Oliver Hill VT - Industrial Switching Layout

[Liam_uk]

6 hours ago, z4driver said:

Just watched your YouTube video. Lovely layout.

 

Lee

 

Thank you very much

[YT-1300]

19 hours ago, Liam_uk said:

So Oliver Hill survived its first outing. Must admit I was nervous about transport, but nothing fell off and my woodwork stood up to it.

Overall the weekend went well. Several good comments, a couple negative, however this is only my second layout Ive built past baseboards and track.

 

Layout ran great for its first display, most issues were operator made, including accidently pushing a tank car off the track via the bumps, a few wrong routes and shorting/restarting the NCE when switching wagons and locos round in the fiddle stick.

 

List of about 12 jobs to do on the layout including weathering of tarmac, buildings, building up a few more layers of grass and trees. The layout is next out in June at Bakewell, so hopefully these can be done for then and hopefully get around to starting some freight car weathering/modernising. 

 

Anyway here are a few pictures from the weekend:

 

 

 

 

 

Very nice layout!  Always good to see switching layouts on here

[Liam_uk]

So worked started on improvements to the layout before it's next show in June at Bakewell. 

 

I was never happy with the transload facility as I did the process wrong (added PVA/water to chinchilla dust and it clumped up). So this was removed, PVA laid on and then the chinchilla dust settled on the top, making it look much better in my opinion.

 

 

 

 

I also wanted to redo my static grass as I felt it sat a bit too flat. I believe this is mainly because I used a cheap tea strainer/fly buzzer I got second hand. So I took the static grass off in most places, and when I did the under covering was showing dried PVA, so this was taken off to redo, once my burnt grass arrives.

 

 

I also wanted to fill out my wooded area, so I removed the trees and made a mock up of the area. These will be added once I've done the ground covering, weathered the concrete and slight weathering the the building.

 

 

Finally for now I've started work on making the lighting unit more rigid. My wood work isn't the best but it works.

The one on the left is the original, and the one on the right shows a cut out for the crossbeam. 

 

That's it for now, lots to do and 2 months to do it on 😬

[stivesnick]

One of the problems with model trees is that they are made as standalone trees. When trees are in a group, they tend to expand to fill out all the available space to get the maximum amount of light. If you look at a group of trees from some distance, the top of the canopy is usually a smooth continious line. On previous layouts, I have used trees from the model tree shop. They make trees that are more box like so when in a group fit more tightly together. 

 

I enjoyed seeing thelayout at the Mansfield show recently, I looked great and good luck with the changes.

 

Nick 

[Liam_uk]

13 minutes ago, stivesnick said:

One of the problems with model trees is that they are made as standalone trees. When trees are in a group, they tend to expand to fill out all the available space to get the maximum amount of light. If you look at a group of trees from some distance, the top of the canopy is usually a smooth continious line. On previous layouts, I have used trees from the model tree shop. They make trees that are more box like so when in a group fit more tightly together. 

 

I enjoyed seeing thelayout at the Mansfield show recently, I looked great and good luck with the changes.

 

Nick 

 

 

Thanks for that Nick, glad you enjoyed the layout.

The changes are more for me, areas I want to improve. This is only the second layout that has ever got past the boards and track stage, so scenery is all very new to me. 

 

I have been looking on Google Earth around the Burlington area to get an idea of how the trees lie, hopefully I can get something similar and a nice mix of colours like I've seen before on pictures and videos.

[Liam_uk]

So I had my first ever try at weathering the tarmac. Firstly I used a homemade wash to add a darkened effect, then once I was happy with that I blended with a rough sponge.

I then added a watered down acrylic paints layer (Payne's grey and a titanium buff), this was dabbed on with a make up sponge.

Finally I added a layer of weathering powder, again a mix of colours, and bought it all together with a rough sponge.

 

 

 

The higher traffic areas appear darker which is the effect I was hoping for. Again I'm pleased with my first try at this 

[Liam_uk]

Grass

 

I've also layed the base layer down, then added static grass in layers. 

 

Now that I'm using better equipment the outcome is alot better.

 

 

 

 

I've got some turfs, bushes and weeds still to go in, and also replant the animals.

[long island jack]

looks ok, re animals wouldn't the train frighten them away!!

[Liam_uk]

14 minutes ago, long island jack said:

looks ok, re animals wouldn't the train frighten them away!!

Probably so, Take it up with the train crew manager!

She told me I needed something for the mums and children to find....

Edited March 28 by Liam_uk

[F-UnitMad]

16 hours ago, Liam_uk said:

I'm pleased with my first try at this 

And so you should be! It looks very good. 👍

[long island jack]

20 hours ago, Liam_uk said:

Probably so, Take it up with the train crew manager!

She told me I needed something for the mums and children to find....

Ah, didn't know you were catering for mums and kids, domestic animals ie cats and dogs and birds, would look ok, but timid animals like deer etc would be frighten by any noise, my 59th and rust layout, had 13 cats, 5 dogs and 20 birds all blended into the layout, for any kids to find ,that if there parents stop long enough for them to see, JAAL

[Liam_uk]

I've managed to plant the forest and reintroduce the deer into the undergrowth