andy stroud Posted June 12, 2017 Share Posted June 12, 2017 Hi Ian. I think your workmanship is very impressive indeed. I enjoy seeing your models as well as your methods that you post. Many thanks for taking the trouble, very appreciated. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caley Jim Posted June 12, 2017 Share Posted June 12, 2017 When making Scots Pines for Connerburn I only soldered the twisted wire frame in a few places then used Sandtex masonry paint to coat it. The latter comes in a variety of colours and, being water based, it can be further tinted with powder paints (or possibly acrylics - haven't tried them). It remains slightly flexible, so, if necessary, you can make minor adjustments to the shape of the tree when installing it on the layout. A tester tin will provide enough for many 2mm trees Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Ian Morgan Posted June 13, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 13, 2017 I started making trees with florists' wire covered with air drying clay. They look good, but are very time consuming. Then I found 'stone' effect paint aerosols which basically spray lumpy paint. This is a much quicker way to disguise the twisted wire. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted June 13, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 13, 2017 Nice job on the trees. I like the idea of using the polyfibre to create the twiggy ends. You are right about the interior trees being mostly canopy the exception can be where a tree has fallen and created a bit of space. Don Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Smith Posted June 19, 2017 Author Share Posted June 19, 2017 (edited) Despite it being particularly warm out in the workshop/railway room, I have made a little progress on Modbury. A few more trees have been made and have been installed in my wood (there are now some 10 trees in an area about 6"x3"). Here are some photos to illustrate the progress to date (the board was brought out to use natural light for these) : As can be seen I still have some way to go! Progress has been made on the other board too. The up platform has been made and installed (early construction photos can be seen in post no.91 - unfortunately I forgot to take any later photos). Getting this platform made and in place has allowed significant progress in the area behind the station building - the topography could be finalised, and with the lie of the land built up and carved to shape I've applied the static grass around the station approach. Hopefully, I'll get around to taking some more photos tomorrow of this area. Ian Edited September 8, 2022 by Ian Smith Reinstatement of photos 17 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Ian Smith Posted July 1, 2017 Author Popular Post Share Posted July 1, 2017 (edited) Over the last couple of weeks progress has been pretty good - it needs to be since Modbury is booked in for it's first public outing at the Swindon Railway Festival at the Steam museum in September! So, the Up platform has been built and installed. As is usual for me, this is of plasticard construction - I've used Peco stone platform edging for the face, although a couple of mm had to be shorn off the bottom edge to lower it enough for a 2mm scale height platform (as one would expect as it is marketed to be used with Peco track with its thick sleepers and massive height rail). The top surface is 0.030", and the rear edge along the goods shed road I've made some strips of blue brick paviours which are set above a platform face of slaters embossed stone. For the area around the building itself, I shied away from blue brick paviours, and instead skrawked 3'x2' stone slabs in 0.040". The area away from the slabbed section were painted with some black paint with polyfilla sieved onto it, and once dry the excess was removed and the whole then painted grey (I wasn't happy with the colour in the "natural" state), and was followed by a weathering of pastel chalks. The stone slabs around the building were painted individually in a "sandy grey" (or my take on such a shade) as that is what is described in the "Great Western Way" for this surface. The main station building simply sits in a hole in the slabbed area. With the platform screwed into place (from below), the topography behind the building (including the station forecourt) was built up (or rather carved out of the previously laid insulation foam). Any areas that needed to be filled or added to was done with DAS air-dry clay. Before the application of static grass, the road surface was added with more paint and polyfilla. As with the platform surface, the colouring was blended in with more chalk pastels. With the up platform in place, the down platform was similarly finally screwed down - I made this platform and building about 12 months ago so it is quite satisfying to finally get it installed. To minimise the chance of inflicting damage on these pre-built items I decided to work from the back of the layout forwards (with the high backscene in place, work on the rear of the scene inevitably means leaning over whatever is in front). Again the ground behind the down platform was made good with DAS. Finally, the platform fencing has been installed. This is the Ratio product, and was glued together to suit the various locations before installation. The fitting itself was facilitated by super-gluing short lengths of 0.3mm brass wire next to the posts, these "pegs" were glued in place in the platform surface. It should be added that the fencing was painted before installation. I've also added a couple of running-in boards on each platform. These were inkjet printed onto photo paper, and fitted to posts of 1mm square brass (the bottom of each post being turned to provide a round spigot to enable an easy fit into the platform surface, the tops being filed to a flattened pyramid shape). As well as the platforms and surrounding environs looking somewhat more complete, I've also installed the signal box a few inches beyond the end of the down platform. To finish, some photos ... Towards Plymouth. A busy moment at Modbury, a down goods waits in the platform road while an up passenger occupies the up platform. Looking across the Plymouth end of the platforms. With the up passenger departed, the down goods awaits the road west. Hopefully in the next week or two I can finally complete and install the goods shed - since this was the first building I started, it really is about time I got it finished!! Once that's done, a cattle dock needs to be made so I can finish the groundwork in the goods yard. Ian Edited September 8, 2022 by Ian Smith Reinstatement of photos 22 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgman Posted July 1, 2017 Share Posted July 1, 2017 You're certainly creating a lovely atmospheric scene Ian. A most agreeable layout. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D869 Posted July 1, 2017 Share Posted July 1, 2017 (edited) Coming together really well Ian. It'll be time to start on the next layout soon then? Edited July 1, 2017 by D869 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John lewsey Posted July 1, 2017 Share Posted July 1, 2017 Stunning not much else to say really Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium nick_bastable Posted July 1, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 1, 2017 very impressive well done Nick Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted July 1, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 1, 2017 wow the layout is really coming on and all of it top quality work. Don Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Mikkel Posted July 2, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 2, 2017 Looks good Ian. Good to see the 1701/1854 earning its keep (and the Metro, but I have a thing for saddle tanks). The goods shed really dwarfs the other station buildings. It's one of those interesting things about modelling: You get a feel for the relative size of things in a way that isn't always obvious in real life (like trees). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Smith Posted July 2, 2017 Author Share Posted July 2, 2017 Looks good Ian. Good to see the 1701/1854 earning its keep (and the Metro, but I have a thing for saddle tanks). The goods shed really dwarfs the other station buildings. It's one of those interesting things about modelling: You get a feel for the relative size of things in a way that isn't always obvious in real life (like trees). Mikkel, Like you I have a soft spot for saddle tanks, to my eyes saddle tanks are so much prettier than panniers (and I don't think it's just because in that early period they sported all of the polished brightwork). Once I've got the layout in a condition that I consider fit for the general public to see I'm looking forward to progressing the "Buffalo" as that's been on hold for quite a while now. I agree with the comment about the size of goods sheds, at Bovey Tracey in Devon (which my two buildings are based on) both of the buildings are still extant and a similar distance apart to what I've done on Modbury, and the goods shed really does look massive by comparison. Possibly aided by the fact that originally the track running through it was 7 foot wide! Ian 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caley Jim Posted July 2, 2017 Share Posted July 2, 2017 I can only echo what the others have said. Absolutely stunning! Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TomE Posted July 2, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 2, 2017 Beautiful work Ian! Tom. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold wenlock Posted July 3, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 3, 2017 Hi Ian, This is all looking fabulous! Since you stopped posting about Modbury in the blog section of the forum I'd lost track of your progress! I've ticked the "follow this topic box" so hopefully it won't happen again:-) I'll endeavour to get along to Swindon, looking forward to seeing Modbury in the flesh/wood! Best wishes Dave 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Smith Posted July 3, 2017 Author Share Posted July 3, 2017 (edited) Just another couple of photos of the current state of Modbury. These were taken on my phone the other day so may not be brilliant quality but they do allow a sort of eye level view (if you're about 11mm high) :-) A view through the road over bridge at the Plymouth end of the station (looking towards Newton Abbot). Please forgive the background, the other scenic board is on my workbench while I'm adding trees to the wood. A view towards Plymouth. Luckily for the cameraman the other baseboard being on the workbench means that he's unlikely to get taken unawares by a down train :-) Ian Edited September 8, 2022 by Ian Smith Reinstatement of photos 18 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy stroud Posted July 4, 2017 Share Posted July 4, 2017 Those eye level views are very impressive, Ian. There is absolutely nothing that gives it away as 2mm scale. The finish and detailing would be considered to be of a high standard even in one of the larger scales. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Smith Posted July 11, 2017 Author Share Posted July 11, 2017 (edited) With the platforms now in place, this evening I have started on the population of Modbury. Some months ago I bought both sets of Edwardian figures by Andrew Stadden, these are cleanly moulded with next to no flash and just a slight mould line down the sides of some of the figures. A quick scrape with a scalpel removes this. The figures have no bases, so I drilled a 0.3mm hole up into the dresses of the ladies, or up into one leg on the gentlemen. This allows a short piece of 0.3mm brass wire to be super-glued into the figure so that it can be held in a pin chuck for painting and will allow the figures to be "planted" on the layout. The images below show the first completed figure. Obviously the images are rather cruel close ups as she is only about 12mm tall to the top of her hat. I've tried to indicate shadow by having a slightly darker hue that I've tried to paint into the folds of her dress. I've done a similar thing with her eyes. Incidentally, for the skin tone I mixed up some Precision Paints GWR Dark Stone with plenty of white. I'm fairly happy with the result, so one down 19 more to do! Ian Edited September 8, 2022 by Ian Smith Reinstatement of photos 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caley Jim Posted July 11, 2017 Share Posted July 11, 2017 I've tried to indicate shadow by having a slightly darker hue that I've tried to paint into the folds of her dress. Try a very thin wash of dark grey to bring out the folds,creases etc. Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium nick_bastable Posted July 11, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 11, 2017 its Mrs Cobbit (showing my age ) nice work most of my figures end up looking like blobs nick 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Mikkel Posted July 11, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 11, 2017 Very impressed with those folds, Ian! Plus, her complexion is GWR stone. What more could a person want Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted July 12, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 12, 2017 (edited) Very impressed with those folds, Ian! Plus, her complexion is GWR stone. What more could a person want She certainly looks as if she'd give men a distinctly stony look! As so often when I see 2FS layouts, it is a stark reminder of just what can be achieved. It makes the task in OO look positively trivial! Edited July 12, 2017 by Oldddudders 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Smith Posted July 21, 2017 Author Share Posted July 21, 2017 (edited) Not exactly progress on Modbury, but this morning I had a little present in the post from PPD : I'm really quite pleased with the outcome, although whether I will still be as enthusiastic after I start to convert these components into actual models will remain to be seen. As can be seen there is quite a variety of bits on there, ranging from field gates and gates for my cattle dock through Dean 6'4" & 8'6" bogies to complete 6 wheel coaches (one of which has a clerestory roof). The only items that stand any chance of being put together before Modbury has it's first public outing at Swindon in about 6 weeks time are some of the platform trolleys though! Ian Edited September 8, 2022 by Ian Smith Reinstatement of photo 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Mikkel Posted July 21, 2017 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 21, 2017 Interesting Ian, there should be work there for one our two winter's evenings! What diagrams are the 6-wheelers, I wonder? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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