Carterton

[Chris Chewter]

Point rodding fitted by the station last night.

 

Also took the day off yesterday to try to find a suitable location to photograph for a backscene. Once I returned, the photos were fed into the computer to stitch together.

 

I have no idea why panorama stitching starts like this, but it managed to spew out a workable landscape from the process, which has now been sent to the printers.

[Chris Chewter]

And here’s the proof that it can stitch it together. 
 

 

The backscene will use the middle portion of the image.

[Chris Chewter]

Point rodding in. This is probably as neat as I can get it. 
 

 

Ballast and fence wires to go before moving onto greenery.

 

[Chris Chewter]

Fencing installed.  For my sanity, I've only fitted the middle and top rail, especially as once the vegetation is installed, it kind of disappears anyway.

 

 

I also managed to lay the ballast.  Just awaiting for it to dry, which knowing how diluted PVA behaves, may take a few days!

 

[Chris Chewter]

I calculated that I had just enough EZ line to complete the station board, so a needle was borrowed from the sewing box and the line was threaded around.

 

 

The photos show the fencing by the station had a pair of timber rails, so this was made from some platistruct. 

 

 

Its not quite right by the end effect works.  

 

Telegraph poles are Ratio, sprayed humbrol dark earth, details picked out, and a light mist of matt black. 

[Chris Chewter]

Here's a great example why check photos are important.  Looks like the track alignment has shifted.  Moved it across and re-laid some of the ballast after the photo was taken.

 

 

Still waiting for the backscene to be delivered.

 

Edited May 25, 2021 by Chris Chewter
Grammar and backscenes update

[Chris Chewter]

The backscene arrived back from the printers, however at 8ft long, its a bit tricky to photograph in one go.  However I thought I'd document how you go about photostitching a backscene together and getting it printed.  There is an article in the June 2021 Railway Modeller where the author has stitched together some lovely backscenes, but he uses a different technique to the one I found on the internet.

 

I wanted a view of a field with a distant line of trees. I happen to be in Bicester with some time between appointments, and thought that I could gather the images between other obligations (Anyway, its more useful than sitting in a coffee shop drinking multiple overpriced lattes!)

 

 

Firstly, iPhone panoramas don't work for this size of printing.  (Trust me, I tried!)  They just cannot scale up to the size we want, so that's out.  We gonna need a bigger camera!

 

 

So, to gather the image, we require a digital SLR and a tripod.  The SLR is mounted to take the photographs in portrait mode.  This is to try to gather as much sky as possible because its easier to crop back on sky rather than add it. 

 

Also, to prevent anomalies such as bent horizons, we will massively overlap each image.  The minimum is 25%, but even that leads to bent horizons, and there is an example of this in a bit.  Overlapping by 90% leads to the smoothest stitches, but also the longest processing times!  The stitch for Carterton uses 102 images, which is vastly different to the 5 in the Railway Modeller.  I'm still experimenting with the best overlap amounts, but generally more is best.

 

To stitch together the images, we will need a bit of computer software to put the photographs together.  If you want to pay for software, then you can use Adobe Lightroom, but I use a free to use software called Hugin http://hugin.sourceforge.net/.  Why? Because I don't want to be paying for software that I might only be using once.

 

Hugin handily numbers the stages for you in a 1,2,3 approach.  When you open up the software, firstly we need to load the images.

 

 

When they are loaded into the software, they firstly appear all over the place. Don't panic, because the alignment button will sort that out. 

 

Click align, and then it becomes an exercise in patience.  Of course, if we are stitching 5 images, it won't take as long as the 3 hours 100 images take.  Be aware that the software seems to hang at the stage below, but task manager shows that the computer is still processing the images. Just be patient and let it run through, and it suddenly lurches back into life so must be processing in the background.

 

 

You'll end up with a scene a bit like the image below.  This is a field by Shipton-under-Wychwood where I didn't get enough images.  Note the horizon falling away to the left. It doesn't do that in reality!

 

 

If it looks odd, use the projection tab and change it to rectilinear.  Try to get as much within the rectangle to maximise the best panorama. 

 

 

Once you're happy with it, click on the assistant tab, and select "3. Create Panorama" and it'll export it for you.  I change the format to JPG and quality to 100 and use the bottom option for fusing.

 

 

You end up with the image as a big JPG image.  Any black bits in the rectangle in Hugin come out black.  You can then use a graphics software such as GIMP (Which is also free from https://www.gimp.org/) to crop or clone as necessary. However I 've found that getting all the image in the export rectangle leads to the best quality JPG.

 

 

Note that the printing out on heavyweight matt paper makes the image darker than on the screen, and it appears that the Railway Modeller article came across the same issue, so once you have your panorama, change the brightness to suit your layout.

 

I send mine off to Supersize Print https://www.supersizeprint.co.uk/ because they have a handy option where you can upload your image, tell them the dimensions and give you an on screen preview.  Just be aware that there is no test print that you might get from a local supplier

 

 

After spending £25, You eventually get a roll of paper in a box through the post, and can then affix this to your layout.

 

Another point to think about is it is betting the backscene on first, as fitting the Carterton backscene around the back of the roadway is going to be a pain!  You live and learn!

 

I'll update more about how its fitted to Carterton when I get a moment to glue it to the back of the layout.

 

 

Edited May 30, 2021 by Chris Chewter

[Chris Chewter]

Tried to fit the backscene today, but things didn’t go to plan.

 

1/ I mis-ordered the printing, so it was a whopping 2ft too short.
 

2/ I decided to loosely fit the backscene to see if it looked right, and it’s too dark.

 

So a different field panorama has been selected, lightened and the correct length ordered.

 

 

I’m thinking of making the rear 6ft backscene a singular piece. I know the backscene isn’t stuck down tightly, but that join is really annoying!

[Eureka Lopez]

This one looks really amazing. Is it possible to get the texture of the house wall by processing a whole template by laser engraving machine. Because I have a 60w laser engraver.

[Chris Chewter]

The blockwork is engraved onto the surface of the model.  Below is a screen shot of the design where red is the cutting lines, and blue shows the engraving lines.   

 

 

Not owning a laser cutter, how this is fed into the machine is a mystery, but it comes out with the blockwork lightly scored onto the building faces.

[Chris Chewter]

Back from a break and family visits. I thought the rear of the car park would look better with a fence line. Fed up with the kids hogging the telly, I set about gluing them in overnight. Now to thread it together.

 

 

Apparently the backscene arrives today, although the hardboard is being delivered on Monday. No idea where the station name boards are...

 

[Mike_Walker]

7 minutes ago, Chris Chewter said:

Back from a break and family visits. I thought the rear of the car park would look better with a fence line. Fed up with the kids hogging the telly, I set about gluing them in overnight. Now to thread it together.

I initially read that as you gluing the kids in overnight !  

[Chris Chewter]

Backscene has arrived, but I’m awaiting a sheet of hardboard as I don’t want a central seam. So instead I decided to create some vegetation.

 

I have a box of less than good bits of seafoam which can be picked apart to create bush armatures.

 

 

So one of the large sprigs were pulled apart to remove sections like this.

 

 

Seed pods were knocked off and where possible, black bits knocked off. It was then gentle dipped into PVA glue.

 

I don’t use spray mount or hairspray, as when I tried that, I ended up with a sticky hand!

 

This was then dipped into some Gaugemaster mid green leaf scatter.

 

 

 

They are then set aside to dry if you wish.

 

 

Although, I find the glue helps to bind together some of the sprigs, so I go ahead and dip the stem into PVA and affix to the layout.

 

 

I need a few rubberised horse hair bushes to create a bit of variation.

 

Edited June 6, 2021 by Chris Chewter
Removal of erroneous photo

[Chris Chewter]

I was also pleased how the bridge sides came out.

 

 

These were painted Humbrol 98, then when cured, dark rust weathering powder was applied in downward strokes. This was then highlighted with Humbrol dark earth weathering powder and a final light spray of Matt varnish.

Edited June 6, 2021 by Chris Chewter

[Chris Chewter]

Looking back through the photos, and the trees either side of the road weren’t as mature as they are now. So I’ve raided the seafoam box to make up some trees.

 

Various sprigs have been glue together and the trunk treated with decorators caulk. The armatures are sprayed grey with a light coat of brown.

 

 

I then decided to add Gaugemaster mid green leaves by spraying the armature with 3m spray glue and sprinkling the leaves over.

 

 

I think they’ve come out quite nice.

 

 

Should look good on the layout once the backscenes are fitted.

 

[Chris Chewter]

Made a bit of progress tonight. Backscene and a sheet of 1.5mm aluminium sheet arrived. The neighbourhood echoed to the sound of aluminium being cut into shape.

 

 

A single backscene was trialled, but it was too much of a faff to fit each time and keep lifting out. After it fell on the signal and squashed it out of shape, I decided to live with a central gap. Signal reassembled and I managed to get the gap a bit tighter than my first attempt using hardboard.

 

 

However I’ve run out of double sided sticky tape, so the bit by the bridge will have to wait for a bit. So what to do? Why not fit some lighting?

 

Below the pelmet are a pair of under counter kitchen lights. 
 

 

Its a bit yellow, but I don’t think it looks too bad. I’ll trial some photos another night and see how it looks.

 

Its been a challenge, but ultimately its been a successful and satisfying evening. 

Edited June 14, 2021 by Chris Chewter

[Chris Chewter]

Another photo of the lighting before I put the boards away for the night.

 

 

Ive ordered some clips to hide and tidy up the cables.

[Chris Chewter]

Working on Carterton today. What a difference some black paint makes!

 

 

Sea foam trees also stuck into place. These have been matched to similar positions in the photos.

 

 

 

 

I need a bit of low vegetation by the bridge, but that can be added later.

 

Onto the little details of signage and people.

 

 

And I know there are ‘sky corners’ on the backscene. Perhaps I’ll curve the backscene for the next layout.

[Chris Chewter]

Took a few photo stacks to see how the layout looked, especially as the "mouse hole" for the train to run through hasn't been cut yet. 

 

 

To me, the corner behind the station seems a bit bland, and the photos of the real station show a bank of trees just beyond the end of the platform, so I think I'll exercise some modellers licence and move them into the scene slightly.

 

 

I think it looks better with the trees, however reviewing the photo, it needs another by the telegraph pole. I'll save that for another day.

[Chris Chewter]

I've been a bit quiet on the modelling front.  I've been saving up some cash to sort out some fiddle yards for Carterton.  However I decided that I needed to add a few figures to give it a bit of life. 

 

I popped my usual ambling figure from Modelu and took a photo to see what it looked like, but I'm not quite happy with the fencing.  The pack was a slightly elderly pack of Peco fencing.  Its slightly odd in that the plastic is very flexible, and it seemed to bow once taken out of the packet.  I thought it would look like broken fencing, but I'm not sure I'm happy with the finished effect.  It s also showed that the steps to the left also need to be refitted.

 

 

If anyone has an idea of an alternative product to replace the fencing with, then let me know!

[MrWolf]

 

I have used Ratio 425 wood Lineside fencing, black for my layout. There's some here that I have started weathering. I believe that Kevin @KNP has used it around the end loading dock on Little Muddle. It's the same pattern as fitted on the loading dock at Shipston on Stour.

 

 

Edited July 4, 2021 by MrWolf

[Chris Chewter]

Started work on the station nameboards. In the absence of the Cooper craft boards, I did try some laser cut signs, but they are too elaborate for Carterton.  Coffee stirrers again to the rescue!

 

 

Just waiting for the glue to cure before I trim the coffee stirrers back and make up some legs.

 

I’ve also been thinking about the control panel. I love the laser cut kits you can buy, but they’re a bit pricey. So I’m going to make do with a plastic box.

 

 

The two points can work in tandem, so only one switch is needed, and a push-to-make for operating the signal. 

[Chris Chewter]

Station signs installed. Looking at the photos I thought there were four, but actually there are only two, one for each platform.

 

One here:

 

 

And one here:

 

 

Not bad for coffee stirrers and match sticks.

 

The lettering is laser cut from a scale model scenery kit. The surround is some 1mm square plastistruct.

[MrWolf]

Those signs look really good Chris. On a lot of photos from the fifties you can easily spot the way that GWR and other running in boards were made by the way that they had deteriorated. I think that the coffee stirrer method really fits the bill.

What did you use for the fencing wire?

[Chris Chewter]

The fences are threaded with EZ line. https://www.modelscenerysupplies.co.uk/EZ-Line

 

I tried black thread but that was asking for trouble. EZ line being elastic means that if it’s snagged, it stretches and pops back into place.