steve fay Posted March 19, 2015 Share Posted March 19, 2015 Looks great, your doing a fantastic job Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newtz1981 Posted March 19, 2015 Author Share Posted March 19, 2015 Thank you Steve, Now that all the track is down and has been tested, I'm ready to start getting the sand down for the yard. This morning I have split the boards into their 3 sections and I shall make a start very soon on them. The first board I will work on is the one with the pits, as this is by far the easiest of the lot. During the next week I'll probably have all three boards done and ready for painting. Naturally, I will post photos and updates as I progress ahead. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozzyo Posted March 20, 2015 Share Posted March 20, 2015 It may sound daft but a big hammer works well in getting the sand/ballasts to sit down. Just a few light taps along the rails works to get it all in place. I'm not joking on this, honest. OzzyO. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newtz1981 Posted March 20, 2015 Author Share Posted March 20, 2015 Ballasting has commenced on the first board. I took off the shed and pit board and prepared it for the treatment. I made up a large mix of PVA 50/50 with water and added washing liquid too, then I started to apply the sand to the layout. This was not done with a huge deal of care, however I was making sure that it was not over done and that the sleepers were all still exposed at all times. I made up a mock shed wall to use in situation of where the real shed will go once it has been built, as this acted as a natural barrier for the sand and ultimately it will help to secure the shed building in its position. Here are some photos of the sand being glued down: When the sand was down and the glue was in place I went along and gave it all a light tapping with my fingers. There was a lot of glue and it was very easy to get a more even finish and take away the splash marks, etc from where the glue had fallen hard onto the sand. The intention though was and is to make sure the ballast is not perfectly flat, as no loco shed I have ever been around ever is. After the glue mix had been applied I went over the entire area with a hair drier for 5-7 minutes. This helped to take away a lot of the really wet and runny patches and give the glue some strength as it ran into the sand. After this was done I sprayed the whole area in Matt Black paint. I like to apply this when the ballast is still wet as the paint will run down in to the ballast, helping to colour it. I believe that it also helps make the ballast dry harder - however that's just my thoughts. Here are some images of what the track looked like after painting: The whole board was then taken inside and left to dry a little for an hour. The temp shed wall was then taken away and the entire pit area, including the shed interior, was sprayed Matt Black. The board has been drying over night and it is looking fantastic. Rail heads have now been cleaned and the board is ready for step 2 of the artistic session - however I'll be working on the other two boards first, getting them to the stage that the shed board is now. By the end of the week all three boards will be ballasted and painted and naturally I will post photos of all the work. Stay tuned Also, thank you to everyone for their tips, ideas, suggestions, support and encouragement. I appreciate it all 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newtz1981 Posted March 25, 2015 Author Share Posted March 25, 2015 Board number 3 has been ballasted and painted, however it's taking its time to dry. I may have added a little too much water to the PVA/water mix :/ Given that it is also getting cold now here in Melbourne, it could be taking longer to dry. I'll see how it goes and if I need to take it up and do it again, so be it. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMR CHRIS Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 Not surprising the glue is a bit slow going off with the cold snap you have going on down south. The weather on the evening news said currently 14 degrees but feels like 5 with the wind chill factor and even snow in the High Country. I would just leave it a little longer to see how it goes. Even if it was a little weak on the PVA in the mix, once it dries you will be able to go back over with a fresh mix to secure any loose material this will save a messy removal and reapply. What you have got done so far looks the part and will only get better as you, start the weathering of the rails and yard. Great progress Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newtz1981 Posted March 26, 2015 Author Share Posted March 26, 2015 Not surprising the glue is a bit slow going off with the cold snap you have going on down south. The weather on the evening news said currently 14 degrees but feels like 5 with the wind chill factor and even snow in the High Country. I would just leave it a little longer to see how it goes. Even if it was a little weak on the PVA in the mix, once it dries you will be able to go back over with a fresh mix to secure any loose material this will save a messy removal and reapply. What you have got done so far looks the part and will only get better as you, start the weathering of the rails and yard. Great progress Hi Chris, Yes, I thought that myself yesterday. As a result, last night board #3 was positioned in front of the heater and left there for several hours. This has worked a treat and the ballast is now 100% dry and ready. Last night I also started to play around with weathering the track and ballast on the small test piece I had made up last week (see earlier post). I used Humbrol powders for this and it looks amazing. I'll post a photo of it soon however it's convinced me to use these powders on the layout when all 3 boards have been ballasted. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newtz1981 Posted March 27, 2015 Author Share Posted March 27, 2015 And so, the DCC system has been paid off and collected. Now all I have to do it put it all together and await the return of my 4F - which apart from getting the gears replaced is also the first of my loco's to be fitted with a DCC chip, with sound. And here are some images of the weathering powder test that I talked about before. I need to tone the Earth shade down with some soot/smoke powder, however I'm very pleased with the results. Don't pay too much attention to the Yellow and/or Green shades - that was just me testing to see how they would look. 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve fay Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 You might want to have a look at the South West Digital DCC sound chips, the new steam range is superb. The black 5 is awesome. You don't always need the large XL decoders in 7mm models especially if they are just running light engine. It does also depend on the motor. I have one of there sounds in my Brittania and compared to the last sound file I had in it its night & day. Highly recommend Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newtz1981 Posted March 27, 2015 Author Share Posted March 27, 2015 You might want to have a look at the South West Digital DCC sound chips, the new steam range is superb. The black 5 is awesome. You don't always need the large XL decoders in 7mm models especially if they are just running light engine. It does also depend on the motor. I have one of there sounds in my Brittania and compared to the last sound file I had in it its night & day. Highly recommend Thank you Steve, I'll have a good look at SWD as I have been wanting to know where to get good sound chips for the fleet. Knowing that they do so many classes is great, as I have many different ones, and late 2015/early 2016 I take delivery of a 9F and a Britannia too. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newtz1981 Posted March 28, 2015 Author Share Posted March 28, 2015 Great news! All three boards have now been ballasted and painted in flat/matt black. What a task this proved to be! Board #3 was probably the easiest, followed by board #1 and board #2 being the most time consuming - however I must say that the process too a lot longer than I thought it would. However, the results are very pleasing and so it has all been worth the effort. Now that the ballast is down and the base paint has been applied I can start to add detail, colours, shades and weathering to the track and ballast. So here are a few photos of board #2, the very last board to be ballasted. Now, more of the fun starts! 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Newtz Watching with interest. It all looks very black at the moment, which given the paint you used, is to be expected! I'm slowly getting to the baseboard starting point. Best Simon 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newtz1981 Posted March 28, 2015 Author Share Posted March 28, 2015 Newtz Watching with interest. It all looks very black at the moment, which given the paint you used, is to be expected! I'm slowly getting to the baseboard starting point. Best Simon Hello Simon, Yes, it is all very black right now. I'm using that as a base and I'll be adding colour and shade from there. I made a start on weathering last night actually using Humbrol weathering powders and so far the little area that I have done looks great! It's going to take some time to go over all three boards however I'm in no rush and I'm aiming for maximum realism for the end result. Thank you for following my progress. Newtz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newtz1981 Posted March 29, 2015 Author Share Posted March 29, 2015 I have started to weather the ballast and track on board #2. For this I am using Humbrol weathering powders, Smoke and Dark Earth. The results speak for themselves and I am looking forward to building up the colours and tones over time to create something truly realistic. 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMR CHRIS Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 Looks realy good Jonathan The sand base when painted black gives it a look you just can't get with traditional ballast. Those weathering powers are doing the trick if you secure them with a clear dull cote fixative you will be able to go over again and again to build up the levels of grime and dirt without changing the effect of the first cotes I have used the artists pressure pack fixative sprays designed specialy for pastel / powers etc, avalable from Spotlight shops here in OZ or Riot Art and Craft stores. Spot light was cheaper This is going to be a Great display for your loco fleet. Your inspiring me to start something for my NSWGR O scale loco fleet, May have to do a Turn Table with round house and erecting workshops as a back drop say as part of it, With 32 locos I can't have them all on the layout so a shed scene would be a great way to show them off instead of being boxed up or on a shelf when not in use. May even be able to work in a connection from the layout at some stage. Keep up the inspiring work you'll have me starting something new when I should be doing more on the layouts. Cavalcade of steam! Some of the locos lined up along part of the layout I think I should start soon and try and catch up. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newtz1981 Posted March 31, 2015 Author Share Posted March 31, 2015 Looks realy good Jonathan The sand base when painted black gives it a look you just can't get with traditional ballast. Those weathering powers are doing the trick if you secure them with a clear dull cote fixative you will be able to go over again and again to build up the levels of grime and dirt without changing the effect of the first cotes I have used the artists pressure pack fixative sprays designed specialy for pastel / powers etc, avalable from Spotlight shops here in OZ or Riot Art and Craft stores. Spot light was cheaper This is going to be a Great display for your loco fleet. Your inspiring me to start something for my NSWGR O scale loco fleet, May have to do a Turn Table with round house and erecting workshops as a back drop say as part of it, With 32 locos I can't have them all on the layout so a shed scene would be a great way to show them off instead of being boxed up or on a shelf when not in use. May even be able to work in a connection from the layout at some stage. Keep up the inspiring work you'll have me starting something new when I should be doing more on the layouts. Cavalcade of steam! Some of the locos lined up along part of the layout I think I should start soon and try and catch up. image.jpg Hi Chris, If you do build a shed layout I would be very keen to follow your progress on the project. The weathering powders are doing a great job I think and they will all be sealed over time. I'll have a look in Spotlight at the product you suggested Many Thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMR CHRIS Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 Hi Chris, If you do build a shed layout I would be very keen to follow your progress on the project. The weathering powders are doing a great job I think and they will all be sealed over time. I'll have a look in Spotlight at the product you suggested Many Thanks These are the ones, the one on the left was the one from spotlight and one on right from Riot Art & Craft I have been using the one from Riot to seal Pastel weathering on wagons with good results once dry you can go over without disturbing the last level and build up the weathering. The big Can was marked $11.95 so won't break the bank. The Crystal Kote matte I have used on large areas of scenic weathering with powers/chalk possibly not as fine as the Fixative Workable Mat but works well And yes made the Decision to start a Shed Scene thanks to inspiration from your build. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newtz1981 Posted April 1, 2015 Author Share Posted April 1, 2015 These are the ones, the one on the left was the one from spotlight and one on right from Riot Art & Craft I have been using the one from Riot to seal Pastel weathering on wagons with good results once dry you can go over without disturbing the last level and build up the weathering. The big Can was marked $11.95 so won't break the bank. The Crystal Kote matte I have used on large areas of scenic weathering with powers/chalk possibly not as fine as the Fixative Workable Mat but works well And yes made the Decision to start a Shed Scene thanks to inspiration from your build. image.jpg Thank you for the image Chris. I'm glad to hear you're inspired to start a shed scene layout. I look forward to seeing your progress, should you choose to create a following for it here on RMweb Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve fay Posted April 1, 2015 Share Posted April 1, 2015 I use cheap hair spray to seal powders on the layout. The other stuff is great when weathering rolling stock and buildings but for a large area the hair spray does the job and is very cheap. Railway room goes from smelling like a spray shop to a hair salon !! 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newtz1981 Posted April 2, 2015 Author Share Posted April 2, 2015 My 4F is finally back from my local after having had its gears replaced. The loco has also been fitted with a decoder and sound system, which worked very well when it was tested at the shop. I'm yet to set my DCC system up, however I will get to it soon. In the meantime I decided to play around with board #2 of Newton Grove, the 4F and a smoke machine. The result is below. I welcome your thoughts everyone 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
North Eastern Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 My 4F is finally back from my local after having had its gears replaced. The loco has also been fitted with a decoder and sound system, which worked very well when it was tested at the shop. I'm yet to set my DCC system up, however I will get to it soon. In the meantime I decided to play around with board #2 of Newton Grove, the 4F and a smoke machine. The result is below. 11113355_10153141783110891_8056859163465916519_n.jpg I welcome your thoughts everyone Looks very atmospheric, keep up the good work. I'm looking forward to seeing you progress with this. Regards Chris 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osgood Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 Great atmospheric image! What is the origin of your 4F - San Cheng? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newtz1981 Posted April 2, 2015 Author Share Posted April 2, 2015 (edited) Great atmospheric image! What is the origin of your 4F - San Cheng? Yes it is made by San Cheng. They produced it for Bachmann's 'Brassworks' range many years ago. It's not the most detailed and accurate 4F, however the weathering has hidden many of the short-comings. Edited April 2, 2015 by Newtz1981 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Osgood Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 Thanks. I recently picked up an unused specimen. I have not as yet become familiar with 4Fs, but at first glance it looks a pretty decent model. Be interesting to discover what simple improvements can be made to enhance it. Tony 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted April 2, 2015 Share Posted April 2, 2015 very impressive!!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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