The LNER Encyclopedia

My model of Annersley is just getting started its a grand scale but not as grand as a sertain model of York (great model by the way) In 00 its oready looking quite big. Ill have to start knocking walls down soon lol. I was just woundering if anyone could give me any hints on how best to get an authentic look to a shed track bed as in all the photo Ive seen they look very differnet to the mainline. I am thinking of making the layout as a way of displaying my collection of Trackside lorrys, does anyone know of a haulage ferm or warehouse in the area which could conveinantly move. Hehe I oready have the novelty figure planned, needed rethinking as a Darlek has oready been done but I guess this meen Micheal Schewmaker is catching the train and a man is going to be walking a Polar Bear (well people will get the wrong idea of the term petting zoo)

Yes if anyone sees an N-gauge Dalek, my UK module could do with one. It already has a blue police box with flashing blue light!

(an addition that was working in time for the recent Wills Point Show)



Richard

Hi Tom - the method I used for my OO shed area was this.

1) Lay track.
2) Paint rust on track sides.
3) Insert wooden ply between routes (not over sleepers), so that track is about the same height as the surrounding land. You might also set in wooden planking and stone sets where appropriate at this stage.
4) Cover the areas that you want textured in a fine grade ballast - probably n-gauge.
5) Spray the whole area (protecting your rusty rails with card) with satin black. This achieves a nice oily look.
6) Dust over with various dark weathering powders, so that the satin appearance does not dominate. I can't rememer how I got this to stick, possibly hairspray, or maybe I used oil pastels. The aim is to get a matt grime over the oil.
7) By far the best/quickest method I've found for weathering sleepers (not just shed areas), is to use artists pastels (about a quid each). Black for oily steaks, and some lovely browns for that aged wood look.
8) My aim was to create something that would make you want to cough. I think got about 75% of the way there.

I've attached a few pics. They don't really capture all of what I'm trying to describe, give something of an impression.

t.

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Tim, I like the patchiness in the track rust. As with Colombo's turntable, it is these patchy but realistic looking weathering bits that really make a difference to the overall effect.

We spray our track as well in N, but have yet to try the patchy effect. Might be worth a try, although I'm not sure if it is possible.

The black pastels work well for oily patches on roads as well (or they do in N). Add some short streaks- not too much, then blot out to get a more uniform patchy look. I had a fancy over-priced foam applicator that broke - a finger wrapped in kitchen paper would probably work just as well!



Richard

Richard - the patchiness on the track sides comes from hand painting and is simply a property of the paint. (No doubt many of you know, but for the record this is Phoenix rusty rails; it has a multitude of uses and along with 'weathered wood' is a must buy). Its the sort of thing that shows up very nicely in photos, but is barely noticed when you are looking at the layout as a whole. Of course, with a 4 track mainline its back breaking and takes forever - but so does ballasting and with a bit of music you can get in the zone ;-)

Sorry - I must correct an earlier part of this thread - the wood I place between rails is hardboard, not ply.

Tim,

I like the way you have used static grass amongst the cinders, it really shows up in close up.

Tom,

I have a photo of Annesley MPD in "Steam on Shed" by Jon Stretton. This shows O2 63578 on the ash pits in 1962. In the background is a very interesting bit of detail which I am investigating at present. There is a crane on caterpillar tracks with a grab bucket that I think they were using to empty the wet ash pits. I cannot find any suitables models of this particular feature. The nearest that I can get to it is an HO model by Kibri, which is described in German as a "Fuchs Bagger" http://www.lokshop.de/Img/KIB/1/1/11281.jpg. This one has road wheels, rather than catterpillar tracks, but gives the right sort of impression.

I have deduced that the LNER often used 5 ton steam cranes, supplied by J. Smith and Sons(Rodley) Ltd and I have found a photo of such a unit as there was one based at Toton until recently. I found a lot of useful information on the On Track Plant web site. You can see the photo at http://www.ontrackplant.com/photo.php?photo=95000a. This one is ADRS 95000.

I now considering how to try to represent such a machine, because I believe they used a rail mounted Rodley Crane at York to empty the ash pits. Has anybody got any more information about this aspect of loco maintenance?

Colombo

An interesting little site there, Colombo. Based on the Colne Valley Railway, they're preserving permanent way equipment. An important if oft-forgotten area.

They can't really run passenger traffic with them, but I guess they could use the equipment for demo runs, and perhaps contracting them out to preservation groups? (like many use 04s and 08s already for maintenance work)


Richard

Thanks that info will help Tim. Nice job on the standard tank by the way

'make you want to cough' Tim
Add some sneezing powber to your Ballest mix in the shed area, lol, make sure its sneezing powder though not itching powder we don't want people 'Itching' to see the layout in that way, Hehehehehe.

Tom

Tom - I completed this part of my layout about 6 years ago - but now I think about it, If I were to do it again I would probably choose something finer than 'n' ballest - perhaps a fine sand scatter - cinders really are very fine. And obviously a liberal scattering of crushed coal and white/grey weathering powder by the pit for ash. Now maybe that's where the sneezing powder should go...

t.

Tom,

I used Carr's ash ballast round my shed and turntable. I also use it for ballasting my sidings. I also have a variety of other fine ballast, cinders, couloured sands and so on.

The method that I use is to paint the baseboards black, coat with PVA, add the track, then sprinkle the ash ballast. When it has dried I go over it again with more of the same, coarser cinders and any flock for moss, spray these with water and then, with and eye dropper, trickle on the traditional 50:50 mix of water and PVA and a drop of washing up liquid.

Colombo

Tom,

I now have a track plan of Annesley MPD and I shall be e-mailing it to you this weekend,

Colombo

Hi TimMeese,

Did you weather those locos? They look great.

Hi Green Arrow - yes, thanks. I weather all of my rolling stock - and everything else come to that. I've attached a fairly random selection of a few examples. Unfortunately, I've not got around to photographing my LNER liveried stock yet, so its mainly BR for now, Sorry!

I also wanted to thank Colombo and others for their kind remarks earlier in this thread. One thing though, the grass which can be seen in the shot of the 08 is not 'static' grass. (It took me a few days to twig what Colombo meant by that). It was done using the method with surgical lint: Dye the lint green, stick furry side down with dilute PVA (I think; it was several years ago), and rip up when dry. Talented people aseem to be able to use this method to produce fabulous looking pasture - my own attempts: well, they were not a disaster, but my sheep have to graze on several patches of moss created using conventional scatter to cover the gaps. However, I did come to realise that even with my cack-handed abilities, this method is perfect for random bits of grass by the track side - and that's what you see in the photo.

Best
Tim.