Great Chesterford Junction Part Two

Discussion in 'Members Personal Layouts' started by gormo, Dec 5, 2015.

  1. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    G`day Sol,
    Well...this time....I did not do the edges of the strips, however I did do the edges of the strips on the chimney banding.
    I placed a permanent marker vertically in my vice...lid off.
    I then took the end ( excess ) of the strip between my fingers on one hand ,whilst pinching the strip between two fingers on the other hand as guide and held close to the marker tip.
    I then pulled the paper strip past and touching the marker tip.
    On reflection.....maybe a standard Texta would have been better in the vice, because it has a rectangular flat tip....:scratchchin:
    Anyway.....it`s a fairly easy and painless way to do it Sol.
    Hope this helps
    :tophat:Gormo
     
    Last edited: Sep 22, 2021
  2. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    Chris.........chimney pots made from rivets

    m4.jpg
     
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  3. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    Well Howdy Folks....:tophat:
    Another productive day in the shed.......I`m still pushing on with Little Bardfield.
    At this point in time, I`m preparing the site for my new building.....as you can see some polystyrene and plaster to be removed and some grass to be scraped back to accommodate the footprint of said building.
    This is purely to fit it in place and more will be removed later on to make a more realistic scene...hopefully.?


    IMG20210922134827.jpg


    I anticipate that when the building is set to it`s position, I will add some gravel around and about the building......but this is approximately what it will look like.


    IMG20210922135721.jpg


    I may have to shorten the grass around the building somewhat as well....:scratchchin:


    IMG20210922135730.jpg


    Chimney pots have been made from rivets and painted and fitted today


    IMG20210922160607.jpg



    IMG20210922160614.jpg


    A base has been made from very heavy card ( B****r to cut ) and on that some internal perimeter card glued as well. This has now all been glued to the scenery and it`s weighted down and drying overnight. This will not only allow the building to be removed and replaced accurately each time, but will form a sub base which will allow scenery / gravel etc. to be brought right up to the edges of the building.


    IMG20210922162219.jpg


    A sub base has also been sorted out for the other cottage. This one is under a heavy weight drying at the moment.


    IMG20210922164500.jpg

    So that`s where it`s at....at the moment, and no doubt ,more will happen tomorrow.

    :tophat:Gormo
     
  4. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    Howdy Train Lovers...:tophat:
    Well the PVA under the base plate for my mill cottage is taking it`s sweet time curing, however I have other things that I can press on with whilst we wait with eager anticipation for said glue to " go off "
    I started sorting out the windmill.......the instructions went West many years ago, but fortunately, there are not that many parts to this little mill, and on top of that I have down loaded about a dozen pictures of the same type of mill from the internet.
    So time to bite the bullet and go for it.!!!!
    I should add that exactly the same kit is still available from Dapol Kitmaster..........no sense changing something that works.?
    As you can see, it is partially assembled from about 25 years ago...........you can`t rush these things.....:scratchchin:
    What I have done today is add one window ( the last one ) into the top of the mill, added a small triangular section to the top that houses the bearing for the sails, and built the sails.
    That`s enough prepared for painting.


    IMG20210923113253.jpg


    The sails were airbrushed first after all signs of flashing had been removed. They also needed some encouragement to be straightened out a little.


    IMG20210923150509.jpg


    Also painted the doors and windows white.


    IMG20210923150524.jpg


    The windows and doors on the top were then masked and we`ve sprayed a dark Matt Brown.......more or less as an undercoat. The roof of the base was also done as an undercoat.
    Most mills i have looked at are either Black or exposed timber......so I will be adding a streaky flat Black over the top of the mill and then applications of pastels to try and emulate an old timber effect.......we`ll see how that goes.?


    IMG20210923170607.jpg

    On another tack......I have had a couple of items arrive today in the post.
    A Hornby Skaledale GWR water tank


    IMG20210923150424.jpg

    And some RAF personnel for the airfield.


    IMG20210923150356.jpg

    More as it happens
    :tophat:Gormo
     
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  5. ianvolvo46

    ianvolvo46 Staff Member Moderator

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    Always a morale booster reading your threads Gormo ... you could say thats 'run of the mill' for you :facepalm: ... er .... :hammer:

    Ian vt
     
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  6. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    Thanks Ian,
    Your wit never ceases to amaze me and give me a good laugh each time ..........:avatar::avatar::avatar::avatar:
    Always a happy chappy
    :tophat:Gormo
     
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  7. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    G`day Rail Fans and Plate Layers and Fettlers of the miniature type,
    Our previous pictures of a pristine mill may have led you to some false conclusions, because the clean and wonderfully crisp lines of said mill have been worked over with paints and pastels today.
    Yes folks....the mill has become rather aged looking......poor old mill..:scratchchin:....however the look of it is within the realms of possibility when one considers the state of some of the mills that have survived to this day..... according to the pictures I have seen of old English mills.
    That said ....some of them look to be in a restored state......so I have elected to depict my mill in a semi restored state.

    If you consider yesterday`s efforts produced this result....not bad, even if I do say so myself.....:tophat:


    [​IMG]


    And placed on site behind it`s little mill cottage building......it looks rather quaint and idealistic.


    IMG20210924105333.jpg


    A closer view will confirm that


    IMG20210924105314.jpg


    But now folks......after an application of some Satin Black paint, just here and there, to indicate that it would have been painted Black in a previous life. Then over that I have used my version of weathering powder, A.K.A. chalk pastels, to produce the effect of aged timber planks.


    IMG20210924134233.jpg


    The roof on the base building has also been lightly weathered and brickwork has been done as well, although more treatment there may happen.


    IMG20210924134106.jpg

    I think the weathered timber look adds much more character to the building, and due to it`s lighter in colour appearance, it may appear more obvious in the scene rather than blending into the background.
    I have painted the steps and hand rail today and the underneath of an awning, so I`m getting to the point of putting it together.
    The sails I think will be vulnerable to breakage when the scenery is lifted off......so I think it`s best to have this as a lift off building as well.
    Making it up as we go along folks......and why not....:thumbs:

    :tophat:Gormo
     
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  8. Vinylelpea

    Vinylelpea Full Member

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    Look fantastic. Weathering certainly brought it to life. :hammer:
     
  9. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    Thanks Phil....:thumbs:
    :tophat:Gormo
     
  10. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    G`day Model Train Fraternity,
    Hope everybody is well and busy producing models and scenery.....:thumbs:
    I have moved further forward today , in that the mill is complete and assembled.....scratch that one off the list...:thumbs:

    The ice cream container in the background has been holding windmill parts for quite some time, and now, finally, it`s empty and ready for another task.




    IMG20210925110314.jpg



    IMG20210925110327.jpg

    So today also I have started adding gravel around the lift off house bases......the glue is still wet in this pic, so the gravel may lighten up a bit once it`s dry


    IMG20210925124349.jpg


    The land around the building now has to be developed with hedgerows, maybe a garden etc.....I`ll wing it as I go and see how things develop.


    IMG20210925140039.jpg


    Once the mill was completely assembled, I had second thoughts about it`s original intended location at the back of the mill cottage.
    It`s all a visual thing with me.....I am constantly testing and re-trying things and checking the visual impact in scenery matters.
    So I`ve decided to go with my gut feeling and place it roughly here in this position.


    IMG20210925110907.jpg


    The base has been permanently fitted to this location and lined up with gravel paths coming and going from the building.
    Setting the building this way allows me to remove the top of the mill quite easily, if necessary, to reduce the risk of damage when lifting off the removable scenery.


    IMG20210925134014.jpg


    This is how it`s going to look permanently.
    I have also been umming and ahhing about a little picket fence next to the house..???
    ChrisM from this forum kindly 3D printed these little fences for me a little while ago, so I will use them in some way eventually.
    At this stage I`m checking the visual impact again


    IMG20210925135953.jpg



    IMG20210925140009.jpg



    IMG20210925140001.jpg

    I now need to make a few feet of hedgerows and probably some farm gates......so it`s all down to the detail now scenic wise, however I still need to build a signal box and probably a water tank. I have a small tank already built, but might go the whole hog with a Dapol kit that I have.....The Dapol may be too big though, so the jury is still out on that one.
    A model railway is never finished is it...???
    :tophat:Gormo
     
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  11. Sol

    Sol Full Member

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    The picket fence won't keep vermin out though......
     
  12. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    That's true Sol....:thumbs:
    But it may keep the people in and prevent them from falling and rolling down the bank onto the roadway below and being struck by a passing motor vehicle....????
    :scratchchin: I think just had an idea
    :tophat:Gormo
     
  13. Chris M

    Chris M If 2 wrongs don't make it right ... try 3 Full Member

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    Hey Gormo,

    The mill definitely looks better at the front ... it a great structure a should be shown off as much as possible.

    image_2021-09-26_112646.png

    Looks so much better than the wind turbines you see on more modern layouts. :thumbs:

    Chris
     
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  14. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    Thanks Chris,
    It`s just one of those things that gets amended along the way.......the original plan was to have it at the back as you know, however once the mill was actually built and sat upon the scenery, I felt it may look better plonked where it is now.
    It`s all a matter of taste and what pleases my eye.....but there you are....it`s done now.:thumbup:
    I am currently working on a refinement to my system for hedgerows. I have been putting some of my flocking back through the coffee grinder this morning to make smaller particles, then sifting them through a strainer and blending different colours.
    I have a nice batch of small flock at the moment, but may tweak the colours a bit more.
    :tophat:Gormo
     
  15. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    G`day Passengers and Railway Staff,
    I hope you are having a pleasant journey.
    Today I have started on some hedgerows along the sides of the road at Little Bardfield.
    I have used a slighlty different method to what I`ve used before.
    Thin strips of foam rubber have been cut to size and then impaled onto a board with three nails coming up through it. Before impaling the foam rubber, I impaled a sheet of baking paper over the nails to create a non stick surface against the foam rubber.
    Lots of impaling going on here......just call me Vlad
    Once the foam rubber is secured on it`s nails, I then drape some teased polyfibre over it.......it sort of sticks to the foam rubber.
    The whole lot is then sprayed with Brown paint from a rattle can and then, whilst the paint is wet, I add some fine flocking of a suitable colour.
    When semi dry the hedgerow is removed from it`s nails and taken to the layout. PVA is put down first and then the hedgerow placed on top of the PVA. The hedge is secured with pins until the PVA gets a good grip on the hedgerow.
    Touch ups to the flocking can be done later with PVA or with carefully applied hairspray.
    The area below the mill has been done with this method


    IMG20210926163654.jpg

    And also along both sides of the road leading off into the distance......more to be done here also.


    IMG20210926163736.jpg

    And looking from the other direction


    IMG20210926163817.jpg


    I feel I am now starting to get close to the closeness / compact feel of some British country roads and locations and also I am nearing the point of restraint.
    Restraint in the scenery I feel needs to be considered, because you can over cook it.......too much stuff will spoil it whereas not enough will leave it lacking visually.
    So a couple more hedgerows will be that point where we stand back and consider the view very carefully before proceeding.
    Some post and rail fencing may be preferable moving forward, just to finish it off but not to over fill the scene.

    :tophat:Gormo
     
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  16. Sol

    Sol Full Member

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    No room to pass on those roads..... but at least the hedge rows protect the road from people falling down onto them!!!:avatar:
     
  17. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    That`s right Sol,
    Which reminds me.....I should have put in some passing bays......not sure if that is the correct terminology.?
    I have driven on roads like this Sol, and it can get interesting sometimes........:avatar:......especially if you are trying to find an address....it`s quite easy to go past the entrance and then you`ve got to keep going and find an intersection or a generous drive way to turn around, because you`ve nearly always got another driver right up your hooter trying to get past
    I have seen a Tour Bus on a road like this in Torquay having to back up to a passing bay to let a car with a caravan go through. It`s all a matter of timing and where you are positioned in relation to the passing bay, as to who goes first or who backs up.
    Anyway the passing bays are just around the bend on my layout.....:avatar:
    I am quite relieved now that nobody can fall down the bank onto the road.........well they may still fall, but the hedge will slow them down a bit and they will just get scratches and bits of twig and branch and leaf stuck in their clothes and in their hair before they roll through onto the road.
    Hopefully they will be able to stand up and get out of the way before a lorry or a bus comes by and mistakes them for a come to life scarecrow..????:scratchchin:

    :tophat:Gormo
     
  18. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    G`day Station Staff, Loco Crews and Passengers,
    Today I have embarked on a little project that has been in the back of my mind for a little while now.........post and rail fences.
    Normally I would order some from Justin at Scalemodelscenery but I don`t trust the mail services at the moment.
    I have one item outstanding that was being sent from Sydney to guess who,? in Sydney, and at this stage it`s 28 days in transit.
    The best response I can get out of the delivery company, after my second slightly heated enquiry, was that my parcel has been delayed.......delayed being an understatement, when other items I have ordered after that date have arrived in good time......in spite of Covid.....in spite of huge parcel delivery demands , brass farthings, old fish wives and the ever present threat of rising stupidity in our community....to mention just a few.
    You may think I`m slightly peeved.?????.......you may be right...:scratchchin:
    Anyway with that in mind.....I thought I`d have a crack at post and rail fences myself.......I did some research, by looking at post and rail fence images in Britain on the internet....and in the end thought....Yeah !!!!....I can do that.
    So I decided to use craft matches as posts and I cut some roughly, 1mm wide strips of cereal box card strips as rails. These fences are not going to be dead vertical straight as a dye type fences, but rather, rustic looking weathered beasts who have been around for a few years, built by a cross eyed bloke who was blind in the other eye....in other words.....a bit wobbly.
    So here we have some cereal box strips cut and ready to go


    IMG20210927130114.jpg


    I`ve then taped every second post to my cutting mat


    IMG20210927130811.jpg

    Super glued the card strips to the posts


    IMG20210927133250.jpg


    Then the second set of posts were inserted in between and under the already fabricated fence system and glued in place


    IMG20210927133503.jpg

    The posts were then trimmed down in length and painted with a mixture of grey and burnt umber acrylics ,and then gone over with grey chalk pastel.
    They were then fitted to the layout, after pressing into the scenery and securing with Super glue.


    IMG20210927155607.jpg


    IMG20210927155555.jpg


    More as it happens folks.
    :tophat:Gormo
     
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  19. Chris M

    Chris M If 2 wrongs don't make it right ... try 3 Full Member

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    Hey Gormo,

    You never cease to amaze me with your simple solutions that work so well. I could 3D print a fence like that ... but looking at your result a 3D print wouldn't be any better and maybe not even as good. As long as the cardboard holds up you have achieved a great looking fence. Your hedgerows look great too.

    Well done :thumbup: ... Chris
     
  20. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    G`day Chris,
    You`re very kind.....but these sorts of methods are on the net and use various techniques and methods, and they have been around for a long time.
    Some of them are good and some of them are fairly basic, but all of them offer up a way of doing these things yourself, depending on how much time you want to offer up to the task.
    Someone of my vintage has been reading and watching all sorts of tips to do with model railways for many years, so like many other older modellers, I have a catalogue of methods and techniques stored in the old grey matter.
    In this case with the fencing, I`m sure I must have borrowed someone`s methods from way back, but so far back that the original informant is not even a distant memory....:avatar:
    The card is surprisingly resilient......for example....the Superquick Signal Box kit ( cardboard ) I have installed at GCJ was built in the 1990`s......has spent a good deal of it`s life in an unlined shed and then many years in storage indoors, however it`s still just as strong as the day it was made.
    I have used scalemodelscenery post and rail fencing ( pic below ) around my stone henge near the airfield.....basically ....it`s cardboard ( laser board actually ) cut by a laser. It starts out rather floppy, but once it`s assembled and then installed...it becomes quite rigid and strong.

    DSC07428.JPG

    The big advantage it has over plastic fencing, and possibly 3D printed fencing ?, is that it can be manipulated to negotiate undulations simply by holding one post rigid and then pulling downwards or upwards as necessary on the next post. This keeps the posts vertical and puts an angle on the rails. So you can run the fence down a hill and keep the posts near vertical......very hard to do with a plastic fence. It also negotiates corners very well because it`s not rigid like plastic fence sections.
    So plenty of flexibility there to create a rustic fence.......and it`s very cheap.
    One thing that concerns me a little about this hobby, is the ready availability of a lot of accessories now. If you have the money ,you can buy almost anything you need........and that`s good..:thumbs:
    But does that mean the ready availability is influencing people not to scratch build or even to kit build anymore.....don`t know for sure but I suspect it may be.
    The ready made and painted buildings you can buy now ( guilty :redface:), if you`re prepared to mortgage your house, are a case in point.
    3D print modellers on the other hand, have taken the scratch build in a new direction.
    The amount of work and calculation and trial and error that goes into some of those projects is to be applauded. Some would not agree that 3D printing is scratch building, but if someone designs and creates an original model for printing.......it must be scratch ( start from nothing ) building in my book.
    As you know, I`m a hands on, create it yourself where possible modeller.........it`s not the easiest way to do things, but it does give me great satisfaction to be able to do it.......and that`s the joy of the hobby for me......the fact that it allows you to be creative, as much or as little as you want.
    Gormo is now stepping down from his soap box
    :tophat:Gormo
     
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