Bacup - Mills in the hills

[Jason T]

Next experiment is with the Howard Scenics Granite Setts sheets. Another thing which has been slightly jarring is the fact that the street with the terraced houses on should really be cobbled rather than tarmac'd. Problem was, I didn't fancy using the Slaters Granite Setts as they are a bit too uniform - fine for the mill yard at the back of the layout and a few other hard to see places, but not for the front. I also didn't fancy using the Wills cobble sheets as they are about a foot thick, and scribing it out in DAS was an option but one I wanted to avoid if necessary.

 

I had a read through Andy C's 'New Hey' blog whilst on holiday (I have such fun on holiday ) and saw that Andy had used Howard Scenics 'Granite Setts' sheets for the New Hey goods yard surface so whilst at St Albans, I picked up a few sheets and they are rather nice. So, with the cart shed completed, I've been having a mess-around with a sheet of it a a couple of pots of grey acrylic paint. More experimentation needed I reckon......

 

 

The sheet is just tucked under the pavements and buildings on the right in the above shot. The sheets also include a handy section for guttering, etc, which would also obviously be used.

 

Whether I use it on the street or not depends on whether I can get a decent finish (or be bothered to dry brush and individually paint 9 A4 sheets !!!) but in some form or another, they goods yard will be paved with it.

 

Has anyone (and yep, I'm looking at you Andy C) got any experience or tips on the best way of painting them, obviously including the darker / mossy shade between the setts?

[bluebottle]

Magnificent array of crown chimney pots in Burnley:

 

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=crown+chimney+pots+lancashire&um=1&hl=en&tbo=d&biw=1280&bih=694&tbm=isch&tbnid=t2kc91XXtT9KdM:&imgrefurl=http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2620197&docid=WQeNofMpcEdWyM&imgurl=http://s0.geograph.org.uk/geophotos/02/62/01/2620197_fcc4cd7f.jpg&w=640&h=474&ei=MJH1UOL2I8Ss0QXrt4GIDQ&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=164&vpy=383&dur=3188&hovh=193&hovw=261&tx=134&ty=125&sig=118065655768798104939&page=2&tbnh=135&tbnw=177&start=39&ndsp=48&ved=1t:429,r:41,s:0,i:207

 

Gordon

 

PS have you tried googling "crown chimney pots Lancashire" images?

Edited January 15, 2013 by bluebottle

[Jason T]

Some real cobbles in Bacup, taken from Streetview. Maybe the Google car uses the same crap cameras I do because it's just as blurred as one of my shots

 

 

A nice mixture of colours there though, none of which I have managed to capture in my experiment yet (although to be honest, I've not tried). The colours kind of look like a mix of grey/greens and grey/browns to me?

[Removed a/c]

Might sound a bit daft but have you had a look at the cobblestones on Coronation Street for weathering ideas? 

[Jason T]

I might be in luck with the chimney pots, as it seems that Freestone have a castellated one in their range (struggling to find an image so far, but here is the ref on their website: SCS442: 4 chimney pots - castelated: £2.00). Hopefuly they will be at the Leamington exhibition on Saturday so I can take a look, and I know that Jerry will do me a slight discount for a bulk order (I asked him last weekend, when I wrongly presumed that the pots I needed would be normal ones).

 

I've only cut down, drilled, filed, glued on, painted and weathered 66 pots so far (!!!!!!); looks like I may be trying to pull them all out and starting again. I know that they will come out (with a bit of effort) because some of them have already been removed once when I glued them in and then thought that they looked a bit long.

 

 

Might sound a bit daft but have you had a look at the cobblestones on Coronation Street for weathering ideas?

 

It's not the weathering as such, just the method of painting that I need to experiment with. Plus, I couldn't bring myself to watch a soap opera

[clecklewyke]

Might sound a bit daft but have you had a look at the cobblestones on Coronation Street for weathering ideas? 

 

If they have taken as much care as they did with their brickwork I wouldn't bother. My poor wife is getting a bit tired of my explanations of the difference in bonding between cavity and non-cavity walls!

 

Of course, some Victorian builder in Weatherfield might have anticipated modern building regs? 

[Jason T]

My way of getting out of watching Gok Kwan and his tedious shows that the girlfriend likes is to do 'Gok' impressions at regular intervals, up until the point where she is happy for me to leave the room, but discussing building methods as a way of getting time away from Corrie is insipred

[Jason T]

Continued experiments with cobbles, part 2.

 

A darker base layer was painted on and then using the rag/dab method, I applied light grey. The bottom left corner also has a hint of cream added.

 

[2ManySpams]

Just in case folk wonder what Jason has been up to these past months outside Baccup, here's a link to a little something he's recently completed for the Black Country Blues team. I'm sure you'll all agree it's a cracking piece of work!

 

Now he's finished it, I'm pleased to let you all have him back full time playing with coconut dancers...unless he fancies another walk on the BCB side!

 

Thanks Jason, take a bow!

[Mythocentric]

Re granite and stone setts/cobbles. You'll find photographs of both here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/60883-prototype-colour-references/

 

Best way to produce the wet/glassy sheen look of granite is to finish with a coat of satin varnish to which a couple of drops of green or brown has been added.

 

Bill

Edited January 15, 2013 by Mythocentric

[Andy C]

Next experiment is with the Howard Scenics Granite Setts sheets. Another thing which has been slightly jarring is the fact that the street with the terraced houses on should really be cobbled rather than tarmac'd. Problem was, I didn't fancy using the Slaters Granite Setts as they are a bit too uniform - fine for the mill yard at the back of the layout and a few other hard to see places, but not for the front. I also didn't fancy using the Wills cobble sheets as they are about a foot thick, and scribing it out in DAS was an option but one I wanted to avoid if necessary.

 

I had a read through Andy C's 'New Hey' blog whilst on holiday (I have such fun on holiday ) and saw that Andy had used Howard Scenics 'Granite Setts' sheets for the New Hey goods yard surface so whilst at St Albans, I picked up a few sheets and they are rather nice. So, with the cart shed completed, I've been having a mess-around with a sheet of it a a couple of pots of grey acrylic paint. More experimentation needed I reckon......

 

Has anyone (and yep, I'm looking at you Andy C) got any experience or tips on the best way of painting them, obviously including the darker / mossy shade between the setts?

 

Ahh yes I seem to recall the fun of painting them - I feel a new blog entry coming on so will take the said pics and post it up along with the methodology in the next day or so - so advise people to keep an eye on this or sign up to follow:     http://newheymodelrailway.wordpress.com/

 

Jason you have a PM

Edited January 15, 2013 by Andy C

[Steve Hewitt]

 

Cheers Jim.

 

Steve, is there any chance that you can take a photo of your chimney / flower pot and pop it up here, assuming it is of the correct type? Google Street View is a bit limited when trying to look at rooftops; what I need is Google Top Floor Of Double Decker Bus View

Jason,

 

Here is mine!

 

 

Height 30 in.

I think, from the discolouration, that the bottom couple of inches would have been buried in the cement where it sat on top of the masonary chimney stack.

Width at base 13 in.

Width at "flange" 12.5 in.

Width at top edge 9.5 in.

 

The top is a bit simpler than the ones I looked at on Monday in Rossendale.

Mine only has points at the corners, four in total.

The others also had a point in the middle of each side, eight in total.

 

Good luck with sourcing something suitable.

 

Steve.

[Jason T]

Thanks Steve. Hopefully the Freestone ones will be suitable but if not, I'll have to bite the bullet, make up a master and either pester one of teh companies that you guys have kindly suggested or even have a  go at moulding my own.

 

In the meantime, I'm still experimenting with cobbles

[LNER4479]

I might be in luck with the chimney pots, as it seems that Freestone have a castellated one in their range (struggling to find an image so far, but here is the ref on their website: SCS442: 4 chimney pots - castelated: £2.00). Hopefuly they will be at the Leamington exhibition on Saturday so I can take a look, and I know that Jerry will do me a slight discount for a bulk order (I asked him last weekend, when I wrongly presumed that the pots I needed would be normal ones).

 

I've only cut down, drilled, filed, glued on, painted and weathered 66 pots so far (!!!!!!); looks like I may be trying to pull them all out and starting again. I know that they will come out (with a bit of effort) because some of them have already been removed once when I glued them in and then thought that they looked a bit long.

 

Hi Jason,

 

Your recent tale of chimney pots struck a chord as I had a similar hunt round a few months ago (and found myself staring at every chimney pot I could see during the process!). I ended up using square pots from the Dart Castings range; they do a pack of twelve (6 short, 6 long); I actually cut down some of the long ones as I needed predominantly short ones. Plain tops - I guess a few strokes with a square file would produce a passable impression of castellations, but I'm not as fastidious as you!

 

 

Sounds like you might have found a way forward that will satisfy you (I thought they looked great as they were btw!) but thought I'd post this anyway.

[Jason T]

Thanks, worth bearing in mind.

 

I thought they looked great too

[Saltersbrook]

It may be a bit late to point this out, but shouldn't the rows of setts run across the street instead of along it?

[Jason T]

Hi, 

 

not too late at all, as I merely slipped the sheet under the houses and pavement in order to get the photo; I want to get them painted before I glue them down and will also be putting in the guttering down the sides, as well as drain covers, etc.

 

Andy C pointed out the same thing

[Physicsman]

Jason, how large were the Howard Granite Sett sheets? I ask because I've previously used the Wills version. The setts are great, but the shhets are small and if you're not careful it's hard to eradicate the join line. your photos show a very good job has been done.

 

Well done for your Gok Kwan impersonations. Likewise, can't abide the man or his programmes!

 

Jeff

 

ps the dry stone walling discussion you started is running merrily on KL!

Edited January 16, 2013 by Physicsman

[Jason T]

They come in A4 size, and are made from card. They are a lot thinner than the Wills sheets and (importantly) the groove between the setts is nowhere as deep. With the Wills ones, I always thought that if scaled up, the groove was so deep and wide that you'd end up tripping up all the time if you walked across them

 

I'm referencing Bill's thread for colours, as well as some advice from Andy C, and am slowly getting there with my test sheet.

 

The strip down the right hand side is for gutters, etc.

 

[Mrkirtley800]

Hi Jason,

         Saltersbrook is correct, the rows of setts should run across the street.  I well remember as a young lad living in west Leeds in the 40's and early 50's riding my bile along Tong Road, one of the major roads in the area.  The setts there were shiny and very slippery and many a time I came off.  I hated them, especially when I had to cross over, the road also had tram tracks which were pretty lethal if you got the bike wheels stuck and I often went flying over the handlebars.

Derek

[Physicsman]

Hi Jason,

         Saltersbrook is correct, the rows of setts should run across the street.  I well remember as a young lad living in west Leeds in the 40's and early 50's riding my bile along Tong Road, one of the major roads in the area.  The setts there were shiny and very slippery and many a time I came off.  I hated them, especially when I had to cross over, the road also had tram tracks which were pretty lethal if you got the bike wheels stuck and I often went flying over the handlebars.

Derek

 

There you go, Jason. As a tribute to Derek's misfortune, you can include a cameo of this situation on one of your streets! Lol.

 

Thanks for the info on the setts. I intend to use some in the goods yard and hadn't come across the Howard sheets. A4 is also a major advantage.

 

Jeff

[Jason T]

Just for reference (my reference really), here is a shot of a cobbled street in Bacup and the colour I want to achieve. It looks to be quite a similar shade to the stone of the houses (albeit the clean houses and not the grotted up ones I have modelled). 

 

[Oldddudders]

Is it me, Jason, or are those houses built out of stone, rather than brick?

[Jason T]

Most of the houses are stone built in Bacup Ian. The only brick structure I have built (so far) is the station and that should be stone (as should the platform edges, and I believe the platform surface was actually blue engineers brick - I found all this out after I'd built it !!!). At some point, I may rebuild it but it'll be a long way down the line.

 

The signal box, when I get to it, will be brick built.

[Jason T]

The cobbles have started to go down now, including the guttering and holes cut for the drain covers (from Wizard Models). Top of the street first and working down. I have also finally glued the pavements down, which helps to seat the houses and will finally allow me to make and fit the front steps where required.

 

They cobbles have a bit of a glossy shine to them (probably the method I put the paint on) so will need a coating of matt varnish (any recommendations?).

 

I hope I have laid them correctly this time

 

With the front houses removed to get a better view. From the front of the layout, the houses will block the view of most of the street.

 

There are a couple of bits that need weathering in properly. I went round the edges with a black marker pen - big mistake but one that should be easily rectified.