GRS watlington station

H

hornbeam

Registered
Hi

Has anyone built this building at all? Think there was a review years ago in Garden rail but can't find it. Failing that anyone built any of the GRS building kits- not the british outline kits they took over? If so what are they like?
I'm just building a BOB footbridge and its been a nightmare to build!
 
I have built the Woody Bay station and windmill. Not sure if they are of BOB origin or GRS's own. What would you like to know ?
Max.
 
I am doing the Woody Bay station at the moment, the Resin castings are not very crisp , there are also some details that are wrong, for instance the model is of a "dressed Stone" building, the real one is rough stone the chimney stacks on the real building are brick but the resin castings of the model are stone (again a poor casting) I'm sure I shall find more once I move on to assembling the kit.
 
Woody Bay kit has resin walls and other major parts with styrene roof and some styrene details (e.g. chimney pots). Goes together well but suffers usual GRS instuction sheet issues, can be confusing. Mine's been outside 24/7/365 with no ill effects for 4 years.
Resin parts butt jointed, sand edges square with a flat block or with sanding medium taped to flat surfaces prior to assembly. Then superglue main structure together and reinforce with Isopon P38 on inside/non-visble joints. Make sure all edges square prior to glueing.
Styrene roof panels are cut to fit from flat panels to a supplied plan, study it crarefully and follow faithfully, do not try to cut corners. Use plastic-weld or similar to bond.
Fit roof to main building structure with superglue (tack in place, not cotinuous bead) then use P38 to provide good seam bond.
Plastic primer for both styrene and resin parts when sub-assembled. Don't forget to clean resin and rub down with 1000 grade prior to painting (lanolin free detergent).
I'm not sure if they provide glazing, I fit with Evode's "Seriously Strong Glue".

Hope this helps, Max.
 
Thanks guys. I've seen a few of there buildings warp so wanted to check. As for instructions... Try their gauge 3 stuff! Got an GWR auto coach to build and have no idea where to start on the 3 etches for the bogies.
 
For any resin building wash in sugar soap, then assemble as Max describes. I always reinforce the joints with isopon and the aluminium mesh used for car body repairs, makes for a very strong joint. I also use the isopon to fill any defects in the castings and then re-model using dremmel with a cutting disk.
 
I have built the GRS Caersws station building. It went together quite nicely and I am very pleased with the end result which can be seen in the extreme right of the attached photo.

I have also built an autocoach kit. The roof did not fit and I concur that the bogies are an absolute nightmare with pathetic instructions. After making a total mess of the first bogie, the second bogie came out reasonably well although I had a few bits left over at the end. As it happened, one bogie was sufficient for me as I was converting it into a steam railmotor and kit bashed a power bogie using Roundhouse components. Photo also attached.

Regards
Peter Lucas, MyLocoSound
 
I did their halt, water tower and signal box. All went together well. I was pleased with the effect. I used 5 min epoxy and reinforced the joints with epoxy paste. They've stood up to tropical storms and +100F temps in the summer, just below freezing in winter, plus being bounced on by Collies, turtles etc.

Photos on my railway's Facebook page below. For those that 'don't do Facebook' this opens up as a web page and you don't have to join or sell your soul to the devil!

PS. I didn't know they did a Watlington building. Is this new 'cause I'd be interested.
 
hornbeam said:
Thanks guys. I've seen a few of there buildings warp so wanted to check.
Click to expand...
I try to keep resin buildings in shaded/part shaded areas of the railway to minimise this possible problem. I have a T&M resin station in full sun that has suffered no problems in 5 years. I have a 2nd hand Pendlebury row of cottages standing in part sun for 5 years that has suffered some minor warping of their roof. I put it down to the thinner structure and the original owner's method of construction (no solid Isopon bond at roof to wall joint). I might re-make them.

Quick cure resins have a "memory". Dismantle the affected parts and place in hot water in a flat based sink/vessel. Allow a while to for the part to return to shape then start adding cold water or drain sink/vessel and allow part to cool. Old trick told to me by a person who manufactures the stuff. Had my own business making "multi-media" model car kits so got to apply the theory.

It might be an idea to bond a support structure to the inside of the thin styrene roof that GRS use, say some treated or properly sealed 10mm square stripwood, as I would worry about that warping/lifting in full sun over a period of time. Again good bonding at all joints should stop it warping in the first place.

Note on cutting roof panels for GRS kits, check orientation of the texture (e.g. slates) in relation to the cutting template. Do not ever ask me why I tell you this :@
Max.
 
That is very useful information about correcting the warping Max.

I had both a Watlington and a Caersws but did not have great success with either of them. I bought them both ready assembled, I'm not sure they sell them that way now. Watlington seemed rather brittle and shattered after a modest knock which a plastic building would have survived. Caersws survived longer but started to warp badly and the joints were pulling apart. I reglued using no-nails type adhesive. This held but the tension caused by the warping meant something had to give and one morning I found my building had ripped itself apart. At first I assumed it must be vandalism but it seems it just self destructed! Some of you may remember the pic I posted at the time
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Blimey! I image it was held together with super glue. The warping worries me but I don't intend to leave it outside.
 
Thanks for the guidance Max:thumbup::thumbup: I think mine will live in the shade most of the time but I shall check to ensure I am right, I have no wish to duplicate railwayman's experience :nail:
 
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