Warren Branch

[Julia]

17 minutes ago, Andrew P said:

Although I suspect Kevin @KNP would do  it more like this.

 

 

Gotta say, this is the better option of the two. Is the vertical bit going to be back scene, or will you continue the hill upwards at a slope? 

 

J

[MAP66]

3 hours ago, chuffinghell said:

More messing about.....

 

....risers spaced approximately 44mm apart each one increases by 4mm....

 

....I’m trying to convince myself it will look better with a road surface and a grassed embankment but I’m struggling to imagine it at the moment 

Chiris i've taken a second look and think you'll find the risers are approx 43.5mm apart  great work.

[MrWolf]

I think that the trees on the embankment work well with the plain backscene. They add depth and imply that the land falls away in the distance.

Edited October 10, 2020 by MrWolf

[chuffinghell]

1 hour ago, MAP66 said:

Chiris i've taken a second look and think you'll find the risers are approx 43.5mm apart  great work.

well spotted 

[chuffinghell]

1 hour ago, Andrew P said:

Although I suspect Kevin @KNP would do  it more like this.

Thanks Andy, so much easier to imagine it now. I have to agree that having trees on the embankment looks like a great idea.

 

Also looking at it I’m quite liking the idea of a hedge against the back-scene

 

The road in the foreground goes over the canal.....that isn’t there yet 

[Gypsy]

I was going to suggest the wall but Andy's second pic looks far better...

[KNP]

You can't beat a group of trees, after all we have millions of them through this country and very few are in isolation.

How about making the group of trees on the right deeper and make the road not follow the backscene and have a line of half trees between the road and the backscene which would make it look like the road cuts through a wood.

All the time trying to deceive the eye as to the actual shape.

 

Looking good.

[Andrew P]

37 minutes ago, KNP said:

You can't beat a group of trees, after all we have millions of them through this country and very few are in isolation.

How about making the group of trees on the right deeper and make the road not follow the backscene and have a line of half trees between the road and the backscene which would make it look like the road cuts through a wood.

All the time trying to deceive the eye as to the actual shape.

 

Looking good.

You mean more like this Kevin?

 

 

Edited October 11, 2020 by Andrew P

[Andrew P]

Or Try this Chris, another take on Kevin / @KNP idea,

Now looking more Rural and natural.

[KNP]

Like the last one as the road disappears behind the front group of trees, yard gate could be near edge of road as back then they wouldn't worry about road craft and stopping in the road to open gate....

[chuffinghell]

Thank you @Andrew P and @KNP you’ve definitely given me a few ideas on how to improve it

 

 

I've had to allow for the goods yard/shed so its a bit if a compromise

 

Edited October 11, 2020 by chuffinghell

[Rowsley17D]

I've also plenty of tree stuff for sale 

[chuffinghell]

1 hour ago, Rowsley17D said:

I've also plenty of tree stuff for sale 

 

So that's why you want me to have lots of trees 

[chuffinghell]

Can anyone offer any tips regarding the transition between the ballast, goods yard area and the road?

 

I’ve used brown ballast so far but wasn’t sure if I should do the good yard area grey (level with the sleepers) and the road entering/exiting the yard the same colour or should the goods yard area be  a brown colour similar to the ballast and blend it into a grey road

 

Probably seems like a stupid question but I’m not sure how to make it look right

 

Edited October 13, 2020 by chuffinghell

[Alister_G]

My view is that the goods yard would not be necessarily identifiable as ballast at all, it might well be a compacted ash surface which would be quite smooth in comparison to ballast, and would be a dark grey colour.

 

Al.

[chuffinghell]

6 minutes ago, Alister_G said:

My view is that the goods yard would not be necessarily identifiable as ballast at all, it might well be a compacted ash surface which would be quite smooth in comparison to ballast, and would be a dark grey colour.

 

Al.

Thanks Al

Its just a matter of the transition between the ballast and yard surface

[Alister_G]

One would just merge gradually into the other, I think.

 

EDIT: In terms of actually doing it practically, I would ballast the track and yard as normal, then add something like dry filler or stone dust on top to fill in the gaps in the ballast and smooth it off, you can then colour it how you want to, and form a gradual transition from one to the other.

 

 

Al

 

Edited October 13, 2020 by Alister_G

[chuffinghell]

1 minute ago, Alister_G said:

One would just merge gradually into the other, I think.

 

Al

 

I’m obviously not there yet but I generally think a few steps ahead (and worry myself silly)

 

It might be a good idea to attach a bit of spare track to a plank of timber and do some experimentation

[chuffinghell]

1 hour ago, Alister_G said:

One would just merge gradually into the other, I think.

 

EDIT: In terms of actually doing it practically, I would ballast the track and yard as normal, then add something like dry filler or stone dust on top to fill in the gaps in the ballast and smooth it off, you can then colour it how you want to, and form a gradual transition from one to the other.

 

 

Al

 

Thanks Al

 

I thought of using air dry clay but I’ll give your suggestion a try

 

I might try your cork sheet method....if I may

 

 

 

Edited October 13, 2020 by chuffinghell

[Alister_G]

22 minutes ago, chuffinghell said:

I might try your cork sheet method....if I may

 

Ooh I don't know, there may be royalties to pay

 

You're more then welcome to try it, but actually ballasting then filling it in is probably easier.

 

Al.

[chuffinghell]

15 minutes ago, Alister_G said:

 

Ooh I don't know, there may be royalties to pay

cheque is in the post

 

15 minutes ago, Alister_G said:

......but actually ballasting then filling it in is probably easier.

 

Al.

I'm thinking of using cork due to the large area I need to cover

[Andrew P]

This is how Seven Mills was Chris, from Tarmac onto Gravel / Cinders / Ash / Earth etc.

 

And the same on Pencarne, Tarmac strait to Gravel etc.

 

[sb67]

Have you seen stuff by Chris Nevard? He's a master of using air dry clay for groundwork and I'd also check out Gordon Gravetts work too. I'd recommend both methods, if you're covering a large area I'd probably paint then sieve on various textures depending on the look you want. 

Although it's aimed at O gauge I'd recommend Gordon Gravetts book on landscape detailing, it's really informative. 

Whatever you choose I'll look forward to seeing it. 

[chuffinghell]

13 hours ago, Alister_G said:

One would just merge gradually into the other, I think.

 

EDIT: In terms of actually doing it practically, I would ballast the track and yard as normal, then add something like dry filler or stone dust on top to fill in the gaps in the ballast and smooth it off, you can then colour it how you want to, and form a gradual transition from one to the other.

 

 

Al

 

Thinking about it when I did the area around the ash pit I did used a similar method of ballasting first and using very fine basing sand (ash colour)

 

 

Could I get away with using the same method for the fiddleyard (minus the ash piles of course)

[Nick C]

I believe most sidings in steam days were ballasted with ash (which, after all, was in plentiful supply and basically free), chances are the yard surface would have been the same.