Gresby - N Gauge Great Central (MS&LR 90s-2000s)

[porkie]

Hi Simon

 

The cabinets, point motors and trunking look ace .

[Kris]

Those units are looking as it they will be as good as the rest of the layout.

[MrSimon]

Hehe thanks Kris, I sort of made a rod for my own back with the street/station bit and now have to force myself to make the rest to the same standard - hope it will be worth it in the end!

Thanks Porkie, I'm hoping it survives being ballasted - I've not ballasted anything in about 10 years and I don't remember it going too well... something I need to practise I think

I got the units painted today and they're ready for glazing and detailing. I seem to remember someone making aircon units, but I can't remember who - anyone know?


I've got three more to go - but they're a car dealers so will be different - and then I can stick the viaduct side down. I've done a bit more work on the house but I've not photo'd it and I might have to redo it when I see it in the daylight tomorrow and I've started the inside of the station (which is visible unfortunately) and I'll get some photos of this up tomorrow.

Lots to do!

Simon

Edited August 31, 2017 by MrSimon

[bcnPete]

Simon - A very nice project with great attention to detail.

 

Great to see the use of mock ups too, something I frequently use myself.

 

Is the plan to finish the main two boards first and the 'roundy roundy' is something for the future? I assume the layout can operate self contained in the former scenario?

 

Pete

[MrSimon]

Hi Pete,

 

The layout was originally designed to fit in my tiny flat in London and the extension was initially designed for when I had more space, I thought I was moving to a much bigger flat but it fell through so the extension is sort of on ice. I'd love to extend before the first two boards are finished though!

 

Thanks

 

Simon

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

I've been a busy boy again today


Here is the side of the house, I think the painting is pretty much finished and just needs weathering and detailing and sticking together, but I'm not sure when I'll get that done.

I've made a start on the booking hall of the station, after working out exactly what would be visible I decided not to go crazy on the detail:


Here are the walls and floor ready to stick together.


I decided to make a ticket office a bit of a cross between the ticket office at Ravenscourt Park and the ticket office at Manchester Victoria.


I'm in two minds about departure/arrivals monitors for the bottom of the stairs - I think they might be visible but only from the back, so they might not have a front

Lots to do as always!

Simon

Edited August 31, 2017 by MrSimon

[porkie]

love the ticket office mate,

I know what you mean about adding details that are difficult to see. But its always good to go that extra mile mate..

 

Keep up the good work fella:)

[MrSimon]

Haha well I'm glad I didn't go too far down the extra mile last night making light fittings and chip'n'pin machines etc for the ticket office because when I finally managed to wrestle it in place (I forgot to measure the hole it had to come through underneath and had to lift one end of the trackbed and slide it in) it became clear just how little would be seen, if any


At certain angles you'll be able to see the man through the doorway and the monitors and his legs should be visable down the stairs!


I got the orange pipe things fitted for now I am definately ready for ballasting...

Simon

Edited August 31, 2017 by MrSimon

[porkie]

very nice dude, what did you use for the orange trunking?

[MrSimon]

Hi

The orange trunking is Evergreen StripStyrene number 210 0.030" ROD; painted Humbrol 132 orange I should have bought evergreen shares before I started building this!

I got a bit done yesterday - firstly I stuck the first two units into their arches:

I had to add a 4mm section of wall because it was slightly too short


I'm a bit worried that the green is a bit too green, but I've not done any toning down or weathering or detailing yet so it should disapear into the background!


The front walls are just plasticard with the wooden planks scribed on, todays job is some sort of background to go in the arch... which has got me pretty stumped. I think I need to either get shorter cars or cut a corner off one to make it fit; I'll see what I can pick up at Loughborough show this weekend. On todays to-do-list are a sales desk, the front windows for the show room, backgrounds for the three arches and all other details so I can stick it down by teatime.

Lots to do!

Simon

Edited August 31, 2017 by MrSimon

[Kris]

I think you are right Simon, the green does not quite look right. I think you could either go two ways with this, tone it right down or make the paint even bolder, making it even stronger without any fading.

[MrSimon]

Hi,

I had another look at the green and decided to go for a slightly darker shade:


Freightliner Green! I'm not sure if it will need a second coat or just some matt varnish and weathering, but it looks better already

Simon

Edited August 31, 2017 by MrSimon

[Kris]

The darker green looks much better. I think that at the moment it looks good if you want a "cheaper" garage.

[MrSimon]

Hi,

I gave it a coat of matt varnish and kept the slightly run down look Yesterday I started on the glazing, painting it in with a cocktail stick, today I matt varnished it to match the fascia:


The door is modelled open and the fuzzy red stick which shouldn't be in shot is the fire extinguisher thats holding the door open! Tonights job is to finish the fire extinguisher, fit the windows and make some office furniture for the sales desk. Sunday afternoon I shall be cutting an Oxford Dicast in half and then I should be ready to glue this viaduct side to the viaduct!

Hmmm N Gauge swivvel chairs...

Simon

Edited August 31, 2017 by MrSimon

[Southernboy]

Good progress again Simon.

 

Just to clarify your last post ... you painted window frames with a cocktail stick?

That's an interesting technique - is it your tried and tested way, or just because you didn't have a suitable brush handy (like a long haired rigger, which is what I'd instinctively use)?

 

You've got me curious so more questions if you don't mind

Does just one pass work for each line? Do you find the paint flows evenly (no blobs?). Any hints or tips? I may have a go at that sometime.

 

Thanks

 

 

Mark

[Revolution Ben]

Hi Simon,

 

Nice work with the arches.

 

Real painted wood seems to turn "matt" very quickly.

 

Personally, I feel enamel or acrylic painted plasticard retains an unrealistic sheen; I have found that brushing on neutral weathering powder, say pale grey, then brushing it off, fades the colour, kills the sheen and gives a more authentic appearance.

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

[MrSimon]

Hi

 

It was indeed a cocktail stick. I use them for painting with enamels either to make really firm but thin lines (I can't get them to work with brushes) or small details like headlamps. I also use them for glue (epoxy and evostick) to keep it neat while not wrecking a brush. The paint doesn't really flow, I sort of use it like a bingo dibber, dotting the paint into place with thicker paint or nudging thinner paint around until its where I want it. I dibbed the bus stop lettering and pushed the yellow paint on the car number plate.

 

For the windows I used the plastic insert from a Dapol box and I scribed the window frames on with my scalpel and then sort of blobbed the paint up to the line - it acts like a gutter so the paint doesn't seep over (The paint was pretty thick and old though) and then I used my small brush for the matt varnish.

 

Most of my stuff is in storage while I camp out at my parents so I don't have all the brushes I'd usually have available, but I would definately reccommend giving a cocktail stick a go

 

Good luck!

 

Simon

[MrSimon]

Hi Ben,

I've got the weathering powders primed and ready to go when I've got the last of the detail stuck on, it all needs a good going over! I used a mix of buffykhaki and grey for the bridge piers so I'll probably use the same for all the blue brick to keep it consistent.


Here's what I've been upto tonight - I can't quite get it in focus (its a bit dark for the camera and a bit small) and the camera wouldn't even pick up the computer I made, so I'll get it painted when its all set and try again in the daylight - hopefully it should all look better by then!

So much to do

Simon

Edited August 31, 2017 by MrSimon

[Kris]

I like the desk Simon. I suspect that you could get away with a normal chair rather than a swivel one.

[MrSimon]

Hi,

It doesn't swivvel, but it is a swivvel chair...


I've stuck the keyboard and phone down now too and I just need to paint the chair and add some papers to the desk and it'll be ready to stick down in the garage Looks like he's left RM web on while away from his desk.

I'm going to give myself the rest of the night off, and its Loughborough show tomorrow so I'm not sure when it'll all be finished, but I'll put pics up when it is

Lots to do!

Simon

Edited August 31, 2017 by MrSimon

[bcnPete]

Nice one Simon - reminds me of a 'not the 9:00 oclock news' sketch...when they were negotiating a deal 'use of the swivel chair'

 

Assume you have 20:20 at the moment - great attention to detail.

[SteveBedding]

Nice one Simon - reminds me of a 'not the 9:00 oclock news' sketch...when they were negotiating a deal 'use of the swivel chair'

Why am I not surprised that you are a fan of such erudite entertainment! I'm now waiting for cries of "oh no not the comfy chair..."

 

Simon, more seriously, that's some quite impressive detailing at that scale - what's next - Newtons Cradle on the desk or even a Pirelli calendar on the wall?

[MrSimon]

Hi,

Thank you for your comments! I'm not sure about 20:20 - everything starts to blurr after a while! I googled the pirelli calendar, and the workshop wall is a bit far from the door to be able to see it but I'll keep the images on file for the next building. I was never allowed to watch Not The Nine O'clock News, but there's only one swivvel chair hehe (I'm trying to work out how to do legs for the pair of chairs for the buyers to sit in)

Today was quite good if a little chilly at Loughborough show, I didn't find the wagon I was looking for (So the birthday money is safe for another day) but I got some TPSW grids, point levers and some wagon kits. I also got a car for surgery


I don't know if anyone has ever cut one of these in half with a modelling saw, but the diacast bit is the chassis and its really hard to cut through! I made some jacks for it and painted the front end red (waste not want not)


The car on jacks in the workshop. I need to see how much can be seen through the door before I see about some work benches.


The workshop from the front - I got the H&S signs on good images.


The door held open by the fire extinguisher


The two sales arches - I didn't realise just how much of the desk would be blocked by the pillar in the window


Sherwood motors from behind - its almost ready to stick down now.

Oooo 100th reply - time for a pint!

Simon

Edited August 31, 2017 by MrSimon

[HealeyMills]

 

"The door held open by the fire extinguisher"

 

 

Hi Simon,

 

Not sure health and safety will like that one!

 

Some superb modelling in N, really enjoy your thread on Gresby.

 

At this rate you'll be finished by Christmas with nothing left to do.

 

Cheers

Lee

[grahame]

Great stuff. It's really quite inventive modelling. I'm thouroughly enjoying this thread - and it's regularity. Keep it up.

 

G.