Barchester

So that's August over and done with. Not a great month for modelling I have to say, what with visitors and the very hot weather. Never mind this is another month starting, the summer visitors, although very welcome, have gone, and the weather should start cooling down soon so it will be back to work on Barchester.

The first thing is to check the whole layout for accumulated dust and debris after what has been almost a month without use. I know there will be dead flies and other insects, plus all the tarnish that will inevitably have collected on  the track. Track cleaning, yuk, a job I hate as I always seem to be able to break something during the process. Back in the UK I used one of these electric track cleaners but was never convinced that it did what the adverts said it did so always kept a trusty Peco cleaning block handy, and still do as at the moment it is my only method of track cleaning.

I have made some progress with the barges that are needed and here are a couple of pictures that show what has been done. Five barges in all, three low sided, very simple efforts and two others slightly higher and with a different layout. Nothing complicated at all as I don't think this kind of model needs much detail, there not being much in the prototype. That's my excuse anyway. One of the pictures shows the plain cut outs and the other the start of construction.

Click on image for a larger picture.

Click on image for a larger picture.












Sorry about the quality of this next image, again, but it needs putting in because it shows the three smaller barges in the next stage of construction with the base and side added to two of them while the third has both sides in place.












Click on image for a larger picture.











A stage further in the construction and you can see how simple the design is and how easy to put together. Strengtheners have been added to the hull, front and rear, and the small deck pieces are scribed and dyed ready to be fitted.










Click on image for a larger picture.












At last, all five barges completed and fitted out with different cargo. As you can see they are of two different types. Not much difference I agree but it makes for a bit more interest while making them, and again when they are in situ on the layout.










Click on image for a larger picture.

The next two pictures will show the barges hard at work in their proper places on Barchester.

Click on image for a larger picture.

Click on image for a larger picture.










Have been busy the last few days adding many more links to web sites, suppliers and articles on model railways. The majority of them will be found under the Barchester  Updates  section which I try to keep as up to date as possible. This site is growing quite quickly now and should be a helpful resource for both the new, and not so new, railway modeller.

Still piling the information into the this web site and also getting round to what will probably be the final project for 2006, i.e. the mechanical horses. Looking forward to some lengthy operating sessions now the autumn is fast approaching.

I have finally got 24/7 access to the internet, not broadband I hasten to add, still the old dialup. I can live with it though because the ONSPEED program makes it possible for me to use fairly heavily illustrated web pages like these on Barchester without it seeming a lifetime while things upload and download. That's the end of September then folks. Not a bad summer for Barchester really and the heat doesn't appear to have done too much damage. Great. See you all next month.





Top Of Page.