Clogherhead - A GNR(I) Seaside Terminus

[Patrick Davey]

TO QUOIN A PHRASE…..

Doing some more prep for the construction of the eventual station building, in the form of quoins for the corners of the building.  I have decided to try making these a structural feature rather than being purely decorative - 2mm square rod and 1mm plastic are the components but it’s very fiddly getting the quoins all the same height but any discrepancy can usually be smoothed over with filing afterwards.

 

 

 

Edited September 18, 2023 by Patrick Davey

[Patrick Davey]

Also more of the coping strategy as well….. I will need some coping stones for the top of my sand loading bank so I’ve used a plasticard jig to form DAS clay into long square strips which will then be cut into the coping stones. 
 

 

[Tullygrainey]

2 hours ago, Patrick Davey said:

 

Looking good Patrick. Nice photo - two sides of the one quoin.

(I'll get my coat)

 

[Patrick Davey]

I think DAS produces a very realistic stone effect when it's fully dried, lots of nice random chips etc.

[jhb171achill]

6 minutes ago, Patrick Davey said:

I think DAS produces a very realistic stone effect when it's fully dried, lots of nice random chips etc.

Also a good base for low-lying scenery, if it's moulded into shape and covered in grass.

[Patrick Davey]

11 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

Also a good base for low-lying scenery, if it's moulded into shape and covered in grass.

Tis versatile shtuff!

[Patrick Davey]

The sand loading bank at Clogherhead is taking shape - the sub-structure is plasticard and the vertical faces have been covered with DAS and will hopefully be finished to represent concrete, it is currently drying outside.  The coping stones, also made from DAS, have also been finished.  Once the loading bank dries completely I'll add the coping stones and paint the whole structure.

 

[Tullygrainey]

DAS ist gut!

Edited September 20, 2023 by Tullygrainey

[Patrick Davey]

The sand loading bank has been completed and getting bedded in with foliage.  I was going for a weathered concrete look, but I think I may have gone too dark….?

 

 

Edited September 21, 2023 by Patrick Davey

[Tullygrainey]

Looks pretty good to me. 

[Gabhal Luimnigh]

That's spot on.

[David Holman]

Good stuff. Colour is always difficult to gauge, but that seems right - besides which the colour of concrete can change considerably depending on light, recent rain, weathering and so on.

 Have yet to find a tin of concrete coloured paint that looks anything like the real stuff, but when you think about it, the composition (especially if lots of gravel included) is far from uniform anyway.

[Flying Snail]

Agree with the other comments - your concrete looks spot on.

[Patrick Davey]

So now that the sand loading bank has been installed, I have moved on to the sand store, which will be a very basic structure with a stone base and corrugated iron upper parts and roof.  I also needed something to transfer the sand into the wagons and the old Dapol JCB kit fits the bill....I think.....am hoping this machine would have been around during the early 1970s.....?

There will also be a small red brick sand 'office'.

More tomorrow.....yawn.........

Edited September 24, 2023 by Patrick Davey

[Galteemore]

Excellent. Looks like a 3C possibly  ~ which was produced late 60s on.

[Mayner]

The early version of the JCB3c similar to the Airfix/Dapol model had largely disappeared by the early 70s replaced by the more angular 3c2 model. When I started work in 76 our contractor replaced his 3c with a 3C2 possibly engine or hydraulic pump worn out

 

An older machine might survive longer on light work like loading sand into railway wagons, I would fill-in or remove the teeth from the bucket, seldom used on a JCB (backhoe loader) and remove the backactor and replace with a rectangular block of concrete as a counterweight if only used for loading sand.

[Gabhal Luimnigh]

Nice work again Patrick.

[Patrick Davey]

Thanks for the info above John @Mayner - noted!

Had hoped to get this building finished this weekend but a leak from a tube of impact glue went unnoticed until I saw the table and my hands covered in it, tube had to be binned so I wasn't able to fix the framing around the roof and get the roof in place.  Maybe tomorrow.

Happy with the result though, of both JCB and sand store!

 

[Gabhal Luimnigh]

Lovely shed 

[Patrick Davey]

Roof and fascia affixed and looking fairly good now.

[Gabhal Luimnigh]

Very realistic

[Flying Snail]

Love the shed. This is going to be a very distinctive layout

[Galteemore]

Excellent. Will look great with a 70s era CIE freight coming under that bridge. Just needs a battered old car with a red rear numberplate sitting around somewhere  !

[Patrick Davey]

The sand store has been further weathered (including evidence of swallow activity?) and bedded into the layout.

I have taken the risk of using real Clogherhead sand again so I am half expecting carnage in the morning like last time it was used, but this time it's less confined so maybe not!

UPDATE: No sand-related carnage!

Edited September 28, 2023 by Patrick Davey

[Patrick Davey]

A small build in preparation…..

[Patrick Davey]

This will become the derelict 'sand office' at Clogherhead station.  It's also a practice run for a new technique for creating GNR polychrome brick station buildings although I'm cheating slightly with this one!

 

[Patrick Davey]

Once again the escapism provided by a project makes one lose track of time….. it’s now past 2:00am but the sand office is now almost complete.  Just barge boards, gutters & downpipes left, then weathering & ‘ivy’ to be applied. 

[Gabhal Luimnigh]

Class 

[DJ Dangerous]

Just catching up on this thread, now. Outstanding work, @Patrick Davey! In particular the two post near the top of this page with the coping stones and the quoins, just wow.

That said, the most impressive aspectof this thread is that it hasn't decended into farcical pun-itive jokes, yet.

[Tullygrainey]

Lovely work Patrick.

There's probably a joke in here about The Sandman and working at 2am. But I won't make it

[patrick]

Ah, the escapism of a model railway. From time to time I hear Maureen's voice at the top of the stairs telling me how late it is and suggesting I get to bed!

Love the sand loading facility. It reminds me of the various gypsum loading facilities that existed at Kingsport over the years. 

 

 

[Patrick Davey]

Thanks folks for all the nice comments

I think this small build is almost finished! Weathering can become something of an addiction, it’s definitely very effective - I think I just need to dull down the chimney pots a bit, then we’re done.

 

[Patrick Davey]

Thank you everyone for the nice comments above!  This has definitely turned out better than expected which is always nice The office has now been planted in position, so once the glue dries, I will add some more foliage to bed it in.  Useful techniques practised here for the construction of the station building, which is next on the agenda!

 

[Broithe]

Marvellous stuff!

 

But, the building behind it in the last picture is still 'too clean' and a bit over-scale, I think.

[Patrick Davey]

An aerial view of the sand facility at Clogherhead, photographed sometime around 1974.  On the right is the long disused office, and on the left is the rapidly deteriorating sand store with an elderly JCB in attendance.  The concrete of the loading bank is cracked and the weeds are slowly making the structure crumble.  But the sand traffic lingers on for now.

 

Edited October 3, 2023 by Patrick Davey