Gresby - N Gauge Great Central (MS&LR 90s-2000s)

[Southernboy]

And more votes of respect from me - great details. I don't think I'd ever think to cut a car in half to create a 'low-relief' scene.

[Kris]

It looks great. What are you going to have for the back wall?

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

Thank you for your comments Theres still plenty to get done so I think maybe Christmas is a bit optimistic - New Year maybe! I'm not sure what I'm going to do for the back wall, its not too noticable in the garage or the office units:



But I do need to get something in place for the showrooms:


It needs to look like the arches are a lot deeper, but I'm not totally sure how to do it - I think a pair of perspective drawings would be hard because the vanishing point would vary depending on the angle the arch is being viewed at - maybe white fading to grey? Its too late to take up the trackbed and cut a hole in the wall!

The cut in half car was a bit of a surprise to me too - I thought I'd have enough space to get a whole one in - it seems to work alright though.

I've been a bit busy making wagons since I put the cars in, I bought a grampus and clam at Loughborough Show so I could take my time building them this week, and then accidentally finished them both on Sunday night! (they're still unpainted and posed on the layout above) Then I accidentally built set of five CRail coal containers... its only Tuesday oops The chassis for my next project came in the post today, so watch this space!

Lots to do, and thanks again

Simon

Edited August 31, 2017 by MrSimon

[bcnPete]

Simon - I agree about the perspective not working...I am never really convinced by perspective back drops, but that's just me. I would try out some test sheets of colour perhaps first...perhaps a dark grey might be better than a white one.

 

You have modelled the arches so well...it just resembles a place I wouldn't want to get my car fixed...especially if they cut them in half and weld two back together

[mr b]

Cut & shunt modelling whatever next ? most certainly would'nt by a car from them ,,, unles theyre half price !

 

Have you tried a curved back wall to give a sense of depth or a mirror ( small mirrow tile) ? Any way its looks great .

 

mr B .. modeling Nethertown

[Revolution Ben]

Hi Simon,

 

I would be tempted to paint the interiors of the arches a dark grey (not black) colour to make them "disappear" from the attention of the viewer. Then, place more "interest" outside the front of the arches if there is room (car with tyre being changed, or bins stacked up etc.) These would grab the attention, and while you would always know the insides of the arches are shallow, I suspect very few others would, since they would be busy taking in all the other detail.

 

Another option would be to place a small mirror at the rear wall of the arches. This would create the illusion of depth, and would work from almost any angle.

 

That would also make your red car look full depth - albeit a bit like a push-me-pull-you!

 

cheers

 

Ben A.

[justin1985]

This layout is looking seriously good!

 

Do you have any more details on the TPWS grids you have found?

 

Cheers,

 

Justin

 

(PS. looks like you've made a better job of painting the yellow stripe on the Clam than I've managed! How did you mask it?)

[Kris]

I think that if you put a dark background to the garage then you will also need to light them maybe using LEDs as spot lights?

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

Thank you for your comments and suggestions, I think I'm going to do some experiments with various shades of grey, but not mirrors (just because if I were to get down to the eyelevel on the layout I'd see myself!) but I'll give the LEDs some thought (I could do with maybe one or two inside the station and the house/pub and theres another 12 arches to build under the platform end)

Which way would the curve go Mr B? I'm assuming along the back wall, but with the curve going horizonally or vertically? I'll give it a go and see how it looks!

Hehe Pete I'm aiming for most of the businesses in the Gresby area to have that dodgy look about them - maybe there'll be some nicer parts on the extension

Hi Ben, I've got a few more cars to be for sale and customer/staff cars parked in front of the arches, I've not put any of the extra detail on the front yet, it will come when the arhes are finished internally and stuck down - hope it should be enough to take the attention away from the back wall!

Hi Justin, The TPSW grids are from TPM set 1002; I've not opened the packet yet but the etch looks really good I had lots of problems masking the ribs on the clam so what I've started doing is painting the whole side yellow and then drawing a fine pencil line accross the wagon where the yellow stops and then with a fine brush and thinned paint painting up to the line:


The one on the right isn't finished (probably not even started because I went back through all my clams and moved house halfway through) and shows the pencil line. The one on the left isn't a very good example of a finished one (and might not be one) they all need transfers putting on! The model master transfer sheet for the clams has yellow lines on but I've not tried them yet - in my head the line doesn't look long enough to go round the ribs but I'm sure it is!

I've only got a few days of building time left before packing it all up and moving again so I'd best get cracking!

Thanks again everyone

Simon

Edited August 31, 2017 by MrSimon

[PaulCheffus]

 

Hi Justin, The TPSW grids are from TPM set 1002; I've not opened the packet yet but the etch looks really good I had lots of problems masking the ribs on the clam so what I've started doing is painting the whole side yellow and then drawing a fine pencil line accross the wagon where the yellow stops and then with a fine brush and thinned paint painting up to the line:

 

The one on the right isn't finished (probably not even started because I went back through all my clams and moved house halfway through) and shows the pencil line. The one on the left isn't a very good example of a finished one (and might not be one) they all need transfers putting on! The model master transfer sheet for the clams has yellow lines on but I've not tried them yet - in my head the line doesn't look long enough to go round the ribs but I'm sure it is!

 

Simon

 

Hi

 

Modelmaster do transfers for the Clams including the Yellow line but off hand I can't remember the sheet number. I can check tonight if no-one beats me to it.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[MrSimon]

Hi Paul,

 

I've got the pack somewhere but not applied any yet - its in storage with the rest of my possessions so I can't check the number! Do the yellow lines go on ok?

 

Thanks

 

Simon

[BernardTPM]

Perhaps the easiest way to paint the Clams would be to buy and extra set of body mouldings from Parkside and cut them at the appropriate height and stick them together when they're dry!

[PaulCheffus]

Hi Paul,

 

I've got the pack somewhere but not applied any yet - its in storage with the rest of my possessions so I can't check the number! Do the yellow lines go on ok?

 

Thanks

 

Simon

 

Hi

 

Yes they go on well with an application of Micro Set and Micro Sol. Forgot to look last night for the ref number.

 

Reference number is 2757

Cheers

 

Paul

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!
 

Perhaps the easiest way to paint the Clams would be to buy and extra set of body mouldings from Parkside and cut them at the appropriate height and stick them together when they're dry!

I might give this a go one day, I'm going to save it for Plan C on the clams but I'm pretty sure I've got some old wagons to play with in storage! (PS. Wooo I worked out how to do the green box thing on here )

This is my last progress post for two or three weeks because I had to pack everything away today so it can go into storage on Tuesday and then off to Finland on Saturday. I'm assuming that latitude doesn't affect the gluing properties of contacta proffessional but I'll just have to see when it gets there. I've got a lot done this summer and I think my rate of work will drop somewhat when I get set up in Helsinki (pesky work and building snowmen!) It'll be good to have my own place and all my modelling bits back though... and a job!


Here is the first shot in a long time of both the boards together, you can see by the change in rail colour and lack of trunking that board 2 hasn't had anything done to it since leaving London, although today I stuck the sloping piece of wall down so I don't loose it in the move.

Yesterday I popped into Total N Gauge and as well as another pack of dummy point motors for board 2 I bought my birthday present from my aunt:

I decided that as it was a present (and my dad had some tail lights sitting around doing nothing) that it should be the end wagon, so I fitted the pipes for the first time ever... they're a bit curly, I might swap them for some Dapol ones! I'm think I'm going to start weathering them in threes when I have a desk again...


Yesterday I also got my platform sides stuck down. They still need detailing and weathering, but the platform roads are pretty much ready to ballast now!


I taped down the sector plate so it doesn't damage anything in transit (note mug holding the wall in place while it finished glueing after Simon the mug had been holding it still for 20 minutes)

 
All screwed in to its holding boards, I'll probably fill between the boards with bubble wrap and then wrap the outside in binbags to make sure its waterproof. I took photos of all my stock, and theres enough pictures of the layout on here, so if any baltic ferries go down in the next two weeks I'll be starting again (or O Gauge Trams!)

Nowt left to do now!

Simon

Edited August 31, 2017 by MrSimon

[Pete Harvey]

Simon

 

Very nice keep the pictures coming.

 

I will be keeping an eye on this layout.

 

Pete

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody!

 

Just a quick note to say that work will be recommencing on Gresby soon, but not straight away as my removal man jettisonned all my chairs to get the weight down on his van! At least it wasn't the layout

 

Must unpack

 

Simon

[richard brown]

I am looking forward to see what you do to the layout and it is good you got their in one piece

 

 

 

 

Richard

 

 

[31A Driver]

Ah Finland, I am considering re-locating to Norway.

 

The Fjords, the beautiful scenery, the clean air, the Nordic Blondes;)

 

Andy

[MrSimon]

Not forgetting the random October snow showers and biting winds Andy! It all seems a little confusing at the moment - I probably should have done a bit more homework before setting off instead of cutting Oxford Diacasts in half but I'd do exactly the same if I had a second chance haha

 

Think I found a modelling chair today so I might be able to get the ballast out!

 

Simon

[The_Cuckoo]

I'm glad to read that work will soon recommence as I have enjoyed following your progress.

[MrSimon]

Hello!

 

I'm all unpacked now and would like to start work at the weekend; maybe start with a spot of ballasting - the only problem is it must be 15 years since I last stuck any ballast down and I can't remember the ration of PVA to water! Can anyone jog my poor cold brain?

 

Thanks

 

Simon

[bcnPete]

Hey Simon, I usually use 50/50 PVA and water with a splash of your favourite squeegy in it, for spraying using a mister over presoaked (with water) dry laid ballast. Mind you, these days people use 'Johnsons clear' etc as I recall - perhaps someone with better knowledge on this method can jump in?...

[Kris]

Hello!

 

I'm all unpacked now and would like to start work at the weekend; maybe start with a spot of ballasting - the only problem is it must be 15 years since I last stuck any ballast down and I can't remember the ration of PVA to water! Can anyone jog my poor cold brain?

 

Thanks

 

Simon

 

I tend to do about a 2 parts water to 1 part glue plus the drop of washing up liquid. I do make sure that the ballast is pre wetted before adding the glue. When I do this I use a mix of water and car windscreen washer fluid.

 

 

 

[MrSimon]

Hello Everbody!

Thank you for your replies on the glue-to-water mix, I opted for the less watery mix in the end because part of the ballast I was putting down was over the road bridge - and I didn't really want it dribbling through onto the street


Here is the dry ballast on the road bridge


Close up of a point motor in the ballast - I need to add some wires to the trunking, but I will wait until I am ready to spray the trackbed.


Here is the station throat. I found what I thought to be grass in my model box, but it turned out to be some sort of bizarre sponge; I only used a little to hide the glue blobs but it looks ok and I will probably add to it with some more modern looking grass/weeds.

I sort of wish I'd used some finer ballast, but it looks OK, and once its been weathered etc it should look better.

Lots to do but I left my paintbrushes in Newark so it'll have to wait

Simon

Edited August 30, 2017 by MrSimon

[justin1985]

This is looking great! The point motors, trunking and ducting really transform the PECO track and make it look much more believable.

 

The green foam looks good in that shot, like typical low weeds. Those equipment cabinets would look great with a little weathering and some more weeds, maybe long dead grass etc around them.

 

Justin