well filled baps The Sheep Chronicles. The adventures of a Sheep, the Works Forecat and the Works Apprentice, George.

[marc smith]

Looking good Rob.

Re the thatched building - my first thought was that it did maybe "jar" a little, in that central position.
However, I think when you've got some landscaping in place, it may sit better, and look more "at home".
I would definitely make it look a tad more run-down though, and definitely move it off centre.... even slightly - as it may look too "centre stage" when the layout is completed.

[NHY 581]

14 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

 Having had another look from the front I wonder if perhaps the issue is that its long and low when compared to the rest of the buildings and doesn't therefore have a 'commanding presence'.

 

And that is the issue, Winners. This layout is short and narrow, like everything else I build. If the structures are short and tall, or just tall,  they will dominate the scene and over power it. The reality is, yhe majority of the buildings are lower than 100mm, with the exception of the mill store on the right but overall, it's a small building in terms of footprints. The thatch building is roughly the same height as the others. The school house side on to the left IS taller but it's kmpact is reduced as it's side on. 

 

One thing to remember, as alluded to previously, all of these buildings in the photos are sitting too low, certainly by 5mm + as their floor height will all be flush with the top of the rail and some of the track is code 100 Hornby set track, something I don't use. Taller again. The buildings would therefore sit on a DAS layer. 

 

As I say, more thought is needed. I'm starting to think the provisional board size is too narrow......but I'd struggle to go wider if I am to get it out of the R of D and down the stairs. But more space and moving the buildings back an fore would definately help. 

I'm even starting to doubt the track plan so it's all gone a bit t!ts up.......! 

 

Rob. 

 

 

[woodenhead]

Have you considered turning the layout around, so the dock is at the back and if you do pick a merchant vessel it won't dominate the front of the layout.

 

Then you'd view the layout as a bystander on the road/path in front of the thatched pub looking back into the small yard in the middle before seeing a ship at the back.

[NHY 581]

15 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

Have you considered turning the layout around, so the dock is at the back and if you do pick a merchant vessel it won't dominate the front of the layout.

 

Then you'd view the layout as a bystander on the road/path in front of the thatched pub looking back into the small yard in the middle before seeing a ship at the back.

 

Hi Wooders. 

 

That woodn't ( see what I did there...) work as you'd be looking at the back of the buildings facing onto the long ( quay ) siding. Boring. In fact, I always llace the buildings so as to look at the more interesting side. Subjective I know but I know what I want to see. 

A boat is not an issue as there won't be one. And there's no room to put a path in front of the thatched building anyway. As per earlier photos it would be right up against the backscene to avoid shadows and due to a lack of width.  Besides, that's not the view I want of the layout. 

 

No, the more I think about this, the more it won't work. 

 

Time to bury this and move on. 

 

Rob. 

 

 

Edited May 10, 2023 by NHY 581

[woodenhead]

1 minute ago, NHY 581 said:

Time to bury this and move on. 

 

 

Liverpool Street then with plenty of Jazz.😁

[NHY 581]

1 hour ago, Tortuga said:

I don’t think the building jars; it could be the oldest building on the wharf, with the others coming later.

 

I’m not a fan of its yellow colour though. Might it fit in better if it was whitewashed like the buildings on the left?

 

 

You've got it, Torters. That's exactly as I saw it. As to the colour, I see where you're coming from but I like the warmth of the yellow compared to the other buildings. The thatch building was not going to be repainted, unlike all the others which would have been, to a lesser or greater degree. 

 

Rob. 

 

[NHY 581]

2 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

Liverpool Street then with plenty of Jazz.😁

 

 

Er.........nope. Not enough weeds and open space. Urban is not me. 

 

Rob

[woodenhead]

2 minutes ago, NHY 581 said:

 

 

Er.........nope. Not enough weeds and open space. Urban is not me. 

 

Rob

Or maybe the other end of the line, somewhere in Suffolk where a thatched pub would be a welcome sight to weary commuters returning home to the village of Eweton

[durham light infantry]

7 minutes ago, woodenhead said:

Or maybe the other end of the line, somewhere in Suffolk where a thatched pub would be a welcome sight to weary commuters returning home to the village of Eweton

 

Something like this?

 

[durham light infantry]

How about this for inspiration?

 

 

Let's say the canal survived, and a light railway linked it to Wadebridge. Perfect.

 

I have a Southern Region totem for Whitewater....

 

[NHY 581]

This more my cup of tea.....

 

Mid-Suffolk Light Railway.....

Dr Ian Allen. 

 

 

 

And sadly I'm not sure of the photographer here....

 

 

 

But you get my drift.....

 

Rob. 

 

 

[durham light infantry]

The Plough is in Rede, Suffolk. Very rural.

[Schooner]

2 hours ago, NHY 581 said:

...so it's all gone a bit t!ts up.......! 

Quite the reverse - look how much extra free entertainment you (/us all!) are getting :)

 

1 hour ago, NHY 581 said:

Time to bury this and move on. 

Honestly I think this would be a shame. You've hit on a really interesting (in every sense) set of wants for the new layout.

 

If the spark's gone then fair enough...but...if there's still a bit of you that fancies having a go, might I suggest not worrying about the layout per se? Instead perhaps try just blocking out a few prototypes you like with the buildings/track/space you have, take a pic, and break it down to have a go at another. Not that you need any more experience, but I found it really helped get a feel for what gave the impression of a real working location with the resources at my disposal.

 

I didn't really do this before Ingleford - it never occured to me to try! - but it's how I got to the plan for Vicky Quay (albeit digitally) and definitely would again if going for another 'proto-literate in a restricted space' sort of layout. 

 

Just a thought. Another run-down-rural-BLT would be another lovely thing...but I wonder if it would provide so much of a modelling challenge...?

[Winslow Boy]

Sorry to hear you say that Rob but it sounds like you perhaps had some doubts yourself and we've just uncovered them.

 

If you are set on using the pub I would suggest just it and perhaps one other building.

[NHY 581]

8 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

Sorry to hear you say that Rob but it sounds like you perhaps had some doubts yourself and we've just uncovered them.

 

If you are set on using the pub I would suggest just it and perhaps one other building.

 

 

Hi Winners, 

 

No doubts to start with.....in fact, reasonably happy up to this morning. However, with so many of you flagging up the same issue it has made me wonder and there's plenty more ideas bouncing around. 

 

On a positive, nothing was started and those buildings aren't eating anything. 

 

Rob

 

 

Edited May 10, 2023 by NHY 581

[Re6/6]

1 hour ago, NHY 581 said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Laxfield.

 

 

[The Stationmaster]

On 09/05/2023 at 07:40, NHY 581 said:

 

 

Mmmm......interesting. To me, that building is pretty much central to the whole layout, bridging the old and the developing new............

 

Mmmmm

 

 

I think I have n bottomed the problem.  The Pendon building is Berkshire, Vale of thE White Horse, thatch.  Thus it ain't quite right for East Anglia with the Woodbridge Mill because that area had its own style of thatch as did other parts of the country.  So a repthatch might be needed if you're going to set it in an area away from its original site.

 

https://www.thatchadvicecentre.co.uk/thatch-information/thatched-roofs/regional-thatching-styles/regional-thatch-east-anglia

Edited May 10, 2023 by The Stationmaster

[Winslow Boy]

10 minutes ago, NHY 581 said:

 

 

Hi Winners, 

 

No doubts to start with.....in fact, reasonably happy up to this morning. However, with so many of you flagging up the same issue it has made me wonder and there's plenty more ideas bouncing around. 

 

On a positive, nothing was started and those buildings aren't eating anything. 

 

Rob

 

 

 

Nothing new there then oh sheepie one. Just as an add on do sheep have much in the old bonce bouncing around? Asking out of curiosity.

[NHY 581]

1 minute ago, The Stationmaster said:

I think I have n bottomed the problem.  The Pendon building is Berkshire, Vale of thE White Horse, thatch.  Thus it ain't quite right for East Anglia with the Woodbridge Mill because that area had its own style of thatch as did other parts of the country.  So a repthatch might be needed if you're going to set it in an area away from its original site.

 

 

Hi Mike, 

 

It was actually going to have a West Country setting, hence the Southern stock but I get your drift. 

 

Rob. 

[NHY 581]

2 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

 

Nothing new there then oh sheepie one. Just as an add on do sheep have much in the old bonce bouncing around? Asking out of curiosity.

 

 

In short, yes. Too much at times......something which I've known for a long time....as this episode demonstrates....I lack focus and this is a real problem to try and contain. I prefer to build something rather than waste time thinking about how to build it. 

 

The problem I have is that I know I can knock out  layout reasonably quickly, once settled on an idea.....Bleat took less than four months. The intial build on Sheep Dip was pretty much the same, plus a weeks worth of scenic upgrading last year. Ewe was a bit longer. Retirement bizarrely interrupted that build but even so it was around five months until it's first showing. 

 

This layout would have taken longer as I've three layouts to get ready for shows but once Bleat had done Stafford it was getting stripped and if square, the board will be used for the next layout. 

 

So I've only got myself to blame really. 

 

Rob. 

 

 

[Metropolitan H]

42 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

I think I have n bottomed the problem.  The Pendon building is Berkshire, Vale of thE White Horse, thatch.  Thus it ain't quite right for East Anglia with the Woodbridge Mill because that area had its own style of thatch as did other parts of the country.  So a repthatch might be needed if you're going to set it in an area away from its original site.

 

https://www.thatchadvicecentre.co.uk/thatch-information/thatched-roofs/regional-thatching-styles/regional-thatch-east-anglia

While I agree that one of the problems with the copy of Pendon's "Waggon & Horses" model, lies in its being up on the north face of the Downs overlooking the Vale of the White Horse, the original building was NOT Berkshire - it was (is) in Wanborough just SE of Swindon in Wiltshire.

 

So while the rest of the buildings have an affinity with locations near water, that pub doesn't - the nearest navigable stretch was the Wilts and Berks, but that was often a bit dry.

 

Regards

Chris H

[Winslow Boy]

1 hour ago, NHY 581 said:

 

 

In short, yes. Too much at times......something which I've known for a long time....as this episode demonstrates....I lack focus and this is a real problem to try and contain. I prefer to build something rather than waste time thinking about how to build it. 

 

The problem I have is that I know I can knock out  layout reasonably quickly, once settled on an idea.....Bleat took less than four months. The intial build on Sheep Dip was pretty much the same, plus a weeks worth of scenic upgrading last year. Ewe was a bit longer. Retirement bizarrely interrupted that build but even so it was around five months until it's first showing. 

 

This layout would have taken longer as I've three layouts to get ready for shows but once Bleat had done Stafford it was getting stripped and if square, the board will be used for the next layout. 

 

So I've only got myself to blame really. 

 

Rob. 

 

 

 

Hmmm sounds like you and I are much alike then Rob, as I too like to be doing things rather than sitting around thinking about what is needed.

 

Weather is playing havoc at the mo as I want and need to be outside doing stuff. I am not a happy bunny.

[SR71]

I don't generally pass comment as I'm not proficient enough myself to give opinions on the work of others. On your original post of photos I skimmed past as there wasn't enough for me to judge by.

 

Looking again, is it the yellow wall in the wide shot that is picking up on the yellow building making it stand out? I think it's very hard to judge the final intent from a picture and would suggest taking a look again before you give the idea up. Maybe with a background that is more representative or added by manipulation others would see the concept more clearly.

 

Thatch certainly does happen in the midst of industrialisation. The MiL lives in Victorian terrist housing in Southport. Last time I was up there I miss-counted the turnings and ended up at three chocolate box thatch cottages in the estate. Similarly there are few dotted around where I grew up well inside M25. With their tendency to spontaneously combust thatch buildings were replaced - improved -  with more robust modern ddevelopments That leaves survivors isolated in islands surrounded by more modern building.

[mullie]

3 hours ago, The Stationmaster said:

I think I have n bottomed the problem.  The Pendon building is Berkshire, Vale of thE White Horse, thatch.  Thus it ain't quite right for East Anglia with the Woodbridge Mill because that area had its own style of thatch as did other parts of the country.  So a repthatch might be needed if you're going to set it in an area away from its original site.

 

https://www.thatchadvicecentre.co.uk/thatch-information/thatched-roofs/regional-thatching-styles/regional-thatch-east-anglia

I was just about to say the same thing, to me it is not just the thatch, the wall finish is not East Anglian. My brothers north Essex thatched cottage had walls made of mud, horse hair and all sorts of things. How do I know, I saw it on occasion when bits of it fell off, let rain in and needed repairing.It was the oldest house in the village and was over 500 years old.

 

East Anglia is a funny place, on first inspection, most of it appears very flat and similar to other parts of the country, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex are all very distinctive. In fact no part of the UK can be taken for granted, they are all very distinct and because any place will have aspects of its buildings and village layout going back over 500 years buildings from different parts of the country can be difficult to put together.

 

You want water, how about Outwell basin, Wells next the Sea harbour tramway?

 

The Pendon building will make a lovely focal point, as you say nothing is committed yet, play around with all the bits you have, it will come together, with your talented hooves it always does. How about fewer buildings, less is more, the Bude quay idea certainly has potential and there is a feeling of real space.

 

Martyn

Edited May 10, 2023 by mullie

[Re6/6]

3 hours ago, Re6/6 said:

Laxfield.

....showing the bit of the line  which would've gone to Cratfield had it ever been laid any further.

 

Apologies Rob for muscling in on your thread!

 

School train at Haughley

 

This an early P4 layout from the 70s of Laxfield which we at DRAG are the custodians of and is is due for renovation.

 

 

Edited May 10, 2023 by Re6/6