Buffers Lock

[Irishrailwayman]

For my 7th layout I have been planning for some time to do a compact O gauge to run some of the GWR rolling stock I have collected to run on Wexford MRC's "Little Siddington".

Previously I have done GWR OO "Shunters Yard", BR/GWR "Llangollen", "Cynwyd" and "Llanuwchllyn" all in N and more recently OO "Diesel Depot" (my first OO Irish layout "Ballybeg" is now over 10 years old!) - all are still on the exhibition circuit.

This compact O gauge is to be jokingly titled "Buffers Lock" but hopefully that won't occur on the model itself! The plan is that the layout and stock would fit 1-2 cars obviating the need to hire vans etc for transport to exhibitions. The dimensions will be roughly 13.5 feet by 2.5 feet including the fiddle yard all breaking down into three sections. The baseboards will be made using techniques developed for "Little Siddington" and used for "Diesel Depot" and the O gauge BR TMD currently under development by Wexford MRC members. More details will be revealed as I ramble through this project over the next few months.

To kick off and to help determine the size of the baseboards, I am assembling some of the buildings that I have selected to populate the layout. Firstly the station building I am using is a model of the GWR Camerton Station Building produced by Timber Tracks. This is a laser cut timber product which is very well presented. Each section of the kit is separately bagged making identification of the different bits easy. The instructions are clear and a fast setting timber glue supplied by TT helps the project advance quickly. I have assembled the main structure and am starting to add some detail. The interiour is beautifully detailed including flush toilets and even a desk for the ticket office. I plan to make the roof detachable so I can show the interiour to exhibition visitors. A couple of pictures:

Edited December 2, 2019 by Irishrailwayman
Typo

[DiveController]

Nice click bait! I'm thinking 'poor lad, maybe the curves are too tight etc. etc.' LOL

Nice start!

[Irishrailwayman]

Work progressing on assembling GWR station:

[Irishrailwayman]

More progress on Camerton Station Building with internal skirting, dado and picture rails added! Ready for painting after which doors/windows will be added.

[jhb171achill]

What sort of a kit is that? I presume laser cut wood? Looks very well.

Is the detail printed on or is it low-relief?

Presumably door frames can be painted in a suitable colour?

[Irishrailwayman]

19 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

What sort of a kit is that? I presume laser cut wood? Looks very well.

Is the detail printed on or is it low-relief?

Presumably door frames can be painted in a suitable colour?

Hi JHB, yes this is a laser wood product from timbertracks.co.uk - beautifully presented with section parts in separate bags and comprehensive instructions. They do a range of 4 mm and 7 mm products but are closing down and selling off their stocks at present. The detail is low- relief and the windows and doors need to be separately painted before fitting to the model.

[jhb171achill]

Many thanks, irishrailwayman. Just looked them up - very nice stuff, albeit perhaps a little pricey. Pity they're closing, all the same - might order one or two items.

[Irishrailwayman]

40 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

Many thanks, irishrailwayman. Just looked them up - very nice stuff, albeit perhaps a little pricey. Pity they're closing, all the same - might order one or two items.

Pricey yes but the kit fits together really well and are very well thought out with exquisite detailing. They are also extremely strong when built and should transport well to exhibitions etc in suitable boxes. I also have their cattle dock and a Goods Depot for Buffers Lock so I will detail in time how these are building up on this forum over time.

Edited December 20, 2019 by Irishrailwayman

[Irishrailwayman]

Starting work on the O gauge Cattle Dock from Timber Tracks. A simpler kit overall, nicely presented with parts in individual bags:

[Irishrailwayman]

Good progress on assembling the cattle dock now ready for painting (OO model pictured for size comparison):

 

Edited January 17, 2020 by Irishrailwayman
Note re OO model

[Irishrailwayman]

Started work on a Timber Tracks Signal Box kit to adorn Buffers Lock! The kit is presented as well as the others described above with good instructions and well fitting parts each group of which are supplied in separate bags for ease of identification.

[Irishrailwayman]

Progress on that signal box:

[Irishrailwayman]

With the lock-down got time to undercoat some of the O gauge buildings underway:

 

Also got time to start assembling and painting a Timber Tracks Goods Shed:

[Irishrailwayman]

Timber Tracks Cattle Dock gets a coat of primer:

Roofing strips added to simulate tiling on the Timber Tracks Goods Shed now ready for primer:

[Noel]

Beautiful models. Love the cattledohck? Is that bound for LS? Do you mind me asking are they card, wooden, or plastic?

[Irishrailwayman]

59 minutes ago, Noel said:

Beautiful models. Love the cattledohck? Is that bound for LS? Do you mind me asking are they card, wooden, or plastic?

Thanks Noel. These are laser-cut wood kits from Timber Tracks which are beautifully presented and straightforward to assemble with their fast-setting wood glue. They are amazingly strong when complete. These models are destined for my new O gauge steam outline layout "Buffers Lock" which is in planning - a cross between my "Shunters Yard" and "Diesel Depot"! The boards and wiring will be done to the same high standards as "Little Siddington". The idea is to have an interesting O gauge layout that can be set up  quickly for play at home/clubroom and easily transported in two cars to exhibitions.

 

1 hour ago, Noel said:

Beautiful models. Love the cattledohck? Is that bound for LS? Do you mind me asking are they card, wooden, or plastic?

 

[Irishrailwayman]

Started painting the station building using a base-coat and dry-brush technique with the base-coat showing through as the mortar!

[Noel]

Fabulous Gerry. Looks so authentic

[Irishrailwayman]

Buffers Lock signal box gets the dry brush treatment on its brickwork to match the station building:

[Irishrailwayman]

"Buffers Lock" station building is now virtually complete apart from some weathering and details. Note extensive interiour detailing including toilet areas!

[DiveController]

Sort of a shame to see another resource closing as the modeller/retailer approaches advanced age. A shame there seems to be no-one to take it on. It would be nice if they had an irish range of course, maybe too few kits to have it as anything other tan a part f a greater enterprise producing for the UK.

 I do like their idea of a transitional curve which is something you don't get if you use set track rather than flexitrack. The transition from the straight to a fixed radius is very severe on the eye and in running as the rolling stock are  thrown into the curve rather than transitioning from straight to large radius curve continually reducing to the true radius of the turn, same at the exit from the curve. Of course you can offset this in set track by transitioning from straight to a larger radius curve then to the smaller radius curve (and same exiting the curve to straight) but few people ever do as it takes a bit more space etc. It looks more prototypical for the track work and running

Edited July 13, 2020 by DiveController

[Irishrailwayman]

The Goods Shed and Cattle Dock have been given their undercoat of Humbrol 121 prior to dry-brushing with red brick colour:

[Irishrailwayman]

The Goods Shed has had it "dry-brushing" with red brick colour leaving the "mortar" colour showing through:

[Irishrailwayman]

Signal box exteriour complete interiour details underway:

[leslie10646]

Super buildings indeed, Irishrailwayman. And very well constructed by you.

I saw their stuff at an exhibition "over here" and was open-mouthed at their quality.

You say they are going out of business, but their website says nothing of this and still offers a lot of kits and readymade buildings.

All power to your elbow with your new layout.

[Irishrailwayman]

Thanks Leslie, these are very well crafted kits beautifully presented and a joy to make. Under Buildings on their website Timber Tracks state "So, as we are retiring at the end of the year, we are happy to release the test build models we have.  In almost all cases, there is only one finished kit available and once sold there will be no more". 

Also, contact with them directly has confirmed that once their stock of any given model kit is sold out, they will not be making any more. A pity.

[Irishrailwayman]

The Goods Shed is now complete:

[popeye]

Very nice, how about a little bit of dirt here and there? 

[Irishrailwayman]

Signal box interiour now completed:

[Irishrailwayman]

Timber Track's cattle dock painted and now complete:

[Noel]

@IrishrailwaymanGerry is that the Signal box that has the working point levers that are servo driven (ie they move when the digital accessory is operated by the manual switch panel)?

[Irishrailwayman]

18 hours ago, Noel said:

@IrishrailwaymanGerry is that the Signal box that has the working point levers that are servo driven (ie they move when the digital accessory is operated by the manual switch panel)?

No Noel, I plan to operate the points and signals on "Buffers Lock" using my Z21 set up as I have done successfully with "Diesel Depot"!

[TimO]

Another very interesting thread. Have you used Humbrol paint for the red brick? It looks quite light in colour on here, is that what you planned or is it darker in reality?

The signal box looks very large for a twelve lever frame. The directors must have been in generous mood the day they signed that one off! Love the interior detail.

As others have said your buildings are perfectly constructed and look fabulous, I am sure I’m not the only person on here that is eagerly awaiting your track plan.

 

[Irishrailwayman]

On 7/2/2021 at 12:11 AM, TimO said:

Another very interesting thread. Have you used Humbrol paint for the red brick? It looks quite light in colour on here, is that what you planned or is it darker in reality?

The signal box looks very large for a twelve lever frame. The directors must have been in generous mood the day they signed that one off! Love the interior detail.

As others have said your buildings are perfectly constructed and look fabulous, I am sure I’m not the only person on here that is eagerly awaiting your track plan.

 

Thanks Tim, the painting scheme followed carefully the detailed instructions provided by Timber Tracks. The red brick consists of a base colour of Humbrol #121 Pale Stone which shows through as the mortar colour. A 50:50 mix of #62 Leather and #73 Wine was then "dry brushed" onto this once dry to highlight the brick surfaces. From the notes provided the architect involved particularly with the station building was renowned for bright red/yellow contrasts in his buildings. The signal box is a tad generous alright but the Directors may have had plans for expansion in the heady days of the railway gold rush!

[Irishrailwayman]

I have started on the first (of two) baseboards for "Buffers Lock" at last. This is approx. 4.5 feet by 2 feet. Construction is by the now well tried method developed at Wexford MRC: 6 mm birch plywood (precision cut by Woodworkers in Dublin) sections are hot glued together on a dead-flat workbench then glass fibre tape is glued in place at all intersections underneath with builders' PVA for strength. Two 6 mm sections are glued together with wood glue for the face sections and precision dowels added. T-nuts are added to enable back-scenes, baseboard covers etc to be assembled easily and rapidly at exhibitions.