Boxfile diorama extended .

unklian

Western Thunderer
I had hinted that I might participate in this build by rebuilding an existing project. So I hope this is enough of a change to qualify. After a period with too much 'life' in the way I am back on track and way too late . But like the wagon build I am going to at least try and pick up where I left off . See
Unklian's G3 workbench . for the beginnings of this project ..
So the set up has been extended by one board/boxfile ..

RIMG0765.JPG

But more importantly I have made up and installed a lot more tramway style rail to give a multigauge grid in the way that the old time loco factories had in their yards for testing their products before export.

RIMG0769.JPG

I now have rails for 4' 0", Standard, 5' 3", 5' 6", 7' 1/4" ( tah dah ) and what ever I think 45mm and 32mm would represent . There is also a pairing at 6' 3" but I know of no prototype for this ( yet ? ) .

RIMG0770.JPG

Finally with the walls in place it is looking very tight for Broad Gauge stock through that arch ! Never mind, I have some air drying DAS clay equivalent and I am going to set to soon on some 'proper' cobbles .
 

Neil

Western Thunderer
You might want to source genuine DAS clay; I've found that it's the only brand (so far) that doesn't crack on drying.
 

Mike W

Western Thunderer
Ian, since you started this I've thought it an absolutely bonkers idea. With the extension and extra track it is now even more so ... and I love it!
 

unklian

Western Thunderer
You might want to source genuine DAS clay; I've found that it's the only brand (so far) that doesn't crack on drying.

Thanks for the tip Neil , I have some terracotta DAS but I wanted to try a grey colour, which as far as I can see DAS don't do . I have some grey Newclay to try. Can you remember any of the brands that cracked ? How thick is the DAS on Vischkaai roughly BTW ?

Thank you Mike !
 

76043

Western Thunderer
I bought two packs of Newclay, I'm hoping it doesn't shrink too...

I am wondering if the thickness and ambient temperature of the room might have something to do with cracking???

Would love to know.
Tony
 

Neil

Western Thunderer
I'm afraid I've been away in York for a few days so I'm a bit late replying. The clay that cracked was own brand stuff from The Works, however I remember Chris Nevard commenting that only Das was immune from cracking. I have no experience beyond these two brands. The Das on Vischkaai is the full depth of Peco code 100, approximately 4.5mm deep, done in two layers. The first being to the top of the sleepers, the second to the top of the rails. I did this more to make sure that I'd filled all the gaps round the sleepers level to their tops rather than for crack mitigation. I'm guessing that this seems slightly irrelevant for the beefier dimensions of G3 permanent way.

I used the off white Das and tinted it but would be most interested to hear how the grey Newclay brand works as a grey base colour has significant advantages over the off white.

I've used both the own brand and Das clay in my previous home, a damp and cold stone built chapel, the Das worked fine but the own brand cracked. Recently in the luxurious warmth of my downsized bungalow the Das has behaved itself in pretty much the same way as in the harsher climes of the chapel.
 

geoff_nicholls

Western Thunderer
Are you thinking of laying sheets of DAS down and imprinting cobbles, or making a mould and casting large numbers of individual cobbles, to be laid in some sort of glue? I guess the latter would be less prone to cracking.
Also, (playing the pendant card) is this still France?
 

Alan

Western Thunderer
I don't know if they still do but DAS did do A grey/white version. I think I still have a pack. I used another on covering a stone bridge for a model for a museum I worked at. The building of it is somewhere in my Wencombe thread.
 

unklian

Western Thunderer
Thank you Neil, Geoff and Alan for the knowledge. I do seem to remember when DAS first came out ( 1970's ? ) it was grey in colour . I was hoping to impress the cobbles whilst the DAS was still soft, but if that did not work scribe the hardened DAS as per Mr Harrap's method . As it is the DAS will be 5 to 6mm thick to match the height of the rails. Some areas will be quite small and if cracking proves to be a problem on the larger areas, I could probably subdivide them into smaller areas . Still got a bit more work prepping the base board before I wield clay ......

And Geoff it can be anywhere, it just had to be French for the original competition .
 

unklian

Western Thunderer
Some time later ......... I prepared the first board for the setts by adding an edging ( from salvaged rocket wood !!) and painting everything a grey to match the clay and seal the MDF.

RIMG0693.JPG

I then tried infilling the smallest areas and impressing some setts using the grey Newclay clay . Oh dear ! It shrunk like crazy and cracked where ever it could not shrink . The little bit of setts warped as well . Sorry Neil I really should have listened to the voice of experience .

RIMG0696.JPG

So back to the DAS. This is not fully dry yet, but after 12 hours has only shrunk a little bit and no cracking so far . I need to try some bigger areas and some long thin areas , I was being more cautious this time ! Also pictured are the tools I made for impressing the setts, I have made them to give a scale 4 inch square sett and a double one nominally 8x4 . The DAS is more rubbery and so I will have to sand the rounded tops off a bit when it is dry , to get them flat and less of a cobbled look .

RIMG0697.JPG

I think this might be a slow job .....
 
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geoff_nicholls

Western Thunderer
a slow job
but worth it. I've seen setts which were quite rounded, I suppose it depends on the particular examples which you have in mind. Perhaps you might need to try painting some to see if sanding is really necessary. And are you planning to just paint the gaps, or fill them with tinted polyfilla?
 

unklian

Western Thunderer
I am hoping for something like this, with some sanding, scraping and various layers of paint . And yes I still have plans for a working capstan .

1997-7059_HOR_F_3964.jpg

PS, I think the letters PAN top right are part of a sign for 'St PANCRAS Goods depot/yard' .
 
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Mike W

Western Thunderer
Very good Ian. You must be pleased with that. Regarding the prototype picture, which from memory is London(?) that's an LNWR wagon on the left but the one inside the shed is Scottish - Caledonian I assume - and I'm working on one of those so yes, you cold create a scene like that!

As an aside, a writer for one of the well known modelling magazine recently said in a review of my 1907 RCH kit that single sided brakes were banned after 1911, so any model set after that date must have brakes both sides. I protested and this is another example, they evidently repainted that Caley wagon after 1923 but still didn't update the brakes.

Mike
 

LarryG

Western Thunderer
'Midand Wagons (OPC) has a picture of a Midland wagon No. 79102 still with single side brakes photographed in 1936. There are other wagons with brakes on one side only but levers both sides.
 

Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
As an aside, a writer for one of the well known modelling magazine recently said in a review of my 1907 RCH kit that single sided brakes were banned after 1911, so any model set after that date must have brakes both sides. I protested and this is another example, they evidently repainted that Caley wagon after 1923 but still didn't update the brakes.

Without research my guess would be the RCH stipulated that all new vehicles from 1911/12 must have brakes both sides rather than ban single sided brakes outright.

Even so, the single sided braked vehicles couldn't have been converted overnight so to speak nor withdrawn from service without a vast shortage of rolling stock. And I suspect they remained in works service or used on the company's own lines but not for inter-regional/company traffic.

As demonstrated, photographic evidence and rule #1 applies.
 

Neil

Western Thunderer
Like the embossing tools lots. They are giving me ideas for smaller scale versions where shapes other than rectangular cobbles/sets are required.
 
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