The Circle and the Stores (T-CATS)

[Stubby47]

1 minute ago, chuffinghell said:

I couldn’t agree more, I have always been impressed with Stu’s buildings and his attention to detail

 

Usually I just make what I see. Buildings have a history ( see 2manyspams' grain store!) which means I don't often need to think about the design or detail.

 

True, in this case the only 'real' bit is the staircase & top door, and with the town hall it's all made up, but the principles of observation and using that knowledge still work.

[Stubby47]

I'm trying to find suitable stock to match the Era 7 of the clay hoods.

Another recent purchase is this HEA Hopper.

 

It doesn't look too big until it's placed next to the Ruston.

[chuffinghell]

It does look rather big in comparison but I’m sure the Ruston would cope with the work load

[Alister_G]

Would this be a better fit?

 

https://www.hattons.co.uk/32893/bachmann_branchline_37_502b_24_ton_ore_hopper_wagon_in_br_grey/stockdetail.aspx

 

Al.

[Stubby47]

1 hour ago, Alister_G said:

Would this be a better fit?

 

https://www.hattons.co.uk/32893/bachmann_branchline_37_502b_24_ton_ore_hopper_wagon_in_br_grey/stockdetail.aspx

 

Al.

 

Thanks, it's a couple of Eras too early but old stock might still be around in the backwaters of the railway system. Will see if KMRC have any.

[Stubby47]

I've finished the retaining wall for the hill, at least as far as building and priming it.

 

 

 

It needs painting, then I can add the spear-point railings.

[tomcalver]

Hello Stu

 

I've just been catching up with this thread. This is a great piece of work. 

 

I do have one question about the library building: What did you use for the strip of decorative stonework above the windows?

 

Tom

Edited July 11, 2020 by tomcalver
Autocorrect corrected something wrong.

[Stubby47]

Hi Tom,

Thanks.

It's a strip of self-adhesive greeting card decoration, as found in The Range and similar emporiums.

The come in various styles, from plain to quite fancy.

 

 

Stu

Edited July 12, 2020 by Stubby47

[Stubby47]

I've given the retaining wall a first coat of paint. It needs toning down and blending, plus some green moss & other growth.

 

 

[Stubby47]

Window frames and doors added.

 

 

Which looked ok until I realised one of the doors is upside down and none of the doors have back panels.

Plus the black lining round the windows of the left hand property is a bit rough.

 

Still got the two bow windows to make and build up the low relief.

Edited July 12, 2020 by Stubby47

[Stubby47]

T-CATS is now on the other end of the frames, under the strip light and with the backscene temporarily in place.

 

 

[Stubby47]

This short diversion

 

has shown me I need to improve my blending of ground with track.

 

The overall sunken-in-the-ground look I'm after is just not happening, so I need to think again what I'm doing.

 

Plus the colours are too strong and different and need to be more harmonised.

 

Edited July 26, 2020 by Stubby47

[Alister_G]

Are you trying to get the look that Rob managed on Sheep Dip, Stu?

 

Sadly I think he's pulled the thread again for the moment, I was just looking for it.

 

Al

[Stubby47]

More like what you've done actually, Al, but without the dedication to cutting the cork around every sleeper !

 

It can all come up again and be re-done. I was trying to just work on a small section of track, but I really need to see the bigger picture and aim for that.

 

I know what I want it to look like, I'm just not there practically yet.

[MAP66]

10 hours ago, Stubby47 said:

More like what you've done actually, Al, but without the dedication to cutting the cork around every sleeper !

 

It can all come up again and be re-done. I was trying to just work on a small section of track, but I really need to see the bigger picture and aim for that.

 

I know what I want it to look like, I'm just not there practically yet.

Evening Stu

This is a quick method for infilling around the sleepers, especially in sidings, which I have found to be useful and normally gets good results, you have to do it before the track is laid though.  I mix up ready mixed filler with black and brown acrylic paint into a workable paste and then , with a filling knife spread over where the track will be laid to sleeper depth. Then place your length of track onto the filler and gently push down until the filler is level to the tops of the sleepers. You can spread a bit of filler over the tops of the sleepers f you want to make it look more overgrown. When its dry you can then weather and add any greenery. While the filler is still wet you can also sprinkle over some fine cinders or ballast. The deep gap filler I use has a finished texture which looks like fine ballast when weathered.

Here's a before and after pic, hope you don't mind. Almost forgot, sounds obvious, but make sure you have drilled holes for the droppers and attached the droppers to the track before you plonk it down on the filler. I forgot once, very annoying.

 

Regards

Mark

 

 

[2ManySpams]

Stu, I think the problem is that the ballast is too black and too coarse. Try brushing it over with some fine ash (sieved from a BBQ) or grey weathering powders. That should tone it back and help blend it in.

[Alister_G]

There's also this:

 

http://www.miniaturebricks.com/bricks_wallingstone_specials/modelling_dust

 

Which is what I used on Ladmanlow and Cawdor.

 

Al.

[Stubby47]

Gents, sorry, completely missed your very helpful replies.

 

Had a few weeks of zero mojo, even contemplating scrapping the layout altogether.

 

The track is already laid and fixed, due to the electromagnetic uncouplers.  Droppers? Bah, don't use those.

But the idea of adding more colour in lighter shades is sound and I ought to get on with doing just that.

 

I have, however, taken possession of a new D602 Warship and a couple of weathered Fruit D wagons in BR blue.

 

I need to finish the row of cottages/shops, so I can plant the road/hill, so I can add the ground work/yard surface beyond the rear siding , so I can add the rest of the ground surface for the rest of the track. Possibly not the way most would work but that's my plan.

 

Meanwhile, some pics.

 

 

[Stubby47]

 

[Stubby47]

Having designed The Circle so the clearances would allow an autocoach it didn't occur to me that some locos might struggle.

 

'Bulldog' is the longest diesel I own, the rest being Bo-Bo or non-bogie.

 

So it was a bit of an eye opener when the overhanging buffers just clipped the tunnel portal.

Also on The Stores, the overbridge metal sides were also slightly too narrow as the loco swings into the sidings.

 

So I'll need to restrict logos to more appropriate sizes (and get on with building the next layout, G & G).

[Stubby47]

In preparation for the Scottish version of G&G, Class 29 D6129 leaves The Stores with a single parcels van.

[Stubby47]

Meanwhile, I have stuck the road down as I can carve the back edge if necessary, so have cut a piece of mount card to size.

 

Just debating now where to add the cobbles...

 

[Stubby47]

Getting there.

 

The cobbles will be blended into the surrounding surface with filler,  which will also be spread over Wills sheets so only the tops of the stones show.

 

[SouthernRegionSteam]

Something I did with those sheets was to cut off some of the outside setts/cobbles and cover the edge in plaster/DAS air drying clay as you had planned. I surmised that over time the surfaces would get renewed time and time again, and cobbles/setts would be displaced or filled in with tarmac or concrete. A bit late now, but you could also notch out alternate setts to give a slightly more natural join between the sheets.

As always, I'm really enjoying following along, Stu! Glad you found a home for your BRM challenge entry, too.

[Stubby47]

Hi Jam,

Thanks for that.

Nothing is stuck down yet so still time to make alterations.

Yes, I could notch the edges of the cobble sheets, but I'm hoping the filler over the top will disguise the join sufficiently. 

At the moment I'm puzzled as to why the two Fruit D's are so keen on derailing on what I thought was straight, level track...