5 times longer in coming than Brunel took making the real thing!

Mal, responded re Gormo via PM

You better buy a lottery ticket after your troubles….

Great to see you back Mal.
Fantastic bathroom reno there.
I, like you, have not posted for a long time due to retiring, moving, working with the boys on their farms etc etc.
Hope to get back into modelling soon.
John.

Hi Mal - thank you for the compliment tucked away  in your post, much appreciated.  As I have said many times, pretty much everything I know has been gleaned from the posts on this forum, and without the  many wonderful layouts and threads for inspiration, I would still be an armchair modeller.
Quite a few of us seem to have had a tough few years recently, one way or another, and Coronavirus has certainly had its impact.  Although lockdown and then quarantine rules, has allowed me the time to practise my modelling, so it hasn't been all bad!  I'm back at work now so things have definitely slowed down.

It has been great flicking through Ottersford again and I remember this particular photo was one of many here that really captured an atmosphere I wanted to create at Faversham Creek:



You may have noticed a feature for voting for photo  of the month for the front page of the website, which has the aim of recognising current modellers and also those hidden away in the many threads, so you might like to dig a nomination…..

Sadly Gormo doesn't post here any more, but he has an active Youtube channel….

Great to have you back here though and hope to see more of Ottersford.

Regards

Michael

Thanks for the link Sol - notice a number of other layouts there that have been awol recently!
Michael you are right about the Forum but as you seem to be relatively new to the hobby I think your progress has been remarkable.  Your small details in the warehouse for example are top class.  I must read your post again & try & get my head around these laser cutters (would have been a huge help doing all the arches for viaducts & tunnel mouths).  Do you show the thing a photo & say "I want one of those"?

Anyway, as all the stock & loose items are packed away, a good clean & tidy of the railway room is first on agenda then I must tackle moving the cross over.  I thought about leaving it but it's only going to annoy me.

Good luck & health to all.

Mal 

Hi Mal and welcome back to your 'band of brothers'. You and Sandra are overdue some other sort of luck and good karma to brighten your days and you both have my best wishes in that regard.

I have spent an enjoyable couple of hours re-reading your thread this morning and admire the lovely and skilful development of your railway very much, particularly as you also have a junction and branch, although very much more advanced than my own. We also have the same turntable kit, so I'm looking forward to how you get on with yours in due course. I understand the trick is to completely build the base structure as a modular unit, before being tempted with the sexy iconic GWR delight above.

I expelled a sad sigh with the news of your Viggen and I'm having to find a deserving new owner for my TR3, since with the passage of years, I no longer drive it as if I'd just stolen it, which in many respects is a pity!

Best,

Bill

Hi Bill.  Thanks for the good wishes.  Our lives have been ruled by Sandra's R.A. for over twenty years now.  My post did seem a bit like Mrs Dale's Diary but there are always those far worse off than ourselves so it wasn't so much a moan as a review of where the last 4 years had gone & a wake up call as to how fast time passes.
Yes the turntable kit is a bit daunting, but more so how to cut the hole for it!  This of course should have been done before all Colin's complex wiring.  I might have to re-site it a little as, typically, the planned site is right over a baseboard joint & support to which is attached a wiring loom.  I've invested in a new soldering iron as you have to solder the guide rails onto each little support pin.  It has to be the next job after repositioning the switches as then I can lay the final bit of trackwork for the loco shed.  Luckily Colin had already wired the 3-way point!

I only got peanuts for the Viggen (£5K) to a Saab enthusiast.  Most people were put off by parts availability but I'd never had a problem & the thing was so well built nothing ever went wrong.  The new owner owns a liquor store so sweetened the deal with 20 bottles of Rose champagne & re-stocked our bar.  Last time we went out in it she was up to 250 easily with wheel spin in 3rd & 4th.  0-100 in around 6 secs.  Can't think of anything you can buy at that price to give such performance.  Had to be careful though - no traction control & she was the torque steer queen - when the turbo came in she tried to wrench the wheel from your hand & pulled to the left - if you were overtaking they thought you were trying to run them off the road.  Also the turbo cut out at 260 which was embarrassing when chasing motor bikes.  The new Lexus convertible is £100K, only a smidgeon quicker 0-100 & makes a big issue of features the Saab had 20 years ago.

Must say I thought your little cameo of the window frame on the trestles was brilliant.

Mal

It's always good to welcome an "old boy" back Mal so welcome but oh my, what a time you've been having during your absence.

So sorry to hear of all your troubles and shocked to hear the Covid Man got to Colin - I think you're the first "real" person I "know" to have had personal dealings with the awful guy.  Did Colin have "underlying" health problems or was he just very unlucky ?  Whatever, it must have been a dreadful shock to you all.

Also, sorry to hear of all the problems over health care, property sales and Brexit related things.  We often have similar worries about what will happen after Brexit, particularly with health care.  The 30% "top-up" insurance cover we have (UK only pays 70% of our health care here in France) takes a chunk out of our monthly income and, like you, goes up annually to coincide with the increasing need one has as age takes it's toll.  Health Insurance is a bit like a banker's umbrella - it's freely available for peanuts when the sun shines but, at the first sign of a shower, he wants it back !!!

The less said about your car, the better !!  Some people just don't recognise quality when they see it ……….but a Lexus convertible is hardly a donkey so my heart doesn't bleed too heavily for you on that score …………… ;-)

In spite of all your worries and woes, you managed to do a fantastic job on the bathroom - was that your paid job when you were working or are you just a DIY whizz-kid ?

On the up-side, having decided to stay put, you don't have to dismantle Ottersford - when we moved house nearly 3 years ago, dismantling Maxmill nearly broke my heart and it was nothing like as classy as Ottersford.

Really looking forward to watching future developments.

Hi Peter - thanks for the good wishes.  When I said 'the' new Lexus I didn't mean 'my' new Lexus!!!  There is no way I'd ever spend £100K on a car, especially not a Lexus!
No, home improvements was not my 'paid' job - in fact haven't had a 'paid' job since 1976!  I've always been a petrol head & when I was young I used to look at car mechanics & think "well, if they can do it, I can do it".  Adopted the same attitude when I bought my first property in 1972.  Read a lot (no Google!) & made a lot of cock-ups but over the years learnt wiring, plumbing, woodwork, decorating etc.  Mainly because I couldn't afford to pay anybody!

That bathroom will probably be my last big project - knocking down walls, kneeling for tiling & stretching for ceilings really knackered me.  I was up on the roof last week doing maintenance in preparation for the Summer rains & I was finished for 2 days afterwards.

Feel for you about dismantling Maxmill - it was upsetting enough just packing things away (you will have noticed how nothing goes back in the box easily!).  I'm now looking on it as a positive - the decks are cleared for a good spruce up & track clean.

Anyway, looks like your new railway room is a big improvement on your previous location so that must be some consolation - & what an outlook!  Was a brilliant find.

Good luck & let's hope we can both show some progress soon.

Well Sandra's hand is recovering slowly & she can now drive & do some cooking (not at the same time you understand). This has released so first job was to clean the railway room.  I hadn't covered the  boards as you think 'be back soon' then poof! 4 years gone.  Easewood had been covered but when I removed the covers to replace the unpacked buildings I found this:


The tie bar for the switch to the loco shed had broken up.  Plastic fatigue I suspect - had just gone brittle (must be 30+ years old).  Does any one know if there is a way to replace this or will entail a new point?

I've decided not to reposition the crossover.   I can't believe that after looking at that plan since 1979 I only realised the error when it was the first section I decided to ballast. With no Colin to do the rewiring & with it being the only section now securely glued down I've decided to live with it.  Down goods trains will have to pull through the station then the station pilot can draw the wagons back into goods reception (no reversing over main line points), so releasing the incoming goods loco for coaling/watering.

When I was cleaning my workbench I found  the Ratio signal box I'd started to build for Easewood so decided to finish it (even though there are no signals yet!)





A fiddly little devil, especially the stairs.  Some mental deficiency made me decide to detail the interior





Doesn't stand close inspection but the best fading eyesight & shaky hands (must drink less coffee [not going to happen]) could manage.  3 weeks modelling time!  Why do we do these things when it won't see light of day once the roof is on?  Sandra thinks I'm crackers - she can't see the coal bucket by the stove, that the bike has a leather seat & she can't read the name plate so what's the point.  "Why don't you do something big that will make a difference?"  She keeps popping in - "Any trains running yet?"

Anyway, that's decided me that wherever possible I should use ready made to speed up the process.  I see Oxford Rail are producing some reasonable looking GWR buildings that are going to be marketed by Hornby.  I need 2 x signal boxes for Ottersford & the goods shed doesn't look too bad.  I haven't seen any in the flesh - does anyone know anything about them?  I guess they'll need a bit of fettling but will save lots of time.

Life has a way of reminding you that a pessimist is an optimist with experience, & on Saturday morning our male St Bernard dropped dead.  With think it was stomach torsion that male large breeds are prone to (the gut twists & chokes the main artery).  He was over 9 which isn't bad for a St Bernard & he was starting to struggle with dysplasia but he was OK.  At least is was quick.  Some members may remember he was the subject of jigsaw of the week some years ago.  Suppose I should change my avatar now.  The other dogs have been mopey last few days.

Next job will be to clean all the track & do some test running.  I've decided to leave most stuff packed away & only bring out when needed, detailing & weathering then.

Was just about to post this when we had a power out so the WiFi was down (the joys of Africa - at least it's warm).  The power came on & the site had saved my post, so I hit send but had forgotten to reconnect the WiFi so lost everything anyway & had to do it all again!

Hope everyone is avoiding the Corona man & keeping safe.  Good luck.

Mal

Hi Mal
Thoroughly enjoyed your post - made me chuckle and realise I'm not alone in 1: doing things that will never really be seen, and 2: Having a wife who tells me I'm doing things that will never be seen.

Having said that, the signal box interior is exquisite!  Thoroughly worth the time and effort - I always say that at least I know it is there, and that is enough.  But that is so good it deserves the lovely photos, and a detachable roof to the signal box.

However, so sorry to hear about your St Bernard.  Pets, especially dogs, become such a part of the family and I know how it feels.  When our springer died a couple of years ago, we said no more….. but then we met a very cute Springer puppy and our resolve diminished.

There are some really good ready made models these days and I'm sure you will find a way to make them a little unique, if only in the setting.  

Regards

Michael

Opinions please!
I'm trying to break the deadlock at Ottersford - I've finished the main platform but don't want to install it until I've ballasted the station tracks.  Can't do them until I finish the viaduct parapet walls, know if I do those before the river section I'll knock then off as I reach over.  So the river section needs to be done (seem to remember saying this 9 years ago!).

I'm going to use Woodlands Scenic 'Realistic Water' but as it's now £30 a bottle I thought I'd try a coat of varnish first to see how it looked.  Marty's thread from a few years ago was very helpful & I tried various combinations of colours.  The Woodlands idea of dark brown going to sandy just didn't look right.  So this is what I ended up with:



Can't decide if it's too blue.  The Otters River is fast lowing so maybe too much 'side'.

Would be grateful for comments.

Meantime have built Ottersford's foot bridge.  Would have been easier (& probably quicker) to paint a real one!  The 'V.R.' lettering was tricky!







(Don't know why this has come in sideways - it's OK on the PC)      Sorted, Barchester  :thumbs

I've also started to build the Scalescenes coaling stage - talk about death by 1,000 cuts!  Already lost one finger tip.  Makes an incredibly strong building though.

Pleas let me have thoughts on the river.

Mal

I think texture-wise, your river looks super Mal.  I do however, think your concern that it may be too blue is well founded.  I don't know how deep it's supposed to be but rivers, unlike the sea, are seldom blue - even in their estuaries.  I think they contain too much solid matter plus, they don't reflect the sky in the same way the sea does - more likely to reflect the overhanging trees.  
To my mind they should be either a dark muddy brown/black type of colour, maybe with a hint of very dull dark green - rather as I'd imagine a seal to be coloured…… :roll:  :roll:  In fact, I'd say it's actually very difficult to say what colour a river is !!!

As I said though, I think you've created an excellent texture for a fast flowing river (rather than a "babbling brook")

The footbridge looks great.  :thumbs

Hi Mal,
Whilst I agree with Peter in that it is very difficult to nominate a river/stream colour, I think your blue-green will work once the vegetation along the surrounding banks is installed. A lot of overhanging reeds, bushes and trees should blend it in nicely. Maybe gallop ahead and complete a 6” section along the banks to confirm. 

My west Wales rivers are predominantly dark muddy green, reflecting the surrounding vegetation, overcast sky’s and muddy sediment in the water. New Zealand’s rivers can be a clear blue white caused by snow melt, suspended mineralisation and bright blue skys.

At worst, a couple of light washes of green over the top of the varnish might tone it down if you are concerned but I’d try the vegetation first.

Chin up and crack on mate, so glad to see Ottersford Junction underway again

All the best

Marty

Hi Marty - good to hear from you & thanks for the comments.  I agreed with Peter so yesterday found a yukky green paint (actually a roof paint) & gave a wash over the blue, also widening the centre.  It now looks like this:


Not shiny of course.  I am going to put in plenty of 'vegetation', logs etc before pouring the 'goo'.

What thoughts?  Looks a bit more blue in the pic. than in the flesh! I think Marty is right I should just crack on.

I think that will look better Mal. Following along.
Marty

I'll go with that one too Mal - much better and, as I ssid before, I love the texture.
As you say, get plenty of vegetation along the river banks and it will look great.

So, progress at Ottersford has been, well, progress!  I fell off the top of a 15' ladder while trimming some trees (spookily enough on Friday 13th November).  Luckily, the ground broke my fall & I'd locked the blade on the chain saw otherwise there may have been some limbs flying around.  I twisted my left knee & ankle rather badly (still a bit swollen now) & had a few nasty bruises but being slightly disabled meant I could spend time on the railway.  We also had an unprecedented 3 weeks of rain thanks to cyclone somebody or other which while welcome to break our 5 year drought meant more railway time.
So, as instructed by Marty, I 'cracked on' with Otters River.







Aerial view



I set up a production line for trees & wagons (7 down - about 50 to go!). I've also finished the coaling building & some station buildings but more of those later.

Gratuitous photo



and another



What's an SECR 'P' class doing on a GW dock branch?  Well, such a pretty loco I had to have one, but anyone with any knowledge of Ottersford, in the ancient county of Stormede, will know it's not as unlikely as it may seem.

A more likely scenario:



small Prairie takes the morning workman's train down to the docks.  Emmanuel the gate keeper used to be Station Master at Ottersford but manages the crossing in his retirement.  He still likes to wear his frock coat.  His wife has a rest & enjoys the view while Jepp his dog waits by the gate.



Stan the post man pedals up the hill.  He'll no doubt stop for a chat & a cuppa.  I've tried to represent those white flowers that seem to line the roadsides (I think they are called Cowslips?).

A few thoughts if anyone is considering using Woodlands 'Realistic Water'.  The first bottle I bought a few years ago was R170 (about £8.50).  I correctly guessed that one bottle wouldn't be enough & when I bought the second bottle it had gone up to a whopping R700 (£35).  Is it worth it?  Well, I'd say no.  Anyone wanting to do a water feature could do worse than read Marty's excellent thread on various ways of representing water.  You will get as good results for a fraction of the price.

I couldn't find a suitable backscene so settled for a blue/grey base with a 'tree line'.  It's a bit repetitive but you can't look at it all at once!

So now I've finished this corner of the layout, which represents about 1/6th of what needs to be done, I can start on the main station area.  I've been amazed at how much time & resources were expended on this small section.  I've ordered a Hornby 'Granite Station Building' as it looked like it might be OK with a bit of fettling.  When I was buying Airfix kits for 2 bob if someone had said I'd be paying £60 for a station building I have thought they should be committed.  Still, seems cheap next to a bottle of Realistic Water & you can't buy time which is what I'm short of.

Some pictures I've tried to post come out upside down or sideways & it makes no difference if I spin them round in my gallery on the PC (where they look fine anyway).  Any ideas?

Trouble is now spending so much time on the railway means the 101 jobs that normally need attention are now about 501!

So that's all for now.

Keep safe & well.

Mal

  Hi Mal and Happy New Year! I’m sorry to hear of your latest touch of bad luck, but so glad that you’re making progress to full recovery, albeit slowly. Your railway however, has come on leaps and bounds, as well as long and triple jumps.The photographs show your impressive progressl with the landscape full of life and realism.
   
  Also great news with reducing the kit mountain. We all have them and mine is now only getting marginally bigger.
  
  Have fun fettling the Hornby station building, mine has been interesting. Is it one of their resin ones?  
   
Take care,  
 
  Bill

Oooo did you bounce ? !!!  Im so glad i read your latest post AFTER finishing attacking a couple of overgrown privets from the top of a platform 
Super progress due to your enforced layup though  :Happy

Now I'm in first nominating one for picture of the month but which one ???  :hmm

Cheers

Matt

I'm thinking of either the 3rd or the 7th Matt. How about you?

Bill