Ben Alder Posted October 29, 2012 Author Share Posted October 29, 2012 My first look-in for over a week. Re. post 289. The angle of picture 3 - which you've shown previously at an earlier stage - with the track curving away, is just about my favourite. As for the static grass, well photo 4 of that post just shows it to be "right". Agree with Jason - fantastic. Fencing, backscene... So many things to enjoy. I must seem like a parrot as I'm always trotting out the same stuff! What's the fencing on that pic, Richard? Is it Ratio stuff (the post and wire bit). Cheers, Jeff Thanks, fencing is indeed the Ratio one, with brass wire strands- hopelessly over scale but indestructable when leant on, and a recycle from the last layout. They need some more vegetation around the base but meet the balance between visually acceptable and time consuming and fragile that we/I always seem to come up against. Here is another shot of some, taken as a trial of some of the terminus grassing. And another of the Helmsdale box, with the solitary signal included. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Physicsman Posted October 29, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 29, 2012 Thanks Richard. The wire strands may be over-scale, but that maintains their rigidity and, again, they look "right". Which "species" of static fibres did you find worked best with your Grassmaster? I don't suppose the type really matters, but I'm asking this question as I'll be playing with said gizmo next year when I start my landscapes. Cheers, Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Alder Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 The grass was a mixture of lengths and types according to the part of the layout being done, but here is a shot of the different grasses used- and the mixture used for the terminus embankment- I have now given Thurso its top coat, and am musing about what to do next here. The embankment was quite heavily vegetated, even in steam days, as can be seen in this 1962/3 view, but as I have retained the signal box I cannot see this amount of growth being tolerated as it severely restricts vision from the box, so I suspect I am going to leave it with a grassy slope rather than the wildwood that appears in the photo. It is far more overgrown now, on both sides of the cutting, as can be seen from this shot I took a couple of months ago. Of course, I didn't bother with one showing the other side A few pics showing the cover as is; I used a longer mix for this part of the layout, and finished it off with some of the 12mm Noch grasses in places, but getting these to stay upright is a bit hit and miss, I've found. Work in progress can be seen- a section of ground was covered with Deluxe Tacky glue and grass was puffed on as required. A couple of evenings saw this done, alongside some other scenic pottering- gorse bushes and some more plastering to hide gaps that had evaded the previous session. In the two with the Grassmaster at work, a darker green can be seen under the wet glue/scattermix. This is acrylic paint I had blobbed on before, and when the glue was applied, it spread out, giving a darker shade to some parts of the greenery. This one of the bridge shows the longer grasses applied to hide any gap between ground cover and the stonework. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Physicsman Posted October 30, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 30, 2012 Richard, once again I'm grateful for the (literally) well-illustrated answer, including the demonic-looking Grassmaster itself. I'm definitely going to get one of those - your efforts by themself have convinced me of the value of the device. The second picture in your last post looks just like the stuff I cut off my lawn, so it's testimony to the quality of the "grass" fibres. The third picture had me fooled for a second. I didn't recognise the "backscene", then realised it was the real thing! Cheers, Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam*45110*SVR Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 Thanks for the track plan, great to see it coming together so well and I can't believe the speed you're doing it ! Thanks, Sam Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Alder Posted November 4, 2012 Author Share Posted November 4, 2012 Well, things are just about at a stage where I can start to think about different aspects of the layout- I have covered all the green areas with enough grasses to be going on with, and while I might add some extra layering, this is something that can be done at my leisure. It has been an interesting year for me, managing to create a new layout at a consistent rate considerably in excess of anything I've managed previously, and makes me wonder what more I could have done over the years if I had applied myself a bit more. Still, there is much yet to do on the layout- a good clean of the room is overdue, and the track has to be cleaned up and checked, although I have been doing some sporadic running/testing, and everything seems to have survived the landscaping. There is also a bit of work to do on the control panel to get it fully switched for the hand held controllers, and much touching up of bits of unpainted blobs that manage to escape every session of the paintbrush. However, a few more shots of the last of the grassing, and some of the layout as of now- they are perhaps repeats of some taken earlier in the build, but now have most of what I wanted done. It is still lifeless, but this will be sorted soonish- you want enough about/going on to show that the stations are working, but not to overdo things- Helmsdale esp. was a fairly quiet place apart from the loco depot for large periods of the day. The approach to Helmsdale has now some gorse bushes.. The walls of the cuttings into the embankment at the terminus have been given some extra growth to blur the edges, and there is also some greenery around the buildings. A warts and all shot of the overbridge to the station. And a few general views of Thurso as I have interpreted it in the space available. Lastly, a modelling aid I came across recently -it has proved useful when checking awkward corners, but I have been told that it is not to be seen outside the railway room! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmsforever Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 That looks great and just like the real place ,not much clutter adds to the overall view ,look forward to more posts on progress. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Portchullin Tatty Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 Its looking really good Richard; I love this view in particular. I think I am with your wife on the comments regarding the modelling tool though................. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Alder Posted November 12, 2012 Author Share Posted November 12, 2012 Focus of attention this last week has been tidying up the mess under the baseboards that accumulated during the build, and with this done, and the rediscovery of a floor covering that needs a good scrub, I have started putting in the point rodding. I had forgotten what a chore I find this task, and mine is a relatively simple set up, but it does make a visual impact. More on this when there is something to show, but I have also been doing some alterations to the Helmsdale platform finish. It got a coat originally of the same paint I used on The Mound- a light grey to give an impression of the sandy/ gritty original- and a second going over was put off for some time, but trial photos showed that this finish didn't come over at all well, so having examined some contemporary pics of the North line, I went for a deeper shade that matched that of Georgemas at the time. All this is subjective, of course, dependent on an uncertain mixture of none too reliable colour emulsions and variations in magazine/book print finishes, and at the end of the day is hardly important in the greater scheme of things, but it keeps modellers busy Anyway, a couple of shots to show what I came up against, with some more of it now- ignore the jaunty platform seat BTW- now fixed. -and with the new surface One or two shed shots- there is still much tidying to do, and I felt that a Black Five was overdue a visit. You can tell by the dust that it hasn't run for a while.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted November 12, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 12, 2012 The layout is coming on wonderfully it is going to be a real winner. Regarding your modelling tool. I have a large pair of glasses which were meant for soldering enabling me to see what I am doing and protecting my eyes. Needless to say I sometimes leave them on or pick them up instead of my normal ones much to Marion's disgust. Rather like my old gardening shoes which I put on to take something outto the wastebin then forgot and wore them to work. Don Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pengel Posted November 13, 2012 Share Posted November 13, 2012 Hello Everybody and hello Ben, the layout Ben shows here is wounderful. I love it to see how it growes up and the way he build it. I follow this topic for a long time, of course I am a big fan of the FNL and stay often at Helmsdale by friends. I travel the route many times and are very interesstet in the hole story from the beginning untill now. Everytime when I am up north I visit the Helmsdale station and try to look around. But that is not so easy.... untill I read about the rest of the turntable, I didn't realise that there is still the "hollow?" of it. @Ben, I have a small question: I know that you don't build the main building in case of not enough space. When I watch all your pictures I thought that there is something wrong. After a while I came on it. The footbridge looks wrong. The steeps must go to the other side. Did you change it for a better looking? Here you see a snapshot from my last visit in september. On the left side the up north to Wick / Thourso and right side to Inverness. Taken at the 20.09.2012 9.47am And a other question. What kind of vehicle I have photograph here. Same date and time as above That are fast taken pictures befor I hop on the train to Inverness. Sorry for my bad english.... regards from Germany Sven .Edit: Make the photos visible Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Alder Posted November 14, 2012 Author Share Posted November 14, 2012 Hello Pengel, and welcome to the forum. I am pleased you like the layout build- I have tried to capture the idea of Helmsdale in the space I have, and went for a more open scene at the north end of the layout rather than fill all the room with platform, which is what would have happened if I modelled the station building as well. The footbridge was turned around after trials both ways,as I felt it was more pleasing to the eye with the steps acting as a lead in to the brdige, and also meant that it could be sited a couple of inches nearer the backscene to help disguise the lack of platform/building. None of these buildings are fixed down, to allow access to the track behind the backscene, and can be rearranged, so I took a couple of pics to show the difference. Due to the platform construction it would be difficult to cut foundation holes for them, so any"good" pictures will probably have any gaps filled by an editing programme . While I am at this part of the layout, here is a shot of checking the platform finish against a colour reference- Helmsdale on the left and Georgemas on the right. Helmsdale is an attractive small village, with a harbour and some well built houses- established mainly by the Duke of Sutherland as part of his resettlement and industrialisation schemes, and is more or less the frontier between the lush east Sutherland coast and the bare inlands and the Caithness hills and dales that defeated any real attempt to extend the railway up the coast, and your pictures give a good impression of it. It is now a fraction of what it was as a railway, when it was an important change-over point with its attendant facilities, and in Highland terms, a hive of activity several times a day. In common with much of the present railway, the current vegetation is far more excessive than in steam days, and the few remains of the shed area are beyond the 158 on the left, but the track vehicle- no idea what it is, I'm afraid- is sitting on/in the site of the goods shed. Thanks for these- I was toying with much the same idea, but then realised that I didn't have any taken recently of here, so this has saved me a trip Lastly, another one of the Black Five from the other day, showing the whole loco. There was often one here, either as a change-over engine or to work one of the Helmsdale/ Inverness turns that lasted till the end of steam- both passenger and freight trains sometimes were operated this way, giving lots of modelling scope for a small station layout. The loco is a Hornby one that has had some cosmetic work done on it, mostly invisible in this shot, although the others show it more readily. What I did has been covered in a couple of chapters in my blog, but the most visible aspects are the opening out of the area under the smokebox door, replacement of the bogie wheels and filling in the cylinder ends to avoid the cut out Hornby left on the original model. These modifications turn what was a good model ten years ago into a most pleasing example of staple Scottish steam of the Fifties and early sixties. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmsforever Posted November 15, 2012 Share Posted November 15, 2012 The layout is realy looking good ,like the Black Five and the detail work also the tablet exchanger on the cab ,dont worry about the dust, in real life they had far worse than dust on them! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pengel Posted November 20, 2012 Share Posted November 20, 2012 Hello Ben, thanks for your answer. Oh yes, when I look at the old pictures of the station and then see it today...... The siding looks still in use. Last year there standing 3 flatcar in it. Sorry, no picture. It looks that there is still a maintenace group has his storage place. THe picture with your book bring me to another question. Is there any good book about the FNL at the marktet? It is a little bit difficult for me to have a overfew about english books. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Alder Posted November 22, 2012 Author Share Posted November 22, 2012 There is not really a good single colour album of the Far North line in steam days, although it features in most of the various books around, usually in small doses, and it is a case of accumulating a collection of these in order to have some references. There are guides to most of them in this post- http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/39742-useful-reference-books/- which should help, but unfortunately this part of the railway was dieselised by 1961, and good colour shots are scarce compared to those other bits of Scotland that retained steam for some more years. Lots of good diesel -era pics about, esp. once the Class 37's appeared, which can be handy for buildings, etc. but you have to be careful with regard to undergrowth and track weathering and the like, as much changed over the years. Helmsdale is still a PW base, and has some unusual track vehicles around, as can be seen in Pengel's photos, but the days of them being pulled by an elderly 0-6-0 are gone I'm afraid....... I have been putting in a representation of point rodding this last whiles, and a tedious task it is too, but now am at the final stages of weathering and fitting connections to points- all cosmetic, and I daresay any S&T expert will have apoplexy at my efforts, but its all part of the overall picture rather than a model in itself, so does me... Some shots- the rodding is still being finished off, but does give the signal box a purpose now. 54398 being prepared for the off on shed. And a couple of Helmsdale- an empty shed, and a Caley 0-6-0 waiting its next turn. The Kadee is horribly obvious, and one of my projects is to go back to full Sprat and Winkle operation, which as a single ended usage is far less obtrusive. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 You've made a convincing job of colouring some of those sleepers and rails. Lovely scenics. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pengel Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 @ Ben thanks for the link..... that helps. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew P Posted November 23, 2012 Share Posted November 23, 2012 Hi Richard I havn't visited here for a couple of weeks and it is good to play catch up. Firstly that ststion and footbridge look so good, I think it is all the little add on buildings that make it stand out, a lesson for me here. Secondly that Black 5, well what can I say, I have a Scottish one and I will stick ot on Glen Roy later and and have a play whoops RUN,. Thirdly your backdrops are stunning, I have seen them used quite a lot lately and what a difference thay make, they seem to enhance EVERY layout they are on so well done again. Finally your grass, I think I have made two mistakes in the past, firstly I have bought CHEAP, both in the grass and the applicator, and secondly I have used SHORT grass, which is fine for a lawn but not good for embankments etc. so another lesson learned there then. Thanks again Richard for some greatly inspiring photos, and instructive text. Cheers and all the best Andy. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Alder Posted November 23, 2012 Author Share Posted November 23, 2012 You've made a convincing job of colouring some of those sleepers and rails. Lovely scenics. Cheers, Coach- scenics have come on leaps and bounds these last few years, and were one of the reasons I wanted to have another go at a layout. The sleeper weathering is not yet finished in places and is going to be revisited sometime. I used acrylics for this and,TBH, should have stuck with enamels I think, as I found that the paint didn't grab to the plastic well. Thirdly your backdrops are stunning, I have seen them used quite a lot lately and what a difference thay make, they seem to enhance EVERY layout they are on so well done again. Cheers and all the best Andy. I know I keep banging on about the backscenes, but they are an essential part of this build, and to my mind, give a sense of place to the layout here. They are a versatile offering, and as you say, fit in to all sorts of locations. A couple more from the last shoot- the signal arm needs adjusting, but then that's what these snaps are for Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Alder Posted November 25, 2012 Author Share Posted November 25, 2012 As an aside from the trackwork, I dug out the boxes that hold the remains of the old layout with a view to sorting out what could be transferred to the current build, and what could stay in storage- thinking now of what might be needed to populate the layout. I don't want to over egg the pudding here, as it is hardly a bustling area, but some activity will be happening. One or two have been plonked down and photographed to see how they looked, so here they are- all the figures have brass wire extensions to their soles, so can be moved around as the whim takes me. Anyway, some familiar faces from the old layout have shifted to new depots....... And as a sideline, it has been a successful week trawling the web, managing to get hold of two Caley 812's to add to the goods roster. Both have been somewhat indifferently put together, but are glued, so should come apart easily enough. The "chassis" as supplied are there, but this is going to be another Bachmann pannier job. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted November 25, 2012 Share Posted November 25, 2012 Tuttut, shame on you Mr.Alder portraying the 1950s British working men as standing around doing now't when everyone knows he was grafting away for export...... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Rannoch Moor Posted November 25, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 25, 2012 Richard, Do enjoy these 2 812s. It might stop some of the hand wringing and squabbling on another thread running on here if you post pics of the completed items...! All looking great too, Gus Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Alder Posted November 27, 2012 Author Share Posted November 27, 2012 Tuttut, shame on you Mr.Alder portraying the 1950s British working men as standing around doing now't when everyone knows he was grafting away for export...... Tea break time, or perhaps judging by the weather, a glorious June morning, and waiting for the rest of the gang to turn up- it is hardly dark at all here mid-summer...... Richard, Do enjoy these 2 812s. It might stop some of the hand wringing and squabbling on another thread running on here if you post pics of the completed items...! All looking great too, Gus I don't think anything I say would have any effect on some opinions around on the thread in question- I'm not even a finescale modeller in some eyes, so I'll just bodge away in my own fashion quietly..... They have been stripped, and obligingly fell apart as well, and no doubt I'll put a build chapter on the blog- which has been sadly neglected this last year, but I hope to do updates now the build work has reached a point where I can turn my attentions elsewhere. The last few nights have been spent tidying up and patch painting, and I think I'll take a break from the layout until Xmas, and then have a session finishing off the control panel and making sure everything still goes- there have been short plays, but I haven't had the loops and stations working together since the scenery was put in place, and one or two point motors at the small workbench have had a knock or two, and need adjusting. I think I might tackle my two 16xx's next, just for a change. Watch this space!....... Anyway, some shots taken tonight as part of the checking as you go series, and which I didn't delete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted November 28, 2012 Share Posted November 28, 2012 Lovely stuff, Richard! Backscene works perfectly too... Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted November 28, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 28, 2012 I find it necessary to keep checking things work. Firstly you can ungum anything before it sets too hard but mainly I just love watching things run up and down. You must be a neater worker than me and your results are superb. Don Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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