Sleepers Perchance ...

SR style sleepers

As built, the Chelfham layout represents the station as it was post-1927 (when the lean-to was built at the up end of the station building). As such, it would probably have had concrete sleepers on the main line. I'm going to build a few lengths to see what they look like. In the background of the photo is an early attempt at making concrete sleepers, which sadly are not quite correct dimensionally - they're a bit narrow. I've had another go using CAD, and am waiting delivery of the 3D printed result. At the very least I will lay some concrete in the area of the water tower, supposing that the timber sleepers there would need replacing.

 

In the foreground is a trial run of early Southern period L&B sleepers, and they are stained as per John Clutterbuck's track articles in the Narrow Gauge and Industrial Railway Modelling Review, but the Karlgarin rail still needs blackening and rail and KBscale rail clips need painting. By the way, John has since realized that it is much easier to weather the sleepers with a bit of emery before laying the track: this gives them a bleached look.