Easton, Isle of Portland

[Tony Teague]

4 hours ago, Mick Bonwick said:

Any more observations on my disroders will be treated with the contempt they deserve. KO?

 

Duly chastised

[Mick Bonwick]

While I was waiting for Copydex to dry I played with some more coloured pencils.

 

Using the same sheet of Finecast embossed plastic card I coloured a section of oblong areas with each of the red shades that I have. This was followed with an application of a grey filter (very thin enamel paint) to the right hand side of the oblong, trying to just get the fluid onto the mortar course. I wasn't as careful as I should have been when doing this last step and have now discovered that the thinners can remove the colour coat if the brush is not under control. Evidence:

 

 

Once I'd labelled each colour (just in case I can't remember which is which when tomorrow comes) I applied the same grey filter to the mortar courses on the right hand side, just in case I want to do any more experimenting.

 

Has anybody else tried this pencil colouring method?

 

 

[Mick Bonwick]

Ballasting again.

 

Tried and tested PVA, diluted and applied to a preformed application of Woodland Scenics dark brown after dampening with IPA, misted on with an atomiser.

 

 

I have been looking through books for examples of trackwork that show sufficient detail for ballasting work. I was suprprised to find that there were many showing areas that had been recently repaired with ballast that was much cleaner, so I had to try and replicate that.

 

 

Still with Woodland Scenics ballast, but this addition is buff coloured. Next task will be to add some track grime colouring.

 

[nickwood]

4 hours ago, Mick Bonwick said:

I have been looking through books for examples of trackwork that show sufficient detail for ballasting work. I was suprprised to find that there were many showing areas that had been recently repaired with ballast that was much cleaner, so I had to try and replicate that.

 

 

You.......doing clean......really!!!!!

[sb67]

The ballast stuff's interesting Mick. Having just done my layout, I used Woodland Scenics fine Brown, I found having sprayed Isopropyl Alcohol then used a 50/50 mix of water, PVA I lost a lot of the individual texture of the ballast. I'm not sure if it was too much or too thick a mix of glue but I would be tempted to use medium next time. It also dried darker, instead of being a light brown it became more of a darker colour similar to ballast used in Scotland.

I ended up giving everything a light coat of track colour then a darker wash where loco's would stand etc. 

I didn't end up with the look I wanted but it looks ok. 

[Mick Bonwick]

That's interesting, Steve. My PVA mixture was more like 70/30 water to PVA - quite thin. It has stuck very well, nonetheless, but I can still remove pieces that are in the wrong place (tops of sleepers) very easily if necessary.

 

I'm not sure if the PVA has discoloured the ballast or not. I wasn't too worried about it because I plan to airbrush over the whole track anyway. I'll check the ballasted areas with the base material when I "go to work" tomorrow.

 

I have checked dozens, if not hundreds, of photographs including trackwork from all over the south of the country and still not decided what colour my ballast is to be on the layout proper.

[sb67]

I think a 70/30 mix would have been better, I read about using 50 /50 in a book and mixed a load up, with hindsight that's a bit too thick. 

I like the idea of the "new ballast" 

There are so many variations to ballast colour, I initially wanted a worn look where the ballast is a different colour to the sleepers, I didn't want to spray the whole lot track colour, on a small layout I guess I could drybrush some sleepers after. 

Next time I think I'll start with a lighter colour and darken gradually with thin washes.  

Edited January 27, 2021 by sb67

[NHY 581]

I use a thin mix of PVA and I would go with the 70/30 mix.........or thereabouts. (I'm not that exact)

I tend not to do too much with regards to the basic colouring of the ballast. Trackwork is weathered and in effect the ballast is the last part, aside from any weedy stuff added. 

 

Whilst typing this, I have realised that I have no idea of the colouring of any ballast on the Wisbleat and Upwool. 

 

Getting the books out may not help as there would appear to be no colour images........

 

Mmm

 

 

[ian]

15 hours ago, NHY 581 said:

Getting the books out may not help as there would appear to be no colour images........

 

Perhaps this one might help...

 

[john new]

On 26/01/2021 at 17:14, Mick Bonwick said:

Ballasting again.

 

Tried and tested PVA, diluted and applied to a preformed application of Woodland Scenics dark brown after dampening with IPA, misted on with an atomiser.

 

 

I have been looking through books for examples of trackwork that show sufficient detail for ballasting work. I was suprprised to find that there were many showing areas that had been recently repaired with ballast that was much cleaner, so I had to try and replicate that.

 

 

Still with Woodland Scenics ballast, but this addition is buff coloured. Next task will be to add some track grime colouring.

 

Excellent work but, sorry to say this, isn’t your colouring too brown for Portland?  In the films of the last train into Easton the ballast in the station is white/grey speckled black and more grey than brown on the east side sections. What is left on the Hamm side walk over the causeway is also all grey.

 

Edited January 28, 2021 by john new

[Mick Bonwick]

You're absolutely right, John. The brown was left over from previous projects, and handy for evaluation work.

 

What will be put in place on Easton, I think, is the buff coloured ballast shown in the last photograph above, added as a 'patch' in that instance. I have plenty of the brown left, unfortunately, but will need to splash out on some buff if I'm to get anywhere near the right look.

[Mick Bonwick]

Ignoring the wrong colour of ballast, I've applied a few brown colours to the rail sides to see which might be suitable. Undecided.

 

 

There are many more to be tried, but these seemed to be fairly close. I'm sure many people have their own favourites . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[KNP]

The one I eventually used on LM was Beige Brown as a base and then 'tweak' with washes to give a varied look.

[NHY 581]

If it helps........( and it might not you know) 

 

 

I spray the track ( sleepers and rails) with Acrylic Dark Earth. Rail sides are then weathered with Humbrol iron oxide/smoke. Sleepers are painted with track colour (Humbrol 173) and then weathered with various powders.......all sealed with matt varnish. Then some of this is removed to varying degrees with a fibre brush.

 

After this, we ballast. 

 

On my  bijou and compact  little efforts this takes a while...............

 

 

Rob. 

[Mick Bonwick]

I have spent this afternoon using coloured pencils on a sheet of Finecast embossed dressed stone blocks. I was quite pleased with the variations I had achieved and sought to take a photograph to show off. Clearing up and reaching for the camera I tipped the dish of white spirit (used for thinning the mortar wash) all over the aforementioned sheet of dressed stone and obliterated all the colours, ending up with a uniform grey mess.

 

Ho hum.

 

Maybe I should have been doing more ballasting today. Or felling trees. Or washing the car.

[bgman]

Sorry to hear that Mick, but look on the bright side at least it didn't fall on your lap ! Try explaining that to to the nurse !!!   

Edited January 29, 2021 by bgman

[Tony Teague]

But what you haven't said is whether the uniform grey mess might actually be the right colour......

 

Now then, how to re-create it......

[Mick Bonwick]

The next test.

 

5mm foamboard with 3mm closed cell foam Copydex-ed to it and Peco code 75 flat-bottomed track Copydex-ed to that. It'll be airbrushed with a track grime-ish colour, then the (newly acquired) ballast laid and, finally, the rail sides painted. Might be slow progress, but at least it's a plan.

 

No more coloured pencilling just yet.

 

[KNP]

I surmise that it was.....

 

Captain Lurpak

 

in the 

 

Railway Room

 

with the

 

Lead Pipe

 

Am I right!!!!!

 

[Tony Teague]

1 hour ago, Mick Bonwick said:

The next test.

 

5mm foamboard with 3mm closed cell foam Copydex-ed to it and Peco code 75 flat-bottomed track Copydex-ed to that. It'll be airbrushed with a track grime-ish colour, then the (newly acquired) ballast laid and, finally, the rail sides painted. Might be slow progress, but at least it's a plan.

 

No more coloured pencilling just yet.

 

 

That longish tank wagon in the foreground seems to have lost its bogies!

 

[Mick Bonwick]

Many books have been studied in order to find a suitable colour photograph thst shows ballast and track colour at Easton. The contents of several books showed something that might be useful, so I marked the pages accordingly. When I put the books to one side so that I could make a start on the airbrushing of the length of track laid for experimenting, I turned one of the books over . . . .

 

 

. . . . . and found just the thing! Somebody else has recently mentioned things hiding in plain sight. First person to mention the P word gets excommunicated.

 

Oh! That's the remains of the grey mess, on the left, after the abortive stone colouring exercise. I suppose the mortar course could be that colour.

 

 

[bgman]

35 minutes ago, Mick Bonwick said:

First person to mention the P word gets excommunicated.

 

 

Someone's got friends in High places ! 

 

[Mick Bonwick]

I think that I have found the colour combination I need for Easton. Railmatch Sleeper Grime for sleepers, Vallejo Brown Beige for railsides and Woodland Scenics Gray Blend for ballast. Areas of discolouration from oil, brake dust, coal and ash (where appropriate) will be achieved with washes and pigments.

 

This piece was done in too much of a hurry (excessive excitement) so the ballast scratched off the paint from sleeper tops and rail sides. I think that the former could have been prevented by using enamel rather than acrylic and the latter could have been prevented by simply waiting longer than 2 minutes for the paint to dry.

 

[bgman]

1 hour ago, Mick Bonwick said:

Vallejo Brown Beige for railsides 

 

I think you've got it correct for the sides Mick, I feel that it is too often overdone and can glare at you if it is too red / rust colour.

[Mick Bonwick]

Thanks, Grahame. The sample length of track looks as close as I need to get it to the photograph on the book cover. It's a shame that the depicted locomotive is not a Southern one, though.

 

In the illustration of work completed so far on this test section, the railside colour was applied from an airbrush. Upon close inspection it is apparent that coverage is not good enough, with gaps at the edge of chairs and sections where the paint has not adhered. I have subsequently applied the same colour with a bristle brush to another section and that works much better, although it took 5 times longer. I now find that because I was applying the paint while looking down on the track, that the upper half of the rail side is not painted in all the areas I thought that I had covered. Back to the bristle brush tomorrow.

 

The second application of ballast on this test section was done with a thinner mix of PVA and water. It was too thin! Much of it has come away from the trackbase when rubbed with a finger, so has had to be relaid with a thicker mix. I didn't measure the mix at all, just guessed. That'll teach me!

 

It is probable that the track on Easton will be included in photographs taken at track level (if it ever reaches that stage) so properly detailed trackwork is necessary. Trying all these things on a test section does at least mean that I get all the mistakes out of the way before working on the layout proper. Does anybody else find it necessary to work in this way?