Burton-on-Trent South - Adding Buildings

[ISW]

Burton Station South Signalbox - Substantial Completion

 

I've nicked the phrase "... substantial completion ..." from any number of real project documents as it encapsulates the completion of something, but not quite.

 

Here is the 'completed' Burton Station South Signalbox:

 

Front view, right hand side:

 

Front view, right hand side:

 

Rear three-quarter view:

 

I found the 'best' method of assembling the walkways was to do them off the signalbox. I assembled the front & RH-side walkways together and then threaded the brass wire through the walkway posts. Once done I bent the brass wire to shape and then carefully inserted the posts into the walkway (having drilled and dry tested the fit), gluing up a few at a time. That went well, apart from me breaking the wire that came with the Kit. In the 'old' Kit I had, the wire is more like spring steel and it didn't take kindly to being kinked at the corners. It simply broke. So I 'stole' the more flexible 'brass' wire that came with a newer version of the Kit I had. I've already bought some replacement 0.3mm brass wire for that build. 

 

As for the level of completion, the only bits left in the Ratio Kit box are the nameplates, and those related to the 3 fire buckets and their timber bracket,. I've got the latter pre-assembled and will fit them on the side of the signalbox under the access stairs, just as the prototypical signalbox.

 

No, there as no 'insides' just an empty box. I decided against the interior as I won't be able to see into it anyway. Some 'weathering' of the roof and sides is planned, but my airbrushing skills need to advance somewhat before I'd dare attempt it.

 

Onto the next Project ...

 

Ian

Edited March 31, 2022 by ISW
photos re-uploaded

[ISW]

Lima Class 31 Fettling

 

As promised, we are back at rolling stock fettling, just as the Content title says.

 

The patient is a secondhand Lima Class 31/0, model 205238 recently acquired at a very reasonable price (much lower than TheBay) at a local SwapMeet.

 

I already have a pair of Airfix Class 31s, and was looking for something a bit more 'modern'. I considered the Hornby Railroad Class 31, but that's no more than a re-badged Lima affair. No, I'm not going to splash out on a sound equipped all-singing-and-dancing recent model. Hence the Lima one sort of met my specification.

 

I've done quite a bit of work to it now, including:

• converting to DCC using a LaisDCC NEM652 8PIN DCC circuit board (AliExpress)
• retrofitting a CD-ROM motor (TheBay)
• equipping with Kadee (ish) couplers (actually AliExpress HP0787s)
• fitted a cab interior I had lying around

Here's a couple of photos so you can see how it was done.

 

CD motor installation. The drive is a 'slim' type (~9mm) to fit a 3-axle bogie. Even so, I had to grind off the 'lip' of the casing to give sufficient clearance:

 

Lais DCC circuit board. The board had to be raised up to clear the typical Lima unpowered bogie brass pivot. It's screwed in to allow for disassembly:

 

 

I quite like the Lais circuit board. Yes, I could make one out of veroboard / stripboard (and indeed I have previously), but this was really cheap at ~£4 each and it provides neat solder pads for all connections, including LED end lighting.

 

There's still plenty to sort out before I'll be happy with this loco. It needs more pickups and end lighting for a start.

 

Ian

 

 

Edited March 31, 2022 by ISW
photos re-uploaded

[ISW]

Lima Class 27 Fettling

 

Todays patient has been in the operating theatre on the bench before, at which time it a CD-ROM motor was fitted, it was converted to DCC, and additional pickups were added to the trailer bogie.

 

During some ad-hoc haulage testing on the layout ramps a while back, this showed the Class 27 hardly capable of hauling even itself up the gradients. Any length of trailing load brought it to a shuddering and wheel slipping halt. The only good thing was the slow speed movement, which crawled along nicely on speed step 1, the result of DCC and a CD-ROM motor.

 

The task, therefore, was to increase the axle load of the powered bogie to increase it 'pulling power'. Well, since I'd have the loco in bits it seemed a good time to add additional pickups to the powered bogie at the same time.

 

The additional weight was added to the powered bogie itself by hot gluing some 20mm wide 2mm thick lead sheet to the back of the motor. Then, some more lead sheet was squirrelled away in the roof over the powered bogie.

 

Additional pickups to the powered bogie were created from some brass sheet, bent into shape and superglued to the inside of the bogie frame plastic moulding. Trimming the brass to contact the back of the wheels took some time and was very fiddly. Once the bogie was reassembled however, the brass sheet is 'clamped' between the two parts of the bogie. Hopefully this will prove to be reliable.

 

Here's some photos of the lead sheet installation.

 

Attached to the powered bogie::

 

 

In the roof. No glue involved as the 'window' moulding keeps the lead in place:

 

 

And this is the Lima power bogie with the additional pickups added:

 

 

The completed locomotive now runs much more reliably, with the slow speed control now possible across any multiple of turnouts and/or crossovers.

 

The loco was then 'tested' on the layout gradients with a full rake of 15 Hornby HAA wagons. Did it struggle, you bet it did. But it didn't actually stop moving, just. There was plenty of wheel slipping but it did get all the way up the gradient. A re-test with 'just' 10 HAAs was much more successful.

 

The loco is now actually 'useful' on the layout instead of just 'looking good' stabled in the MPD. I call that a win. All it needs now is some cab interior detail ...

 

Ian

 

Edited March 31, 2022 by ISW
photos re-uploaded

[ISW]

Finally, some Scenic Work

 

After fiddling about with my Lima Class 31 and 27 to increase their weight to enable some 'decent' hauling power on my gradients, I have finally started work on some scenics.

 

Don't get too excited, as this initially will concentrate on the trackwork itself. One of those really fiddly jobs, but key to the look of the trackwork, was to infill the missing sleepers at the baseboard joins. As you may recall, my Upper Level baseboards (those that will get the scenics) are in 10-baseboards, so there are quite a lot of track joins to improve.

 

To show how much of an improvement this makes, take a look at the following 2 photos (not of the same location though). This is before:

 

and this is after. Well worth the effort, and I'm hopeful that once the ballast is installed and glued, the sleeper 'bits' that I glued into place will become more permanent:

 

 

The other trackwork task I've started is that of weathering the rails prior to ballasting. I've seen conflicting guidance that it is, and it is not, necessary. Personally, I think that I'll not be capable of weathering the rails properly once the ballast is installed, and that I'll end up with way too much paint on the ballast. By weathering the rails before ballasting I'm more in control of the ballast weathering.

 

Here's an area of trackwork that's yet to be weathered. Shiny isn't it:

 

and here's an area after the weathering has been applied (again, not the same location). Much better, with the rails dulled down to a reasonable representation of rusted rails:

 

I'm weathering the rails using an airbrush, just a cheapo gravity-fed type (cost about £25) attached to an Aldi airbrushing set compressor (I didn't like their vacuum fed type airbrush). So, nothing fancy here. For colour I'm using burnt umber (Vallejo acrylic Model Colour 70-941) with a dash/spot of black (Vallejo 70-950) to darken the colour. I'm not being particularly accurate with the proportion of black as I want a degree of difference across the layout. Indeed, in the MPD I plan to add much more black to reflect the more dirty environment.

 

From a practical point of view, airbrushing the 'front side' of the rails is quite easy, even if I do need to stretch across the baseboard for access. However, airbrushing the 'back side' of the rails is a real chore. Yes, I know I can't see it, but it will/might be visible from my cube-cam attached to a wagon. Thankfully, I built the baseboards and their support framework in a sturdy manner, as I've had to climb onto the baseboards to be able to reach over to the back-side of the rear-most rails. No, not a pretty sight ...

 

So far I managed to complete 3 of the 10 baseboards, and another is 'prepped' ready for airbrushing. Realistically, I can only do 1-a-day as, with the layout being in a bedroom, ventilation is an issue and I find it a good idea to get out of the room as soon as airbrushing is complete due to the fumes from the acrylic thinners.

 

Ian

Edited March 31, 2022 by ISW
photos re-uploaded

[ISW]

Airbrushing Tips

 

Now I'm not expert on the subject of airbrushing, and it's taken me almost a year to even attempt to use the airbrush equipment I bought in early 2021. However, as a complete novice, I thought I just share 2 of the useful things I've learnt.

 

Firstly, airbrush cleaning has proved to be 'easier' than I anticipated. After watching several YouTube videos I just use warm water and a pipet to clean out the 'cup' of the airbrush. Only occasionally have I used the airbrush cleaner, and even then just a few drops in the 'cup', which I then blow through onto some cardboard. Cleaning only takes a few minutes, and I don't have to disassemble the airbrush.

 

Secondly, the main 'trick' in airbrushing that I've learnt from YouTube is to ensure you start and end each airbrushing stroke with just air (no paint). Fade the paint in/out at the start/end of each pass. It takes a bit of practice to get the necessary muscle-memory, but by this method it ensures the airbrush is 'blown through' with air after each stroke, thus minimising the chances of paint drying inside the needle of the airbrush and causing blockages.

 

Hope this helps someone.

 

Ian

[5BarVT]

Nowhere near that stage yet and I was going to keep clear of airbrushing (fear).  Thought I might use a rattle can.  But you’ve just identified a benefit I hadn’t thought about.  Rattle cans don’t allow for mixing different colours for variation.

Hmmmm.  Fortunately plenty of time to consider.

Paul.

[ISW]

On 12/03/2022 at 17:22, 5BarVT said:

Hmmmm.  Fortunately plenty of time to consider.

Paul.

Paul,

 

While you 'ponder', here's the airbrush kit I bought at Aldi for £65 back in 2018 (yikes, it was a long time ago):

 

 

And this is the cheapo airbrush I bought on TheBay for ~£22:

 

 

Yes, I thought airbrushing was 'scary' as well, which explains why it took from 2018 until 2022 for me to actually use the kit! It was the construction of my Ratio Midland Signalbox kit that 'forced' me into using the airbrush, as I didn't want to paint it using acrylic paint and brushes (not a good surface finish). With that being a simple (?) kit, I didn't have to be too accurate with the airbrush, and that practice was invaluable. I must have put over 6-coats (very thin coats) on many of the elements.

 

What really helped me out was the knowledge that I could easily clean the airbrush (I'd heard tales of having to dis-assemble the airbrush after each use) and the 'trick' of always ending each spray application with just air to keep the airbrush from clogging. Knowing those 2 things gave me the necessary confidence. And, of course, the whole kit cost less than a single 00-gauge loco.

 

On 12/03/2022 at 17:22, 5BarVT said:

Thought I might use a rattle can.

That might be okay for general, large area, global stuff, but it's nowhere near accurate or adjustable enough to only hit rails. I tried hard to keep most of the paint off the concrete sleepers, as they would just look 'wrong' with too much rust weathering and be totally un-prototypical. That was difficult enough with an airbrush, so a rattle can would be hopeless.

 

Ian

 

Edited March 31, 2022 by ISW
photos re-uploaded

[ISW]

Track Weathering - Unforeseen Benefit

 

Once I've airbrushed the rails I obviously need to clean off the railhead to maintain good electrical contact. I'm doing this with a piece of microfibre cloth wrapped around a block of wood, and it works very well.

 

However, where there is 'any' residual PVA glue on the railhead (from gluing the track down months ago) this now stands out like a sore thumb, which is great. Each spot is then cleaned more thoroughly (usually involving a knife of some sort) until the railhead is clean. Wonderful.

 

I really thought I'd properly cleaned the railhead before (I've been round with IPA on a cloth wrapped around a piece of wood many times) but no, the rail weathering has shown up a number of spots.

 

Not surprisingly, my locomotives run much better where I've been through this process.

 

Ian

[ISW]

Airbrush Compressor Stops Play

 

After several intensive (?) days of track weathering using the airbrush without issue, yesterdays efforts were brought to a premature close due to a 'fault' with the compressor. To be fair, the compressor was still working, but it made a nasty clonking metallic sound very time the compressor stopped. As I was weathering a large length of track, this clonking was occurring rather often and it didn't sound good.

 

So, out came the toolkit and I stripped down the mechanical side of the compressor. Eventually I found a loose locking threaded pin in the 'cam' that connects the piston to the motor shaft. Problem solved and the compressor is back to its quiet ways again. Phew. 

 

Back to track weathering ...

 

Ian

[ISW]

On 12/03/2022 at 17:22, 5BarVT said:

Rattle cans don’t allow for mixing different colours for variation.

Hmmmm.

 

Finished Track (Rail) Weathering

 

After the problems with the compressor were fixed I proceeded to complete the weathering of the rails. As this section involved the MPD I took the opportunity to 'overkill' on the black acrylic that I add to the burnt umber. Normally, this would be a few drops but for the fuelling roads, and the track where the tankers are offloaded I added a whole lot more. I simply feathered in the blacked areas over the normal rusty look. I'm pleasantly pleased with the results.

 

Here's a couple of photos of the MPD area. Please ignore the white bits on the Mainline tracks, that's the result of me using tissue paper to wipe off the excess weathering from the concrete sleepers.

 

 

 

 

Having finally overcome my fears associated with airbrushing, I now get to repeat the feelings with some ballasting. However, that'll have to wait until I have the station platform in place.

 

Ian

Edited March 31, 2022 by ISW
photos re-uploaded

[Signaller69]

The track weathering looks great Ian. I also have an unfounded abject fear of using my airbrush for the first time - like you, it must be 3 or 4 years since I received it (as a Christmas from my good lady). With the weather (hopefully) improving I really must give it a go. Mind you I received a new phone for Christmas present last year and that is also still unused in it's box! 

 

I'm not the best at rushing to use unfamiliar new stuff....

 

Martyn.

Edited March 20, 2022 by Signaller69
Typo

[ISW]

4 hours ago, Signaller69 said:

I'm not the best at rushing to use unfamiliar new stuff....

 

Martyn.

Martyn,

 

As I've got older I'm going a similar way. Previously (err, when I was younger?) I'd rush into things, determined to finish them as quickly as possible. I think everybody else calls it 'impatient'.

 

Nowadays (err, now I'm older) I'll happily take a day off mid-project when I come across something I'm not happy with. After a while a new solution will present itself to resolve the problem. I think everybody else calls it 'procrastination' ...

 

Can't win can we.

 

Ian 

[5BarVT]

I’m happy to join the self help group too!

Paul.

[ISW]

Rail Weathering Wear Test

 

Having completed the rail weathering of the Upper Level (well, the scenic areas anyway), I was prompted by @young37215 regarding the adherence of airbrushed acrylics to Peco rails.

 

Instead of ruining my Layout tracks, I decided that I'd better use the 'test' tracks I'd used to practice my weathering 'techniques' earlier on. I attacked those rails with a toothbrush (hard type), obviously of the secondhand variety, and the result was quite impressive. Yes, there were some little areas of paint that came off, all in the corner between the rail web and the rail foot, but each was only pinhole sized. From any reasonable distance you can't see it. I'd call that a great result. And, no, I didn't do any preparation on the rails beforehand.

 

Ian

[Signaller69]

16 hours ago, ISW said:

Previously (err, when I was younger?) I'd rush into things, determined to finish them as quickly as possible. I think everybody else calls it impatient 

I LIKE to think we have learned that rushing things can make matters worse, hence the procrastination - but often I find I just can't be bothered sorting it out and doing something else instead is far better for the psyche! (Put it on the "to do AGAIN" list!)

 

Martyn.

[ISW]

RMWeb Reboot

 

Hmmm, the message at the top of RMWeb says "Images from the last year will be missing." Well, that currently isn't true. I've gone back as far as Page-11 and re-uploaded all the missing photos, which goes back to December 2020. However, there are images missing on Page-1 from 2018! Indeed, there are  still random missing images all the way through Page-1 to Page-10 inclusive.

 

Now, maybe (?) the 'system' will correctly re-allocate these missing images over the coming days. I sure hope so because it's taken ages to 'fix' the images on Page-11 to Page-19 inclusive.

 

Addendum: have now completed Page-7 to Page-10 (inclusive) as well.

 

Ian

Edited April 1, 2022 by ISW
addendum added.

[ISW]

Sidings Extension

 

Adjacent to the Down (southbound) side of the station platforms are located 3 sidings. The closest 2 end roughly in line with the platform stairs up the booking hall, and the furthest one terminates about half way along the platform buildings and incorporates cattle pens and a loading dock.

 

When I laid out these 3 sidings I simply terminated them just before the Baseboard C/D joint, as this seemed logical at the time. I now realise that I need to extend the 2 closest sidings by a few inches and, eventually, shorten the furthest track a couple of inches. Ah well.

 

As I’m running a bit short of track, I rummaged around in my box of spare bits and located a couple of lengths of offcuts of timbered track. These were cleaned up, cut to the correct length, and I then installed them on the layout in the usual manner:

• Glue down the underlay
• Install brass screws at the baseboard joint
• Glue down the track
• Solder the underside track to the brass screws
• Cut the rails at the baseboard joint
• Added 'sleeper bits' to infill the sleepers I had to remove for the brass screws

I suppose I ‘should’ have installed droppers to the 2 tracks extending onto Baseboard C, but since it’s only a few inches adjacent to the bufferstops and all trainloads have to be propelled into the sidings, there’s no chance of any loco reaching the buffers and so I decided to forego the electrical connections.

 

Here’s a photo of the offending track extensions, an easy job made more difficult by the presence of the baseboard joint. All it needs now is some airbrush weathering on the rails …

 

 

Ian

[ISW]

The Station gets its Platform

 

I can remember, back in the mists of time, when I was drawing up the layout for the model railway that I drew an ‘impression’ of the station platform. That was close to 4-years ago, so it was about time that the layout had a station platform.

 

My thanks go to @westerhamstation for detailing his method for obtaining the correct offset of the platform edge from the track. I would have been struggling without his knowledge and method.

 

As many have done before me, I decided to make the platform out of 18mm plywood. In order to allow for the overhang of the platform edging, I offset the platform edge an additional 2mm from the track. My plan is to glue a 2x2mm strip along the platform edge, probably made from cardboard (although I might consider styrene if I can find it at a reasonable price. Spoiler Alert: I did get the styrene).

 

The platform extends from Baseboard C, over Baseboard D, and onto Baseboard E. Oh goody. It was therefore necessary to incorporate 2 cuts into the platform to allow for the 2 baseboard joints. Once in position, I used the edge of the plywood as a template to cut the excess track underlay away. The platform is thus now automatically located by the edges of the underlay.

 

Here’s a quick photo of the platform, taken from the southern end:

 

Once I have the platform edging strips added, and I’ve verified that there is to interference with my rolling stock, I’ll be able to commence some ballasting. Well, actually no. There's a few more steps before that can happen.

 

Ian

[ISW]

The Loading Dock

 

In deference to my previous posting, I don’t want to start the ballasting until the Loading Dock is installed since this would also ‘interfere’ with the ballast.

 

Again, I used 18mm plywood but this time the tracks are straight and so a simple offset from the track is all that’s needed to correctly position the Loading Dock platform. Since there’ll be no coping stones on the Loading Dock, I just set the platform at 11mm from the nearest rail.

 

This platform also manages to cross a baseboard joint (C/D) and therefore needs to be cut. Sigh.

 

Here’s a few photos of the newly installed Loading Dock, which is modelled after the actual arrangement adjacent to Burton-on-Trent station.

 

Looking South:

 

Looking North:

 

Ian

[ISW]

On 31/03/2022 at 18:28, ISW said:

RMWeb Reboot

 

Hmmm, the message at the top of RMWeb says "Images from the last year will be missing." Well, that currently isn't true. I've gone back as far as Page-11 and re-uploaded all the missing photos, which goes back to December 2020. However, there are images missing on Page-1 from 2018! Indeed, there are  still random missing images all the way through Page-1 to Page-10 inclusive.

 

Now, maybe (?) the 'system' will correctly re-allocate these missing images over the coming days. I sure hope so because it's taken ages to 'fix' the images on Page-11 to Page-19 inclusive.

 

Addendum: have now completed Page-7 to Page-10 (inclusive) as well.

 

Ian

 

The following posting does a great job of explaining 'how' to replace the photos missing in RMWeb as a result of the 'migration'. More by luck than judgement, it's exactly the process I went through in replacing the photos in my Layout topic.

Ian

[ISW]

Ballasting Preparations

 

I am I ‘slowly’ inching my way towards my first attempts at ‘proper’ ballasting. My total ballasting experience currently runs to a test plank of 600mm of single track! This will be a steep learning curve.

 

To that end I’ve followed best practice (or, at least, what I’ve read in magazines and on watched on YouTube) and wrapped the station platform and the loading dock platform in cling film. The purpose being to ensure the ballast cannot stick to the timber of the platforms. Once the ballast glue is dry, it should be an easy matter (famous last words) to lift out the platforms and remove the cling film.

 

As the platforms will be faced with paper/card with inkjet printed brickwork, I’ve placed some thick card inside the cling film (from old cereal boxes) that should give me a little gap between the glued ballast and the platform sides. I’m hopeful that this will make installation and removal of the platforms a tad easier and less of a tight fit.

 

Incidentally, all the ‘cut’ faces of the plywood used for the platforms were ‘painted’ with neat PVA. I did this to seal the end-grain and, hopefully, provide a better surface to which I can attach the paper/card facings in the future.

 

Here’s a couple of photos of the ‘wrapped’ platforms:

 

 

 

Ian

[ISW]

More Ballasting Preparations

 

As you may have noticed in my previous musings, my layout comprises a number of baseboards bolted together. I therefore have to be very careful at the baseboard joints to avoid the ballast (and, more importantly, the glue) getting between the baseboards and gluing the joint solid.

 

I also want to make the actual act of ballasting a little easier, such that I can continue to lay the ballast (using one of those cubic ballast ‘spreaders’) across the baseboard joints without having to stop and take any ‘special measures’.

 

My cunning plan (©BlackAdder) is to place 2 pieces of clear plasticard (actually, offcuts from Peco turnout packaging) into the baseboard joint. These will be placed with the top edge flush with the top of the sleepers (ie: the top surface of the ballast). This ‘should’ allow me to continue ballasting across a baseboard joint without having to stop the spreader. I plan to use 2 pieces of plasticard together as, so long as I don’t get glue between the sheets, this will avoid the baseboards gluing together, but each one might (will?) get glued to the ballast. I'm sort of assuming I can peel the plasticard off the, glue set, ballast later.

 

Here’s a photo of what it actually looks like. It's a lot simpler than it appears from my poor explanation! The masking tape ‘handle’ is there to help me fish the plasticard out of the baseboard joint if (err, when, because that's already occurred) it drops too far into the joint:

 

No idea if anyone else has used this method before, or if I'm missing a 'trick' somewhere. If you have any information, do let me know.

 

If you are wondering about the brown paint on the underlay, it's just cheap-n-cheerful acrylic umber from The Works craftshop. The purpose is to ensure the underside of the edge of the ballast is 'weathered', something that would be difficult to do after ballasting.

 

Ian

[47137]

19 hours ago, ISW said:

More Ballasting Preparations

 

My cunning plan (©BlackAdder) is to place 2 pieces of clear plasticard (actually, offcuts from Peco turnout packaging) into the baseboard joint. These will be placed with the top edge flush with the top of the sleepers (ie: the top surface of the ballast). This ‘should’ allow me to continue ballasting across a baseboard joint without having to stop the spreader. I plan to use 2 pieces of plasticard together as, so long as I don’t get glue between the sheets, this will avoid the baseboards gluing together, but each one might (will?) get glued to the ballast. I'm sort of assuming I can peel the plasticard off the, glue set, ballast later.

 

Ian,

 

You could try putting opposing pieces of the brown self-adhesive parcel tape in the gaps, and work the ground base and ballast up to these. I picked this tip up from an experienced modeller at Ally Pally, and their layout had a baseboard joint so tight it was almost impossible to see.

 

- Richard.

[ISW]

1 hour ago, 47137 said:

 

Ian,

 

You could try putting opposing pieces of the brown self-adhesive parcel tape in the gaps, and work the ground base and ballast up to these. I picked this tip up from an experienced modeller at Ally Pally, and their layout had a baseboard joint so tight it was almost impossible to see.

 

- Richard.

Richard,

 

Very interesting, and I can see how it would work. My problem is that I can only remove some of my baseboards by sliding them out from between others. I can't more the baseboards apart. Therefore I need a bit of a gap to ensure smooth removal. Bit of a pity but I can't see any way out. 

 

One advantage I do see of my plasticard over brown paper is that I can't guarantee a seal between baseboards with just brown paper. My woodworking skills were not that good, and so there is a small (~<1mm) gap between baseboards, even when bolted together. If I used brown paper I think I'd have problems clamping to the brown paper, and I'd have glue seeping down the baseboard joint. In theory (?) my plasticard, being thicker, is 'gripped' by the baseboard ends when bolted up thus reducing the chances of seepage.

 

With all that said, it's nice to know that someone else used the same 'concept'.

 

Ian

[47137]

Have you settled on a base colour for your track?

 

I have been experimenting with a few ready-made colours to try to choose just one to give a consistent result along my whole railway. At the moment my preferred shade is Humbrol matt 110 "natural wood". This doesn't look anything like wood to me, but it does have a mildly "homogenised muted dirt" character when viewed from a foot away. It is modestly reminiscent of the main line nearest to me, this is London-Norwich route near Hatfield Peverel and this has mostly electric traction.

 

I have been spraying this onto offcuts of bare track without a primer. On previous layouts I have put a red or grey Halfords primer first and I might do this on the layout but I am not convinced this is really necessary for longevity.

 

- Richard.