Atlantic's works: Portable layout - Scenic details next

[S.A.C. Martin]

Thank you for your thoughts Graeme, they are much appreciated. I will have a think about how best to proceed.

[Atlantic 3279]

I've now been able to return to the stalled process of construction of the station building for my new section of layout. Emulating the fancy Victorian brickwork of the full-size original which I'm largely copying is proving a slow fiddly process. Not all of the modules are yet stuck together, so some misalignment of the courses of brickwork in contrasting colours is seen in these images.

[drmditch]

Looks like a splendid development!
What is the provenance of the brick-paper please?

[Atlantic 3279]

Brick paper dowloaded from Railwayscenics.com and customised somewhat during the home printing process. For example, the red-brown type is "New orange brick English bond" but printed twice for better colour density AND overprinted with plain orange to restore the tone as it gets browner on the second printing pass! Beware too, that you cannot for instance custom-mix colours by printing two different "English bond" colours successively on the same sheet, because even if your printer aligns the two accurately, the pattern of the brickwork is not the same for most of the different colours - I gather they are all derived from photographs of different samples of actual brickwork in the relevant colours.
I've (Halfords) clear spray lacquered the printed sheets, front and rear, in repeated light (dry) coats to protect the prints. That has allowed me to use either PVA or Evostick Impact to stick the paper to the structure without destroying the print.

[Chas Levin]

Very interesting - I knew it would be something unusual and I'd been going to ask the same question. Beautiful looking building!

[Atlantic 3279]

In a way, I wish the original building had been somewhat plainer and therefore easier to model!

I did, by the way, get some kind recommendations for other ready-printed brick papers, but I intended (and started) to add the brick facings to this project during a a week away in Scotland in late February, and I didn't get organised far enough in advance to put in my order and be sure of receiving the paper before setting off for Scotland, especially with postal strikes causing havoc. As it turned out, the download and print option proved much more time-consuming than I'd first hoped...

[Chas Levin]

And how did you find the Halfords lacquer? I'e thought about trying it, not quite sure when and where it would be best used. Did it coat evenly? And did it make the paper stiffer, or is it very flexible itself when dry?

[Dave]

Graeme, you are obviously going down the Alan Downes route..........

[Atlantic 3279]

Halfords lacquer does stiffen the paper Chas. Gives it a very slight sheen too after my three light, even coats. I would imagine that whether it goes on evenly depends wholly on your spraying technique.

I'll be careful not to go too far down the exact Downes route Dave. I'll need to be able to come back at some stage...

[drmditch]

Thank you for the information.
Unfortunately my printer is playing up at the moment. It's only sixteen or so years old (I think), so I don't know what it's got to complain about.

I have also used the Halfords Lacquer on as purchased and home-printed brick paper. With two coats, it certainly made the paper easier to cut precisely and take adhesive (Delux Card Glue) with no problems.

I was hopeful that it would provide some UV protection, since my railway room has a pleasant sunny aspect. That doesn't seem to have worked on the piers of my (southern) viaduct. It may be partly my fault, in that when preparing the room I installed sunshade curtains to pull across when needed but now rarely remember to do so!

[Atlantic 3279]

I should be free from trouble with fading due to sunlight. My building will spend most of its life in darkness in the loft, with only artificial light when the layout is in use. Handy anyway to know that the clear "acrylic" (with evident solvent) lacquer doesn't totally protect against fading, much as I suspected really. I wonder if increasing the application to build up a perceptible surface layer (rather than most of it soaked-in) would give more protection against light? Might not look good though, and the lacquer costs money...

I suppose I should have mentioned above that there was a few minutes drying time between each of my three light lacquer coats, just in case that wasn't obvious.

[Chas Levin]

Thanks gents for the further details on lacquer usage - food for thought...

[Atlantic 3279]

As Jonathan has mentioned on his West End Workbench thread, the LNER Society will be represented at the York Model Railway Show over this Easter weekend. "Our" Dave, of recent NER bogie vans fame, will be there manning the society stand on Sunday, as well as occasionally assisting Jonathan and me on the Monday. We'll be offering our best attempts at advice, plus encouragement to all to join the society or at least buy some of its useful publications and novelties. Misleading advice and well deserved insults for the chosen few a speciality. A limited selection of LNER models should be on show too - but no station building - much too fragile.

The LNER Society's quarterly journal always contains interesting articles, access to the society archive is a useful benefit for members, the knowledge and many documents held privately by various members tend to be willingly shared with those who either take the trouble to get to know others or who simply ask nicely, and there's usually at least one society meeting per year in an accessible part of LNER territory.

Another thought for those planning to visit the show - don't forget to take cash if you want to be sure of being able to buy all of your requirements. Some traders and societies simply don't take payment by waft of a card or a magic phone, and those who normally do are reliant on (fallible) continuity of wireless signal and internet service.

[Phil Brighton]

I am up in York visiting family this weekend so if it's ok will pop by the stand Monday and thank you guys for the advice and tips often given.

[Atlantic 3279]

See you there Phil.

Station building: Although window frames, glazing, doors, more wall bracing, and then floors need to go in before I fit proper roofs and chimneys, I've cut basic roofs now to satisfy myself that they can be made to fit, and to check the appearance. I think the proper chimney stacks may need to be cut from solid material such as balsa, rather than the folded card I've used at this stage. I've got hold of some very small (1.6 x 0.9mm, CFS-2) Plastruct channel to eventually represent the gutters.
Developing the shape for the roof of the bay window took several attempts, owing to repeated mis-reading of my rule as I was measuring up!. What's seen on the model is about the fourth attempt, after some additional un-planned trimming, and still not quite right at the extreme lower corners...