Lapford station in N gauge.

[hexagon789]

Have your cool little box things worked @Cowley? Have trains been blocked due to excess flooding?

-Peter

Either way he's still probably doing better than GWR...

 

[Peter C]

Either way he's still probably doing better than GWR...

Haha

-Peter

 

[Cowley]

Either way he's still probably doing better than GWR...

Have your cool little box things worked @Cowley? Have trains been blocked due to excess flooding?

-Peter

No flooding so far which is good.

I treated myself to a blue 31 this week as a birthday present to myself (and the passengers on the Barnstaple line of course).

Rule one of Lapfordeggishford is nothing runs on the railway unless it’s weathered and in the case of locomotives, has a bit of detailing done. So the last couple of evenings have been taken up by me turning this ‘fresh out of the box’ 31:



Into something that looks a little more work worn.
I tried to use the pack of detailing parts it came with but I found them virtually impossible, there’s at least eight different pipes on the front of a 31/1 (not my photo)!



I ended up using a couple of bits from the pack and making the rest out of wire as you can see here:
(I know how geeky this is don’t worry)



And here it is with the pipes painted and everything back together:



And then again after being attacked with the weathering airbrush (nerves of steel me):



I’ve just spent a couple of hours running it after fitting the chip and it runs really nicely. Ever so smooth.



Look. Still no floods!

 

[Iskra]

That’s a very nice looking locomotive and you’ve done some great work on it to make it look realistic. I like your rule number one too

 

[Cowley]

That’s a very nice looking locomotive and you’ve done some great work on it to make it look realistic. I like your rule number one too

Thanks @Iskra.
Because I don’t buy lots of stuff it’s quite easy to keep on top of stuff like this, saying that I’ve bought two locos and to coaches this last couple of weeks so it has been a little bit of work.
I reckon most of your fleet can’t be far off being weathered now?

 

[Peter C]

No flooding so far which is good.

I treated myself to a blue 31 this week as a birthday present to myself (and the passengers on the Barnstaple line of course).

Rule one of Lapfordeggishford is nothing runs on the railway unless it’s weathered and in the case of locomotives, has a bit of detailing done. So the last couple of evenings have been taken up by me turning this ‘fresh out of the box’ 31:

View attachment 96378

Into something that looks a little more work worn.
I tried to use the pack of detailing parts it came with but I found them virtually impossible, there’s at least eight different pipes on the front of a 31/1 (not my photo)!

View attachment 96374

I ended up using a couple of bits from the pack and making the rest out of wire as you can see here:
(I know how geeky this is don’t worry)

View attachment 96379

And here it is with the pipes painted and everything back together:

View attachment 96380

And then again after being attacked with the weathering airbrush (nerves of steel me):

View attachment 96381

I’ve just spent a couple of hours running it after fitting the chip and it runs really nicely. Ever so smooth.

View attachment 96384

Look. Still no floods!

View attachment 96382

That is a lovely engine. The detail work you've done really adds to the front of it: I can't imagine being able to do that on such a small scale! The weathering is really nice too: I've mentioned before that when I think of BR, I think of that sort of thing and so to me it looks pretty much perfect. Then again, I didn't see BR for myself, so I may well be talking nonsense (which happens quite often).

Nice to hear there haven't been any floods too - imagine the havoc that would cause, especially with the point motor you were fiddling around with!
-Peter

 

[Cowley]

That is a lovely engine. The detail work you've done really adds to the front of it: I can't imagine being able to do that on such a small scale! The weathering is really nice too: I've mentioned before that when I think of BR, I think of that sort of thing and so to me it looks pretty much perfect. Then again, I didn't see BR for myself, so I may well be talking nonsense (which happens quite often).

Nice to hear there haven't been any floods too - imagine the havoc that would cause, especially with the point motor you were fiddling around with!
-Peter

I hadn’t even thought of the point motor!
Thanks for that Peter. You are right about BR though. You’d find it astonishing having grown up in this era if you could go back in time 35 years or so (actually that would be astonishing) to see how dirty everything was. There was grime on virtually everything and some of the locos (especially 50032!) that got pushed into departmental work looked absolutely deplorable.
I loved it though. That’s why I’m always trying to recreate it.

 

[Peter C]

I hadn’t even thought of the point motor!
Thanks for that Peter. You are right about BR though. You’d find it astonishing having grown up in this era if you could go back in time 35 years or so (actually that would be astonishing) to see how dirty everything was. There was grime on virtually everything and some of the locos (especially 50032!) that got pushed into departmental work looked absolutely deplorable.
I loved it though. That’s why I’m always trying to recreate it.

You're very welcome.
That's one of the things I've noticed from watching videos from that sort of era; the whole system had really been run into the ground, and everything seems caked in dirt. It would be quite an interesting comparison to make between departmental stock thirty years ago and now - completely different in terms of condition.
I've found myself trying to recreate bits of it too: I'm not prepared to go at things with airbrushes, but I am quite happy to detail scenery and make bits look really dilapidated and worn-out.

-Peter

 

[Iskra]

Thanks @Iskra.
Because I don’t buy lots of stuff it’s quite easy to keep on top of stuff like this, saying that I’ve bought two locos and to coaches this last couple of weeks so it has been a little bit of work.
I reckon most of your fleet can’t be far off being weathered now?

Yeah I’d noticed you’d got a couple of new loco’s recently.

Pretty much everything I would like to be weathered now is, but there’s a few items I won’t touch- my BR green 101, Realtrack Scotrail 156 and First Scotrail class 90 that I only got because I wanted the Mk3 SLEPs from the train pack.

I’ve got a few items on the way, but one is another that I probably won’t touch, one I’ve bought specifically to weather and sell on Ebay for a profit and two that are coming from TMC pre-weathered, but one of which I will probably do some extra work on.

After these arrivals I’m going to chill out with the purchasing and I’m considering selling my DCC sound BR green 47 as I don’t use it that much.

 

[hexagon789]

No flooding so far which is good.

I treated myself to a blue 31 this week as a birthday present to myself (and the passengers on the Barnstaple line of course).

Rule one of Lapfordeggishford is nothing runs on the railway unless it’s weathered and in the case of locomotives, has a bit of detailing done. So the last couple of evenings have been taken up by me turning this ‘fresh out of the box’ 31:

View attachment 96378

Into something that looks a little more work worn.
I tried to use the pack of detailing parts it came with but I found them virtually impossible, there’s at least eight different pipes on the front of a 31/1 (not my photo)!

View attachment 96374

I ended up using a couple of bits from the pack and making the rest out of wire as you can see here:
(I know how geeky this is don’t worry)

View attachment 96379

And here it is with the pipes painted and everything back together:

View attachment 96380

And then again after being attacked with the weathering airbrush (nerves of steel me):

View attachment 96381

I’ve just spent a couple of hours running it after fitting the chip and it runs really nicely. Ever so smooth.

View attachment 96384

Look. Still no floods!

View attachment 96382

Lovely, that really adds to the character the detailing and weathering.

Though is it filthy enough?

(Yes, it probably is - it's not a 47... or an HST PC with the traction motor gearboxes throwing oil left, right and left again - I've the perfect reference shot for that project)

Are your coaches all weathered too before 'entering service' @Cowley or is that something in progress?

 

[reddragon]

Clearly the your lines are not allowed a clean ex-works loco, just dirty ones!

 

[hexagon789]

Clearly the your lines are not allowed a clean ex-works loco, just dirty ones!

Speaking for myself, I intend to have one spanking fresh paint, uber clean loco on my layout. A bit like how some depots had a shed/depot 'pet' they kept all tarted up.

 

[Cowley]

Lovely, that really adds to the character the detailing and weathering.

Though is it filthy enough?

(Yes, it probably is - it's not a 47... or an HST PC with the traction motor gearboxes throwing oil left, right and left again - I've the perfect reference shot for that project)

Are your coaches all weathered too before 'entering service' @Cowley or is that something in progress?

Yes all coaches and wagons are weathered @Hexagon. Although some are much more dirty than others - for instance my triple grey 47 has quite a light coating because it wouldn’t have been long painted (and named) in that livery at the time.



I wouldn’t mind a ‘pet’ loco myself actually. D200 on a railtour would be rather nice, although I can’t remember if it ever made it up there.

Clearly the your lines are not allowed a clean ex-works loco, just dirty ones!

Yes it tended to be that anything available was sent up to Barnstaple in the last days of loco hauled workings. There is a photo of an immaculate 47 in Railfreight at Barnstaple that I’ve seen though.

 

[hexagon789]

Yes all coaches and wagons are weathered @Hexagon. Although some are much more dirty than others - for instance my triple grey 47 has quite a light coating because it wouldn’t have been long painted (and named) in that livery at the time.

I knew you had weathered at least some, but I want sure if you had the same rule as per your motive power.

Yes it tended to be that anything available was sent up to Barnstaple in the last days of loco hauled workings. There is a photo of an immaculate 47 in Railfreight at Barnstaple that I’ve seen though.

You've more than likely seen some of these, some are probably out of period but if I may profer:

Double 25s arriving Exeter St Ds from Barnstaple in '78:

25s at Exeter St. David's, July 1978

BR Sulzer Type 2s 25155 and 25207 arrive at Exeter St. David's with the 12:28 ex Barnstaple on 23rd July 1978. 57'2191

flickr.com

The streaks on the front would be interesting to replicate I think, reminds me of photos of Westerns which often seemed to end up in the sort of condition I think because of the automatic carriage washers

Moving on a bit a '400' at Barnstaple in 1990: https://flic.kr/p/fnFtLa

A slightly grotty 31 at Exeter, I think your's is better :

31250 & 33022 Exeter St Davids 4 May 1985

The 16.07 Barnstaple - Paignton was terminated at Exeter St Davids on 4 May 1985 after 33022 failed near Chapelton, necessitating rescue by 31250.

flic.kr

And finally, a fairly sparkly 43 at Barnstaple on a railtour:

19900318 123 Barnstaple. 43099 Has Arrived With Hertfordshire Railtours 125 Special 'The Atlantic Coast Express' From Paddington

Explore 15038's 16446 photos on Flickr!

flic.kr

 

[Cowley]

I knew you had weathered at least some, but I want sure if you had the same rule as per your motive power.



You've more than likely seen some of these, some are probably out of period but if I may profer:

Double 25s arriving Exeter St Ds from Barnstaple in '78:

25s at Exeter St. David's, July 1978

BR Sulzer Type 2s 25155 and 25207 arrive at Exeter St. David's with the 12:28 ex Barnstaple on 23rd July 1978. 57'2191

flickr.com

The streaks on the front would be interesting to replicate I think, reminds me of photos of Westerns which often seemed to end up in the sort of condition I think because of the automatic carriage washers

Moving on a bit a '400' at Barnstaple in 1990: https://flic.kr/p/fnFtLa

A slightly grotty 31 at Exeter, I think your's is better :

31250 & 33022 Exeter St Davids 4 May 1985

The 16.07 Barnstaple - Paignton was terminated at Exeter St Davids on 4 May 1985 after 33022 failed near Chapelton, necessitating rescue by 31250.

flic.kr

And finally, a fairly sparkly 43 at Barnstaple on a railtour:

19900318 123 Barnstaple. 43099 Has Arrived With Hertfordshire Railtours 125 Special 'The Atlantic Coast Express' From Paddington

Explore 15038's 16446 photos on Flickr!

flic.kr

Actually I hadn’t seen any of those before. Might have to recreate the 31/33 combination.

 

[hexagon789]

Actually I hadn’t seen any of those before. Might have to recreate the 31/33 combination.

I think the 33 had failed. I had some of these saved to my Flickr account, but none were actually any of the ones I was originally looking for. There was a good one of a really clean 33 and then an almost 'before and after' type comparison with a beautifully filthy one!

For a rural branch line, the Barnstaple line has seen some pretty varied traction over the years. Often on such lines you get one class of train, maybe two but Barnstaple can probably count at least 4 loco and about 5 or 6 DMU classes as relative regulars from the late-1970s to 1990s.

 

[Cowley]

I think the 33 had failed. I had some of these saved to my Flickr account, but none were actually any of the ones I was originally looking for. There was a good one of a really clean 33 and then an almost 'before and after' type comparison with a beautifully filthy one!

For a rural branch line, the Barnstaple line has seen some pretty varied traction over the years. Often on such lines you get one class of train, maybe two but Barnstaple can probably count at least 4 loco and about 5 or 6 DMU classes as relative regulars from the late-1970s to 1990s.

I’ll do a mini recreation tomorrow night when I get time. Hopefully I’ve got the right combination of coaches as well.

Had a bit of a running session on my friends railway this evening and these were the pick of the photos.







That last one is my favourite. I’ve actually had both of those on the mainline - 37133 and 37035, and 37035 was on an HST drag in Devon too.

 

[hexagon789]

I’ll do a mini recreation tomorrow night when I get time. Hopefully I’ve got the right combination of coaches as well.

Had a bit of a running session on my friends railway this evening and these were the pick of the photos.

View attachment 96495

View attachment 96496

View attachment 96497

That last one is my favourite. I’ve actually had both of those on the mainline - 37133 and 37035, and 37035 was on an HST drag in Devon too.

The last formation looks excellent; you have to look twice to be sure it's a model.

 

[reddragon]

Do you use a static grass applicator for your grass? I was watching a demo on it.

 

[Cowley]

The last formation looks excellent; you have to look twice to be sure it's a model.

Here you go. That’s my version of the same train.
The delayed 12:25 from Barnstaple is finally on its way...

Do you use a static grass applicator for your grass? I was watching a demo on it.

Yes. I’ll try and find out which one I’ve got from my eBay history. Considering it was at the cheaper end of the market it’s very good.

Edit - @reddragon, it was this one:

+Power Static Grass Applicator Tufts Wargames Railway Scenery Terrain Loco Flock | eBay

Create perfect static grass tufts for wargaming / railway / diorama layouts (Or work directly on a layout). Takes 2 x AA batteries (not included). Easy use plastic hopper prevents spillage and is removable.

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[takno]

Looking absolutely great. I do keep wondering what the impact would be of taking still photos with a big old flash or bright light off in one direction. Typical layout lighting is good at providing enough light to film, but the lack of Shadows always seems just slightly off to me

 

[Cowley]

Looking absolutely great. I do keep wondering what the impact would be of taking still photos with a big old flash or bright light off in one direction. Typical layout lighting is good at providing enough light to film, but the lack of Shadows always seems just slightly off to me

That’d definitely be interesting. Sometimes in the mornings (well not much this year actually!) the sun blazes in through the window and gives some really nice shadows.
This was taken in that light I think but it’s quite an old photo and I’ve done more to it since then.



I’ll try and take some more when the weather gets better but I think you’re absolutely spot on with that.

 

[hexagon789]

Here you go. That’s my version of the same train.
The delayed 12:25 from Barnstaple is finally on its way..

Again, looks highly realistic. It really is a scale representation of the photo

This was taken in that light I think but it’s quite an old photo and I’ve done more to it since then.

It still looks amazing though!

 

[Peter C]

Those three photos all look really cool @Cowley - they really show off the stock and the layout itself.

-Peter

 

[reddragon]

To achieve that realism in N gauge is amazing, you clearly have good close up vision & photography skills!

 

[Peter C]

To achieve that realism in N gauge is amazing, you clearly have good close up vision & photography skills!

Either that, or he's got a collection of superb colour photos from the time, and is slowly sharing them...

-Peter

 

[reddragon]

Either that, or he's got a collection of superb colour photos from the time, and is slowly sharing them...

-Peter

What an accusation!

 

[Peter C]

What an accusation!

And now we're back to last night's pub brawl* - and I seem to have joined (well, blundered into, really)

-Peter

*for those just tuning in - see posts #422-#429 in this thread: https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...t-oo-gauge-layout.211382/page-15#post-5140902

 

[reddragon]

And now we're back to last night's pub brawl* - and I seem to have joined (well, blundered into, really)

-Peter

*for those just tuning in - see posts #422-#429 in this thread: https://www.railforums.co.uk/thread...t-oo-gauge-layout.211382/page-15#post-5140902

OK @Cowley accused me, you have accused @Cowley , my turn next

 

[Peter C]

OK @Cowley accused me, you have accused @Cowley , my turn next

This is like EastEnders - but much better. I'm to call the BBC at once, and demand at least one full hour of their finest tele-broadcasting time! This is surely 'good content', as it would be called on social media.

-Peter