Entry posted by Jon020
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A while ago I described my first attempts at producing a display board/plinth to photograph locos on, an item similar to that described by James H as a photo plank in Paxton Yard blog. Well, it’s now at a semi-complete stage… in that I’m happy to use it to display and photograph locos on…. but I may still add some additional bits to it as time progresses, and I want to try out some new scenic techniques, most of which are still a mystery to me (or rather their mastery is a mystery).
I wanted to keep this board simple, so opted for three tracks with basically ballast only between each road. However, to add some variety, I opted to introduce the look of a buried cable trough between two of the tracks, leaving one cover off to show the cables within. This was essentially 4mm x 1mm plasticard strip cut to 13mm lengths (or was it 14mm?) placed one next to the other along the board. At about mid point, I cut a trough out of the board, about 4mm across and deep, and 20mm long, into this I placed a fabricated box section, painted and fitted with two pieces of blackened 0.4mm wire. This was positioned such that each retained “cover†abutted each end such that a “single piece†was left exposed.
The plasticard was then painted in various shades using Humbrol Matt 147 and weathered black to tone down… with some stippling to get a type of concrete effect. Between the other tracks, I left plain ballast with a slight rise…, which I might add, some weeds to.., eventually, but that can wait for another day.
Once the ballast was dry – added to in several stages I might add…. I’m slowly getting the hang of this (I possibly didn’t give myself an easy start, choosing finescale track with thin sleepers – but the effort was worth it). I then weathered the ballast – the tracks had been painted previously – dark rust on the rails and sleeper grime/track dirt mix on the sleepers. Weathering included several passes of Sleeper grime (I’ve run out now) and then some weathered black mixed in to represent oil/fuel spillages. At this point, I found some bits of ballast lifting out “bother†(not the word I used at the time… but you get the drift, I’m sure)… so I refilled the holes with ballast and “glued†them down with thinned paint dribbled onto the surrounding ballast. I was nervous about doing this, but it seems to have worked. Finally, I over-sprayed the whole area with matt varnish… hopefully to seal it in. So far, so good.., although time will tell if it’s robust enough.
So, finally, I was able to pose my 55s on something that looked like reasonable track, and it serves as a tidy display shelf in my workroom, on which 55s 020, 008 and 015 have found a home. I’m happy with the result… for now. But, there’s still plenty of room for a rear wall, a fence or paving… or mud/grass. That is something for another day.
Finally, here's a few photos with my 55s
The ballasting is by far from perfect, but it'll do for now, and it served as a useful practice for when I (finally) get around to putting a proper layout together. Now I just need to practice soil/mud and grass (first practice wasn't too successful!) and I'll work on that. Any comments always welcomed... oh, and now I really must get back to finishing Nimbus - dropping the bogie height and adding the brake levers and chains. Thanks ... Jon
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