The 100th Post

Having spent a considerable number of the last 99 blog posts procrastinating about building a signal box it seems fitting to use the 100th to unveil that Apa now has a signal box.

OK, there is a lot of work still to be done on it, especially the brickwork on the corners, and the roof section is still separate whilst I make my mind up about whether to fit an interior. The base it is sitting on is temporary as well.

The attempts to add relief to the flat out of the box walls have had mixed success. On reflection I think I've been too subtle about it. but I think I need to wait and see what it looks like when painted.

This isn't going well!

Overall I think it has improved the overall composition of the scene. Its final position will be over to the right rather more so as to better relate spatially to the weighbridge hut from my normal viewing position in the office chair. Looking at the picture below it bigger than it does in the flesh for some reason. Possibly that is because of the overexposed roof.

The theory of the original plan was that the signal box would draw the eye away from the ends of the box and distract you from noticing that only half the station is modeled. My first impressions is that it has worked and it is also pulling the eye back from the join between the back scene and the hedge.

The Perils of Preservation Based Research

I'm not a dyed in the wool GWR fan, except for the narrow gauge lines they absorbed. So I've had to do a lot of catching up since I started this project in an attempt to eliminate obvious mistakes by the time things come to fruition. with Llanrhaiadr Mochnant.

So at the weekend we popped off to the Gloucestershire & Warwickshire, a line that has been on my must do list for some time. I actually don't get to visit many preserved lines these days.

I had been once before, but many many years ago. Generally I was very impressed. We traveled from Winchcombe to Laverton with a half hour stop at Toddington on the way back, which was just long enough to "do" the station, or to have a cup of tea if that was your inclination.

It all looked very atmospheric and Great Western. But here is the rub - since I don't know that much about the GWR how much can I trust the apparent authenticity? Look at the three pictures on this page. I suspect all three of them are in some way misleading if you used them to model the railway in GWR days

The trouble is you can end up trusting almost nothing. Would the crane have been that colour and in that sort of condition? Is that where one would have been situated? Would the area have been fenced off like that?

And here is a  perceptual issue to deal with:

The Aberdare Toad is painted a very dark gray. But look at the colour you can see in sunlight. It looks quite an ordinary light gray doesn't it? The gray in the shade in this photo is actually much closer to the "real" colour.