Only-Me Posted February 26, 2015 Share Posted February 26, 2015 Hi all, im not an advocate of sound but at Risex I got talking to Ted from SCC4DCC and found i could buy a Digitrax sound chip loaded with 52 sounds for half the price of a Loksound decoder, however it would need a heavy hand modification to fit... I had to remove all the connectors and resolder so it would fit in the loco I did it in the end!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rheneas Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Hi Ian, I didn't get time to weather the RHTT before the show so didn't take any shots. An oversight, really. Here is a pic of the two units last night: image.jpg The other new item I did photograph are some mesh-sided OBA conversions: image.jpg Cheers Ben A. how did you make the mesh sides? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Ben Posted March 19, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 19, 2015 Hello Rheneas, The mesh sides are etches produced from my own artwork. The plastic sides were cutaway (a simpler job than I expected, as the lower corner of the inside edge can be used as a guide for scoring then, after a razor saw is used to cut vertically at each end, they can be snapped off) then the mesh sides sprayed and glued in position. I have offered the artwork to TPM but I am not sure if they want to add them to their range. In other news, I have made a bit of a start on the scenics for the new board. First, some card was curved into the corner of the backscene and glued in position, then the entire backscene was painted pale blue. Previously John and I had tried painting clouds but I have never been happy with our efforts TBH and having studied the approach on other layouts I admire - in particular Roundhouse's "Banbury" I think I prefer the more minimalist look of the plain blue. According to our design (see image a few pages back) the scenic break is being disguised by a bridge carrying a disused railway line (maybe converted to a cycle track) so I used foamboard to create the track bed and basic scenic formers: The contours were then built up with chunks of polystyrene foam cut to shape, and Woodland Scenics foam putty was then used to fill and gaps and help lock everything in position. Once the foam putty is dry I will sand it, then probably add a thin layer of plaster/bandage before painting and beginning to add ground texture. Then, once retaining walls and bridge details are added, I will put in any track cable ducts and add ballast. Apologies for the poor quality of the photos but they were snapped on an ipad. cheers Ben A. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted March 19, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 19, 2015 Looking good BenWhen I was at school I thoroughly enjoyed artwork but when I had to decide between art and design / technology I had to drop art so didn't develop art beyond there which was a shame as I think both went hand in hand.Since then I have tried painting backscenes but it's never really worked for me especially when you see some of the backscenes that a member of the High Wycombe club and others produce.So I have gone back to simple blue sky and either a pre printed or home printed trees fields etc. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Ben Posted March 22, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 22, 2015 Hi all, Roundhouse - Yes, I think plain blue is the way to go! A little more progress today... added a "cycle ramp" from the cycle path on the disused railway down to road level. This was done with black mounting board cut into strips and then fixed in position using offcuts to keep the surface level, then scenic foam putty was added and smoothed off. This was left overnight, then plaster bandage was added to smooth off the contours and create a hard shell for planting trees, fences etc into. Brown mounting board was added to form a base for the hardstanding. On the nearside of the road there will be a variety of small and unmemorable urban office/warehouse buildings that are yet to be scratchbuilt, probably using a plasticard or card shell covered with Scalescenes brickpapers. Once the plaster bandage is set the whole area will be painted dark brown and then the scenic treatment will begin. The cycle ramp will probably be cut from a sheet of wet and dry paper, dusted with grey aerosol and weathering powder for texture, glued in position on the contours and then blended in to the edges. Such ramps seem to be becoming more commonplace; they are the kind of urban characteristic that sets an era but appears rarely modelled. I may also need to recoat the road surface as it was done "in a hurry" for the Risborough show and is a little uneven; I suspect it will lead to running problems for the motorised bus if not sorted. Whatever I do needs to be at exactly the same height as the scenic road surface on the adjoining board, though TBH that area may be due a "refresh" over the summer in any event. cheers Ben A. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Ben Posted March 22, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted March 22, 2015 Hello all, The plaster now has had a quick coat of buff emulsion to create a very rough base colour for the main texture, which will be next. Before that I probably need to start assembling some of the civil engineering structures for the bridges/retaining walls so I can tell where to put the greenery etc. cheers Ben A. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Only-Me Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 You will need to paint the rare earth magnets under the engineers siding i installed Ben... It may be worth experimenting to see if they work with ballast over lay Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Ben Posted April 5, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 5, 2015 Hello all, Rather annoyingly real life has got in the way of modelling a little bit in the last few weeks, however I have finally made a start on the civil engineering works for the Horseley Fields extension. The bridges at the near side for the railway will be a combination of girder and arch; I am using Scalescenes products as we have for large areas of other parts of the layout; this is to maintain consistency and because they are easy to work with and adapt and very realistic IMO. So far I have combined the retailing walls kit with the arch bridge kit in Dark Brown brick, though work still needs to be done. Once the bridge is completed I will need to create abutments for the nearer section over the twin tracks (maybe modified when the line was electrified in the 60s) and fabricate the girder bridge part, probably from plasticard. I am hoping to get the project completed over the Easter weekend! cheers Ben A. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Only-Me Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 Looking excellent as usual Mr Ando!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Ben Posted April 5, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 5, 2015 Hello all, Managed to get a bit more work done on the arched bridge. It an its associated retaining wall are just about done. A little bit of tidying up, and once the rest of the scenics go in some blending in with a little bit of overgrown foliage etc. It's not fixed in place, just posed in position. The next job is to produce a similar retaining wall for the other side of the cutting, and then a pair of abutments for the girder bridge. Once this is done I will build the bridge itself out of plasticard. I had hoped to get all this done tomorrow, but earlier on I heard the dread words "quick trip to Ikea..." so I suspect it won't get finished! Once again very happy with Scalescenes; they are very flexible and well thought out, and they lend themsleves to hacking about a bit... cheers Ben A. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maurits71 Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Nice, Ben. Shell I empty the shed, put a no woman allowed sign update unless you bring beer ? so we have plenty of mans time without disruption ? M. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanks522 Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 Looking very good Ben, I haven't used Scalescene's products before but from what you've created on the layout i may have a dabble. Graham. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigP Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 -- Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Ben Posted April 6, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 6, 2015 Hi all, Graham: I am a big fan of Scalescenes as you can build them as per the instructions but they are flexible enough to allow considerable amount of customization. My concern when I first tried them was with colour-fastness, however I sprayed every printed sheet before any construction with a UV-resistant artists' fixative, and so far they have proved robust enough for exhibition use. I also think that for a layout they offer a degree of consistency and uniformity which is beneficial. bigP: We are next exbiting at Ely in May, then Beaconsfield in July and at Eurospoor in Utrecht in October. If you're at any of those shows feel free to come and have a chat! cheers Ben A. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Ben Posted April 9, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 9, 2015 Hello all, The rail bridges to disguise the exit on the new board are almost done. These are based a little on the structures at what was the former Bilston Central station on the now closed GWR route from Snow Hill to Wolverhampton. Some of the Midland Metro tram system now runs on what was this route, while a tiny part appears still to be in use as the steel terminal headshunt. I have always been fascinated by alterations and changes made to structures, and in this instance I am imagining that the original arch was replaced by a plate girder at some point, possibly due to structural failings or maybe when the line was electrified. The girder shown is a Peco one used as a placeholder, the next job is to fabricate something deeper from plasticard. EDIT: Looking at the photos, and at photos of real bridges, I may just trim the Peco one to length and then add a boxy lower plasticard section, before painting the whole thing. The Peco moulding is nice, and I quite like the character of the curved top. This photo shows the parts just resting in position on the layout (and not accurately!) - I don't want to fix them down until the girder is done, and the area is ballasted, as I want to avoid getting them wet or splashed with adhesive. The next job is the bridge over the road at the rear of the layout, and then I will start adding cable trunking and concrete troughs, signal wiring boxes and so on, ready for the ballasting. I suspect the board won't quite be completed by the time of the layout's next outing at Ely on May 15th, but we will try to get as much done as we can! cheers Ben A Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 Just a suggestion, Ben, but if the girder is a 1960s-80s replacement isn't it more likely to be a welded rather than a riveted structure? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted April 9, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 9, 2015 Just a suggestion, Ben, but if the girder is a 1960s-80s replacement isn't it more likely to be a welded rather than a riveted structure? Thats is very true but the other thought is that it could be a newer span to the original bridge when the line was quadrupled many years ago? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Ben Posted April 9, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 9, 2015 Hi Bernard, I hadn't thought of that. I don't know enough about civil engineering to know when the changeover was, but the easiest is probably to change the backstory to suit the bridge! Having said that, I haven't made final decision on whether to use the Peco version or not....! cheers Ben A. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
acko22 Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 Looking very nice indeed, the pace at which your going is making me rather jealous! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Ben Posted April 13, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 13, 2015 Hello all, A spot of decorating this weekend with breaks to allow paint to dry allowed me to have a crack at the girder bridge. I decided the Peco version was a little to "flimsy" for the sort of structure we needed, so I got out the plasticard and the glue.... If it looks a little bit wonky that's because the bridge abutments are only resting in position and haven't been "trued." I cheated for the lower section, using the bottom of a TPM tippler bodyside to create the ribbed effect. I decided this was fitting as it was Bernard's posting above that largely led me to rethink my plan to use the Peco girder! I considered getting a Knightwing kit but couldn't find any for sale on the web... and didn't have time to physically go shopping... Next job is to paint and weather the girder sections, before planning and fixing the rail infrastructure - signal relay cabinets, cable troughing, catenary posts (or at least their bases) etc before ballasting. cheers Ben A. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
porkie Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Looking great Ben,loving the new bridge. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
87023Velocity Posted April 13, 2015 Share Posted April 13, 2015 Hi Ben, Cracking work on the bridge and retaining walls, its certainly coming to life. Cheers Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Revolution Ben Posted April 27, 2015 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted April 27, 2015 Hello all, Work is continuing, but has been slower than I'd have liked due to a combination of required parts not arriving as anticipated and real life getting in the way! The civil engineering for the scenic break is just about done, so attention has moved to the platforms. These were very well built by a fellow club member and given to me for a little additional work and installation. We had decided to imagine that the remodelling of the station led to the platforms being extended at the southern end, so the brick sides give way to concrete platform decks with support pillars and, instead of the old-style ramps, the more modern square end with access steps. The steps are made from strips of card glued together with PVA, then the handrails are by N-brass trimmed to length and fitted into holes created in the edge section with a pin. The whole thing had cyano drizzled over it to hopefully lock everything in place before painting. The sides will be carefully sanded smoother before painting, and may be sprinked with talc to create a concrete texture. Once the steps are completed attention will turn to adding any additional permanent way/track details before ballasting. cheers Ben A. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold roundhouse Posted April 27, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 27, 2015 Ben Looking good with those modern platform extensions. Looking forward to seeing it at Eurospoor. Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
87023Velocity Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 Hi Ben, Brilliant idea with the platform extensions and they look superb! Cheers Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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