Earlestown Posted August 27, 2011 Share Posted August 27, 2011 Sweet. Dave. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_mcfarlane Posted September 4, 2011 Author Share Posted September 4, 2011 The realisation that there's only a month to go has made me change gear and work exclusively on the diorama. The base is finished. It was given a number of coats of Wilko's 'Cosy Grey' - this is a fairy light grey and isn't in the slightest bit cosy (who thinks up these names and what drugs to they take?). After the first coat I was able to rub down any imperfections and create some patches of gravel by glueing down Woodland scenics ballast. This basic surface was then oversprayed with thin mists of Humbrol Light Grey (number 64) and Halford white primer. A spot of talcum power rubbed was in in places, and Valejo "Neutral Grey" dry brushed on to the pavement area and the slightly darker buts where lorries have driven down to the goods yard. This photo shows the station building temporary put in place - it's now gained some Langley seagulls on the roof along with their droppings! I've also assembled the SER style platform seats and SR barrows from the Scalelink etch. The seats were easy, although a little overscale in places. The barrows took a while as the instructions are not much help - once I'd tracked down a photo it was pretty straightforward to figure out what went were. I've also finished the grounded SER van body. When I did a similar vehicle a couple of years back it had full rivet detail made from 5 thou plasticard cubes which took ages. I think this one will have some token rivets from Archer transfers. Lastly, the track is now assembled and wired up. The platform road is bog standard C&L OO flexitrack, with their fishplates at 60' intervals and the sleeper spacing reduced at the rail joints. The bay track is built from their components and is a haphazard mix of 8'6" and 9' sleepers. The longer sleepers are actually the EM/P4 gauge ones. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_mcfarlane Posted September 12, 2011 Author Share Posted September 12, 2011 I've done quite a bit of work, in a mad rash to get the thing finished for the end of the month! A full update to follow, but here's an overall photo of the diorama resting on a hi-tech stand (or kitchen chair if you will). Grounded van finished and in place along with a couple of Ratio gates (the bigger of the two has been narrowed slightly). The station building is getting there - the windows on this side are finished, most of the remaining work is on the other side. And I need some doors. I quite like this show, although it's a little out of focus in places. Some more playing with the camera is needed before the end of September. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_mcfarlane Posted September 12, 2011 Author Share Posted September 12, 2011 Oh and I've still got to do the skylight! Just noticed that Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_mcfarlane Posted September 14, 2011 Author Share Posted September 14, 2011 One of the things I fancied doing with this building was a detailed interior. I realised that the booking office/waiting room would be visible through the open door and needed detailing, but most of the other rooms seem to have ended up with interiors as well. For the booking office I used a Springside detailing kit. This is what you get for your £10. It's not the est value, and the two figures were a bit odd. In fact their odd poses and general lack of detail reminded me of those plaster casts of people who were killed in Pompeii. Anyway, with these and a few scratchbuilt tables and benches I've detailed the interior. It just needs some more of the Tiny Signs travel posters, a timetable or two and a spot of touching up. I've got some LEDs to install in the ceiling to light it. The Monty's Models station master is staring out the window wondering if any passengers will show up for the 2:30, and why I haven't bought him a booking clerk yet. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_mcfarlane Posted September 25, 2011 Author Share Posted September 25, 2011 And the state of play earlier tonight. The platforms are simple constructions of plasticard, faced with suitable Slater's embossed brickwork. Not shown here are the platform extensions, so if/when this become the core of a larger layout everything will match up. The edging bricks are cut from Evergreeen embossed Matchboard plasticard to give the impression of individual bricks The track is now laid and the bay has been ballasted. The Station is awaiting a touch up of it's varnish, and some suitable posters. I also need to add the railings and painted platform seats. Once these are all glued in place I'll finish off the platform surface with Woodland Scenic ash ballast. I'm nearly done - just as well with only 6 days to go! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CourthsVeil Posted September 26, 2011 Share Posted September 26, 2011 Amazing this wealth of details! Very atmospheric too. I like it Armin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_mcfarlane Posted September 27, 2011 Author Share Posted September 27, 2011 The station now has a name "Saltmarshe Road". The first part of the name is actually in Yorkshire and has a station (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saltmarshe_station), but it sounds like the kind of place you'd find in the middle of, well a saltmarsh. The "Road" bit presumably means that the village is a fair walk away, in the best tradition of these lines. The nameboards and signs are from Station Signs - website here: http://stationsigns.co.uk/. The running in board is scratchbuilt out of plastic and a couple of lengths of scrap bullhead rail. The Langley lamps were the best match I could find for the distinctive SER oil lamps. They have the station name on the glass - this was laser printed inthe smallest possible font on to paper and stuck in place. I have a suspicion the lettering should actually be blue and not black, but it's less than a millimetre high and I doubt if anyone will spot this! These SER lamps seem to have avoided getting the SR totems, presumably because they already had the station name in the glass and the Southern was being it's usual frugal self. The Blacksmith etched railings were a bit of a fiddle to solder up and fit in place, but look effective now they are in place. The station building is now stuck down, and the track is being ballasted with dilute Copydex.The next step after this is to add the platform surface from Woodland Scenics cinders ballast. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Chambers Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 Fascinating thread- keep it going! Many thanks indeed for link to "Station Signs" - been looking for this facility for ages. Order forms have been duly printed! Best wishes, Tim. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_mcfarlane Posted September 30, 2011 Author Share Posted September 30, 2011 Two steps forward and one step back! I ballasted the train with Woodlands scenic ballast, stuck down with dilute Copydex. This is latex based, so I hoped to avoid the noise problems with the usual combination of rock solid PVA glue/stone chippings. It looked OK for the dock siding, but not for the platform road. The problem seems to be keeping the ballast under control - it had ended up looking like pre-group track with the ballast over the sleepers. So the track was lifted and cleaned of ballast ready for the second attempt. This time it's stuck down to the grey paper base with Hob-e-tac, again from Woodland scenics. This is rather like Copydex when wet, but dries tacky. The track was pressed down in to it - as seen here.Photo is a bit blurry, and there's a glimpse of a half finished Maunsell pull-push trailer being used to check clearances. Ballast has now been poured over the track, and will hopefully stick to the tacky glue (and not to the sleepers this time!). This will be cleared up in the morning. In attempt to move of from using big chunks of green lichen to represent undergrowth I tried some Noch laser cut nettles. These come as paper doilies which you cut out, shape and stick in place. The jury is still out on these, but I do like the bike. It's an Artitec HO scale German bike, and seems to be made of some kind of etched or laser cut plastic. It was stuck together with superglue and very carefully painted. It belongs to the booking clerk, and he hasn't bothered to chain it up as it's unlikely to be pinched out here in the marsh. I'm on course to finish this at some point on Saturday. There's about 2 hours work left, mainly the station building door and some platform canopy lamps. And then it's time to try and get some decent photos. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_mcfarlane Posted September 30, 2011 Author Share Posted September 30, 2011 A slightly cruel closeup, but it shows our resident porter taking his afternoon snooze between trains. I've been playing with the settings on my camera, hence the black and white image! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_mcfarlane Posted October 1, 2011 Author Share Posted October 1, 2011 And another experimental photo, this time of the grounded van body. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_mcfarlane Posted October 1, 2011 Author Share Posted October 1, 2011 Finished in time for Doctor Who! I'll now take some pictures ready for uploading to the new topic. The article on model photography in Modelling Inspiration came at just the right time! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pete_mcfarlane Posted October 2, 2011 Author Share Posted October 2, 2011 All done, and officially entered here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/45495-saltmarshe-road/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Chambers Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Following Pete's post, I ordered a selection of nameboards etc. from "Station Signs"- ordered 3rd October, received 6th October.An excellent product IMHO and one which deserves a wider canvas. (usual disclaimer). Very well done to Jeff Duke for his initiative and good service. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinW Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 The model looks great. Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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