Clogher Valley Project

[Paul 34F]

David,

 

This layout is developing nicely. Just reminds me that I need to focus more on my own project, but that seems to be very slow going. Must be all the other things I have to do first. Is the structure between the Loco shed road and the platform to be a water tower? At the moment in seems to restrict a view into the shed. I was just thinking that the area between the turntable and the front of the shed is a great place to park a locomotive whilst the crew enjoy their break.

 

Paul

[David Holman]

Water tank is right, Paul. It may well block the view and have already wired an isolating section there to park a loco. Am thinking I may have to move the tank slightly and make it smaller, perhaps on a pilevof sleepers, Colonel Stephens style.

[GSR 800]

Water tank is right, Paul. It may well block the view and have already wired an isolating section there to park a loco. Am thinking I may have to move the tank slightly and make it smaller, perhaps on a pilevof sleepers, Colonel Stephens style.

 

Looks excellent so far David.

I suppose I couldn't change your mind about using old loco frames for the turntable...

Doesn't really matter though, considering how awesome the layout will be when finished.

[David Holman]

Rather more Donegal than Clogher, I think, Harry. That said, having used the Peco N gauge model, it would not be too difficult to add cosmetic sides to look like loco frames, there is plenty of room under the deck. Guess the unloved Blessingbourne would be favourite!

[GSR 800]

Rather more Donegal than Clogher, I think, Harry. That said, having used the Peco N gauge model, it would not be too difficult to add cosmetic sides to look like loco frames, there is plenty of room under the deck. Guess the unloved Blessingbourne would be favourite!

 

It's down to you, but I think it would be a nice little addition to a layout.

And with your skill, it would be done to an excellent standard too....

[David Holman]

Spent spare time over Christmas doing more to the building shells & trying to create a better overall impression of the scene. Hence, the water tower has been moved behind the loco shed track, the shed itself has been enlarged slightly and several of the low relief buildings altered in an attempt to get the scene better balanced. Among my Christmas presents was a block of DAS clay [i know how to live!], which will feature a lot in the buildings as I want to try scribed stone and brickwork, a la Gravett.

See if you can spot the changes from the two pics. The overall roof is yet to be finalised.

[Kirley]

David I've seen what you can do with a block of DAS clay, only good things to come.

[jhb171achill]

David, did you ever see pics of the overall roof type of structure used as a carriage shed adjacent to the narrow gauge platform at Skibbereen? Maybe something like that for an overall roof?

 

Just a thought....

[David Holman]

This was what I had in mind - based on Wantage Town, I built this for my Loose End layout. Given the vagaries of the Irish weather, a fully enclosed one would be better, but it is a case of using artistic licence here, so that the trashed does not hide the trains. It is the same with some of the low relief buildings, photographic evidence shows pretty much all roofs as gable ended, but to hide the fact that most of buildings on Fintonagh are little more than 2cm deep [sometimes less], then needs must, I'm afraid.

[jhb171achill]

The only thing I would think - and as you'll know it's in a constructive way - a train shed wouldn't be something normally associated with an Irish narrow gauge line, although Ennis originally had one. Similarly, I wonder if the three storey building makes it look a little claustrophobic? A little too "town" or "industrial", perhaps?

 

I like the Wantage thing above, nonetheless. And the GNR style at Fintona is another very obvious choice for consideration. In fact, your plan has more than a touch of the real Fintona about it.

 

(Any 3ft gauge horses out there?)

[GSR 800]

The only thing I would think - and as you'll know it's in a constructive way - a train shed wouldn't be something normally associated with an Irish narrow gauge line, although Ennis originally had one. Similarly, I wonder if the three storey building makes it look a little claustrophobic? A little too "town" or "industrial", perhaps?

 

I like the Wantage thing above, nonetheless. And the GNR style at Fintona is another very obvious choice for consideration. In fact, your plan has more than a touch of the real Fintona about it.

 

(Any 3ft gauge horses out there?)

 

Didn't Dingle have a train shed?

[jhb171achill]

Didn't Dingle have a train shed?

 

Yes, though narrow gauge ones were few. From recollection, the only narrow gauge overall roofs were Pennyburn (LLSR), Killybegs (CDR), Dingle (T & D), and Albert Street, Cork (C, B & P). While Belturbet had an overall roof, it was only for the GNR trains; the C & L ones remained in the open without even a platform canopy.

[David Holman]

Hear what you say re train sheds, but am afraid I rather like them and Fintona lends itself nicely to my needs.

This is as much a working diorama as a full blown layout, so artistic licence is as important as prototype fidelity. Three storey buildings very much provide a balanced scene, while reference to books on the CVR do indeed show quite a number this high in the msin town centres.

All criticism welcome though. A bit like proof reading your own writing, you only see what you think you see, which is why I once wrote of my experience of working with children who had leaning difficulties on a job application form. Spell checker did not pick it up, but wife did and I got the job.

[jhb171achill]

If it's anything like Wantage or Arigna Road - and I am sure it will be - it'll be an absolute masterpiece no matter what's on it!

[David Holman]

The end of January is always the Chatham Club's model competition & I tend to use this as an excuse to get something finished. However, it this case, in order to have anything for the buildings and scenic sections, I actually needed to get something started!

Decided that the loco shed and water tower would make a good project and have been working on these over the last two weeks. DAS clay was pressed onto a foam board shell to give a thin overall covering and then, once dry, stonework was scribed in with a pointy thing. I'm fairly sure it was part of one of those screwdriver sets you get in the better quality sets of Christmas crackers.

I'd tried DAS before & couldn't really get on with it, but it went better this time & has the advantage that you can scribe the mortar lines round corners, rather than try to match up embossed sheets. I left the [hidden] rear wall blank as a rendered surface & did the same with the interior walls, which I've just painted white. Indeed, only the entrance wall of the shed has been done in natural stone. However, the water tank is stone all round.

The floor of the shed is also DAS, scribed to represent stone setts, though there is a cut out between the rails for an inspection pit. Windows are acrylic sheet, with glazing bars added by putting a self adhesive address label on top and cutting out the glazed sections with a scalpel. Inside is a work bench [plasticard] detailed with the only ready made items on the scene. This is a set of workshop etchings made by Severn Models, which comprise a set of tiny tools, tool box, a set of spanners on a wall rack and a set of steps. Fiddly and not especially much fun, but absolute jewels once completed and well worth the effort.

The water tank is plastic sheet and is awaiting both some of those rivet transfer sheets and an etched ladder.

Other work has focussed on the track, with much time spent on the ballast and rail colours. There are also two home made point levers awaiting painting. Apart from Woodlands Scenics fine ash, the ballast is a mixture of weathering powders, talc and chinchilla dust - the latter forms the platform surfaces too.

The whole process was getting a bit stressful for a while as it was becoming well over 50 shades of grey. However, it is interesting to see how even simple things like brown paintwork and brightly coloured advertising posters lift the scene & am hoping that weeds etc in the sidings will do the same thing. Nothing is fixed down yet by the way, as I still need to pain the back scene.

[/ATTACH]

Edited January 15, 2017 by David Holman

[jhb171achill]

Oh hoooo we're going somewhere now! looking great, David!

[Weshty]

Wow, that's impressive. I'll let Leslie Phillips have the final word...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sV0lKD3KPsc

[jhb171achill]

He played characters like that to perfection, Des!

 

Another great - but underrated - comic genius. Too few of them nowadays.

[Broithe]

He played characters like that to perfection, Des!

 

Another great - but underrated - comic genius. Too few of them nowadays.

 

Still going at 92.

 

I still say "Left hand down a bit" when asked for my advice on something that I have no knowledge of...

 

From The Navy Lark, for those who may not remember - an odd comedy series - most of the characters used the actors' real names.

[Mike 84C]

That is looking very good David. Subtle, understated. Funny how deadlines bring progress!

[murrayec]

David

 

Looking great, your flying along

 

Eoin

[Mayner]

Wow!

 

David you are fast worker David! I like the DAS clay on foam board for stone buildings.

 

Will the station building be in brick similar to other CVR stations or was Fintona built I stone by a local company?

[Paul 34F]

David,

 

The loco shed looks impressive. How do you stop the Clay drying out to quick and cracking?

 

Paul 34F

[David Holman]

So far, have not found cracking to be a problem, Paul. The DAS is smeared on really thin [no more than 1mm thick], on a base of PVA, which helps it to stick and may well stop cracking too. However, as it dries overnight, it is easy to make any adjustments next day with the odd extra patch here and there.

For random stone, I find leaving an uneven surface works well. For dressed stone, block and brickwork, I sand the surface smooth before starting scribing.

Have just put DAS on the building that will go behind the loco shed. The three sides took less than two hours, including the window rebates. They need to be filed flat/square once the clay has dried.

[GSR 800]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]26528[/ATTACH]

So far, have not found cracking to be a problem, Paul. The DAS is smeared on really thin [no more than 1mm thick], on a base of PVA, which helps it to stick and may well stop cracking too. However, as it dries overnight, it is easy to make any adjustments next day with the odd extra patch here and there.

For random stone, I find leaving an uneven surface works well. For dressed stone, block and brickwork, I sand the surface smooth before starting scribing.

Have just put DAS on the building that will go behind the loco shed. The three sides took less than two hours, including the window rebates. They need to be filed flat/square once the clay has dried.

Looking good David!

And that engine shed area..

[David Holman]

Have said before that in a small layout in a larger scale, a back scene is pretty much essential, both to frame the scene and to make up for the lack of actual depth. Given Fintonagh is only 50cm deep, I'm sure you can see what I mean...

Started with a coat of emulsion for the sky, then sketched in the buildings. For me, the difficulty has always been getting colours muted enough, particularly for anything in the distance. However, in this case I want the buildings to crowd in on the scene & make it appear that the tram station is right in the town centre.

Used acrylics for the larger areas and artists spirit 'brush pens' for the details, along with pencil crayons & pencil.

Once done, then painted the foreground tress on top, using acrylics and my 'stippling' method to build up an impression of foliage. Then couldn't resist adding a little 3D foliage in front, though more needed here. Am thinking that some 'sea foam' pieces, suitably foliated and fixed behind the fence will help link the 3D ground cover with the 2D back scene. Need to buy some first though!

[Noel]

Stunning

[jhb171achill]

W O W !!!!!!!!!

 

Fantastic!

[Mike 84C]

Brilliant! looking forward to seeing Fintonagh at an exhibition some place, some time:tumbsup :

[Kirley]

David, you definitely are an artist in the true sense of the word.

[jhb171achill]

David, you definitely are an artist in the true sense of the word.

 

I could not agree more.

[DLTaylor]

Fabulous stuff David, and you seem to do it all so quickly!

All the best,

Dave.T

[David Holman]

A good dozen or so anyway! To which can be added a bit of sea foam, some postiche, a static grass machine, a Noch puffer bottle and some PVA glue.

Been busy today with the above, starting with the sea foam to try and bridge the gap between a 2D back scene and the 3D background. Sea foam tends to be a bit fragile, but it does produce low relief [indeed full relief] small trees in quick order. Working forwards, had a go at a patch of nettles, a few much scraps of sea foam for low growing shrubs & then moved forwards to start adding grass & weeds to the two sidings at the front of the layout.

Various types of scatter were added to give some extra texture & depth to the grasses, though this left the platform looking rather clean and stark. Have so far added a flower bed and some weeds, though it still lacks details like figures. Coming on nicely though.

[db1969]

David this looks so good keep up the great work

[Noel]

Absolutely stunning scenes. That looks so real, I can almost imagine staying in a B&B in that village. I have fond memories competing in Fintona many moons ago.