some faded black and the odd dab of rust here and there.

 

 

Edited April 1, 2022 by Graham T

[Neal Ball]

The Turntable is looking really good now @Graham T you must be very pleased.

[chuffinghell]

You have been busy, lots of wonderful stuff going on.

 

The turntable look great 

[Graham T]

3 hours ago, Neal Ball said:

The Turntable is looking really good now @Graham T you must be very pleased.

 

It's getting there Neal - taken an awful lot of work to get it this far though.  I still want to change the side girders, and of course paint everything (I'm looking forward to that last part).

[Graham T]

2 hours ago, chuffinghell said:

You have been busy, lots of wonderful stuff going on.

 

The turntable look great 

 

Thanks Chris - I like the new profile pic by the way.

 

Also, you need to be careful saying t***table around here - some people are upset (understandably) by the T-word  

[Graham T]

Not very much work done this evening at Chuffnell R.  I decided that the base of the engine shed needed some fettling, so have added some printed planking.  I'd also like to get a couple of workbenches and other paraphernalia to go in there; can anyone recommend good kits or similar?  I don't really want to try scratch-building stuff.  My thinking is to try to keep the shed removable, so that I can get in there to clean the track now and again.

 

 

 

I filled in around the track with some Das then.  Looks a bit weird now, I know, but I'll be able to paint it tomorrow, hopefully.  There should really be an inspection pit as well, but because of the issues with the bullhead rail not holding in the Peco kit that I have, I decided against it.

 

 

 

  

Edited April 1, 2022 by Graham T

[BroadLeaves]

9 hours ago, Graham T said:

I'm guessing that the verticals would have been metal strips? 

I think so. I have one of those kits (mine's not made yet - I'm going for plain wood chassis, red wheels and a blue top - and I don't have any blue in stock) but when looking through the internet for prototypes for colour ideas, I found about a 50/50 mix of similar carts that used wooden verticals to those that use metal verticals. As the build instructions for the kit specifically say to bend the top plank of the sides out from the rest, I interpreted it as having thin metal supports.

[Graham T]

Thanks for that, good to know.

[Neal Ball]

7 hours ago, Graham T said:

Not very much work done this evening at Chuffnell R.  I decided that the base of the engine shed needed some fettling, so have added some printed planking.  I'd also like to get a couple of workbenches and other paraphernalia to go in there; can anyone recommend good kits or similar?  I don't really want to try scratch-building stuff.  My thinking is to try to keep the shed removable, so that I can get in there to clean the track now and again.

 

 

I filled in around the track with some Das then.  Looks a bit weird now, I know, but I'll be able to paint it tomorrow, hopefully.  There should really be an inspection pit as well, but because of the issues with the bullhead rail not holding in the Peco kit that I have, I decided against it.

 

 

There is always the Modelu items: https://www.modelu3d.co.uk/product-category/detailing-components/loco-shed-details/

 

Which I think the Paris retailer sells in HO https://www.maketis.com/en/recherche?controller=search&orderby=position&orderway=desc&search_query=modelu&submit_search=&mc_cid=00eb734778&mc_eid=c74db7100a

 

Interesting to see the brake blocks in a pile at Modelu. In my GWRJ research yesterday, I saw a very atmospheric shot of Old Oak Common shed, with brake blocks arranged in front of one of the roads.

[Fishplate]

On 28/02/2022 at 21:47, Graham T said:

And reminds me that I must put posts in next to the shed doors (if I ever get round to putting it in place...)

 

On 28/02/2022 at 21:50, Graham T said:

So, it seems that there really is a prototype for everything

 

You could even put one of the shed doors next to the shed rather than on it . . . .

[Graham T]

The number of times the shed has been moved to and from recently it's a wonder the doors haven't both fallen off, to be honest.

[Graham T]

I got a few odds and ends painted at lunchtime.  The coal stage area has had some initial weathering.  I'm adding to it a little at a time, the thinking being that it's a lot easier to add more than it is to take it back off again.  The brickwork needs darkening with some powders, I think, and perhaps I should scatter a few lumps of coal around?

 

 

 

 

I've also put a couple of layers of gunge colour on the engine shed floor.  It's still wet in this shot.  Needs to be a bit lighter perhaps, or not?

 

 

 

 The new buffer stops have all had a thin wash of the gunge mix as well, on top of an initial coat of rust.  They still need a bit more work as well I think, perhaps a thin black wash and then a dry brushing of rust?  The last bit so far today was to paint the capping stones in the t***table well.  I've gone for a  blue grey mix of acrylics here, hopefully it looks about right...

 

As ever the camera shouts out the mistakes that you hadn't spotted before.  Here the join in the well brickwork looks like it has a neon sign pointing at it...  A smarter man than me would have set things up so that the join was at the front of the layout, where it couldn't be seen.  I think I might try to fill it with some watered down polyfilla.

 

 

 

 

Ok, time to get back to work, and try to avoid doom-scrolling the news.

 

 

Edited April 1, 2022 by Graham T

[Graham T]

I got a few more small bits and bobs done this evening, although I have to say I'm finding it a bit hard to maintain the old mojo just now.  Some point rodding got added to the single slip, along with a recycled ground lever.

 

 

 

And I primed the water column, so that's ready for some paint now.  Fitting the chain was a right pain in the rear.  How are you supposed to hold a piece of wriggly chain in place while the superglue grabs, and still ensure that it's going to hang vertically?  After a few visits to the profanity bank I decided to glue the upper few links - about 4 mm or so - solid.  This gave me something to hang onto with a pair of tweezers whilst I got the end of the chain correctly positioned for glueing...

 

Clearly it's not fixed down yet, as I still need to paint it.

 

 

 

 

Then it was time to ballast the single slip, which was another fiddly little task.  But everything still moves as it should, so all is well it seems.

 

 

 

And finally some paint on the t***table well.  A wash of deck tan for the mortar in the brick walls, then some rust red acrylic brushed over the faces of the bricks.  Another gunge mix for the concrete (?) ring that the rails are set into, and then a liberal black wash once everything had dried.  You'll see that I also gave the chinchilla dust a black wash.  I thought it looked a bit too pristine; and now of course I think it looks too dark!  I'll see how it is tomorrow once it's fully dried; perhaps I'll put a lighter wash over that part.

 

 

  

 

Edited April 1, 2022 by Graham T

[MrWolf]

That well looks well.

 

All sorts of oily muck in there, very convincing.

 

Keep up the good work!

[Graham T]

Thanks Rob.  With your artist's eye though, do you think the gravel in the well should be a bit lighter?

[Neal Ball]

4 hours ago, Graham T said:

Thanks Rob.  With your artist's eye though, do you think the gravel in the well should be a bit lighter?

For a table that’s been used for the best part of (say) 60 or 80 years it’s probably about right. How does it look this morning? 
 

Maybe pop the table back on and decide then.

Edited March 4, 2022 by Neal Ball
Typo

[Gopher]

10 hours ago, Graham T said:

thought it looked a bit too pristine; and now of course I think it looks too dark! 

Looks spot on to me Graham.  I'd leave as is.  Nice job

[Graham T]

On 04/03/2022 at 06:56, Neal Ball said:

For a table that’s been used for the best part of (say) 60 or 80 years it’s probably about right. How does it look this morning? 
 

Maybe pop the table back on and decide then.

 

Here's how it looks with the table in place.  I think I'll leave the paint in the well as it is for now, and give it another look once I've painted the table itself - see how the thing looks in its entirety.

 

Unfortunately, although I sprayed matt varnish on the top faces of the brick around the well, glue has still managed to get to the printed paper through the card that it's mounted on - hence the weird green discolouration you can see in some places.  That will need touching up as well then.

 

 

Edited April 1, 2022 by Graham T

[Graham T]

3 hours ago, Gopher said:

Looks spot on to me Graham.  I'd leave as is.  Nice job

 

Thanks Clive.