jamest

Hi all, Ordered the box Friday, arrived Monday. It is a really lovely kit with lots of detail (self adhesive tile strips) and nice touches. Put the shell together tonight to offer up and check my measurements.... Think it is going to fit just right.... It has tape around it while it dries. Regards James

Hi, That looks great - you have done a fantastic job there. Different shades and subtle tones, small details, really really good. Some of those pictures with the sub-station in the back ground could be real in my eyes. I don't know the area you are modelling but I have a feeling I'd recognize it if I was ever transported there. Regards, James

Hi Dave, I going to have a measure up in the shed tomorrow morning but the Staverton box certainly looks to be a good option within the limits I have imposed on myself! The door will be on the right side too. Thanks again, James

Hi John, I've used scalescenes a lot in OO and N - but I've made a conscious effort to use embossed sheet and force myself to paint and weather in O gauge. Not because the effect can't be great with scalescenes - I've seen your layout and the structures look great - but because I want to try new skills. I'd urge anyone to give it a go - whats the worst that can happen?! Cheers, James

Hi Dave, I would never ignore good advice! But.....I have painted myself into a corner a bit here. I decided on the location of the signal box before assessing what my goods shed looked like - and certainly before I decided to put the lean to shelter on it! I will re-visit moving it back a little to provide more space in front, or look at other smaller options in the same-ish place, but I might be forced to leave it as is. Would a lineside one like below perceivably appear on a platform? The thought of moving the point rodding breaks me out in a cold sweat! but its not impossible. This exposes one of my weaknesses - knowledge of the real railway - I try to look at real images but often find myself influenced by other models. Oh and the other weakness - bad planning! 😆 I appreciate the feedback though - thanks. Regards, James

Hi all, Been quiet for a while as other things take up my time....but I do have my name plates from Model Railway Scenes and some other detailing stuff from Scale Model Scenery. First of all the name will be Knightacott. I have the SMS sticky signal box sign: And here is a painted platform sign from MRS: Question - should I put it in a raised bed of plants? Or leave it straight onto the platform surface? And a first pic of the wire fence from SMS.... The bright wire needs toning down. ...and I need to make all the posts vertical! regards, James

Hi, Look forward to seeing it at Taunton....and watching the progress with the scenics. Cheers, James

Hi, I think you have struck a great balance between doing what you can in the space available and creating some really realistic scenes. Thanks for sharing. Regards, James

Yes - very good. The blend between track and lineside - and structures and nature - is done very well. That BT building is a fantastic backdrop. All the best, James

Hi, Have to agree with the earlier comment - you have made a really good job of painting and 'weathering' those figures. Regards, James

Hi all, Thanks for the likes. I just had an email saying my nameplates are on the way so we will have a name for the layout soon! Here are some overall shots I have also filled in with some bushes on the embankments around the bridge. There will be a fence along the top of the front one….you can sort of see the line in the grass. Regards, James

Hi Richard, Thanks. Yes, I will need some of your luggage and barrows. I need to add some of those outside taps you let me have on the warehouse. Regards James

Hi all, Been a bit quiet but I’ve been making decent progress. I always find the weathering and ‘real life’ stuff challenging. I’ve had a few successes on my OO stuff but it always seemed a bit lucky with no real method learnt for next time! O gauge has also been a new challenge on this front. I think some OO techniques and items that might be a bit over scale, transfer quite well to O gauge. You definitely have to think about what is visible at this scale though and the yard area and associated over grown nature has been difficult. I started out with a bit of a ‘lawn’ between the head-shunt which looked bad. So I ripped it up and invested in a detailing static grass applicator from WWS and this has helped a lot. It enables me to do very small areas and patches well. I also applied brown powder first so that it blended well. So here are the results in the yard….you’ll notice I’ve started to paint the buffer stops too. You will see I have also grassed the small embankment this end and placed some fencing and platform lights. I have made my Severn models benches and placed them roughly….I have ordered a station name board and will fix the benches when I finalise the sign position. The other benches will be in front of the station…the building is glued down now. I have also weathered the track, and I am really happy with this. I have some AK interactive track wash. It is for tank tracks but is a nice dirty wash. I brushed it on in the middle of the track and faded it out on the outside of the track. I then brushed on a black/brown powder mix around and under the rails. I used a make up brush to even it out and blend it. It was then all sealed with Matt varnish in a can. I haves tried to make the heads hunt dirtier to represent an area where locos sit. I also have some other scenic updates and overall pictures to follow in part 2 later! regards James

Agreed, all the pictures look good, but I really like these alternative views from different angles. Really shows up your buildings and subtle tones and weathering. I had missed your updates this year on the sidings and have just had a nice catch up with a coffee. It looks fantastic and I like the way you have blended the new ballasting with the existing sections, and how you blend it with the yard around it. I’m about to start to do this on my layout and this always seems the most difficult thing to get right. all the best, James

Hi, Great layout with an interesting track arrangement. I really like the road/rail bridge. I too was scratching my head a bit about access to the station before Wednesdays photo! Thanks for sharing and hope the show went well. Regards James

Hi all, Small update.... I've also built my intentio concrete waiting shelter.... And I think I prefer this to the pagoda one. So I'll put the pagoda to one side for future use! I need to add some guttering and glazing, but I'm happy with the weathered finish. I apply pva, sprinkle on fine ballast, paint with tamiya deck tan and weather with powders. Regards James

Hi all, Had a good day in the shed yesterday in between cutting the grass. I have adding guttering to the canopy, painted it, and fixed it in place. Due to a lack of planning on my part the signal box might have to move forward to the platform edge. I assume this is ok? I also added a handle to the goods shed door and fixed it in place. I also need to replicate the hangings at some point. regards James

Hi, Thanks Dave, and for the likes. I have a few days off and I am running through my jobs, as the weather prevents me wasting time on jobs around the house! I have added the guttering to the goods shed….it looks worse before painting….but guttering rarely looks dead straight right? I don’t know if others have used the modelu guttering but I made it difficult for myself by fixing the building in place before adding it. Worse access is not helped by the inevitable ‘bow’ you get in the straight sections from the pack. That said I understand why this happens and it is not meant as a complaint. On the warehouse I bent it near straight and taped it down while the adhesive cured. In this case I tried to get it straighter but it had a tendency to break. So I remembered my small hot air gun I bought from Amazon and set it up on a low setting. It was then easier to hold the guttering near and move it when warm. It was much easier to add when straightened. I have also separated the boards and added my first bushes against the back scene. The two halves And together….the patchy wall will be obscured by the shelter. Cheers, James

Hi all, Next job is to finish off the goods shed. I plan to have a sheltering canopy over the door opening. I saw something similar to this in a book and thought it would be an interesting addition….but might tip me towards a coupling method other than 3 links! Here are the two basic components…. The roof, corrugated sheet on card: The vertical frame made out of ‘I’ section with a clad section and fascia on the front. This is the parts held up by gravity….I will add ‘white’ fascia boards on the sides under slope on the roof and guttering and down pipe on the front. I have cut into the first two rows of tiles on the main roof. The vertical section sits against the edge of the card underneath the corrugated sheets. This is the result of a lot of measurements and head scratching, but it was worth the effort I think. Cheers James

Hi David, Thanks. I do hope to exhibit it in the future, but I’ve not really “put it out there” yet! Are you going to the SWAG do next month? I think a few of us from N.Devon are heading over. Regards, James

Hi Chris, Thanks for that. The fair price kits are very good value for money as a basis for a building. I simply used some thin card…..I draw out a grid (I’ll check the dimensions later) and cut it lengthways every other row so I have “double strips”. I then cut all the ‘columns’ on the bottom row to represent each tile leaving a complete strip along the top. I then draw lines on the roof for a guide and lay the first row at the bottom, working my way up staggering and overlapping. I cut some individual 1.5 width tiles for every other row at the ends. This roof was a bit easier in this respect as the left hand roof edge is not really visible and sits up against the inside of the fascia. The ridge tiles are simply a long strip of the same card with very thin strips added in intervals as shown to represent joins. I have looked at Scale Model Scenery A4 sheets as they do pre-coloured and weathered options. They look really good but there is something satisfying about doing it yourself though. all the best, James

Hi all, Thanks for all the likes. Richard, I’ve also painted and weathered your printed tank. I’ve moved the piping and hinted it goes underground and into the building. I have also started with the ground forming at the far end of the station. First with some insulation cut down……then some brown scatter…..then the static grass. I put the scatter straight onto the insulation without using plaster bandage. I haven’t got a photo of that stage but I think it worked ok. In the last photo I am holding up the spear fencing in roughly the position along the front of the grass. There will be bushes, etc to visually break up the back scene join. Cheers, James

Hi all, Small update. I liked the way the retaining wall worked out on the back of the layout and while thinking about the undergrowth on the front thought it might fit well here too. So out came the knife and the foundations were laid….. and here is the new wall….. 2mm card doubled up as before with SE Finecast brick sheet. I also like the remnants of the grass embankment on the edge of the ballast between the wall and the track. Quite pleased with it. Regards, James

Thanks Richard, I've also made a slight alteration between the station building and the end of the bay road. I had made a corner in the wall on the baseboard join as it seemed sensible. I had not really considered what I wanted to put in that space though. I have a intentio pagoda shelter made, and I have another option of a concrete style waiting room from the same intentio range. Both are a little long for this space as I want a gate coming off the corner of the wall. This is how it was with a mocked up wide gate to the station building. The pagoda shelter was significantly longer than the distance from the end of the bay to the black gate.... So I removed it and did a bit of a cut and shut with a narrower gate to help. The extention piece will be hidden by whatever shelter I choose to use.... Like so... The shelter will need to be unfixed as it spans the baseboard gap.... But has the advantage of helping to hide said gap. Most of my work and musing recently has been blending the foreground with the back scene.... I think I'm getting there. Just the other side of the station building to do now. Regards James

Hi again, Thanks for all the likes/support. I also took a couple of photos from a different angle that I really like.... Through each bridge arch.... Regards James