Durrington Central. A fictional town somewhere in The North West of England (more than just a station).

[Jack374]

Great video Pete, coming along nicely!

 

Jack.

[Powerhaul 70 Pey]

4 minutes ago, Jack374 said:

Great video Pete, coming along nicely!

 

Jack.

Thanks mate, much appreciated.  

[Powerhaul 70 Pey]

The area behind one of the mills has been causing me some headache due to the way I cut the boards, shape and space but I have been working on it today and quite happy with the look.

I have put a road in by the track, sandwiched in between security fencing.  The banking down to the mill has been given a coat of brown paint.  There is a set of gates into what I might make into a Network Rail compound.  I have tried to disguise the joints in the metcalfe card cobblestone ground with some finely chopped lichen and this area is subject to some urban art which I do not condone but areas on and around railways are particularly prone to the graffiti artists.

Edited July 6, 2020 by Powerhaul 70 Pey

[Powerhaul 70 Pey]

Last night I went in the garage to crack on with the layout but I just ended up stood pondering wondering how to tackle the canal area.  However, tonight I managed to get stuck in.  So after the railway passes over the girder bridge the tracks will take a R/H curve.  I have cut some contours in the corner of the layout and more red brick mill type buildings/businesses are situated on top of a bank that slopes down to the canal edge.  The canal will pass under a low relief bridge to which you can see the arch cut out of some MDF.

I have chopped some lichen and glued it along the security fencing.  This is still wet with glue in the photo below but once it is dry I will add some buddleia and other foliage.

Edited July 8, 2020 by Powerhaul 70 Pey

[Powerhaul 70 Pey]

Good evening.  So following on from my last post here is the track loosely placed as it takes a sharp right after passing over the canal on the girder bridge.

As you can see I have begun to modrock the contours.

The photo above is the view from the road bridge.

[Powerhaul 70 Pey]

Good afternoon.  After much deliberation I have decided to have a go at making a static grass applicator from a electric fly swat and other bits and pieces.  

These are very short fibres so will be ideal for the pub beer garden but I will definitely need longer fibres for bankings etc.

Happy so far, otherwise it is a £80 payout for a proper one with an assortment of grasses included off Amazon.

[Powerhaul 70 Pey]

I popped to the shop for some 6mm fibres to try.  I'm happy with it.  This needs to dry and hoover off the excess.

[Powerhaul 70 Pey]

Good evening.  1st area to have 2mm static grass applied is the pub beer garden.  Looks like a bowling green that lawn!  I will add some longer 6mm tufts and chopped lichen against the walls and security fencing next.

 

So far so good with my homemade contraption!

[Jack374]

The grass looks great Pete! I’m after making one too...I bought a 'negative ion generator' (little box) on eBay for a few quid to have a play with.

 

The pub beer garden is well tended! Maybe add longer fibres around the edge? Some short brown fibres might take away the bright green effect perhaps?

 

Look forward to seeing your results with static grass!

 

Jack.

[Powerhaul 70 Pey]

7 hours ago, Jack374 said:

The grass looks great Pete! I’m after making one too...I bought a 'negative ion generator' (little box) on eBay for a few quid to have a play with.

 

The pub beer garden is well tended! Maybe add longer fibres around the edge? Some short brown fibres might take away the bright green effect perhaps?

 

Look forward to seeing your results with static grass!

 

Jack.

Thanks Jack.  Yes I will add other products along the edges.  I have 6mm fibres and some 2mm straw coloured fibres.  If I get chance tonight I will carry on experimenting!  The fly swat conversion is pretty easy to do after watching a few YouTube videos.  I couldn't resist when I saw a fly swat in the special buys isle at Aldi for a few quid!

[Powerhaul 70 Pey]

Good evening followers and guests.  After concocting a static grass machine I have been having a play with some scenery.  Normally I just take photos with my phone but the quality ain't great so used my proper camera tonight.

So far I am pleased with the results.  I just need to paint that piece of wood inside the tunnel to hide it as my son pointed out to me when he came to have a look.  Note the ragwort I made out of wire, scatter and ends dipped in yellow paint which looks good in the long grass.

Edited July 17, 2020 by Powerhaul 70 Pey

[Jack374]

The scenery is superb Pete...that last shot is worthy of a magazine! I’d definitely use the 'proper' camera more often for more complete photos and maybe your phone for the progress shots. Do you take commissions for scenery?

 

Keep up the top work, look forward to seeing the layout come together.

 

Thanks,

Jack.

[Powerhaul 70 Pey]

4 minutes ago, Jack374 said:

The scenery is superb Pete...that last shot is worthy of a magazine! I’d definitely use the 'proper' camera more often for more complete photos and maybe your phone for the progress shots. Do you take commissions for scenery?

 

Keep up the top work, look forward to seeing the layout come together.

 

Thanks,

Jack.

Many many thanks for the comments Jack.  I really like the middle photo and I think I will follow your advice of using phone photos for a quick update and proper camera for a scene that is near completion.  I like doing scenery and just set about sticking down stuff today and ended up with this!  I am glad to have tried out static grass for the 1st time on a layout, the results are really good so far.

[Powerhaul 70 Pey]

Good evening.  A little more progress.  I've soldered some dropper wires on the curved track and fitted it and cut the board to suit.  Also painted the mod rock brown and done a low relief canal bridge.

This section of track has been ballasted.

[Powerhaul 70 Pey]

Good evening.  Here are some more photos from proper camera of Freightliner 70006 with a rake of HHA coal hoppers.  Tonight I've been working on the farm yard, applying gravel and static grass where I think its needed.  As the scenery expands I can photograph the trains further from the tunnel portal.

Some progress in other areas have come to a halt as I have run out off 6mm static grass, Metcalfe red brick and cobblestone.  Further down the line in the direction the 70 is heading I've installed a sharp left curve and then lengths of flexi track which will be a coastal section.  Hopefully I can do a beach/sea/sea wall/sandstone hills/few seaside buildings.  I hope I can get the transition from farmland to rugged coast to look ok.

[Powerhaul 70 Pey]

Good evening I have applied static grass 6mm and 10mm fibres to the banking.  

I have 2 questions as I am new to the static grass world.

1.  Do people use different size mesh in their hoppers for different size grasses as the 6mm and 10mm fibres took some effort to get them out of the hopper?

2. Do you do your static grass in layers starting with smallest fibres 1st?

The banking is a bit bare in patches but looks ok with the brown paint underneath.  I can also apply other coverings to the baldy bits.

Farm yard done.  Not sure if I have pulled off the grassy patches in between the gravel.   I might add more gravel over the grass patches to get an effect of weeds growing in the gravel.

[Powerhaul 70 Pey]

Not too much achieved tonight.  Done the gardening for 2 of the railway cottages.  Used crushed mud for the mud, bits of Bush foliage and some chopped hedge for flowers and bushes.  Dabbed paint for flowers in bloom.  I might try to tone down the cardboard by lightly rubbing a dot leaf on the surface to tone it down a bit.

[Powerhaul 70 Pey]

Here is a video to prove that trains do operate although the 2 tracks need to meet up yet!  Thanks for watching.

[Powerhaul 70 Pey]

Good evening.  Not too much progress to report.  From the farmyard I have formed some MDF contours of the land to the next major scenic challenge which will be the coastline.  Needs glueing and Modrock in the future.

On the photo below I have added some clump Bush foliage where the static grass was a little sparse.  I think it looks really good.

The 6mm and 10mm fibres were really hard to apply here so I made a new mesh with bigger holes from the original fly swat I bought and it is now a lot easier to get the 6mm and 10mm fibres to come out of the hopper.  I will upload some photos of the latest area to have static grass when it's dry and been hoovered.  It is definitely worth hoovering as a fair bit would be wasted otherwise.

Edited July 26, 2020 by Powerhaul 70 Pey

[Powerhaul 70 Pey]

Today I have hoovered the excess grass from the latest area to have static grass applied.  I need to try to buy yet more Metcalfe red brick sheets to crack on with this area.

I have left some of the banking bare as it is quite steep and would look better with bushes and brambles.

Below are the 2 mesh screens I have for static grass.  On the left the 2mm fibres pass through this screen no problem but 6mm and 10mm somewhat more troublesome so the screen on the right was made and 6mm and 10mm are much easier to apply now.

I have started the gardens for the other 2 railway cottages.  They are not complete so I will photograph them when complete.

[JackB95]

Your layout's really coming along mate. That shot looking down to the tunnel portal is just brilliant! Something quite satisfying about looking at all the Metcalfe buildings being used around the layout.

 

Keep it up pal.

[Powerhaul 70 Pey]

On 29/07/2020 at 11:49, JackB95 said:

Your layout's really coming along mate. That shot looking down to the tunnel portal is just brilliant! Something quite satisfying about looking at all the Metcalfe buildings being used around the layout.

 

Keep it up pal.

Thank you very much for the kind comments.  Most of the Metcalfe kits were salvaged from my old layout and they are good quality.  I really like them.  Some just need toning down yet. . . . Not too sure how to achieve that though just yet.

[Powerhaul 70 Pey]

Hello everyone.  I have had a break from the layout for a couple of weeks but today I went to my local model shop and bought some Metcalfe red brick and cobblestones to carry on with the mill and canal scene.  I have also bought a Craftline balsa wood canal narrow boat for this scene.  Also bought a Metcalfe low relief bank to make a greater depth to the side of Durrington Central station as it is currently very low relief at 1/2 inch thick.  

 

Photos to follow soon.

 

[Powerhaul 70 Pey]

Good evening.  Here are some photos of the side of the station building to add some extra depth at it was only initially 1/2 inch thick.  It is another Metcalfe low relief bank kit that's cut up and adapted.  Still not finished and lots to do but that's it for tonight.

As the side of the station  is level with the end of the boards I had I dilemma about whether to put the doors and windows level with the top or bottom of the  platform.  In the end I went for the bottom with the imagination of there being a steep set of steps to get up to the platform level once through the doors.  I may change the red brick to dressed gritstone to match the station brick and raise it slightly to form a small wall.

[lezz01]

I'm not particularly fond of Metcalfe myself but that does look the part. It's a very convincing station building. Good job mate.

Regards Lez.