For the last two years there have been moments of elation, more often outweighed by moments of frustration (usually electronics related!) However, the last couple of months has seen real progress, with the trackwork finally working properly and being ballasted. This was done using two colours of 'N Gauge' ballast (to represent the LBSC's shingle ballast obtained from 'The Crumbles' near Eastbourne) mixed and laid dry with 'Cascamite' powder adhesive. A good soaking with a fine misting spray and then leave to set!

However, the baseboard still looked really 'bare'....

So yesterday we began to rectify that! During the day the platform (previously surfaced with 'SEFinecast Paving') was painted -currently in 'Vallejo Stonewall Grey' (which over this sort of area begins to build its own variations in hue). The turntable pit was also edged with the same material - the 'slabs' being individually-laid to follow the circumference - once the adhesive was dried they were treated to match the platform.

Ground-cover next... The baseboards had originally been painted a light grey to both stabilise the MDF and to assist setting-out. A couple of weeks ago I added a little texture using a slurry of 'EasiFill' (a finishing skin for plasterwork - and at £18 for a 5kg bag I've enough to last me the rest of my modelling life!). I also mix in a good dollop of PVA adhesive along with water to activate the product. ('Dollop' is a technical term I often use when cooking!)

So now to kill all that white... By first painting it (section by section) with white emulsion - I usually use the cheaped available, but not having any these boards are painted with 'Dulux Diamond White (no expense spared here!) Whilst the paint is wet (hence doing it in sections) colour was finally added with artists acrylic in tubes. I use a pallette ranging from burned sienna through ochre to sap and olive green. You would expect the white paint to make the finish very 'bland' - but the artists acrylics are very powerful and not much has to be used (only small dollops this time!) to achieve the effect. So why use the emulsion? first, being water-based it will bind with the previously-laid plaster. it also takes up the acrylic paint and (importantly) acts an extender for the acrylic. If the acrylic was laid directly on the plaster, it will be very quickly absorbed and not go very far!

So by the end of the day the majority of the bare board now carries colour -

which will provide a suitable base for the surface finishes to be applied on the next visit. So then it will be out with various flocking materials applied with my trusty 'Flockit', and other goodies!