Frankland

SouthernBoy · Post by **SouthernBoy** » Tue Dec 04, 2007 6:59 pm

Frankland update No. 6:

As pilots approach Croydon Airport for landing one of the last navigation points they see is the gasometer at Frankland.

So the gasworks are all but finished and here are some pictures ..

In the foreground is the platform to receive coal trains. The platform serves both the gasworks and the local coal yard. The small corrugated-iron building to the very left of this picture is the coal yard office - and there will also be coal-staithes here. The platform surface and a few other details are still to be done - and the track has to be laid.

Here's another view looking across to Victory Road. The mess at the bottom of the platform ramp is an small area awaiting paper-mache to build it up and then landscape.

Today I've experimented for the first time with static-grass on bits of card. So far I'm very pleased with the results and I can't wait to get started properly. The first areas which will receive the treatment are the little lane which runs behind the gasworks and the wasteland beyond, which you'll see in the next few pictures.

So that's the end of this update. Comments and suggestions always welcome.

Next jobs are the retaining walls across the back of the layout, the tunnel entrance where the tracks dive under Victory Road, and the area between the the two sets of ascending/descending tracks. Next time I'll include some trains too !! (I've just invested in a couple of coal wagons, but could do with more.)

Cunni · Post by **Cunni** » Fri Dec 14, 2007 3:02 pm

Looking good! I do like the gas works and yard, very effective!

SouthernBoy · Post by **SouthernBoy** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 9:20 pm

Frankland update No. 7:

Well I'm quite please with progress over the last few weeks because what previously looked like a baseboard and tracks with a few bits of scenery stuck here and there, is starting to look a little more coherent at last.

First up are the retaining walls along the cutting. I made these from Plasticard and I am really chuffed with the results. There's about 5' of walling in all. Construction didn't take too long once I'd got myself a little production line going - but it did take me quite a while to work out colouring / weathering schemes that I was pleased with. But my favourite part of all - Static Grass! - this is the first time I've used it - and I love the stuff.

I bought some wagons so that I have something to run into the platform at the gasworks. I still need to grass the roadsides and add a few other details to bed the gasworks and platform into the ground better.

For Christmas I got another M7. Here you see it pulling the goods train out past the carriage sidings.

Next up my two M7s together ... they are quite irresistible. I have quite a job stopping myself buying more - although I don't yet have any in Maunsell green

Here are the carriage sidings again. In the foreground will be a parcels and light goods platform / office.

Now some passenger operations: Here's a commuter train climbing the incline to Victory Road Station. The locomotive is the Farish weathered 4MT, and very nice it is too. You can see it better in the third image at the top of this post.

The Boat Train coasts down in the opposite direction.

On the left of the main lines in this picture you can see the other section of retaining wall I recently completed - which is in Southern Railway pre-fab concrete.

And that's it for now. Comments and suggestions always welcome...

mumbles · Post by **mumbles** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 9:27 pm

Stunning
You should be well proud of that:
Retaining walls, brick and concrete look superb, in fact it all looks amazing.

Photos of the month for sure! Great building, and some great stock running on it. A thoroughly convincing layout

cheers
michael

peak · Post by **peak** » Sat Jan 19, 2008 11:30 pm

Loverly retaining walls in that cutting.
Must have taken hours!
Very convincing detail.
I'm particularly impressed with the change of material for the other retaining wall. Using something different like the pre-fab concrete is good attention to detail. (it could have been so easy just to carry on with brick!).

Chuffer Chuff · Post by **Chuffer Chuff** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 1:23 pm

This layout is simply superb! Very well done!

I love the work you have done with the scenery and the retaining walls!

Keep up the great work!

Blaqkaudio009 · Post by **Blaqkaudio009** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 2:01 pm

the M7's look really great together!

cookiescrumble · Post by **cookiescrumble** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 4:33 pm

Brilliant stuff. I know what you mean about the difference when you start to get the scenery done.

sanctuary · Post by **sanctuary** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 5:16 pm

Excellent work, and great progress.

SouthernBoy · Post by **SouthernBoy** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 11:47 pm

Thanks for your comments each and everyone - really much appreciated.

I often find that looking at photos of your own layout is like seeing it from a completely different angle - and looking at the pictures the one thing I'm not happy with is my ballasting - to me it looks too shallow. What do you think ? I'm inclined to give it another once-over ...

mumbles · Post by **mumbles** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 12:10 am

SouthernBoy wrote:Thanks for your comments each and everyone - really much appreciated.

I often find that looking at photos of your own layout is like seeing it from a completely different angle - and looking at the pictures the one thing I'm not happy with is my ballasting - to me it looks too shallow. What do you think ? I'm inclined to give it another once-over ...

i hadn't really noticed but now you have said i can see what you mean. i would be inclined to try to get the ballast flush with the top of the sleepers, in the middle and on the outside of the tracks. if you can summon the will to do it again that is, as i said it didn't scream out at me
this is how i did 009 track

hth
michael

Superb · Post by **Superb** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 8:30 am

Always good to see a Frankland update. Those retaining walls look good and fit in with the rest of the excellent work.

I agree the permanent way gang should revisit the ballast and beef it up a bit. I think getting the level up to the sleepers will also help to minimise the overscale height of code 80 track.

Keep up the good work, look forward to the next update.

DaveT

Infrontcat · Post by **Infrontcat** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 1:38 pm

Great to see an update and more shots of your splendid SR station

Good to see the carriage sidings are coming along apace and I look forward to seeing the area around the gas tower and goods yard developing more. Good to see some waggons in the freight bay too!

Cheers fella, great job as ever

Tim

Blaqkaudio009 · Post by **Blaqkaudio009** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 4:03 pm

hey, what are you using for grass? as in what make of grass? and how did you do it? because i bought some from a games workshop, the only place i could find in shrewsbury selling it, and they said 'just sprinkle it onto wet paint and it will work fine'...it didnt!
cheers

chrisalddin · Post by **chrisalddin** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 6:07 pm

man that looks good