Here's some of what I've been up to on the layout. I haven't done much to it but enough for a post.

Warning, no ground breaking modelling here, just bodging.

If you remember above I nocked up an impression with my Vollmer Roundhouse pieces for the shed idea. Since then I've selected the best ones, cleaned them up, cut out small areas in the balsawood with plaster topping (concrete) to bed them in slightly and fixed them in place. I only chose to build it in situ because the board was a bit wonky in places and I thought it would be the best idea...err, well no actually. It was a rather moronic idea really, for the roof doesn't fit perfectly. It's just balancing on top for now until I get it fixed, anyway....

When at Warley I picked up a few bits and bobs and my eye was attracted to the Bachmann Scenecraft Loco Hoist. Being a completely fictional and loose layout, more of a glorified test track blah blah etcetera, I thought it'd look good with the concrete to lift engines and trucks and metal things and scrap and rust and dogs...well, not dogs but you know what I mean. I just like the look of it, never mind logic. As a result of it being an after thought I can only just fit it in position, and I mean only just. Hands up, it's prototypical nonsense, but I care not. Not for this layout anyway. For trains to pass it has to be pushed back as far as it will go.

So to fix it I decided the positions and drew around it.

Cut around it.

Bit of crow bar action, bendy file.

Had to cut more out than this for the bases to fit.

Thus. See how close it is to the rails? Ridiculous.

Plaster smoothy, no ice cream sadly. It had another application after this pic'.

And that was about it. Since then I painted it all and blended it in nicely, then decided I liked the darker look to the rail area and concluded that it probably would be more oily so I painted it so. With locomotive oil I oiled it as well. it makes the crane slide better and makes it look.....oily. I look forward to the day it accumulates dust, mites, spider feet, black mud and other monstrosities that like to gum loco mechanisms up, should be fun.

I moved on to the shed roof previously mentioned. Nothing clever about it, the word bodging comes to mind again. This is the first time I've tried scratch building a building, or at least part of it so I'm happy enough for now.

Today I spent over 2 hours doing something I've always wanted to. I've seen it in model railway magazines a few times and on Right Track 7 with Geoff Taylor and always liked the effect. You just get some 5mm graph paper, cut 1.5 squares in and repeat down the whole line, then cut the strip out and layer it upon another with a stagger. I found out a few layers in that ever two layers you need to clip the end off and transfer it to the other end due to the stagger - not sure if that makes sense.

I haven't finished painting the bricks yet but I find it satisfying and easy, at least this technique I've used a few times before. Paint the mortar, rub the paint off the bricks only, then dry brush the bricks.

Finished result of one side, I like the broken and slipped slates, but was careful to not over do it. Text in pic describes my best mistake. As a first attempt at this method I'm really happy with the result and looking forward to painting it once the other side is done. I'm unsure if I need roof vents and if so design so that's another consideration. I'll also be adding gable ends.

Overall impression. I forgot to add that I also fixed my old Hornby Skaledale platforms in place - absolutely horrid and lumpy like a Jelly Baby but now thankfully not wasted. The chimney is just plonked there for concept effect, also please note the Scenecraft factory on the platform won't be going there, it's just there for impression as I'll be building a loading dock there that goes into the shed along the platform. My idea is that the shed originally accepted 3 lines but the removed one and added a platform and building extension - all an excuse to try something out and create a certain effect and feel. As to how realistic the idea is I'm open, probably not knowing me.

Flash version, colours look different. I'm the current world record holder for worlds biggest guitar, 76.2 times bigger you know! :?

One more for luck.

Ok that's it. That's about all I've done modelling wise.

I piddled about with resin yesterday though and think I might piddle about more.