So this is more fun than serious but hopefully it could generate some interesting conversation. Some of you may have seen my crossing keeper's cottage on Facebook or Instagram (it blew up and there was a lot of interest1) It was really fun to make so I wonder what other buildings people might like to see of the same kind of modelling style?
(https://imgur.com/nlpodnI)
The prints seem to come out beautifully and the coloured pencil brickwork works really well.
Personally I'd love to do more Victorian village buildings - cottages, an inn and the like. But anything goes, it would be great to get an idea of what you think is missing and needed in the 2mm space.
Will.
Does a turntable count :bounce:
I was going to say Kenilworths first railway station but that was sandstone.
Your crossing keeper cottage was amazing though.
Will,
Not being on either Instagram or Facebook, would you be willing to share your crossing keeper's cottage photos on this forum please?
Cheers,
Geoff
Quote from: leachsprite4 on January 15, 2025, 10:07:09 PMDoes a turntable count :bounce:
For me yes, something like the no longer available ADM turntable, indexing etc.
No point in my opinion having one that's just there for show, you need to be able to use it and without derailments and have a live bridge for sound equipped locos. Peco one looks to be difficult to motorise and the other RTR are really expensive or just look wrong or both.
Craig
Quote from: Dalek on January 16, 2025, 09:51:55 AMQuote from: leachsprite4 on January 15, 2025, 10:07:09 PMDoes a turntable count :bounce:
For me yes, something like the no longer available ADM turntable, indexing etc.
No point in my opinion having one that's just there for show, you need to be able to use it and without derailments and have a live bridge for sound equipped locos. Peco one looks to be difficult to motorise and the other RTR are really expensive or just look wrong or both.
Craig
The Peco one is relatively easy to motorise with a Locomotec motor.
https://www.locomotech.com/
but it's not cheap.
Martyn
I would like to see something that would be difficult to scratch build.
How about a sewage works - complete with deckchairs :no:
Quote from: martyn on January 16, 2025, 11:19:21 AMQuote from: Dalek on January 16, 2025, 09:51:55 AMQuote from: leachsprite4 on January 15, 2025, 10:07:09 PMDoes a turntable count :bounce:
For me yes, something like the no longer available ADM turntable, indexing etc.
No point in my opinion having one that's just there for show, you need to be able to use it and without derailments and have a live bridge for sound equipped locos. Peco one looks to be difficult to motorise and the other RTR are really expensive or just look wrong or both.
Craig
The Peco one is relatively easy to motorise with a Locomotec motor.
https://www.locomotech.com/
but it's not cheap.
Martyn
Have you got one of these up and running Martyn ?
Craig
I've had one of these working, including a dcc chip, but unfortunately my layout is now dismantled due to a house move, and the table plus motor drive is now packed safely away.
Somewhere.....
Martyn
Quote from: Dalek on January 16, 2025, 01:06:54 PMHave you got one of these up and running Martyn ?
Craig
I had one up and running on Moorpark (also now dismantled). It wasn't particularly complex, I chipped it with an accessory decoder and ran it from my PowerCab controller. Obviously not indexed, but taking things slowly it was relatively simple to stop it in the right spot.
The Peco turntable itself though could really do with genuine wheels rather than moulded plastic as they tend to grab on the bottom of the pan and cause some jerking.
My sound-equipped Castle kept alive through the operation, the quick skip on the isolated section isn't noticable.
I've got a video somewhere, I'll dig it out.
Here's the video. Terrible quality as I was getting used to autofocus and zoom on the camera, but you get the idea. This was very early in the Moorpark build. The depot board was the first one I built.
Quote from: Belly on January 15, 2025, 10:23:00 PMWill,
Not being on either Instagram or Facebook, would you be willing to share your crossing keeper's cottage photos on this forum please?
Cheers,
Geoff
I haven't got many photos of it yet but this I snapped while testing coloured pencils to do the brickwork :).
(https://imgur.com/nlpodnI.png)
I'll be doing another one with a more prototypical mortar colour very soon.
Clearly there is appetite for turntables, very interesting!!
Will.
Some GWR wooden station buildings would be nice. And also various platform canopies to suit different regions - something with nice wrought ironwork, a bit better than the rather chunky laser cut wood ones on offer elsewhere.
Totally agree Rob.
There's a lot of expensive GW and SR buildings although they look OK, not for me and modellers are turning to 3D. Hellifield canopy is lovely though I have seen those modelling pre 1930s / 40s having to consider scratchbuild or 3D
Thanks Will.
That's very much appreciated and a lovely model to boot.
Furthermore, I like the use of pencils as, similarly, I use pastel pencils for the detail work and weathering on Metcalfe kits.
Cheers,
Geoff
I'll be doing another one with a more prototypical mortar colour very soon.
Clearly there is appetite for turntables, very interesting!!
Will.
[/quote]
Interesting your concern for mortar colour:-
In Telford my house had black mortar made from furnace ash and lime
In Norfolk it was whiter than sand because the local sea washed sand had salt residues and they used lime to bond.
Both properties about mid 1800s
Now in Kent in 1960s house the chose a cement/sand mix which is decidedly yellow. Our church is however held together with very grey looking mortar!
Good luck with your choice????
Quote from: Greygreaser on January 18, 2025, 03:36:48 PMInteresting your concern for mortar colour
Yes it varies so much by region that I'm just going to pick something that looks good to my eye in scale. I'm not going to even attempt a completely prototypical mortar because this building is M&GN but could be used on any layout/region really.
Will.
Hi there! What buildings in "N" would we/I like to see? Now that's a somewhat all-embracing subject...
However, my personal tastes/requirements travel in the direction of industrial subjects. Yes, I know that, for example, Metcalfe have a goodly range of C19 mills and breweries, but I'm rather more interested in buildings of a later date such as north-light factory buildings and art-deco style industrial buildings of the the late 1920s and 1930s. To be frank, I'm a little fed up with seeing so many breweries or woollen/cotton mill buildings on layouts - but if that's all there is available... I've had a shot at designing a rather simple art-deco style creamery building, which is now residing (parked?) on our Area Group layout; however, it is not yet incorporated into the layout - and it's quite likely to be moved a few times before finding a permanent site. My own layout needs a small creamery, and I'd really prefer a north-light building (possibly in an art-deco style). Metcalfe once produced a very acceptable, and adaptable, north-light building kit but have now dropped it from their range, as far as I know. Before anyone puts finger to keyboard, I have had the rather unenjoyable experience of constructing the Kestrel "modern" factory kit, and was very unimpressed with it and with the poor quality of the kit's components.
Well, the answer to the problem seems to be to scratch-build, and there are some lovely examples about to inspire us - look at the superb buildings on Roger Beckwith's "Wrenton" layout for example; or the buildings of "Pendon". Ready-to-plonk buildings are at present, most modellers may agree, rather costly alternatives, though many are very nice indeed, and I'd rather be a modeller than a plonker!
Turntables aren't buildings! But they're obviously of great use and also an item of visual interest on a layout - I have a Peco example on my layout, but it is manually operated... at present; what I'd like is to be able to operate it it using a simple hand cranked mechanism, but that's a project for the future. It would be rather nice to have regional/company turntable designs available.
As for wrought iron glazed canopies, etc., I would like to see some well thought out kits in either etched brass or nickle silver, rather like the many 4 mm scale bits and pieces for canopies that I stashed away during my EM days, made by Scale Link. Card or laser-cut wood components for these items are generally just not good enough for "N"!
It would be lovely to get a modern petrol station with a big canopy and a retail shop, with lights it would look great. Most of the offerings in this space seem to be of the 1960's type of service station.
I'm a fan of the ready to plonk buildings and would personally love to buy a GWR Loan Shed. I know that Osborn's make a kit, but that's not ready to plonk.
Not ready to plonk, but a modern petrol station forecourt...
(https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/gallery/148/6734-050225164128.png) (https://www.ngaugeforum.co.uk/SMFN/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=148988)
Would need some tweaking... and a building.