Great Chesterford Junction Part Two

Thanks Gary....
Gormo

 

Thanks chigley,
Yes it`s nothing fancy, just a modified bamboo skewer from the 2 dollar shop ...
Gormo

 

Thanks Jim,
Yes it`s getting there slowly.
The points are manually controlled by levers and rods, so I determine the speed of the throw.
I deliberately do it slow for videos.
The couplings ability to loose shunt was a happy accident. I found if you lift one coupling UP and leave the other one DOWN, they adopt a position where they are trying to repel each other rather than attract, whereas when both are down, they attract each other.
This simplifies putting a wagon into the Goods Shed. The wagon being pushed into the shed will leave it`s coupling down so that it can be recovered later. The wagon or loco that is doing the pushing will have it`s coupling up so that it can push without connecting and then withdraw.
Once the pushing wagon or loco has withdrawn, the coupling can be lowered into it`s normal active position.
Gormo

 

G`day Folks,
I am still moving West on the layout looking at the bigger jobs and coming back to the detail later.
The next area to be dealt with is the area behind the terraced cottages, which also incorporates the foot bridge.
Once again, I`ve decided to clear the original ground works to give me a good base to start from.
This very much is playing it by ear folks and or making it up as I go along.



Here we see the white card base for the paving being fitted , or more correctly, checked for fit prior to paving being fitted to the top.



I`ve elected to use Metcalfe cobbles this time, just because it`s a small visual area, partly obscured by the buildings, and it`s easy to do
This area is fitted now.



Then started making a card base to raise the footbridge up to level.
The Grey card is approximately the same thickness as a step on the footbridge, so I`ve staggered the layers to resemble extra steps.
Initially I thought two layers was correct, but after some double checking realized that three layers were actually required, so I`ve added that extra layer in.




More cobbles being prepared for the shorter terrace .




Short terrace cobbles being glued into place



And the footbridge base being set in place as well



More to follow
Gormo

 

G`day Folks,
I have just been out to check the results from yesterday`s gluing frenzy.....
All good so far.
The card base for the footbridge is now secure and you can see cobble sheets have been put down leading up to it.



The cobble sheets have been put down over a baseboard join, so the line down the middle is a necessary evil, however I may be able to disguise it a bit better.
Any how it`ll do for the moment. I`m thinking of putting some bollards across the road between the ends of the buildings to designate it as pedestrian only.......



The bare areas will be raised slightly and will be greened. I think this will soften this area and make the transition from residential to railway more believable.



And this is how the footbridge sits on it`s new plynth.



I`m leaning towards a makeover on the footbridge, so that it will look something like the bridge at Bewdley........not absolutely sure about that one yet, but there will be a conversion of some sort to help alleviate the heavy look of the bridge iron work. Whichever way I go, it will certainly have a roof.
Anyway that`s a little time consuming project on it`s own



Gormo

 

No, unfortunately not Sol,
Your comment prompted me to recall our visit to the UK in 2017.
We were staying in Ealing, West of London, at one stage and we`ve stayed there a few times before over the years.
You can access London quite easily from either Ealing Broadway ( Tube trains ), or West Ealing ( country trains )
Ealing Broadway has had an upgrade linked with the opening of the Elizabeth line and they have lifts, however not all stations throughout the system have easy access.
West Ealing, which was our preferred station, had only long flights of stairs, and another nearby, Drayton Court was the same.
I believe West Ealing now has lifts as well due to the Elizabeth Line upgrade.
I felt at the time, the Sydney system was way ahead in that regard, because they had a program of upgrades that had been going on for years, to improve disabled access to platforms with lifts and ramps etc.
As my railway is set way back in the late 50`s or early 60`s, I feel there was not as much infrastructure in place to help disabled people at that time.
Admittedly, there would have been ways to assist disabled people, but more likely temporary measures that could be wheeled out when required.
Gormo

 

Some more updates folks,
I have been researching footbridges and there are many and varied styles to choose from.
So I think what may work for Bamford is a bridge with inset panels fitted in between the steel uprights
I have been experimenting this afternoon with some nice thin card and I think it will work rather well
The steel can be painted GWR Brown and the inset panels GWR Cream. The inside parts of the bridge will take timber panels made from the same card.
I just have to work out the roof supports now.



I`ve cut out the new ground works from a piece of thin polystyrene



Also made a set of stairs for the central main entrance to the area.



And a recess for them to fit into



New area getting a base coat



And a base coat for the steps......this should dry darker than what you see here, but it will be worked until it looks more like concrete.



Time to check if the paint is dry
Gormo

 

Thanks Brian,
I will see if I can fit a board crossing in with what I`m working on at the moment.
Gormo

 

G`day Folks,
It`s a bit hot for working out in the shed today ( 38 C ), but I`ve spent a couple of short sessions out there working things out.
The thing that has been annoying me, is the fence between the track and the terraces, originally I thought I would go post and rail, but have changed my mind now in favor of a lower brick wall.
Lower than the walls surrounding the private sidings.
For me it`s about the look of things, and I think I`ve found the right solution, for me anyway.
The new fence idea means I will have to cut back slightly on the polystyrene earthworks that raise the garden area, however that`s an easy job with the hot wire cutter.
I have also had a crack at making a neatly trimmed hedge that will border the pathway behind the terraces, and that has turned out rather well.....drying as we speak.
The hedge is made from kitchen scourer which is sprayed Brown and then fine flocking is applied with hairspray. I use three colours to give it some depth
Pics to follow in a later update
I might get back outside tonight when the Sun has gone, as long as the mosquitoes aren`t about.
Gormo

 

Just a quick update,
The hedge on the left, as mentioned in the previous post, was made from kitchen scourer like the sample on the right.
I have made hedges before from foam, however they were destined to be overgrown, unclipped etc.bordering country lanes.
This time I needed the hedges to be manicured, so the kitchen scourer was ideal as it gives a rigid base, especially when sprayed Brown.



A closer view



Testing fence lines and clearances here






More as it happens
Gormo

 

G`day Andy,
The kitchen scourers are as per below bought from our local Bunnings Hardware, but you should be able to get some in your local supermarket.
There must be a UK equivalent









My hedges are 20mm ( 5 scale feet ) tall, so I simply lay a steel straight edge over the scourer and with a sharp knife, cut off a 20mm strip.
If this is not long enough for your needs, sections can be butt joined together on your model.
Once I have my strip, I fix it into my little holder, which is an Alligator clip on the end of an umbrella strut.
See next two pics






I then take it outdoors and spray the scourer strip with Mission Brown from a rattle can......cheap paint is fine. The Brown will show through in places throughout the hedge as branches, twigs etc.
Let the paint dry......it does not take long.
When the paint is dry, we need to then add the flocking to finish it off.
Leave the painted hedge in the holder while you go through the next steps
I prefer to use at least three shades of Green varying from dark to light



You will notice the flocking in the pic above is fairly fine / small
I make my own flocking, however, even with commercial flocking, if you put it through a kitchen strainer you will end up with the finer pieces in your capture tray below.



We then add our darkest Green first to the hedge, doing one side at a time.
To fix it to the hedge, I spray the hedge generously with cheap hairspray.
I have found Aldi provides the cheapest hairspray on the market here in OZ.
I also use this hairspray to seal my brick sheets when building models......it`s quite effective and much cheaper than Matt Sealer Varnish.



So yes, we add the darkest Green to each side first, tapping off the excess back into the tray from whence it came.
Now repeat the process spraying each side in turn, but this time adding the mid tones of Green.
Lastly repeat again with the hairspray and add the lightest tone of Green and finally give the whole lot one extra spray with hairspray and set aside to dry.
I usually clamp the holder into my vice and leave it to dry.
My advice would be to not saturate the sides with the different flocking each time otherwise you won`t see that colour variation that helps make it look more real.
Put on light amounts, and if that is not enough you can always add more later.
Hope this helps Andy......
Gormo

 

G`day Andy,
Let the Brown paint dry first and then proceed with the hairspray and flocking.
Gormo