Revolution Mike B

Now that I've managed to get the track down for the sidings I can start to crack on with the rest of the scenery now and start to create the tunnel area and the back scenes. My idea is to have a campsite in the near left corner to fill up the 'empty' space without over crowding it and the back area to the top of the tunnel mouth will just be a copse. The main back scene will incorporate an overgrown bank (not the money holding type) and some retaining walls with some industrial units backing on to the stone yard. I'm actually quite tempted to make the two main board back scenes removable to aid access to anything that may end up getting broken / damaged etc. There is however one last item of scenery which will prove to be my biggest challenge yet......the foot bridge! Anyone that has been to, or seen the footbridge at Castle Cary will know what I'm talking about because it's not straight forward and there's nothing available as an RTR item (except the old modern Hornby footbridge) that's remotely similar. Still, I like a challenge and if I don't push myself, I'll never learn.......

These pictures don't do this layout any justice at all - it looks way better in real life and was without doubt (not wishing to upset anyone else exhibiting at TINGS) the best layout at TINGS closely followed by Hatch End. The back scene is pure genius and makes the layout stand out and reminds me of another N Gauge layout with a similar kind of back scene for exactly the same reason.

I did the same thing with my platform walls Adrian, makes things a lot easier doesn't it! Keep up the good work mate.

I wish I'd seen this before I'd built my bridge Bill! I tried to get some stone sheets like this but didn't think of using O Gauge ones - Genius!!

Uh?? I don't think you need to be asking me for modelling advice Sam, I think your way past me mate! The Buddliea is made from the rubberised horse hair I bought from the Tree Lady (Ceynix) which is supposed to be used as brambles.....really?? O Gauge brambles possibly but way to big for 00! I stuck a few strands to the baseboard and dolloped on some pink / purple paint after coating it with green flock. To the naked eye, it looks pretty good but it's not so clever with the camera. I'm going to do some more but using some purple coloured flock so I'll let you know how I get on. Cheers Mike

Hi George Do you have a Range store near you? If not a Hobby Craft. I bought some Burnt Umber, Burnt Sienna, Dark Grey, Light Grey and some Yellow (can't remember what one - I'll have a look when I get home) acrylic paints - they're about £1.25 - £2.25 a bottle and there's much more than you'd get in a Humbrol tinlet. There is a downside to using the acrylics - if they get wet, they'll start to come off so I may at some stage change to enamel in which case I'll need to use something else. Get yourself a small glass jar and put some Burnt Umber in it along with some acrylic thinners and mix it up so that it's halfway between the normal paint and very runny - a poor description but you'll see what I mean when you do it. Then add a small amount of Burnt Sienna if you want to go lighter, or a Black if you want to go darker, or you could just use a mix of all three to see where it gets you. I don't think you need to repaint your ballast or sleepers yet because I think they'll look just right once you've painted the rail sides. Try and get a brush that has longish bristles and fits in to the groove on the rail as it will help. If you get stuck, give me a shout. Keep up the good work Mike

Not sure I'm quite ready for the yet Derek!

What a great little layout, it's going to be really good when you've finished it! If you add some burnt umber paint, mixed with a little black to the rail sides it'll make them look unbelievably real, especially with the other weathering you've done. Loving the static grass too, it looks top notch. That's not a criticism by the way and I'm probably the last person you'd want to take advice from!

Did a little bit more to the bushes this morning to see if I could improve them. I sort of did and sort of didn't. The dark, wet looking patches will disappear when the paint dries so please ignore them. It's never going to be as good as the Budlleia from Jacqui the Tree Lady because to the naked eye, it looks great, but under the camera it looks like a three year old has been let loose with a pot of Dulux and a 5 inch paint brush. It'll do for starters until I can redo it. My layout building would never be complete without my having to rip something up and do it again, this time it's the GPL because it's way too far away from the running rails.......this could be fun because it's buried under the ballast and stuck down with half a ton of superglue! Cue the swearing........

Thanks Mr Makin!!! I'll be picking your brains for some wagon weathering shortly.

Here's tonight's exploits and if I'm honest, the bit I've been dreading the most! The bottom picture is unfortunately a bit blurry but you can kind of see what I've tried to do. I can't wait to start on the static grass, it'll be right up there with the Chandelier episode of Only Fools and Horses!! :laugh: You can see how the cross bars on the Wills fencing look way too thick now but at £9 for almost 1.5m, I guess it's a fair compromise.

I took this picture last night and it's interesting to see just how shocking my first effort of creating the bucket scrapes actually is. I did this around a year ago when I was completely green to everything (except real trains) and at the time, it looked pretty good. Needless to say, I'll be stripping it back and doing it again! On a more positive note, I'm over the moon with the sidings and how they've turned out. I'll add a bit more white to the ballast to create a 'dusty' look and possibly some weeds - I just need to finish the track off on the other board off now so that I can get the rest of the stone yard done.

That Tractor looks bloody brilliant Brian! Incidentally, I found out last night that you work for the same employer as one of my good friends - I was talking to him about your TC and when I mentioned your name he said, I know him! His name is Mark Grady and he works out of Eastleigh.

Hahahahahaha. Sorry Darren, I've been busy with work and also building our club N Gauge monster layout, my own OO Gauge and helping my mate build his layout too! I'm away that weekend to see Jean Michel Jarre at the NEC for my 50th. I'll be at Uckfield crashing driving trains on Tidworth the weekend after

Flippin' 'eck..... I'm not the only one with a million HSTs then!

Here's a couple of pictures of the fencing, the first one being unpainted... and this one also showing the fishplates in the stone yard. The fishplates are 60' apart but I'm thinking I probably should've made them 45'? It's certainly been a very steep learning curve and at times, quite a costly one!

Cheers Mick I've acquired a couple of packs to try out before I order some etched ones from Cav (RBE) on this forum. So far, they look pretty good but due to the nature of the plastic, the cross bars a bit oversize. I'll get some pictures up in a while. Just noticed you've got some on Deadman's Lane :-)

It looks like another MK2f Derek

The wheels look to be the same size as my MK3 ones so that's a no go. My main concern is that is lower than everything else I have, and noticeably lower too. There's 3mm difference between the MK3 and 4mm difference between the 37's and a 66, and a 57 so not sure what's going on there.

They're lower than everything else I've got too Derek

Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that the current MK2 e not high enough? It almost looks HO scale compared to my Bachmann 37s. Both should be 12' 9" but I'd say it's more around 12'. Pretty poor really.

After finally finishing laying the track on board four (the one to the very left on the layout diagram) I started to think about the bridge so I went off to my local model shop and bought two Peco preformed stone bridge sides for the costly sum (considering what they are) of £16......yet another mistake! The best thing to do with those (sorry Peco) is throw them straight in the bin, or better still, not buy them to start with! Only one thing for it......build my own. So.....after another Tourettes moment (apologies to anyone who suffers from Tourettes or knows someone who does), I managed to end up with this...... Unfortunately, the stone isn't correct for the West Country. I would've used the Wills sheets but I find them too thick and my skills aren't quite up to it yet. I still need to finish off the underside of the arch but that can wait because I've been trying to get the rest of the platforms done. Next up, Somerton tunnel mouth

Thanks for the kind words but I'm really not a modeller, I've just asked loads of questions and listened very intently to the answers.......and nicked everyone elses ideas!!