"Voiding the Warranty" - Mol's experiments in 21mm gauge

[Mol_PMB]

40 minutes ago, David Holman said:

Google photos of the Rathmelton quayside show red doors, with very peeling paint, suggesting it had been that colour for quite a while. Indeed, enlarging your photos shows the same. They also show it's not exactly the finest stone that's been used. Rubble would be a better description and even the brickwork around the openings looks decidedly second hand!

 All adds to the charm, of course and some talc to texture the paint might not go amiss.

Red it is then! 

I tend to use some artists matte medium to add texture to some of the larger stones, talc as well is a good idea for other parts of the wall. 

The row of square holes in the wall (and the half-blocked windows on the first floor) are associated with a canopy across the tracks. That was present in the 1960s and 1970s but now missing. I get the impression that the wall under the canopy may have been whitewashed at some stage - there are still traces of it on the ground floor walls, but not above the row of square holes.

[Mol_PMB]

Progress on the old mill. The structural carcass is assembled and I've painted the window frames red. 

I've used matte medium to add some texture to the front wall, then applied an initial coat of grey on the stonework and bauxite on the brickwork. There's more stages to do on this, but I want these layers to dry properly first.

I had some successful experiments with laser-cutting window frames from thick red paper. These are ready to be fitted to the structural carcass.

The next stage is to think about the roof and how best to represent the slates. Perhaps more laser-cut paper. But there are some other jobs on the list for this evening (nothing to do with the trainset) and I have quite a busy week ahead at work. So there may be a pause for a few days.

[Mol_PMB]

Another clue, a bit late for me but nevertheless a useful angle. 

From an article on Quartertown Mill in the Mallow Field Club Journal No 09 - 1991, which also contains some useful history.

https://digital.corkpastandpresent.com/Documents/Detail/mallow-field-club-journal-no-09-991/35856?item=36556

And this image from the same source has already highlighted two errors in what I've built so far (not too serious), but also provides some very useful extra information for the next stages. Note also, just partly visible on the right above the car, a CIE bitumen tank container.

 

 

 

[David Holman]

Lovely stuff and coming on a treat.

[Mol_PMB]

A few more photos scoured from t'interweb.

Another view of the old building, disused but before it was covered in ivy. I've only got room to model the portion to the right of the downpipe, so have used a bit of modellers licence to move the other double door along a bit. 

The first map I have found that shows the track layout I'm modelling, with loop. However, the arrangement of buildings is a bit off (or it doesn't match the 1960s/70s images or the present-day survivors). 

The mill leat (race/stream) runs along the west side of the area I'm modelling, but not really close enough for me to squeeze it onto the model. Unless I extend the board forwards, in which case it could squeeze in at the north end where the site access road bridges over it.

 

A more recent view showing the row of buildings that are still present today. There have definitely been some changes in the building layout at the nearer (southern) end.

[David Holman]

Those shutters will be a lot easier to model than window frames!

Edited December 2 by David Holman

[Mol_PMB]

Not much to report, a little more progress on assembling the mill building, and my tree order has arrived. 

 

this isn’t the final placing for the trees, indeed I may put one at the other end of the layout  These professionally-made ones will be in the foreground, backed by a couple of homemade seamoss trees and then painted ones on the backscene. I’ll try to keep them all in a similar autumn colour palette.

 

[Patrick Davey]

Fabulous!!  Love the stone texture on the building!

[Flying Snail]

The mill looks very well - as Patrick says the stonework looks well but I also think the timber doors and window frames set it off nicely

[David Holman]

Can only agree with the comments above. Lovely stuff.

[spudfan]

I think I "voided" the warranty on the Mrs a long time ago....

[Mol_PMB]

Yesterday I went to the O gauge show in Wigan, which was worth a visit for the number of small traders, and an opportunity to browse the Squires stall at leisure without a crowd. I stocked up on quite a lot of scenic items and a few tools.

There were also some very nice small layouts, and I was able to take inspiration from the way they were presented. I particularly liked this one, which (albeit in O gauge) is similar in size and composition to my Quartertown Mill:

Today I have made some progress on the layout backscene and the mill building. The layout now has some painted birch tree trunks (still awaiting foliage). In front of these will be some homemade sea moss trees (which I'm also working on) and then in the foreground I'll use the Primo trees. So there will be a gradual progression in quality.

The old mill now has a roof and a few other details. It's nearly there now, still a few details to add and some more weathering. And of course the canopy which will mostly hide the lower (whitewashed) part.

This building is going to be partly hidden behind others, perhaps I've put too much effort into it? But I've enjoyed making it. Here it is placed in situ:

 

[Patrick Davey]

Just superb.  No need to ponder the amount of effort - it’s helped build experience, and as you point out, there is enjoyment to be had, which is the most important thing (I think).  Plus we’ve enjoyed the updates! 

[WRENNEIRE]

Voiding the Warranty???

[David Holman]

A thought: the sky is very dark, especially when compared to the near white of the prototype scene, or are you going for twilight? That said, earlier pics with the trees posed in front it appears less so.

[Galteemore]

6 hours ago, WRENNEIRE said:

Voiding the Warranty???

Presumably by doing horrible things to the chassis for 21mm conversion

[Mol_PMB]

56 minutes ago, David Holman said:

A thought: the sky is very dark, especially when compared to the near white of the prototype scene, or are you going for twilight? That said, earlier pics with the trees posed in front it appears less so.

I confess that the sky has come out a bit darker than I had intended - I'm now thinking of it as a threatening stormy sky. It is autumn on the model so a storm is plausible.

However, lighting has a big influence - many of these photos are taken in rather gloomy artificial light. In due course I'm intending to install some lighting on the layout itself. 

Most of the building rooves along the backscene will be dark (black corrugated iron or dark slates). I'm hoping they will help to make the sky look a bit lighter in comparison. Too big a colour contrast there might be a bad thing.  

My big Swiss layout in the garage has a plain, very pale blue sky but sometimes there's too much contrast between the layout and the sky colour.

I'm just making excuses really - I mixed too much black into the white paint!

[Mol_PMB]

Dark skies and sunshine in autumn - I'll claim this is what I intended for Quartertown, rather than what I ended up with:

(my pic)

[David Holman]

Last photo looks a great place to work from. As for mixing co!ours too dark or bright, got lots of t-shirts in that drawer!

[Mol_PMB]

7 hours ago, David Holman said:

Last photo looks a great place to work from. As for mixing co!ours too dark or bright, got lots of t-shirts in that drawer!

I took the ship photo about 2 miles from home, just lucky with the weather. In the background is the unique swing aqueduct that carries the Bridgewater Canal over the Manchester Ship Canal. 
There’a also Barton Road swingbridge adjacent.
Part of the MSC railway system ran under the swing bridges and along the bank where the trees are, on the left of the pic. 

‘Deo Gloria’ is but a humble dredger.