21st and 24th April 2023

Worklist:

Loading dock building cladding and roof.

Tunnel mouth.

Cottages steps and footpath.

Other business interrupted our normal Wednesday sessions, but time was found to carry on the work.

Stephen concentrated on the loading dock building. Geoff's laser cut doors were fixed in place. Ironmongery and sliding door gear will follow. 

The profiled metal roof was slowly built up culminating with a pressed metal coping. 

Geoff completed the arch stone ring and after carving away excess plaster from the tunnel interior, glued a strip of stonework inside, to match the outside. 

The arch mortar joints were filled and painted. The final section of track was ballasted to match the new board track. This wasn't required when the the bridge only faced onto the fiddleyard. Additional foliage was later added to the tunnel face, to disguise the board joint.

Stephen made doorsteps from layers of thick plasticard, which were weathered and shaped before being glued onto the building. Discussions ensued regarding the footpath construction. We'd decided in the beginning not to pave or tarmac it, preferring a rougher surface - hard natural materials. The surface was rubbed down with coarse sandpaper and a base colour of grey/brown applied. A grit/dust surface finish will be decided and applied next time.

Wednesday 5th April 2023

Worklist:

Cladding to loading dock.

Grass and scrub to hillside.

Form an arch on the bridge.

Geoff wanted to work on the hillside scenics, so it made sense to bolt the bridge board in place to be able to work across the joint. He then removed, re-shaped and re-glued the bushes (third-hand rubberised horsehair from Cottesmore days), adding more greenery. 

Stephen continued to add corrugated iron to the loading dock building. In-between contact glue applications, he reassessed the door blanks he'd made, but they just didn't come up to scratch. Looking at the workshop building, Geoff's sliding doors were just what was needed. These were laser cut basswood and the frame/planking details were straight and crisp. Geoff couldn't find the drawing files, so he will recreate one to suit the dock doors and cut a set. (He said he'd have to work out how to use the laser, but it won't take him long).

Geoff moved on to the bridge 'tunnel'. This always sat directly in front of the backscene and had never been finished off to match the spectators side. He cut away the area where the tapered arch stones should have been and started to make the individual card arch stones. The joints will be filled with filler and everything painted and weathered.

A gap in the stonework abutting the bank will require more Slaters stone sheet, but we couldn't find any. Further searches are required, or the stonework will have to be replicated by hand, in plaster. Geoff has always had a bee in his bonnet about the inside of the tunnel. This time, he plans to 'do it properly' (whatever that means).