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Woody End

Tony Simms

Entry posted by Tony Simms

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Time to address the left-hand end of the layout. In real life, the line just plodded on over several miles of open farmland before reaching Pilmoor Junction. This would look a bit odd, running the line through an undisguised hole in the backscene. Time to invoke my modellers licence!

 

There are several copses and small woods dotted around the line and indeed at Pilmoor itself there were substantial woodlands. So I've simply moved a small wood so that the line runs through it.

 

A base of dark green acrylic paint was applied to the plaster and some Woodland Scenics undergrowth was dotted along the board-backscene join. A few dabs of watercolour are intended to carry the illusion of woodland into the backscene:

 

blogentry-9631-128128391329_thumb.jpg

 

Now, you may be one of these very organised modellers; everything in it's right place. Not me I'm afraid. Once I start, things get messy and stuff gets picked up and put down without much thought. I'd like to think it's my artistic side coming out; my wife says I'm just messy. Anyway, before I get going, things do seem quite ordered:

 

blogentry-9631-128128447031.jpg

 

 

blogentry-9631-128128448865.jpg

 

 

Here I'm using trees from Woodland Scenics and SiSt Trees, flocks from the same along with Mininatur grass fibres, Brillo pads cleaned and sprayed, Greenscene flock cement, spray photo-mount and several bags of "grot" (accumulations of flocks and scenic materials reclaimed and blended) and tea-leaves.

 

The trees had been initially placed to work out a naturalistic scheme and then removed to enable permanent fixing. Starting from the back, trees are glued in and undergrowth from the above sources is fixed into place, checking regularly to ensure I'm getting the desired effect:

 

blogentry-9631-12812849401_thumb.jpg

 

 

Some of the undergrowth is made using clumps of static grass sprayed with photo-mount and sprinkled with flocks etc. Others are formed from teased out Brillo pad flocked in a similar manner.

 

I will need to add some more, tinier clumps of weed and overgrowth at the edge of the woodland, but this will be done when I add the fencing. The right hand piece of woodland is otherwise complete; the left hand is yet to be done:

 

blogentry-9631-128128507245_thumb.jpg

 

 

Subsequent to the final photo, I painted in a bit more foliage adjacent to the hole in the backscene and added a little bush near the base of the hole.

 

Anybody else having fun with scenics?

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46444
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Hi Tony,

 

I really like this layout.

 

Again it shows the benefits of 2mm Scale i.e the railway becomes part of the landscape.

 

The trees look good too. I need to get on with tree making for my N gauge experimental layout St. Keyne Wishing Well Halt after I've finished off a few 4mm jobs.

 

Look forward to further progress.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

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-missy-

Hiya Tony :)

 

That comming along really well, those trees do look good. I especially like the final picture with the shunter, if it wasnt for the edge of the baseboard it would look fantastic.

 

Missy :)

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nick_bastable
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Tony it blends rather well and given its height the layouts going to be a real winner

 

 

as for the being messy you should here some of my wives comments.... :P :P

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Southernboy

All looking very natural and effective.

 

Is the back-scene water colour on water colour paper? It's quite atmospheric :)

 

And can I ask what you used for grass? I like the colour.

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Tony Simms
All looking very natural and effective.

 

Is the back-scene water colour on water colour paper? It's quite atmospheric :)

 

And can I ask what you used for grass? I like the colour.

 

Hi

 

Yes the backscene is a watercolour; it allows for a slightly "fuzzy" approach. A bit like the rest of my modelling!!

 

The grass is MiniNatur grass fibres applied with a cheap static applicator made with an electronic fly swat and a tea strainer. I've only just started using it, but see Missy's blog for some very nice grass photos on Highclere.

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Tony Simms
Hiya Tony :)

 

...if it wasnt for the edge of the baseboard it would look fantastic.

 

Missy :)

 

Yeah, I struggled with photos as I'm currently working with the whole layout erected in the garage. Lighting isn't ideal and I can't always get to where I want to stand!!

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jwealleans

Hi Tony,

 

I don't know where you're located but there is a 4mm model of Brafferton as part of the Pilmoor Junction layout at Ormesby Hall in Middlesbrough. You'd be welcome to come along on a club night or weekend when the layouts are open and have a look. I'm sure some of the members who did the original research would be happy to talk to you about it as well.

 

We do get the odd visitor with a direct connection to the area, including a chap who told me he helped demolish Brafferton station.

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Tony Simms
Hi Tony,

 

I really like this layout.

 

Again it shows the benefits of 2mm Scale i.e the railway becomes part of the landscape.

 

The trees look good too. I need to get on with tree making for my N gauge experimental layout St. Keyne Wishing Well Halt after I've finished off a few 4mm jobs.

 

Look forward to further progress.

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

 

Mark

 

Thanks for the kind comments.

 

I've stopped making trees in 2mm scale, as there is so much stuff out there that is good, cheap and easily adaptable. I'd rather spend the time on locos or stock, or getting the layout something like finished. I've suddenly realised that I've probably lived more than half of my life, so sometimes you have to compromise!!

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bcnPete
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I've suddenly realised that I've probably lived more than half of my life...

 

Tony - Was only thinking the same thing about myself the other day - I agree also on buying rather than making as I have about 75-100 to plant - Which SIST trees did you use? Are they the etched brass types? TIA - Pete

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Tony Simms

Tony - Was only thinking the same thing about myself the other day - I agree also on buying rather than making as I have about 75-100 to plant - Which SIST trees did you use? Are they the etched brass types? TIA - Pete

 

Pete

 

Yes. The SiSt trees are the ones on the outermost edges of the layout and are small etches on a mounting post; quite nice and reasonably priced. I will be getting some of his larger ones too to use in conjunction with the WS Fine Foliage which in 2FS gives some fair representations of medium sized trees.

 

Cheers

 

Tony

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2mm Andy

Tony,

 

That's looking very nice - I hadn't heard of the SiSt trees before, so thanks for the tip off - they look useful.

 

I'm looking forward to doing some scenic work in 2mm soon - much more fun than wiring or carpentry!

 

Andy

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apbolton

Hi Tony

 

The layout looks really good, I believe Jonathan has been in touch, I too a member of Ormesby Hall group and was one of the origibnal reasearchers, I have photo's of the road bridge taken in the 80's, do you have Patrick Howatts book on the branch?

Where you aware of the experimental signal boards that were used along the branch, again I have details if youre interested.

regards Paul

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Tony Simms

Paul

 

Many thanks for the comment. The Howatt book has been the main source of info along with large scale maps and a couple of extra photos culled from the NRM archives.

 

I have also undertaken several site visits (not much of note there of course!) and the bridge is built. I have scaled the station building from old photos, but if you have any extra info, that would be great!

 

There will always be less than perfect archive information for stations like Brafferton (Masham was the same, but at least many of the buildings were intact). We do our best and try to enjoy the modelling! biggrin.gif

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