PopUp model CR Signal Box (southern division type S4) kit, and model kits of Brechin Station

[John Paton]

Iain Ross has contacted me because I provided drawings and photos for the signal box and previous CR station kits.
PopUp have now produced a model kit of the CR Southern Division type S4 signal box (possibly the most numerous of CR signal box types), and a two-part kit of Brechin station. These can be seen and ordered at:
Signal Box:
https://www.popupdesigns.co.uk/shop/rai ... -box-2x-a4
Brechin:
https://www.popupdesigns.co.uk/shop/rai ... ion-4x-a4/
https://www.popupdesigns.co.uk/shop/rai ... ion-7x-a4/

I attach an illustration provided by Iain of the signal box model.

John

[jasp]

That looks really good, now what about a Northern Div. box?
Jim P

[Alan K]

It's just a pity that the correct/authentic brick pattern always used by the Caledonian hasn't been included in the design ......! A bit inexcusable in my opinion.

Alan

[John Duffy]

The exclusive use of stretcher bricks indicates a cavity wall, as against a solid 9" structure. The norm here being three stretchers to one header course and known as Garden Wall Bond, or five to one, being Scottish Garden Wall Bond; a quite distinctive feature of our brick built structures.

John

[Graham Tipple]

I believe some of the solid walls were 14", a brick and a half thick, so the header butted up against the inside of a stretcher. I lived in a house in English Garden Wall Bond (in Tyneside) where the solid walls were 14" up to the bedroom floors and then 9" above. I assume the inner 4 - 5 inch step supported the floor joists.

[John Duffy]

Absolutely correct Graham, there are lots of options available when working with solid walls; English, Flemish, Rats Tail and the garden wall bonds can all produce such structures and produce them in a variety of thicknesses. I also agree that the step in your house would have housed the wall plate for the joists.

The disappointing thing with the kit is that it has the tell-tale pattern of a cavity wall, which is quite inappropriate.

John

[[email protected]]

Hi,
I designed this kit. The brick work is an image file. I would normally expect modellers to finish the model to their requirements. However I can readily update the image file to be more in keeping. The Lugton box image I was working to was unclear to the brick design. If some one would like to point me in the direction of a suitable image with enough detail to work from I'll make the changes.
Regards
IAIN

[Alan K]

Iain
There are lots of photos of Caledonian Railway signal boxes on line. Google is your friend! Try signalbox.org photo gallery Caledonian Railway for a selection of brick-built ones. There isn't anything terribly technical about it: all you need to know is that there must be a header brick course between every three courses of stretcher bricks. So on your brick image, every 4th row has to be a header brick row, with the vertical joints offset accordingly.

Alan

[[email protected]]

Alan,
That is helpful thanks. I had picked that up on Lochearnhead (I visited there). It had the header bricks after 5 rows of Stretch. I'll modify the CR Signal Image for a header after 3 rows.
I'm always grateful for helpful suggestions for kits.
Best regards
IAIN

[[email protected]]

Hi,
I have just sent updated files to PopUp with the corrected brick image.Hopefully now all OK.
regards
IAIN

[Bill_Gensheet]

Maybe standards were slipping later on, this image of St Fillans suggests a somewhat less strict adherance (pragmatic ?) towards the use of brick styles.

Bill

[Alisdair]

Looks like 9 inch up to floor level with single skin above. Some lateral support must be provided by the chimney breast. As there seems to be no headers on the outer wall, perhaps tie in was done by metal bed ties. This would allow flexibility when building in chimney breast.
Alisdair