Garden Railway Forum

Thats looking great Phil and makes the platform in my humble opinion.
Would you be able to score the slate so it looks like individual tiles or slabs are laid. it would look even better I am thinking...

Also what is the name of those tiles Chris, I may have another idea for them if I just buy one and see what they look like.

Thanks Rod,

my earlier version with the plastic had a grey band along each edge but others said the platform would probably not have in real life.

I scribed lines to cut along using a tile scriber but it took three goes to make a good clear mark so very much doubt I'll be scribing the whole of nearly 10 feet of platform to look like slabs! It may get a coat of textured masonry paint to look more like tarmac/gravel. I have to get it fixed down first - silicone sealant my builder friend suggested.

I'm not sure what the trade name for the tiles is, I went into my local friendly builders merchant and asked for synthetic slate tiles, was offered riven or smooth. This is smooth and I could buy as few as one.

Phil

gilfachphil wrote: ↑Tue Aug 13, 2024 9:50 am Thanks Rod,

my earlier version with the plastic had a grey band along each edge but others said the platform would probably not have in real life.

I scribed lines to cut along using a tile scriber but it took three goes to make a good clear mark so very much doubt I'll be scribing the whole of nearly 10 feet of platform to look like slabs! It may get a coat of textured masonry paint to look more like tarmac/gravel. I have to get it fixed down first - silicone sealant my builder friend suggested.


Phil

A great improvement in appearance Phil. If you have the patience you might add a score line along both front edges and divide into slab sections. The rest could be textured to give a separate surface finish.
Silicone sealant is not an adhesive, how do I know that ??? There are several alternatives available and I'm sure other Forum members can give advice on the subject,

Thanks Peter,

it's relatively simple to score into slabs on the edges as you suggest and the lengthwise ones could be done most easily before fixing down, it is what I intended for the first version using the plastic.

As to adhesive:-

I had reckoned silicone would stick to the back of the tiles as they have texture but was uncertain about it adhering to the UPVC underneath.

Perhaps a solvent based 'Sticks like sh*t' product may be a better bet.

Phil

That might be a better option and scoring the UPVC surface should also give a better bond.

I have scribed stones along a scrap piece of slate:-
What do people think?

Phil

Tidy job Phil, certainly an improvement on the plain surface. It will tone down in time and become less obvious.

Unless I missed something, I didn't realise the platform top was slate. Looks good scribed.

A vast improvement and well worth the effort.

Mmm, I thought it would scribe well. For me I would have a go at random slate, it would really set it off I think. I don't like to push Phil, it's just my eye going overtime....

Looks good scribed. Are you going to scribe right across the surface or leave the middle part plain?

Rik

Thanks all,

the plan is to scribe down both edges and to leave the middle plain,

Phil

gilfachphil wrote: ↑Thu Aug 15, 2024 7:58 am
the plan is to scribe down both edges and to leave the middle plain,

Sounds like a good plan to me, it looks great so far...

A little progress with Bakewell:-
This is the footplate, it has an extra layer of side to go on each. There is a second layer of 1mm acrylic as the cab floor but this has the cab sides screwed to in from underneath so cannot be added at this stage. It is rather flimsy as it stands so I think I will glue it to the chassis once I have some paint on that. I shall have to mask the top edge of the chassis or it won't glue.

There is quite a lot of test fitting together to work out how best to complete the loco. The sample on display is very smartly painted and lined, such an intricate finish is beyond my skills so I am contemplating having the boiler and cab front sheet burgundy and most of rest of the body black. The boiler and cab front will be removable for access to the electronics and charging socket. The firebox and smoke box both screw to the chassis via the footplate, holding everything together.

The following pictures give a good idea of this. The observant amongst us will also spot wheels. See next post.


Phil

Wheels for Bakewell.

The kit uses Binnie spoked wheels and printed inserts which are a tight compression fit. They have a countersunk hole enabling a machine screw to be inserted from the rear for the crank pin. They are squeezed onto the axles, not forgetting to add brass bushes beforehand, adjusted for back to back and the crankpins aligned at 90 degrees to one another to give the quartering. This is a clever feature of these kits.
The connecting rods and crosshead were painted with grey primer. They are assembled onto the crankshafts using a plastic sleeve around the crankshaft, this is cut to length to protrude slightly beyond the one/two rods, and the nut can then be tightened gently against the sleeving, leaving a little thread clear for later application of thread sealer of some sort.

At this point the chassis should roll nicely, it does! The crank nuts unscrew very easily so this rolling test should be made on a clean surface so as not to lose any.

Here are views from the side and underneath:-
The pictures show what I intend to paint black, a few more parts to be added above footplate level. In order to do this the wheels have been removed, there is a keeper plate holding them in but there also needs to be disassembly of some of the conrods because they pass through the cross head slide bars support piece.

It will be much easier to get the cylinders painted with the footplate removed.

It's all a bit of a 3D puzzle to work out the order of painting.

More to follow. It was wet today so indoor work took place, more platform scribing tomorrow I think as it should be a lovely day again.

Phil

Shopping trip this morning, one item I collected was a tube of grab adhesive from Screwfix.

Outdoor work this afternoon. I scribed the longitudinal lines on all of the platform pieces and did the cross lines on the curved end (mostly) whilst doing which I decided it would be easier to do the rest once the slate was glued down.

At close of play the situation is:-
The full length, all now glued and weighted whilst the glue sets

The curved end with stones marked along both edges.

I painted all the cut edges with dark grey masonry paint. This is also much easier before the cross scribing is done which can easily be partly filled with paint.

Rod, I thought about the random slate idea but since each scribe line takes several strokes of the scriber following your suggestion would involve many errors!

Phil

How about this?


Phil

Just the job Phil. Very tidy, and permanent!

gilfachphil wrote: ↑Sun Aug 18, 2024 1:47 pm How about this

Cracked it!!

That looks good Phil

Very neat.

Rik