A simple Gauge 1 garden line

[Steve Cook]

Four more plants, its plant war time. In a different tack to try and get the b*ggers to grow quicker I'm cramming them in It worked for the Lonicera next to the shed so I'm hoping it will work on this bit of the line too - it gets plenty of sun and feed, but I think the varieties I put here are a bit more on the slow growing side. No idea why, so this is a bit of a hurry up for 'em. If they don't hurry up they'll get beaten - either way, I'll get plants that reach up to the line (and no prizes for guessing that there'll be a post which appears in a couple of years bemoaning the fact that I have to spend too long trimming before I can run )



The mud monster border has also grown a fair bit today. Initially I was a bit annoyed as its now bigger than I wanted, I'd forgotten how much earth you need to dig out for new plants to make room for the root ball and additional manure, but looking at it again has given rise to some other ideas which actually could work out quite nicely. I need to have a longer ponder...

 

[Steve Cook]

That looks brilliant!
Get that platform out there....
It hasn't rained so I'm off to cut the grass - may run the Minging Waddle later
Simon

Ta I'm pleased with how its turned out, well worth exchanging unstarted kits for plants (thank you to the purchasers, you know who you are )

As you say, its time to get the platform on the workbench and build the hut and fencing.

Have fun with the Waddle

 

[Phill Dyson]

That last pic is crying out for a nice bridge or viaduct Steve

I'm sure those plants will be helped into a growing spurt with all this rain..........every black cloud has a silver lining (I've got mi coat )

Phill

 

[Steve Cook]

That last pic is crying out for a nice bridge or viaduct Steve

I think you're right Phill The extra height from the earth makes it look a better proposition than it used to - I'm thinking a nice graceful single arch The box has grown enough around the post on the left hand side to be shaped back to form an embankment and I can do what ever I like with the mud pile at the moment. There might even be a 4 x 2 sheet of hardboard for mocking up in the loft somewhere (I might be able to find it now too ).

I'm sure those plants will be helped into a growing spurt with all this rain..........every black cloud has a silver lining (I've got mi coat )

 

[Simon Dunkley]

Mother Superior

Oh dear: he hasn't started dressing up again, has he?

 

[lancer1027]

Well Steve ,ive got to admit you have one hell of a cracking little branch line garden railway there mate. The planting has really made it work.
I like the mud monster too, gives it some width without being too OTT. The idea of a bridge/viaduct sounds great.
Look forward to the next installment

Rob

 

[mth]

Pray! What else does a kettle boil? (other than paint )

Tar.

(well you did ask)

 

[ceejaydee]

I have always liked the convenience of a raised line but have been put off the idea by the thought of heavy engineering (bricks and blockwork) or the unsightly appearance of a railway running on a continuous viaduct.
Green coloured woodwork and careful planting has given your line a very pleasing appearance and it certainly has become an integral part of the garden and adds to it rather than being viewed as a separate entity.
Hope that you had some fine weather for running this weekend.

 

[Steve Cook]

Cheers for the comments Gents

As part of my planning for a little continuous loop for running live steamers, I took some shots out of the back bedroom window - seeing as I haven't posted one for a while, thought it may be interesting to see the line from another viewpoint



CJD - The line is sort of a half way house between raised and ground level - its sits on average 20" above the ground level, a touch too low for live steam if you don't want to bend over, but high enough to prevent the helicopter view, well, it saves lying on the grass anyway The first paint on the woodwork was brown, I'm pleased I changed to the green too. Weather held out in periods this weekend, got a decent run yesterday and a good one again early this morning - a crap shot, but a decent amount of steam



Work has started on the platform shelter at last The basic shape has been formed from double sided pcb sheet, soldered together to give me a strong central core. I've cut up the individual planks for the outside, tonights job (whilst watching the snooker) is to make some panels to go inside, but with scribed lines rather than separate planks.

 

[Dog Star]

hate to break it to you, but your Brake Vans have shrunk in the rain..

Go on, the truth is that you have been looking at the track using IE8 at 400%.

 

[Steve Cook]

BTW, Steve... that last picture above... hate to break it to you, but your Brake Vans have shrunk in the rain....

They don't make 'em like they used to, bloody tumble dryers

 

[iploffy]

lol

 

[Steve Cook]

Got the outside cladding of the shelter done this week, its one of those glue a bit, leave it a bit, glue a bit more jobs as you work your way around the building. The planks are balse wood whilst the corner posts and door framing (although there will be no door) are all bass wood. They've all been glued into place with epoxy, I hope that will survive the rigors of outdoor life.



Off out for a BBQ now, interior panels and staining to come

 

[ceejaydee]

Looks very much at home there.
Love that 'tree' behind the platform.

 

[Simon]

Without wishing to decry the splendidness that is Gauge One as generally practised, that one picture already has more of the atmosphere of a real railway than most G1 model lines

Back in my own cracked world I have started work on my Preiser figures with a view to having some sort of platform scene out on the line in the not too distant future. I've also found a good picture of a wonderful prototype corrugated iron "glorified hut" on Delabole Station - where's me tinsnips?

Simon

Right, lunch over, back to strengthening shelves and re-arranging stock

 

[Steve Cook]

Cheers Simon, I look forward to seeing the figures

A little more progress, the hut has had the sill added around its perimeter and nail holes added at the ends and centres of each plank. No idea how the latter will look after staining, but it was only a few minutes to put them in with a needle so worth a try. The interior panels have been scribed and the bracing cut out, I need to glue that all into place now. Hopefully some more epoxy mixing and gluing tonight and possibly a bit of staining...

 

[Steve Cook]

Got the first coat of stain on yesterday, it was a mix of Jacobian Dark Oak with a bit of Black Ash in - no idea on what the mix is, it was left over from Dungeness Siding. It was left to dry overnight, then after getting home from work a glass fibre brush was used to lighten some planks and to remove any excess epoxy that had squeezed out between the planks, easy to spot as it prevents any staining of the wood.



Some homemade stains (leather shoe dye and 100% IPA) have been applied in a random fashion over the top, when dried I shall probably have another go with the glassfibre brush and stain to soften the colour changes.



All of the interior panel bracing was glued into place last night, I shall start staining that lot up after dinner.

 

[ceejaydee]

I can almost smell the creosote!

 

[Steve Cook]

Cheers Christopher
Started working up the colouring on the interior panels now, the aim is to try and produce the finish of planks that have not been painted or stained over their lifetime so they've got that slightly grey tone intermixed with the natural wood colour. I've also bled some of the external stain through sone of the planks and darkened up the bottom planks for damp thats gradually creeping upwards. Its all still a bit damp and shiny so hasn't photographed that well, but its heading in the right direcction (seat base, back and front edge are at the bottom of the shot)

 

[Steve Cook]

Last jobs for the evening were to paint the inside of the hut black and paint the outer sill white. For the latter I used a technique that Chuck Doan wrote about - essentially paint on and 'tape off'. I'm sure I remembered an additional hint from an Australian chap, but for the life of me can't recall his name - if it comes back into my addled brain I'll list it here as he produced some beautiful models. Anyway, the hint was to use turps before painting, it works wonderfully I didn't take any photos during the process as it all needs to be done pretty quickly but it boils down as follows

Assuming the base stain / colouring has been applied to the wood and allowed to dry
- Paint a thin coat of turps over the surface
- At about the point that the turps has dried, paint on a thin coat of acrylic
- Again, at about the point this is just dry, score along the grain with very light passes using a craft knife
- Rip off a strip of sellotape and stick it over the paint, pressing firmly, but not too hard.
- Rip the tape off to remove random strips and bits of paint.
- Repeat the tape on / tape off procedure as required.

This isn't the best example of what can be achieved, just Google 'Chuck Doan' for examples of this technique used to perfection, but for a small hut in the garden which will provide a bit of shelter for spiders it'll do nicely.