:D  :D  I think fish in any scales are worth the effort  :D  :D

 I think you should seal the plaster first. That's what I'd do, anyway.

 Mike

…and that from a self confessed angler.. should have known  :D  :D  :D

Ok, be a while before I get to that stage but I'll post progress as I go.

I thought that I was meant to be instructing on a "Search as a member of a Land Search Team" for SES this last weekend.

The fact that the training centre was suspiciously empty of SES volunteers at 0730 hours on Saturday morning meant that not only had I got the date wrong  :?  :roll:  :roll:  (it's next weekend) but I now had a weekend with nothing planned      

So… progress has been made on the diorama.

The occupation bridge under the line was based on a normal rail tunnel/bridge entrance from PECO and some photos that I had.
Getting a cardboard mockup done allowed the "water level" base to be adjusted up the 40mm I needed and I'm much happier with the result.

 The final version of the occupation brigde will be smaller, possibly half the height and width as I feel that it is too big at the moment.

The girder bridge over the river has been mocked up in cardboard and the embankment worked on, cork road bed added and a token piece of track plonked on top.



I'm going to have to do some serious power tool modifications to the spline road bed under the bridges  :shock:    


… I also found an aerial photo of the exact area that I'm trying to model :!:
It's a modern photo and the rail bridge over the Avon Teifi in the near foreground is just the pylons.
Pity I had to compress the scene so much to fit it onto my diorama.


and another photo showing 1472 and a single coach branch passenger coasting into the halt…

Not a bad idea Marty, using the real photo as a backdrop.

Helps with the atmosphere and thus keeps me motivated  

I was thinking of going N gauge but my eyes are not like they used to be so opted for oo. Just how do you get the detail done is beyond me.
Phill

A headset with magnifying lenses helps heaps but my optician has just prescribed a separate pair of reading glasses…. modelling glasses actually  

I have 3 sets of glasses - one for the computer & reading in bed full size lenses ; one with half moon size lenses for normal reading & shunting trains & a close up pair that gives me good vision at around 6-9 inches.
Otherwise I do not need any glasses yet for TV, driving or seeing the bikini girls at the beach!!

In fact wearing glasses around home is no good for me - it lets me see all the dust, weeds, etc. :x

Now there is lucky you are man, once I take my glasses off to go for a swim everything goes out of focus  

I've only ever had one pair of glasses, since I was 5. Let the chaos begin, I've feeling that the reading pair are going to be permanent residents in the layout room.

I never needed glasses but, as age has overtaken me, I've taken to wearing cheapo reading glasses - +1.5 or +2 and still as blind as a bat.  I've never seen a bikini clad girl - am I missing something ? !!!!        

Petermac

Marty,
   Have you based your diorama and layout entirely on the article you mentioned from the GWR journal,or have you other sources of info???
   Its just that you seem to have a lot of info just from one article.Do you have any books about the line?
Cheers,John.B.

GJG
Mostly from the article in the GWR Journal, it is an extensive one and I find very well written.
I've hunted both the web and printed press for further information on the branch and it's surroundings and villages and have been able to find snippets here and there that add to the picture I have in my head.
The Newcastle Emlyn Historical society has a section on their web page with some photos. I'm thinking about writing them a nice email to see what else they have and can send me.
I was also lucky enough to find some photos and an article or two about the Altycefan Woollen Mills and the bridge that I'm trying to model for the diorama.
Occasionally in GWR books I'll find a comment about the branch and the same one or two photos.
Oh, and I've downloaded various maps showing where the branch went and some station layouts.

Having said all that, the GWR Journal article is what inspired me in the begining and is my primary source.
If anyone has any further information regarding other sources I'd be delighted to hear of them, I'm still looking.
cheers

Marty, have you tried this site for possible contacts/info?

GWR Modelling – Great Western Railway

You bet Sol, one of my favourites. Many of the layouts and projects are inspirational.

Someone has scratch built the Newcastle Emlyn engine and goods sheds in OO (I think) and the clarity of the photos will help me when I try to do the same in N.
cheers

Just a thought, if anyone wants the links to the websites I've collected relevant to railways just say and I'll add a section somewhere with my links.
It's not that extensive but there might be something new.

Sol said

Marty, have you tried this site for possible contacts/info?

GWR Modelling – Great Western Railway

Sol, thank you so much for giving us the above site.   It is absolutely marvellous and so inspirational - I can see I'll be spending a lot of time on there!
Ken.

Worth adding into the Index Bob?

Foam Landform base complete
and
The Halt, a carboard mockup

A jigsaw of polystyrene foam has been added to the diorama, glued together with PVA and then sculpted into shape with a bread knife and a craft knife.
Some of the detail will be hard to see because it's all white foam on white foam but the embankment, river and stream now exist.

Here is an overall view. The tractor is from the Hornby Lyddle End range and was there to help me with a bit of scale perspective.


The river under the girder bridge.


The river and embankment at the Altycefan Bridge end.


The carboard mockup of the platform and pagoda waiting shelter.

The pagoda is too big by about 30%-40%, I scaled the measurements off a drawing and must have got the maths wrong. I compared the mockup with a wall from the Dornplas Kit version that I plan on building for the May Kit Project and the kit fits onto my platform space without overhanging.


No pictures (yet) but the second last task for the weekends modelling was to attack the underside of the spline sub-roadbed with the Dremel tool where the girder bridge and occupation underpass are to be.

Two minutes into the "attack" the filter mask went on. It is essential when attacking MDF, the particles are really fine and get into everything. Then the vacuum was waved around diligently before taking the mask off.

Holes cut and smoothed and landforms in place it is now time to remove the carboard sides in preperation for adding the ply sides and masonite front.


Getting this scale/size thing right is quite difficult, one of the reasons I'm a bit slow.

Fire away, all comments, as always, welcome. You generally save me from making some obvious mistakes.

The scenic potential is obvious even in basic white.  I'm very much looking forward to seeing the landscaping.
 Which brand of telegraph pole, please?  And would it be possible if I wanted to modify them to have just one crossbar? [i realise this is N]

 Mike

   
I'm looking forward to building it :!:

Telegraph poles are "Kestrel" I think, plastic and easily modified.
http://www.stocktonmodeller.co.uk/kestrel-plastic-building-kits.html