6 x 1 Diarama - Winter Setting

[cambo74]

Hi Guys,

Well winter is here (supposedly) and I am struggling to get excited about Strathbridge ....................

Therefore I have decided to do a little Diorama 6 ft x 1 ft which I will use to practice my scenery construction but also to photograph locos - this is an excuse to put a simple layout together just a double track layout with one crossover and I also intend to add overhead cables.

I intend to model the scene as a Winter Wnderland and have ordered a wintery backscene to add to the diorama and them after painting and ballasting it - will give it a good coating of 'snow'.

The diaorame will be in no paricular region or era so it will give me a chance to model what i like when I like so if a model is released that is not BR BLue and Scottish Region but I like it - then this is my answer !!!!

So far I have laid the track and boxed in the sides and back - the diorama can be extended either side if I wish and at the left side will be a foot bridge heading to the mond which runs along the back of the layout and to the right will be a road bridge - this allows scenic breaks at both ends and if I add anoter 6 x 1 board, then I can start a new scene with ease.

here's some pics :






Ben

[cambo74]

Well fitted the backscene today and added the formers ready to start the bank accross the back of the layout.

Here's a few pics :








Ben

Well I finally had a go at some scenery today on the diarama and this involved me and the girls folding up lots of newspaper and cramming into the formers to create the scenic hill or mound that runs along the back of the layout. Here's some pics :





All covered in masking tape and awaiting plaster cloth to go on top of it and painting - the girls want to help me paint it next weekend - I may politely decline !!!!!

Then its on with the snow and fixing the ends to either a tunnel or a footbridge - am undecided yet but open to ideas. Then finally the OHLE to be added and Bob's yer uncle as the say .... I'm sure it wont be as easy as that !!!

Ben

[shreives]

I really like the wintery theme. I will be watching with interest. Are you using the woodland scenics snow ?

Stuart

[cambo74]

Yeah am gonna try that one - will loosely paint the mound and add some foliage then cover majority of it with the snow

[westerner]

Looking out of the window at the moment it couldn't be more apt.

[lash]

Really like this,imaginative ,simple and achievable

[cambo74]

Think I will add a second layer tomorrow - then a rough cover of green paint, some lichen and some walling as well as marking out a footpath then it's the footbridge and whatever I decide to put at the right hand side exit and then on with the snow - oh and the catenary masts and wires to add.

Ok plaster cloth done - surprisingly easy !!

Now question - would you paint the mound it leave it white ?? I aim to put some lichen down and fashion a pathway across the top of it but bearing in mind it'll be snow covered would you paint it green ??

[Black Sheep]

On my spring layout I have painted the plaster brown before applying scenic materials so that what, if any, of the plaster shows through is brown as though it's a bit of earth or a muddy patch, this also had the effect of toning down the scenic material nicely.

 

I would think this approach would be appropriate for snow, that way, anything showing through will look like a mixture of grass and earth

 

or were you not bothering with static grass, just some lichen to give the impression of bushes and undergrowth?

 

if so, I'd paint it brown, then go over it with green, allowing the brush to run out of paint here and there so that it looks like an attempt at painting a grassy bank that has had a herd of sheep trample across it before applying the snow.

[Steve Williams]

Any rough grass may well be a straw-like tone as it tends to die back somewhat in the winter.

[Removed a/c]

I would paint it brown first, then add patches of green paint then add some dead coloured flock and then finally snow. 

[cambo74]

Thanks guys - so the general consensus is to paint it brown then.  As you've said - snow never completely covers everything so some patches of earth / lichen / bushes showing through would make sense.

 

Will get on to it asap.

 

Have bought some black paint to paint the rear and sides of the layout to make it look a bit more 'exhibition' style - if you know what i mean

 

Ben

[Crisis Rail]

Thanks guys - so the general consensus is to paint it brown then.  As you've said - snow never completely covers everything so some patches of earth / lichen / bushes showing through would make sense.

 

Will get on to it asap.

 

Have bought some black paint to paint the rear and sides of the layout to make it look a bit more 'exhibition' style - if you know what i mean

 

Ben

 

Ben

 

Try spraying it with cans available from Homebase - build up gradually - much better smooth finish than a brush.

 

Looking a good project - the backscene is the excellent International / ID ones I take it? - they do a snow "scatter" I think.

 

Ian

[cambo74]

The backscene isindeed from ID backscenes and looks great - i use them for all my backscenes and they really have a good choice.

 

As the paint is only on the rear of the diarama and wont relly be seen I think i'll brush it this time - tho i have also bought a small roller to save time ........

[cambo74]

Ok so, plaster cloth done and have one painted the frame black to make it look semi professional !!!



Next I have kit bashed and old triang footbridge using wills girder plates and taking off the far side of the existing footbridge and extending it - I have now primed it and will try to make it suitably weathered and rusty. Here's a few pics of the bridge and then of it in situ .......







Next task is to paint the mound brown and then add some foliage and drill the holes for the OHLE, ballast the track and add some more line side detailing then await the next snowfall - if only if been quicker I could have just put the layout outside and let nature take its courses- sadly it's all melted now !

Ben

[cambo74]

Bit more work done today - painted the mound in scalescenics undercoat and also drilled the holes for the catenary masts :






May or may not give it another coat of paint but will add scatter and lichen before dusting with snow. Then it's ballasting and adding the scenic detailing.

Quite pleased with it so far though..

[rob D2]

Yes looking good !

How will you do snow between the tracks ?

[cromptonnut]

A little tip for you to consider. 

Use "daylight" bulbs for lighting - but using a "cool blue" theatrical filter gel/acetate at an appropriate distance away.  That'll illuminate it but give a "cold" look that shows up the details but fools the eye into it feeling cold.  Done effectively it can almost make you want to shiver even on a summers day!

 

You may find better results with appropriate long life bulbs or tubes, rather than the heat generated by normal filament bulbs.

 

Alternatives are available but this is the first cool blue gel I found on Ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Theatre-DJ-Lighting-Colour-Filter-Gel-Rosco-66-Cool-Blue-Supergel-/370584761948?pt=UK_Sound_Vision_Other&hash=item564892b65c

[cambo74]

Re ; the snow on the tracks ... I'm not sure yet, i'm making this up as I go along !!!

[298]

A little tip for you to consider. 

Use "daylight" bulbs for lighting - but using a "cool blue" theatrical filter gel/acetate at an appropriate distance away.  That'll illuminate it but give a "cold" look that shows up the details but fools the eye into it feeling cold.  Done effectively it can almost make you want to shiver even on a summers day!

 

You may find better results with appropriate long life bulbs or tubes, rather than the heat generated by normal filament bulbs.

 

Alternatives are available but this is the first cool blue gel I found on Ebay http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Theatre-DJ-Lighting-Colour-Filter-Gel-Rosco-66-Cool-Blue-Supergel-/370584761948?pt=UK_Sound_Vision_Other&hash=item564892b65c

 

Alternatively, use a mix of cool white and blue LED strips, also from eBay.

 

I'd also consider relaying the track on a thin roadbed with chamfered edges, as this will make it easier to create a more authentic looking ballast profile. The pedant in me noticed the masts are for plain track as there aren't any with double arms for the pointwork, but one obvious excuse would be to have it as an un-wired emergency crossover, with a small lever frame and signpost nearby.

[cambo74]

Done a bit more tonight - have painted the mound brown - not too fancily but enough to show through in areas when the snow is added - also started ballasting and added the wire for the footpath at the bottom of the footbridge. Here's some photos :







Also, I picked up this handy device from my local model shop - it's per wired fishplates which do away with the Hornby monstrosity that I used as a power track before. Just clips into any piece of track and away you go. I think it cost about £2 !



Hopefully get the ballasting finished this weekend and then will carry on with the scenic section - really enjoying this and a welcome break from planning and building strathbridge mark whatever it is - actually it doesn't exist any more as I took all the track up ! But this diorama has really given me my buzz back and got me enjoying modelling ad actually seeing an end result !!
 

[cambo74]

Well where to start .......

Had a cracking evening in the loft tonight and rely cracked on ........

Finished the initial ballasting (appreciate this will need tidying up once dried) :





Then I had a brainwave about the other end of the layout ... Good old Hornby girder bridge :




Finally I decided to use the Hornby Cotswold stone wall across the top of the hill :





Also had a try out with the model mates snow ..... Seems ok to use and the best thing is that it is wipe clean so if I go too wrong I can correct it ! It produces a fine covering if you press gently and a thicker covering if you press the nozzle fully - gonna be trial and error but we're not far off it now ..........

As always all comments welcome

Ben

[cambo74]

Well I went up to the loft last night to clean the rails after ballasting and to try out my new power clip gizmo and .... success !!!!

Then I couldnt resist a few action shots - 37s anyone ?????







Then roughly draped the viessmann overhead wires that arrived :




Then another 37 came along - renumbered and front headlight removed from 37057 to 37004 ....

[cromptonnut]

A tip before you apply the snow to the ground.

 

Be careful about colour run

 

I used diluted PVA once brushed over some ground foam scatter that had been previously stuck down, to sprinkle snow on to the top of it so it would stick.

 

The next morning, it was dry, but the snow had turned blue as the dye came out of the foam.  You may find the same happening to your brown paint so it might be worth doing a mock up somewhere to see if it runs.

The woodlands scenic scenic cement glue didn't run, by the way.

[cambo74]

Fret not - i shall be using model mates snow spray - so hopefully I wont have that issue but thanks for the heads up ..................

 

Few more bits to do yet before we get to the snow ........

 

Ben

[cambo74]

Well I finally had chance to go up in the loft and do a bit more work on the diorama.

Tonight I drilled a couple of holes to thread the power leads from the track - really tidied it up, then I attached all to catenary masts properly and tightened the bolts on them under the baseboard. The Hornby aws box and hut arrived and this was duly positioned. Finally I touched up some of the ballasting where small bits had not been covered or not stuck properley.

Today I had a little package from a certain Scouse railway emporium arrive - a couple of motor vehicles and some permanent way workers to start detailing the scene. Here's a couple of picks :

Good old BR era :



Then up to date Network Rail era :



I think this is the advantage of this type of dioramas - with no region or era, I can run what I want !!! But no green diesels oh no how yucky - lol !

Ben