Pencarrow: nothing to see, move along please.

[Stubby47]

If the trains were still they would be able to knock anything over

 

Surely, a still train wouldn't knock anything over...

[Mark Forrest]

Surely, a still train wouldn't knock anything over...

Yes, my witty riposte would have made more sense if I'd typed "wouldn't" instead of "would" like I thought I had

[Stubby47]

Ah,

 

 

[2ManySpams]

A fair few steps missed along the way in terms of photos but I thought it was time for a brief update. 

 

The remainder of the platform structure is now in and work filling the gaps in the foreground landscape using a mixture of card, foamboard and polystyrene:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[2ManySpams]

The clay exchange siding at the front will have an ash/gravel roadway up to the nearest rail and so a mixture of foamboard and lightweight filler have been used to bring up the levels. I didn't want the filler oozing under the rail and into the center of the track, so a 'wall ' was built with ballast in between the sleepers and under the rail. A first coat of filler later and that will do as the base for the ash/gravel roadway which will be fitted later. A spot of grey paint added to make the levels show up better  on photos...

 

 

 

Also in the above photos you'll see a start has been made on the platform facing. This side of the platform won't be close to the rail and there will be a fence on the platform top . Unlike the platform face against the loop, this is fairly plainly finished - a bit like the cattle dock.

 

 

This will be made and painted away from the board and fitted when finished.

 

I've used Wills stone sheets for this but flattened off with a file and sandpaper. Here's a comparison.

 

 

Further tarting around with stones and converting the pink filler into less characteristic stones will be undertaken. Running out of the Wills sheets (none available at shops in B'ham or Sutton)  has stopped play on this front.

[N15class]

You've made some nice progress​ there Chris. Is it wired to go as yet? Or is it in the planning stage.

[2ManySpams]

Thanks Peter, parts are wired, most isn't. More pressing is a lack of about 60% or more of the rail. On the plus side, the track is designed, the sleepers down and track components bought. Still a long way to go.

[Hal Nail]

Running out of the Wills sheets (none available at shops in B'ham or Sutton)

 

I know this is ridiculous but in my head everyone on here lives somewhere vaguely near where their model is. That's thrown me completely!

[Simond]

Peter's modelling Bodmin too. He's in Brazil!

 

I'm modelling the Lleyn peninsula from SE Kent, which by comparison is just down the road!!!

 

Best

Simon

Peter's modelling Bodmin too. He's in Brazil!

 

I'm modelling the Lleyn peninsula from SE Kent, which by comparison is just down the road!!!

 

Best

Simon

[St Enodoc]

I know this is ridiculous but in my head everyone on here lives somewhere vaguely near where their model is. That's thrown me completely!

My model's about 10,000 miles from where I live. In fact, I've never lived closer than about 250 miles from Cornwall.

Edited May 5, 2017 by St Enodoc

[2ManySpams]

I know this is ridiculous but in my head everyone on here lives somewhere vaguely near where their model is. That's thrown me completely!

 

 

Nope, for some reason I have been enjoying modelling Cornish railways for some 15 years despite them being over 250 miles away. I've been involved in projects closer to home such as Black Country Blues and New Haven Colliery but it's Cornish projects that I really enjoy.

 

It would be easier if Cornwall was closer but if it was I would probably model somewhere else.

[2ManySpams]

And in other news....

 

 

What's this then?

[Stubby47]

SAD lamp?

Shredded bubble wrap ?

Wool from a semi transparent sheep ?

LSWR seat stuffing ?

 

Close up of a fluffy button ?

Edited May 5, 2017 by Stubby47

[gwrrob]

Headwear of yours from an university graduation party.

[2ManySpams]

Nice guesses but in actual fact that's our bedroom window in a bucket.

 

Not the best surprise on getting home from work.

 

Double glazed unit and the inside sheet of glass has shattered. It's a big unit too at over 3m wide.

[gwrrob]

What caused it to shatter then Chris.

[2ManySpams]

No idea. SWMBO was downstairs, heard a large bang, investigated, found the window crazing in front of her eyes. Whole lot was about to fall out so I removed it. Weird.

 

Probably not  a very subtle hint that the bedroom is long overdue being decorated.

[N15class]

I hate glass we had them explode all the time when shopfitting. Often after every where was closed or the shop was having a grand opening the next day.

[2ManySpams]

Over the years I've looked long and hard for different textures of plastic sheet stonework. There's lots available, a selection of which are below...

 

 

The larger sheets are, I think, all from Slaters and are generally quite thin, with the coarser stonework vacuum formed. The small sheet is the old faithful Wills,  which is thick and moulded. Not easy to cut or shape but it's thickness means it will take a lot of abuse such as filing, filling and scratching to alter its appearance.

 

I've used lots and lots of the Wills sheets over the years. The small sheet size is a pain, the the back and sides need work to remove pips and sticky out boys before use. Having used lots and spent hours looking at the sheets means I can spot it a mile off when used unaltered. A particular give away are the two stones next to the scriber tip which have cut off corners. I normally try and remember to get rid of these be reshaping with knife or filler.

[2ManySpams]

Being small means using the Wills sheets for large, long or tall areas means you'll need lots of joints.

 

The sheets are moulded with a repeat pattern so that, if the sheets are the same way around, the pattern confines across the joint...

 

 

I generally glue one sheet to a backing frame making up the building or wall and, having chamfered the edges, Mek the living daylights out of the join - pushing the two sheets together so that the molten plastic fills the gaps. Once the solvent has set,  you can then shape the set plastic to hide the join. Doesn't always work and filler may be required to finish the job off.

 

I have noticed that the more recent sheets don't join as well as the old ones. Are the moulds wearing?

 

On the platform edging I wanted to get three lengths out of each sheet and this means that the courses don't always match that well.

[mudmagnet]

Over the years I've looked long and hard for different textures of plastic sheet stonework. There's lots available, a selection of which are below...

 

tmp_24647-rps20170506_123813-748781578.jpg

 

The larger sheets are, I think, all from Slaters and are generally quite thin, with the coarser stonework vacuum formed. The small sheet is the old faithful Wills,  which is thick and moulded. Not easy to cut or shape but it's thickness means it will take a lot of abuse such as filing, filling and scratching to alter its appearance.

 

I've used lots and lots of the Wills sheets over the years. The small sheet size is a pain, the the back and sides need work to remove pips and sticky out boys before use. Having used lots and spent hours looking at the sheets means I can spot it a mile off when used unaltered. A particular give away are the two stones next to the scriber tip which have cut off corners. I normally try and remember to get rid of these be reshaping with knife or filler.

You could always scribe your own!

I've used tile grout (ready mixed) applied to the structure and sanded smooth when dry. Then scribed in a small area, wetting using water in a small area. Takes acrylic paint well. Yes time consuming but gives a unique stone effect. Also useful when setting brick work or cornice stones etc into a building.

 

Strange happenings with the window, but my wife had a similar problem with a window at work. It would appear that under the hot sun and a small crack / defect in the glass caused the glass to shatter. Of course the toughened glass is under stress, so any small crack can cause it to shatter or craze.

 

Hope the insurance pays out!

[2ManySpams]

The stonework at Bodmin in places looks slighslightly flatter than the Wills pattern, not so coarse. So I've taken a file to the Wills sheets. Left side untouched and right side filed...

 

 

I then drag the tip of the file across the stones to introduce a bit of texture and clean off using and old toothbrush.

[2ManySpams]

So, as seen on the previous page, a start was made on the back of platform face, near the clay siding.

 

Misaligned joins were hit with filler and left to dry for a couple of days to fully dry off.

 

 

The filler was roughly flattened and stones marked out.

 

 

The mortar lines are then cut using  Tamiya tool and debris removed using the toothbrush.

 

 

Continuing my abuse of tools, I use an old small crosshead screwdriver to round off the stone edges.

 

 

And then a variety of tools to further add texture to the stones.

 

 

Cleaned up, the join then looks something like this... (Joint is where the pencil is)

 

 

And the next one along...

 

 

Once all the joints are done it will receive a coat of Halfords primer and this will show up any more areas that need further work.

[2ManySpams]

You could always scribe your own!

I've used tile grout (ready mixed) applied to the structure and sanded smooth when dry. Then scribed in a small area, wetting using water in a small area. Takes acrylic paint well. Yes time consuming but gives a unique stone effect. Also useful when setting brick work or cornice stones etc into a building.

 

Strange happenings with the window, but my wife had a similar problem with a window at work. It would appear that under the hot sun and a small crack / defect in the glass caused the glass to shatter. Of course the toughened glass is under stress, so any small crack can cause it to shatter or craze.

 

Hope the insurance pays out!

 

 

Thanks dirty attractive person. Yes, scribing from scratch does give you a very bespoke finish and I'm using this approach on a couple of buildings, such as the grain store. This is however very time consuming and so in places I'll be turning to using abused Wills sheets as a starting point.

[wagonbasher]

Thanks dirty attractive person. Yes, scribing from scratch does give you a very bespoke finish and I'm using this approach on a couple of buildings, such as the grain store. This is however very time consuming and so in places I'll be turning to using abused Wills sheets as a starting point.

There is not many occasions where using wills plastic sheet would be considered a short cut...

 

Andy