Steadfast Posted February 14, 2014 Author Share Posted February 14, 2014 (edited) Cheers, I'll do my best to be speedier with the next one. To be honest the hard standing and road is getting there, it's just been a slow process of fill, sand, repeat. As you can see in the background, old Robin of Templecombe is just about ready for weathering, too, after some work last week. It'll be nice to finally finish it. Thanks Graham,m I have the coming week if work so hopefully I can clear the junk off the layout and get cracking! Anyway, it's GTA online o clock now! jo Edited February 14, 2014 by ewsjo 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steadfast Posted February 18, 2014 Author Share Posted February 18, 2014 Evening all, A shot showing the extent of the concrete hard standing. The white strips on the ground are to hold the building, it's a tight fit over these, to hold the edges straight as I referred to previously. The building has had lighting added, it's just some strips of Evergreen (1x1mm I think) painted in two shades of grey. Simple but effective I think. jo 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rods_of_Revolution Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 The lights look quite effective, I looked at the picture before reading the text and I'd see you'd added lights, though I didn't realise they were are as simple to make as they were! Cheers, Jack Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David41283 Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 I've been looking forward for this one to reappear. This is one of the layouts which inspired mine. (for inspired read I nicked the main idea) Have followed this topic, and will enjoy developments. David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steadfast Posted February 18, 2014 Author Share Posted February 18, 2014 The lights were produced with this http://www.amazon.co.uk/Multi-Angle-Craft-Hobby-Guillotine/dp/B00BXFQISY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1392717704&sr=8-1&keywords=Multi+angle+guillotine At that price it's well worth getting one! So much easier than knife and ruler, then trying to file the end square etc. I've seen these on sale for over £15! I'm pleasantly surprised at how well the lights have come out, they definitely help make the building look less bland jo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shreives Posted February 18, 2014 Share Posted February 18, 2014 hi jo its coming along nicely i am watching your progress on this. great work so far. looking forward to seeing more pictures stuart 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steadfast Posted February 18, 2014 Author Share Posted February 18, 2014 Thanks Stuart, There's a nod to the layout's heritage and previous name in the street sign for the road at the right hand end of the layout I also bought a Woodland scenic tree kit in the local model shop the other day so I can start planning the scenic fill - ins, despite being a way off actually creating them it lets me plan ahead a bit jo 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steadfast Posted September 29, 2014 Author Share Posted September 29, 2014 Well it's been a while, I seem to have suffered the same disappearing mojo as most other people on here! The good news is it's returned and looking at the stock I own, common sense has prevailed and the layout is moving a fair chunk south, as well as bit west! More soon! jo 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanks522 Posted September 29, 2014 Share Posted September 29, 2014 Hi Jo, Glad to see things are on the go, look forward to more updates. One quick question, what do you use to create the signage? I'l need to do something similar. Cheers Graham. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steadfast Posted September 29, 2014 Author Share Posted September 29, 2014 (edited) Hi Graham, It's all done in Photoshop. I create a new file the dimensions that I need at 600 dpi then work from there. I'm always saving high resolution logos etc when I see them on websites in a folder for this kind of work. I tend to have a photo of a real sign as a background layer to "trace" over so the proportions look right. The photo usually needs a little perspective correction. It should be possible with any photo editing type software, if you need any tips or anything just let me know jo Edited September 29, 2014 by ewsjo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steadfast Posted November 5, 2014 Author Share Posted November 5, 2014 Well in the time I should have been tidying and sorting some stuff out over the last few weeks, work on the layout shot ahead! I had planned to leave the lower level pretty much untouched, with just the addition of some signal trunking (bought on impulse at an exhibition!) and higher tunnel mouths to clear the overhead wires. Digging pathways through the ballast sort of ended in disaster, with the neat channels for the trunking not exactly happening...in fact some areas looked more like a crater than a neat excavation. So I bit the bullet and did the whole lot. Yes it'll mean reballasting, which will probably take a while, but at least I should in theory get nice neat ballasting around the cable runs. You'll also see the previously installed Hornby (I think) resin cast walking has been removed. I quite liked this if I'm honest, and the design matched some of my Birmingham inspiration quite well. However, I had trouble matching plastic brickwork to it, and it would've needed repainting to engineers blue brick for that setting, so I managed to remove it, initially to repaint. Anyway, long story short, I ended up knocking together something in plastic while watching tv the other day and it solves my matching plastic tunnel mouths to the cast walls. This will get completely painted off the layout, then dropped in pre ballast laying. Much easier than trying to do it in place on the layout. So, other than the bits highlighted already, just in front of the 56 in the second photo I have added orange cable piping between the sleepers, which (in the real world) are carrying cabling from the signal to the cable troughing, which will have some location cabinets installed alongside where the 56 is. I'm also in the process of knocking up the yellow 'mushrooms' that appear lineside, that I think are to do with axle counters. I'll do a photo when they're a bit more progressed, because white plastic doesn't photograph too well! All this hardware will go in, then ballast will be laid around them to bed them all in. jo 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloucester Road Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Coming along nicely. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanks522 Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Very nice Jo, Much more spacious and better suited to OHLE, Look forward to more progress. Graham. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steadfast Posted November 5, 2014 Author Share Posted November 5, 2014 Thanks for the comments guys. I'm not sure how much the white plastic contributes to making it look spacious, a bit like painting a room a light colour! With the change of location to South Wales, OHLE is a thing of the past. My gut feeling was that it did make the short cutting a bit cluttered if I'm honest now I look back, but the Farish Desiro is a lovely model. If my head rules my heart, I'll be flogging the Desiro and the LM 170 to fund some Arriva DMUs. South Wales just made so much more sense with the bulk of my rolling stock jo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steadfast Posted January 27, 2015 Author Share Posted January 27, 2015 (edited) Now the Calne show is out the way with Embankment Road, here's a small update on the 'Welsh wonder'. Yesterday I sprayed up the retaining wall. It's got several layers of paint before the airbrushing went on. Grey primer, Humbrol sand wash, Railmatch roof dirt (dry brushed leaving sand coloured mortar), then dry brushing of black and frame dirt to add tones in the shadows and a brown patina lower down the wall. Black shadowing was airbrushed on either side of the abutments, in the corners and as exhaust dirt above the tracks, before a general misting of roof dirt. Natural light shows the subtleties best, but I think it may have become just a little too subtle... I'm happy with the colour though, nice representation of the dark brick used from Wootton Bassett west right through South Wales jo Edited January 27, 2015 by ewsjo 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 Hi Jo, Any updates on the layout? Oli Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steadfast Posted April 2, 2015 Author Share Posted April 2, 2015 Hi Oli, Not had much chance for any work lately, the layout is tidied away for now but I'm tempted to set it back up soon. Time has been a bit limited with a new job, but it has provided me with plenty of inspiration of things to add and being around wagons all day you notice things you've never noticed before! jo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steadfast Posted August 31, 2015 Author Share Posted August 31, 2015 I've dusted off the, erm, dust from the layout and have started work on it again. Having painted the plastic that forms the road section many months ago, I drummed up the courage to put in the cut outs needed to mount the bridge and parapets on it. The bridge was then painted, a rough coat of flint grey enamel. This then had weathering powders worked in whilst tacky before adding dark washes to blend it all together. A lot of the old bridges around Newport are this sort of colour. The kerbstones were masked up and sprayed in grey primer. After this road markings were added with yellow and white watercolour pencils. This had the benefit that any slips or soft edges could be removed and tidied up with a damp paintbrush jo 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shreives Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Excellent stuff there jo its really coming together look forward to more updates. Stuart Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanks522 Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Very nice Jo, great solution in a tight spot. Graham. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steadfast Posted September 1, 2015 Author Share Posted September 1, 2015 Thanks for the comments and likes guys. Since varnishing, the yellow lines have decided to disappear quite majorly. Not sure where to go with it, I guess they'll have to be drawn on again. I can't really use the idea that they've worn away because the Tarmac colour is so dark and fresh. Here's hoping when I get in in the morning that the varnish has totally dried out and the yellow lines have miraculously reappeared! jo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steadfast Posted September 18, 2015 Author Share Posted September 18, 2015 Well the yellow lines didn't reappear so they got redrawn with another yellow pencil, which was a saga in itself! I still haven't revarnished, I'm trying to pluck up the courage to give that a go! In the mean time I've cracked on with reballastaing the lower level. First up was to add in the cabling, axle counters etc. The gravel base to the location cabinets is made from very fine aggregate dust, secured inside a box made from evergreen strip painted wood colour. Tools for the job - who needs autoballasters, or seacows and sharks when you've got a teaspoon and a brush! The ballast as it is now. It needs a going over with the Dyson to remove any loose bits, then patching in any odd bits that need it but I'm quite happy how it's come out. The ballast is woodland scenics fine grey, secured with the mist with water and then add watered down PVA technique. jo 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
porkie Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 Looks great jo. Line sidecar cables are a nice touch Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonas Posted September 18, 2015 Share Posted September 18, 2015 That looks really neat. I'm afraid I've always made a complete hash of ballasting when I've tried! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steadfast Posted September 26, 2015 Author Share Posted September 26, 2015 Thanks for the kind words and likes guys, really it's just modelling what's there on the real thing! With ballasting, most of the time is spent with the various brushes tidying it up whilst it's all still dry before adding the water spray. The latest project is a small gap filler for the front of the layout. The building is knocked up from some off cuts of plasticard of various types, with the angled dock a 3D print from shapeways. The Tarmac is mounting card, with a second layer to give a raised pavement area around the building, rising it up to help align the door with the Oxford trailers. I'll add pallisade between th Tarmac and the railway, the idea is its ex railway land that's been redeveloped. The Tarmac surface is a texture spray paint from Halfords, with black and grey dusted over the top. I still need to paint the curbstones, I may do them yellow to give a modern "safety" look. Jo 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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