Lancaster Lane & Dewar’s Street

[Graham T]

Now you're just trying to lead me astray!

[MrWolf]

He's not the only one, if funds permitted I would be running late thirties with my existing stock and late fifties with probably a BR class 2 Mogul, railcar or DMU and the appropriate stock. The layout would need a change of road vehicles and that's about it. The old GWR paint wouldn't be a problem as branch line buildings only seem to be repainted in BR colours about a week before the closure notice goes up.

[LDM34046]

The era modelled started out at 1959 - 1962 with the introduction of Class 25’s starting production in 1961.

 

The full yellow ends didn’t make an appearance til some years later so a bit of modellers license is required!

[LDM34046]

Productive night last night working on some more of the scenics as I’m keen to get painting!

 

The main hillside was made up of layers of foam board to build up the gradient and form the rough shapes.

 

A card strip was glued down to create a rough path up the hillside to the house. DAS was then used to create the bulk form of the hill.

 

 

It’s still in it’s rough and ready form and needs to be filled and sanded to hide any holes and edges.

 

It’s nice to have a bit of height and variation on the layout. As more land forms get added it’s getting easier to visualise different areas of the layout and how it all ties together.

 

 

 

Small mounds of clay were also added in between the track to break up the flat expanse of track.

 

 

Some landforms were also added right at the front of the layout, similar to Lancaster Lane. Again, to break up the flat areas. This also forms the road that leads to and from the garage and street area. Going to be experimenting with paints and varnishes to create a muddy track.

 

 

I’ll pretend I’ve got a plan…

Edited August 6, 2022 by LDM34046

[LDM34046]

Tonight’s little 10 minute project was to get the crossing finished.

 

Regular Code 75 track was cut to length and bent at the ends to form the check rails. These were then glued directly to the sleepers.

 

 

DAS clay was then used to fill the gap and bring level to the rest of the roadway. Any excess will be removed once it’s dry and the railhead sanded and cleaned for continuity.

 

 

Ready for paint!

 

 

 

Edited August 8, 2022 by LDM34046

[MrWolf]

Progress, however small, is good. 

[MrWolf]

I thought this picture might be of interest. It's via Pinterest, from swansea docks.co.uk

 

 

 

 

[LDM34046]

1 hour ago, MrWolf said:

I thought this picture might be of interest. It's via Pinterest, from swansea docks.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

How uncanny! Looks very similar the layout. Right down to the locomotives and vehicles. Is the crossing still there? Or has it since been lifted?

 

I wonder what the 15 on the front of the loco refers to? Not something I’ve seen modelled before.

[johnd]

1 hour ago, MrWolf said:

I thought this picture might be of interest. It's via Pinterest, from swansea docks.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

What  a great picture ! just shows how we used to  live before this sanitized  so called society we live in where the state introduced such a thing as elf & safety in an effort to protect life, we just knew the risks in the past and just got on with it if something happened there was no great debate about it.

[LDM34046]

Ballast has been ordered. Went for N Gauge ballast in the end. Think it will look much more to scale against the bullhead sleepers. 
 

A few Deluxe Materials products ordered along with a few paints and materials should keep me busy to make a start on the scenics.

 

 

Visited my local narrow gauge railway at the weekend for their yearly exhibition. Only a few layouts however the line put on a good roster for photography.

 

 

 

[MrWolf]

On 09/08/2022 at 06:48, LDM34046 said:

 

How uncanny! Looks very similar the layout. Right down to the locomotives and vehicles. Is the crossing still there? Or has it since been lifted?

 

I wonder what the 15 on the front of the loco refers to? Not something I’ve seen modelled before.

 

I think that you need to see this:

 

http://www.swanseadocks.co.uk/docksnewsite/railwayslowlevel.html

[LDM34046]

Having operated the layout for a few weeks now one of the noticeable changes I wanted to make was making the station longer. Another Wills kit was ordered and now the platform can comfortably fit a loco and suburban coach.

 

The kit itself is probably the vaguest thing I’ve ever built. Designed to held together by hope and optimism. Lots of offcuts of plastic sprue were used to hold the different platform sections together. Once it’s painted and weathered with some signage it should look better. 
 

5775 tests the platform out for size.

 

[LDM34046]

Packet number two of DAS acquired and it’s more landscaping, bare with me here…

 

My biggest gripe with Lancaster Lane was how flat the scenics were to the rear of the baseboard and this was something I wanted to alleviate on the new project.

 

Being deep in the country, trees will pay a big part of this remote woodland village.
 

More DAS was laid to create an uneven landscape in the background, hopefully creating an inclosed feel to the station halt once finished. 
 

 

A small track was created that disappears into the backscene with the idea that the road travels somewhere.

 

 

With trees on either side of the track getting denser towards the back the idea is it conceals the path going off into the distance.

 

 

More work was added to the large hill at the western end of the layout, smoothing out a few gradients.

 

 

The large gap between the station and street should house the low relief brewery building. A small scatter of grass and trees in front of the building should blend it into the layout and make it less intrusive.

 

 

I still need to draw up and design the brewery, based loosely on the building at Aberfeldy.

 

 

As for the blending of the backscene. I’m still in two minds on how to approach it. I wasn’t a fan of the solid blue expanse that was at the back of Lancaster Lane.

 

The first option is to find a generic woodland backscene and cut it and shape it to fit the different areas of the layout.

 

The second option is to create my own photo backscene using photos from my own collections. Something I briefly experimented with in photoshop.

 

From a low level perspective I think it looks the most realistic however trying to stitch different photos together from the same perspective (and seasons) maybe tricky.

 

My third approach. Considering 90% of the backscene aside from the street scene is made up of woodland, try my hand at some freehand watercolours? Even some rough painting of foliage and trees on the backscene would help bridge the gap with the real trees on the layout.

 

I’m open to any and every suggestion…

 

As for scenics I think I’m there or there abouts. Anymore and I think it’ll be over done. In my head I’ve got a plan of how each scene will work, despite the vast rolling hills of clay, I think they’ll look good once greenery is applied.

 

Next Chapter:

 

Track & Ballast! 

Edited August 17, 2022 by LDM34046

[LDM34046]

Right I’m done. I promise.

 

[Graham T]

I'd be tempted to try painting your own backscene.  I'm considering that for CR Mk II.

[LDM34046]

10 hours ago, Graham T said:

I'd be tempted to try painting your own backscene.  I'm considering that for CR Mk II.

 

I agree Graham, I might have to channel my inner Bob Ross!

[LDM34046]

Still unsure what to do on this awkward space at the front of the layout. A grassy area? A stone wall and rough overgrown foliage? Ideally want to avoid the perfectly flat area as it never looks natural. 
 

[sb67]

Small areas like that can be problematic, I get what you mean about a perfectly flat area but I guess you have to think about the landscape around the area,  I would also think about what would be happening there, would a loco be parked or wagons unloaded then you could put associated junk, maybe a small hut and long grass and weeds at the end nearer the tunnel. 

Could a raised platform or bank go there and be used for goods/cattle/loco coal? 

 

Hope that gets you thinking.

[BroadLeaves]

My question would be:

Where's the legal boundary of the railway's land?

 

There will be something along that line, most likely a fence. Anything inside the boundary won't be too unkempt, but outside, a different story.

Can't see the whole track plan, but I can you have at least three points. How about a small frame lever and point rodding?

[LDM34046]

3 hours ago, BroadLeaves said:

My question would be:

Where's the legal boundary of the railway's land?

 

There will be something along that line, most likely a fence. Anything inside the boundary won't be too unkempt, but outside, a different story.

Can't see the whole track plan, but I can you have at least three points. How about a small frame lever and point rodding?

That’s a very valid point.

 

I did think about doing a line of fencing lineside and then overgrown foliage and bracken on the otherside.

 

As for point rodding it’s not something I’ve ever thought of modelling however a small lever frame might be good to model. Being a small station halt, wouldn’t the leaver frame be located nearer the station platform.

[LDM34046]

Decided to give ballasting a go last night using the new products on the short test piece that I used for the DAS clay.

 

 

The track was sprayed with a fine coat of Railmatch Sleeper Grime. A light grey acrylic was dry brushed over the sleepers to help highlight some of the textures. Weathering powders we’re used to pick out the chairs.

 

The ballast itself is from Geoscenics as recommended by Model Rail Magazine. I settled for Granite N Gauge ballast rather than the chunkier stuff I used last time.

 

 

Brushed into place with a soft brush, alcohol was dropped over the ballast to help the glue spread. I decided to use Deluxe Materials Ballast Bond instead of the regular Water:PVA mix. A much easier product to use and completely mess and hassle free.

 

 

Although a bit thin in some places I’m really happy with the overall finish and the scale of ballast next to the sleepers. My only point to improve is the ‘dusty’ nature of the ballast which has left the sleepers looking lighter than originally expected.

 

Now to tackle the layout itself…

 

Edited August 20, 2022 by LDM34046

[Fishplate]

8 hours ago, LDM34046 said:

The ballast itself is from Geoscenics as recommended by Model Rail Magazine. I settled for Granite N Gauge ballast rather than the chunkier stuff I used last time.

 

That looks really good @LDM34046. Must remember to write that ballast size down when I get home. 

[LDM34046]

5 hours ago, Fishplate said:

 

That looks really good @LDM34046. Must remember to write that ballast size down when I get home. 

Highly recommend the stuff.

 

I also picked up a box of their ‘Superfine’ N Gauge ballast which can be used for yards and roads etc.

 

Their weathering kit also includes Ash for depots, weathering paint and oil solution to create stains. Not the cheapest products but really effective and the closest to scale I’ve found.

[sb67]

https://www.missendenrailwaymodellers.org.uk/index.php/virtual-missenden-a-goods-yard/

 

I used this method for a yard surface on my layout, I was pleased with the result and would use it again.

 

That ballast looks good, I'll have to bookmark their website. 

 

Steve. 

[MrWolf]

That's very interesting and very simple. I managed to achieve something similar but by a convoluted route.

The video has given me some ideas for further improvements though particularly in the finishing stages.

Thanks for posting the link.