Brewhouse Quay gets a Grainstore

nevard_110331_brewhQ_store_IMG_9494_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia.

Brewhouse Quay Project: Whilst everything else has been going on, I've been working on a grainstore or something like that. This one is totally built from scratch unlike the other buildings. Anyway, whatever it is, it's now had a slap of paint. The stonework will be a little lighter and more honey coloured in due course. I tend to leave the final colouring to later when the groundwork is complete and also coloured. 


Some guttering and downpipes will be added in due course - thought I'd better get that bit in before the adenoidal armchair brigade point that out. 

Cask & Crane

nevard_110330_brewhQ_crane_IMG_9481_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia.

Brewhouse Quay Project: The other day I found this half complete Wills yard crane (KitsSS51). Originally it was intended for the little yard at on Catcott Burtle but it didn't quite work, but at last it has found a home on the brewery quayside.

The 2 rather fetching wagons of GWR design are ancient and built from white metal kits. They must be at least 30 years old, if anybody knows of the manufacturer I'd love to know, not that want to build any more, it's just that I'm bound to be asked!

Hail to the Ale! Each time I visit a model shop or show I must buy out the entire stock of wooden style ale casks, I'm going to needs literally hundreds of them. I'll gladly accept donations too (for a small fee of course)!

This snap was taken under domestic lighting, when I finally construct the built in lighting I hope to minimise shadows on the backscene, as seen behind the chimney here. Meanwhile enjoy the snow like effect of yet to be painted cobbles - they won't be this colour for too much longer!

Stop Press! I'm hoping to be able to début Brewhouse Quay at Model Rail Live 17 & 18 September. I'll confirm this shortly.

An Overview of Progress so Far

nevard_110327_brewhQ_IMG_9474_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia.

Here we have an overall view of the project so far. Before too long some warehousing will appear to the right of the wagon turntable. The line off the wagon turntable will also disappear into a building of some sort with opening doors to hide its exit through the backscene. To the left of the pub there will be another store, with an aerial walkway linking to the large stone building to the left of the van. This will also help to provide a scenic break over the far line. Just now I also planted a small crane onto the quayside. The siding at the far left will supply the coal store which will be built on the quay and in front of the brewery building on the extreme left.

A Load of Old Cobbles

nevard_110327_brewhQ_track_IMG_9467_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia.

I wasn't totally happy with yesterday morning's depiction of sets or cobbles, the effect was too coarse and somewhat over scale. At least though if ever I model O gauge it's a techniques that can be used there.

By chance I was trying to find a pen to take a message from a caller, and after I put the phone down had one of those eureka moments using the ball point pen with the writing bit removed to stamp the little stones into the squidgy DAS modelling clay - the shot above showing of the revised effect.

Having done the whole front, I'm now working towards the rear of the layout. The natural window light is very acute here giving a somewhat over-accentuated effect that will not be seen to such a degree under the layout's own built in lighting.

Painting in due course will kick off with a mix of black, grey and red aerosol primers, the stones will then be drying brushed using matt enamel, selecting beiges and greys as used on this stone building here. I prefer to start dark in colour and dry bush on the lighter tones rather than flooding dull paint washes over light colours which frequently lacks control and gives unpredictable results.

Quayside Sets

nevard_110325_brewhQ_track_IMG_9461_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia.

Due to illness in the family (temporary I hasten to add) I'm rather housebound at the moment playing nursy, pharmacist, bottle washer, human zimmer frame, maid and so on; however between these chores I'm able to dedicate a little more than the average time to getting Brewhouse Quay up and running. Yesterday saw the ballasting of the track and a start at reproducing the sets aka cobbles on the quayside.

In the past for such, I've always use Humbrol Air Clay, but my local shop now stocks DAS instead. I must say that I'm very impressed, mainly because it doesn't crack when setting, thus saving valuable touch-up time. I tend also to ballast the areas that will have the modelling clay applied, the ballast making a key to hold the clay in place. It also makes it easier to apply between the sleepers to represent fine clinker which tended to be used on British sidings rather than course ballast - the siding in the foreground here representing the technique well.

There is a huge area to do, so rather than grind out the individual slabs which would take forever and probably go unnoticed, I'm simply texturing the clay before it sets with a screwdriver and any other suitable objects to had to give lots of variety. When finally coloured it should give the desired effect from a normal viewing distance. And anyway, it will be covered with miniature ale casks and coal for the brewhouse furnace to heat the boiling copper.

Earth and Sky

nevard_110324_brewhouseQ_DSC_1893_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia.

This afternoon saw the painting of the track in preparation for ballasting and embedding in cobbles. For this I misted on red, grey and black primers. 

The backscene has seen some rudimentary colouring using a technique I've wanted to try out for some time using spray paints and paper masks to create a high pressure hazy summer day effect. My pet hate is tatty badly finished overstated backscenes, this technique is quite the opposite both in finish and effect.

Twist & Shunt!

Look, a working wagon turntable for Brewhouse Quay! The is a test for a forthcoming currently top secret kit which will be revealed in due course in Model Rail. 

The multi media construction is of etched nickel-silver, plastic and thin ply, and is the result of about 2 hours work. Operation in my case is a simple lever under the baseboard which allows it to twist through the 90 or so degrees required. Once the layout is finished I'm thinking along the lines of a miniature rope, capstan and chain system for pulling the wagon out of the siding between the two buildings which disappears off behind the backscene to another part of the brewery.

The rather fetching building is the background is the lovely Bachmann Scenecraft limited edition Birch Hall Inn based on the real CAMRA award winning pub at Beck Hole in North Yorkshire. This cracking model can be purchased ready to have a miniature pint in from The Trafford Model Centre.

Update 26/3/11, If you want to find out more about wagon turntables that were very much a feature of industrial railways follow this excellent link.

 

Cat in the Moon

110321_supermoon_DSC_1695_cat_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia.

Unless you've been living on the moon, you'll no doubt know about how wonderful our nearest neighbour has been looking with the recent clear nights. Here we have Saffy our British Short Hair blended in with the much photographed 'Supermoon' of 21 March 2011. The moon was shot through a 45 year old Soligor 400mm telephoto lens.

For dog lovers here is the shot of the moon without Saffy.
And here is a version with trains.

Disaster Recovery

I've had several emails over the last day or so wondering where all my model railway photographs have gone at www.nevardmedia5.fotopic.net . It would appear that Fotopic.net has again dropped into the pond without a life jacket.

When this last happened a year or two ago, I decided to set up a duplicate site on Flickr 'just in case'. It would appear that my 'disaster recovery' was a worthwhile plan, and I have just spent the last 90 mins of so updating my portal at www.nevard.com to reflect the new links. Service back to normal, though I do admit to preferring the old Fotopic interface and look - still, life goes on and we cannot spend all our spare time worrying about the web, there's real life to be getting on with.

Brewhouse Quay: First Running Loco

Wiring has commenced on Brewhouse Quay, working from right to left, the first 2 points are operational as this video demonstrates. The performance is very smooth, any jerkiness here being the YouTube compression, processing and should not be an indication of actually running qualities.

I'm not using under layout point motors this time, but using Caboose Hobbies Ground Throws as seen here in the short video. Whilst they are American in style, they weren't unfamiliar in UK industrial locations. Frog polarity switching is under the baseboard using a simple switch from 0.75 brass wire extending from the turnout blade tie which I'll cover in due course.To find out more about the manual point throws, read Nigel Burkin's excellent feature in the April 2010 Model Rail Mag.

Next, I'll be tackling the diamond crossing......

Helpers

nevard_110303_brewhouse_IMG_9322_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia.

Just a quick update this evening; here Saffy and Fleur give me a hand wiring up Brewhouse Quay. The soldering iron was not plugged into the wall.... at that stage.....

Btw, the first loco ran under its own power shortly after this snap was taken - using electricity, not thrown at one of the cats should anyone ask!

My Workbench for March 2011

 My workbench depends on what I'm doing, so it tends to be set up all over the place depending on current circumstance. Here is the mobile workbench as seen right now at the beginning of the month of March. Click on the image to reveal a bigger view and to be able to read the rather hastily added pointers of what is where.

My First White Metal Kit

Old tosh: Templecombe's familiar ex-LSWR G6 No. 30274 is captured here under stormy looking skies at Combwich on one of its very rare outings from shunting in Templecombe Upper Good Yard. Click on the photos to enlarge.

Fact: Here's my very first white metal kit in the form of a Wills LSWR G6. I recall at the time buying a Wrenn SECR R1 0-6-0 for the chassis. In 1979 when I built this kit, the missing centre flange on the heavy duty chassis was reasonably acceptable, with many ready to run steam locos from UK manufacturers featuring such.

31 one years on and the loco still runs very well, albeit with a nice ozone aroma. I do have to be selective about what track it runs on, with Peco and SMP being fine. C + L with its more pronounced chair detail is an issue. At some stage I might replace the heavy wheels with some Romfords - I've been saying that for the last 25 years though.....


Combwich, the layout used as a backdrop here was started at around the same time that this loco was built, to me though it still sort of feels like a new layout, though some of the techniques like blobs of solder to depict rail chairs has been surpassed to some degree. The dash here and there with the Noch Grasmaster is a good way to bring the scenic aspect of older layouts back up to date easily.

Gauge Fudging

nevard_110224_matfrd_sdjr7f_DSC_1561_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia.

Last week I was down in the Devon and Cornwall photographing layouts for the UK's most innovative model railway magazine Model Rail (it also has the best repro by far too).

The shot here is of my freshly weathered up Bachmann SDJR 7F 2-8-0 posed on John Farmer's delightful depiction of a modern day railway outpost near Exeter in P4. Before getting down to taking the 'proper' photos, we thought it a bit of fun to back date the layout 50 or so years and pose this OO gauge loco in it. Serious toy chuff chuff fans know that OO which is 16.5mm gauge will not work on P4 which is something around 18.8333333333333333333 mm in gauge. However if one is sneaky, all one needs to do is to place a length of rail on its side just inside the rail furthest away for the far loco wheel flanges to rest on (if you look under the front of the loco just to the right of the pony truck you can just seen the rail). The 2 wagons in tow are proper P4 gauge however.

It would be unfair to take credit for such tomfoolery, Messrs A York and P Marshall-Potter have done this many times in the past, but they have kept the 'how' bit a secret.

Model Rail International 2011

From the same team (which includes me as snapper) that brings you Model Rail Magazine, the eagerly awaited 2011 Model Rail International has just hit the shelves of newsagents and model shops across the UK. A4. Perfect bound. 130 pages. High quality paper and repro. Price 4.99.

• Nuremberg Toy Fair Report
• Layout: Rhatia (HOm)
• Modelling Switzerland's Rhatische Bahn
• Weekend Wonder: Madurodam
• Layout: Quai:87 (Proto 87)
• Run Rabbit, Run
• Coffee Break
• Layout: Oceanside (N)
• Modelling Timber Trains
• Timber!
• River Deep, Mountain High
• Where to go in 2011
• Weather or not?
• Q&A
• Time Team

---

• To order POST FREE call 01733 840564

'Austerity' need not mean dull!

nevard_110225_harry_IMG_9284_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia.

Yesterday this colourful happy chappy called Harry arrived second hand from Paul Steedman of RHB Rhatia fame (see his layout the latest Model Rail International just out - get it from Smiths - that's the cover on the right by the way). As you can see, the loco is in very nice condition too in its rather smart red, which is anything but 'austerity'.

This Hornby model is a little dated, so it could do with a little work to bring it up to current expectations. Some will of course replace nearly everything with bits of brass, I have no issue with that, but life I'm afraid is too short for me with so much else going on, and anyway in my case it's all about effect rather than total accuracy. So, for this reason my detail tweaks will simply involve some new lamp irons, cab handrails, smokebox handles and a finer replacement for that rather chunky grab thingamabob hanging off the saddle tank near the front. Most of these bits will be manually filed up from surplus brass 'sprue' and paper-clips. 

I quite like the crimson colour and fine lining, so that will stay and be subdued with bit of weathering. A new name will be chosen and take the form of an etched plate. I quite like the name 'Mendip', this I imagine is unlikely to exist 'ready-to-stick', so the actual name will probably be something else that looks and sounds suitable (suggestions if you like-please).

The chassis is a little crude looking by today's standards, but once it's under a layer of grime, it will hopefully look much better, and anyway, it's a sweet running chassis after widening the back to backs to get through my C+L - so *why meddle?

This loco's home will be split between Brewhouse Quay, Mendip Colliery and Cement Quay (when in olde-worlde steam mode).

---

*Cue hate mail from the adenoidal brigade who will insist that this loco is totally wrong and that I should be building a kit from brass and how I should be publicly strung up at the next finescale meet and be whipped to near an inch of death with Peco code 100.

Friday's Load of Old Bull...

nevard_110222_catcott-collett_DSC_1470_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia.

Swindon's finest 3206 pauses at Catcott Burtle with the 2.20pm service from Highbridge to Evercreech Junction during the rear end of the summer of 1965. Note the brisk westerly wind catching the exhaust (which I admit to being Photoshoppery).

OK, enough of the old tosh, hopefully the grass is a good advert for static grass "ground foam is so 90's don't you know?". The reeds are not the right colour and too dense - some plucking and work with the airbrush needed there (real life and its requirements somehow got in the way). The actual backscene is suffering from perspective things from this oblique angle - my excuse is that strong westerly and moist air off the Bristol Channel in is to blame, the Mendips being about 4 miles to the north creating the cumuli running along the ridge (it looks fine head on). Must sort out the curtains on the top right window (cut out from junk mail) - they're rubbish I know (but it is very small in real life). And if any smart nice person mentions that the telegraph wires should sag then listen to sound of a raspberry very loud.....

WIDESCREEN VERSION http://www.nevardmedia5.fotopic.net/p69185292.html

March 2011 Model Rail (154)

Firstly you must gawp at the wonderful cover taken especially for this issue. With such a crowded news stand in the uber-nerd section of the nation's favourite newsagent, it's really important to stand out from the rabble, and to carry this off in wonderful style Model Rail's George Dent has done a cracking job titivating up a Hornby King Arthur Class locomotive.

Behind the cover is the below, all propped with the best colour and image reproduction of any UK model railway magazine!

• News - pictures: Hatton's Co-Bo, and 10000, Dapol's class 22 
• Reviews: N gauge HSTs, Britannia 
• Nuremburg News 
• Westbury Cement - showcasing Steve Jones' beautifully modelled portrayal of the well known but recently closed cement works in Wiltshire.
• Choose the Right Semaphore Signals for your Layout by George Dent.
• Brassmaster's 'Scot' detailing 
• 5 Ways to Make a Hedge - Peter Marriott
• Going off the Rails - GWR road vehicles and the Railway Air Services feature  - Chris Leigh
• Highley Unlikeley - a delightful N gauge layout based on the Severn Valley Railway.
• Recycling Your Old Layout
• Fitting Commonwealth bogies on a Bachmann CEP
• FREE printed building kit (Victorian era messroom/office/light industrial)
• Ellis Road O layout - Rob Ellis' popular exhibition layout portraying an urban Southern Region freight backwater in the day of steam.
• Masterplan - Ventnor 1969
• Gullant N gauge layout building - Part 3 of this micro Peter Marriott.
• Show & Tell
• Q&A
• All the regulars,
• Backscene.

Brewhouse Quay: Monday 14 Feb '11

nevard_110213_brewhouseQ_IMG_9207_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia.

Most of Sunday was spent cracking on with the trackwork on Brewhouse Quay. Once you get going this form of track contruction can be remarkably speedy.

The most tricky bit of track is now complete apart from the hidden staging yard bits, the siding in the distance, and gapping sleepers and rails so it actually works. Most of the area in the foreground will be cobbled, it forming part of the canal wharf - hence all the additional check rails.

Brewhouse Quay: Update 12 Feb '11

nevard_110211_brewhouseQ_IMG_9181_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia.

Brewhouse Quay's 'K Point' is slowly coming together - lots more in the way of checkrails/rails to add! It's actually proving easier to work in copper clad than I recall last time.

Copper Clad is very forgiving if a realignment is needed - rivet in ply sleepers would be less so. I'm using code 55 flat-bottomed rail from C + L, not the N gauge version which would have a top that is too narrow, but the 4mm version which is often used to depict third-rail on Southern Region systems. My reason is for that light-railway industrial look.

Most of the track to the right will be embedded in cobbles, hence the continuous check-rail. I will be extending the check rail on the right up to the diamond - due to a chance of plan which involves the crossing diamond area being cobbled too.

The 6.05 pm Service from Evercreech

nevard_110206_catcott_DSC_1324_web, originally uploaded by nevardmedia.

BR Std Class 3 MT No. 82005 slows for Catcott Burtle with an early evening service from Evercreech Junction during the late summer of 1964.

The layout lights were turned off and the natural north facing window light was allowed to stray in. Clunk.  The only addition is the fake engine-clag and some pillock called Chris leaning out of the engine. The Morris traveller has been sprayed with a little matt varnish to kill the toy like shine.

Oh yes, before I go - here's a 1280 x 800 pixel version..

Down Wiv-da-Kidz-Init?

I frequently get requests from toy chuff chuff fans wanting to be my 'friend', however I'm a shy retiring type who only keeps a personal Facebook account for family and the closest of friends - that aspect I'm sure most will understand unless they're a railway modelling stalker.

I don't really want to show the obilgatory out of focus drunken shots to the rest of the world because they're really not pretty much of the time. And anyway, most people I'm sure really just want to snigger at my railway modelling, photography and occasional humourous swipes at the 'odd-brigade' who give us all something to cackle or roll our eyes at when at exhibitions.

So, in response to the above, I have set up a 'Facebook Page' to announce new photos, website and blog updates, an exhibition diary, answer a few questions on how not to 'do' model railways and photograph the resulting distasters in a slightly more casual interactive way than my Twitter account allows.

• CLICK HERE, to get to the Facebook page.

---

The non-fluffy small text: unlike a personal Facebook account, there is no restriction or approval required. Iffy members trying to sell stuff to increase the size of ones member will be removed howver.

Digital Photography with 1960's Tech.

Click on the photo above for a 1024 sized version.

This snap shows a typical Highbridge Branch train as seen in the last 2 years of the line's existence; a single Hawksworth Brake Compo and a ex-Southern Railway bogie-van for perishables (fun things like cider and cheese). You can see some rather nice prototype photos of such trains here. Note the narrow gauge trucks in the background used for transporting peat from the nearby moor. I hope to get that aspect operational before the next show.

Of more interest to photographers, might be that this photo was taken using a Nikon Nikkor 35mm focal length prime lens dating from the mid-1960's. We tend to think of digital photography as throwaway, but this need not be the case, many makes of digital SLR allow the use of wonderful older lenses - and 'vintage' is so cool! So, if you have a limited budget, the smart money will always go on a good lens, the chances are that you or your kids might still be using it 45 years later like here - whereas that expensive camera body will be down the car boot sale with all the knocked off tat in just 5. And the real bonus is that 'camera make' prime lenses are frequently optically far better than mid-priced zooms and go for pennies on Ebay! Of course that smarmy salesman in the out-of-town megastore will not tell you any of the above for obvious reasons.

So, here we have a portrayal of the end of steam scenario, taken on a lens that was around when steam ruled supreme, well just!

Below, hopefully some of the answers to the blizzard of questions that will no doubt follow......

• Loco: Bachmann Ivatt Class 2MT 2-6-2 renumbered, detailed and weathered.
• Coach: Hornby Hawksworth Brake Compo after a bit of fettling
• Van: Ratio (Kit) SR bogie van.
• Layout: Catcott Burtle.

---

• Toys: Nikon D200, Nikkor S 35mm f2.8 shooting RAW with the camera firmly mounted on a tripod.
• Exp: 3 sec at f16, using 6 exposures combined in Helicon Focus to extend the depth of field.
• Lighting: The layout's own fluorescent lighting.
• Cheating: The only computer addition is the loco-clag using 'Clouds' in Photoshop.
• Not-cheating: The sky is physically there, is actually part of the layout and was produced photographically - proof here for those that think everything is make-believe these days: http://www.nevardmedia5.fotopic.net/p57399245.html . I'm mid-way through writing an article for the popular press on doing such.

Look, I Shrunk the Wife!

 Click on the pics to enlarge to 1024 pixels...

 Ok, now I've got your attention with my wife superimposed in unseasonal clothing onto the little bridge that crosses the remains of the Glastonbury Canal next to Catcott Crossing, the real reason for this post is to highlight a little basic weathering on the rather splendid new Hornby ex GWR Hawksworth Brake Compo. These rather stylish coaches were regularly used during the final couple of years of the former SDJR Highbridge Branch. And yes that is me in the cab looking stupid.

Weathering has involved a few washes of black acrylic mixed with Carr's rusty coloured weathering powders, the filthy mix was then splashed all over the pristine coach, wiped off and then buffed with a stiff decorator's brush to produce a nice sheen whilst working the pigment into the recesses. Prior to this filthy task, the roof was repainted a darker Humbrol matt grey. The peeling paint which appears to be a feature of these coaches in their final years was achieved by applying some PVA glue before-hand and then peeling it off after the darker grey paint was applied to reveal the original lighter colour underneath. Of course there are special bespoke products to do this - but you know me by now I'm sure. Tight. I also added a 'first class' stripe just below the roof line courtesy of some HHRS Pressfix, the model doesn't come with this, but photos of these coaches show such in 1964-65.

Below, a slightly more close up view which hopefully better highlights what I have done. Further improvements might be to remove the glazing and paint the edges of the clear plastic to reduce or possibly eliminate the slight prism effect. Of course some passengers could be added too (the token passenger on the right in the top photo is a well known model railway scenic expert courtesy of Photoshop) - but we all know that this little piece of railway never carried anyone in its final years apart from spotters so who cares? Before some spod with an irritating adenoidal voice takes great delight in letting me know that the guard's handrail is missing - yup I know, it got damaged when buffing the coachwork - so it will need to be replaced with some brass wire.

I quite enjoy these quickie weathering jobs, they really transform these already excellent ready to run models. So, next I quite fancy doing a Hornby 'Blood & Custard' Maunsell 3 coach set next using similar techniques for running on Combwich, such will look super behind an ex Midland 4F.