Rumblings…….

[Patrick Davey]

So now that my Brookhall Mill layout is complete and at the - mostly - operational stage, I have enjoyed being able to sit back and relax and just enjoy it, and not think of another project.

But that lasted all of five minutes…

I have already started planning the next project, and indeed a little bit of work on the buildings has started.  I will explain more about the project when it starts to evolve more solidly, but in the meantime, I have started working on two GNR(I) signal cabins, drawing on experience gained in building the one for Brookhall.  That one was necessarily smaller than the standard, but these two will be the standard size, and I am fortunate enough to be in possession of detailed plans which are actually very close to 4mm scale!  There is a reason for building two, which I will explain once they are completed.

And we’re off…..again…..!
 

[Patrick Davey]

Wall decoration and glazing continued today for both cabins.  Colour schemes have also been chosen: both will be white, but one will have red panelling and the other will have blue. The red one will be a semi-derelict structure, hence some of the windows have been boarded up already.
 

Edited April 21, 2023 by Patrick Davey

[Galteemore]

Very nice Patrick. How do you do those classic GN windows? 

[Patrick Davey]

22 minutes ago, Galteemore said:

Very nice Patrick. How do you do those classic GN windows? 

Thanks GM, they are the Midland signal cabin windows from Ratio, with some of the vertical framing removed.  Product code is Ratio 539.

Edited April 21, 2023 by Patrick Davey

[Patrick Davey]

Was away with work these past few days but I got stuck in as soon as I got back today - working on basic interior details here, floorboards etc, from a Scalescenes download.

 

 

[jhb171achill]

Looking GOOD!!!

[Patrick Davey]

Started the external framing of the cabins today.  The blue scheme has been changed to light green as this seems to have been more common on GNR cabins.

[jhb171achill]

48 minutes ago, Patrick Davey said:

Started the external framing of the cabins today.  The blue scheme has been changed to light green as this seems to have been more common on GNR cabins.

Correct. The UTA painted some in a light grey, dark green and (bits of) red between the GNR takeover and the mid-60s; mostly on the Derry Road, plus a few on the NCC (Antrim and Ballymoney, in particular, surviving well into NIR times).

CIE, for their part, either left stations unpainted, as they had been in GNR days, on lines they had no future for, such as Oldcastle and the Dundalk - Clones - Cavan section. In other cases, they got the then-standard scheme of green (their green) and cream if repainted between 1958 and the very early 60s, but after the modernisation plan from the mid-60s they got the quite attractive and generally well-kept scheme which many of us will recall, of several shades of grey, white and black.

I'm guessing, by the green, that this one might possibly be CIE.......... but who's to say it's not faded UTA!

As always, this will be a fascinating thread as the story unfolds.

[Patrick Davey]

Thanks JB!

Here’s where I am at close of business tonight: 

 

I have another busy few days ahead travelling with work, but back to it again on Monday!  Or maybe I’ll be too excited to do any more work on this following the announcement from IRM at the weekend……

Edited April 27, 2023 by Patrick Davey

[Patrick Davey]

More progress today.  The temptation is to just focus on one and get it completed, but I'm trying hard to progress both at the same time.  There is a reason! 

 

Edited May 1, 2023 by Patrick Davey

[Patrick Davey]

Some small developments today - I opened out the spaces for the window frames in the brick bases and added some underlying roof detail to the decaying cabin - once the roof tiles go on, those 'wooden' beams will poke through a few damaged sections.  I'll outline how I do this once it's finished.  This cabin will also have the lower window bricked up.

Also primed the white metal interior detailing items - I have used these before and they are very impressive.

More tomorrow......

Edited May 3, 2023 by Patrick Davey

[Patrick Davey]

At the risk of sounding like Hannibal Smith from 'The A Team'..... I love it when a plan comes together.....

One of the cabins I am currently building will be finished in a decaying condition and I wanted to feature some missing/broken roof slates with timbers visible below.  Here's how I did it:

 

1. Scale Model Scenery produce nice kerb stones, but I was more interested in the 'sprues'......

 

 

2. The sprues were inserted into holes cut in the roof pieces:

 

3.  Scale Model Scenery's lightly weathered roof slates were fixed in position:

 

4.  A few loose slates were added:

 

5. Job done!

 

 

[JasonB]

Love the look of those loose and broken roof tiles. The sprues also work perfectly as lats. Great stuff. 

[the Bandon tank]

Very clever.

[Patrick Davey]

Managed to create some opportunities for progress on this project, should be completed by middle of next week, although I need to order Plastruct steps and railings.  Here’s where we are at the moment:

 

[JasonB]

1 hour ago, Patrick Davey said:

 

Love it !!! 

[Patrick Davey]

A bit more dereliction has appeared overnight…….

 

 

[the Bandon tank]

Fantastic, the broken glass, so real looking.

[JasonB]

That, is some seriously impressive modelling. Top class. 

[Patrick Davey]

The decorative barge boards and finials were in my view a particularly distinctive feature of the GNR(I) signal cabin.  I was pleased to reach that stage this evening with this current twin build project.

[Noel]

Superb 

[Patrick Davey]

Today’s progress on the twin GNR(I) cabins:

* roof weathering
* heavy weathering of disused cabin
* barge boards finished
* interior detailing

I found some decent laser cut signal cabin steps online so they will be arriving shortly. I have just discovered I am out of guttering though….then it’s just the chimneys left to add…..

 

[Patrick Davey]

I acquired signal cabin steps from Ancorton Models (new to me!) and they seem to be fitting together well, if a bit fiddly.  Worth taking the time to get this kind of thing correct.  They are made from thin wood.

Research shows that on GNR(I) cabin steps, the handrail often matched the colour scheme of the main cabin.

Edited May 15, 2023 by Patrick Davey

[Patrick Davey]

Those steps were fiddly in the extreme........

Still a bit of work to do to the top platform plus the overall height needs looking at.......

Edited May 16, 2023 by Patrick Davey

[Patrick Davey]

It’s been a chimney kind of week……

[Patrick Davey]

Twin GNR(I) signal cabin build, both now officially complete final details included cabin steps, chimneys and - very fiddly - downpipes but all came together well. One of the cabins is finished in a disused condition and I added some foliage appearing to grow out from a hole in the roof

Why did I build two? Well…. the disused one is for my next project and the other I have built with the intention of offering it for sale - a separate post about this will follow shortly.

 

[Patrick Davey]

More views of the disused cabin - some more weathering still to be done.

 

Edited May 20, 2023 by Patrick Davey

[Billycan]

Most would be proud to do one.  But to do two is a new level.  Nice.

[Patrick Davey]

13 minutes ago, Billycan said:

Most would be proud to do one.  But to do two is a new level.  Nice.

Cheers Billycan - it actually didn’t take that much longer to do two at the same time, might try three next time!!

[JasonB]

56 minutes ago, Patrick Davey said:

Cheers Billycan - it actually didn’t take that much longer to do two at the same time, might try three next time!!

Might as well just bite the bullet, and move on to full time production