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Re: (WH)WHR Buildings

Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2018 5:48 pm
by Andrew
Thanks for the kind words re the building folks, much appreciated...

At the same time as I finished that one off I was giving the old platform shelter at Clarach a bit of a refresh. It's a Pendle Valley Workshop resin kit, always intended as a stopgap and so not built with quite the care it should have been - it started its life wonky, and exposure to the sun and a couple of tumbles from the platform to the patio have made it wonkier still. The recent work hasn't corrected that, but has smartened it up a bit - and it's usually only viewed from the back anyway!
Clarch station building.jpg
Clarch station building.jpg (222.4 KiB) Viewed 6848 times

It's posing in the front garden here (the line's not quite that overgrown!) and will now join Penlan's building in store until spring. Both stations need their platforms repairing/replacing, but I'll leave that until after winter now. I reckon Clarach's hut will do for another season or two, and by then I should have come up with a replacement - I'm thinking of a model based on Beddgelert's lamp hut, but with an open front where the double doors are.

In the meantime I think I've decided to go for making a signal box next -Trefechan's old toy station building is respectable enough for now, and the signal box will be an interesting challenge. I think I'll start wit the windows to get one of the more difficult bits out of the way first...

Cheers all,

Andrew

Re: (WH)WHR Buildings

Posted: Mon Apr 08, 2019 1:54 pm
by Andrew
Afternoon all,

With Tom's station building and the rusty tippers finished at the weekend, my thoughts have naturally turned to what I might do next. The priority has to be tidying up the railway, and that will include a new tunnel mouth to replace the one that fell apart after the wood holding it all together rotted away. I'll probably have a go at a model of Tryfan Junction signal box at the same time, because that will stand next to the tunnel and I'd like the colour of the stonework to match.

This lunchtime however, a trip to Wilko resulted in the first step being taken towards a future project, some sort of lineside hut or shed:

Peanut butter house.jpg
Peanut butter house.jpg (276.97 KiB) Viewed 6656 times



It's hardly the most efficient way of modelling a small slate roof, and I doubt it's the most efficient way to feed peanut butter to birds either, but I thought it would be fun to play with when my feathered friends have finished with it. I shall hang it in the tree when I get home - I'm hoping to lure back the little gang of cheeky sparrows who were regular visitors to the garden last year...

Cheers,

Andrew.

Re: (WH)WHR Buildings

Posted: Tue Apr 09, 2019 8:11 am
by FWLR
Love the platform hut Andrew, it looks just right to me... :thumbright:

I bought some of those bird feeders of a well known shopping channel in January....All we got were those bulling gang of flipping starlings........ :cussing: :cussing: There was a couple of Blue Tits, but they didn't come back after the starlings visited....

Re: (WH)WHR Buildings

Posted: Mon Apr 15, 2019 10:33 pm
by jim@NAL
Great use of the bridfeeder

Re: (WH)WHR Buildings

Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 2:40 pm
by Andrew
Another foamboard build for you - this forum seems to be quite a foamboard fan club!

This one's a new tunnel mouth for Trefechan.

Readers of my Railway thread may recall that Trefechan tunnel (on which Clarach station sits) is largely made from decking board, clad with slate to look something like a Welsh hillside. The original tunnel mouth was made from pieces of slate and was intended to look something like the Welsh Highland tunnels in the Aberglaslyn Pass. Unfortunately the glue failed and bits of the wood rotted, so that fell to bits, forcing me to rig up this temporary solution to keep that corner of the garden looking even vaguely presentable:

Knackered tunnel.jpg
Knackered tunnel.jpg (361.47 KiB) Viewed 6489 times



That clearly wasn't going to do for long... Yesterday I had an extra day of holiday so, with the rest of the family doing other things, I stationed myself at the patio table and began work, starting with clearing the site:

Cleared site.jpg
Cleared site.jpg (397.59 KiB) Viewed 6489 times


The whole area will be tidied up as part of this project, with the space on the left designated for Trefechan Signal Box, which will follow at some point...

Whilst clearing I came across this little chap, who I was careful to find a new home for:

Slow worm.jpg
Slow worm.jpg (331.36 KiB) Viewed 6489 times

I do think that Slow Worms are rather lovely - understated, but handsome and beautifully proportioned. Rather like a Great Western Manor class...

Anyway, I got to work with the foamboard... It's quite a restricted site, which meant that the wing walls are parallel to the track and become the walls of the tunnel, directly supporting the arch. It's hardly classic tunnel mouth design, and I'm not entirely happy with it, but I've adapted NWNGR bridge features, particularly the shallow (yellow brick) arch to try to make it look vaguely plausible.

Here it is under construction:

Tunnel under construction 1.jpg
Tunnel under construction 1.jpg (249.22 KiB) Viewed 6489 times

And in situ, being tested for clearances with thaid of my tallest, widest loco - it's tight, but it'll do!

Tunnel under construction 2.jpg
Tunnel under construction 2.jpg (343.87 KiB) Viewed 6489 times

I'll be using plastic cladding for speed and convenience, even if the stone pattern's not quite right for the NWNGR... I reckon it'll all look OK once it's painted and the planting's grown up around it...

More to follow...

Cheers all,

Andrew.

Re: (WH)WHR Buildings

Posted: Thu Apr 25, 2019 8:46 am
by FWLR
Nicely worked out Andrew...Who cares if it's not quite right on the brickwork, so long as your happy with it...It's your line after all.. :thumbright: :thumbright:

Re: (WH)WHR Buildings

Posted: Sun Apr 28, 2019 1:25 pm
by Andrew
Hello again!

I've managed a little more work on the tunnel mouth, completing the cladding on one wall, plus the bit above the arch. That's now scribed to represent bricks, end-on as seen on NWNGR bridges - don't look too closely, it's a bit wonky!
Tunnel with cladding.jpg
Tunnel with cladding.jpg (350.27 KiB) Viewed 6008 times
I need to order some more cladding now, then there'll be a bit of filling to do before I can paint it...

Cheers,

Andrew.

Re: (WH)WHR Buildings

Posted: Sun Apr 28, 2019 7:51 pm
by ge_rik
That stonework looks superb, Andrew. A cracking good job. It's years since I've seen a slow worm. Glad you found him a new home.

Rik

Re: (WH)WHR Buildings

Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2020 5:40 pm
by Andrew
Hello!

It's been a while, but I'm back in building construction mode... The current project is a model of Tryfan Junction Signal Box, constructed for the NWNGR but made redundant when fixed signalling was dispensed with in the WHR years.

As is becoming my usual practice, the model features a foamboard shell, with tabs and slots to enable me to trial fit all the parts and modify as necessary before finally gluing everything in place. The window frames are from plastic strip but remain unfinished for now because the model shop have run out of the right size...
Signalbox 1.jpg
Signalbox 1.jpg (167.24 KiB) Viewed 5544 times
Signalbox 2.jpg
Signalbox 2.jpg (168.02 KiB) Viewed 5544 times
Signalbox 3.jpg
Signalbox 3.jpg (169.9 KiB) Viewed 5544 times

Since these were taken I've added a base, which will make constructing the steps easier. That's the next job, then finishing the windows, I think. The interior walls and floor need a little detailing, then I can glue it together and start on the exterior cladding.

Cheers,

Andrew.

Re: (WH)WHR Buildings

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2020 10:58 am
by FWLR
Interesting build Andrew.Like the way you have a slight slant for the window. :thumbright:

Re: (WH)WHR Buildings

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2020 1:03 pm
by Lonsdaler
Following this with interest Andrew. i have a plywood built small signal box that has been outside continuously since 2014, and is now approaching 'end of life'! This would make a good long term replacement I think.
How have you constructed the window frames? Are they just butt joints, or are they mitred or slotted?

Re: (WH)WHR Buildings

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2020 1:26 pm
by Andrew
Lonsdaler wrote: Tue Jan 21, 2020 1:03 pm Following this with interest Andrew. i have a plywood built small signal box that has been outside continuously since 2014, and is now approaching 'end of life'! This would make a good long term replacement I think.
How have you constructed the window frames? Are they just butt joints, or are they mitred or slotted?
The window frames are butt joints - I made them up sitting on top of the drawing. As I mentioned, I've run out of strip for the time being - when I've got some more and make up the last frame I'll take some photos. I'm quite pleased with how they're turning out so far, they're pretty solid, although not cheap - I'll need four packs of strip in total, costing nearly £20... I think it would be an ideal job for laser-cutting in acrylic...

Cheers,

Andrew.

Re: (WH)WHR Buildings

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2020 4:27 pm
by Lonsdaler
I certainly admire your patience with the windows - well done. I'd be interested in seeing your technique once you get more strip. :thumbright:

Re: (WH)WHR Buildings

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2020 4:55 pm
by philipy
Andrew wrote: Tue Jan 21, 2020 1:26 pm I think it would be an ideal job for laser-cutting in acrylic...
...or 3D printing.
DSC_0010 small.jpg
DSC_0010 small.jpg (99.97 KiB) Viewed 5456 times
Nice signal box, BTW. looking forward to progress.

Re: (WH)WHR Buildings

Posted: Tue Jan 21, 2020 6:04 pm
by Andrew
philipy wrote: Tue Jan 21, 2020 4:55 pm
Andrew wrote: Tue Jan 21, 2020 1:26 pm I think it would be an ideal job for laser-cutting in acrylic...
...or 3D printing.
Even better!

Re: (WH)WHR Buildings

Posted: Wed Jan 22, 2020 1:07 pm
by Lonsdaler
philipy wrote: Tue Jan 21, 2020 4:55 pm
Andrew wrote: Tue Jan 21, 2020 1:26 pm I think it would be an ideal job for laser-cutting in acrylic...
...or 3D printing.
DSC_0010 small.jpg

Nice signal box, BTW. looking forward to progress.
:thumbup:

Re: (WH)WHR Buildings

Posted: Sun Jan 26, 2020 6:23 pm
by Andrew
Hello again,

I got a little more done on the signal box today and - as promised - here's a little more on making windows.It's fairly self-explanatory really, which is just as well because the pictures didn't come out very clearly...

Here's stage one, using a drawing blown up to scale size, then taped onto a cutting mat. I make more copies of the drawing than I need, then I can cut directly onto them.

The plastic strip is 2mm x 1mm and 3mm x 1mm, which seemed about right. It's £4.90 a packet from the model shop, or £6+ "postage free" online. Hmmm... You do get through quite a lot of it, so I think ready-made windows from Jacksons or wherever will still be my preferred option where they suit the prototype.

Anyway, the first stage is to stick the horizontal strips to the drawing with double-sided tape. I don't worry about trimming the strips to exactly the right length at this stage, that can be dome later:

Signalbox windows1.jpg
Signalbox windows1.jpg (260.76 KiB) Viewed 4158 times

The rest is the built-up from there, starting with the upright strips. You can see that I've made the window slightly less wide than the drawing, partly because it suited the strip, but also because I want to add a door frame so need a little more space:

Signalbox windows2.jpg
Signalbox windows2.jpg (93.57 KiB) Viewed 4158 times

And then the "missing" bits to build the horizontals up to the same thickness, and some additional strips that go around the edge and between each individual frame. That adds some relief (even if it doesn't fully replicate how some frames would sit - and slide - behind the others) and rigidity:

Signalbox windows3.jpg
Signalbox windows3.jpg (90.13 KiB) Viewed 4158 times

After that the whole window's peeled off the drawing, turned over and the missing bits on the horizontal strips filled in too, making to whole thing 2mm thick and bits of it 3mm - it's pretty strong by that stage.

I think I'll probably add another two strips on the back around the edge of each window. That will make them 5mm thick, so they should sit nicely in the 5mm foamboard shell, as well as providing a recess for the glazing to sit in. We shall see...

All the best,

Andrew.

Re: (WH)WHR Buildings

Posted: Sun Jan 26, 2020 8:03 pm
by Peter Butler
That looks good Andrew, and quite sturdy too! A far cheaper way would be to cut strips yourself, but probably less accurate.

Re: (WH)WHR Buildings

Posted: Sun Jan 26, 2020 8:14 pm
by Andrew
Peter Butler wrote: Sun Jan 26, 2020 8:03 pm That looks good Andrew, and quite sturdy too! A far cheaper way would be to cut strips yourself, but probably less accurate.
Yes, it is surprisingly sturdy...

Accuracy isn't really my strong point, and I think I've found in the past that plastic sheet curls when I cut it into strips, so this is an area where I've decided that spending a little money's the way to go. I did the same with my slate wagons, although they didn't use so much strip as these windows are...

Cheers,

Andrew.

Re: (WH)WHR Buildings

Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2020 8:23 am
by Andrew
Hello all,

I've made some more progress on the signalbox, having glued it all together, finished and added the windows, and started with the detailing. I had thought I'd paint the windows first and then install them towards the end of the build, but it turned out that filler would be required so I decided to do it now, while a bit of mess doesn't matter.

Here's how it looks at the moment:

Signalbox 4.jpg
Signalbox 4.jpg (126.45 KiB) Viewed 4025 times

I'm quite pleased with how the steps are looking so far:

Signalbox 5.jpg
Signalbox 5.jpg (52.51 KiB) Viewed 4025 times

They don't go anywhere at the moment - my next job is to add the door! Once that's done I'll be able to start work on the cladding - my stocks of that (weatherboard upper, stone base) are running a little low, but I should receive a delivery from Jackson Miniatures in the next day or two...

Cheers,

Andrew.