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Oak Road - 2013 to present (a fictitious place somewhere in Somerset) - Raising Money for Meningitis Research


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  • RMweb Gold

Thanks for all of the positive comments - I never knew that what looked impossible to do is fairly straight forward and what should be fairly simple and easy.........is pretty much impossible!  :umbrage:

 

My latest failure was to try and recreate an expansion joint.....pretty easy to do?? WRONG!!!

 

I should have filed the rail down before I laid it and now it's way to hard to do! So I need to have a rethink on this one. Of course, I could always just lay some wooden sleepers and stick some Bullhead rail across them.......but I don't want to do that, it defeats the object  :sarcastic:

 

Here's the track progress on board number three (the other station board). Although it doesn't look like it, there's a fair bit of elevation and the coach leans inwards really nicely. The track will tighten up on the fourth board to match the curve of board one and disappear off in to the tunnel.

 

post-18825-0-92235600-1472122054_thumb.jpg

 

Some of you may be wondering why I've not laid all the track before doing the scenery? There's a couple of reasons for this:

 

a) I live in a shoe box, ok, not literally, but the house is so small I can't even swing a cat in it (have a look at the cat's face in the picture - not impressed because his head keeps hitting the wall) and at a total length of 20', I can only get two boards together at any one time unless I take it all out in to the garden.

 

and

 

b) I have the attention span of a Goldfish

 

Next up - learn how to fit pattern maker's dowels properly.......

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What an impressive start. You can see what general area you have set this in just by looking at the ballast long before the GWR HST (or reading the thread title) gives the game away. This is one of the best examples of track weathering I have seen yet. I don't suppose you would care to elaborate to those of us not blessed with genius just what you did to achieve such realism?

 

 

As for C&L fishplates, I don't know if it is any help but the "functional" fish plates- the ones shaped as a H- are thinner than the ones you've shown. I have used them in a cosmetic manner by removing the centre part (2 slices with a blade- easy and fast) and glueing them on the rail. I wasn't very impressed with the type you have above, thinking them a little coarse anyway. The other type are much finer.

 

I am more than happy to send you a few to try (FOC) and see if they are any good. It would be a shame to suggest ordering a pack of them if they were no good. They fit C&L code 75 rail perfectly, but I have no other track makes to try them on.

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Only just come across this thread and its really good! i think its already been mentioned but i think you underestimate how good of a modeller you actually are. the comparisons of what you are doing to the pictures of the real thing are a nice touch and it gives all of us a good insight to where your imagination is coming from for the layout. keep up the good work, i hope i can make my layout as good as this!

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  • RMweb Gold

What an impressive start. You can see what general area you have set this in just by looking at the ballast long before the GWR HST (or reading the thread title) gives the game away. This is one of the best examples of track weathering I have seen yet. I don't suppose you would care to elaborate to those of us not blessed with genius just what you did to achieve such realism?

 

 

As for C&L fishplates, I don't know if it is any help but the "functional" fish plates- the ones shaped as a H- are thinner than the ones you've shown. I have used them in a cosmetic manner by removing the centre part (2 slices with a blade- easy and fast) and glueing them on the rail. I wasn't very impressed with the type you have above, thinking them a little coarse anyway. The other type are much finer.

 

I am more than happy to send you a few to try (FOC) and see if they are any good. It would be a shame to suggest ordering a pack of them if they were no good. They fit C&L code 75 rail perfectly, but I have no other track makes to try them on.

 

Hi Derek

 

Thanks for the heads up on the C&L fishplates, I wish I'd have know before I used the ones I did - I've had to remove them! 

 

I hate to say this but it was pot luck as to weathering the track because I really don't have a clue as to what I'm doing. I knew that the ballast needed to be an odd brown colour but when I went to Castle Cary, there was a right mish mash of ballast, both in colour AND size.

 

Here's how I achieved it.

 

The main line originally started off as WS medium buff but it was a bit on the large side (as per an earlier post) so I took it up and relaid it (twice) with a mixture of some Calcisand (for Vivariums) and the WS sieved through a tiny sieve bought from my local Range store. The Calcisand is grey and really dusty, so dusty in fact that it looks like real ballast! Before I put the ballast mix down, I painted the track with a wash of grey / burnt umber / yellow mix, three times. this created a patchy finish on which I dry brushed some black paint, followed by some brown. The rail sides were painted with a mix of burnt umber / burnt sienna and black mix with thinners. I have no idea if this is a common method but I found that it made painting the rails really simple as the paint flowed off of the brush easily. Next up was the ballasting (which I hate) and took forever, brushing it clear of everything with a very small brush until I was happy it looked right, and then added the diluted PVA with a pipette, twice over and at this stage, also added some very watered down burnt umber paint so it soaked down in to the ballast. Once it was dry, I used the same method with various colours and some more black. I originally used my airbrush but it didn't look as good.

 

The branch was a little trickier because the ballast was very odd in colour and size, so I used the same process but with grey, buff and red (not that you can see it) followed by some purple paint. The sleepers were covered in grey paint completely and then dry brushed using a very worn out paint brush.

 

Apologies if I've missed anything - I hope that helps.

 

Cheers

Mike

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  • RMweb Gold

Only just come across this thread and its really good! i think its already been mentioned but i think you underestimate how good of a modeller you actually are. the comparisons of what you are doing to the pictures of the real thing are a nice touch and it gives all of us a good insight to where your imagination is coming from for the layout. keep up the good work, i hope i can make my layout as good as this!

 

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!!

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  • RMweb Gold

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......

 

post-18825-0-99210100-1473024969_thumb.jpg

 

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  :locomotive:  

Edited by scoobyra
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Hi

 

Great progress & thanks for the ballast description....Very useful.....

 

I'd never considered adding the colour to the 'wet'mix....It certainly makes sense....

I'll have a play as the ballasting is one of the next jobs on Haydon Gurney....

 

That Bridge is excellent......

 

The trouble with scratchbuilding is that it is difficult to find proprietry models that come up to scratch(pardon the pun) so you end up building more.....

 

However the plus is that I find it a very enjoyable part of the hobby & you get the building you actually want.....

 

As regards borrowing other peoples ideas....That's why the explain how they do things.....

 

Keep up the good work.....

 

Cheers Bill

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  • RMweb Premium

 

 

I need to get some decent palisade fencing but I'm not sure what route to go down. I

 

Nice work Mike

Wills have just introduced palisade fencing to their range. SSM 316/SSM 317 May be worth a look. Bachmann also do fence panels 44-505

 

Cheers,

Mick

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  • RMweb Gold

Nice work Mike

Wills have just introduced palisade fencing to their range. SSM 316/SSM 317 May be worth a look. Bachmann also do fence panels 44-505

 

Cheers,

Mick

 

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 :-)

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  • RMweb Gold

Here's a couple of pictures of the fencing, the first one being unpainted...

 

post-18825-0-41162900-1473160333_thumb.jpg

 

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'?

 

post-18825-0-12504800-1473160409_thumb.jpg

 

It's certainly been a very steep learning curve and at times, quite a costly one!

Edited by scoobyra
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  • RMweb Gold

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!

 

post-18825-0-65897800-1473430400_thumb.jpg

 

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.

Edited by scoobyra
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  • RMweb Gold

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!! :O     :laugh:  :laugh: :laugh:

 

post-18825-0-86833500-1473458612_thumb.jpg

 

post-18825-0-32303000-1473458621_thumb.jpg

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by scoobyra
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  • RMweb Gold

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. 

 

post-18825-0-51996000-1473509919_thumb.jpg

 

The dark, wet looking patches will disappear when the paint dries so please ignore them.

 

post-18825-0-80901500-1473510590_thumb.jpg

 

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........

Edited by scoobyra
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  • RMweb Gold

You are far too hard on yourself. Either that or 3 year old kids with 5" brushes are becoming incredibly talented.

 

Try posting those last few shots in the "how realistic" thread, if you haven't already.

 

Certainly you have an eye for the real thing and the ability to replicate it.

 

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

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  • RMweb Gold

Just stumbled upon this thread. Some fantastic detailing. Buddleia is next on my to-do list. How did you go about yours? 

 

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

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