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Recycling an old layout? - NOW FREE to a good home


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46 minutes ago, sb67 said:

 

 

All looking good Marc, looking forward to seeing how you fit your arch, I've never done that on a layout but I got to say it finishes a layout off nicely.

My local B&Q are doing that now, I'm acquiring a collection of baton, MDF and plywood that seem useful for baseboards etc but I really have no idea what to do with! 

Steve.


Yes Bob & Steve - It's good to know that B&Q aren't just binning their offcuts, and even better that any money raised is going to a good cause.
I'm all for recycling, especially the older I get - plus, it's nice for modellers to have somewhere they can buy cheap, useful items.....

Re-shaped / carved the foam board last night. I couldn't find my DAS clay. For landscaping, I usually use DAS mixed with PVA as i knead the DAS into place. The PVA does seem to help make the DAS more flexible - at least, I don't usually get lots of cracking once it's dry.... whereas when I used to just use DAS "neat" I did get some cracking. Once shaped, I painted a thin layer of PVA onto the foamboard pieces and filled gaps with some flexible laminate flooring gap filler. As I couldn't find my tub of DAS - this was all I had to hand. Then I cut some strips of plaster bandage and placed these over the contours, and brushed some water and thin PVA over the surface...

Finally, I sprinkled some earthy coloured fine scatter over the surface, to give a bit of a base colour and hopefully speed up drying (there's no window and no natural ventilation in my workshop). So far, so good. once dry, I will add another coat of the earth coloured scatter - it's one of those materials I bought at a show sometime back, and is supposed to set quite hard & tough....

It's beginning to look like it was always there - as opposed to tacked on as an afterthought ;)

IMG_20190403_065647386.jpg

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I did a little more work, shaping the contours of the scenery over the weekend.
Also, I laid the final bit of (scenic area) track -  the line to the Dairy. 
Though I forgot to take any photos of it before leaving home this morning! lol
But I'll post some again soon - perhaps once I've weathered the rails, and added a little more to the contours....

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Still not much progress - why do I get far less available modelling time than I think I'm going to get? lol

I visited a local model railway club the other night - I gave a bit of a talk about some of my techniques and design thoughts - and I sold a bit of stock,
as I'm having a bit of a clear-out, and re-thinking of what I will and won't use, in terms of my stock and layouts. Pleased I sold a bit of stuff I'm not using so much
But there's more to be sold. Must focus more in future, rather than going out & buying more locos, wagons & kits!

Anyhow, back to this project, I've given the shaped scenery (the few bits I've built so far) a coat of paint - there's more foam and sculpting of foam to be done yet
Also, I sprayed the track with some rusty red primer. I need to find my can of grimy rail colour spray paint - I know I still have it - just hoping the nozzle isn't clogged!

Then I'll do my usual rough colouring of sleepers and work on completing the ballast
Keeping my eye on the bargain bin in B&Q - for those match pot emulsions, for the road surface and ground cover etc

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Sprayed the track with a mix of Brown and "Sleeper Grime" spray paint last night.
Next, I will remove some of the loose ballast with a stiff brush, and start  the ballasting proper
I usually collect the loose ballast, and mix it in with my fresh ballast at this stage. It helps achieve a blended, weathered look, I always think

Hopefully, in between visiting family, work and eating chocolate - I'll get some modelling time over Easter ;)

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Hi Marc,

 

When you say "remove some of the loose ballast" and start ballasting proper.....

 

Do you have some ballast in and around the track when you are spraying?

 

Apologies if I've missed something you've already explained.

 

Regards,

James

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Yes, I explained in an earlier post Jamest,
When glueing the track into position, I usually sprinkle some ballast around the sleepers.
I find it helps the PVA dry a bit more quickly (especially important in a cold workshop, in cold weather - I've no daylight, heating or window in there)

I also like this method - it gives me some ground cover and colour. I usually roughly paint some of it grey, just before glueing my final layer of ballast.
It's my usual method, and I also find that if any ballast gets knocked or chipped off at a later stage - there is some texture and colour underneath.
I think it helps speed up my final ballasting... at least it seems to, a little bit.

Hope that makes it a little clearer? But you know me, and my tendency to waffle! ;)

Edited by marc smith
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  • 2 weeks later...

Just a little progress over the Easter break - at least it's something, I suppose....
Being doing some ballasting. It struck me that this new N Gauge ballast I've been using is larger and slightly more coarse than the old stuff I used on my previous layouts
I generally find N gauge ballast works best in 4mm scale, and use 4mm scale ballast for O gauge - to me it looks finer

The ballasting will require some weathering with a wash of grey / brown colour, and i will add some weathering powders too. I usually add a "misting" of mid grey with an aerosol,
to tone everything down and blend everything in - but of course, that's once ballasting is complete...

I've also rusted the disused track on the overbridge, and started adding a little weeds and grass here & there - to see how that looks.
I will place some fencing across the disused track - to stop people wandering! But I this is perfect for a cameo in my mind. More of that later.....

IMG_20190424_213924630.jpg

IMG_20190424_214010284.jpg

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I keep forgetting this is 'oo' and not 'O' gauge, the detail on the over bridge is superb and the rusty track and weeds very realistic looking, it's surprising  just how much i can learn from one good pic' :) I shall go away and then no doubt one day subconsciously copy certain elements.;) 

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1 hour ago, Owd Bob said:

I keep forgetting this is 'oo' and not 'O' gauge, the detail on the over bridge is superb and the rusty track and weeds very realistic looking, it's surprising  just how much i can learn from one good pic' :) I shall go away and then no doubt one day subconsciously copy certain elements.;) 

 

Thanks for the kind comments Bob. For me, I find that looking at pics of both the real thing, and models gets me thinking about how I can reproduce what I see, or just recreate a few elements of one pic, and add them to another.
I'm a fan of seeing old, rusty, disused sidings - not because I want to see disused railways - but because in my youth, such features were everywhere, and as such, were part of the rail scene everywhere I went....

The dead grass and weeds aren't quite complete yet - someone (Wayne, are you reading this? lol) borrowed my static grass applicator some time back. I won't do any final scenic greenery until I have a static grass applicator. For now, I'm just enjoying playing about a bit. I can tear chunks back off, and re-use, and generally mess around with scenery until I get the look I'm after :)

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Ah, sadly mudmagnet, progress is rather slower than I'd have liked - but I suppose that's usually the case for most of us? I'm currently just grabbing ten minutes here & there....
So just a little more ballasting done here & there over the past week or so - plus a bit of experimenting with adding weathering powders, after ballasting
I want to get this "right" - the ballasting on the line at the back will be a little different to the rest of the layout (sidings & road into Dairy)

The rear line is a little used running line, and is occasionally used to park the locos that serve the yard. So I'm picturing slightly "Better" maintained ballast, and several oily patches where the locos sit
I really like the look of ballast and oil patches Owd Bob has achieved on his O Gauge "Springsbury Croft" layout on a pasting table too
If you've not seen that layout - check it out! It's superb :)

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13 minutes ago, marc smith said:


The rear line is a little used running line, and is occasionally used to park the locos that serve the yard. So I'm picturing slightly "Better" maintained ballast, and several oily patches where the locos sit
I really like the look of ballast and oil patches Owd Bob has achieved on his O Gauge "Springsbury Croft" layout on a pasting table too
If you've not seen that layout - check it out! It's superb :)

You little name-dropper :D;) There's nowt special about mine Marc' a 75/25 mix of Humbrol enamel matt Black and matt Chocolate Brown No.98. was slapped on un-diluted with a yard brush, oil pools created using my youngest clear nail varnish, borrowed when she were'nt lookin' :lol: Don't worry about slow progress i've just hit that wall myself Marc.....so i've walked away from modelling for a bit!

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29 minutes ago, Owd Bob said:

You little name-dropper :D;) There's nowt special about mine Marc' a 75/25 mix of Humbrol enamel matt Black and matt Chocolate Brown No.98. was slapped on un-diluted with a yard brush, oil pools created using my youngest clear nail varnish, borrowed when she were'nt lookin' :lol: Don't worry about slow progress i've just hit that wall myself Marc.....so i've walked away from modelling for a bit!

There is indeed something special about Springsbury Croft Owd Bob - it's a cracking layout - and in such a small space for 7mm :o
The whole atmosphere of the layout is superb, and part of that are all the little details - that ground cover, inc the oily patches just look great :)

We all need a break from modelling once in a while Bob - just hope your break isn't too long
I'm enjoying every minute of reading your thread, and all the contributions to it :)
Alas, my shortened modelling time is enforced - reading the comments from other rwmeb members, and their various threads & blogs is giving me even more renewed enthusiasm.... I just need more time! :)

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I was out (again) after work last night. That's just one evening at home in 19 now, and not another until at least the middle of the week after next! :(


But last night I still managed to grab just 15 minutes of modelling. Not an awful lot achieved in that time...... but it felt so good :) :) :)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Little bit of progress - the ballasting is "complete" but I now need to do my usual adding of weathering powders and touching up / toning down.
I was painting the concrete / road surface base paint, and that always looks very "Stark" to me, and almost a step backwards! So I didn't bother with photos... ha ha

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7 hours ago, marc smith said:

Little bit of progress - the ballasting is "complete" but I now need to do my usual adding of weathering powders and touching up / toning down.
I was painting the concrete / road surface base paint, and that always looks very "Stark" to me, and almost a step backwards! So I didn't bother with photos... ha ha

Plenty of time to the show, Marc. Just under 8 months to go.....

 

 

Rob 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 31/05/2019 at 20:14, ess1uk said:

Looks interesting so far.

i liked the scrapyard layout 

Yes, I quite liked it too - though I think not many people liked seeing a layout which depicted trains being scrapped.
Not that I "liked" seeing that myself... more that I wanted to capture a bit of the strange atmosphere around scrapyards

I'm itching to get on with this current plan, but lack the time at the moment
But I did pick up some paint for my road surfaces - in the form of a match pot from B&Q yesterday, while on a mission to buy DIY materials for more "domestic" purposes

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Starting to work on the basic colour(s) and tones of my road / hard surfaces. 
Bit of blending of the basic matchpot colours.
I'll be re-painting some of the sleepers - I'm after a real "mix n' match" hotch-potch of sleepers, as seen in so many unkempt, unimportant yards.
Also, I will be experimenting with distressing some sleepers at the end of sidings - that half-rotten appearance....

IMG_20190604_074927691.jpg

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  • 3 weeks later...
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On 18/03/2019 at 10:47, marc smith said:

IMG_20190318_074501262.jpg

 

Hi Marc,

 

following your thread with interest! I particularly like the creamery building - may I ask whether its based on an actual prototype creamery or did you "re-purpose" a more general warehouse/factory?

 

Best regards,

 

Mark 

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1 hour ago, 2996 Victor said:

 

Hi Marc,

 

following your thread with interest! I particularly like the creamery building - may I ask whether its based on an actual prototype creamery or did you "re-purpose" a more general warehouse/factory?

 

Best regards,

 

Mark 

 

Hi Mark, thanks for your interest & kind words re the layout & building.
The creamery was based on an old, disused industrial building, which wasn't far from where I lived (many years ago). I'm not sure what it used to be, but it probably wouldn't have been a creamery.
I think it was a warehouse. My version has one storey less than the original, and is also significantly smaller (not as wide a front fascia, though my version may well be deeper front to back).
Although it was very close to the railway, it was never rail-served as far as I could tell at the time. The loading platform was fairly generic, as the original had loading doors, but at pavement height.

The building has long since gone, and is now under a housing estate. My old 35mm photo of the building hasn't been seen in many a year, sadly 
I built the creamery in double-quick time, as I had been persuaded my @wenlock and our pal Andy Jones to extend the layout.... with just 2 or 3 weeks till its' premier exhibition! Either Wenlock & Andy were very very persuasive, or I was just a bit mad to accept their challenge - not sure which! ;)

It lived on my old EM layout "Ogmore Road" - please forgive me if you've already read that bit in the thread. But it just struck me that I must have built it over 20 years ago. At the moment, it's rather dusty and needs a good clean, together with some serious touching up of paintwork

Edited by marc smith
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On 19/06/2019 at 14:43, marc smith said:

 

Hi Mark, thanks for your interest & kind words re the layout & building.
The creamery was based on an old, disused industrial building, which wasn't far from where I lived (many years ago). I'm not sure what it used to be, but it probably wouldn't have been a creamery.
I think it was a warehouse. My version has one storey less than the original, and is also significantly smaller (not as wide a front fascia, though my version may well be deeper front to back).
Although it was very close to the railway, it was never rail-served as far as I could tell at the time. The loading platform was fairly generic, as the original had loading doors, but at pavement height.

The building has long since gone, and is now under a housing estate. My old 35mm photo of the building hasn't been seen in many a year, sadly 
I built the creamery in double-quick time, as I had been persuaded my @wenlock and our pal Andy Jones to extend the layout.... with just 2 or 3 weeks till its' premier exhibition! Either Wenlock & Andy were very very persuasive, or I was just a bit mad to accept their challenge - not sure which! ;)

It lived on my old EM layout "Ogmore Road" - please forgive me if you've already read that bit in the thread. But it just struck me that I must have built it over 20 years ago. At the moment, it's rather dusty and needs a good clean, together with some serious touching up of paintwork

 

Hi Marc,

 

thanks for the additional info on the creamery building - I'm looking for something similar for a potential project (to follow the one after the one I haven't built yet!!!). I did see a few photos of "Ogmore Road" and I must say it did look an excellent layout.

 

Good luck with the current venture - I'm following with great interest.

 

All the best,

 

Mark

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi all. Not much to update you with, but I've done a bit of re-gauging a few OO wagons into EM. 
What with all my gig commitments, festivals, and the fine weather - it hasn't been ideal for modeling 
However, together with the work on some stock, I've done a bit of colouring of my sleepers
As I've said, I'm going for the look of some aged, distressed sleepers, and various types, replacements etc

After some over-zealous weathering, there wasn't enough contrast there. So I've been using felt pens and weathering powder
I've yet to make some into "completely rotten" sleepers - a la "Shwt" (fab layout - look it up if you haven't seen it yet!)

It's a great shame that this new N gauge ballast is more coarse than my usual (which turned up after I started ballasting! - typical)
More colouring still to do - especially ground cover - then I'll finish my wiring and start on the copious amounts of weeds & grass among the rails.....

EDIT: Sorry, the pic isn't great - I took it in a bit of a rush......

IMG_20190715_155949446.jpg

Edited by marc smith
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