Coombe Viaduct, Saltash and the Royal Albert Bridge

[Kris]

Over the past few evenings I have been finishing the viaduct legs by adding in the inner arch bits. As I suspected it was a fiddly job, but I'm glad it's done now. Next step will be to start adding further detail to the viaduct then fill in the gaps and paint them. I suspect that these small jobs will take me nearly as long as putting all the big bits of cladding onto the viaduct has taken so far! I also don't expect to be able to get much if anything done for the next 7 or 8 weeks. 

[Kris]

Progress has been, er, slow, very, very slow. Over the summer I had been aiming to really crack on with Coombe, it didn't happen. I spent less than an hour on it and all that was achieved in that time was a spray varnish the viaduct and bridge to fix the printing so that it could be exposed to water. 

Today water was added to the mix in the form of some soggy plaster bandages. 9 rolls later I have something that looks like a landscape, a snowy one! The varnishing seems to have done the trick as the ink has not run (phew). There is a little bit of plaster on the viaduct but not much.

 

How long until the next update then????

 

 

 

 

[Mikkel]

Hi Kris, I must have missed the last update. I hope you'll find time and motivation to work on it in the new year, it looks fantastic already. Viaducts are always impressive but the way you've "framed" and built this one adds something extra for me. And the curve is really nicely done.

 

Best wishes for 2017 

[Brinkly]

Hi Kris,

 

I've managed to miss your thread too, what a lovely little project. I wouldn't worry about how long it takes, just go with the flow.

 

Kind regards,

 

Nick.

[Kris]

I did manage to get a little more done just before Christmas. Not much but I did manage to get some base colouring down for the hill sides, roads and creek bed. 

 

The layout is stored on it's side so taking photos of this small amount of progress is not the easiest of tasks. 

 

[GWRPhil]

Really enjoyed reading through the progress on the layout and looking at the pictures. Looking forward to following future progress.

[Kris]

Progress update.

 

For the first time in nearly 2 years I have had the whole of Coombe Viaduct erected, twice in the last couple of weeks! The first time it went up the running was abysmal, which was a huge disappointment, however with a little fettling and attaching some adjusters to the legs I have, today, managed to get the running to be far, far better, phew. Not only have I managed to get one train running, but there have been 2 trains running at the same time. 

 

There is still much to be done to improve the running, but at least it runs at the moment. There is unlikely to be much if any progress between now and the summer but never mind. 

 

To give an idea I have uploaded a video to show the viewpoint that a child would have, I have got to say that I love this view. 

 

Edited April 13, 2017 by Kris

[bcnPete]

Good stuff Kris - good to see progress on this layout

[Mikkel]

Wow. Very convincing Kris, nice smooth running and a great viewing angle.

 

Geologists would marvel at that rockface in the left hand background :-)

[Revolution Ben]

 

Hi Kris,

 

Great to see progress - thanks for posting!

 

Cheers

 

Ben A.

[Kris]

Hi Kris,

 

Great to see progress - thanks for posting!

 

Cheers

 

Ben A.

 

Not been much (any) progress for the past few months Ben, far too busy with work. Hopefully some time off in a few weeks time will allow more progress to be made. 

[Kris]

Well despite starting another project I have been able to make some progress today on Coombe Viaduct, nothing photo worthy but I have spent an hour creating a dam to allow to "water" to be poured into the creek area. It did come as a surprise to find out just how much "water" this area would hold, apparently 2.2lt. 

[Siberian Snooper]

Well despite starting another project I have been able to make some progress today on Coombe Viaduct, nothing photo worthy but I have spent an hour creating a dam to allow to "water" to be poured into the creek area. It did come as a surprise to find out just how much "water" this area would hold, apparently 2.2lt.

 

The tide must be in.

[Kris]

Tide is certainly going to be in, and it will be a big tide as well. Looks better than lots of mud to my eyes.

[Siberian Snooper]

Tide is certainly going to be in, and it will be a big tide as well. Looks better than lots of mud to my eyes.

Certainly a lot easier to model.

[Kris]

This could be entitled "watching paint dry" which given I have repainted the creek bed today would be very appropriate. The silty areas will get a second coating tomorrow which will allow for some further blending on the channel. The course of the channel is approximate and based on the channel that can be seen via google today. I'm sure that this will have changed it's course over the last 70 years however, I'm going to live with what I have. I've change the colours from those that I used when I originally painted the creek bed, partly because the colours I used were not compatible with the water system that I intend to use, and partly because I was not happy with the colours that I had originally used, they had gone a little pink. 

 

[Kris]

A bit more work today has seen the creek bed transformed from something that was rather plain, to something that is nearly ready for water. 

 

 

 

I think this boat may have been abandoned some time ago!

 

 

 

I will be tinting the "water" that I use to some some of this detail will be lost, but hopefully much will still be seen. 

[St Enodoc]

A bit more work today has seen the creek bed transformed from something that was rather plain, to something that is nearly ready for water. 

 

IMG_5954 2.JPG

 

IMG_5955.JPG

 

IMG_5956.JPG

I think this boat may have been abandoned some time ago!

 

IMG_5957.JPG

 

IMG_5958.JPG

 

I will be tinting the "water" that I use to some some of this detail will be lost, but hopefully much will still be seen. 

I do like that boat Kris.

[Edwardian]

Stunning work!

 

Another treasure of this website that had eluded me!

[Clay Country]

Looking good Kris, great to see the layout at the weekend - thanks for the tour!

[Kris]

Water water everywhere but not a drop to drink. 

Filling the creek with water on Coombe Viaduct was always going to be a big job, so going away for a week proved to be the perfect opportunity. It wasn't so much the time that the stuff takes to put down, but more the time it takes to dry and the temptation that I have to prod and poke at it during the drying time. The results seem to be okay, however I think that I need another bottle or 2 to top up the level (another is on order). I've used Woodland Scenics realistic water, and have combined this with some of their water tints to give a little more depth. It's not been cheap to do it this way but Track-Shack had bottles at a very good price and I appear to have bought all they had. Mixing and pouring have proved to be very easy, thankfully I had read about the cloudy nature of the product when first poured, so I was not concerned about this, and it did clear when the product set. 

 

The boat can still be seen, phew. 

 

it's possible to see the stones that are on the creek bed

 

 

 

The larger dark green bits are bits of sea weed that appear to be growing in the stiller areas (when viewed on Google maps). 

 

I have also started the task of ballasting the track, as with previous layouts I have used fine beach sand sieved to remove oversize grains. There is still lots to be done on this. 

[Miss Prism]

...but more the time it takes to dry and the temptation that I have to prod and poke at it during the drying time

 

Is it possible to produce ripples/choppiness by prodding and poking during the drying time?

[Kris]

Is it possible to produce ripples/choppiness by prodding and poking during the drying time?

 

No idea, however you can make ripples and choppiness with the water effects product. I think that there are other products that will also do it. 

[wiggoforgold]

In Gordon Gravett's "Modelling Grassland" he makes ripples using Tamiya clear acrylic lacquer. I haven't tried it myself yet but plan to give it ago.

I don't think the surface of the water in Coombe Crrek is ever completely smooth.

[alexross42]

This is a great looking layout and one I shall follow with particular interest as it happens to be my hometown - the brickwork on the viaduct looks spot on!