Pixie's Workbench - 2mm/ft Diesels and a 305mm/ft Cavalier

[Strathwood]

 

 

 

It is 'out of gauge'

 

 

 

 

Your scale doves are very good, are they proprietry or scratch built, do they still fly well on DCC? I was also wondering who does the best sound chips for some myself...

 

Kevin

[Pixie]

Evening all,

 

A trip to Railex was in the offering this weekend; an ever reliable show to give the mojo a boost and for having a good number of familiar faces present. Whilst at the exhibition, our friendly Chairman commented that I'd been a little quiet of late and, indeed, I have. To be honest, there's not been much progress of late. After the big push at Christmas, modelling has taken a bit of a back seat to work, going down the pub and car tinkering. Plus there's a girl on the scene, which is probably explains a lot.

 

It's not been a completely baron few months however. A few hours here and there have seen more detail being put onto Parkend; as well as generally trying to tie everything together with a coat of grime and some shabby greenery. It's satisfying as the individual components start to blend into a uniform scene, although there's the ominous lack of any buildings still. This year will be there I get around to them.

 

Below is a few pictures of various little scenes. They're hardly groundbreaking, but gives the layout a little life.

 

 

The garden in the central cottage is becoming increasingly overgrown. The owner seems to have acquired a feline friend too.

 

 

Adding a muddy border and some scrubby grass has merged the country lanes into the walls nicely. I can thoroughly recommend Gordon Gravett's book on the subject.

 

 

Little patches of detritus are starting to appear here...

 

 

...there...

 

 

...and everywhere.

 

 

I've been very impressed by the Severn Models range of etches details. Whilst the greenhouses are good, but the furniture etch is simply brilliant. Sadly, I don't think I'll be able to justify the full kitchen that comes with the kit but the dressing table makes a believable lorry load. It'll help distract the eye from the fiddle yard hole too!

 

 

Truth be told, I love this stage of layout building.

 

I had hoped that by now Parkend would of had its first exhibition outing to the German Railway Society's GlobalRail show, but sadly I had to drop out due to a family commitment (Happy 60th, Mum). I'm now tentatively looking to taking it to a local show in 2018 if an invite comes this way; I think this winter should get it to a presentable state.

 

I do also intend on giving Parkend a dedicated thread; I've not really told much of the story so far. I'm just trying to work out which part of the forum such a thread should go in!

 

Cheers,

Pix

Edited May 29, 2017 by Pixie

[2mmMark]

Very nice indeed.  It's when you start adding the little detail scenes that a layout comes to life. One of my favourite activites too.

 

The stone walling is impressive.

 

Mark.

[jonas]

Lovely stuff. Make me want to crack out my n gauge bits and get building a world for them to run in, rather that a layout to run on - if that makes sense!

[The Fatadder]

When are you going to get it down to the Dean Valley Railway and show it next to the real thing....

[TomE]

Can't wait to see this in the flesh again, just brilliant modelling!

 

Tom. 

[andy stroud]

Very nice modelling indeed and thankyou for the update. It's always a pleasure to see pictures of your layout.

 

andy

[Pixie]

Thanks all for the kind comments folks.

 

Been plugging away with the 'gardening' again this weekend; not quite got around to glazing the greenhouses yet though.

 

 

 

The stone walling is impressive.

 

 

Sadly I can't take any real credit for that; it's ready-to-plonk, laser-cut stuff from Ancorton Models. The supply seems a bit sporadic but it's great.

 

When are you going to get it down to the Dean Valley Railway and show it next to the real thing....

Well, a few bits have met their real-world brothers already!

 

 

 

Someday I plan to take it down to Parkend itself and set it up on the wharf; I guess if I'm ever carting the layout to an exhibition in that part of the world it'd be logical to combine the two. The other option would be to rent the cottage shown above for a weekend - http://www.wyedeantourism.co.uk/discover/Accommodation/i-4018-1_Hazeldene . It'd be slightly surreal to set up a layout within one of the buildings modelled!

 

Pix

[Ian Smeeton]

You would have to buuild a model of the model within the model of the prototype building..... ad infinitum!

 

Regards

 

Ian

[Donw]

Do they still have the model railway exhibition at Lydney each year? I have good memories of exhibiting there (with a 7mm layout). Up behind those sidings there was a leat which ran to the ironworks. I found a sheep stuck in it and had to wade in to get it out. By the time I had contacted the Sheep Badger and he came out the poor thing would have had it. 

 

Don

[The Fatadder]

They have in the past had layouts on show at the railway on special events. All be it at Notchard rather than parkend

[Pixie]

This week, I've been weathering  track work on Parkend. Firstly a little scatter and static grass for weeds, then painting the rail sides with a slurry of Humbrol 29 and weathering powders, and finally a wash of thinners, weathering powders and a little Humbrol 33 to tie it all together.

 

 

If I ever have to paint another rail side it'll be too soon.

 

 

Pix

[cornish trains jez]

This week, I've been weathering  track work on Parkend. Firstly a little scatter and static grass for weeds, then painting the rail sides with a slurry of Humbrol 29 and weathering powders, and finally a wash of thinners, weathering powders and a little Humbrol 33 to tie it all together.

 

 

If I ever have to paint another rail side it'll be too soon.

 

 

Pix

 

Hi,

 

Trackwork looks fantastic! May I ask which powder colours you used please? Did you paint on the humbrol 29 and then dust on the powders while it was still wet? Did you mix the powders?

Sorry for all the questions! Thanks in advance.

 

Best regards,

 

Jeremy

[Jon Gwinnett]

I don't mind painting the track so much, it's cleaning it all again to get stuff running that bugs me!

[D869]

I usually find that new track works really well until the day that I paint it and then...

 

Regards, Andy

[Jon Gwinnett]

I usually find that new track works really well until the day that I paint it and then...

 

Regards, Andy

You and me both, you and me both

[nick_bastable]

You and me both, you and me both

there was me thinking it was only me 

 

Pix excellent trackwork and finishing 

 

Nick

[2mmMark]

What I've found is that a small cheap screwdriver ground to wheel profile is very good for scraping the paint away in the critical areas - head and inside top of the rail.

 

They're not much good for anything else anyway.

 

This will give a reasonable start towards good running but quite a bit of detail cleaning is needed as well. Sometimes paint & weathering stops point blades from completely bedding against the stock rail.

 

 

Mark

Edited June 25, 2017 by 2mmMark

[Pixie]

Thanks all for the kind words. I concur that cleaning up the rails after weathering is a bit of a drag; I've found that after an initial clean it's really down to carefully watching stock as it shunts around for any defects. One tip I can offer - a beard trimmer is an excellent tool to bring static grass below rail height and coax out any fibers that the glue hasn't quite grabbed. I was very nervous about using static grass within the four-foot but after 18 months of service I've not had any fibers end up in mechanisms.

 

You do get some strange looks and, oddly, "I'm shaving my layout" doesn't seem to be reasonable explanation when family members question what you're doing. 

 

 

 

Trackwork looks fantastic! May I ask which powder colours you used please? Did you paint on the humbrol 29 and then dust on the powders while it was still wet? Did you mix the powders?
Sorry for all the questions! 

 

No sweat Jeremy, more than happy to advise. I'm loving Euston by the way - the quality and pace you're working at is amazing!

 

I use MIG Powders; namely Vietnam Earth (P031), Russian Earth (P034) and Volcanic Sand (P040). When weathering the track, I start off by airbushing the ballasted track with Railmatch Sleeper grime to act as a basis. I then paint the rails with slurry of Humbrol 29 (usually by picking out the sludge from the bottom of the tinlet), Vietnam Earth powder and Russian Earth powders. I mix the powders and paint together before application as it gives a very opaque, very matt and very dense finished. Sometimes a drop of thinners is needed to make it spread nicely. The below isn't the colours mentioned but show the principle. 

 

 

Once the rails have dried I give everything a very thin wash of Humbrol 29 and Volcanic Sand powders to tie it all together. Then it's just a good coating of scrubby static grass, coloured with Humbrol 150. 

 

I'm still plodding on with small details for the layout when time allows - in an idle moment this afternoon I glazed and weathered some greenhouses. Hardly an epic piece of model architecture but I was pleased with the effect Testor's Dullcote had on the glass. 

 

 

The time-travelling Cavalier has also been replaced with a more period Mini, inspired a friend's recent purchase. As Ryan's Mini is product of the 1990's, the one on Parkend is more of a 'nod-to' rather than a precise recreation.  

 

 

Aren't these just the cutest cars in the world?!

 

Cheers, 

 

Pix

Edited June 24, 2017 by Pixie

[CF MRC]

They are very cute Pix, almost as cute as a Morgan three wheeler. I think one of the old Minis would be the only other car to fit my garage.

 

 

Exhibiting on your layout is quite fun. We did it in 1989 at the Cally Market with CF and also in the KX Goods Shed a couple of years ago. We have a model of Keen House on CF. it is on the to-do list to make some boxes being loaded up into a old lorry to show the layout going to a show.

 

Tim

Edited June 25, 2017 by CF MRC

[Pixie]

And in the blink of an eye, Photobucket has locked all my images. Although I can magically make them reappear for $400... Bah. 

 

I'll work on a solution in the next few weeks, but apologies in the mean time.

 

Pix

[The Fatadder]

And in the blink of an eye, Photobucket has locked all my images. Although I can magically make them reappear for $400... Bah. 

 

I'll work on a solution in the next few weeks, but apologies in the mean time.

 

Pix

So annoying, 

the thought of having to go through and re upload hundreds of (non rmweb) images is feeling me with dread. (I'm thinking Flickr, but would be interested if you have another better alternative.)

[Chris Higgs]

And in the blink of an eye, Photobucket has locked all my images. Although I can magically make them reappear for $400... Bah. 

 

I'll work on a solution in the next few weeks, but apologies in the mean time.

 

Pix

 

Wow. Even those ransom guys locking computers across the world are only asking $300....

 

Chris

[Pixie]

Hello all,

 

Last weekend saw Parkend escape from the workshop and appear at a friend's annual trains/cricket/barbecue/ale-athon.

 

 

Whilst it's primarily a social, it was a good excuse to test out packing and transporting the layout before having to do it 'for real' at an exhibition. It also provided the impetus to finish the dull tasks of finishing the packing crates, tool box, layout curtain and, most importantly, beverage holders that I've been putting off for so long.

 

 

I'm pleased to say it went well and the resulting snagging list isn't huge - it's mostly refinement, rather than major reworks. One area that was highlighted as a bit weak was the backscene, for the last few years it's been little more than a coat of light blue and some greeny/brown card representing hills or trees. I've always a been of the logic that less is more with backscenes; the mind filling in any blanks however I was encouraged to take a look at photo backscenes.

 

 

Trying out a roll of photo backscene I had to hand, I'm amazed at how it lifts and transforms the layout. It makes the old attempt look clinical and almost 2D; the depth it adds is brilliant. The below isn't the final version; it's a little too like the Yorkshire Dales and not enough of the Forest of Dean, however I have a few more variations on order that should combine to make something 'foresty'. I'm blown away by the difference it makes!

 

 

In other news, I'm also the proud owner of a Silhouette cutter and a big pile of plasticard. It seems I've finally run out of excuses not to building Parkend's buildings... 

 

Cheers,

Pix

[TomE]

That last shot is very impressive, and difficult to tell where the layout ends & backscene begins. 

 

Photo backscenes can be difficult to get right, either being too subtle or clashing with the colours on the layout, but i'd say you've got it spot on there!

 

Top stuff!

 

Tom.