Alpha Mill

Outside the fence.
ralphrobertson
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Re: Alpha Mill

Postby ralphrobertson » Mon Feb 04, 2019 11:06 am

Thanks guys, that has certainly given me a lot of information and wooden gutters has to be the way to go. Good thing I didn't spend a fortune buying some of Eileens half round milled sections at Stafford on Saturday, it would have been very expensive for these terraces and if I can do it on the cutter or a 3D printer I will.

This photo is of the prototype in the actual Slattocks area and now I understand the mouldings at the top of the front wall. I have to say I haven't made up any of the fancy stonework at the front, thought a plainer approach would get made quicker and get me back on the mill. I have changed the colouring to get the bricks pronounced on the photo but it gives you the general idea.

One thing I have just noticed is the lack of downpipes in this section of 3 houses - our slope is about the same as this one. I am making a group of 6 and planned to have a downpipe every 2 houses, looks like I was wrong!

Ralph
IMG_0301 bricks.jpg
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JFS
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Re: Alpha Mill

Postby JFS » Mon Feb 04, 2019 11:19 am

Dave Holt wrote:A bit naughty, I suppose ...


I don't think Roger will mind helping the project - he did go to the Manchester show especially to shake Ralph's hand!

Great news that Alpha Mill will be at Scaleforum.

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grovenor-2685
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Re: Alpha Mill

Postby grovenor-2685 » Mon Feb 04, 2019 1:34 pm

Regards
Keith
Grovenor Sidings

ralphrobertson
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Re: Alpha Mill

Postby ralphrobertson » Mon Feb 04, 2019 5:31 pm

Thanks for all your information, very useful.

Ralph

ralphrobertson
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Re: Alpha Mill

Postby ralphrobertson » Mon Mar 11, 2019 4:40 pm

Back working on the mill again now and here is a photo of the framework for the engine house. Used the terrace houses to see if using a ply frame would work for the engine house and it seems to be fine although it is a bit flimsier that the terraces. This is a big building with HUGE windows and it is very open internally so there isn't any chance to put any bracing inside. The big end window is 23ft high by 15ft wide so this is going to need some detailing internally (eventually!) but in the meantime there is plenty to do.

20190310_103220 rev a.jpg
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ralphrobertson
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Re: Alpha Mill

Postby ralphrobertson » Mon Mar 11, 2019 5:17 pm

The front, back and left hand end have been added now. Need to draw up the right hand end, which is a short wall, cut it out and then detail all this. The boiler house sits immediately behind this building and there is a small pump house just to the right of the engine house. The end is in sight!

20190311_170950.jpg
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Le Corbusier
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Re: Alpha Mill

Postby Le Corbusier » Tue Mar 12, 2019 9:27 am

Fantastic Ralph ... this continues to be an inspiration :thumb
Tim Lee

Dave Holt
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Re: Alpha Mill

Postby Dave Holt » Tue Mar 12, 2019 2:55 pm

Ralph,
The engine house is looking good. As you say, with such large windows and the floor level not far below the cills of the upper windows, some sort of internal detail will be necessary. Howard's animated Saxon engine might be able to turned into CAD files and used for 3D printing of a static engine, perhaps?
I notice that the corner pillar nearest the camera has a recess on one face, presumably for some decorative brickwork feature. These buildings tend to be very symmetrical, so I wonder why none of the other similar locations have the recess?
Looking forward to seeing Alpha in the flesh later this month (assuming my invite and details arrive!).
Dave.

ralphrobertson
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Re: Alpha Mill

Postby ralphrobertson » Tue Mar 12, 2019 5:06 pm

Thanks for your kind words guys.

Dave, we have tried to 3-D print Howards animation but hit a snag so this is one of the things we will be talking to him about next week. The left hand end has the 5ft pillar added, the other end hadn't but it does now - Waiting for the glue to dry.

Your invite is still in place and Tony will be providing more details soon.

Ralph

JFS
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Re: Alpha Mill

Postby JFS » Tue Mar 12, 2019 5:23 pm

Looking great Ralph!

Just a small concern with the front window - there appear to be a couple of bits which are timber which I think should be glass:-

ER Wondow.jpg

(this one is from a - still-existing - Sydney Stott mill, but they were all the same)

These things were very characteristic so I though it worth pointing out now!

Looking forward to seeing it next week!
Best wishes,
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ralphrobertson
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Re: Alpha Mill

Postby ralphrobertson » Tue Mar 12, 2019 6:40 pm

Thanks Howard, the only photo I had of the big window was the one you sent me of Warwick Mill when it was painted blue and it was in the distance. I will change the drawing and recut it now. When Tony and I went to see Warwick Mill all the windows on the engine house were covered over so this is very helpful thanks.

Ralph

JFS
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Re: Alpha Mill

Postby JFS » Tue Mar 12, 2019 8:12 pm

Sorry to make more work...

Here is a (hopefully!) clearer extract from the same photo...

Warwick (2).jpg


Edit:- Do I also notice that the side windows should only have 3 panes rather than five? Maybe Dave has a better photos from the Kent or Devon?

Best Wishes,
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Dave Holt
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Re: Alpha Mill

Postby Dave Holt » Tue Mar 12, 2019 8:40 pm

I was just about to post a photo of the Regent when I saw Howard's comment.
So, here is an internal view of the back end window of the Regent (by Watkins). (Don't you just wish you'd done a mill with an inverted vertical engine?)
Regent eng hse rear window.jpg


These are the best I can do for the Devon. The boiler house gets in the way, rather, but I think it confirms Howard's recollection of only three panes in the side windows.
Devon eng house.jpg


AS for the Kent, not much to glean about the engine house windows, I'm afraid.
Kent demolition.jpg


Hope these help.

Dave.
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ralphrobertson
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Re: Alpha Mill

Postby ralphrobertson » Wed Mar 13, 2019 9:02 am

Thanks guys, those photos are really useful. Good thing I didn't cut the windows into the back wall like I did on the main mill walls, I made them separate so it shouldn't be too much of a problem to change all 9 of them!

Ralph

JFS
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Re: Alpha Mill

Postby JFS » Wed Mar 13, 2019 11:55 am

Dave Holt wrote:
These are the best I can do for the Devon.


I'm fairly sure that is the Manor - the Devon is not on a sloping site and there were no electrification cables over the boiler house as it was steam driven up to closure in 1962. I never saw the engine though I do have the maker's plate in my garage!

Best Wishes,

ralphrobertson
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Re: Alpha Mill

Postby ralphrobertson » Wed Mar 13, 2019 1:07 pm

Changed all the windows including the small windows at the bottom of the front wall which looked wrong and spotting some small windows in one of Dave's photos I decided to cut them out and make the change. Pile of old windows piled up on the right. Think they are all ok now and moving on the bricking the corner pillars before adding all the intricate brickwork and window header stones.

Ralph

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JFS
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Re: Alpha Mill

Postby JFS » Thu Mar 14, 2019 11:25 am

ralphrobertson wrote:Changed all the windows
...


This is the kind of dedication we so admire - well done Ralph!

Best Wishes,

ralphrobertson
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Re: Alpha Mill

Postby ralphrobertson » Thu Mar 14, 2019 1:31 pm

Well it only took 10 minutes to change the drawings, another hour to cut the card and 10 minutes to replace the windows and if you have the opportunity to do it right, and it is not too much to change, you should try to - you only do it once! I have to thank you all for providing accurate information so we can get it right.

The mill and the unfinished engine house will be appearing on the layout this weekend at our 94th birthday party, yes our Manchester club is 94 years old on the 16th March having been founded in 1925. Will try and get some photos so you can all see it together with my signal box, Dick Petter's bridge and Richard Dunning's canal basin and lock.

Ralph

Dave Holt
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Re: Alpha Mill

Postby Dave Holt » Thu Mar 14, 2019 4:05 pm

I'm fairly sure that is the Manor - the Devon is not on a sloping site and there were no electrification cables over the boiler house as it was steam driven up to closure in 1962. I never saw the engine though I do have the maker's plate in my garage!

Best Wishes,[/quote]

Howard,
You're absolutely right, of course, it was the Manor. Sorry for the mix-up. I think I just copied "Devon" from your earlier suggestion that i might have photos.
Dave.

ralphrobertson
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Re: Alpha Mill

Postby ralphrobertson » Wed Mar 20, 2019 5:44 pm

I have been resin casting some stonework for the engine house. I am using the same profile as the mill and I wish I had made the mill stonework master just that little bit longer! Had to glue 2 lengths together to get it long enough for the engine house. Thought the photo of the resin mould might interest some people so here it is. The blue mould is a length of the stonework with a piece curing in the mould, lengths already cast at the top. The pink mould is a set of battery box, vac cylinder and lighting regulator box which I use on my LMS coaches, in this case I dump any excess resin in there rather than throw it away. I now have lots of battery boxes, vac cylinders and regulator boxes!

Ralph

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triumph3
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Re: Alpha Mill

Postby triumph3 » Thu Mar 21, 2019 9:46 pm

Ralf, saw the mill today on the NAG visit to see Slattocks. What a magnificent piece of modelling, you should enter it for the Scaleforum competitions. What is so impressive is the size of the beast, just like a cotton mill should be.

David

ralphrobertson
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Re: Alpha Mill

Postby ralphrobertson » Fri Mar 22, 2019 9:27 am

Thank you David, yes it is a BIG building and when the engine house, pump house and boiler house are added it will be even bigger. Transporting it is no mean feat, it just fits in the back of my S-MAX. It is back at home now as I need it for making the joint between the engine house and the mill properly.

Alpha Mill has been invited to Scaleforum in Aylesbury on 28th and 29th September but I don't know how the competition systems works. It did win a couple of cups at our Manchester show in December and I was very pleased to get those thanks.

It was great to meet you all yesterday and hope you enjoyed your day in our clubrooms.

Ralph

Tony W
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Re: Alpha Mill

Postby Tony W » Fri Mar 22, 2019 3:02 pm

This is the Mill and Engine House in their correct location on the layout.I'll post a video later on the Manchester AG thread, taken at yesterdays visit by the Fylde and Nottingham Area Groups to Dean Hall which gives a better idea of the buildings size.

DSC09923A.jpg


Tony
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Tony Wilkins
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Re: Alpha Mill

Postby Tony Wilkins » Fri Mar 22, 2019 5:06 pm

Hi Tony.
Perhaps not the correct place, but since you mention it, I would like to thank your group for your hospitality yesterday. Alpha Mill fully lived up to my expectations. Fabulous. I also appreciated the opportunity to give some of my rolling stock an airing.
Many thanks.
Tony (NAG member).
Inspiration from the past. Dreams for the future.

Tony W
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Re: Alpha Mill

Postby Tony W » Fri Mar 22, 2019 5:20 pm

Hi Tony
You're very welcome. Glad you enjoyed the day.
Tony


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