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North Welsh Coast Railway - Welsh Dragon Rail


Anthony Ashley
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Dear All,

 

Further work on the foam and wire for the mountain. I have ply supports at the back of the foam to attach staples to hold the wire, I did a little experimentation with some plaster cats as possible cliff face instead of the foam. They would be attached by a hot glue gun if I use this technique in at least some areas.     Did a little more sculpting and stapled the wire to the ply supports. Then cut the excess wire. Photos are below.

 

A few of the flat plaster casts which could be used to make at least some of the cliff face.

 

post-15340-0-63490000-1547125630_thumb.jpg

 

Ply has been added behind the foam and the wire stapled onto the ply and foam, with excess foam trimmed off.

 

post-15340-0-23704900-1547125649_thumb.jpg

 

post-15340-0-44776500-1547125665_thumb.jpg

 

post-15340-0-84234200-1547125713_thumb.jpg

 

I have not yet finished the stapling process stapling and trimming the foam so more of that tomorrow. Then onto  paper mache on the area between the bottom road and the top of the foam.

 

All comments suggestions or ideas are very welcome.

 

 

Regards,

 

Anthony yAshley

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Anthony

 

re the wire and staples and foam and wood, it all looks very much how I would envisage.

 

I'm not seeing how the plaster helps, yet, but interested to see how you develop that.  I think the hot glue makes sense.

 

atb

Simon

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Dear Simon,

 

My thoughts on using the plaster casts was that they more provide a more realistic finish for the cliff face. But I shall assess over time. I am really not sure if they will look better or not. 

 

 1st layer of paper mache has now been completed for the lower area. I am happy with the effect and the blending from wire to foam. Needed to ensure that the paper was well secured to the foam to educe lines.

 

post-15340-0-68860600-1547190069_thumb.jpg

 

post-15340-0-64519100-1547190083_thumb.jpg

 

I shall continue the papering process with probably about 8 hours of work to complete it,

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

 

 

post-15340-0-98365900-1547190056.jpg

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Simon and Lez,

 

Thanks very much for the encouraging comments. I shall do some more work on the layout today, mainly paper mache. Ross has sent me some photos to publish on the blog to give an idea of the possibilities using plaster molds to create a cliff area. Simon we thought these photos of Ross's layout would give you better idea of one possible option.

 

Photos are below. These are not of my layout but from Ross.

 

post-15340-0-84997500-1547334481_thumb.jpg

 

post-15340-0-08180500-1547334514_thumb.jpg

 

post-15340-0-78348500-1547334576_thumb.jpg

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Anthony Ashley
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Dear All,

 

A fairly quiet day with another layer added to the lowest pat of the paper mache. I have included photos with my faithful double decker bus to give a sense of scale.

 

Bus on the upper road below the cliff.

post-15340-0-68482200-1547457963.jpg

 

post-15340-0-78706600-1547457977.jpg

 

Bus on the rail viaduct.

post-15340-0-94773000-1547457990.jpg

 

Bus on the lower path. 

post-15340-0-35326700-1547458009.jpg

 

REgrads,

 

Anthony Ashley

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Dear All,

 

A very hot day making working on the paper mache quite difficult, particularly when I was at the top of the shed on a ladder for most of it. 2 hours was as much as I could handle during the day as the heat was just too much so close to the roof! I have completed another layer over the whole of the section being worked on. That is about 4 layers for the top half and five for the bottom. Perhaps another layer on the top half. I have enclosed photos of behind the mountain to show how the supports are holding it up. The other shots are of the area still to be started. It is just about the same size as what I have done so far, but much much steeper in gradient.

 

post-15340-0-91221600-1547555070_thumb.jpg

 

post-15340-0-47966100-1547555088_thumb.jpg

 

post-15340-0-64128500-1547555104_thumb.jpg

 

post-15340-0-18145700-1547555121_thumb.jpg

 

Another layer of paper mache and then I need to decide my next step. Do I bother to put plaster on at all or just use the paper mache and foam as my surface to add dirt, sand and colour?

 

Any thoughts would be appreciated from the wise knowledge base reading this blog.

 

 

Regards,

 

  Anthony Ashley

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Simon, thanks for the idea, but the paper is rock hard ans is not going to move of the mesh, It is very secure.

 

I have had a busy week end but added a little further relief to the mountain in a couple of spots to create deeper and longer gullies IAW the photos I have. The photos of the efforts are below.

 

post-15340-0-99745200-1547988485.jpg

 

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post-15340-0-11172400-1547988509.jpg

 

post-15340-0-54160000-1547988521.jpg

 

Looking at painting the underside of the mountain  IAW the suggestion by Simon next  to minimise moisture effects. The maybe painting but perhaps plaster. 

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

 

 

 

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Dear All,

 

Work has begun again at a frantic pace. I have managed to cover the small mountain or hill from the Bangor side of the layout. Coffee is my cover of choice with a dash of tea to add more contrast,

 

Photos are below

 

IMG_1226v2.jpg.d7f278990e1698005bb3fb39dd879b62.jpg

 

IMG_1227V2.jpg.b8409760cab0d549ceab58f53cc13e09.jpg

 

IMG_1228V2.jpg.b1a11e8a1548c3c7ee455ef00ce2f0e9.jpg

 

IMG_1229V2.jpg.77b68a5728e31a4aeb1f9572b2fc0978.jpg

 

I am about to buy a 55 kV Green keeper grass applicator for grass and weeds. Best place seems to be in Germany. Anyone know of a good supplier in the UK.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

 

 

 

 

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  • 1 month later...

Dear Simon, DP Gibbons and Scotty,

 

T%hanks for the encouragement. Work has been flat out but only just over 2 months to go to retirement.  I have painted both sides of the mountain, underneath and on top. Painting underneath was interesting with the wire catching most of the paint as it was not always resting on the paper, I enede up with a completely white arm and hand painting upside down for an extended period. 

 

The top of the mountain was obviously much easier. Results are below.

 

Wagon shows the scale of the mountain.  IMG_1277V2.jpg.b3635f270a768aecdcc3d70851aa649a.jpg

 

IMG_1276V2.jpg.e0853ad0729a4540a8c64dad0e1355d0.jpg 

View from the viaduct.

IMG_1278V2.jpg.a2c7e769b0f0d3b95473fa7c6d865841.jpg

 

 

View from the other side of the layout.

IMG_1279V2.jpg.9413680b16e8a876c3c0cced846a9c0c.jpg

 

IMG_1284V2.jpg.3ae7e919a926ebe802549e099eadd56e.jpg

 

Underneath the layout.

 

IMG_1281V2.jpg.a6bcfbc08c90d8cf4e7017a4018aa3ea.jpg

 

I need to find enough sand and gravel to cover the layout. I think I have the right colour but need more.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley   

IMG_1280V2.jpg

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John,

 

The last time I said I was retiring I had not reached my statutory retirement age. Now I have !! Reserve work only soon as I have to retire unless the law changes.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

Edited by Anthony Ashley
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  • 4 weeks later...

Scotty,

 

Thanks for the comment. Although it is only a tiny patch the results above were promising!!

 

I have done a little more, using my coffee ground technique for the dirt. With a sprinkle of rubble over the top of the coffee it blends the scenery nicely. I have also added a small rock fall in the gully shown. I have also covered the track above the ares with scree added a few days ago. I will need to fill in hte brown sections poking through the dirt with more scree to blend the scene further.  

 

Happy with the results. It is quite a slow process as any section needs to dry off before touching any where near it. 

IMG_1288V2.jpg.84411bbfae316be701ac401dad4d2aad.jpg

 

IMG_1289V2.jpg.83d2d63b49e4acd9f48ec1370b2d7970.jpg

 

IMG_1290V2.jpg.398e92c7a6055f7e6eaf939ab84671bf.jpg

 

Will continue the process. I have also got a sand section to complete.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

 

 

 

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58 minutes ago, Anthony Ashley said:

Scotty,

 

Thanks for the comment. Although it is only a tiny patch the results above were promising!!

 

I have done a little more, using my coffee ground technique for the dirt. With a sprinkle of rubble over the top of the coffee it blends the scenery nicely. I have also added a small rock fall in the gully shown. I have also covered the track above the ares with scree added a few days ago. I will need to fill in hte brown sections poking through the dirt with more scree to blend the scene further.  

 

Happy with the results. It is quite a slow process as any section needs to dry off before touching any where near it. 

IMG_1288V2.jpg.84411bbfae316be701ac401dad4d2aad.jpg

 

IMG_1289V2.jpg.83d2d63b49e4acd9f48ec1370b2d7970.jpg

 

IMG_1290V2.jpg.398e92c7a6055f7e6eaf939ab84671bf.jpg

 

Will continue the process. I have also got a sand section to complete.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

 

 

 

You're going to have to drink a lot of coffee Anthony...

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2 hours ago, St Enodoc said:

You're going to have to drink a lot of coffee Anthony...

Or the right friends . . . 

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5 Bar,

 

Thanks for the comment. My daughter works at McDonalds, so if I needed more coffee grounds I have an almost unlimited stock. A little more scenic work on the mountain. I have some reddish scatter(sand or similar) which I shall add as a highlight later. More photos below.

 

IMG_1291V2.jpg.c17a05663996b4407dce8e7fba763ccf.jpg

 

IMG_1292V2.jpg.3528728456f57021399a1f7cb87bce47.jpg

 

IMG_1293V2.jpg.04c26bd702277a3c312c619cd8eac76f.jpg

 

IMG_1294V2.jpg.7c124493ab9a067aef6eb317b7a4ad30.jpg

 

On the photo below you can see the scree piled up on the track. I need to hoover the excess up once the glue has dried. I tried this technique prior to adding the last lot of scree and the vacuum cleaner work very well. Just made sure I cleaned it out before vacuuming and all of the scree can then be tipped back into the container. Of course a lot of the area needs a lot of vegetation added, mainly low bushes and long grass. 

 

IMG_1297V2.jpg.6f86371d93a18ec749e7c478e4642143.jpg

 

More scree to be done.

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Anthony Ashley
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Dear All

 

The mountain scenery process continues with further scree being thrown at the mountain vertical surfaces and then vacuumed up. The technique appears to be working well.

 

Further photos for those interested.

 

IMG_1298V2.jpg.b2c39bf64e495d7ad27f55c3562509a9.jpg

 

IMG_1299V2.jpg.bde99980d3ba63e01010941bc22dc47f.jpg

 

IMG_1300V2.jpg.5a343ccaababd74b9951167d3e5c7ede.jpg

 

IMG_1302V2.jpg.60dd9904e866764d8893850e17007415.jpg

 

Still more areas of scree for completion!!

 

Regards,

 

Anthony Ashley 

 

 

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