Garden Railway Forum

I've been using-up some foamboard off-cuts from the brewery to make coal bins for Peckforton and Beeston Castle station yards. They're not properly bedded-in yet and need some clutter around them - they're looking a bit 'plonked down' at the moment but will eventually be blended into their surroundings. . .
Rik

You're really enjoying this new found material I see..... no stopping you now!
The bins look very realistic, proper coal too.
Question.... what have you used to stick down the coal and is it on a support material?
I used a thin layer of coal on a polystyrene base and the birds pecked away until the white showed through.

Peter Butler wrote: ↑Tue Apr 23, 2019 9:52 pm Question.... what have you used to stick down the coal and is it on a support material?
I used a thin layer of coal on a polystyrene base and the birds pecked away until the white showed through.

Hi Peter
I used a few more off-cuts of foamboard, painted black. I probably would have used expanded polystyrene but didn't have any to hand. .
I wonder what attracts birds to coal?? Does it resemble a stack of sunflower seeds - or maybe it's pregnant females with a food craving

Rik

BTW - I've blogged the build for anyone who might be interested.
https://riksrailway.blogspot.com/2019/0 ... ithes.html

Rik

Great tutorial Rik, well illustrated and explained (as ever!), there could be a sudden flood of coal bins appearing on garden railways all over the world.

I like those very much - great use of foamboard, will read the blog soon...

All the best,

Andrew.

Thanks folks.
Just working on a coal office (ie shed) for Beeston Castle. Then, weather permitting, I'll do a proper installation on site.

Rik

They look the part, even adding loose coal would suit.

A bit more progress. Decided there was room (with a bit of re-jigging) for a coal office at Beeston Castle and so attacked another sheet of foamboard. .
The decided to take a leaf out of Rod's book and add some interior detailing (though I fear not up to Rod's standard). . .
The chap in the chair is a very cheap plastic kit type figure which doesn't bear close scrutiny, but he'll be hidden away inside so won't be very visible. Just need to add a signboard (Wm. France - son of the coal merchant in the 1911 census who'd be 42 in 1932 (WWI permitting)) and then, when it stops raining, I should be able to instate everything properly.

Rik

Thought I'd knock together some coal scales from oddments while waiting for the weather to settle down. Not sure if they are to scale as I only had a couple of online pictures to go on, but hopefully they will look OK in the coal yard. . .

Rik
Edit: PS - Just realised the rear of the scuttle needs to be on the same side of the fulcrum as its pivot. Doh! MkII will be better!

All good Rik.
It's easy to get bitten by the interior detail bug, as I did with my Waiting Room, fire, etc. BTW that fire has been burning non-stop night and day ever since I first did it, exactly a year ago. Just glad I don't have to pay the coal man!

Amazing work Rik, if I had the place I would happily try to make one of these, but alas, no place for it on the railway and a lack of skill at building that kind of thing, so I am saved the embarrassment of trying, lol

One quick question though, what is foam board? Are you able to provide a link to what ever material it is that you used?

-steves- wrote: ↑Fri Apr 26, 2019 4:54 pm ...... if I had the place I would happily try to make one of these, but alas, no place for it on the railway and a lack of skill at building that kind of thing, so I am saved the embarrassment of trying, lol
One quick question though, what is foam board? Are you able to provide a link to what ever material it is that you used?

Hi Steve
I'm sure that if I can do it, you'd probably make an even better job of it. I did consider trying to make it in metal, but the thought of all that accurate soldering ......

I get my foamboard from Simply Plastics - https://www.simplyplastics.com/catalog/ ... /c-24/c-88

There are other suppliers but Simply Plastics sell it in sensible sizes. When you decide on the colour go to that page and then click the "Common sizes" tab. I use 3mm and 5mm thick. 5mm for the main building structures and 3mm for the fancy bits like the canopy on the brewery.

Hope that helps

Rik

ge_rik wrote: ↑Fri Apr 26, 2019 5:08 pm Hi Steve
I'm sure that if I can do it, you'd probably make an even better job of it. I did consider trying to make it in metal, but the thought of all that accurate soldering ......

I get my foamboard from Simply Plastics - https://www.simplyplastics.com/catalog/ ... /c-24/c-88

There are other suppliers but Simply Plastics sell it in sensible sizes. When you decide on the colour go to that page and then click the "Common sizes" tab. I use 3mm and 5mm thick. 5mm for the main building structures and 3mm for the fancy bits like the canopy on the brewery.

Hope that helps

Rik

LOL, that made me laugh. Just because I had a bit of luck with some metal once, it does not by any stretch of the imagination put my building skills at this level, far from it. I did however sit there and imagine you building the coal bins out of brass, a rough guess for that thickness you would be looking at over £100 in brass, but it would never rust or get blown away, maybe something to consider later for you Rik?

Thanks for the link, looks like some useful material, especially as my plywood, heavily varnished signal box has barely lasted one winter, it will need a rebuild and this stuff looks like it would make an ideal exterior coating instead of wood

As always, thanks Rik and BTW, the blog build for this has amazing detail, great work

How the heck have I missed this thread.....

Love it Rik..I am not telling any lies when I say, I was thinking of doing a Coal Staithe myself. You have made a great job of it. The coal office is fantastic, [Not sure of my office skills]..

The weathering is just brilliant also. If members "Read" your blog they will see how easy you have explained 'How To' weather doing some dry brushing....

By the way Rik, I made these when I was into N gauge.

Sorry for the quality of the photo's. Just got my new camera then...


These were made from 5mm balsa strip...

Thanks Rod
Nice 2mm models.
Your eyesight must be a lot better and fingers a lot more nimble than mine - no way I could contemplate N gauge. I struggle now with 16mm.....

Rik

I'm going to show my ignorance.
What is a coal bin for?
Was it to hold coal before it was shoveled into loco tenders? - would have been a lot of work.
Or did it hold coal for sale to the public?

Greg,
They held coal which had been delivered by rail to a local coal merchant. The coal merchant then shovelled it into 1cwt sacks, to be delivered to domestic customers, originally by horse and cart, then more recently by lorry.

philipy wrote: ↑Sun Apr 28, 2019 6:49 am Greg,
They held coal which had been delivered by rail to a local coal merchant. The coal merchant then shovelled it into 1cwt sacks, to be delivered to domestic customers, originally by horse and cart, then more recently by lorry.

Thanks Philip

gregh wrote: ↑Sat Apr 27, 2019 11:41 pm I'm going to show my ignorance.
What is a coal bin for?
Was it to hold coal before it was shoveled into loco tenders? - would have been a lot of work.
Or did it hold coal for sale to the public?

Hi Greg
This video more or less sums it up.



Rik