Time to build a railway...but where?

Peter Butler · Post by **Peter Butler** » Fri Aug 05, 2016 11:30 pm

Meanwhile.... back to the signal box construction, today I managed to fit the ridge tiles and stove chimney....

The interior is less important as it will be sited several yards (metres!) away from a viewing area, however, I think levers would be noticeable by their absence, so they have been made ready to install..

Once the interior is painted I will see more clearly how much extra detail is required but I doubt it will be more than a signalman in the window or on the steps.

Peter Butler · Post by **Peter Butler** » Fri Aug 05, 2016 11:49 pm

bazzer42:119259 wrote: I think the Searle books were "Down wiv school" etc they were dated even when I was at old fashioned grammar school doing latin but still struck a chord.

Good 'old fashioned Grammar School'..... I remember the 'Masters' in their caps and gowns always wielding canes (which I experienced regularly!) Made me the man I am today!
Bring it on I say.

Post by **ge_rik** » Sat Aug 06, 2016 7:24 am

Top notch modelling again, Peter. A great inspiration to those of us who are all fingers and thumbs .....

Rik

Post by **ge_rik** » Sat Aug 06, 2016 7:30 am

Peter Butler:119261 wrote:
bazzer42:119259 wrote: I think the Searle books were "Down wiv school" etc they were dated even when I was at old fashioned grammar school doing latin but still struck a chord.

Good 'old fashioned Grammar School'..... I remember the 'Masters' in their caps and gowns always wielding canes (which I experienced regularly!) Made me the man I am today!
Bring it on I say.

All our teachers (sorry masters) had nicknames:

'Chiz' - the woodwork teacher

'Banger Bloyce' the French teacher who had a slipper called Wilfred he kept in his desk drawer "Come here boy and shake hands with Wilfred!"

'Lefty' Wright

'Happy' Heinemann

'Waxy' Wainwright

'Pue' - the Geography teacher (his car licence plate was PUE)

Rik

bazzer42 · Post by **bazzer42** » Sat Aug 06, 2016 9:30 am

Thanks Peter, I have the early morning milk train on an ebay watch, leastways my friend has! The guide I have is for the main festival but will check those pages just in case. I think the Searle books were "Down wiv school" etc they were dated even when I was at old fashioned grammar school doing latin but still struck a chord.

Peter Butler · Post by **Peter Butler** » Sat Aug 06, 2016 10:54 am

Hi Bazzer, I have compared the e-bay book price against others and it seems to be the best deal available at the moment. £10.68 (free post) is a very good offer. The book is a great starting point for a collection to begin once you have been bitten!

Peter Butler · Post by **Peter Butler** » Sat Aug 06, 2016 11:27 am

ge_rik:119267 wrote:
'Happy' Heinemann

[/list]Rik

I recall we had a 'Happy' Anderton (Deputy Head) who had a face like a Bulldog and never smiled.

Peter Butler · Post by **Peter Butler** » Sat Aug 06, 2016 9:01 pm

What else would be on a country station platform, other than a ticket office with waiting room and a signal box?
I know..... a Gents urinal of course!

This is how it fits into the space available....

Inside it has three stalls with dividers and a trough. I'm sure there are many survivors similar to this on preserved lines all around the counrty.

I have begun to paint but it is too wet to show at the moment, however, I have found a suitable candidate to stand inside splashing his boots.

Peter Butler · Post by **Peter Butler** » Mon Aug 08, 2016 9:11 pm

...... and here he is, it's a long time between trains and when you have to go, well.......

Some work on the painting of the signal box, just windows and interior so far...

Peter Butler · Post by **Peter Butler** » Mon Aug 08, 2016 9:20 pm

Today was a running day with guests, Big Jim and Simon Wood, of this Forum. Fresh coffee flowed and home-made chocolate sponge with fresh cream, supplied by my good lady, went down well.
Oh yes, we ran some trains too....

Big Jim · Post by **Big Jim** » Mon Aug 08, 2016 9:29 pm

A very good time was had by all. Thank you, Mr Butler for the invite. It's always nice to give the engines a chance to stretch their wheels now and again.

LNR · Post by **LNR** » Mon Aug 08, 2016 11:54 pm

Looks like a good day was had by all, nice sunny pictures. I often find a chinwag tends to take precedence over running, when friends come round.
The signal box is superb Peter. You've reminded me that toilets for Nayooks platform have been on the to-do list for a long time.
Grant.

Peter Butler · Post by **Peter Butler** » Tue Aug 09, 2016 10:45 am

You are so right Grant, running trains came a poor second to chatting and scoffing! It was a first time visit for Simon, so he had a lot of investigating to do, and a sad last time for Jim (he moves away for a while but has promised to return).
The weather was sunny and warm, (no I haven't moved from Wales) but today has returned to its normal Summer mode, cool and overcast.
Thank you for your kind comment on the signal box, I have more finishing to do so will continue with up-to-date pictures as we go.
I have more buildings planned now I have discovered a satisfactory method of weatherproof construction.

LNR · Post by **LNR** » Tue Aug 09, 2016 1:07 pm

Peter, something I forgot to ask. I'm intrigued by the walls of your stations urinal. I'm guessing it is to represent a cast iron lacework panel ( which it does exceedingly well) , but would like to know how you achieved it please.
Grant.

Peter Butler · Post by **Peter Butler** » Tue Aug 09, 2016 9:26 pm

Hi Grant, I'm glad you approve of my urinal, every station should have one. It is meant to represent an elaborate cast iron structure and I believe it works as such, however, as I often repeat, I have been modelling in 16mm for more than 40 years and the castings I used were made by a jeweller friend way back then. Unfortunately no more available other than the one shown here.....

He made the master following a visit to Crich Tramway Museum in Derbyshire where we saw, and measured a cast arch bridge which was preserved ready for installation on the site. We had the idea of making a similar one for our layout but it never came to fruition. Somehow I still have the whitemetal castings to this day, he might still have the mould?

SimonWood · Post by **SimonWood** » Tue Aug 09, 2016 9:29 pm

Peter Butler:119303 wrote:Today was a running day with guests, Big Jim and Simon Wood, of this Forum. Fresh coffee flowed and home-made chocolate sponge with fresh cream, supplied by my good lady, went down well.
Oh yes, we ran some trains too....

Thank you for your hospitality, Peter - great coffee, great cake, great company - and a railway that is (incredibly) even more delightful in reality than the wonderful photos in this thread suggest.

Here's a brief clip of my Millie chuffing round...

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After she ran out of gas, Big Jim rescued her with his Caradoc

Then I had my first go driving a R/C steam loco. The driver's inexperience was evident!

Another couple of photos after refuelling Millie:

A grand day out on a really lovely line!

Big Jim · Post by **Big Jim** » Tue Aug 09, 2016 10:14 pm

Nice pics there Simon, it was a wonderful way to spend a sunny afternoon and nice to meet you at last.

Peter, it would not be overly difficult to make a rubber mould of the casting and producing more in resin. Just a thought.

LNR · Post by **LNR** » Wed Aug 10, 2016 3:46 am

Thanks Peter, and there was me thinking you must have spent hours cutting shapes from styrene and gluing them one by one, then repeating it for each panel. At least you can be sure you've built a one off, as no one else is liable to have something like that left over.
Glad our toilets were just corrugated iron maze types (turn left, turn right, now your out of sight).
Grant.

Peter Butler · Post by **Peter Butler** » Wed Aug 10, 2016 4:21 pm

Another new building has been started, this time to disguise the large expanse of green fencing. Not that it looks too bad but there is always room for improvement. This time it is a low relief factory style unit which will eventually become an engineering workshop servicing the railway. It fits the space nicely being near to the engine shed.
Before......

Unfinished but testing for location....

I'll bet you can't guess what it's made of..... yes.... plasticard, or rather HIP as I can get it in huge sizes and a variety of thicknesses and colours. It is 30 inches long but just 3 inches deep and is well braced behind to withstand warping, although it will be sheltered from sun and rain by the fence. I have built up the thickness at top and base to cover it with stone effect sheet ....

and made brick effect to finish the roof line....

I wanted the main wall to be rendered but with some of the plaster peeling off so I cut some stone card and surrounded the shape with thin plastic to form an edge for the render to end....

A few of these random shapes give the impression it is crumbling and in need of repair...

Corners have quoins to also edge the render and the bays are divided in the same way...

The render itself is N scale ballast mixed with SBR and applied with a scraper and fine modelling tool.... very fiddly and time consuming but I think it should look well when dried. In order for it to bond onto the plastic I gave the sheet a good scratching with a Stanley blade to make grooves...

It should be dry by tomorrow and I will b able to do the ends in the same way.

jim@NAL · Post by **jim@NAL** » Wed Aug 10, 2016 7:38 pm

looking great peter I like your rendering

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Time to build a railway...but where?

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