Mill Lane Depot

[Flacky]

With my previous layout Finbrough Junction now dismantled as the space is required for storage, and the desire for a smaller more manageable project to complete, I have started working on the creation of Mill lane Depot.

 

I wanted a layout with plenty of scenic potential and a 'less is more' approach to track work. The scenic section is 6ft x 20inches and features a 2 lane shed with inspection pits, a further open storage siding for locos or a couple of wagons and a small refuelling point. The idea of it is a very small Depot which provides stabling and general maintenance for loco's possibly coming from a rural set of small exchange sidings or dockland. I do want to be able to model quite a broad era, mainly from early 80s to mid 90s with some even more modern stock that I already have as well, and so hopefully by modelling a TMD time periods can be changed fairly easily. 

 

I have used peco code 100 as although I do want to eventually move onto building my own track, there was so much left from the previous layout that it would be a shame to waste it and it meant that I could get the initial stages of track laying and wiring completed fairly quickly too. The Layout is DCC controlled with a SPROG 3 command station which means i can use my phone or tablet to operate the trains, but as there are only 4 points I am going to have a simple analogue control board for them which saves me purchasing accessory decoders. 

Here's some pictures of the track plan and other building positioning.

 

 

 

 

 

The Engine shed is a Hornby Skaledale product which I have had for ages and featured on the previous layout. With some slight alterations e.g. blocking the end so it is not a through road shed and some general weathering I feel it will look quite good. In regards to other structures, I am going to reuse the knighting fuel point and ratio fuel tanks however, they will probably be modified / reduced in size in order to be more in-keeping with the layout.  For the scenic break I have started to scratch build a small plate girder bridge which will have a single lane road or farm track running over it. This was made using plasticard, Wills varigirder section and some plastruct I beam. I'm very pleased with how it looks so far.

 

 

I am looking forward to progressing with this layout as and when time allows, thanks for looking. 

 

Matt   

 

 

 

 

[Flacky]

The focus over the past few days has been continuing work on the plate girder bridge which will be scenic break. 

After the priming of all the pieces I sprayed the brickwork in Humbrol 70 and left the plate girders themselves in the grey primer as it was very similar to the colour I was after anyway. 

 

Whilst the abutments were drying I set about weathering the metalwork first with a panel wash (thinned Precision Dirty Black) to highlight the details and to start some streaking effects caused by the rain. Then I used some offcuts from a sponge and stiff brush to dab on various rust colours randomly to build up the effect of very old rust and new surface decay.

This was given a Matt Varnish to seal it all in place.

 

(excuse the poor quality photo here)

 

For the brickwork I mixed a mortar colour wash out of acrylic paints and gave the whole structure a liberal coating which was left to dry overnight. Then using cotton buds and Acrylic thinner I rubbed over the walls which removed the paint from the bricks but not the mortar course. The last step was to dry brush some more brick tones over the walls to build up some variation. 

 

 

I am really pleased with how the bridge is turning out. the next step is to paint the concrete plinths, glue it together, add some wing walls, capping stones and then give it some more weathering effect with the airbrush. 

 

 

Matt 

[Flacky]

The bridge has now been glued together so I can begin the landscape work around the layout. 

I have used pieces of polystyrene to build up and shape the terrain which will eventually be covered with Sculptamold and then various scenery can be applied. 

The Bridge can still be removed for now so I can cut an exit hole in the backscene and the weather it away from the layout.

 

 

 

 

Matt

[saxokid]

On 21/10/2021 at 20:31, Flacky said:

The bridge has now been glued together so I can begin the landscape work around the layout. 

I have used pieces of polystyrene to build up and shape the terrain which will eventually be covered with Sculptamold and then various scenery can be applied. 

The Bridge can still be removed for now so I can cut an exit hole in the backscene and the weather it away from the layout.

 

 

 

 

Matt

Looking realy good this Matt im now following