GWR/LMS OO Gauge DCC RR&Co

Thanks for clearing that up John. I think I can do that with our Canon DSLR. If not then the smaller but newer Nikon we bought to take away with us. But I don't think I'll be trying it any time soon.  ;-)

Change of pace last week.

At long last I started work on completing the area in front of the station




The GPO van and taxi have been parked there literally fo years. A constant reminder that I need to build a General Post Office and Hotel and then devise a credible link with the back of the Warehouse at Richard's Wharf.

I keep procrastinating for all manner of reasons……..not least because it is the perfect place to park my cup of coffee while I perform my routine gymnastics negotiating the duck under!






The other principal reason is the awkward shape of the site.







I want the new buildings to be at right angles to the station to make an open square. At the rear they will back on to a 36" radius curve where the main line exits the station and crosses the viaduct.


Carpe diem……nothing like a challenge……I am going to start with the Post Office

The plan is to use elements from Scalescenes Low Relief High Street Kit






The Barclays Bank facade makes a good start point but at 4 1/4" wide is too narrow for the site.

I need to almost double the width of the building by adding 1 1/2" extensions on either side. The brickwork used on the upper storeys is not available in sheet form. In any event, I think the dressed stone, shown below, will produce a more cohesive design 




For those who havent used them…Scalescenes Scratchbuilders packs are brilliant….for 2.50 you get a PDF file that you print out as required. There is a vast array of finishes to select from. 

(Incidentally, the colour isnt as harsh as this and actually matches the lower facade quite well).

The big plus for this project are the quoins that will be used to finish the corners in place of the drain pipes used in the design.

I dont intend to do a cut by cut account but am happy to answer any questions if any one else is similarly inspired and the routine I follow may be of help 

When kitbashing I build the exterior walls first and then strengthen them later, which is the reverse of the normal Scalescene sequence.

Here are the sub assemblies from the kit to glued to the front base. The upper storey brickwork clad in dressed stone with lintels and sills added.



Only the top and side windows on the base will be seen .The centre window openings are rough cut so as not show through. 

I want the finished building to be moveable so I can access the track at the rear. Here is the base layer cut out to fit snugly alongside the station wing.




The cut out on the left is for a loading bay that will be built into the side wall


Frontage complete …..loosely propped in place



That took rather longer to complete than I imagined…..not too many trains ran last week!

I am pretty happy with the result though. I think the dressed stone has not only matched well with that from the kit but complements the adjacent station building

 Now I have to get the sides and roof worked out!


But first some well earned refreshment





Just have to remember to move the board when the Birkenhead-Paddington Express roars through.

Regards from Vancouver

John

Brilliant - I love it when you do your Scalescenes kit bashing projects John and yes, I agree the dressed stone does look very good alongside the station.

Another "nook" will be expertly redevloped - I love it !!!

Also, looking at the opening shots of this post, it occurred to me that I don't actually know you track plan - have you ever posted one ?  I had imagined that viaduct was at the other end ……………….. :roll: :oops:

Also, I must apologise for not having commented on your fabulous tank transports - you've done some really stunning work on them and the finished article is absolutely exquisite - almost makes one want to sign on ………………

Whilst studying those opening shots, another thought crossed my mind too.  When you built the layout, did you get the main track down before starting the scenic work or did you work round a section at a time, doing the scenery as you went ?

I ask because today, I was labouriously trying to fit some Tortoise motors (I say labouriously because most of the time was spent trying to find the necessary bits and pieces "in store" - unsuccessfully I might add !!) when it occurred to me that the whole layout is completely "out of action" because the half I'm not rebuilding is loaded with the debris from the half I am.  There's absolutely nowhere I could take a photograph !!  It might have been nice to retain a small corner where I could play with a camera and some stock …………………

Like you  Peter, I too like John's Scalescenes modifications , far more inventive than mine.

Very smart John.  Nice to see this part of the layout.
I am planning to have a low relief row of houses on Abbey Street (like you, I like the scalescenes scratch builders packs) that will be at an angle, so the end house will be almost full size, with the row narrowing to the usual low relief depth, so I would be interested in how you have gone about this.

Very nice modelling, they buildings look super.

Regards

Michael

Thanks Peter. Glad you like my attempts to customise the Scalescene Kits. The builders packs have been a real boon in concealing joins etc. 

I enjoyed doing the tanks…..had to do quite a bit of research. As an ex-infantryman I knew little about them. My only  real memory was that Centurion tanks were fitted with an electric kettle. Imagine how envious I felt when we were dug in along side one…….squatting in a skit trench, trying to eating cold beans out of a mess tin, is a lasting memory of my army service.

 

Also, looking at the opening shots of this post, it occurred to me that I  don't actually know you track plan - have you ever posted one ?  I had  imagined that viaduct was at the other end ……………….. :roll: :oops:

My apologies I have been writing about Granby for so long (12 years would you believe) that I tend to forget that no one on YMR has ever seen it. :oops:

The Canal and Viaduct are at the doorway end of the room…….the main feature at the other end of the room is the unfinished Brewery  (Mk II)

I have never done a track plan as such other than a Train Controller schematic.
 I will post a few photos in sequence that may help a bit.
 

Whilst studying those opening shots, another thought crossed  my mind too.  When you built the layout, did you get the main track down  before starting the scenic work or did you work round a section at a  time, doing the scenery as you went ?

The latter……and one of my big regrets. I do enjoy scenery and detailing, so as soon as a section was finished it was ballasted and then sceniked. If I had my time again I would complete all the track and electrics and then run trains for six months before touching a grain of ballast. Far easier to correct the multitude of errors of both design and construction that are exposed when the trains run………or dont! 

Best wishes

John

[user=606]Sol[/user] wrote:

Like you  Peter, I too like John's Scalescenes modifications , far more inventive than mine.

I think you are flattering me Ron but its very kind of you……particularly as it was you and Doug were the guys who started me off with Scalescenes

Best wishes

John

[user=1512]Headmaster[/user] wrote:

Very smart John.  Nice to see this part of the layout.
I am planning to have a low relief row of houses on Abbey Street (like you, I like the scalescenes scratch builders packs) that will be at an angle, so the end house will be almost full size, with the row narrowing to the usual low relief depth, so I would be interested in how you have gone about this.

Very nice modelling, they buildings look super.

Regards

Michael

Thank you Michael.

It will be great if you get some helpful ideas from this project

Its a really awkward shape ……hopefully your site is, at least, a bit more symmetrical…..even so I can visualise the issues involved with tapering back a sequence of rooves. I look forward to reading about how you solved it!

Best Wishes

John
 

Looking brilliant as usual. Where I live, it's so hot and humid that card buildings don't last even when lacquered. Dust is another problem. It's sand really because we live on a sand island and of course things need cleaning quite often, so using a brush on card buildings is a bit dangerous. I've made only one building so far and that's a Ratio station building. I'm reasonably pleased with it as it's my first attempt since I was about 15… must be nearly ten years now, ahem. I might even pluck up courage to put a photo up.

Having something go wrong with electrics etc on a track or pointwork is a real problem with all the scenery around, yours must be a nightmare as you have so much going on and very difficult to get your hands in there John  :roll:

Yet again John you are providing me, and I am sure many others, with so many ideas and examples of what is possible. Looking forward to seeing how the build progresses. May just have to talk nicely to the wife and suggest a trip to Vancouver - just for the scenery and wildlife of course.

[user=434]John Dew[/user] wrote:

  If I had my time again I would complete all the track and electrics and then run trains for six months before touching a grain of ballast. Far easier to correct the multitude of errors of both design and construction that are exposed when the trains run………or dont! 

That is a very useful tip John  :thumbs

Just hope I remember it on my next project.

The square is looking great, Post Office looks good next to the station.


Ed

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

Looking brilliant as usual. Where I live, it's so hot and humid that card buildings don't last even when lacquered. Dust is another problem. It's sand really because we live on a sand island and of course things need cleaning quite often, so using a brush on card buildings is a bit dangerous. I've made only one building so far and that's a Ratio station building. I'm reasonably pleased with it as it's my first attempt since I was about 15… must be nearly ten years now, ahem. I might even pluck up courage to put a photo up.

Thanks Pete

Does the humidity affect the integrity of the card? The strength of John Wiffen’s designs comes from all the laminating…..virtually everything is two ply ie two sheets of card laminated together…..corner columns and such are often 4 ply.

If its any help I spray each sheet with artists fixative the moment it comes off the printer.

The Ratio station is a lovely model….mine is still in use on the branch after 25 years….it would be great to see a pic of yours

Best wishes

John

[user=753]Phil.c[/user] wrote:

Having something go wrong with electrics etc on a track or pointwork is a real problem with all the scenery around, yours must be a nightmare as you have so much going on and very difficult to get your hands in there John  :roll:

It can be a pain at times Phil…..the little people are always falling down but signals near the baseboard edge are the worst…..I am thinking of making the branch “single engine in steam”!

The biggest problem I have to live with are two or three areas where baseboards were badly joined and the resultant track…..particularly turnouts…is uneven. Its impossible to relay now so I have to impose local speed limits which are not very realistic

One lives and learns!

Regards

John

[user=1886]DaveH_Murcia[/user] wrote:

Yet again John you are providing me, and I am sure many others, with so many ideas and examples of what is possible. Looking forward to seeing how the build progresses. May just have to talk nicely to the wife and suggest a trip to Vancouver - just for the scenery and wildlife of course.

Hi Dave…Thanks for the nice comments….I am so glad that you enjoy my ramblings and find them useful .

Western Canada is a great place for a holiday and Vancouver one of the highlights. It would be great to meet you if you persuade your wife.

Best wishes

John

[user=1338]Ed[/user] wrote:

[user=434]John Dew[/user] wrote:

  If I had my time again I would complete all the track and electrics and then run trains for six months before touching a grain of ballast. Far easier to correct the multitude of errors of both design and construction that are exposed when the trains run………or dont! 

That is a very useful tip John  :thumbs

Just hope I remember it on my next project.

The square is looking great, Post Office looks good next to the station.


Ed

Thanks Ed ……glad you like the Post Office…….still a lot to do. Adapting the hotel will be very challenging…..its also low relief, which I dont want, and very tall…..265mm. I have to work out how to lose a floor…or two!

Best wishes

John.

Hi John,

Yes the humidity does affect it. I did try spraying with a matt varnish when we lived in Brisbane and it was still attacked by humidity and silverfish.

I like all of the Ratio kits and have some more (maybe not all are Ratio) to build. I'll have to have a look in a box of kits to see exactly what I have got.

                          HAPPY CHRISTMAS FROM VANCOUVER


I had intended to post a series of photos of the completed Post Office. Unfortunately when I opened my rather ancient laptop , which contains all the photos, I got the red screen of death. At least that sorted out my Xmas present…..my new all singing /dancing machine bought at Boxing Day prices will arrive on the 24th. I guess I will be spending a fair part of the holiday transferring files and trying to remember access codes.

Meantime I borrowed a cushion and took this shot with the ipad. Appropriately it has something of a biblical theme…albeit the old testament….the return of the prodigal




A Hattons/DJM 14xx performing , without hesitation, quite a complicated loco exchange with the branch BSet. Ever since I fitted a Zimo decoder and stay alive tantalums the loco has been transformed…..undoubtedly my success story of 2019

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the followers of this thread who patiently read or comment on my weekly ramblings. Its hard to believe this has been going for a decade and will shortly pass the 300,000 hit mark….amazing!

The support and fellowship that I receive from YMR in general…..and you guys in particular, adds enormously to my enjoyment of the hobby……thank you so much.

I wish you and your families a very happy Christmas and good health and prosperity in 2020. If you are a GWR fan like me then it needs to be a prosperous new year with all the promised new releases!

Best wishes

John

And a very happy Christmas to you and your family too John.
You give just as much enjoyment, support, friendship and wisdom through your thread and postings.  It is a constant inspiration to me and I know, to many others.  

While I may frequently berate the rise of "social" media and the negative impact it has (especially when I was a headteacher and saw how it took over the lives of young people) it is good to see how something as simple as an online model railway club can bring all sorts of people across the world together.  Long may it continue this way!

Warm regards

Michael

Merry Christmas to you and yours John.

Granby posts are always a pleasure to read and here's to the next 10 years   :cheers



Ed