Goodrington sands

[Chris Chewter]

Now the beach huts have been completed (other than a bit of tidying up) let’s get on with the scenics.

 

First a test run to see what it looks like;

 

 

I think the Punch and Judy booth needs to be parallel with the path. The track has been pushed back to give a bit more beach in the foreground.

 

 

You’ll notice I’m using paving slabs for the path, that’s because it looks nicer than the tarmac that’s presently at Goodrington.

 

I’m happy with that, time to lay some ModRoc:

 

 

Now to let it set overnight to hopefully  paint some base coats tomorrow.

 

I’ve now got to tolerate Strictly on Telly. Save me!

[Chris Chewter]

Looking at the birds eye view, I think the embankment should have been moved back even more so there isn’t a flat section at the back, but it’s probably only a little thing. Hopefully a bush there will soften it.

[Chris Chewter]

In the boredom watching Strictly, I was studying the photos and wasn’t satisfied with the almost 45 degrees angle of the track work at the back of the diorama. Now is the time to do something about it before that ModRoc sets!

 

Embankment recut and trialled:

 

 

That looks much better!

 

An aerial view so you can see what I’ve changed:

 

 

Now to let this version set!

Edited September 22, 2019 by Captainalbino
Grammar edit

[Chris Chewter]

Checked on the diorama this morning. ModRoc set and trimmed back. I also took the opportunity to check it still fits in the box!

 

 

The undercoat has been painted on and left to dry this morning. Unlike my layout, I’ve used Raw Umber acrylic. Below the sand I thought raw umber would be too dark, so I’ve purchased a sandy coloured undercoat called Iced Latte.

 

 

 

Now to let that dry over the morning.

Edited September 22, 2019 by Captainalbino

[DMU]

This is taking shape nicely, I’m pleased you have sorted where your track should finally be. IMHO the paving does look better than tarmac..

[Chris Chewter]

I’ve cut the paving slabs this afternoon and glued down the track. I also decided that whilst curing, the sand is far enough away so that I might as well get that setting as well.

 

[DMU]

This is looking good.

[Chris Chewter]

One thing I wanted to do was fill the joins between the sheets of paving slabs, so using some warhammer green putty, I’ve done just that.

 

However I decided that if I was careful, I could also apply the ballast.

 

 

Well if that worked, why not the grass? Without any PVA, I applied some tacky glue and stuck down some left over hanging basket liner from my Tetbury project.

 

 

Now we’re getting somewhere! 
 

Now to let it cure overnight so the ballast and grass can be tidied up tomorrow!

Edited September 22, 2019 by Captainalbino
Grammar edit

[Chris Chewter]

Trying to get the grass right tonight has been a pain. Currently things are too hairy and it needs a chop.  

 

A pair of hair clippers is used to cut it back, but on its own it looks a bit patchy:

 

 

So out with the static grass and a quick spray with spray glue, and we now have this:

 

 

The white patch has now faded... thankfully!

[Chris Chewter]

The track also looks far too clean. Sleepers are weathered with Woodland Scenics ‘weathered tie’ and rail sides with Woodland Scenics ‘steel rail’. The ballast is toned down with diluted black humbrol 33.

 

 

[Chris Chewter]

Last job for the evening. Fenceposts. Looks like tomorrow I’ll be getting myself in a tangle with the E-Z line.

 

[DMU]

The embankment looks a lot better since you cropped it and added the static grass. You have done a nice job weathering the track and ballast. The fence posts look just right, enjoy the wiring.

[Chris Chewter]

E-Z line threaded into the fence posts. When I did my main layout, I twisted the line around the intermediate poles. This time I threaded them properly. Because the line has a mind of its own, I was looking around for something to do the job, and my eyes fell on the family sewing kit. Each line has been threaded with a needle!

 

 

This is the stuff that will make the air turn blue.

 

 

But the needle technique made it slightly easier.

 

 

I hope that was worth it. If not it’s only half an hours worth of work so no biggy really. Shame they’ll be hidden by a load of beach huts.

Edited September 24, 2019 by Captainalbino
Grammar edit.

[Chris Chewter]

With a bit of time left before I turn in, I thought I’d stick down the huts. They looked a bit too clean so I added a bit of leaf litter.

 

 

I thought suggesting that my two railway items was a strip of rail was a bit tenuous, so I added a speed restriction sign for the sake of the  competition.

Edited September 24, 2019 by Captainalbino

[Oldddudders]

On 19/09/2019 at 22:37, Captainalbino said:

Still no beach huts tonight, so I spent the evening doing a bit of tidying up of the Punch and Judy booth.

 

Whilst the booths I’ve seen principally have a red proscenium, I found a photo of the Langley kit painted in gold which I think makes it a bit more eye catching!

 

 

Leaves on the beach? Makes a change from "Leaves on the line"! Sherry's ex now lives in Goodrington. She found he lacked punch - he was never remotely violent - and his new lady (Iranian!) isn't called Judy. OTOH, a few years back Sherry wrote the script for a Punch & Judy show presented to a Red Hat Ladies' convention at a hotel between Torquay and Paignton.

[Chris Chewter]

Good point about the leaves. Perhaps I’ll peel them off and add a bit more sand.

 

There is something that isn’t quite right in the photo. It’s either the lack of people or the gap under the paving. I think I’ll make a few adjustments tonight and see how it looks.

[47137]

8 hours ago, Captainalbino said:

There is something that isn’t quite right in the photo. It’s either the lack of people or the gap under the paving. I think I’ll make a few adjustments tonight and see how it looks.

 

There is a reflection in the paving - has it been raining? If so, perhaps some gloss on the roofs too.

 

The model might look better with a pair of groynes, one at each end of the prom to mark the edges of the scene.

 

- Richard.

[Chris Chewter]

I think looking at the diorama in the daylight, the main issue is the gaps. Let’s get them filled. The leaves I don’t think look too bad and represent the grot that must collect around them, but if the consensus is it looks weird, let me know.

 

 

 

(Agreed that a bit of Matt varnish on the paving could also help)

Edited September 25, 2019 by Captainalbino
Postscript added

[Chris Chewter]

That looks better. It was the untidy gaps below the paving that was drawing my eye.

 

 

I’ll let that dry before painting the edges brown or black, Matt varnish the slabs and add a few people. I think I’m nearly there!

Edited September 25, 2019 by Captainalbino
Grammar edit

[wiggoforgold]

That looks great. My wife particularly likes it as she is from Torbay. We have several pictures of that scene in the railway room.

Alex

[DMU]

Nice work it definitely looks better once the gaps were worked on. The fence work looks great.

[Chris Chewter]

Pretty much done. I might do a bit of touch up around the edge and perhaps another coat of Matt varnish on the path, but it’s pretty much fine fettling now.

 

 

Just need to sort out the submission photos.

 

Ive made dioramas before, but for me this one has by far been the most enjoyable to make, and I hope you’ve enjoyed the journey too.

[DMU]

Nice work looks great.