Lydbrook Dean

[wiggoforgold]

First bit of ballasting done and playing with scenic ideas for the quarry.

[Captain Kernow]

On 15/01/2023 at 20:19, wiggoforgold said:

I’ve reached a conclusion: There is no quick way to paint track

 

On 15/01/2023 at 20:53, F-UnitMad said:

Or ballast it 

Correct on both counts, but these things can make all the difference to the overall appearance of the layout, especially in the unforgiving gaze of modern digital macro lenses!

 

[wiggoforgold]

After posting this mornings picture I realised that my picture of the track leaving the tunnel was not of the final ballasting but after the cess had been treated but before the ballast proper was applied

[Captain Kernow]

The tunnel scene is really looking like the Forest, Alex.

 

[wiggoforgold]

Experimenting with the positions of trees

[Andy R]

Hi- the rocks are really well done.

Andy R

[MrWolf]

That's really looking good and like an awful lot of countryside. I'm looking forward to planting trees too. That "company" house gives a sense of place too, is it one of your creations?

[wiggoforgold]

6 hours ago, MrWolf said:

That's really looking good and like an awful lot of countryside. I'm looking forward to planting trees too. That "company" house gives a sense of place too, is it one of your creations?

Thanks Rob. The real cottage is at Soudley and appears in a number of photos of the line. I'm not the first person to have modelled it!  It's made from card and fits over the hinge block joining the two halves of the layout.

Alex

[Gedward]

 

This is all coming along nicely Alex. Can't wait to see it progress.

 

 

[wiggoforgold]

I’ve been working on the quarry Scenics this weekend. This is Whitehill Quarry at Lydbrook Dean.

 

[NHY 581]

4 hours ago, wiggoforgold said:

I’ve been working on the quarry Scenics this weekend. This is Whitehill Quarry at Lydbrook Dean.

 

 

 

That looks exceptional, Alex. The undergrowth and the rock faces are some of, if not the best I've seen. 

 

Rob. 

[Graham T]

I love the puddles too!

 

[Graham T]

How did you do them?  Varnish?

 

[wiggoforgold]

8 hours ago, Graham T said:

How did you do them?  Varnish?

 

Hi Graham. The puddles are a work in progress. I start when making the yard surface. Holes are cut in that where I want the puddles to be. They are then given a coat of plaster of Paris which is sanded back to leave a depression which is paired with a dark brown acrylic. This is the stage I’ve reached in the pictures. In due course the holes will be filled with something to give a wet appearance. I was initially going to use gloss varnish, but I’m currently using experimenting with Woodland Scenics “Realistic water” which I have used for the damp areas on the rocks. I’ll post more when I’ve tried it further.

Alex

[Graham T]

Thanks Alex.  Look forward to seeing how that works.  The puddle in the second pic, next to the track, looks especially good already.

 

[mullie]

15 hours ago, wiggoforgold said:

I’ve been working on the quarry Scenics this weekend. This is Whitehill Quarry at Lydbrook Dean.

 

The quarry scenics look superb and subtley different to what a Portland quarry would look like. 

[wiggoforgold]

11 minutes ago, mullie said:

The quarry scenics look superb and subtley different to what a Portland quarry would look like. 

Thanks Martyn. As I don’t live in the FOD, Kit Hill has much to answer for 😊

Alex

[MrWolf]

It's a funny thing looking at certain models that done so well that you get the feeling that you've been there, or somewhere very similar, because there's a similar image stored in the memory. This time I have it on the phone too!

 

 

[wiggoforgold]

I particularly like the under cut in the top picture. I've got some more carving to do tonight so it comes at a good time 

Alex

[wiggoforgold]

I had planned a grassy slope on the cutting where the line exits he tunnel. However, having covered the landform with earth powder I felt the slope was too steep for grass and decided to rework it as a rock face. This allowed me to take photographs of the stages on construction

 

The rocks are cast in Hydrocal using Woodland Scenics rock moulds. The rocks are bedded in to place and blended together using more Hydrocal. When dry the rocks are carved with a modelling tool to enhance definition and to further blend them together.

 

They are painted with washes of Woodland Scenics earth colours, using the “leopard spotting” technique they recommend. First they are given partial washes of yellow ochre and burnt umber.

 

 

The whole rock face is then given a wash of slate grey. When dry, I felt this was too thick, so it was partially washed off using a soft brush dipped in plain water.

 

 

This was allowed to dry. Some of the rocks were stippled with white to represent lichen and the rock face was dry brushed with white and yellow ochre to create highlights. This is now being left to dry overnight, before some additional shading with weathering powders.

[MrWolf]

On 13/02/2023 at 17:19, wiggoforgold said:

I particularly like the under cut in the top picture. I've got some more carving to do tonight so it comes at a good time 

Alex

 

I got the impression that the quarrymen had blasted through a natural cave there?

[wiggoforgold]

A sprinkling of earth powder round the rocks, followed by static grass and a sprinkling of fine turf at a the base.

[wiggoforgold]

Water running down the rock face from woodland Scenics realistic water. 

 

Muddy track in the quarry and pools of water at the base of the rocks both use Woodland Scenics realistic water.

 

[wiggoforgold]

The quarry is taking shape. Next I want to finish the lights before working up the station area

 

 

 

[Graham T]

I shall have to add some of that WS realistic water to my (rather long) shopping list.  It looks great running down the rocks, as do the small pools at the bottom of the rock face.