Goods yard ground surface

[Rowan]

Hi Guys,

This is my first post so please forgive me if I do anything wrong.

I am modelling a fictional GWR/Cambrian country station in 00 gauge set in wildest Mid-Wales. The period is pre WW1 so, based on a B&W photo, I'm guessing the goods yard surface would have been simply blinded hardcore. Can anyone kindly give me a heads-up as to the best and simplest method of achieving this effect? Any suggestion would be most welcome.

I had thought of mixing a plaster of paris slurry and, being Mr Messy, spreading it with my fingers to give a slightly undulating effect - perhaps the odd press of a finger to create a pothole.

Thanks for reading, Rowan.

[BR traction instructor]

We're all learning together Rowan, so no such thing as a daft question. Ash was a plentiful & common surface finisher around such locations and can easily be replicated with fine scenic powders etc. A common mistake is to not make the surface flat/even enough, consequently once a scale road vehicle is placed in the yard it looks like it is parked in The Somme battlefield.

 

BeRTIe

Edited July 7, 2023 by BR traction instructor

[Tim Chambers]

Yup, a very good question-IMHO a very under explored topic. Ash (the real thing-sieved) would be most suitable, there are also various

widely available scenic dressings from the likes of "Woodland Scenics" etc. Me, I use sieved sand from the New Forest or Studland Heath in Dorset-not bad and it's free! 

Best wishes, Tim

[Gilbert]

This may help Rowan...

 

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

 

Chris H

[2750Papyrus]

1 hour ago, Gilbert said:

This may help Rowan...

 

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

 

Chris H

That creates a good looking surface, shame the track in my goods yard is already glued down! 

 

Looks easy enough on a small diorama board, but would a decent sized goods yard present difficulties apart from the number of tins of Humbrol required? There may also be a need to represent where foot traffic, vehicles and, according to period, horses pass.

 

 

[Paul H Vigor]

26 minutes ago, 2750Papyrus said:

That creates a good looking surface, shame the track in my goods yard is already glued down! 

 

Looks easy enough on a small diorama board, but would a decent sized goods yard present difficulties apart from the number of tins of Humbrol required? There may also be a need to represent where foot traffic, vehicles and, according to period, horses pass.

 

 

I've seen good work done using spread and stippled, DAS-type air drying clay.

https://www.facebook.com/chrisnevard/posts/how-to-use-sand-and-das-clay-to-get-dusty-looking-railway-modelrailway-sidings-a/2313856771998395/

[Bernard Lamb]

I suggest as a newcomer you just paint it mid grey and concentrate your energy on more important details. After you have placed a few scenic items in position, these will break up the bare area and from a normal viewing distance you will hardly notice the lack of texture. It should actually help to make the detail on the modeled items stand out. 

Bernard

 

[Michael Hodgson]

3 hours ago, Tim Chambers said:

Ash (the real thing-sieved) would be most suitable,

 

Not the sort of stuff you want getting into commutators, gearboxes or bearings. 

If you use it, make sure it is well secured and no loose stuff can blow about the layout.

[Rowan]

Thanks Guys (& Gals) for the suggestions - most helpful. I have many, many other questions but not for this thread. But one that is linked, how do you make/buy horse droppings for I would imagine there will be a few piles dotted around! Cheers.

[dasatcopthorne]

Don't forget to weather the rails before anything else but after soldering any wires to them.

 

I use Birchwood Casey 'Super Blue. It's not paint so cannot peal off.

 

 

[Worsdell forever]

2 hours ago, Rowan said:

Thanks Guys (& Gals) for the suggestions - most helpful. I have many, many other questions but not for this thread. But one that is linked, how do you make/buy horse droppings for I would imagine there will be a few piles dotted around! Cheers.

 

@Tricky is the master of that 'Art', he'd be the one to ask.

 

[ianLMS]

4 hours ago, Rowan said:

how do you make/buy horse droppings for I would imagine there will be a few piles dotted around! Cheers.

I used some Greenscene (now sold by Squires i believe) textured yard paint and rolled it into tiny balls, piles etc. You may want to get the tiniest static grass fibres to replicate undigested hay if you want to go that far. 

 

https://www.green-scenes.co.uk/store/product/gs446-texture-paint-yard-filth-mucky-brown

 

Textured paint is easily made using cheap emulsion or poster paints/artist paint and mix with fine sawdust or ultra fine ballast, powders, dust etc. 

Edited July 7, 2023 by ianLMS

[Peter Kazmierczak]

A really interesting thread. I don't think I'd use small tinlets of Humbrol enamel though... I just painted the area with a few coats of some cheap Hobbycraft ready mixed washable paint. 

What I'd like to know is the juxtaposition of cobbled areas within a goods yard. Where there areas where cobblestones were more likely, eg near the entrance/goods shed?

[Tricky]

19 hours ago, Worsdell forever said:

 

@Tricky is the master of that 'Art', he'd be the one to ask.

 

Thank you for the kind recommendation. I did an article in a previous MRJ describing one technique of using sanded polyfilla. As a previous poster said, don’t be tempted to make the surface too undulating, especially in 4mm. The odd pothole here or there but easy to overdo. I would paint it with enamels and acrylics and use real ash from my log burner to soften the overall effect. 
Not a silly question at all - quite a good one actually! 

[Tricky]

21 hours ago, Rowan said:

Thanks Guys (& Gals) for the suggestions - most helpful. I have many, many other questions but not for this thread. But one that is linked, how do you make/buy horse droppings for I would imagine there will be a few piles dotted around! Cheers.

I also made horse poo! Except

one was 7mm, not 4mm. There’s a previous post on here somewhere of how I did it. Poss on my ‘Midland in Bristol’ diorama. 

Edited July 8, 2023 by Tricky