esngblog

A little more progress on the new modules.  I’ve completed the ground cover and trees and bushes.

I’m pleased with the final scenic addition.  I wanted to model a pair of, albeit short, carriage sidings, and model the cleaning platforms.  It took some time to work out how to model something similar to the Southern concrete ones.  However, a length of Plastruct girder of the right height and width, sliced up to make the supports, and planked plastic card for the platform makes a fair representation.  The camera is, of course, cruel, and the platforms look good at normal viewing distances.

Today I’ve added some more fences and hedges and planted the telegraph poles.  The tunnel or bridge that is planned to cover the hinges between boards won’t get done for this years show, and I still want to add a few vehicles and figures.  However, I think that’s near enough, and these are meant to be ‘working’ modules, to be regularly used by the club and its members.  I’m wondering whether the signal box needs some point rodding – but I think this is probably too fine a detail for the board.  The Farish platelayers ‘hut’ matches the signal box really well.

And finally, I have a name for the modules.  It’s a poor memorial, but I’ve decided to name these new modules, “Saggers Sidings.” It does have a certain swing about it, but the layout will be missing the necessary curry house….

Suddenly there’s less than three weeks to the show, and I was intending to get these modules finished, or at least nearly finished.  So I’ve been at work with the ModRoc and brown paint and multicolour flock.

The factory buildings are planted, and there’s a fine lawn outside…..

And the ground still needs a few trees and bushes…..

But we’re getting there!

We’re still progressing with the new ESNG fiddle yard, though next Monday will be the last session till after the exhibition.  I finally got around to designing the control panels…..

As if that wasn’t enough, I’ve also got into the sun and done a little gardening.  It’s always a surprise when I add a little new oil and petrol to the lawn mower after the winter, and it actually starts.  I’m not sure Havant in pre-grouping days was as hectic as life is now!

And this is a good read.  “‘I’m proud to be called a nerd!’ The pop and rock greats who love model railways”

But I didn’t.  I often visit this excellent show with an old work colleague, but he decided not to go this year.  I didn’t want to fight the Saturday crowds, and Sunday not only were there loads of railway engineering works, but I was leading morning service and then refereeing the church AGM.  I gather it was the usual good display.

However, my weekend was well spent progressing my N-mod modules.  Last week was a busy one, but I completed the buildings needed for one half of the layout.  Some of the buildings came from the Farish range, but I had an enjoyable time making up the Ratio kits for the war-time signal box, and the characteristic Southern concrete platelayer’s huts.  The signal box has a full interior, but it’s hard to see unless the light is right.

For the other half of the layout, I decided to have an industrial area.  Walthers US kits and my gloat cupboard came to my rescue here.  The left hand building is a low relief office/factory building, but with the ground floor removed so that the buildings will fit when the boards are folded in two.  The right hand one is a lucky build, really.  A few weeks ago, I sold on my Walthers modular sets of industrial building parts that I had picked up years ago.  They didn’t make a specific building, and I didn’t think that I would use them.  But now I needed a large industrial building…..

Fortunately, I had missed the largest set of parts, that made a complete building in a variety of configurations.  I mixed and matched the brick panels – looking quite like UK buildings – to make a low relief structure.  I would have liked to have used the pitched roof included, but it was badly warped, so I took the easy route and used a flat roof.  The end result is less than perfect, and the camera is cruel, but it makes an impressive large structure to fill one end of the boards.

Next task will be to begin the ground coverage, and think again about the removable tunnel section over the central hinges.  All to be complete (or nearly complete) by April 9th and the ESNG exhibition.

And finally, I came across this fairly accurate portrait…..