7mm Layouts and Dioramas by Stephen Fay, including Pontycwm, Newton Mills and St Stephens Bank

[Compton castle]

Whilst @King John works on the KESR track adding the tie bars and gauge straps to the pot sleepers I’ve been busy on the scenics at St Stephens. Todays job was adding more grass, hedgerows, wild flowers and lineside fencing.
Building up the sand along side the branch track before painting and a little more ballast and then finally the lineside fencing

 

[Compton castle]

Made up a simple platform surface for the new station project, this will have a brick face added and a laser cut slab platform top.
The black line represents were the footbridge and overall roof will go providing the main scenic break.
A girder bridge will produce the scenic break this end

 

[chigley]

Ihope your not drawing on the wall

 

[Compton castle]

Today seen the castle wall carved in foam board and temporarily mounted, next to that will be the Station Hotel and then some Ranelagh bridge style tenements.
That should provide a great backdrop especially photographing trains from a low angle

 

[Compton castle]

Phil at Intentio has laser Cut the platform edging for me and I will be collecting it this Saturday at Kettering.

 

[Compton castle]

I’ve made up a york model makers footbridge this evening well part of it, this will be for the Dawlish project with the correct signal in front
The other flight of steps will be used on St Stephens general station and will provide access from the raised road
I collected this lovely sidelines Stanier sleeper at Kettering along with Kirton Lindsey tunnel from Monks Gate Models and will be the next diorama underway

 

[Compton castle]

A rough mock up of the road level ticket office and the steps that provide access to the platform.
I will ask York Model Makers to make me a straight bridge kit that will provide pedestrian access across the rails with a large low relief girder road bridge behind.
Lots of metal work this end for the scenic break. Behind the ticket office and steps will be the Ranelagh Bridge west London style tenements with the Castle Hotel as the main central back drop. Next job is to glue on the brick platform edge and then I can start track laying using all individual components.

 

[Compton castle]

Fencing progress at Haskins hill on st Stephens bank, gauge straps now in place on the KESR diorama, track template glued down on St Stephen’s General and a king on a North West train.

 

[Compton castle]

My fortnightly visit to St Stephen’s bank
We catch the Newquay to Newcastle
And a West to North
The last of the sand along side the track added, I can finalise the ballast next then grass and fence

 

[Compton castle]

The girder bridge sides have arrived from Torri laser, these will be sandwiched between plastruct trussing plus the printed girder sections
Along with some pipe runs and lots of rivet detail
This will be the scenic break on the right side of St stephens general station.

 

[Compton castle]

The fencing marches on along the main line at St Stephens
It requires paint next

The ballast edge is being made up along the Torcombe branch, it will take another application yet
Before being blended in with weathering
Another tall tree has arrived from France, I’ve swapped them around and placed the newer one above Holloway tunnel
The sleepers are being laid on the station project and the pit glued in place today.

 

[Compton castle]

The last details added to the KESR diorama, another pair of road signs for the opposite side of the crossing.
The first day on the Kirton Lindsey project, the board framed up and the track laid over a printed plan so we have the correct 60’ panels and the cutting sides carved out of polystyrene.

 

[oldravendale]

The last details added to the KESR diorama, another pair of road signs for the opposite side of the crossing.

Steve. I'm in awe of the stuff you create so quickly but just a question. As a country which drives on the right would both road signs before the crossing not be on the left side of the road? I don't remember from my earliest days of driving ever seeing road signs on the right hand side of the road.

This is based on experience, not any knowledge, and I'd love to see the prototype.

Brian

 

[Compton castle]

Steve. I'm in awe of the stuff you create so quickly but just a question. As a country which drives on the right would both road signs before the crossing not be on the left side of the road? I don't remember from my earliest days of driving ever seeing road signs on the right hand side of the road.

This is based on experience, not any knowledge, and I'd love to see the prototype.

Brian

That’s a good point.
To be honest I don’t know, as the road is curved I’ve taken the railway perspective and where there is a bend a signal would on the opposite side for sighting purposes.
The picture that gave me the inspiration the sign is just on the left.

 

[oldravendale]

Actually that's a difficult one, Steve. I don't know quite how the "Trains Cross Here" sign would be positioned vis-a-vis the "Crossing no Gates" sign. In fact would both be used for the same crossing? I have to say they look perfect as they are so this may be an absolutely meaningless question.

Brian

 

[daifly]

The red triangles would have red edges and the rectangular signs would have black edges!
Dave

 

[Compton castle]

Bauxite base brick red sprayed on today

 

[Compton castle]

Planted a pair of Birch trees today along with some more ballast on the branch line
South wales Pullman is a little lost !

 

[Compton castle]

A weekend of differing projects, First up is a GW Felix Pole 21ton coal open. I choose a Blaenavon wagon as it’s close to my home. A few wafts of grey and the stressing begins with rust washes and wiping away, plenty more to do yet.
Then we have another Intentio GCR line side PWay hut for Kirton Tunnel, sticking with Intentio the Bothy is now in base brick, this is destined for a clockwork layout in Scotland once complete and finally a mock up of Aneurin bridge for St Stephens general station. I collected the laser cut platform tops yesterday from Philip Healey Pearce.
Also a very nice surprise to see Box tunnel at the Newport show yesterday

 

[NHY 581]

Morning Steve,

Good to see you and glad you liked the Hawksworths.

Rob.