A scottish Signal box

Revised locking room windows,


Brick and stone fire place installed


(Sorry it’s a tad dark!)

I’ve also added the window to the toilet as can be seen above) but didn’t take an external shot as spotted an error in the brick work which has been rectified but not updated (somehow I’d lost the gap between two bricks and ended up with a stupidly long brick!)

 

Many thanks..

over 5000 bricks and probably 30+ hrs now.

 

May be so, but surprising, there seems to be a fair bit of info on them thankfully albeit not all is relevant to this box (mainly the slightly larger boxes with 3 locking room windows)

it’s apparently generating interest on a local group to where it was, no doubt similar to the Leek box did in Staffs.

 

I tend to do round 4 rows (due to the pattern) and then copy and paste vertically. Some parts such as the arches and the lintels do need hand placing/adjusting.
Next up will be the porch and the tiles.

 

I realise now that looking again I still seem to have made a c@ckup with the with the locking room windows… I don’t think I’ve got them right still (not tall enough) so will revisit. However tonight’s night shift break is to try and start the steps and porch.

here is the rear view I promised..

 

Windows adjusted … 6inch wrong!

I’ve made a start on the porch and stairs.

and a night shot.

 

I think I followed that ! Quite fascinating - Is that also how the adjusters worked in Leek box behind the frame ? They were connected to the pulley to pull on the tension ?

 

Signalman Dennis has signed on for duty. At least he has a frame to work on now (it needs some amendments to look more like the Stevenson’s frame in the original.


We also need to add some more levers as it should be 24 levers with 5 spares in the middle.


what I’ve found odd, and it may be I’ve just come across a different practice is that lever 1 works a ground signal in the middle of the yard and not a distant signal to enter the station as I’ve been accustomed to.


I sat and worked the frame colours out last night. Hopefully I’ve got them correct.


finally whilst sitting watching Mission Impossible with a steam train going over the edge of an exploded viaduct (actually filmed in Derbyshire not far from me) and pulling it all apart…(do they really use screw couplings between the coaches and not buckeyes????) I made some progress on the stairs and porch area. Some of it is guess work as although it appears in the plans, there are a number of internal timbers that need to be replicated, such as the roof trusses, which are only apparent as the barge board is missing above the window.
i
I also think that the side under the window is steel sheeting or some kind, the run down appearance makes me think there has been a make do and bodge rather than repair.

thoughts.

 

Thanks..

if there is anything I’ve missed that you want to know about, just shout and I’ll do my best to answer

 

Work in the last few rest days (evenings) has concentrated on the chimney and the porch and finally a revision of the locking room door which frankly, I’d just messed up on a measured wrong on the plans!


Peter wanted a specific chimney design as found on the cabins in early days (many lost the chimney later in life for a stove at the front of the box not rear) but upon reviewing, it was 2 ft too small and not wide enough.
V2 Peter was much happier with. It should have a gap to help draughting between the top and main flues so it may be revisited if I can find some more details… depends on what we can physically print of course!

next the looking room door. It’s been made taller by 7mm and wider by about 3.5mm so it’s around 6ft high not 5ft.

on to the porch, the roof is still to complete,

pretty pleased with this result. Just need to revisit the supports under it as later photos have found its a timber support with a arch support beam.
And from inside. Still need some internal doors.

and that’s where we are at.. nearly there..

 

We’re getting close now.. so I moved on to the supports for the walk ways.
to be fair, they look over scale here, but they for once are not and it’s to scale at this point.

Down side was that when I first designed them, I couldn’t match them in to the brick work especially under the verandah, and after some checking, the floor was still some 3.2mm out, so it was all lifted internally and actually it’s rectified an issue I had where the wood panels inside looked too deep.
(Photo to follow internal as it’s having some other amendments)

now the next stage of fitting the hand rails is slightly over scale but that’s for printing. Although since designing, Peter and I have opted to instead model it in brass rod.


Next stage will be to have a virtual model
With a scale hand rail and a printable version minus the rails but with then Stantions. What I may do is leave a small hole or indent to make it a little easier for drilling etc.

finally a render shot..