The goods yard revisited............

Since Penhydd first saw the light of day many changes have been made to the original plan and none more so than in the goods yard.  Originally I intended to use the goods shed from my previous model of Fairford but although it would fit the space available it looked way too big and out of place.  So as a temporary measure I used a Ratio Provender store kit which I had in stock, spinning a story that the old shed had been burnt down and so a modern replacement had been provided to take it's place.
Eventually I came to build the current shed which is loosely based on the one at Hemyock, and a small wooden office to go with it.
The yard crane which once stood on a small rectangular platform at the end of one of the sidings ended up being moved between the goods shed and the weighbridge office.

Turning back the clock I came up with these old photos, how things have changed !

The crane was scratch built using Slater's microstrip together with odds and ends from the scrap box.

Following the extension of the coal yard siding to the creamery the crane has been moved again and is now on the site of the old coal yard.

This is a view of the yard in it's current state, moving the loading gauge has made it easier to take photographs of trains arriving and departing.  I also think that the yard is more balanced the way it is now ?

Not content with that I moved the loading gauge to where the crane stood !  

Like the signals the loading gauge is removable for routine maintenance such as track cleaning.  It is attached to a brass base to which some tube has been soldered to form a peg.  The whole model then locates in a hole drilled into the baseboard. 

Having made the latest changes, the goods yard now looks like this........

A couple of empty ex PO wagons and a solitary van await the arrival of the pick up goods.  I think the whole yard has a spacious open feel to it, with the overgrown track suggesting an air of neglect.  This is how I remember a typical country goods yard, for the best part of the time nothing ever happened.  The yard crane had long since rusted up and the only sign of life was the coal merchant unloading wagons.

A fence made from scrap corrugated iron sheets is slowly being added along the coal yard perimeter.  The tree casts some lovely shadows over the bridge entrance.  I plan on adding more hedges and bushes along the profile board edge as well as fencing.

The coal merchants office has been made from some left over kit components and the corrugated iron roof is from Slater's sheet material cut into strips and overlaid as per the real thing.  A standpipe and tap is attached to the front wall, other detail will include coal sacks and scales together with an assortment of tools.  There is far more space between the milk tank and the bridge walls than the photo would have you believe ! The long grass and overgrown track has been built up by applying static grass to both Silflor mat and bare baseboard.

The best static grass fibres that I have come across are by miniNatur, being available in several different lengths and natural colours. To apply them I just use my old faithful Puffer Bottle, I can't really see the point in buying an expensive applicator or modifying an electronic fly swatter because with a little care and practice the Puffer Bottle works well.  The trick is to separate the fibres between finger and thumb before loading it, hold it at ninety degrees and as close to the surface as you can.  A thin coat of neat PVA is brushed over the area to be covered or if applying on top of other scenic material then artist spray mount or hairspray is used.
It is best to use dark fibres first followed by lighter ones, which will give you a dark green base to the grass blades and a straw coloured sun bleached tip so typical of the grass found on railway embankments and rough ground. 
So apart from the small detail the goods yard is more or less complete, this means the creamery can now be completed and not before time !


However before I start to do that our old friend 1455 deserves a mention and will form the next update later this week.