7mm Bleddfa Road

[Geoff]

Thanks for your input chaps, fortunately the gates just plug in place so its been fun trying different ideas out. Looking back through my various albums and magazines, old sleepers like I have modelled, or timber baulks with ash between them were more common on crossings in rural backwaters then metalled surfaces.

Geoff

 

[PMP]

I like the open, baulks and ash with grids look. However that may be an 'age' thing in that ungated and grids are perhaps a more modern style that I'm used to seeing, rather than the more old school manual labour intensive type.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Fortunately the latest issue of 'Railway Bylines' has not lead me into temptation this time Michael, an old back number was guilty of that! Suffice to say that I have been taking a fresh look at the crossing and am thinking of digging up the infill between the tracks and replacing it with some old sleepers.

I might even go further and remove the near crossing gate to open up the scene, and rehang the far gate so it opens inwards. Of course if I remove, and rearrange the gates then I'm going to have to install some cattle grids. To make things worse I have just come across some lovely cottages in the 'Landscape' magazine, which are crying out to be modelled and would work really well as a group of railway or quarry cottages......

I best go and lie down before I do something that I might regret

As you have a cottage next to the crossing the occupant(s) would become the crossing keeper(s) and would become a 'manned' crossing. However, as a 'manned' occupational crossing there would be no requirement to re-hang the gates to open across the tracks as there are examples extant today where this is not the case. The one here at Church Lane, Reedham doesn't appear to open across the tracks looking at the hinges though they are painted white and have the red warning disc.

You could always apply a pale white wash to the gates to make them more railway-like and at the same time it will turn them a grey colour more associated with weathered and exposed wood.

Personally I don't think an ungated crossing would work as you would have to place a small tree or large bush to act as the focus currently provided by the open far gate seen in the above photo.

However that may be an 'age' thing in that ungated and grids are perhaps a more modern style that I'm used to seeing, rather than the more old school manual labour intensive type.

Ungated grossings with cattle grids were more common on light and very little used lines, and are older and more widely used then we probably imagine.


I did make up an ungated crossing with cattle grids on a 7mm diorama several years ago and they take up more space scenically than a gated crossing. Ungated crossings on a minor road will also require the additional TRAINS CROSS HERE road signs.

 

[Gismorail]

Just stunning pictures

 

[Geoff]

Thanks for your comments chaps, I mentioned a while back that the crossing keepers cottage was no longer in use. The train crews now being responsible for the opening and closing of the gates. The scene is loosely based on an occupation crossing where I spent many a happy hour. The gates were a weathered silvery grey, and apart from a ‘Beware Of The Trains’ sign there was only the usual plate displaying the fourth shillings fine for not closing the gates. There was no cottage but there was a water softening plant on the other side of the crossing. The crossing is still there, and now displays moderate signage but the water softening plant is long gone. The cart track was rarely used even in the fifties and is now nothing more than an overgrown footpath.

Geoff.

PS. Thanks for the lovely photos and link Dave

 

[Geoff]

Well ladies and gents after faffing around with the crossing scene I have come full circle, and decided to retain the gates but with a timber crossing surface.......




The cart track is now narrower and the verges more overgrown, I've also given the cottage another wash of muck to tone it down a tad more, as under some lighting conditions it looked too chocolate box in appearance.



Coal empties rumble over the crossing on their way back to Kington and beyond.



For the last length of hedgerow I've gone back to basics and used rubberized horsehair with Woodland coarse burnt green foliage. Once I've teased the horsehair out the various pieces will be juggled around until I'm happy with its appearance..



The idea of planting some small trees behind the platform has been dropped in favour of some small bushes. Some brambles have forced their way through the fencing to spill out onto the platform, and some more long bleached grasses have started to take root.



I was asked to take some photos of a friends AC Cars Railbus which he intends selling on that well known auction site. He bought it from Tower Models who did a nice light weathering job prior to despatch. I think it looks rather at home at a deserted Bleddfa Road, in fact I've been exploring the idea of painting out the warning panel and applying some speed whiskers for my own use, now where's my medicine

Geoff

 

[MarkR]

Quite superb!
Mark

 

[Alan]

Brilliant as usual Geoff

 

[magmouse]

Geoff - as Mark and Alan have said, this is really superb work. It is all excellent, but the thing that I keep coming back to is the backscene - the sense of depth, light and atmospheric effects, with the hazy blue outline of mountains, is just wonderful.

Just one thought, if I may - the “Beware of Trains” sign looks like it it brass. All the real ones I have seen are cast iron, painted black with the letters picked out in white (or in shades of rust, of course). maybe a quick repaint while you are working on the crossing?

Nick.

 

[SimonT]

Geof,
total perfection and the best bit of modelling on here. The stone cottage has inspired me to have another go at getting the stone on my layout right. Thank you.
Simon

 

[simond]

Geoff - as Mark and Alan have said, this is really superb work. It is all excellent, but the thing that I keep coming back to is the backscene - the sense of depth, light and atmospheric effects, with the hazy blue outline of mountains, is just wonderful.

Just one thought, if I may - the “Beware of Trains” sign looks like it it brass. All the real ones I have seen are cast iron, painted black with the letters picked out in white (or in shades of rust, of course). maybe a quick repaint while you are working on the crossing?

Nick.

The sign is clearly a trick of the light / eye / screen / internet / whatever because on my iPad, it looks like slightly dirty/rusty white paint on black. I can see the “brass”, but that’s not the impression I get.

atb
Simon

 

[magmouse]

The sign is clearly a trick of the light / eye / screen / internet / whatever because on my iPad, it looks like slightly dirty/rusty white paint on black. I can see the “brass”, but that’s not the impression I get.

OK, that’s weird, it definitely looks like brass on my device, but not, it’s all good.

Nick.

 

[Compton castle]

As you have a cottage next to the crossing the occupant(s) would become the crossing keeper(s) and would become a 'manned' crossing. However, as a 'manned' occupational crossing there would be no requirement to re-hang the gates to open across the tracks as there are examples extant today where this is not the case. The one here at Church Lane, Reedham doesn't appear to open across the tracks looking at the hinges though they are painted white and have the red warning disc.

You could always apply a pale white wash to the gates to make them more railway-like and at the same time it will turn them a grey colour more associated with weathered and exposed wood.

Personally I don't think an ungated crossing would work as you would have to place a small tree or large bush to act as the focus currently provided by the open far gate seen in the above photo.




Ungated grossings with cattle grids were more common on light and very little used lines, and are older and more widely used then we probably imagine.


I did make up an ungated crossing with cattle grids on a 7mm diorama several years ago and they take up more space scenically than a gated crossing. Ungated crossings on a minor road will also require the additional TRAINS CROSS HERE road signs.

View attachment 187822

View attachment 187823

Wonderful scene, may I ask where you got the Trains cross here road sign ?

 

[simond]

OK, that’s weird, it definitely looks like brass on my device, but not, it’s all good.

Nick.

looks much more like brass on my work computer...

 

[Geoff]

Thanks to everyone who liked my latest update and posted such kind comments, to clear matters up the 'Beware of Trains' sign is brass. It was part of a selection of etched station signs by Derek Munday, the etch having since passed into the MSE/Wizard models range, to the best of my knowledge it is still available. The white lettering has gradually worn away over the years so repainting is another job that needs attending to along with the addition of telegraph poles, gradient and mile post and other small details. Steve asks where the 'Trains Cross Here' sign comes from on Dave's photo, I don't have a clue myself so perhaps Dave will enlighten us if he stumbles across this post.




Had I posted this photo then I might have got away with things .

Anyway I'll leave you with these shots taken from a distance.........



Thanks again .

Geoff
,

 

[michael mott]

Just wonderful!
Michael

 

[LarryG]

Pretty damn good overall Geoff. The steel minerals picture in monochrome conjures up empties returning from Brymbo over one of the numerous level crossings on the Fishpond Branch.

 

[Geoff]

Pretty damn good overall Geoff. The steel minerals picture in monochrome conjures up empties returning from Brymbo over one of the numerous level crossings on the Fishpond Branch.

Thanks Larry, hope you are keeping well? I’ve been missing your updates and am sorry to learn that you have sold up.

I remember chasing after Panniers around Brymbo and Minera and then carrying on to Llangollen via Worlds End. Happy days

Geoff

 

[Geoff]

Just wonderful!
Michael

Thank you Michael

 

[Geoff]

I caught 7416 pottering around in the goods yard during my lunchbreak today as she formed the return pick up goods to Presteign, Kington and all stations to Leominster.



Just waiting for the right away......



Since my last update the grass in some areas has grown a tad longer thanks to another layer of sun bleached static grasses. Brambles are spreading around the goods shed base and the area where the photographer is standing has also taken on a more overgrown nature.



A couple of empty oil drums are beginning to be swallowed by all manner of weeds, and the rail chairs of some old sleepers can just be seen poking out of the grass to the right of them. I'm in two minds as to whether to plant some foxgloves, or to just leave things as they are? Later today I hope to start putting the finishing touches to the goods yard, and the limekiln siding. Leaving just the telegraph poles to add, and the station fire buckets

Geoff