ScR steam in the 50's

Bit of a catch up. After the water tanks attention turned to the characteristic HR water column. The existing ones are from the Mikes Models range and was about 14mm too large so I arranged for a scale model to be done in 3D. quite an improvement… Here are the two at Helmsdale in place.

More from my flights of fancy and fantasy now. Firstly, another from Peter Drummond's collection of planned designs that never made it in to production - a large wheeled 4-4-0, very closely matching his brother's T9. For a bit of variety I gave it a watercart tender which several HR engines used over the years.





Next, a quickie I did over Xmas - proposed LMS 2-8-4T, a mix of Stanier 2-6-4T body and 8f chassis, which I had lying around from some forgotten abandoned project. A bargain DCC fitted LMS liveried loco from ebay gave me the upper bits. Here it is being tried out on banking duties at Helmsdale.



Lastly, one deeper from the depths - a Beattie well tank bought with the intention of making  ta model of an early Duke of Sutherland's loco that passed in to HR hands. Unfortunately the drivers were far too large, but it bore a passing similarity to their Scrap Tanks - 0-6-0,s assembled from withdrawn engines - and as the little thing ran so well I gave it that Drummond look….

Hi Richard.   Really excellent work, I did consider “3D printing “ but, with my plank layout being so small, and the availability of RTR stock I haven’t bothered. I think that the fireman or driver standing by the 0-6-0 looks real as do all the staff. Did you paint them yourself?    Best wishes Kevin

Thanks - he is from the Airfix figure set from a few decades ago, and yes, home painted. Quite straightforward - find some prototype photos, good acrylic paints - I use a mix of Humbrol, Life Color, Miniature Paints and Citadel for the base coats then get some Citadel Babab Black, which is a black wash and run it over the figure - you can remove any excess with the brush. This gives shadows and contours at a stroke, esp on the face and is usually followed up with a dry brush of a whitish shade to give a fading effect.If you can get to a Games Workshop store they are usually able to give a painting demo and the finishes these modellers obtain put most railway ones to shame...

Oh!  Lovely photographs of lovely modelling.  Not sure I'm quite up to loco building yet, but I can aspire!
Michael

Thanks - give it a go - plenty of second hand around to cut your teeth on.

As an aside I've just finished re slating the train and engine shed with a heavy textured card to get some relief - the original paper ones faded and never looked more than a thin covering. The colour is not that of Welsh slate that is common here but the texture makes up for that…

Here are a couple of shots.

Your photos are always an inspiration Richard and the new roof looks great.  I'd agree with you that the "normal" paper tiles lack depth.

Quick look at some recent work - I have got in tow with a CAD designer who is interested in making a range of HR kits available to modellers and so far several have hit the ground, both in 3D and laser cut wood. My side of things is tracking down drawings and images and suggesting suitable prototypes, then casting an eye over the planed and finished results - an enjoyable modellers pursuit! Here is my take on a new engine shed kit base on Kyle and Wick - I have done a bit extra work on it, including cladding it with an embossed paper I came across on ebay. It is currently being plonked on to a base for a mini diorama and will no doubt feature again once it is properly in its new home.

Latest whimsy is a what if HR dock shunter… Not improbable as the CR and NB both had similar engines and Peter Drummond went on to build such a beast after his spell on the HR when he went to the GSWR. One is preserved at the Glasgow transport museum….My one  is a cut down O2 body on a Heljan GW saddle tank and although it has a couple of debatable points I think it catches the spirit of a Scottish everyday loco. The specks are varnish solids and were invisible until I saw the photographs  :sad: They have now been removed with a sharp scalpel and the offending spray can is now no more…..

Looks good to me!

Terry

Me too!  One of those things that other people perhaps don't notice.
Lovely little loco.
Michael

A new shed build now, actually technically a rebuild as I used  the sides and vents although everything else was new - an improved  Helmsdale shed. The original was based around the Ratio carriage shed  kit as it fitted in my limited space but I have never been happy with it   and finally turned my attentions to it, managing to extract some extra  width and length from the site for it. It now looks a bit more like the  ramshackle edifice that passed as a shed there, and I hope never to  make another… ( I have just finished two laser cut HR sheds as a sideline - I'll look at them another day) One of the previous incarnation added as a comparison.


And some of the latest model - I added the clerestory that the original sported which I had planned at the first build but lack of space precluded that.

That's a huge improvement Richard - how on earth did you manage to find the extra width ?

As you say, the previous one, whilst being a good looking building, did look a bit as if it had been photographed in one of those funny halls of mirrors - sort of sucked in cheeks !

It's a wonderful scene you've created.  :thumbs

That shed is a work of art! Are you planning on adding lighting to it? Really suits the area. 
I really like your background images, that is one thing I seriously need to think about for next year. 

Looking really good, a bit of weathering to the roof to set it off :)

Cheers all - I squeezed 21/2 " in length in to it by moving it forward a bit and extending the rear till it almost hit the turntable and widened it by encroaching on to the platform, as did the prototype, and forward a bit also, 11/4" in total, which has improved its proportions. It actually has the same footprint as the Thurso shed which looks larger, perhaps because of its more solid appearance. Not going to bother with lighting as the appearance of the interior doesn't bear close scrutiny….The interior has been fairly well photographed  and perhaps one day I might do a cutaway type model for interior shots but it is a big job with its wooden bracing and spar trusses which would involve a lot of time and I have far too many projects on the to do list as it is. The roof had actually been weathered by drybrushing but this sort of subtlety is one of the few things the digital eye fails to pick up…The pics are from its first finished plonk and it has since had further work done on it, including a bit more weathering, but the Highlands are an unpolluted area and photos I have seen show a fairly clean finish to it. The shed  caught fire in the mid Fifties so it is possible it was reroofed then. Here is a workbench shot showing some of the snap shots I used as references - the colour one has a view of the roof from my modelling time.

You can also get an idea of what would be needed for an interior build…

I mentioned the laser kit sheds - I have got involved with a designer who is making 3D  and laser kits available of several Scottish companies buildings, helping out with drawings, photos and the like, and got sort of sucked in to doing some of the wooden ones to show their potential. Here is a two road shed we put together with features of three HR sheds - I added some finer details to it, and a model of the actual Thurso set up with models of what  could be seen there in steam days. An enjoyable diversion but a time swallower… No doubt there will be more to come - no more engine sheds though…



And Thurso…..

No more engine sheds eh. Well if you have too many you could always send one to me… I'll even pay the postage. Just call me Mr Generosity.

Seriously though, they look great.

Congrats on the great work. The 'painting' of the stone work is really well done

What have you used for the outer wall?

Cheers
Evan

This stuff I found on ebay - a wallpaper type embossed paper with a nice matt finish. Highly recommended…

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12-SHEETS-bumpy-EMBOSSED-BRICK-stone-wall-paper-21x28cm-HO-1-87/392313695374?_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D225075%26meid%3D787ba2d064654fda861b61731be39d89%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D15%26mehot%3Dnone%26sd%3D373226885875%26itm%3D392313695374%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2380057%26brand%3DUnbranded&_trksid=p2380057.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3A49bca3f3-2792-11eb-b0b6-4264ffc3d122%7Cparentrq%3Ace08c29b1750a4d7cfe8c433fff7f0d0%7Ciid%3A1

[user=1120]peterm[/user] wrote:

No more engine sheds eh. Well if you have too many you could always send one to me… I'll even pay the postage. Just call me Mr Generosity.

Seriously though, they look great.

 ;-) Already had offers of good homes! The two road one might end up as  a display sample for Pop Up once they get back on to the exhibition circuit and the single one is currently being admired in my shop window in its home town, along with some of its inhabitants and will no doubt stay around there, so it hasn't been wasted effort.