model-trains Posted March 16, 2014 Share Posted March 16, 2014 This thread is the details of my model railway, my pride and joy, being made in the small space I have. Where do we start? Give it a name I say to myself, back to the beginning... Where do I start? So after careful consideration and discussions with my wife (on bending knees) she told me it had to be the garage! I said it would be to cold, she said 'we'll get you an heater' So now it really was desperate measures, (going down on both knees). 'We' decided the only place I could have a layout was the small bedroom used only a couple of times a year when our daughter comes up north with the grand children. We in this case being the Royal one... me. Finally we got there... she agreed I could have a layout but it had to go over the single divan, I might as well have one in a suit case I thought... don't push your luck PJ. We discussed how to do it (I told her she listened... with that look on her face) I guess the rest is history. In October 2013 we had delivered some 3x1, and a 8x4 sheet of 9mm plywood and some screws and glue. delivered. My good lady (she is stood behind me) cut a small section off the plywood and drilled and screwed the 3x1 frame as I said it should go. Don't worry, I am not taking advantage of her (she is still stood behind me) I am disabled and cannot do these things, my job, the big one, is sot down and plan the layout! All that stress laying track, building buildings, laying grass and playing trains, I can laugh now she has gone BRILLIANT, the frame was made and some 3x2 studding for legs the plywood was emulsioned and I started to lay track on the boards to see how it would look. Like so many I rushed into it full of excitement, I was going to have gradients, cross overs, bridges, hills and the works. I purchased Hornby TrackMaster software and had it prepared in no time at all. This is fantastic, I got some foam underlay and started soldering droppers through the plywood. Then I realised, one month on, it was not right and stripped it all up and started again. Why was it not right, I will explain later. So now it was back to the drawing board, a new plan was born, this was better, this was going to be the one, it only had one gradient and a large bridge across the centre, or it will have when I have done it. The good news was I now had a plan to fit my brief... I didn't want much of course I did but now I knew what I had to be happy with. My brief included... - I wanted to run my trains from the computer - I wanted as many loops as I could so that I can run as many locos as I can - I wanted a loop above with a bridge and a river beneath - I wanted stations, 3 minimum so I could move my trains to and from - I wanted sidings so I could fiddle - I want lights - I want sound - want want signals - I want loco detection STOP - I need a bank loan!!! Oops my wife is behind me again. So, it has to be step by step, the new layout fit most of the initial items in my brief, it was designed in Hornby TrackMaster so I knew geometry would be right for the size I had (over a single divan bed) The layout does not fit any station in the country and doesn't have an era, don't go I haven't finished! But what it does have is a passionate, train loving owner. Me! So lets give it a name I thought again, erm lets first name the stations that might help. So I came up with... Imaginary railway with almost familiar names Settell (Settle) Skiptone (Skipton) and Oxenholm (Oxenholme) That's a good start, 2 in Yorkshire, 1 in Cumbria and I live in Lancashire! Get Real! And they will be nothing like them! Well I can change the names later so I need a name for the area the layout is to cover, including the 3 stations. So this is what I came up with... RAEL-DALE VALLEY Railway RAEL as in Real or RAIL as in Rail (as I said Get real!) DALE as in Yorkshire - Settle (Settell) & Skipton (Skiptone) although I am in Lancashire and Oxenholme is in Cumbria VALLEY well maybe not but I do plan for the ground to drop down and in time there will be a hill at one end Well that is the boring bit! I had an idea, I created a brief, I planned the layout, stripped it out and started again, planned a new layout and the rest will start here bit by bit. If you have read this far hopefully I will see you again. Thank you. To start the thread from here, I give you a sample of where I am now, although I still have lots to do, and an image of the beginning stages. Example now This is where I started and on this limited space I have to include the items in my brief above Why not add the thread to your list of items to follow? In the beginning.... RAEL-DALE VALLEY Railway Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaz Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 I love the animation in the water where the fisherman appears to be fighting it out with a fish Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaz Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Just read this properly, your wife sounds like a gem. Besides doing the heavy work, will she get to play with the layout? Not run trains but make stuff as well? How does your daughter get into the bed when she visits? There are several people on here, who get their wives to do the scenics, little garden dioramas etc. You con them not believing it's like a dolls house, and the grandkids will love that nanny helped. Plus if she gets enthused you might get a bigger space.. Anyway I have seen some of your work on other threads before you popped this up. Will look forward to you showing how you got to where you are. You might find it useful to attach a link to your signature. Top right hand of page where you see you name hover over and ...select my profile top right hand...select edit my profile left ....select signature type in .....whatever but consider going to the top of your page 1 thread page and right click the first post Hash 1....select copy link and ctrl and paste (P) into your signature. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
model-trains Posted March 17, 2014 Author Share Posted March 17, 2014 I love the animation in the water where the fisherman appears to be fighting it out with a fish Hi Jaz Thank you for your comments. He is fighting it out with a fish, 'A Big Carp'. There are some good ones in there. The lake should have been included in my brief of items to include, sorry I missed it, glad you like it. PJ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
model-trains Posted March 17, 2014 Author Share Posted March 17, 2014 Just read this properly, your wife sounds like a gem. Besides doing the heavy work, will she get to play with the layout? Not run trains but make stuff as well? How does your daughter get into the bed when she visits? There are several people on here, who get their wives to do the scenics, little garden dioramas etc. You con them not believing it's like a dolls house, and the grandkids will love that nanny helped. Plus if she gets enthused you might get a bigger space.. Anyway I have seen some of your work on other threads before you popped this up. Will look forward to you showing how you got to where you are. Hi Jaz She is a gem. She does what ever I can't and at times I must admit to much. Although I am disabled and can only hobble short distances I managed to work until April and officially retired last November, ill health causes further problems and a life threatening operation last July but, I came through. It was October when we discussed what I should do with myself, I love fishing but cannot do very much now, she asked what else I liked and I said I love trains. That was how it all started and 'I got the bug'. I love modelling also and my wife loves craft, especially card making, so I have a good supply of her craft materials, with her permission of course. Last year was not good for either of us, twelve months ago she was told she has rheumatoid and osteo-arthritis and is now on a cancer drug and others. She is struggling in her own way and there are lots of things she cannot do, so my jobs are what she can't do, opening jars, bottles, tins and stuff like that. She doesn't officially retire until December 2016, the government moved the goal posts, she should have retired last may. But we decided to have time together and to help one another, especially things one or the other can't do. She won't sign on or get any help but we will manage and enjoy time together and our hobbies. That makes me laugh, so often she says, I thought this was your hobby, she is an angel. The layout is 7' 6" by 4' 6" and as you see fits over the single divan bed. The legs are made of 3" x 2" studding screwed together and braced with plywood. The layout slots into a channel either end, they are not fixed so come apart easily. Below is an image of the under side of the layout board the top piece of 3x2 fits flush with the under side of the plywood in the channels. When my daughter comes up she slides under the plywood to go to sleep. Sorry just joking. My wife and a friend lift one end of the layout and remove the leg, a 3x2 frame sits on the edge of the bed, between the bed and the floor. They then lift the layout 2/3 along and let it slide down the 3x2 until on the floor then up-end it. It is not complicated, frustrating for me yes, frustrating for them I guess. This way they do not actually lift the full weight only part of it. I am careful how parts are designed, more of that later, so that it doesn't get to heavy and remains portable. If we get to a situation where it is to much for her/them we will have an electric motor fitted and guide it as it pulls it upright. One thing to be careful with when sliding it down the 3x2 is, the frame is wider than the layout width and it slides down the 3x1 of the layout frame, all wires, decoders and everything else is under the plywood out of the way. PJ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
model-trains Posted March 17, 2014 Author Share Posted March 17, 2014 I forgot to add... IMPORTANT: The DCC Bus is around the inner face of the 3x1 layout frame, there are no wires are in the channels where the frame/legs sit. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
model-trains Posted March 17, 2014 Author Share Posted March 17, 2014 You might find it useful to attach a link to your signature. Hi Jaz Thank you for your help, hopefully this will work. I am grateful for help and comments from everyone, my last train set was 44 years ago a brief period before the marriage broke up. Before that was 57 years ago so I am a beginner. (To forums also). The reason for this thread is to share what I have done based on my ideals and aims I set out in my brief to try fulfill. (Including the fishing lake) The ideas are not all mine, neither are they right for everyone, they are as a result of sharing with others in the forums, asking questions to get answers and checking to see what is feasible and what isn't. Thank you all. Hopefully the signature, Jaz thought would be a good idea to include on my messages will now be included. Another woman who is right That's not an halo Jaz, it is your hula hoop. Oops back to my trains... PJ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaz Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 It does not cost much to help get people started. We only opened our thread here last May, and people were very helpful. I am merely passing on the baton as it were. The link works I don't low if it will help your wife, but I was diagnosed as borderline rheumatoid arthritis and I lost some weight. The main symptoms were sore hips, after I lost the weight the problem basically went away. So I have a top weight which I need to stay below. If I over eat I get pains in my hips and in my hands, I lose a little weight and bingo it goes away again... I should try to go down a little more and stabilise. But I do like food My mother in law has rheumatoid arthritis, a friend told her to try rose hip stuff from the health shop. BUT 1. it is expensive she buys it when it is buy one get one for 1p, and 2 she was a devised it can take a couple of months to work. She had been having someone in to help her get dressed as she just could not lift her arms them being so painful, and the symptoms reduced so much she no longer had to pay for the helper. (hence her determination to give it a couple of months) I never tried this. But it might be of interest to your wife. She could certainly ask her doctor (a main stream medic) why his thoughts are. My own father was so ill last year he spent i month in ICU after an operation with little chance of success...his weak heart...his age late 80s, his diabetes...and the fact he is on warfarin for the heart cause a lot of issues. But with one month in ICU and one month in a surgical ward, he lost so much weight (nil by mouth for ages) than he was advised that he no longer needs diabetic medicine. Doctors don't rule him non diabetic...as they warn put the weight back on and the diabetes is sure to return. Basically his body produced insulin just not enough for a very portly gentleman. He is still overweight just not desperately so. Several of the doctors said losing weight can often help all sorts of problems (pls don't crash diet or anything silly) but again speaking to a doctor first is better than some silly woman giving you advice. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaz Posted March 17, 2014 Share Posted March 17, 2014 Even though people are not chatting i would start to show how you progressed. Put up a picture or two and an explanation. In my experience people like pictures. What's the film where they say this line........... .........people will come........ usually in the evening........ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
model-trains Posted March 17, 2014 Author Share Posted March 17, 2014 It does not cost much to help get people started. We only opened our thread here last May, and people were very helpful. I am merely passing on the baton as it were. The link works I don't low if it will help your wife, but I was diagnosed as borderline rheumatoid arthritis and I lost some weight. The main symptoms were sore hips, after I lost the weight the problem basically went away. So I have a top weight which I need to stay below. If I over eat I get pains in my hips and in my hands, I lose a little weight and bingo it goes away again... I should try to go down a little more and stabilise. But I do like food My mother in law has rheumatoid arthritis, a friend told her to try rose hip stuff from the health shop. BUT 1. it is expensive she buys it when it is buy one get one for 1p, and 2 she was a devised it can take a couple of months to work. She had been having someone in to help her get dressed as she just could not lift her arms them being so painful, and the symptoms reduced so much she no longer had to pay for the helper. (hence her determination to give it a couple of months) I never tried this. But it might be of interest to your wife. She could certainly ask her doctor (a main stream medic) why his thoughts are. My own father was so ill last year he spent i month in ICU after an operation with little chance of success...his weak heart...his age late 80s, his diabetes...and the fact he is on warfarin for the heart cause a lot of issues. But with one month in ICU and one month in a surgical ward, he lost so much weight (nil by mouth for ages) than he was advised that he no longer needs diabetic medicine. Doctors don't rule him non diabetic...as they warn put the weight back on and the diabetes is sure to return. Basically his body produced insulin just not enough for a very portly gentleman. He is still overweight just not desperately so. Several of the doctors said losing weight can often help all sorts of problems (pls don't crash diet or anything silly) but again speaking to a doctor first is better than some silly woman giving you advice. OFF TOPIC Her joints hands and feet swell up and are on fire. She is taking a stack of drugs and has to carry a booklet with her blood levels which are checked every 2 weeks. If one of the levels changes they change her medication, she can't take any other drugs that those prescribed without seeing a doctor or specialist first. It is affecting her hips, shoulders and neck also now. A couple of weeks ago she had a heart scare, they confirm it wasn't a heart attack and is not angina but it is scary. They have wired her up this week and she has done a tread mill test. Next is a scan and subject to the scan is dye in her heart and monitor it going up from the groin. One day at a time ;-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
model-trains Posted March 17, 2014 Author Share Posted March 17, 2014 The plywood was emulsioned ready to add my track. having done so a few weeks down the line I felt it wasn't right. I used foam underlay under the track and pinned rail through to the plywood. Again I wasn't happy and decided to 'start again'. Why? Because the more I looked at the railways in real life I realised, except for shallow rises and falls they didn't go up and down. The railways cut through hills or went round them, they didn't drop in to valleys they rode over them with bridges, including over rivers etc. The railways doesn't go up and down but fields, hills and roads do so I decided to use cavity wall insulation so that I could replicate this. Some may not like the idea, some may do things differently, I am not saying this is the right way just sharing the way I chose to do it and where possible I will follow on with what I feel are advantages to the cavity wall insulation and what disadvantages I have possible come up across. Note, this is not polystyrene, it is cavity wall insulation. It is not lumpy like polystyrene is is a very fine foam easy to cut and to shape. It is also not a fire risk has it is made to current Britsh Standards and used in house building nationwide. It can be purchased from all good DIY stores and builders merchants and comes in many different sizes and thicknesses. It is also very light. I purchased an 8' by 4' sheet of 50mm thick insulation board and will later use some smaller ones for hills but we are not ready for those yet. The cavity wall insulation was stuck to the 9mm plywood base board using Copydex, when costed to both surfaces and stuck together it is like a contact adhesive. It really does stick. I plan to have a road and housing at lower level but they can be done when the track is laid, I also wanted to have a river, as this would be hard to cut out later it was done before the track was laid. See image below. I will explain more in my next message and will include images as I progress. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaz Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Oh good choice we have been using PIR recticel insulation sheets ourselves 50mm 100mm and 25mm. I tend to paint it for grass and seal it with PVA for water features before adding varnish. I have use off cuts of copper wire to secure small bits, and copydex between sheets..,,,So it appears same idea. You know what they say great mind think alike.....fools never differ also self supporting and light, good choice for over the bed Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
model-trains Posted March 18, 2014 Author Share Posted March 18, 2014 Oh good choice we have been using PIR recticel insulation sheets ourselves 50mm 100mm and 25mm. I tend to paint it for grass and seal it with PVA for water features before adding varnish. I have use off cuts of copper wire to secure small bits, and copydex between sheets..,,,So it appears same idea. You know what they say great mind think alike.....fools never differ also self supporting and light, good choice for over the bed You have covered all the same points there Jaz, yep... great minds think alike. But there are some disadvantages, nothing that cannot be got round I will discuss them soon. Thank you for your comments PJ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
aberdare Posted March 18, 2014 Share Posted March 18, 2014 Hi It looks as if you had quite a few problems to overcome before you could even start so I admire the determination you have shown to follow your dream, although the initial dream of so much was a tad optimistic. I look forward to seeing the river develop as that is a feature I particularly like, scenery and buildings are my favourite parts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
model-trains Posted March 18, 2014 Author Share Posted March 18, 2014 LAYING OUT THE TRACK FIRST With the cavity wall insulation firmly fixed to the plywood we can now continue. It is a good idea to lay things out first and make sure they fit. Especially with my layout has I have used almost every square inch! Track does run close to the edge of the layout area but this is not a problem if you are having back scenes as I will in time. Once I knew where the track was going and where it would cross over the river, I cut out the insulation board and layed PDF across the river to be bases for the bridges. These were stuck to the insulation board with No Nails Glue, it worked very well as I was able to squeeze the MDF down slowly and put a level or straight edge across to form a level base for track once set. It stick like concrete! FIXING THE TRACK AND UNDERLAY When I first started my layout I used foam underlay, I didn't like it, and as I have started again I chose this time to use cork. I agree this is personal preference but I do prefer the cork as I wanted my track to lay flat on a good solid base, reducing the risk of problems later. The cork was stuck to the foam insulation board with Copydex adhesive. I used this as I knew it would give an excellent bond to the board and a seal between the foil in the insulation board and the cork and track. The cork was held in place with my wife's sewing pins, the ones with small round plastic heads. I put these in at 3-6" intervals, both sided and at an angle so as to make sure every part of the cork was stuck solid to the base. Once the cork was stuck and set all pins were removed and track was laid the same way. Copydex was brushed on the underside of the sleepers and held down with the sewing pins. Make sure the track is flat and every part sticks, you can do this by pushing the pins in at 45 degrees to the sleeper or even weighting it down which ever is the easiest. SOLDERING DROPPERS TO TRACK Note: Solder droppers for DCC Bus were added to bottoms of rails prior to fixing. Some technical people say, add them to every rail, I chose to add them to every other rail as the reason given for doing it to every rail, other than even distribution of power was power loss due to weak or damaged fish-plates/rail-joiners. My risk assessment was that every other rail give excellent coverage and the change of faulty fish-plates both ends of one section of rail was slim (This however was my view). A section of rail being considered as a standard section not a flexi-track length. Soldering to fish plates is not wise due to the fact they are the weakest link on the track, I did however solder to some fish-plates but, these were where the fish plate was soldered to the track and became one unit or one length. The only sections of track soldered together were two bends which made a 90 degree section one piece. It is advisable to remove foil from the insulation board in the area where droppers will go through prior to gluing your cork, or as I did, drill a hole and drop a piece of plastic straw through. This helps when installing lights and using very thin cable as they drop through the 2.5" straw with ease. POINTS AND MOTORS I have used Hornby track and Hornby point motors, the point motor was fitted under the track through the 4 holes in the pint sleepers. To do this using the insulation board I did the following... Lay the point in position Hold the point motor over the point with the slots on top of the holes Mark the insulation board where the motor is going, allowing clearance all round then remove the point and motor. Cut along the lines for the shape of the point motor with a sharp craft or Stanley knife. Next score the centre both ways, left to right and top to bottom. Now using a wood chisel ease out the pieces. Once you have done this to blade depth repeat again down to the plywood base. careful to make sure the sides are vertical. Now drill 4 holes, one in each corner through the plywood. Next using a jig saw cut the oblong shape from the plywood. That's it job done. Cut your cork for the points leaving it clear where the motor mechanism is and stick down with Copydex. Repeat as before for your points and continue with your tack. So far there have not really been any disadvantages but, subject to the type of point motor used foam board could be a slight disadvantage, I say slight because there is always a way round a problem. For those using slow point motors that need to be fixed higher up, usually just under the 9mm plywood, a larger hole needs to be cut from the insulation board, pieces of timber need to be glued and fixed around the hole then a piece of 9mm plywood with aperture for the point motor added on top ending up level with the top of the foam. Not impossible, a little more work but you need to think about this at an early stage. This image above jumps ahead slightly as you will see a road, a lake and other items but, to take things step by step I will discuss them another time. STARTING THE FISHING LAKE For today I add one more image which shows you the star of the lake The lake was cut from the foam, it was emulsioned in a brown vinyl paint. Another slightly different brown was then smeared on to form the bottom of the lake and let dry. Some carp were then painted on and the island prepared in the lake. Once dry realistic water was added in layers of 1/8" thick. Don't try add more, it is better to do it in 1/8" thickness letting it dry fully between coats. Vinyl emulsion works really well with cavity wall insulation. I buy the small test pots from the DIY store as it is cost effective to do it this way. The vinyl emulsion (matt) soaks into the foam and binds it, when dry it is like a hard crust. Thank you for your time and your comments. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaz Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 You have managed to get in a lot of track, I like the hilltop effect. Clever way of resolving getting in and out of the station.Not much room for non station scenics. But I am impressed with the amount you have gotten into the space. I like that you had the river in from the start and added the fishing area. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaz Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 Will there be enough room for a car park near the station? Or is it just the other side of the road tunnel leading of the layout? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
model-trains Posted March 19, 2014 Author Share Posted March 19, 2014 Hi It looks as if you had quite a few problems to overcome before you could even start so I admire the determination you have shown to follow your dream, although the initial dream of so much was a tad optimistic. I look forward to seeing the river develop as that is a feature I particularly like, scenery and buildings are my favourite parts. Hi aderdare I think the biggest problem when we start is that we are impatient and just want to get stuck in and get on with it but haven't totally thought it out. There is a lot in the brief, I didn't have that at the beginning, I guess a vision of items to include might be a better way of putting it but, this is the new brief and there are many items missed including, the lake, an housing estate (6 houses on Railway Road, a small industrial estate etc, etc. It will all go onto the board... don't know how long it takes that doesn't matter I will enjoy the journey. Thank you for your comments they are always welcome. PJ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
model-trains Posted March 19, 2014 Author Share Posted March 19, 2014 You have managed to get in a lot of track, I like the hilltop effect. Clever way of resolving getting in and out of the station.Not much room for non station scenics. But I am impressed with the amount you have gotten into the space. I like that you had the river in from the start and added the fishing area. Thanks Jaz It is my humble creation... Some people like large layouts (I would love one but don't have the room) Some people like large rakes of carriages I just have to be happy with small rakes but I am the engine driver not the guards man. I keep looking forward I plan 3 levels. One is the plywood base, 50mm below the track (12-13 feet). There is a bridge below the track bottom of image, the road enters at plywood level and rises up almost 6 feet as it winds to the second bend, there are some steps to the higher recreational area and lake you cannot see them yet. The road then drops 6' down to the plywood level again. The green area to the right will be the housing estate (6 houses on Railway Road). There is then a wall as the area widens. to the right will be a small industrial site and the rest will be a car park. I will explain more as we progress but, thanks for your comments, I have ideas but no one can think of everything, your comments are valued. I have a lot of work at the track level but once I get that done there will be raised ground/hill bottom left and bottom right and a hill at the far end with a tunnel. Hopefully it will give the real life feel that railways hardly ever go up and down, they flow left and right missing hills and over bridges for rivers and valleys. A 3D, 3 level scene but the track is firmly on level ground. PJ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
model-trains Posted March 19, 2014 Author Share Posted March 19, 2014 Will there be enough room for a car park near the station? Or is it just the other side of the road tunnel leading of the layout? Hi Jaz There will be a car park it and the road will have street lighting. It will also have cars on the road and in the car park, they will have lights controllable by switches at the control point There will also be a bus stop, taxi parking area and a burger bar that lights up. Sorry no large quarter pounder cheese meals... what do they say... I am lovin it! PJ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
model-trains Posted March 19, 2014 Author Share Posted March 19, 2014 Lets take the fishing lake a step further. I have emulsioned the insulation board to seal it, I used vinyl emulsion (matt) and a colour similar to what it will be around the lake to be grass. I cut out for the lake, deeper than needed then added back a piece of plywood set with No Nails glue. The area between the plywood and the bank was filled with the No Nails Glue and made to look like a drop off. A drop off is a term in fishing where the bank (or another level) drops down, in lakes this is often near the sides sometimes running out a little way then dropping down. It shows depth to the lake. A drop off point is often where fish will pass in their travels round the lake a bait (food) drops down to the edge of the lower level. The bottom of the lake is done with several browns to give an unevenness, you could add weed if you want to I chose not to. Why are the fish brown someone once asked. Except for Koi carp, golden orfe, golden tench and goldfish, most fish have a dark section along the top of their body, it is their built in camouflage. If you stand on a raised bank and look down into a lake you will see the darkness of the fish. Carp often bask in the sunshine, if they are near the top you will see if they are a mirror, common, grass or ghost carp but in general they love to be one to two feet from the surface. I have tried to replicate this here. Someone once said they like the idea they would paint a silver fish in the water. Again you do not see a silver fish, roach or rudd unless it is almost on top of the water, the dark markings on the top of it's back camouflage it. The time you would see a silver fish is when it breaks the surface of the water to catch a fly. One interesting thing I found, after the event so to speak was this. I painted the carp after one 1/8" layer of realistic water, if I had poured say 3 at 1/8" layers and let then dry between coats then painted the carp and after drying added another coat it would have given the appearance the carp was higher in the water. The reeds are made from Hornby field grasses, gold, light green and dark green mixed together. They are stuck to the Realistic water with Pinflair glue gel. What is Pinflair Glue Gel? It is silicone with the silicone taken out. My wife uses it for card making, it can be purchased from most good craft shops, particularly the ones who do paper craft. As we all know silicone smells Pinflair doesn't. As we know silicone goes hard very fast (in the tube) Pinflair doesn't it lasts months. It is excellent if you want to add a figure or anything you want to be that bit flexible, so it doesn't break if you catch it. Here is another image of the lake coming together. The lake is approximately 50' by 35' at the widest points The fish you see are in proportion to the space in the lake and measured from 1/76 scale the largest would be just under 3' 6" long. Wow that is a big carp no wonder it is putting up a good fight! You can make a lake any size just be careful to make the fish look in proportion. Thanks for viewing I will continue to add to the thread daily. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyJH Posted March 19, 2014 Share Posted March 19, 2014 great progress, i will keep eye on this thread Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
model-trains Posted March 19, 2014 Author Share Posted March 19, 2014 We will leave the fishing lake for now and look up Railway Road to the station car park The road, path and banking was cut out of the foam, it is so easy to do just use a craft knife for thin slices, a Stanley knife for for slightly bigger pieces and criss-cross with your knifes and use a wood chisel for the bigger/deeper bits. The road is not flat, it starts off at plywood level at the bridge near the fishing lake and raises as the road turns left and then right. It then goes down hill to the area you see on the image above. The road and the footpaths were installed using using Woodlands Scenics 'Smooth IT'. I put the road in first and when dry applied the footpath. They do a sticky tape which you apply setting the edges and then fill it with Smooth IT and screed it level. It is quite runny but for slopes just make it a little thicker. Once dry I applied a couple of coats of Woodland Scenics, Asphalt to the roads and Woodland Scenics footpath coating to the paths. I then let it dry for a few days and then rubbed it with emery paper to get a worn/weathered look. In the image you will see an area not rubbed down, I will come back to this later it will be a small industrial area. The cars are not fitted, they have head and rear lights, these will be placed on the road and in the car park later with the burger bar and wired up to a lighting bus and switch board. The walls didn't cost much to make at all. They are made from SafePrint sheets, they are 300x300mm and are thin polystyrene, about £5-6 for 10 sheets. They were cut to size and glued on to a piece of card to make them rigid. Next I used a pencil and scored the stone shapes in the polystyrene, careful not to go through. It is easy to do. Once prepared they were coated with a coat of Nickel coloured vinyl emulsion (matt) another of those small match pots from the DIY stores. The emulsion was let dry for 24 hours and then rubbed with a Tim Holtz, Ranger Distress ink pad. Having a flat surface it applied the ink from the pad over the face of the stone and not the joints. That was it, job done! The ink pads can be purchased for any good craft shop, especially a paper craft shop. I borrowed my wife's, she does a lot of card making Here is another image of the walls, copings will be added later. I will be adding street lighting more in this later PJ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaz Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 I like the area where the car park will be...look forward to it's development. The terraforming is well thought out. You must have spent ages planning before modelling. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
model-trains Posted March 22, 2014 Author Share Posted March 22, 2014 I like the area where the car park will be...look forward to it's development. The terraforming is well thought out. You must have spent ages planning before modelling. Hi Jaz, not really, I knew the area I had to play with, I used Hornby TrackMaster to design the layout, I probably did half a dozen before I got to what I have now. I needed the space in the middle but not at the expense of working track, this seemed to work for me. I am moving on but want to work through the stages, I would to add what I have done the last two days but need to bring the stages up to speed first. PJ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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