vac_basher Posted September 28, 2011 Author Share Posted September 28, 2011 (edited) I've bought some veichels! (The VW camper van is for Smugglers Lane). Is it me or is that white van at the rear left massivly over scale?? Edited October 1, 2011 by vac_basher 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vac_basher Posted September 30, 2011 Author Share Posted September 30, 2011 I've weathered my cars! And a few more of the office: Not much other progress on the diorama. I've finised the concreat apron, but I've still to sand it smooth I'm not very enthusiastic about that, so untill I find the motivation to get that done I'm working on another side project. I won't say anything about it now as I feel if I go in depth about it it would realy deserve a topic of it's own. However If all goes to plan this new side project should be quite something. A real centerpiece of this diorama. Watch this space! 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vac_basher Posted October 4, 2011 Author Share Posted October 4, 2011 Just a quick photo of how things are looking so far. My side project is coming along nicely. I will reveal that soon. In the meantime I hope to get the depot surface smoothed.... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vac_basher Posted October 5, 2011 Author Share Posted October 5, 2011 (edited) At last a bit of progress! Well, sort of.... After putting it off for some weeks, today I have finally smoothered the concreat apron and even painted it! I must admit though, I sandpapered it in a bit of a hurry, so it didn't really come out too well - Also because there were allot of cracks in the plaster. In the past I've discovered that if I sandpaper it before the plaster dries complety then it's ok. Whereas if I let it dry and than sandpaper it the cracks show up. I'm not sure why that is. Then while I was painting it (aerosol) I made a right mess . I'd forgotten that the buildings were only masked to protect them from dust, because at the time I didn't think I'd be painting the surface just yet. Then today I happened to have a can of paint at hand so I went ahead and sprayed it.... Only later did I realize that I painted over the lower front of the depot! Disaster! And at the moment I've run out of 3mm masking tape so won't be able to paint it again untill I go shopping. I should really of have masked the tracks too. And then later this evening when I pealed of the masking tape around the "mystery apparatus" (have a look on page 2 if you missed what that was about) the railings broke off. So I'll need to make them again. So a bit of a major cockadoddledoo up that was. But anyway, cracks and all, it will have to do as there's no way I'm going to have another go at it. Plus, I think perhaps with a bit of very fine ballast sprinked on top to represent grit and debris it might just be presentable. And I wonder, as it was only a very light coat, if I might be able to get the paint of the front of the depot with some turps. From this photo it looks almost finsihed but it's far from it. I have a list of dozens of things that still need attention, but I think we're slowly getting there.... Edited October 5, 2011 by vac_basher 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozexpatriate Posted October 5, 2011 Share Posted October 5, 2011 (edited) From this photo it looks almost finsihed but it's far from it. I have a list of dozens of things that still need attention, but I think we're slowly getting there.... Is that sky background actually attached - or just added in with the magic of photo editing? I only ask because, while I don't want to be a pratt, the clouds look upside down to me. Shouldn't the darker bits be on the bottom and the lighter bits on top? I've been enjoying your thread. Thank you for sharing. Edited October 5, 2011 by Ozexpatriate 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vac_basher Posted October 5, 2011 Author Share Posted October 5, 2011 I was messing around in photoshop, so it's no big deal. But very observant of you. Thank you for taking the time to follow what I've been up to. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peppergroyne Posted October 6, 2011 Share Posted October 6, 2011 Love the image of the Iron Lady on the TV. Do you have to pay a 1/50th amount of the TV licence to have this on the diorama? Seriously though, I am intrigued to see how you go with some shots through the office window - it looks like it will be quite effective. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vac_basher Posted October 6, 2011 Author Share Posted October 6, 2011 sshhh, don't go giving them suggestions Peppergroyne, otherwise they probably really will make me pay! Seriously, I'll try out some through the office window shots during the next few days. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vac_basher Posted October 7, 2011 Author Share Posted October 7, 2011 (edited) Rails were painted rust colour (right) and then sleepers were painted with frame dirt. PVA was then put between the sleepers (middle track) and covered with ballast (left) That was left for 24 hours and then the excess ballast was removed with a 1inch paintbrush. I'm a bit dubious about the colour of this ballast. This is Woodland Scenics "Fine, Light Grey". Although to my eyes it looks more like light brown. When it's all 100% dry I think I might paint over it to give it a darker colour. So, we might just have something that might begin to look a bit like Bath Road very soon. Which means, I think it's time to get the Class 50s out.... Edited October 7, 2011 by vac_basher 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivercider Posted October 7, 2011 Share Posted October 7, 2011 So, we might just have something that might begin to look a bit like Bath Road very soon. Which means, I think it's time to get the Class 50s out.... For me, as soon as you had painted the admin block it looked right, the clock sets it all off very well. I'm intrigued to see how the 'through the window' shots work out. cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vac_basher Posted October 7, 2011 Author Share Posted October 7, 2011 Thank you for your kind words Kenny. Hopefully tomorrow, after I've removed the excess ballast (I only ballasted 2 tracks yesteday, but did the rest today), I'll be able to have a play around with photographing something (any guesses? )through the window.... Stay tuned! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vac_basher Posted October 8, 2011 Author Share Posted October 8, 2011 (edited) Going to kill two birds with one stone here: What's that I see outside my office window? My goodness, if it isn't the rerailing train. I'd better go out and take a look.... And here, ladies and gentlemen, we have the side project I've been working on for the past couple of weeks. Of course it's far from being finished yet. As you can see it's only being held together provisionaly, and the bogies don't have any wheels fitted at the moment. I also need to sand off the (last?) layer of filler, and naturally it needs painting yellow. But I think this photo gives an idea of what it's supposed to be. Even though there's no room on the diorama for it, I have also done the third coach that was typically used in formation with these two, although I was unable to photograph it at the present moment as it has a chassis problem which won't permit it to sit to the rails at the moment. It was quite a challange for me to create the rerailing train, so in due course I would like to explain in detail, in a seperate topic, how this was achieved (let's see if it turns out alright first! ) Here we can see how far off my stripes are. This is another side project I've been working on reccently. It's my take on a HST barrier coach (I still need to get the decals for it). I quite like this photo, I think it gives quite a good sense of depth. Bit of a cra poor photo this one is. I think I must have left my camera on manual focus. Sorry about that. And that's the last one for today. Still lots of work to do, but I think this set of photos gives quite a good overall feel of the diorama so far. Although I must admit the quality of the photos isn't great. I'm not too happy with the composition of the "through the office window" ones, I would have liked to have experimented a bit more with that, but for today I didn't have time. I'll be back soon with some better photos.... Running total:- Cost: £260 (aprox. as i've actually lost count) Labour: 101 hours (inc time spent on the breakdown train) Edited October 8, 2011 by vac_basher 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leon Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 Like this idea, use to like passing Bath Rd on the way to Devon. Here is the Bristol Re railing train at Temple...Guess yours will look like this soon.. All the best Leon. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vac_basher Posted October 8, 2011 Author Share Posted October 8, 2011 Thanks, Leon, hopefully if all goes to plan mine might look something a bit like that.... I've actually seen that photo elsewhere, not that there are very many photos of the rerailing train available out there, and that is infact the coach I'm having problems with the chassis with. The coaches in the rake seem to have been repainted around 1990/91ish and this latter version is the livery I hope to do mine in. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leon Posted October 8, 2011 Share Posted October 8, 2011 Check out this site, there are lots of pics, a lot of the Canton train, which look similar.. http://www.departmentals.com/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vac_basher Posted October 8, 2011 Author Share Posted October 8, 2011 (edited) Last couple of photos from me for tonight. I'm actually quite pleased with this. I think I should be able to get some very good shots when it's all just right. Edited October 8, 2011 by vac_basher 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vac_basher Posted October 12, 2011 Author Share Posted October 12, 2011 C'est finite! Well, more or less. There are still a few refinments that I need to make, but I don't think the apperance is going to change much more after this. That chap in the VW camper van must've been in a hurry. He's practically gone through the doors! By total chance the stock I just happened to have out on the diorama today was slightly more recent than what my main interests are. The locos visable during these next few photos sets the diorama well into the 1990s. Although generally my time frame is 1988 - 1991ish. I'll have to go a bit more retro when I have my next photo session Vac power!! That's quite a good photo, I think. I like this one too. It remins me of many many summers ago when my only concearn was chasing trains. Shame about my banana 47. I recieved a new chassis for it from Howes but the body had warped too These Oxford Dicast cars are smashing! Quite colourful, isn't it. Horrible how the paint has run on the front of the depot building. Through the window.... This isn't exactly what I had in mind. Well it is, except that it's much more difficult to photograph from whithin the office as I thought it would be. I think I need to experiment a bit with angles/compositions to get a good shot. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
mopar Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 What an excellent diorama. I think you've done a top job, some of those pictures almost pass for real. Hats off to you. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leon Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 Fantastic photo's love the shots with the pair of Intercity 47's I have been waiting to get one myself...Well done. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D1059 Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 (edited) Photographing models is tricky because of the tiny depth of field available - especially when the lighting is less than good natural daylight. You might like to check out this little utility http://www.tawbaware.com/tufuse.htm It allows you to combine several shots, each focussed separately and combine them into a single, impossible to take in one picture. If you have a tripod or some method of securing the camera, you could take one shot focussed on the office interior and one focussed on the scene through the window, then combine the two. STEVE PS - bring on the hydraulics Edited October 13, 2011 by D1059 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arpleymodeller Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 An excellent recreation of Bath Road, well done! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beacon Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 Absolutely excellent. I've really enjoyed seeing this develop and the final photos are really inspiring! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
vac_basher Posted October 14, 2011 Author Share Posted October 14, 2011 Thank you gentlemen. Your support, encouragement, suggestions, and kind words all mean allot me. Thank's so much! D1059 i may be able to do something similar with the photo softwear I have. When I have a bit of time I'll need to check it out. About those hydraulics.... I'll see what I can do. Bath Road open day perhaps? Stay tuned! Now, let me try and get that breakdown train finished.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jules Posted October 15, 2011 Share Posted October 15, 2011 Excellent bit of work Makes me wish I had made a bit more effort to get down there with a camera when i was younger... Certainly beats the weed strewn empty space that exists now Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivercider Posted October 15, 2011 Share Posted October 15, 2011 Some good shots there, especially the low angle ones. Keep trying with the window shots. Also, another vote for some hydraulic action please! cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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