Staying with the dark stone and weird chimneys theme we're off on another adventure - no plan, no pictures, just a flexible idea inspired by a scene at Castle Coombe - bridge, water, house - what more would you want?!

Allan



 



 



 



 

Your speed of construction never fails to astound me. I started a round house 12 months ago and still have not cut it all out.
Stephen

OUTSTANDING it even looks real incomplete:doublethumb

The stonework is incredible Allan. :thumbs

As both Stephen and Ian have said, the rate at which you build these things is mind boggling.  I suppose when it used to be your living, time was money ………………………..:roll::roll::roll::roll:

Wow Alan how do you make the windows and doors?

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote: The stonework is incredible Allan. :thumbsAs both Stephen and Ian have said, the rate at which you build these things is mind boggling.  I suppose when it used to be your living, time was money ………………………..:roll::roll::roll::roll:
Thanks Peter.

The Immingham tummy bug returned to day and headed straight for me, so only a couple of hours this afternoon but enough to get the main roofs tiled out.

Yes, time was money, the customer's money so you had to shift stuff pretty quick

One client once asked if I could build him a layout to Pendon standards and I said not at what you're paying me !

Then I asked him to consider that it took Roye England 2 years to build just one cottage and if I charged you just £1 an hour at that speed could you afford it?

He never mentioned Pendon again…

Anyway,  a few pics.

Allan.

 



 



 



 



 



 

Love your attention to detail and nothing but the best…..

Superb as always Sir.

Beautiful work (as always) Allan. The doors and windows are superb as well. Could you tell me which supplier you use, or are they your handy work ?

Cheers, Gary.

[user=878]Gary[/user] wrote:

Beautiful work (as always) Allan. The doors and windows are superb as well. Could you tell me which supplier you use, or are they your handy work ?

Cheers, Gary.

Thanks for that Gary, kind words always appreciated.

The windows and doors are brass etched from Scalelink, tel:01747 811817,  and their catologue is every model makers dream - If they haven't got it, nor has anyone else! - working Norfolk door catches ? - behave!!!!

However, I do bulk them up with planted outer frames cut from Evergreen 40/60 thou strip.

When you glue the glazing strip in place just glue around the edges only otherwise you'll have glue spilling out everywhere!

Allan

Thanks Allan, they do look excellent. I have recently bought some windows from York Model Making and I'm impressed with these. A tad expensive at the moment with the exchange rate, but as they say, 'beggars can't be choosers' !!

Cheers, Gary.

All done, just a little haunching around the base of the stacks then the bridge and whatever follows that.

Allan



 



 



 



 



 

Right guys, change of direction, was was supposed to be loose scene from Castle Coombe is even looser still as I couldn't capture what I intended in the given area so, project abandoned, totaly freelance setting instead and here's how it's shaping up.

Allan.



 



 



 



 

Made a little more progress today and the end's in sight.

Allan.



 



 



 



 

What more can we say Allan - simply wonderful. thumbs

How did you do the rotten boarding under the crane chute - cardboard ?

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

What more can we say Allan - simply wonderful. thumbs

How did you do the rotten boarding under the crane chute - cardboard ?

Thank you Peter.

Rotten Boarding - sooooo simple!

Right, this only takes three minutes at the very outside, but it only works on styrene.

Brush the boarding down in even downward strokes with Colron Georgian Oak Wood Dye, then using an old 1inch household paint brush, keep dragging it downwards until it picks up on the dye where the more you drag it, the more it picks up and the more it gets weathered.

But try it on a scrap piece of styrene first.

Cheers.

Allan.

It really is superb, Allan.  :thumbs

I'm interested in the roof treatment.  It looks kind of yellow.

What "materials" would the roof be made of?

[user=269]MaxSouthOz[/user] wrote:

It really is superb, Allan.  :thumbs

I'm interested in the roof treatment.  It looks kind of yellow.

What "materials" would the roof be made of?

Than you.


Individual card tiles, stippled with Colron Antique Pine Wood Dye and Pollyfilla powder and sealed in with a 50/50 mix of PVA and water.

When dry, the texture is high lighted by dust coating up and under the tile edges with matt black acrylic.

Allan.

Here's a close up.

Sorry.  I wasn't clear, Allan.

What is the material used in the prototype?

I've not noticed a roof like that before.

[user=269]MaxSouthOz[/user] wrote:

Sorry.  I wasn't clear, Allan.

What is the material used in the prototype?

I've not noticed a roof like that before.

Well Max, they are supposed to be stone tiles, as you see in the Cotswolds, which looked something like it when I used Colron English light Oak as the base colour and as can be seen on the mill scene.

However, when I built Tintagel Post Office, I ran out of English Light Oak and used Antique Pine instead - which turned out red, and stone tiles were never that colour!

But, and as it's so often said in the parallel universe of railway modelling, if it looks right, it is!

Allan.

Thanks, Allan.  I'll keep a look out for the stone tiles next time Escape to the Country goes to the Cotswolds.  :cool: