Plockton in N

[josh_will]

I’ve decided to go a bit left-field with this layout and set it in the springtime so I’m experimenting with making up some armatures out of wire and coating them in filler. The hard part will be finding something suitable to look like the little branches that will be bare.

[DGO]

On 10/09/2021 at 18:26, josh_will said:

I’ve decided to go a bit left-field with this layout and set it in the springtime so I’m experimenting with making up some armatures out of wire and coating them in filler. The hard part will be finding something suitable to look like the little branches that will be bare.

Small pieces of seafoam glued to the wires possibly ? I'm planning an H0 scale alpine layout in winter and plan to use that for the bare ends of the few deciduous trees on the layout. Just remember to remove any seeds as they would look very over scale 

 

[josh_will]

I thought I’d try a bit of Woodland Scenics Polyfiber to create the bare branches. I think it might be possible to get away with this and not use sea moss in N gauge. I might need to spray the whole thing darker though.

Edited September 12, 2021 by josh_will
More info.

[David Bell]

6 hours ago, josh_will said:

I thought I’d try a bit of Woodland Scenics Polyfiber to create the bare branches. I think it might be possible to get away with this and not use sea moss in N gauge. I might need to spray the whole thing darker though.

Looks good

[josh_will]

20 hours ago, David Bell said:

Looks good

Thanks, for some reason the polyfiber looks really bright in the photo but it’s a lot less noticeable when actually seeing it.

[josh_will]

I’ve tried to be brave and reproduce the myriad of different colours found in the ballast. Photo evidence of the line in the 50s, 60s and 70s shows that the the track and ballast along much of the route, particularly at stations, was in a very poor condition. The ballast was often stained with a mucky concoction of all kinds of different and truly horrible colours. However I must admit that I am quite badly colour blind, so what looks alright to me might look absolutely awful to others.

[Robert Shrives]

That looks very good.    In the 1970s on the Kyle line the gangs did the best with what they could with cascaded materials and spot resleepering to keep track to gauge  was a common activity so you could highlight a few areas - say 10mm apart with overturned and thus cleaner ballast on a curve.  Sidings got nothing at all - not sure how much was ash ballast but certainly it was used for cess walkways and being black and dusty the edge paths were clearly visible and the ash was a good weedkiller for a while.   A neat Ballast shoulder is important as not only pride of a job but it gave a good early warning sign of voids and movement - a collapsing shoulder would alert patrolmen to look a little closer. - Why walking on shoulders was frowned upon- it upset the system.  

 

I find using books and on line phots really good if you do not look at the subject of the pic but look around it so much is hidden in plain sight !

Happy modelling

Robert    

[josh_will]

Thanks Robert, one thing that’s also dawned on me is that sleepers on lightly used track such as this were often grey, almost white in colour due to the fading of the wood. My default approach to track weathering is to simply cover the whole lot in sleeper grime, but I’ve tried to be more attentive this time. I had wanted to try using clay for the ash ballast, but I thought it just wasn’t really worth it in N gauge - the chinchilla dust seems to work reasonably well.

 

Regards

[peak experience]

On 03/07/2021 at 23:02, josh_will said:

Thanks Ben for the suggestion. I think I might tackle it myself though as there won’t be many other buildings and I’ve got a scale drawing of it in one of my books. I have struggled however to find images of the station in my chosen era although I do have a track plan in the form of a old map (also in the aforementioned book).

 

Regards,

 

Josh

Hi Josh, liking the progress so far. May I ask you for the book title and author please? 

[Ben Alder]

I have drawings of Plockton station that Pop Up used for their kit. I can send you a copy if you want.

 

[josh_will]

On 13/01/2022 at 22:53, peak experience said:

Hi Josh, liking the progress so far. May I ask you for the book title and author please? 

Hi, the book is: Peter Tatlow, The Dingwall & Skye Railway

There are quite a few similar books, all of which are very good.

Edited January 17, 2022 by josh_will
More info

[josh_will]

On 14/01/2022 at 00:19, Ben Alder said:

I have drawings of Plockton station that Pop Up used for their kit. I can send you a copy if you want.

 

Thanks, I’ll let you know as I’ve put the project on hold for the time being but if I return to it I’ll get back to you.

 

Regards

[peak experience]

On 16/01/2022 at 17:33, josh_will said:

Hi, the book is: Peter Tatlow, The Dingwall & Skye Railway

There are quite a few similar books, all of which are very good.

Obliged Josh