Progress on Tankerton Town

Not a lot of posts on progress, but today ran a loco to test the layout after bringing it in from the shed. A track clean and the loco ran over part of the layout, mainly the fiddle siding and bay platform. Ran into the main platform but the point has become unsoldered so will need some attention.

Snagging list to do.

Video link here

https://photos.app.goo.gl/nzDNECUcXB9ekTpe8

Low relief for Tankerton

Brought 3 of the Greenwood TT:120 wood laser cut kits. TT:120 I hear you ask? Plan for forced perspective to hid the fiddle siding at the back of the layout on Tankerton Town.

Construction so far from rainy Essex 

Further progress 2/1/23

First stage painting 8/1/23 - Coat of red oxide primer to seal the wood and act as as base coat. Then acrylic paint, Sienna & raw umber apples by sponge. 24 hrs to dry then next stage.

Adding the mortar course - pre cleanup. Ready mixed filler is applied and wiped off straight away leaving the mortar lines, simple but effective.

Close up of the brick effect

Latest progress 

Celebrating Terrier 150

Long time in completion, but started this 3mm Albion Terrier kit awhile back. Originally planned for Wimblehurst Road I thought it would be a good model for the 13.5 layout as Wimblehurst needs a rebuild to make it more portable for exhibitions.

So set to work on the Terrier and have almost completed the body, she even has a name Daphne. If your wondering the story, originally Daphne was purchased by the Colonel for the Shropshire & Montgomeryshire railway and was sold back to the Southern Railway around 1946 as source of spares and there she lingered on the Eastleigh scrap road until being cut up. 

My story goes that the works foreman took pity and they restored her to her former glory to work out of Tankerton Town shed as they were short of small locos to work the push/pull.

Addendum: Thanks to a donated chassis, will now run as 14.2 gauge on the refurbished/mark II, Wimblehurst road.

E1 started

E1 - had to hack front splashers out - out with the filler to accommodate the wider 13.5 gauge. Using a pannier 3smr chassis not strictly correct but near enough.

SER signal box update

Work progresses on the signal box. All four sides are fitted, a floor added and the staircase fixed to the box. I decided not to use the lobby and have found an example at Sandling Jct

(Photo from Brian Hart's Hythe & Sandgate branch)

The lobby I may use as a stand along privacy (even signalman have to meet the call of nature!). 

There is also a nice drawing of the box to 2mm scale in the book.

I had wondered what sort of chimney the box had and the photo/drawing has answered the question, brick plasticard and 3D chimney pot should sort that out.

For now I have test fitted the roof, as although the back of the box will face the viewing side, it cries out for interior detail! Once everything is in place I shall spray undercoat the box after washing it in iso alcohol as suggested to remove the moulding solution.

SER signal box

Further to my post on 3mm items by Dexter's Cove, the signal box turned up just after Christmas, becoming my second New Year project.

Here is what you get for £25

photos of construction will follow in due course.

Goods Shed for Tankerton Town

Tankerton Town my 13.5 3mm layout features different bits from the constituent companies that went to make the Southern Railway.

For the Goods shed I have chosen the building from Ventnor Town on the Isle of Wight. I have always been fascinated by the islands railways and their olde world charm so the goods shed is ideal.

This is my first attempt at using Das modelling clay formed on a shell of 3mm MDF and using the method from Chris Nevard (thanks Chris)

Pleased with progress so far. Here are a couple of photos of the prototype found via Google.

(Photographer unknown)

These were taken after the station had closed in the late 60's.

dexterscove.com

New supplier of 3mm buildings - have this one on order as the right size for Tankerton Town & SECR to boot!

Tankerton Town layout update

Have done some more to the bridge using weathering chalks and sprays. The signal are fitted and now work. I also remodelled the station frontage, repositioning the station building to spread it out a bit.

Still a lot to do, but getting there.

Tankerton Town - Signal fitting

15mm drill bit arrived today, so able to fit the 2 N gauge Dapol signals onto the board. One on the left is the GW (I know!) Lower quadarent home. The finial needs replacing to represent the Mackenzie and Holland type (3mm Society casting) then should be fair reesentation of an SR lower quadarent type.

Fitted by the bay platform is an LMS upper quadarent, purely there for siting and wiring purposes which will eventually be replaced with the GW LQ type as per the main platform. Both signals will powered by a 9v battery and push to make switches.

I also have a couple of John Walkers SR ground signals which I hope to have working but at the moment still trying to work out how.

Not finished the bridge yet, wing walls, parapets and buttresses to add plus weathering, but pretty pleased so far. The photo cruelly shows the paper has bubbled, hopefully a protective coat of varnish will help after weathering.

Bridge update

Bit more work to the bridge last night also sorting signals.

Progress on Tankerton Town