Project 16 - More Roding, Ballast & A Water Crane

I mentioned previously how fiddly the Colin Waite brass etch point roding roller frames were to assemble so, I was not  excited about continuing the work. Nevertheless I must have been in a good frame of mind (excuse the pun) because I quite enjoyed it this time, almost therapeutic. A warm summer evening with only bird song breaking the silence may have helped.

I have not studied the technicalities of real world point roding installation in any great detail and have not, for example, included expansion cranks for the rods. My aim is only to give an impression of  track side fittings. I am now well over the peak of laying the rods with just two runs left to install for the exit turnouts of the up and down sidings.

Ballasting has been applied to the 3 way turnout and single slip on the mainline and a water crane planted next to the barrow crossing. I have seen no evidence of water cranes in use at Crewkerne, certainly not in the 1960s but, there was a water tower at the station albeit without a tank in this period. Having reinstated the tank on the model it seemed logical to fit water cranes.

To Part 27


To Part 1.

Project 16 - Up Platform Furniture

Starting at the east end of the platform we have mother and children (Airfix). The girl with her teddy bear keen to hang onto mum's hand and the boy more aloof transfixed on engine workings.

On the platform ramp is a notice board instructing passengers to cross via the bridge.

The Southern barley twist lamp comprises lamp and plinth cut from Airfix station lamp posts, the barley twist post is twisted wire and the swan neck lamp holder is copper wire.


To the side of the signal cabin is a rack of red fire buckets (not seen in photos here).

Moving along we have a group of figures. The Station Master looking at his pocket watch (because the next train is late) comes from the Modelu range. A truly life like pose, as are all from this range, that is due to them being 3D printed from a 360 degree scan of a real person, (from the Severn Valley Railway I believe).

Almost as good is the Porter (Peco) whereas the sitting public look stuffed (Airfix woman and Peco man) or are they sunning themselves on this hot summer day?

The seat is made from copper wire and is a a copy of the one at Crewkerne in this position in the 1960s.

The next photo shows that I have moved the footbridge from its previous location next to the signal cabin to beside the bridge. It has resulted in quite a busy scene but completely authentic as this is where it was placed at Crewkerne. My footbridge style is different, being based on Axminster. The main reason I moved it here though  is because next to the signal box it obscured the signalman's view along the track!

Regrettably this move has destroyed a little cameo scene I had set up from real life, of which more when I present the down platform furniture.

The man (Airfix) is about to open the door to enter the lavatory.

Finally, at the far west end of the platform hidden from view on the other side of the road bridge are the lovers (Peco) on a LSWR style bench made from copper wire.

Next is the station name board (matchsticks and card) and another lamp post.

I just realised I need to make another notice board for this end of the platform instructing passengers to cross via the footbridge. I also need to obtain more luggage barrows.


To Part 26.

To Part 1.

Project 16 - Station Master's Garden

All except the grass and soil are reclaimed from the previous build.I may as well repeat the details that I first posted in 2011.

" Next a spot of gardening. There is no better material to represent nature than nature itself. That is not to say it is the only material I use, far from it. But, wherever possible I use real flora - end of season, dead, stiff and brown. "

" We have two rows of carnations grown for decorating the waiting room and to provide button holes for staff. 1960s is probably a bit late for this kind of touch but I like the thought. The stems are dead pine needles split down the middle, grouped, dabbed into PVA glue and placed in position. Aquilegia seeds are applied as flower heads - any seed will do and to be honest I'm not convinced it is necessary. Anyway, place a blob of PVA in your palm, sprinkle on the seeds, mix up well with a finger and wipe the finger along the top of the pine needles to deposit the seeds in a random fashion. When dry paint appropriately. "

" Next we have the obligatory cabbages and runner beans that most model railways seem to have. The cabbages are the base of spent aquilegia seed pods that even have a stem and heart! The runner bean poles are painted galvanised wire with Woodland Scenic flock glued to them to represent runner beans. "

" The shrubs next to the fence are very small clumps of lichen with a little Woodland Scenics flock covering."

" This is the view from the back door. Two concrete pillars in the lawn hold a washing line and a long pole props the line high to keep washing off the ground. The grass is flock paper. The small tree is made from yarrow. Its seed pod 'leaves' have been supplemented with a small amount of Woodland Scenics mat spread over. "  




To Part 25.

To Part 1.

Project 16 - Station Car Park

At Crewkerne the car park slopes slightly from the station building to the siding, or maybe the siding is on a rise that eases the car park gradient(?) On the model however, the siding is flat and the car park gradient is more severe, falling about 16mm from top to bottom. I was concerned that the severity would look unrealistic but having completed the job it is not too bad at all and is really only noticeable when a car is placed on the slope.

There is a goods yard entrance gate to make and fit to this end (photo right) of the car park and being on the gradient I wonder how that will look.

The next concern was how difficult it would be to form the gradient, which is not uniform over its length. The groundwork is polystyrene foam packaging. Anyone who has tried to sculpt polystyrene foam with a hot wire cutter will know its not easy to keep a straight line but by using strips of wood as packing guides either side of the foam and running the wire along them a straight cut is easily made including changes in gradient. (Pity I did not take a photo to explain this technique better).

With the foam laid I needed to cover the joins and surface overall. Perusing the shelves at Wickes for a suitable filler I came across their own brand of Wood Filler in a handy size pot. Never used this before but it worked a treat. A nice smooth paste that fills to 5mm (deeper and you need to layer it letting it dry between layers). I laid it on and smoothed it over with an old kitchen carving knife. It drys to a hard shell and is quite tough to sandpaper smooth (can be done with effort but best to get the surface as smooth as possible when applying it.) When dry it was painted with Wickes Urban Nights grey emulsion.

The fence is composed of concrete posts and six wires. Posts are matchsticks 0.6mm drilled for the wires and painted a concrete colour. The wires are copper tinsel from a 7/0.2 cable.









 

Postscript

Subsequently I made the goods yard gate. It took me ages to find a photo of the real gate. After lengthy web searches I found a photograph of it in one of my railway books! 






To Part 24.

To Part 1.