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A late beginner


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Here goes: I've been a keen follower of railway modelling for over 40 years, I've not got as far as anything that could be classed as scenic modelling.  I've had many good intentions, and learned a lot, but there comes a point where I ought to actually give it a go.  I don't expect to trouble the judges, but I'll see if I can get past "Go!"

 

So, I've been to the bakery and acquired a cakebox.  Mine came pristine (ie: without a cake), but doing the sensible thing first and checking my measurements I find that cakes where I live seem to be smaller than in my native West Midlands: my box is 7" x 7" x 3" tall.

 

1407904096_Cakebox2.jpg.970694060d01ec1fc270a9ba3ac98aeb.jpg

 

1922462045_Cakebox1.jpg.6e303cf7fa4a3cd4a15efb053b2d82cd.jpg

 

Edited by Keith Addenbrooke
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Next comes the need for an idea.  Level crossings seem popular, so my first thought, of a Rail Replacement Bus at a level crossing (bluff or double bluff) isn't that original - crossings are being much better done by others: if I'm to contribute anything useful, I'm just aiming at the: "see, it can be done" level.

 

My wilder ideas began with two dinosaurs in a country setting (they have a long wait for a train, but don't actually know they're waiting for a train - so not eligible).  Next stop is the New York City Metro A train "Waiting for A-train" as I think it stops at the Museum of Natural history (more dinosaurs?) as well as reaching out to JFK airport - a flight of fancy which only explains why I don't ever get round to modelling anything.  Back to basics.

 

According to the Kalmbach's Operating Manual for Model Railroaders a train is only a train when "displaying markers" so a locomotive without headcodes or lamps might be waiting to be a train (it would show I've been reading BRM long enough to have learned something from the good Mr. Wright).  Think again.

 

I have a recently-built signal box with signal man installed, but he's not very visible at normal viewing distance (and I've glued the roof on)

 

1064762342_Cakebox4.jpg.42214df6899e6cc496040a893ba3eed9.jpg

 

935104977_Cakebox5.jpg.d195298d1470977cbc470eef7977d707.jpg

 

With the steps, it takes up a lot of my 7" though.

 

A smaller building that could offer a lineside scene is the recent BRM cottage - I've coloured the card edges since this appeared on page 40 of the Feb '19 BRM (it needed nothing more than an ordinary HB pencil to make a big improvement), and added a gentrifying porch from another Metcalfe kit (the brickwork doesn't need to match, as it's clearly a later addition).

 

70562294_Cakebox3.jpg.d52b5ce0f2dbc8660646af3d6ec7ee76.jpg

 

My point: it's worth having a try, and it'll be good practice for that day when...

 

Edited by Keith Addenbrooke
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A great piece of advice on RM web for anyone planning to share modelling progress on the Forum, is to make some progress before putting up the first post.  I should have got further than acquiring a cakebox!  Seeing my musings staring back at me highlights a glaringly obvious question: what am I aiming at?

 

Reading other postings flags up another issue for a late starter - as well as lacking experience, I don't have a box / collection / supply of bits and pieces to use.

 

Where now?

 

I was given some Model Railroader back issues to catch up with over Christmas, and flicking through them last night gave me an idea: mirrors!

 

There's nothing new in using mirrors to expand scenes, but seeing one used to capture the enormous size of a US building reminded me of something from my grandmother's bathroom many years ago.  There were matching wall mirrors on either side of the room that created the illusion of an infinite space.

 

Could I place one either side of my cakebox, to create the illusion of looking down a straight line that disappears into the far distance - waiting for a train?

 

At this point I must offer my apologies to anyone who used this idea last year - I've not seen all the entries, but this will be the basis for my attempt.*

 

Here is a mock-up, using a borrowed bathroom mirror on one side, and a small non-glass mirror I bought this morning on the other (the intention is to halve the size of the non-glass mirror and place one piece on each side).  The first photo shows the set-up for the test:

 

73881898_Cakebox6.jpg.808cf6ff47076d425f47842713aa4069.jpg

 

Move the camera to a position at the right of the set-up, and the second photo taken peeping over the mirror shows that the idea could work:

 

527147017_Cakebox7.jpg.6eb1df3a2e31fbda0d60f47847e33568.jpg

 

* It still doesn't say exactly what kind of scene I'm aiming for, or what the second piece of railway equipment besides my straight track will be, I've several ideas (all untested as yet).  The challenge of course will be to create a real scene with some interest that doesn't give itself away when reflected multiple times.

 

Incidentally, a close-up of the ruler reveals an approach to measurements I've not seen before - look closely at the length of the 2nd and 6th inches!

 

AFA1B2B8-87DB-49FD-8D5A-84B4EF3F9640.jpeg.ddfbaecd96ccca568c8e13f7e837aa23.jpeg

 

Edited by Keith Addenbrooke
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With a bit more spare time - and lousy weather outside this afternoon - I've split the mirror I bought this morning (carefully scoring and re-scoring the back with a Stanley knife until it could be snapped cleanly in two). 

 

Serendipitously, my undersized cakebox turns out to be the perfect size for test photos using a standard single straight of Settrack:

 

1615243448_Cakebox9.jpg.358b06f044a9f2c2898e13c1e1a30dde.jpg

 

Getting the ideal angle for photos of the concept is a bit more fiddly than I'd like (a deeper box with larger mirrors might be easier), but this captures something of the desired effect.

 

1585277762_Cakebox10.jpg.b54a2015b1a7cbcc746b8aa15d1f697c.jpg

 

It will help in determining what kind of scenic treatment to go for.  So that'll be it for a few weeks I expect, while I try out and refine some scenic ideas.

_________________________

 

PS: With better curvature than here a complete 'pizza layout' could appear to fit into a cakebox - a circle model train track waiting for a train to be placed on the track - round a Christmas Tree for example.

 

1389002866_Cakebox11.jpg.fdcb75a3ceabd48434fc1680086d3429.jpg

 

Edited by Keith Addenbrooke
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There's always something I've not considered - no sooner have I paused to spend some time working on scenic ideas for my cakebox, than another thought crosses my mind: I need to explain my preferred viewpoint in a way that can also be reflected multiple times, not just the trackside scenic treatment - while I've often looked into the far distance while waiting for a train on platforms, by level crossings (roadside) or on bridges, I've never done so while invisibly suspended some 20 feet or so off the ground.

 

Fortunately, it just so happens that the following scene from downtown Chicago is a January 2019 calendar photo on our wall this month.  Replace the Chicago River with a railroad cutting and the multiple bridges are there in situ.  They're not quite identical, going into the distance, but near-to look very similar, even down to the control towers (OT: I believe they are all lifting bridges).

 

425448259_Cakebox12.jpg.5e386d31f733b36fe780859365f3f678.jpg

 

I'm not suggesting I'd ever be able to model anything this impressive - but when a prototype is needed, one can always be found!

 

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49th Street Bridge

 

It hasn't taken long to settle on the idea of a bridge as a viewing point.  A simple paper mock-up of a single track overbridge shows that the multiple reflections still work OK:

 

310409487_Cakebox13.jpg.ac4a25bf8911eea88e919538733820be.jpg

 

1633992425_Cakebox14.jpg.b193ca6e44a88aae12b09ac5c7043992.jpg

 

This was then widened to look more like the calendar photo posted previously (using the "haircut principle" that it's easier to cut more away than put it back, even though this was preferred look):

 

691019455_Cakebox15.jpg.e27ff91e3195420dd9c0fa81f6a1f2ea.jpg

 

181469912_Cakebox16.jpg.237b075b2a8b1bd987908127a3887f0b.jpg

 

A quick internet search shows that Gravesend station in Kent has just such an approach, with multiple overbridges, but I've decided to stick with a US-inspired approach, using John Pryke's 2000 Kalmbach book, "Building City Scenery."  Chapters 2 and 3 on Backdrops and Scenic Modules are particularly helpful, but copyright means I'll just share the cover:

 

1184158518_Cakebox18.jpg.3c3d527a8827aedd17f6fe6b4f842294.jpg

 

So I now have a plan, developed using my preferred technology of a pencil and ruler.

 

1351784591_Cakebox17.jpg.78c4c96e2c70291f7ac762e55e0866c9.jpg

 

There are still some areas to clarify, but getting started (and really getting started) should be my next step.  I'm not sure what a crastinator is, but I've been a pro for far too long...

 

Edited by Keith Addenbrooke
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Just to point out that the competition cake box size is 8" × 8" × 6".

 

Your box height of 3" can be exceeded - the box you use is not the defining size of your entry.

 

(I didn't even have a cakebox for my previous entry, but built it to the required size.)

 

Hope that helps.

 

Stu

Edited by Stubby47
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Just to point out that the competition cake box fize is 8" × 8" × 6".

 

Your box height of 3" can be exceeded - the box you use is not the defining size of your entry.

 

(I didn't even have a cakebox for my previous entry, but built it to the required size.)

 

Hope that helps.

 

Stu

Yes - the complete entry doesn’t even have to involve a cake box, it’s only there as a size guide.

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First off: thanks for the various acknowledgements and advice so far - it's helpful and encouraging (and gives me some options as well).

 

Having drawn a paper diagram I'm happy with, I've now made a simple mock-up of the proposed model from a used cereal packet.  This shows that leaving sufficient clearance under the bridge for the smallest US loading gauge (AAR Plate B), leaves no space within the allowable 6" for a further drop in the foreground (for a small dockside, for example).  The photos instead show a small embankment: going back up rather than further down.

 

More significantly, the exercise confirms that widening the bridge for an inset street track restricts the view down the line too much:

 

1192843548_Cakebox19.jpg.49b7bf21b3155709f19672a26a665680.jpg

 

402529286_Cakebox20.jpg.96f079088cc1fb4a50d2128b0ca2dd62.jpg

 

Halving the width of the bridge from 2" to 1" renders a significant improvement, and gives a view not much different to the very first paper mock-up (which had a 1/2" bridge when testing the concept):

674464691_Cakebox21.jpg.c4d584f7ff95c15673f690c4e0137e06.jpg

 

The narrower the bridge, the better the view when waiting for a train.

Cakebox 22.jpg

Edited by Keith Addenbrooke
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Reviewing the previous post, it therefore looks like the two railway related items will need to be:

 

1.  The single track that forms the centrepiece of the diorama

2.  The railway overbridge which serves as the viewing point.

 

Looking at the cardboard mock-up also shows how I can break the project down into sections, so I can build each one in turn (one per week).  This will allow me to try out various ideas at each stage without risk to anything else, bringing it all together at the end.  With limited time I can also pace myself, and this will show me how long it might take to build a larger model, maybe even one day a layout!

 

My six pre-built items will therefore be:

 

334764304_Cakebox23.jpg.157b0842cbe296bbc9038378d6d17ef7.jpg

 

1.  Ballasted single track - HO Scale

2.  Retaining Wall

3.  Railway overbridge

4.  Any detailing of the top surfaces of the bridge / retaining wall.

5.  Building flats / backscene up to 6" total height

6.  Small embankment / city park section

__________________

 

PS: Looks like the 1830 Liverpool to Manchester is running very late...

 

373248339_Cakebox24.jpg.68707249868d943ae38d403c0a9c180c.jpg

Edited by Keith Addenbrooke
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Not sure if you've seen this previous RMweb Challenge Entry (for the 2011 competition):

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/46934-magic-black-box/

 

An excellent use of mirrors.

 

I still can't believe the two gents talking in the middle are one and the same figure.

 

Wow!  That is absolutely brilliant - an amazingly creative idea, perfectly executed with such attention to detail (an excellent advert for 7mm modelling).  Thank you, Keith.

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After a few weeks marvelling at the wonderful ideas being developed by some very creative and talented cakebox modellers, the chance to make progress on my little model is on the horizon, with half-term just around the corner.  Much of what I learn is by trial and error, so my ability to make lots of mistakes could be a blessing...

 

I found some sheets of 1/4" MDF (left by a previous resident) in an outbuilding, suitable for a small baseboard.  It's not too obvious from this winter evening photo, but my first lesson reminded me that, even 35 years after 'O' Level woodwork, I still can't cut a straight line: something I'll need to bear in mind for future, larger projects.

 

882406131_Cakebox25.jpg.9c82d1f0f0bae88f162c0fc4b68e3aa8.jpg NB: The coffee tin really is big: just shy of 7" tall (this is an American model)

 

The roadbed is just corrugated card painted grey, while the gravelled area to either side came from a roll of "Premier Cork Underlay" I had.  I don't know if it's still available: the sheet I found is priced at 2/- !!!  Not sure why it's double sided?  The main problem was rolling it flat after, presumably, at least 48 years in the packet.

 

I've made up some cereal packet box frames for the retaining wall and building on top, revealing two more basic errors (D'oh!).  First: I forgot to include a parapet on top of the wall (there'll be a fence on top, but a parapet would also be conventional), and second: after carefully bracing the inside of my box frame with thick card formers, I then stuck all the spare brickpaper I had on the back!

 

1261366871_Cakebox27.jpg.6b403815ccfa7b8234c99c4fa3a24801.jpg  1954879481_Cakebox26.jpg.01b58933f5281040360f0bb91f08497a.jpg Fortunately, building each part separately (in case of mishaps), all I need to do is turn it round.

 

The building will be created from a downloaded BRM freebie from a couple of years ago that I never made - the original was for a 4mm scale Engine Shed Office, and while I've decided on a 3.5mm scale low relief warehouse, modifying it with a more typical American flat roof should look OK.  One of the most common problems with card kits is achieving 3-D relief, but with US buildings often not displaying prominent external drainpipes (for example), I'll be covering the printed-on ones.

 

618100069_Cakebox28.jpg.427cbe5dd716202ba21b094a09065b8c.jpg

 

Under the heading of things I wouldn't have guessed, it would appear that some standard brick sizes in the US are actually smaller than in the UK.  Working to a scale 7/8ths the size, I should therefore have downscaled this kit by a bit more than that before printing it, but given the cost of printer ink I'll live with the difference.

 

Next step: ballasting the track and settling on a suitable final design for my second railroad-related item, the overbridge.  Traditional brick arches aren't as common in the US from what I can tell, but I want something fairly non-descript as it will be reflected multiple times in the final model.

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Ok, so I put off ballasting until I have time to set up a workstation I can leave out while it dries in place, and put together the building I want instead.  You can see how the source kit has been modified by comparison with the photo at the end of the previous post.

 

148378471_Cakebox28.jpg.c1cb7ffdb82bc490e53cae2b1412259b.jpg

 

I inserted clear plastic in front of the printed card window frames for a simple glass effect.  The printed door supplied looked too over-sized to pass for HO scale, so I used a corrugated metal sheet print from the BRM kit as this is featureless.  I wanted a run-down but not disused appearance, so the doorway (and one window) have been boarded up from the inside - if the building was disused and boarded up externally, I'd expect any remaining windows to have been broken too.  I've also gone for a low-relief building rather than the fold-down building flats I'd planned as the model needs to be viewed side-on as well as front on.

 

1914181132_Cakebox29.jpg.6a9b80686a31f71fdc1fcaba3893f885.jpg

A design for a railroad overbridge has also been mocked up in card and gives the effect I want.  I've had to cut away a parapet I left across the bridge to get a low-enough viewing angle for the reflections under the bridge (I'll need some railings instead).

1071701859_Cakebox30.jpg.ffa020926a3c6edd70928e46de4d9d61.jpg

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49th Street Bridge

 

When I settled on a plan for this diorama I named it '49th Street Bridge' - my viewing point while waiting for a train.  Tonight's task has been to make a start on the bridge: a cardboard skeleton formed from a cereal packet, onto which a pre-printed brickpaper finish can be stuck later.  Having previously drawn up a design as a paper template (and then as an initial cardboard mock-up), I've now carefully drawn out the design in the style of printed card kits:

442824608_Cakebox31.jpg.8ae23ea93e93ff5490083bd977d55e97.jpg97712176_Cakebox32.jpg.e4816d349dbaa1fb2634f0dcd087b01b.jpg

This was actually my third attempt, and even then I realised I'd missed some tabs I'd need when I began cutting it out (not too late to add them in).  By carefully scoring the card before folding it, and then checking that the tabs for the pillars didn't overlap when folded, it was possible to glue each pillar in one go, making assembly the quickest part of the job (this may not be news to experienced modellers, but to me it came as a nice surprise).  As with the retaining wall, there is no safety parapet at this point - railings will be added - and for me, this more than meets my expectations.

 

1944732450_Cakebox33.jpg.5dd2e9d4e5334e7bb91282137844d804.jpg1845397490_Cakebox34.jpg.2c18d98be198960042893c911dd770f3.jpg

The one thing missing is an underside to the arch - this isn't visible from the viewing angles I have, so I may or may not rectify this later.

 

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49th Street Bridge - some further progress with a free day today (part 1 of 3):

 

Before attempting a fence that will be prominently positioned on top of the retaining wall (partly screening the low-relief building behind), I've put together another part of the module as practice - the low embankment for the other side of the track.  This also uses parts from the BRM Engine Shed Office kit on a cereal box base, plus some spare coping stones left over from a Metcalfe kit to add some 3-D relief.  As it'll all be reflected, it needs to be quite plain.

 

1928418229_Cakebox35.jpg.15b6401336c5879fc5c18455e77965c3.jpg 815241136_Cakebox36.jpg.393a39c79d1a3967804f67049a3c57b6.jpg539907441_Cakebox37.jpg.4542cc44cbcf60998ec9d496bf2a9387.jpg

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49th Street Bridge - progress today (part 2 of 3)

 

With an undersized cakebox (7" x 7" x 3" deep), I can expand upwards with a backscene.  As I need viewing points from both the front and side, which could distort any attempt at forcing perspective, I'm using a plain blue-grey background 6" high on a card mount that slots into the cakebox behind the baseboard.

363883429_Cakebox38.jpg.8c8dde6f6ee3596d405a0c30b9c70174.jpg

I've also lined the other side of the cakebox (behind the low embankment and fence) with the same blue-grey paper - it's so plain it doesn't really show on the daylight photos in the previous post, but it is there (and it does look better than the plain white inside of the cakebox).

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49th Street Bridge - progress (part 3 of 3)

 

Finally, the bridge itself, again using prints from the same BRM Engine Shed Office Kit.  These can be wrapped around the corners of the structure and avoid 'split card corners' showing. The edging stones are actually guttering from the kit, with 2B graphite pencil rubbed along the seam (as there is a fold here).

483985252_Cakebox42.jpg.1445921513239a53875e2151e9daf354.jpg 900448441_Cakebox39.jpg.97d0c3f0541d7967cd78e5dc389f2ae2.jpg

 

I liked the look of the edging, so have added some to the top of the retaining wall, which also has acquired a concrete road surface today as well.

 

1833978501_Cakebox41a.jpg.32e8ff4fb3faadf095b5e5e1382de75d.jpg165513155_Cakebox40.jpg.2f3505a9ce7c26d276685929cc8c9f82.jpg

 

Yes, the track still needs ballasting, a fence for the top of the retaining wall, railings across the bridge and then detailing (my term for trying to cover up the joins).  Given where I started from however, this is already further than I've got before with designing and then actually building a model that's not just a kit - and it is starting to look as if I could end up with something resembling what I set out to build...

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49th Street Bridge - Tracklaying 1.01

 

Tracklaying is important to the final look and feel of the module - not least because the theme means there's won't be a train to hide it!  I did try test ballasting a couple of 4' lengths of straight track a few years ago: it was fun to try, but the result was so rocky that it could only ever be used for very static displays (rolling stock just couldn't...).  I'm therefore producing two pieces of track - a test piece alongside the 'real' one:

 

1248783727_Cakebox42a.jpg.5c1c3023dcc30fb1ab259290b30cd72d.jpg

 

The Hornby track I'm using is correctly spaced for HO gauge track, and while the sleepers aren't too obviously toy like in the middle, the end pieces are functional rather than realistic.  As with other pre-formed track, there's also a continuous webbing underneath I want to remove:

 

39078008_Cakebox43.jpg.3debaec6ce45f4f84264b09b28c5ad94.jpg 850947085_Cakebox44.jpg.b3234252e1eab30c7953af5b16394b31.jpg

 

It was a simple job with a Stanley knife to swap the sleeper units from the ends of the final piece of track with some from the middle of the test piece, but I must admit I did get bored cutting the webbing from just these 2 x single pieces of track - I'm not sure I'd have the patience to do a whole layout!  Hats off to those who do (the thought crossed my mind that handlaying track suddenly didn't seem like such an onerous task).

 

364711792_Cakebox45.jpg.67c0a382307df734e65ffdca47fdd35d.jpg408310743_Cakebox47.jpg.96b805eb7f332568ba78c72f44146b6f.jpg

 

Track was lined up (against a mirror from the final module) and simply glued to the roadbed for this basic model.  Next up was to lay ballast - using a dry brush to produce an even finish.  I don't have any HO scale rolling stock, so an unfinished OO gauge Dapol wagon kit was used to check the rails remained clear this time.

 

1907218527_Cakebox50.jpg.279c579595b956e0d4549d89e76e2cd3.jpg 1742727054_Cakebox52a.jpg.543e7d5a55d6e30069b276f4dbac2587.jpg 483308540_Cakebox52.jpg.c2b1798e1a444be8a415d0973b0a2b66.jpg

 

(The man between the boards in the middle picture above is not "waiting for a train" - he's just in the newspaper I'm leaning on!).

 

Once laid, the ballast is sprayed with a traditional mix of water + a drop or two of washing up liquid, before a 50:50 mix of PVA glue / water was applied using a clean medicine dropper.  The result will then be left to dry overnight: it's quite a lot darker at the moment, but the wooden planking on the railroad overbridge places the layout in the steam era, so that's OK: track would be blackened through use.

 

1958779724_Cakebox53.jpg.28859159b3275a39da45d134bc29c576.jpg 1408426328_Cakebox54.jpg.8fa6687edf7c47746beb2f0af746f1cc.jpg 1184554437_Cakebox55.jpg.24dc7870c6e674b228c0b95b1e6349b9.jpg

 

I've not painted the railsides at this point - I'll do this later if I have time: I won't worry if some paint gets on the rails - photos I've seen suggest that even rust spreads into the ballast over time.

___________

 

PS: If it all dries OK, then the test piece might even be useable for a later cakebox challenge too.  We shall see.

 

Edited by Keith Addenbrooke
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One point to note about ballast: think how big real stones would be under your shoe, then translate that to model scale size.

 

Your test piece has some stones which reach both sleepers,  these are far too big and give the rocky look, rather than a neat, smooth view.

 

Feel free to also ignore all that :)

Edited by Stubby47
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2 hours ago, Stubby47 said:

One point to note about ballast: think how big real stones would be under your shoe, then translate that to model scale size.

 

Your test piece has some stones which reach both sleepers,  these are far too big and give the rocky look, rather than a neat, smooth view.

 

Feel free to also ignore all that :)

Quite right - good point I should have mentioned. I'm using up the ballast I bought a few years ago: I've since learned that many 4mm scale modellers use ballast granules sold for N scale ballast, for exactly the reason you explain, so mine is really overscale, especially for 3.5mm scale.

 

The "shoe test" you mention is a really helpful explanation, thank you.

Edited by Keith Addenbrooke
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With open track as the centrepiece of this module, the effect of having used oversized ballast was very noticeable.  I'd been hoping in my mind's eye for something looking like the neatly packed stones to the right of the path below - but ended up with something looking far too like the rocks on the left...

 

283313544_Cakebox56.jpg.5d899e73383c17c1e8114ed9cdc631ab.jpg

 

Taking heart from the conclusion that my rocky roadbed was mainly the result of using rocks (more than my lack of skill or experience), I've cut a new baseboard and tried again.  To reduce the size of the ballast granules I simply took a hammer to my bag of ballast - the photo of the re-loaded ballast spreader clearly shows the mix now includes some smaller granules that have shaken themselves down below the larger ones.  I've also left painting the gravel surround until after ballasting this time, so I can try and match the darker shade of the ballast after it's been sprayed and then glued:

 

1885673684_Cakebox57.jpg.e4e3322ffa147de2b6292e44d1e9ca26.jpg 1338064410_Cakebox58.jpg.5ac57a94947c3ca7fc095c427608f766.jpg 

 

Not every rock has been crushed, particularly in the ballast shoulder, but I'm happier with the overall effect this time, both before and after glue is applied.  With the generous gravel area to either side of the track in this model, I'm OK with the larger ballast shoulder I still have as a transition (as my track is modelled in an urban cutting, drainage would be key):

 

1178770316_Cakebox59.jpg.3ef18a862fd731ba6b787f146052d0d7.jpg  338262341_Cakebox63.jpg.f3f6e4d358ebf2d23b57d360e33847a4.jpg

 

I'm not a great photographer, but I can tell the difference between three pieces of track and cakebox boards I've ended up with:

 

1.  My test piece (very rocky)

2.  My first board (still rocky)

3.  My second board (not as rocky)

 

2067539803_Cakebox60.jpg.bc043a5a1ed40daa50f62c25444e3e91.jpg 1151342769_Cakebox61.jpg.b98c4ab91286e41c4304982b8a277384.jpg 641303554_Cakebox62.jpg.db3cc0956b6ba906fcf6da0528b97c82.jpg

_____________

 

Re-doing this stage has cost me some time, and I'm noticing that one side-effect of working on a cakebox is that my pile of unfinished BRM magazines is getting larger: actually attempting some modelling has seriously dented my available reading / daydreaming time! 

 

In BRM world it's already Spring, and now I find myself looking at the Billy bookcase beside my desk as well...

Edited by Keith Addenbrooke
Typos (again)
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Further progress on 49th Street Bridge (1 of 3, again)

 

With an improved track base, I've now re-painted the gravel areas to each side.  The first photo show my original, the second the revised module using a darker grey paint - and painting with a vertical brush for a stippled effect (rather than brushing over the underlay as I did first time, making it smoother).  The third photo shows the two board side by side - with the new and improved on the left this time.  Lesson learnt: the difference a bit of practice makes is significant.

 

70515508_Cakebox64.jpg.856cfcb8d60587b2ce770d60b3f94e96.jpg

 

199863602_Cakebox65.jpg.57c0e233a4bbb219fb6648eacdbea3a0.jpg

 

1465913813_Cakebox66.jpg.bd3afc14b68a9ae58068e4d7ba48bf6b.jpg

 

   

 

Edited by Keith Addenbrooke
Reinstating pictures
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