Little Muddle

[Dbr1295]

To me it's these little things that add the realism and I keep adding them as I think of them. This was an after thought following seeing some old pictures of a harbour wall.

 

The steam drifter, to me, is actually quite a way from be finished. I have parked it for while as my new Hatton's 48xx arrived and this along with finishing the autocoach became the priority.

 

The last thing I did to Misty was make my own transfers and I discovered that most printers, including my own, don't print white so I had to paint the hull section white and then apply the transfer with a see through section for the number making sure it all lined up.

Hi Kevin,

 

Loving the work you've done on this layout. Regarding printing white on decals, you can get white decal paper. I've got some brought here in NZ by an American company called Hobbycal, but no doubt there will be something available in the UK.

 

Cheers, Les

[Edwardian]

Many thanks for your comments and if memory serves you where one of the first to tell me to do something.........!!!!

 

Just glad you did.  Yours is one of those 'never tire of looking at layouts', I suspect because of the quality and consistency of modelling and the eye you have for composition means that the 'wide' views are stunning, but there is also much delightfully observed detail to linger over. 

[KNP]

This is a bit of a warning for those of you, like me, that use home printed brick papers.

 

I make no apologies as this has been posted before under another topic heading on this website (so some of you might recall it) but I feel I must point it out again to ensure it doesn't happen to you.....or at least you are aware of a potential problems for the future

 

Quite a while ago I used a compatable continuous ink printing system for my then HP printer for a while, it was about a quarter of the cost of a set of standard HP ink cartidges and was advertised as colour fast - it has now turned out it wasn't but it took about 5 years before I realised I had a problem when last year I was comparing photos of 'as built' and then.

 

The engine shed was one of the first buildings I did with brick paper using this ink and was quite complicated one to model with all the recesses, plinths and BoE details so to find I had an issue was a bit off putting. I had coated the model with a couple of coats of ordinary matt varnish following completion to protect when handling and fading!!!!

 

Once I realised I had a problem I coated the model in four coats of UV matt varnish (see picture) to stabilise and stop any further degradation - only time will tell if this has worked.

 

To bring some colour back to the front walls and chimney (areas most effected where those facing the window where they caught the sun) I used the same UV varnish but added a dash of acrylic brick colour to give a wash which has brought some colour back, the chimney I also picked out some odd bricks in effort save it. I coated the entire building as well as all other buildings built in the same way on the layout even if they hadn't faded just to be on the safe side.

 

At the moment it looks OK and appears not to be degrading anymore.

 

The first picture shows the rear of the building and the colour it should be.

The second one is the UV varnish I use as it is designed to protect photos and paintings it was also the one that had the best web reviews.

Third picture is the worse area to the chimney and the final one is the front of whole building following the brick wash application

 

Advise - I now always use the manufacturers ink for my printer (HP 6520) as it might be more expensive at the time but the ink appears to be of a much better quality and more importantly colour fast?

 

Hope this is of help and stops someone running into the problems I had.

 

I must admit I didn't get much help from the two railway workers sitting on the seat as they just sat there and watched - must have been their tea break!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 26 by KNP

[St Enodoc]

This is a bit of a warning for those of you, like me, that use home printed brick papers.

 

I make no apologies as this has been posted before under another topic heading on this website (so some of you might recall it) but I feel I must point it out again to ensure it doesn't happen to you.....or at least you are aware of a potential problems for the future

 

Quite a while ago I used a compatable continuous ink printing system for my then HP printer for a while, it was about a quarter of the cost of a set of standard HP ink cartidges and was advertised as colour fast - it has now turned out it wasn't but it took about 5 years before I realised I had a problem when last year I was comparing photos of 'as built' and then.

 

The engine shed was one of the first buildings I did with brick paper using this ink and was quite complicated one to model with all the recesses, plinths and BoE details so to find I had an issue was a bit off putting. I had coated the model with a couple of coats of ordinary matt varnish following completion to protect when handling and fading!!!!

 

Once I realised I had a problem I coated the model in four coats of UV matt varnish (see picture) to stabilise and stop any further degradation - only time will tell if this has worked.

 

To bring some colour back to the front walls and chimney (areas most effected where those facing the window where they caught the sun) I used the same UV varnish but added a dash of acrylic brick colour to give a wash which has brought some colour back, the chimney I also picked out some odd bricks in effort save it. I coated the entire building as well as all other buildings built in the same way on the layout even if they hadn't faded just to be on the safe side.

 

At the moment it looks OK and appears not to be degrading anymore.

 

The first picture shows the rear of the building and the colour it should be.

The second one is the UV varnish I use as it is designed to protect photos and paintings it was also the one that had the best web reviews.

Third picture is the worse area to the chimney and the final one is the front of whole building following the brick wash application

 

Advise - I now always use the manufacturers ink for my printer (HP 6520) as it might be more expensive at the time but the ink appears to be of a much better quality and more importantly colour fast?

 

Hope this is of help and stops someone running into the problems I had.

 

I must admit I didn't get much help from the two railway workers sitting on the seat as they just sat there and watched - must have been their tea break!

Kevin, is your printer an ink-jet or laser?

[KNP]

Kevin, is your printer an ink-jet or laser?

 

Its an ink-jet, full tile HP Photosmart 6520 Print, Scan, Copy, Web. (I'm reading off the label as it's next to me????)

Edited March 19, 2017 by KNP

[St Enodoc]

Its an ink-jet, full tile HP Photosmart 6520 Print, Scan, Copy, Web. (I'm reading of the label as it's next to me????)

I converted from ink-jets to lasers several years ago. Laser prints are more resistant to water and I would guess to UV as well.

 

Over here you can buy a desktop-sized A4 colour laser printer (not an all-in-one like yours) for less than $200. It is almost worth throwing it away and buying another when the toner runs out rather than buy a new set of toner cartridges.

[New Haven Neil]

The viaduct was a couple of Hornby ones I found second hand on e-bay, they have been repainted and tweaked to look like what they look like now!!

Posted a picture for a closer view.

There is one funny incident that happened, the backscene is glued with wallpaper paste to a 2mm MDF boarding fixed to the wall. When going over with a wall paper brush my thumb caught the sheet and ripped it.......a few choice words where said like - Oh bother!!!. You can just make it out to the right of the large single tree behind the viaduct, I managed to conceal it quite effectively as it was a very large hole?

I had no intention of trying to remove the section so I went out and bought a very large tree and planted it in front of it.......I suspect even this tree will be felled as I will probably replace it with a new prime tree.

This part of the layout was the first bit built as a 3 foot x 18 inch module and then added to the framework when that got built.

 

Thanks for your reply.  I only spotted this clever use of a RTP item as firstly I always wanted one as a kid in the 60's, and secondly we still sell them at work!  The Triang then Hornby product has had a long shelf life!

 

Your adaption of it is fantastic, like the rest of your scenic work it just appears so natural.  I see the tear now you have directed our attention to it, but otherwise would not have done so.

 

Please keep posting, your layout is just fantastic.

[County of Yorkshire]

I just wanted to pop my head in to say that this has got to be the best scenic modelling I've seen for a very, very long time!

 

Pendon-esque!

 

Cheers, 

 

CoY

[KNP]

After looking through some of the lovely layouts on this website I noticed that many of you have a vast array of motive power, the following picture portrays my entire operational steam power for Little Muddle.

 

No, No No, you can put your hankies and donations away as, in a way, this sums my approach to model railways and that is they are just an excuse for me building scenery..........plus the grand children like to see trains moving - on odd occasions.

 

Mustn't forget I do have a diesel railcar as well but that is currently sitting on the shelf waiting for some flush windows and weathering to be done.......no rush as the running timetable is very minimal on this railway!!!!!!

 

 

Edited February 26 by KNP

[380John]

After looking through some of the lovely layouts on this website I noticed that many of you have a vast array of motive power, the following picture portrays my entire operational steam power for Little Muddle.

 

No, No No, you can put your hankies and donations away as, in a way, this sums my approach to model railways and that is they are just an excuse for me building scenery..........plus the grand children like to see trains moving - on odd occasions.

 

Mustn't forget I do have a diesel railcar as well but that is currently sitting on the shelf waiting for some flush windows and weathering to be done.......no rush as the running timetable is very minimal on this railway!!!!!!

Well they do say less is more!!.....

[KNP]

Well they do say less is more!!.....

 

Well it is certainly cheaper and you must also take into account that the 48xx only arrived 2wks ago from Hatton's so the motive power situation was dire!!!

Edited March 19, 2017 by KNP

[KNP]

Just to prove I have actually been doing some work on the layout....

The signal pulley wheels are brass etches from Brassmaster and the last two where finished a few moments ago.

Some of the observant ones of you will notice that the latest two have rather a long spindle, top tip moment now this is because it left something for me to hold whilst painting and then later when I get around to fixing them. 

It will then be chopped off and end painted like the other ones. 

 

You will also see some home made pulley posts using some square microstrip and a short length of telephone cable with the wire removed.

 

No wires as I am relying on the implication that they are there.

 

 

Edited February 26 by KNP

[Izzy]

Beautifully observed modelling par excellence. Scale and gauge don't really come into the equation, it's above that like others of similar ilk.

 

The overall design of BLT to Junction rather reminds me of Jas Millham's Yaxbury branch in it's original format. A very nice concept. The motive power you have seems most appropriate, and all you really need.

 

With regard to tonal fading of printed papers I think 'colour fast' should be treated with some caution. Makers inks will probably fade less slowly than generic ones (and there are differing ink types within some ranges) but the paper materials used are part of the process here and I am sure you are familiar with the term archival in this respect, which in itself is really advisory rather than definite, so whatever process is used, ink/laser/paint etc aging will occur sooner or later.

 

Izzy

[Twright]

I can only really echo the comments everyone else has made, an excellent layout, fantastically detailed and very inspirational.

 

With such a small fleet, do you have DCC and if so do you go for sound? 

[KNP]

On 19/03/2017 at 19:28, Twright said:

I can only really echo the comments everyone else has made, an excellent layout, fantastically detailed and very inspirational.

 

With such a small fleet, do you have DCC and if so do you go for sound? 

 

Many thanks.

The layout is DCC and started as such with a Hornby Select, now I am using Railmaster and e-link.

 

Picture shows the entire control panel, I can isolate everything including section of the coal yard which is used for programming. The only must is that I remember to isolate and switch to program

The large white switch is the lighting pelmet!

Under the tablet the lid is hinged and that is where the e-link module sits.

No sound at the present other than me going choo, choo, whistle, whistle........!!!

 

 

Edited February 26 by KNP

[New Haven Neil]

Beautifully observed modelling par excellence. Scale and gauge don't really come into the equation, it's above that like others of similar ilk.

 

The overall design of BLT to Junction rather reminds me of Jas Millham's Yaxbury branch in it's original format. A very nice concept. The motive power you have seems most appropriate, and all you really need.

 

With regard to tonal fading of printed papers I think 'colour fast' should be treated with some caution. Makers inks will probably fade less slowly than generic ones (and there are differing ink types within some ranges) but the paper materials used are part of the process here and I am sure you are familiar with the term archival in this respect, which in itself is really advisory rather than definite, so whatever process is used, ink/laser/paint etc aging will occur sooner or later.

 

Izzy

 

Yaxbury etc - yes, that has been rattling around my mind but not coming to the front since I saw the 'mainline' part.  Thanks for the reminder!

 

Now, those trees.....oh those trees.....

[KNP]

Yaxbury etc - yes, that has been rattling around my mind but not coming to the front since I saw the 'mainline' part.  Thanks for the reminder!

 

Now, those trees.....oh those trees.....

 

A tree......a tree......my layout for a tree!!!!      to twist a well known saying.

It seems I'm causing quite a storm with them?

[gwrrob]

A tree......a tree......my layout for a tree!!!!      to twist a well known saying.

It seems I'm causing quite a storm with them?

Don't beat out the bush, shew us some more.

[KNP]

Don't beat out the bush, shew us some more.

 

OK, you're on, I was mulling over whether to post this or not so here it is. Give me a few minutes to organise.....

[KNP]

The following posts detail (I'll do two bits as I can't work out how to post pictures in sequence yet!!)  something I never ever seen modelled either at exhibitions or in print.

 

It involved working out some structural dynamics of how a building would be stressed and effected by an event.

 

First the building involved, which I decided would be an old corrugated store located in the grounds of the derelict house.

 

Having worked it all out I built this.........part 2 will follow in a minute with the answer

 

 

 

 

Edited February 26 by KNP

[KNP]

Part 2

 

Once the store was in place I then designed and built one of my prime trees specifically for this site but with a branch that had broken and fallen onto the roof of the store.

 

I used a cut branch that I modified to fit so it looked like it had torn off the main trunk twisting as it fell and bending over the roof.

Sprigs of Seamoss where planted on the branch some with leaves on and some not in effort to make it look like it was dying.

 

The effect, I think, is quite novel, but I'm not sure the pictures do it total justice but here goes.

 

Hope you like.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited February 26 by KNP

[New Haven Neil]

Swoon.

[KNP]

The Colonel has the right idea but I think it might be a bit dark now.

 

You know what, he's been standing there for absolute ages now and I've never seen him catch at fish........I assume I put some in the steam?

 

 

Edited February 26 by KNP

[Limpley Stoker]

The Colonel has the right idea but I think it might be a bit dark now.

 

You know what, he's been standing there for absolute ages now and I've never seen him catch at fish........I assume I put some in the steam?

Fabulous!

 

I don't want to be picky but I think he's using the wrong fly!

[danstercivicman]

Wow the shed!!! I do wish you had more room for two fiddleyards at either end of the double track section as everything you build (like the shed) looks amazing!!