Easton, Isle of Portland

[Mick Bonwick]

There was a sequence of illustrations on page 38 that demonstrated the process of creating flower stems and grass stalks using brush bristles and PVA. I have been using these in the yard to simulate long grasses scattered about.

 

Random pieces of the stuff are cut from the main clump and trimmed to suit their intended location.

 

 

 

A hole is drilled using a suitably sized bit.

 

 

 

The clump is dipped into PVA.

 

 

 

Then planted.

 

 

 

And some Woodland Scenics Fine Turf added to the glue to disguise the possible shine.

 

 

 

The trouble with One of the troubles with using static grass is that it goes everywhere and even after you have used the vacuum cleaner to pick it up there is still some left behind. It is not necessarily noticed until after photographs have been taken.

 

 

[Oldddudders]

I have read of a tool easily developed to help create clumps of weeds etc. A clothes-peg, preferably wooden, the business-end of which is drilled out to make a small diameter hole. This can then pinch a bunch of fibres while they are trimmed and glued, and then placed in situ. 

[Mick Bonwick]

Continuing the task of hiding the join between hut and ground, a couple of battered oil drums have been placed against the end wall, and some sieved chinchilla sand glued to the strip of dirt between hut and track.

 

 

Pieces of the static grass mat have been torn off (not cut - too regular in shape) and placed to create a path leading to the door.

 

 

 

The torn off pieces of mat were positioned on blobs of PVA, pressed dwon and then sprinkled with sieved chinchilla sand to blend them in.

 

 

[Mick Bonwick]

Progress isn't very rapid. It has taken since 26th April to do just this small area of scenery. It's'a good job there's no deadline.

 

[Tony Teague]

Looks good though!

[MrWolf]

6 hours ago, Mick Bonwick said:

Progress isn't very rapid. It has taken since 26th April to do just this small area of scenery. It's'a good job there's no deadline.

 

 

But it IS progress. It's like doing 5mph on a motorway, you're still getting closer to your destination.

 

I really like what you're doing here and look forward to when I can plant some greenery of my own.

[sb67]

That hut looks fantastic Mick!  

[Stubby47]

12 hours ago, Mick Bonwick said:

Progress isn't very rapid. It has taken since 26th April to do just this small area of scenery. It's'a good job there's no deadline.

 

 

Just asking, which was is North in this section of the layout? 

[Mick Bonwick]

44 minutes ago, Stubby47 said:

 

Just asking, which was is North in this section of the layout? 

 

The original plan on page 1 was drawn using the convention of North being at the top. Following that, you will note that North is off to the right in the photograph. I could, of course, have taken the photograph using the same orientation, but I didn't.

 

You say that you are just asking, but now I'm wondering why. Are you just making sure that all my lichen is on the correct face of the roof, or that all my shadows fall in the right place?

 

 

Edited May 18, 2021 by Mick Bonwick
Proof reading after submitting the text.

[Stubby47]

Just asking as I wondered why the door was placed there on the hut.  As the main part of the yard is north of  the hut, it seemed strange to place the door furthest away.

 

However, the door faces south, rather than north, which makes more sense given the exposed nature of Portland.

 

Hussah !

[Mick Bonwick]

Pure fantasy on my part. That part of the goods yard at Easton was never graced with any form of hut. In fact I have never seen any indication that it was used to store discarded timber, either, but my version has both.

 

You can see from the photograph by Colin Caddy on page 41 that there was a concrete hut close to the base of the footbridge and I have a kit of one of those in my stash. Somewhere.

 

You will find, in due course, that there will be many things appearing on the layout that never saw any part of Easton station in real life. But this isn't real life.

 

I must get on with some ballasting.

Edited May 18, 2021 by Mick Bonwick

[Mick Bonwick]

I've cleared the decks for action, but what form should the action take?

 

 

My options are:

 

1. Start ballasting the main lines.
2. Start working on the platforms.
3. Start working on the goods shed and loading platform.
4. Do some weathering.

 

What would you do?

 

 

Edited May 20, 2021 by Mick Bonwick
Photograph added.

[Mike_Walker]

1 minute ago, Mick Bonwick said:

I've leared the decks for action, but what form should the action take?

 

 

My options are:

 

1. Start ballasting the main lines.
2. Start working on the platforms.
3. Start working on the goods shed and loading platform.
4. Do some weathering.

What would you do?

Go to the pub and think about it!

[Stubby47]

Paint the track.

[Mick Bonwick]

3 minutes ago, Stubby47 said:

Paint the track.

 

I just knew that your choice would not come from my list.

 

Probably a good choice, though.

[KNP]

Cup of tea whilst deciding, should always have a cup of tea to steady your nerves before plunging in and going boldly onwards.

Painting the track first is a good idea....

[Stubby47]

46 minutes ago, Mick Bonwick said:

 

I just knew that your choice would not come from my list.

 

Probably a good choice, though.

 

Not my fault if your list is inadequate...

 

[ian]

44 minutes ago, KNP said:

Cup of tea whilst deciding, should always have a cup of tea to steady your nerves before plunging in and going boldly onwards.

Painting the track first is a good idea....

 

 

Most certainly a cup of tea first.

 

By the time that you have finished your attention will have been caught by some other completely unrelated task. Problem solved.

[Mick Bonwick]

1 hour ago, Stubby47 said:

Paint the track.

 

1 hour ago, KNP said:

 

Painting the track first is a good idea....

 

34 minutes ago, ian said:

 

 

Most certainly a cup of tea first.

 

By the time that you have finished your attention will have been caught by some other completely unrelated task. Problem solved.

 

2 hours ago, Mike_Walker said:

Go to the pub and think about it!

 

Many thanks for the thoughtful responses.

 

My preferred beverage is coffee, but the idea is sound.

 

No sooner was the suggestion made than an online click-and-collect order was placed with a local retailer. After the coffee I made a 40-minute trip there and back.

 

 

 

[Mick Bonwick]

In my defence, painting the track is all part of the ballasting process.

 

I had actually started on the platform idea, but only by doing a test piece. Not being sure how to best construct platforms that are neither straight nor of a consistent width, I thought I'd try 2mm greyboard and set about assembling something that would suit as a trial but might be incorporated at some point.

 

 

The stonework is SE Finecast Dressed Stone and is attached using an extra strong clear glue from Wickes. The surface is Scalescenes Concrete (TX42) attached using far too much PVA. Even though the paper was dressed with matt varnish first the moisture in the PVA has penetrated from behind and discoloured the ink.

 

 

 

[Stubby47]

You just need some leaking barrels of undetermined oil/lubricant substance stood on the green patches.

[Siberian Snooper]

Another one not on the list, get all the track laid and thoroughly tested, before ballasting as it's easier to make minor adjustments than after ballasting.

 

 

Edited May 20, 2021 by Siberian Snooper

[Mick Bonwick]

21 minutes ago, Siberian Snooper said:

Another one not on the list, get all the track laid and thoroughly tested, before ballasting as it's easier to make minor adjustments than after ballasting.

 

 

 

Either you haven't been reading this topic as regularly as you should, or you're simply not paying attention. Or both, of course. You need to start at page 1 and assimilate eveything that has been going on as you make your way through the story. . . . . . . . .

 

I'm surprised at @Stubby47 for clicking 'Like'. He is usually much more inventive than that. It may be, of course, that his memory is not quite what it used to be.

[Stubby47]

The 'like' was for the amended version, the initial post didn't make any sense at all, even on this thread.

 

[Mick Bonwick]

2 minutes ago, Stubby47 said:

didn't make any sense at all, even on this thread.

 

 

What do you mean?