Time to build a railway...but where?

[Old Man Aaron]

That's come up real nice Peter. Your use of bottle lids etc. is a welcome reminder of the unconventional materials that are available to us.

[Lonsdaler]

Yet another oddity for BURPS I don't think you need professional help, you're doing great without. Besides which, how could a health professional add value to your builds?

[Peter Butler]

Further progress on the Fairground Organ... my good friend Kay has used her vinyl cutter to produce some beautiful lettering to enhance the plain side of the box....

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She has cut each letter in two colours so I could lay one over another, slightly offset, to create a shadow effect. It looks splendid and totally in keeping with fairground practice.

[SimonWood]

Overlaying the lettering is a brilliant - simple and effective - way of achieving that look. I'd never have thought of it, but just running it through twice for the different colours is so straightforward, and the result is excellent.

[ge_rik]

Brilliant work. How long did you hold your breath when lining up the lettering?

Rik

[Peter Butler]

It didn't take as long as you might think. Kay sent an image of the whole lettering arrangement, which I printed to scale and trimmed the top of the arch shape. Once in place I was able to lay the individual base (shadow) letters above the appropriate printed ones following the arch.
The straight line letters were cut in a continuous strip and were already correctly spaced. They could be laid in one attempt, with the top colour precisely matching the base layer.

What can't be seen in the images are the planking joints which I pressed the lettering into as though painted on.
With a couple of coats of matt lacquer it is permanently sealed.

Many years ago in my picture framing days, before computer generated captions were commonplace, I was the one given the task of using Lettraset to do such jobs. I have lots of experience in this type of work so this was simple.

[Phil.P]

That would be a new definition of the word 'simple' then?


Phil.P

[ge_rik]

Many years ago in my picture framing days, before computer generated captions were commonplace, I was the one given the task of using Lettraset to do such jobs. I have lots of experience in this type of work so this was simple.

My efforts with Lettraset were never to be repeated. I well remember how even fractions of a mm in the spaces between the letters (kerning???) could make the difference between success and abysmal failure.

Rik

[philipy]

Peter, how thick is the vinyl of your letters? I've been debating on how best to achieve something similar on my F & B loco, but I'm a bit concerned that the two overlapping layers would show edges, plus my lettering would need to be a lot smaller than yours I think, making the positioning even more critical.

[Peter Butler]

Philip,
one of my 16mm Association Local Area Group colleagues introduced me to a company which supplies cut vinyl letters in a variety of sizes and colours. I have used some and they are very good.

They are thinner material, self adhesive and easy to apply (with usual care!). The edges do not stand proud and shouldn't be noticeable under a lacquer finish....

Search.... Becc's Self-Adhesive Vinyl Lettering. Available from 'Hobbies' on-line

[philipy]

Thanks Peter.

[Peter Butler]

I think I have made mention of the sorry state of my garden railway recently. Only after inviting my Local Area Group to my annual open day did I bother to check on the condition of it. What a shock to the system that was!
My favourite part of the 16mm hobby is making models, not running trains. So, it has been months since I last scrutinised the railway, despite walking past it several times each day. It just part of the garden, and nothing seems to alter on a daily basis. However, when close inspection is called for, that's a different matter....

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The weeds are doing really well this year, but I don't think they add to the appearance or assist running trains in any way.

The other, and more disconcerting problem is the ground heave, which has made part of the main running line sink by several inches (and many more centimetres) .....

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Slippage of the underlying clay soil has also caused my concrete roadway to distort enough to crack the surface, so that had to go too...

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This is one of those jobs where each improvement or repair makes all around it in need of attention as well, I'm doing well, but time is running short. Repairs are ongoing...

[LNR]

This is one of those jobs where each improvement or repair makes all around it in need of attention as well,

Oh! so true Peter, your having similar problems to myself although I think yours appear to be on a larger scale. Running regularly even only with the mechanical loco keeps the track generally in order but the infra structure is another matter. I've just finished wire brushing the moss and lichen off the roads to find that much of the surface has come off as well,oh! well.
Good luck with your rejuvenation, and hope you get enough done for the group meet.
Grant.

[ge_rik]

Recent long spells of hot dry weather can't have helped (assuming SW Wales is similar to the rest of the UK).
Fingers crossed you get it all sorted out soon.

Rik

[philipy]

You have my sympathies as well, Peter.
I've commented more than once about the trials and tribulations caused by our Northants clay here, and having seen BURPS I can imagine your heartache.

[Peter Butler]

Thanks for the comments guys, I know you have all been through this yourselves, so understand the problems.
The weather has been hot and dry for such a long time I have been able to crack on with progress. A lot of heavy manual work has been involved, (well at my age it is), requiring digging out much of the heavy clay, which is now solid, digging out weeds with roots a foot deep, breaking out the concrete roads and carting off-site, hammering in planks of treated timber to create barriers to prevent further slippage, hand mixing concrete to lay foundations for new platform, etc.... and so it goes on.

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I am making good progress now and have managed to re-lay the platform edges with slate slabs and set the new platform surface. Several metres of rocks have been cemented in position to line the roadways, new roofing felt attached to protect the boards and add texture to bond the ballast and ground cover, wire mesh in place underneath areas of concrete to add strength....

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Just writing this makes me feel exhausted and I haven't touched most of the weeds yet!

[LNR]

the best things in life are free.... so why am I doing this?

Because we like creating and using our hands, though sometimes I do question this.
That last pic looks like you are getting there, good luck.
Grant.

[FWLR]

Take your time with this Peter.
I know what you mean about getting tired writing stuff

It’s easy to forget that our age is something we tend to forget about and do hard graft like your doing now to restore your what I think is one of the best lines to be shared with us, I think other members know which ones I like a lot.
You have managed to really get a lot done and it will be worth it for you and us Have you used any mechanical tools to help with the disposal of the rubbish, barrowing is hard enough work isn’t it.

Recycling is something we all do though and it saves us a ton of money too.

[Soar Valley Light]

Great work Peter.

Like others, I share your issues. My line has vanished into the garden now and total rebuilding is the only sensible solution. It's tough work at any age though. I'm a great believer in the LMS firing principle of 'a little and often'!

That road looks like some of the 12" to the foot roads round here!

SVLR Andrew

[Peter Butler]

After such a long and welcome hot and dry spell which allowed me to get well advanced with my railway restoration work, a sudden change in the weather has brought construction to a halt.
Yesterday, in the heat, it was perfect for me to fix ballast, using the SBR method. Unfortunately, the weather forecast warned of rain, so I managed to protect the area with tarpaulin...

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You can see it worked by the amount of water settled in the material. Today started wet but became warm and dry in the afternoon, but still threatening more rain. So no further ballast laid today!

Instead, I began to reinstate the infrastructure on the recently completed sections, station and workshop areas....

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Doesn't that look better?
I'm really pleased with the way it looks now, more open and spacious with new ground cover.
I do need more dry weather to enable the road surface top coat to be laid, also more ballast etc. and then, worst part of all.... weeding!