Warren Branch

[Stubby47]

If it doesn't blend in, sprinkle some green powder around as more moss growing where the water splashes.

[Alister_G]

8 minutes ago, Stubby47 said:

If it doesn't blend in, sprinkle some green powder around as more moss growing where the water splashes.

 

Actually Chris I was going to suggest that for your water crane, around the drain grate, and the stone / concrete surround, give it a wash of diluted green - something like Humbrol 30 Matt Acrylic, to suggest a bit of lichen / moss.

 

Al.

Edited October 15, 2019 by Alister_G

[chuffinghell]

15 minutes ago, Stubby47 said:

If it doesn't blend in, sprinkle some green powder around as more moss growing where the water splashes.

 

11 minutes ago, Alister_G said:

 

Actually Chris I was going to suggest that for your water crane, around the drain grate, and the stone / concrete surround, give it a wash of diluted green - something like Humbrol 30 Matt Acrylic, to suggest a bit of lichen / moss.

 

Al.

Thanks for the hints/tips guys it’s appreciated as always

 

I doubt I’d have gotten this far without the continued help and support 

 

Chris

[Stubby47]

Most of what I suggest comes from observation of the real world.

 

It might sound glib, but Sherlock Holmes once said to Watson "You see, but you do not observe". It struck a chord with me and I've tried to follow the maxim where I can.

[Alister_G]

2 minutes ago, Stubby47 said:

Most of what I suggest comes from observation of the real world.

 

Sir, sir! me too Sir!

 

 

Someone on this forum very kindly said to me once that my modelling works because I model what I see, not what I think I should see.

 

Al.

[chuffinghell]

You’re both correct of course, I’m just ‘green’ when it comes to what techniques and materials to use as some things scale differently (if that makes sense)

 

Sarah and I are currently on the last series of Elementary and I’m praying that in at least one episode someone says “no sh*t Sherlock” 

[sb67]

11 hours ago, Stubby47 said:

Most of what I suggest comes from observation of the real world.

 

It might sound glib, but Sherlock Holmes once said to Watson "You see, but you do not observe". It struck a chord with me and I've tried to follow the maxim where I can.

 

11 hours ago, Alister_G said:

 

Sir, sir! me too Sir!

 

 

Someone on this forum very kindly said to me once that my modelling works because I model what I see, not what I think I should see.

 

Al.

 

Wise words guys and a good bit of advice. modelling what you see is sometimes difficult but if got right does lift a layout to looking fantastic.

 

Steve.

[chuffinghell]

32 minutes ago, sb67 said:

..........modelling what you see is sometimes difficult......

 

I couldn't agree more

[sb67]

 

13 hours ago, chuffinghell said:

You’re both correct of course, I’m just ‘green’ when it comes to what techniques and materials to use as some things scale differently (if that makes sense)

 

 

I  agree that things scale differently and  I also think there's things don't always translate to model form easily, I always enjoy looking at and trying new ideas and materials. 

 

Steve.

 

 

[chuffinghell]

No going back now, the engine shed is officially down 

 

All I need to do now is make up the point rodding, glue it down. Glue down the platform then I can put down the rest of the ballast and have a play with my static grass applicator then continue to work from left to right

 

The way I’m working is probably strange/wrong to some but it has always been my intention to work on the removable section as a separate entity before completing the build

 

 

Edited October 16, 2019 by chuffinghell

[Martin S-C]

I'd suggest you go light on the static grass. Railways didn't usually get overgrown until the end due to lack of maintenance.

[Andrew P]

11 minutes ago, Martin S-C said:

I'd suggest you go light on the static grass. Railways didn't usually get overgrown until the end due to lack of maintenance.

Neat and Tidy I think was the order of the day back then.

[chuffinghell]

27 minutes ago, Martin S-C said:

I'd suggest you go light on the static grass. Railways didn't usually get overgrown until the end due to lack of maintenance.

 

15 minutes ago, Andrew P said:

Neat and Tidy I think was the order of the day back then.

I’m not going to go mad with the grass, it’s mainly for the embankment and surrounding area (the wild unkept areas) I’m just going to put a little flock around the engine shed

 

Edited October 16, 2019 by chuffinghell

[chuffinghell]

I’m just hoping it all comes together as per the image I have in my head

 

[chuffinghell]

On 15/10/2019 at 20:27, Alister_G said:

 

Actually Chris I was going to suggest that for your water crane, around the drain grate, and the stone / concrete surround, give it a wash of diluted green - something like Humbrol 30 Matt Acrylic, to suggest a bit of lichen / moss.

 

Al.

I’ve got some Vallejo washes of which one is green so I’ve attempted your suggestion......I think 

[chuffinghell]

1 hour ago, Martin S-C said:

I'd suggest you go light on the static grass. Railways didn't usually get overgrown until the end due to lack of maintenance.

I’ve been experimenting with ash ballast and flock on my ‘test plank’

[sb67]

It all looks really good Chris, I'd agree with peoples thoughts on not putting too much static grass down, have you any prototype pics you could look at to get some ideas? 

Your test plank looks ok, what have you used there?

Steve.

[chuffinghell]

3 hours ago, sb67 said:

It all looks really good Chris, I'd agree with peoples thoughts on not putting too much static grass down, have you any prototype pics you could look at to get some ideas? 

Your test plank looks ok, what have you used there?

Steve.

 

Thanks Steve

 

The static grass is for the surrounding areas (currently painted brown) I'll be using flock on the ballast to represent moss and weeds

 

I'm not working to any prototype, just the image in my head 

 

The 'ash' is something called basing sand which I found on Ebay and the flock is a fine 2 in 1 flock from Geek Gaming

 

Unfortunately when I looked at it this morning the ballast has dried very patchy so I'm not sure how to remedy that just yet  I'm hoping its because its not fully dried out yet because it was quite cold over night and I don't have the heating on in the play room

 

Its going to bug me all day till I get home from work to see if its any better 

 

 

Edited October 17, 2019 by chuffinghell

[chuffinghell]

This is the kind of thing I'm thinking of, please note I only have access to microsoft  'paint' so its a bit crude

[Stubby47]

Will you be adding piles of 'junk' stored against the outer wall?

 

E.g. Old wheels, bits of pipe, odd lumps of metal, stacks of sleepers, piles of chairs, lengths of rail, etc.

 

Grass would have grown in and around any such stuff.

[chuffinghell]

25 minutes ago, Stubby47 said:

Will you be adding piles of 'junk' stored against the outer wall?

 

E.g. Old wheels, bits of pipe, odd lumps of metal, stacks of sleepers, piles of chairs, lengths of rail, etc.

 

Grass would have grown in and around any such stuff.

 

I'd not thought about that to be perfectly honest but it is something I should start to consider

 

I don't suppose you could point me in the direction of suitable photos 

 

 

Edited October 17, 2019 by chuffinghell

[Stubby47]

A quick search has found this:

 

https://images.app.goo.gl/E7SwQKLmN8JsnRLCA

 

Probably images around current day Heritage railways might help too.

[chuffinghell]

3 minutes ago, Stubby47 said:

A quick search has found this:

 

https://images.app.goo.gl/E7SwQKLmN8JsnRLCA

 

Probably images around current day Heritage railways might help too.

 

Thanks Stu

 

I've got Churnet Valley and Foxfield railways not too far away from home.......I'll have to do some recon

[chuffinghell]

1 hour ago, Stubby47 said:

........E.g. Old wheels

 

Sorry for the stupid question but would old wheels be just left on the ground or would they put down a coupe of lengths of rail or on top of wooden blocks (or sleepers)

 

 

Edited October 17, 2019 by chuffinghell

[Martin S-C]

I really want to advise caution again here.

As regards junk, grot and grass do please remember you're modelling the 1930s and not the 1960s. You need to google for branch engine shed images for your era, I would honestly suggest you avoid heritage railways and photos taken in BR days. I think you will be surprised at how tidy they are and how little grass is around. Your digitally edited image has far too much grass I feel. Engine shed areas were often dirty but immaculately tidy due to so many people working there and constantly tramping back and forth. I really don't think you'd see loco wheels at a GW branch shed at all, nor even much junk, all major repairs happened at Swindon or Wolverhampton so there'd be no reason to have big engineering parts at a rural location.

These images generally show the places were dirty but in earlier decades very tidy. The 50s and 60s images show a greater and greater accumulation of waste ash and general junk with grasses only growing very sparsely. Grass tends not to like growing in places where there's lot of oil around!

 

Pontrilas 1909

 

 

Pontrilas c1930s

 

 

In the above pic the nearest track is the running line of the Golden Valley branch. There appears to be some sparse grasses under the yard lamp where people don't walk. The grassy embankment behind is beginning to encroach nearer the track.

 

Tewkesbury 1950s

 

 

Tewkesbury 1960s

 

 

 

Boiler washout shed, Worcester, 1965

 

http://www.miac.org.uk/worcestershedsrnp.html

Edited October 17, 2019 by Martin S-C