Ross34 Posted September 10, 2017 Share Posted September 10, 2017 The layout has been inspired by younger days spent in South Australia during the 70s and 80s - mostly in the southern suburbs of Adelaide. An additional challenge is that the fact that is been built in the UK. It currently measures 3.30m x 400mm with 900mm radius curve sections at each end. Most of the stock is imported from Australia and produced by the main HO scale manufacturers (Austrains, Auscision, Trainorama, Powerline and Orient Express Models). Some stock has been obtained/swapped from Iain Hunter / Andrew Burnham - some will recall their excellent "Broadford" - a Victorian Railways broad gauge and standard gauge layout currently, as far as I'm aware, the only HO Australain model on the UK exhibition scene.. unless somebody knows different. The layout made its first appearance at the Leigh Model Railway exhbition on the 2nd / 3rd September - a few teething problems were evident (almost all due to my bodging!) but generally it didn't perform too badly. There is still much to do but hopefully the pics give a flavour of what I'm trying to achieve. 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allegheny1600 Posted September 10, 2017 Share Posted September 10, 2017 It's a smashing looking layout and thanks for posting some pictures. I do hope to see it again sometime. All the best, John. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D6775 Posted September 15, 2017 Share Posted September 15, 2017 Nice looking layout. I have had a number of enjoyable days operating Broadford for Iain, I really need to crack on with building my own Aussie layout. Have you gone down the EM route or just standard HO track, I can't decide from your pictures! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
manna Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 G'Day Gents Think you need to change the mini in front of the Kadina Hotel for a battered old FJ Holden ute. Like the layout though. manna 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross34 Posted September 19, 2017 Author Share Posted September 19, 2017 Nice looking layout. I have had a number of enjoyable days operating Broadford for Iain, I really need to crack on with building my own Aussie layout. Have you gone down the EM route or just standard HO track, I can't decide from your pictures! Should be EM I guess (or a scale 5' 3" in HO) - I'm not as brave as Iain or have the time (or the skill) to convert so I've used code 75. Iain kindly let me run some of my SAR locos at Wigan a while ago - a great layout - is it still on the circuit. G'Day Gents Think you need to change the mini in front of the Kadina Hotel for a battered old FJ Holden ute. Like the layout though. manna Thanks mana - yeah, your right. When we first moved to SA dad bought a beautiful two tone EK - then I learnt to drive in an EH wagon - great looking cars. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D6775 Posted September 23, 2017 Share Posted September 23, 2017 The code 75 still looks good, all my stock is EM'd but I have never got to building the layout! I may well have been on Broadford at Wigan, certainly done one show with Ian there don't know if he's done more than one though. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertc Posted November 26, 2017 Share Posted November 26, 2017 Good start there Ross. Some work on a matching backscene will make it even better. Ralph Holdens book and the Moping Branch DVD get a regular airing at my place. cheers Bob Comerford Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross34 Posted December 1, 2017 Author Share Posted December 1, 2017 The backscene is on the "to-do" list Bob.. I'd like a Haskell Backscene but obtaining one in the UK is proving trick. I might try Brunel Hobbies. Thanks for the tip about Ralphs book. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross34 Posted December 1, 2017 Author Share Posted December 1, 2017 I've been doing some experiments with my new airbrush recently and weathered some of my rolling stock. I like quite subtle effects - I often think weathering can be over done at times. I've used washes followed by light dusting with the airbrush and rust effects using sponges and weathering powders. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Allegheny1600 Posted December 2, 2017 Share Posted December 2, 2017 Hi mate, That's looking rather good. I agree about over done weathering, some folk seem to think that a blast with the airbrush is sufficient, I far prefer a mix of techniques and then you get a far more impressive effect. Well done! John. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross34 Posted January 7, 2019 Author Share Posted January 7, 2019 (edited) A bit of an update.. and change. The original layout "Ross Creek" was, rather reluctantly it must be said, scrapped after just one exhibition. I built it on the premise that to model Australian railways it needed room for long trains. A nice idea but quite frankly it was too big - certainly for the amount of people I had to hand ( at the time) to assist in setting it up , running it etc. Plus it would have never have been put at home as I didn't have room. And, if I'm being honest, some of the layout construction was rushed and a didn't run as well I'd like in places...and the wiring wasn't really up to scratch. I saved quite a bit and the boards were re-used on another project so not a total loss. The new layout is much smaller and compact - 11 x 2. A switching puzzle from an Australian railways perspective (I hope). Its built on Grange & Hodder boards, HO scale, Code 75 track & DCC control. The location is inspired by the railways in the south east of South Australia close to the Victoria border (Mount Gambier in particular) in the 1980s ...well loosely. Like the original it really should be 5' 3" broad gauge (EM gauge)...another time maybe?! Its due to appear at Leigh Model Railway show (Lancs) in September this year.. with a new title of Port Ross..progress is steady but a bit to do yet. I've attached a couple of photos for those interested. I'll post more when it nears completion. Edited January 7, 2019 by Ross34 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertc Posted January 28, 2019 Share Posted January 28, 2019 Nice work ,once again Ross. I wouldn't stress about the gauge difference. No need to follow the folly imposed on us with the real thing :>) cheers Bob 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMR CHRIS Posted February 5, 2019 Share Posted February 5, 2019 Just found your layout Topic you have done a good job of capturing the style of a SA countrys Railway yard look. somthing very different for the UK nicely done. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross34 Posted May 9, 2019 Author Share Posted May 9, 2019 My latest purchase from Brunel Hobbies http://www.brunelhobbies.com.au/ I needed to find a way to reproduce corrugated iron in HO scale. I used to be able to buy Campbell Scale Models products in the UK but its getting harder ( if not impossible) to find. On the suggestion of Luke Towan - https://www.bouldercreekrailroad.com/ I purchased this neat little gadget... Its basically a male & female forming tool...but works pretty well. Takes a bit of practice and at the moment I'm experimenting with thick foil. The resultant pieces are bit fragile but with care are fine. I stick them to either plasticard or foamboard with double sided tape. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross34 Posted October 18, 2019 Author Share Posted October 18, 2019 The layout made its debut at the Leigh (Lancs) annual exhibition at the end of September and once a small electrical issue was sorted out during set up it ran OK. Some things made themselves apparent during the weekend though.. The layout needs a carrying frame of some sort next time it goes out. I need to practice alot more with the NCE powercab! It needs a backscene painting (I could get a Haskell backscene from Australia - expensive but very good - we'll see) The loco fleet would probably benefit from more "high end" decoders. Nothing wrong with budget at all - especially when new to DCC - but replacing an entry level decoder with a Zimo made a huge difference. I really need to set up the Kadee uncouplers properly - out the 6 on the layout only 2 worked as they should. One or two buildings need replacing. The lighting rig needs a re-design. So, not too much then!! A few pics.... 8 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dullsteamer Posted October 19, 2019 Share Posted October 19, 2019 Very nicely done, Ross. Good to hear your first exhibition outing wasn't too stressful. All the best, Mark. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross34 Posted March 17, 2020 Author Share Posted March 17, 2020 (edited) Well as we're all housebound & I have an exhbition deadline (Sept 2021) I though I'd have a go at some weathering. Working from photos, I wanted these GMs (Trainorama) to look like they have been worked hard in the hot, dry, dusty environment of central Australia. I used Vallejo Model Air paint in a Iwata Neo to impart a dusty abraded kind of appearance. But first I experimented with the "dot technique" using grey, white & yellow oil paint to give a slightly faded look. Its subtle but its a technique I quite like. Edited March 17, 2020 by Ross34 Spelling 9 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D6775 Posted April 3, 2020 Share Posted April 3, 2020 Those GM's look fantastic. I've got two more VIC B class loco's to come my way at some point when they get released. I should really start building a layout for them all! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenG Posted April 25, 2020 Share Posted April 25, 2020 On 19/10/2019 at 04:43, Ross34 said: Hi Ross, The track-in-dirt effect you've created here looks spot-on for so many railway yards in Australia. How did you create it? Cheers, Ben 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross34 Posted April 28, 2020 Author Share Posted April 28, 2020 On 25/04/2020 at 06:59, BenG said: Hi Ross, The track-in-dirt effect you've created here looks spot-on for so many railway yards in Australia. How did you create it? Cheers, Ben Thanks Ben. The track is laid on thin cork so I built up the yard (the grey foreground) with layers of thin cork sheet and tile grout. I sanded the tile grout smooth and painted with emulsion paint to represent compact earth or faded, very worn sun bleached tarmac. I finished off with a "very light" dudting of weathering powder. The ballast is fine sand. Placed and packed in fairly tight then sprayed with surgical spirit and maybe 10% water mix. Then place dilute pva with a dropper. The surgical spirit mix stops the sand floating away when you add the glue. I then airbrush a dark rust on the railsides and then light dust colours over the track - finish with a very light weathering powder application. The powders need to be applied very sparingly. Hope that helps. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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