Industrial Unit in 4mm scale

Inside support wall and ridge in. The 2mm mounting card ran out so I was forced to rummage in the bin for something else to use...it's what I do best.

Rhiw industrial unit

The art of the typical. Railway land and mid 1980s - means industrial units and with the last few inches of Llynfordd's boards to cover the last thing to do is build the unit. Quite a few photos have been taken, but I wanted totally boring, not just the exciting front view, but the rear with nothing happening. This was the general model. A bit of brick counting gave the general dimensions:

Most of these units seem to be 2.5 floors high with an outward brick foot of 8' high. So the back wall came out at 180mm x 95mm. Just one single internal push-bar door to relieve the plain wall.

And a lot of jiggling around to get the sides the right length. Three walls up... internals rear and roof to go. My favourite construction of left over 2mm card and Slaters sheet. The alarm is a 2mm phone cabinet left from the Unnycoombe station kit, the light over the door a bit of square sprue. Cost so far; maybe a pound.

Mrs F and I dropped into Gaugemaster on Saturday. She pointed out the similar Skaledale building on the shop layout and raised an eyebrow. I pointed out the £33 price tag... A unit is three quid, thirty three is almost dinner.

Kerr Stuart Plan

After a bit more of a return to 009 this week - more of that later - thoughts turned to the small pile of chassis in the drawer. We had a 60hp Kerr Stuart running on Wood End, it was sold with the layout and as far as I'm aware is still with it. That particular model was a bash using the Meridian kit bonnet, a stretched frame and slightly longer cab to fit over the Bachmann diesel. I read recently that the Meridian bonnet is a bit short so laid a Bachmann chassis over a Wessex mob drawing that I'd found in a folder. Now without checking the bonnet does look longer and the chassis fits into the drawing with a couple of mil to spare; although optically it doesn't look like it here.
Just out of shot is the 90hp version which is about the same size, but without the distinctive bonnet. Could be two diesels comming up.

Who you gonna call...

Thoughts have turned in recent days to what some would call signature elements to Rhiw the most important being dating and place. What I've found so far is that it was easier to get information about WR in 1965 for Unnycoombe than it is currently to get the same for S Wales in 1985. You would think that as I was in a cot in 1965 and adult in 1985 that the later would be easier. It was decided that a good way to 'plant' the period would be a couple of posters on the shelter. A contemporary fare dodger one was found, then the thoughts turned to films. Wikipedia gave me not only a list of high selling films of 1984/5 but posters too. A conversation with Mrs. F. concluded that as they were to be shrunk down to 10mm wide that the bolder graphic ones would work better. Back to the Future was rejected as it was mostly text, as were the Harrison Ford epics. The above came top. And I've never even seen it.

Ballast for Rhiw

Usually at this point I get all arty and start making trees and the like. Not here. This is a different beast; it's more like gardening. What I'm aiming for is wasteland. The track was ballasted in the normal manner, laid dry and dilute PVA dropped on via a syringe. It's been done in visually different sections: the 'main line' in reasonably clean magnesium chips knocked down with a little ash, the 'new relaid' crossover in pure magnesium and the exchange siding and head shunt in declining quality weeds and dross. The in between bit below where the track is lifted is a mix of tea leaves, ash and green foam. By the time we get down to where the loco stands at the end of the exchange headshunt it gets really shitty. I've used two types of ash: the first is from my grandfather's apple tree which is a beautiful chocolate colour and running out fast, the other the standard rubbish which is from beech, ash and pallet-wood which is 'orrible grey and lightweight. the below is mainly this and coal dust. Yes I know Class 37s don't use coal, but the result is the dirty-greasy slime that happens at engine stands. This is still drying and needs tidying up yet.

Still not sure about the PECO track.