Update,

Good evening - Following the status of the two dries buildings I knew it was time that I could no longer put off the need to tackle the inset track to the sidings area. This was not something I was looking forward to, and comes a close second to fence and tree making in the tedium tasks.

I had pondered for a long while whether to do it 'dry' in card or 'wet' in clay. For my sons 4mm china clay Blue diesel layout (no brain washing there then ) I did the inset track in grey artists card and it has turned out ok as a base to weather and develop...

Grey artist card for the inset track and base buildings...

However, that was all straight track with no curves as Moorswater. But I finally settled on card and decided to make some templates. I first applied a red felt tip pen to the tops of the rails as thus...

and whilst the ink was still wet, overlaid a piece of white card, pressing down firmly. After I lifted the card and flipped it, hey presto, a template...

and I cut these out to fit.

Right? ...Wrong ...of course the outer edges were fine and I trimmed the one between the two sidings okish...but the ones between the rails themselves were awful...Regroup, Rethink, Gin Tonic and walk away...

Back fresh...and refreshed... I decided to go down the clay route as Tom E did some nice experiments recently with Das. I also have in mind Chris Nevard's awesome Cement Quay layout as the inspiration for the overgrown part of the yard as depicted here

I thought I had better spray the track before starting and then give it a quick test to check all was well before it all got covered in gunk. The track was primed in grey primer and then giving a wash of some brown paint I have used before on the layout. It's funny how when you spray the track, it takes on another level of 'its actually starting to get there now'...

I then ran my old 'soon to be replaced if Farish ever decide to finally get around to retooling the much needed, long overlooked, long in the tooth' class 25...and it ran very nicely...I was shocked...and was almost tempted to spend the evening shunting a few wagons around...but thought better of it...

I couldn't find DAS in BCN so I settled on some other air dryed clay and following some helpful advice from Chris, I made a start this evening. With my wife out I borrowed the nice stainless steel minimalist designed cake knife, as I had an image of slicing carpaccio's of clay off the block and layering it to get the right level. How wrong I was. The clay was a right PITA to cut, so the knife was washed and sneaked back in the kitchen replaced discretely and I settled on a carving lumps with a metal ruler and proceeding to need it into place with my hands. A splash of water was used occasionally to keep it moist and workable and also a wagon with 2FS wheels was run up and down to check flange clearances.

I only managed a little tonight...and lets be honest, it looks a right mess...but I hope it is the way forward. I realise that there will be some scraping, sanding and swearing to come yet, but overall, I guess it was a better way forward than my card disaster.

On plan, it looks a mess...

And here also it looks a mess...

But on this photo, a little more encouraging...

Lets see how it dries and then Episode II will commence.

Pete

EDIT: I woke up this morning and at first glance it all appears to have cracked Perhaps I added too much water in the mix?...

Perhaps another skim on top will cover this?....