Kirkby Luneside (Original): End of the line....

[jukebox]

Jeff - FYI the photo diorama I used for Northmoor works uses coffee grounds for ground cover.

 

Some say they could be used for modelling the body hair visible under a mankini...

 

Cheers

 

Scott

[Rowsley17D]

Jeff, just had word from Hattons that my Bachy 4F is on it's way.

[Alister_G]

The thread title currently says "The Boys, THE BOYS!"

 

My only response is: My Eyes, MY EYES!

 

I need brain bleach...

 

 

On the subject of sand, when I was looking around for ground cover for my goods yard, one thing I considered were the fine decorative sands available for fish tanks / aquariums. They come in a range of colours including greys and blacks. Might be worth investigating?

 

Just don't get luminous green, OK?

 

Al

[Physicsman]

Jeff, just had word from Hattons that my Bachy 4F is on it's way.

 

That's great news. There are 3 versions - wonder if thet are all released....I need the era 5 (Preserved) version.

 

More locos to play with - YAY!!

 

Jeff

[Physicsman]

The thread title currently says "The Boys, THE BOYS!"

 

My only response is: My Eyes, MY EYES!

 

I need brain bleach...

 

 

On the subject of sand, when I was looking around for ground cover for my goods yard, one thing I considered were the fine decorative sands available for fish tanks / aquariums. They come in a range of colours including greys and blacks. Might be worth investigating?

 

Just don't get luminous green, OK?

 

Al

 

Update: I've done some tests with soft sand this afternoon - the stuff you use to make mortar and put in kids' sand pits. It works very well IF YOU FILTER IT FOR THE FINER PARTICLES.

 

I've tried dyeing some - admittedly it was a DARK green colour when I finished - but it gives a nice, flat, compressed surface - perfect for the cess. I'm just about to dye some more - I'll use a darker grey paint this time. It takes a while to dry, before it can be sieved, so it may be tomorrow morning before I can show some results on here.

 

Jeff

[aberdare]

Hi Jeff

 

Sand is good to use, in real life some of the Culm valley was laid on a sand/ballast mix as it was only a light railway. So that is what I have started to use and like you I always sieve everything I use to get the finest particles, keep up the good work.

 

I spent a bit of time catching up and like the idea of the aqueduct - there was a S&C layout in RM in 2011 with one but they never really showed it, bit of a shame really.  The rock faces in the cuttings, well what can one say, I thought number 1 was OK, 2 was pretty poor but 3 is fantastic, another job well done. Last but not least the stone walling is great and I admire your patience in achieving so much but plenty more to do.

 

I had a old friend round the other week who asked me how my ballast didn't turn green when I added PVA, like you I fill the gaps between sleepers and add the ballast, it seems much easier that way too.

 

 

JIm

[Physicsman]

Hi Jeff

 

Sand is good to use, in real life some of the Culm valley was laid on a sand/ballast mix as it was only a light railway. So that is what I have started to use and like you I always sieve everything I use to get the finest particles, keep up the good work.

 

I spent a bit of time catching up and like the idea of the aqueduct - there was a S&C layout in RM in 2011 with one but they never really showed it, bit of a shame really.  The rock faces in the cuttings, well what can one say, I thought number 1 was OK, 2 was pretty poor but 3 is fantastic, another job well done. Last but not least the stone walling is great and I admire your patience in achieving so much but plenty more to do.

 

I had a old friend round the other week who asked me how my ballast didn't turn green when I added PVA, like you I fill the gaps between sleepers and add the ballast, it seems much easier that way too.

 

 

JIm

 

Evening Jim. Glad you are getting up to speed!

 

Projects on the go since mid-April:

 

Stone walling for walls

Stone walling for aqueduct

Build 2 bridges

Ballast the track

Sort out the cutting walls

 

All taking AGES, but - with feedback from the guys on here - I'm getting there. The cutting walls drove me mad for a while - it was Scott who set me on the right track with his exemplar photos. Stone walls - well, it just takes ages - and plenty more to do.

 

As for the ballasting. This technique was new to me when Gordon S mentioned it.... And there you are, using the same method! Tedious, but the key thing is - it works!

 

Great to have your objective views back on the thread. You, Jason and Michael have been constructively critical throughout - and that is good. The latter 2 have been quiet of late!

 

I've just coloured some more sand - darker this time. It's drying on kitchen towel at the moment. Green ballast - the first ballasting I ever did turned green - probably because it was cheap rubbish!

 

Jeff

[Jason T]

Not often I am called quiet

 

I'm coming round soon Jeff, let's see if you still think I am quiet after that

[robmcg]

The 4F is good news, they had a place nearly everywhere including the S&D  found this yesterday, look how tidy the ballast is...

 

 

 

[Physicsman]

The 4F is good news, they had a place nearly everywhere including the S&D  found this yesterday, look how tidy the ballast is...

 

4F_Maunsells_midford_1a_r800.jpg

 

Yes, and look how CLEAN the ballast is!

 

Jeff

[uax6]

The thing we need to remember about those shots are these:

 

1) The track is flatbottomed, but fishplated not welded, so not requiring ballast shoulders

 

2) There was probably still a lengthman and gang that was responsible for a short section, and still took pride in keeping it nice,

 

3) I doubt there was much mechanisasion, so the cess was kept clean and tidy to walk along,

 

4) things were being done on the cheap like now!

 

Cracking photo!

 

Andy G

[robmcg]

Yes, and look how CLEAN the ballast is!

 

Jeff

 

Ah, but the S&D in those later years didn't carry the freight etc with steam the way the S&C did? Besides, you will find prototypes for almost anything.

 

S&D ballast was almost UN-NATURALLY clean. Did you end up looking at that photo book of the Last 10 Years of BR Steam?

[Andrew P]

Morning all,cracking 4f pic by the way, one thing that you all forgot is LITTER look at any trackside now and it is disgusting.

 

Had my morning rant, now I am off to pack some more boxes.

 

Bodgit   

[Physicsman]

Ah, but the S&D in those later years didn't carry the freight etc with steam the way the S&C did? Besides, you will find prototypes for almost anything.

 

S&D ballast was almost UN-NATURALLY clean. Did you end up looking at that photo book of the Last 10 Years of BR Steam?

 

I bought a copy of the book. Magnificent photos. Plenty of S&C, too!

 

Jeff

[uax6]

Litter, well suggested Andy. Cat litter must be usable too, it should grind down in a mortar and pestle to dust....

 

Andy G

[ChrisN]

The 4F is good news, they had a place nearly everywhere including the S&D  found this yesterday, look how tidy the ballast is...

 

4F_Maunsells_midford_1a_r800.jpg

 

The ballast on this pictures is looking good, they nearly have done it as good as yours Jeff.

[beast66606]

I'm still watching your progress, and it's looking very good.

[Physicsman]

The ballast on this pictures is looking good, they nearly have done it as good as yours Jeff.

 

I'm still watching your progress, and it's looking very good.

 

Cheers lads.... Problem is, it may be TOO neat! Wait until the weeds start growing!

 

Jeff

[Physicsman]

Here are a couple of pics showing the modified cess - using the sand that I've filtered and coloured. The ballast edging may have to be adjusted in places.

 

 

 

 

Colouring the sand with grey has produced a brown-green colour - it's greener to the eye than in the photos. For comparison, here's a bag of Woodland Scenics "Earth Blend" fine turf - the colours are similar (again, more similar to the eye than in the photo)...

 

 

More sand undergoing "treatment" at the moment.

 

Jeff

Edited August 15, 2013 by Physicsman

[Jason T]

That is an odd colour

 

Re: the two sidings coming off the branch platform, it may be a bit late now (oops) but would they not be sat in ash ballast rather than being properly ballasted? For the life of me, I can't think why the PW dept would bother to ballast two sidings?

 

It's your fault Jeff, you said I was being quiet

[Physicsman]

That is an odd colour

 

Re: the two sidings coming off the branch platform, it may be a bit late now (oops) but would they not be sat in ash ballast rather than being properly ballasted? For the life of me, I can't think why the PW dept would bother to ballast two sidings?

 

It's your fault Jeff, you said I was being quiet

 

Yes, it's like a dry clay-soil colour to me.

 

It's the texture I'm bothered about. I can always darken the ground a bit at a later stage!

 

Quiet may have been the wrong adjective now I think about it!

 

Jeff

[gordon s]

With regard to sand, I've used kiln dried sand and it fits the bill.  It's a product available from builders merchants and is very fine sand used for dry filling the gaps in paving blocks.  Spread on PVA, pour on the sand and hoover up the excess.  A quick spray with an airbrush and judge for yourself....

 

Far from finished, but at least you can judge the difference in size.

 

 

 

 

 

[Andrew P]

Nice job Gordon and as should be expected, it is spot on and the most realistic I have seen for a long long while, well done and thanks for the inspiration.

 

Bodgit

[Andrew P]

Hi Jeff, I hate to say it but Jason is right about the sidings, Bar B Q ash would work well or use the sand and as Gordon says Air Brush it a DARK GREY, but not Black as that would be too dark and stark.

 

Bodgit

[Physicsman]

Hi Jeff, I hate to say it but Jason is right about the sidings, Bar B Q ash would work well or use the sand and as Gordon says Air Brush it a DARK GREY, but not Black as that would be too dark and stark.

 

Bodgit

 

Hi Andy.

 

Re. the ballasting of the sidings....the maintenance crew had spare capacity and ballasted them, as per the branch. Too late to change now, so Rule 1 applies.

 

As for the cess - that's not a problem. The photos show the base colour that resulted from colouring - attempting to!! - the sand. The sand has now been painted a dark grey....I've been messing in the bunker for the last couple of hours. Photos later today!

 

Jeff