Brookhall Mill - A GNR(I) Micro Layout

[LARNE CABIN]

Hadn't heard of Sunrise Models before, Patrick. Had a quick look there, and looks interesting! Thanks for mentioning them! I'm thinking of something UTA ish for Harbour Road on Larne Harbour!

[Patrick Davey]

34 minutes ago, LARNE CABIN said:

Hadn't heard of Sunrise Models before, Patrick. Had a quick look there, and looks interesting! Thanks for mentioning them! I'm thinking of something UTA ish for Harbour Road on Larne Harbour!

Definitely worth looking up, the chap who runs it is called George Heaney and he is very decent and very attentive to his customers, very highly recommended!

Edited February 25, 2022 by Patrick Davey

[leslie10646]

30 minutes ago, Patrick Davey said:

Definitely worth looking up, the chap who runs it is called George Heaney and he is very decent and very attentive to his customers, very highly recommended!

Hear, hear. I have one of those GNR buses from George (in a box upstairs. I must stick it on the Richhill forecourt). Recommended supplier.

[Patrick Davey]

A few videos of movements at the mill:

https://www.facebook.com/brookhallmillmodelrailway/videos/1064353050641840

https://www.facebook.com/brookhallmillmodelrailway/videos/590414148848172

https://www.facebook.com/brookhallmillmodelrailway/videos/648827232798648

https://www.facebook.com/brookhallmillmodelrailway/videos/315087106839022

 

[Northroader]

All you need now is to fit rail wheels under the bus?

[Patrick Davey]

After a long search and thanks to a tip off from Paul Chapman of this parish, I now have two early-liveried Craven coaches.  Lovely models!

 

 

[Patrick Davey]

A lot of action at the mill this weekend.....firstly, the glazing was completed in both buses, a job I had been putting off......

 

 

Then I received two brake vans back from Gareth Brennan - I had built a Provincial Wagons GNR(I) brake but had given it to Gareth to finish off.  I had also given Gareth my JM Designs CIE brake van to have some transit damage repaired and he also added handrails for me:

 

 

 

Gareth was also priming some carriages for me: 4 ancient Hornby compartment vehicles and a Provincial Wagons GNR(I) Y5 passenger van - all have since been painted to represent the classic GNR 'mahogany' livery:

 

 

Decals and weathering are still to happen, along with a few small final details.

 

A productive weekend!

 

Edited March 20, 2022 by Patrick Davey

[Patrick Davey]

And once again, many thanks to Leslie for his fabulous Provincial Wagons range.

[jhb171achill]

Outstanding stuff, Paddy! Captures the era perfectly!

Question for the assembled company - I have several of those carriages too, which I bought for half of nothing on fleabay a while back, but they have old, coarse-sized wheels, which just bump over the sleepers of fine scale code 75 track.

Does anyone know what would be suitable wheelsets to get for them?

[Galteemore]

6 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

Outstanding stuff, Paddy! Captures the era perfectly!

Question for the assembled company - I have several of those carriages too, which I bought for half of nothing on fleabay a while back, but they have old, coarse-sized wheels, which just bump over the sleepers of fine scale code 75 track.

Does anyone know what would be suitable wheelsets to get for them?

R8096, if they are 12mm, which if ancient they are likely to be, rather than 14mm.

Beautiful work with the stock, Patrick. Only one thing missing from those buses/ Howden-Meredith wheels !  

Edited March 20, 2022 by Galteemore

[Patrick Davey]

GNR(I) LORRY PROJECT

Recently I came across this picture:

From the very interesting www.louthnewryarchives.ie website - well worth a look!

It's a GNR lorry (not sure what make) and it reminded me of this old Cooper Craft AEC Monarch lorry which I built about 40 years ago:

 

So I thought I'd have a go at refreshing the model to look a bit more like the GNR lorry.  They're not the same make of vehicle but close enough I think for the model to pass the 'two feet' rule.  So a quick repaint followed, along with glazing, and decals were commissioned from Tom at Endon Valley Custom Decals (very highly recommended!)

Works for me!

 

Edited March 27, 2022 by Patrick Davey

[Patrick Davey]

The past few weeks have been all about the cobbles......

 

1. The area to be 'cobbled' was built up with thick card, to a depth of a few mm below rail height:

2. DAS clay was spread across the area, over a layer of PVA glue.  The clay was left to dry for a week or so, then sanded to tidy it up a bit:

3. The sanded clay was painted black, for two reasons: to make it easier to see how the scribing would progress and also to add depth to the eventual grey colour:

4: Then the scribing commenced, this took ages:

With hindsight, I should have made the cobbles smaller.  The area jutting across the bridge will be for the coal lorry to park, and there will be a pile of coal to the right of it.

5. A couple of coats of grey paint were then applied by brush and sponge:

6. Some individual cobbles were picked out in darker grey (should have done more of this) then a black overall wash was applied:

Note: The remaining black areas will be where the low relief mill buildings will be located.

7. A few washes created a bit of texture and variety of shading:

 

That's where I'm at now - next will be some drybrushing with greys and white, then some green scatter material will be added between some of the cobbles, to give a finishing touch.

 

Edited April 9, 2022 by Patrick Davey

[2996 Victor]

Fantastic work on the cobbles - more like setts, if I may say so - but no doubt about the superb outcome!

Cheers,

Mark

[Patrick Davey]

Just now, 2996 Victor said:

Fantastic work on the cobbles - more like setts, if I may say so - but no doubt about the superb outcome!

Cheers,

Mark

Thanks Mark and yes that's true, as they should have been smaller!  But maybe I'll say 'setts' now to make myself feel better!!  Cheers 

[leslie10646]

Seriously good, Patrick. I applaud your methodical patient work.

A bit worried by the huge bus fleet - or are they "Rail Replacement Buses" while the line was being upgraded?

[Patrick Davey]

32 minutes ago, leslie10646 said:

Seriously good, Patrick. I applaud your methodical patient work.

A bit worried by the huge bus fleet - or are they "Rail Replacement Buses" while the line was being upgraded?

Thanks Leslie! No need to worry, these are supplementary to the rail services, bringing workers from such isolated locations as Aghalee, Stoneyford and Hannahstown

[Patrick Davey]

Almost there - some subtle dry brushing applied and foliage/scatter going on.

[David Holman]

Excellent stuff - well worth the effort. Very much what I'm thinking of for Northport Quay.

[jhb171achill]

16 hours ago, Patrick Davey said:

Thanks Leslie! No need to worry, these are supplementary to the rail services, bringing workers from such isolated locations as Aghalee, Stoneyford and Hannahstown

The good folk of Culcavey, Annahilt & Ravarnet will also need transport - or to they go by UTA?

[Patrick Davey]

21 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

The good folk of Culcavey, Annahilt & Ravarnet will also need transport - or to they go by UTA?

I had better build more buses then JB!

[Galteemore]

Please do, Patrick …..;) 

[Patrick Davey]

More progress - brick pillars topped off with capstones and lifebelts provided above and beside the culvert. Also some weeds added, along the wall and between some of the setts and pavers. 

[jhb171achill]

I'm tempted by that GNR passenger Y van......... need to check which was the one which ended up (briefly!) in CIE green.........and find a rationale for it to be pockling about in Wisht Kerry in 1963...............

 

[2996 Victor]

1 hour ago, Patrick Davey said:

More progress - brick pillars topped off with capstones and lifebelts provided above and beside the culvert. Also some weeds added, along the wall and between some of the setts and pavers. 

Fab workmanship, Patrick, just the right degree of greenery makes those setts and slabs look so convincing. The whole scene is looking really superb!

Cheers,
Mark

[Galteemore]

Excellent work Patrick. The layering of height effects is a world away from the billiard table with track on it one often sees (and I have often produced ). For the era, I think the lifebelts would be red and white, though. 

Edited April 13, 2022 by Galteemore

[Patrick Davey]

23 minutes ago, Galteemore said:

Excellent work Patrick. The layering of height effects is a world away from the billiard table with track on it one often sees (and I have often produced ). For the era, I think the lifebelts would be red and white, though. 

Ah - that’s what I need to hear, excellent! Cheers GM

[leslie10646]

3 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

I'm tempted by that GNR passenger Y van......... need to check which was the one which ended up (briefly!) in CIE green.........and find a rationale for it to be pockling about in Wisht Kerry in 1963...............

 

Well, JB, Mrs McDonald has one left in her stock for Wexford, I think (heavy hint), and I have others here in Surrey!

Great stuff, by the way, Patrick!

[Rob]

Really like this- very impressive detail!  Well done

[David Holman]

Modelling has to be good to poke the camera in that close! Fine work.

[Patrick Davey]

I wasn't happy with the spacing of the short rails between the running rails on each siding, nor was I happy with the layout of the cobbles/setts between them......

So it was all excavated and the surrounding areas masked off:

 

Then the short rails were relocated and a new layer of DAS was applied:

 

Am much happier with the look now - leaving the clay to harden for a few days then painting and scribing shall commence.

Edited April 18, 2022 by Patrick Davey

[Galteemore]

Looks even better. Always a pain reworking something but worth it here 

[Patrick Davey]

More or less finished with the roadway!

[popeye]

Very nice, even the weeds look right. 

[Patrick Davey]

2 minutes ago, popeye said:

Very nice, even the weeds look right. 

Cheers Popeye - achieved through the use of a very fine-tipped glue applicator, which has since got broken so no more weeds for the time being....or maybe there are enough?

[2996 Victor]

38 minutes ago, Patrick Davey said:

More or less finished with the roadway!

Fantastic work - looks extremely effective!

Cheers,

Mark