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goldngreen

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  1. goldngreen
    I am working on a new roof for the coal office. I have succumbed to the point of view that says, "a viewer sees more of the rooves than anything else" so I have decided an upgrade is in order. The tiles are 2mm wide which makes them 12" to scale. I have tried to make some of them slightly uneven to make it look more natural by slipping some by 0.1, 0.2 or 0.3mm. This is the effect so far: 
     

     
    I still have the ridge tile, painting and a new sign to do.
     
    If this works well then I will do some of the other buildings.
     
  3. goldngreen
    Here is an attempted wide angle focus stacked image to get good depth of focus close up. Unfortunately the wide angle does not focus so well at this range around the edges. My eyes are not what they were either so my judge of focus may be impaired, however I think it is all in better focus than any of the images that went in to it.
     
     
     
    It is similar to the last photo I posted but is actually completely new.
     
     
  4. goldngreen

    Lighting

    By goldngreen,


    Lighting
    After a long hiatus I have finally got round to another post.
     
    I often find that some of the layouts that stand out at shows are those that are well lit. I think it is particularly important in small cameo layouts. I am also struck by how much layouts of this type look similar in dimensions to home aquariums. Home aquariums always seem to be well lit. This set me thinking.
     
    So I visited my local aquarium supplier with the dimensions of my layout noted. In addition to seeing a wide variety of exotic fish, I also found an aquarium lighting unit that seemed to be a perfect fit. It is LED. It came with a transformer and a switch in the cable.
     

     
    When I got it home I found that the fit was even better than I had expected. I literally had to make no modifications to the layout to fit the lighting unit. It sits perfectly between the ends of the already existing frame at the top of the layout. 
     

     
  6. goldngreen

    Baseboards

    By goldngreen,


    Marlott
    5mm ply was selected for the baseboards. If offers enough rigidity for a micro layout but is also very light. The small layout size means that a shallow edge frame suffices to provide the necessary rigidity. Having made these decisions the ply wood was bought. The images show the boards upside down showing how the edge frames are attached.

     
    No scenic sections are planned to be lower than the track so the baseboard covers the entire area. The baseboard for the fiddle yard uses the same approach.
     

     
    Construction is simple. The frame is glued to the baseboard around the edges using Evo-Stick Weatherproof Wood Adhesive. Strengthening is provided by a beading around the inside.
     
    The boards sit square with no rocking motion on the flat shelf surface below. There is no movement in them.
     

     
    The scenic baseboard was finished off with a layer of foamboard to reduce engine noise from vibration. It was glued on using the same weatherproof PVA, held down until dry with large heavy books.
     

  8. goldngreen

    Laying Grass

    By goldngreen,


    Scenics
    Following up on Long Grass, here are some shots of the messy business of laying the grass. Looking back at my inspiration again:
     

     
    I see a greener layer under the straw coloured grass.
     
    With anything that is not stuck down removed, I marked out the boundaries of the grass lightly with a pencil, making clear the areas that should remain as path. I then started by laying a short green layer first painting the area to be grassed with PVA and then using the Flockit to drop the grass. This image shows it immediately after spreading with the glue still very wet:
     

     
    The glue dries translucent so the whiteness has gone.
     
    The long straw coloured grass was then laid by spraying the required area with Woodland Scenics Scenic Cement spray glue (a dilute PVA). The areas were masked with a combination of printer paper and paper towel. 
     

     

     
    Some of the areas, in particular the fence, were masked by holding paper in front of the them while I sprayed the glue. Although it looks a mess here after spreading the grass, it only stuck to the areas I wanted it to stick to. A quick vacuum with a cleaned portable Dyson cleared the area and allowed me to empty the Dyson back in to the bag for reuse.
     

  9. goldngreen

    Long Grass

    By goldngreen,


    Scenics
    In my last post I said I was aiming for long grass in the foreground. These were my inspiration shots from a walk in late summer:
     

     
    Armed with a mid-green for the base at 1mm and a straw colour at 6mm, here is how I got on. First a close up attempting to show the detail:

     
     
    A wider shot:

     
     
    One thing I learned is that it is not easy to get a photo that reflects the actual colour of the grass. It looks a bit more vivid in the photos that in does with the naked eye.

  11. goldngreen

    New Modelling Tool

    By goldngreen,


    Other
    My latest little investment is shown here. Despite appearances, it is not a phaser! It is a small vacuum cleaner for cleaning up the layout, amongst other things. For years I have struggled to clean the layout with a larger vacuum attachment. It works but it is easy to break something along the way. This is rechargeable via USB, quite small (it is sitting on n gauge track) so easy to manipulate, and works really well.  
     

  12. goldngreen

    Weathering Cows Too

    By goldngreen,


    Cattle Dock
    More on weathering cows. The cows were weathered using Modelmates Mud Brown weathering liquid. It is very easy to use. It is water soluble but dries like ink. To weather the cows I just painted it on and then let it down with a wet brush until I had the colouring I wanted. The cattle dock is weathered using the pastels method.  Perhaps I need more cows in there?
  13. goldngreen

    The Project

    By goldngreen,


    Planning
    This blog will cover the development of a very small diorama type N gauge model railway. The subject matter is to be the ubiquitous Great Western branch line terminus. It was chosen due to space restrictions, some existing stock from a previous layout years ago and the wealth of information available on the subject.
     
    It is a pilot scheme. If time allows, all goes well and my re-kindled interest from childhood actually results in a finished working layout then I may progress to something more ambitious.
     
    The available space is on top of two IKEA shelf units, one 80cm x 28cm and one 60cm x 28cm. IKEA no longer sells the 60cm unit. The 80cm unit will house the scenic area, the 60cm a small fiddle yard.
     
    Some of entries here will be reposts of an earlier blogger blog however the posts will no doubt soon catch up with reality due to the snails pace of progress on the project.
     
    Some inspiration coming from Iain Rice (although perhaps not standards!).
     
  14. goldngreen

    Track Plan

    By goldngreen,


    Planning
    The proposed model is not based on a prototype. I have a lot of admiration for modellers who create accurate representations of real locations and often find them the most interesting layouts at exhibitions. Part of the enjoyment for me however is to decide what I want and where I want to put it. I do however want to create something that is at least credible; allowing for space compression!
     
    I have spent much time studying other layout plans, internet resources and experimentating with Peco PDF Track Templates. The aims of the track plan are to put the most interest centre stage, to avoid aligning the track with the baseboard edges and to not overfill the space, which is difficult given the small area.
     

     
    The final track plan created using the excellent SCARM is shown below. The plan includes a station building, goods shed and engine shed. The engine shed will obscure the view of the exit to the right which will be under a low relief road bridge. A cattle dock may also feature but that is not yet decided.
     

     
    SCARM can even show a 3D mock up, although the roofs look huge:
     

     
    The advantages of the plan for me are:
    It puts the main interest in the middle of the scene It allows me to accommodate large radius points
    I am using a Y point but consider that to be acceptable in my large radius scheme. I am also using a double slip to allow me to fit the plan in to the available space. Back to back points would be better but there is not enough space. Two tracks disappear off scene to the right to assumed further points joining them to the single track branch line with a head shunt.
  15. goldngreen

    Ballasting

    By goldngreen,


    Ballasting
    For ballasting I use sandpit sand bought from ToysRUs before it disappeared. It is reasonably coarse so can pass for ballast in n gauge. 
     
    One of the things I do not like about commercial N gauge track is the depth of the sleepers. I therefore wanted to use the ballast to hide this depth consistently. After some experimentation I came up with a scheme to achieve this.
     
    Once the track was laid, I lined the edge of the sleepers with evergreen 1mm quarter-round StripStyrene. The depth is just a little lower than Peco code 55 sleeper depth. An example of this can be seen in the attached image showing a bit of test track.
     

     
    Ballast was then glued to the edge strip using water proof wood working adhesive painted on to the strip with a fine brush. Note that the water proof wood working adhesive was used for this step to avoid the next step, which involves water, undoing this step. Once this was dry the remaining gaps between the sleepers were ballasted in the traditional way by spreading ballast carefully and setting with watered down PVA with a little washing up liquid to kill surface tension. This creates the illusion of a ballast shoulder on which the sleepers are resting. 
     

     
    It was then airbrush weathered using a range of colours but mostly Precision Paints Track Colour.
     

     
    EE D6827 has no real business being there. I just like it!
     
  16. goldngreen

    Billy Bookcase Fiddle Yard

    By goldngreen,


    Other
    If I can build a Billy Bookcase layout, then perhaps I can build a Billy Bookcase fiddle yard.
     
    Adjoining the 80cm Billy Bookcase on which the layout lives is a 60cm Billy Bookcase. I do not think that the 60cm version is made anymore, however, I have one and it is the ideal place to locate the fiddle yard. 
     
    Although the layout itself will only accommodate short trains, I did not want the fiddle yard to be restrictive length. I therefore decided to build a traverser rather than using points. The base for the fiddle yard is a smaller replica of that used for the layout which fits snugly on top of the bookcase.
     
    I have gone for light weight construction using a large sheet of plasticard which I got directly from Slaters. Although it is in their catalogue I could not find it in any shops. The traverser slides on two brass runners glued directly to the baseboard. It is held in place by brass strips at either end. The track is glued using a hot glue gun. The traverser is moved by hand. Alignment is achieved using home-made brass bolts which also complete the circuit to the aligned track when connected. The other side is permanently wired.
     
    A curiosity of the Billy Bookcase when used for this purpose is the raised edges mean that the available area on the top is 4 cm shorter than the overall length. There is a 2cm gap at either end. To connect the fiddle yard to the layout this gap must be bridged. This is achieved with a piece of foam board with two track sections.
     
    Hopefully all of this is visible in the images:
     

     

     

     

     
     
     
     
  17. goldngreen

    Presentation

    By goldngreen,


    Scenics
    To support the back-scene, control the viewing angles and support the lighting a presentation box was required. This is constructed out of the same plywood used for the baseboards plus a few odd bits of wood found lying around the garage. It is held together by half round moudling and glued with water proof wood working adhesive. It fits snugly round the outside of the based board and is bolted to it using large bolts with glued captive nuts. This works because the design of the Billy Bookcase means that the baseboard is slightly shorter than the bookcase - see the base board post to understand why.
     

     
    The images also show the platforms. These are built from a single piece of card and edged with Peco platform edging. The tops are painted with a mid grey and then weathered with pastels.
     

     
    The buildings have been built over a number of earlier years and may not make it to the final version.
     
  18. goldngreen

    Pub

    By goldngreen,


    Other
    I never got back to posting after Christmas. First a job change and now ...
     
    So here is something I did earlier. Not my best modelling but I am curious to see who recognises it. If you do recognise it perhaps it looks a bit different.
     

     

  19. goldngreen
    The pub in my previous post is the former Albion at 86 Armley Road in Leeds. This is what it looks like now:
     

     
    This is the Google Maps reference: https://www.google.com/maps/@53.7972561,-1.5723353,3a,75y,33.46h,97.05t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sR3k-CLrmyuA9zxl5DT2Eew!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
     
    This is a Google Maps shot from a few years ago when it was still a pub:
     

     
    I have only been to Leeds a couple of times and I have never been to the Albion. 
     
    The reason I thought it might be recognized by railway modellers is that it was the prototype for a model by Builder Plus from the late 70s until Builder Plus disappeared. Most of the Builder Plus models were very good for their time. They used photo captured brick/stone images to make up in to really good models. As a young British N gauge modeller in the 70s they were a game changer. I could now make British outline models rather than relying on Pola or Faller. It led me on scratch building. I built the Builder Plus model of the Albion in the late seventies and found a good place for it on my layout. The layout was sold when I went off to college along with the model.
     
    A few years ago I picked up an unmade copy of the old N Gauge Builder Plus pub at a show. Knowing that there are not many about as the company no longer exists, I scanned it in to my computer and backed it up. I also picked up a copy of the Builder Plus Bank.
     
    I then had an idea. Was the model based on a real prototype? After some searching on the web I found the original pictured above. At the time it was still open.
     
    The original was however built of a different colour brick to that used in the Builder Plus kit. Builder Plus had used their standard brick colour. So using the Builder Plus kit as a template I set about making my own version using the Google images to sample the brick and other features from the building, using multi-layered image manipulation software. The model in the post is the result of building my rather make-shift, one-off kit.
    My model may not be that wonderful but I think it is a lovely prototype. I am pleased that I managed to capture an image from while it was still a pub before the windows were changed. I now wish I had saved a few more from other angles.
    Here are some more pictures found here: http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?resourceIdentifier=2003116_81023807. I have only reproduced their samples. Please visit their site for originals.
     
     
        
     
    and finally a more recent one:
     

     
  20. goldngreen

    Scenery

    By goldngreen,


    Scenics
    The size of the layout means that scenery is at a minimum. I do however want some different levels in the ground, raised behind the station building with a slope down to the yard, raised behind the yard and raised more to the right where the trains disappears back stage.
     
    I have used two approaches. The raised areas behind the yard are so small that they do not warrant traditional methods like mod-roc. Instead I have built them up using DAS modelling clay, glued down with PVA.
     

     
    The raised area behind the station is just stiff card supported by stiff card battens (like for the platforms) with a sloping spur down to the yard. The steeper slopes are in-filled using the DAS clay approach. I have also included a muddy patch with a puddle at the bottom of the slope using an attempt at the Gordon Gravett method using a microscope slide (painted a suitably muddy colour on the underside) for the puddle water.
     

     
    All is then painted with emulsion and then grassed using the excellent Green Scene Flockit. The yard areas have also been further treated using pastels but this is only a basic start.
     
    More to be done on the interface to the back-scene plus more on trees, bushes etc. The modern house in the back-scene will be hidden!
  21. goldngreen

    Bridge

    By goldngreen,


    Scenics
    The line exits stage right through the back-scene. I have decided to use a low relief bridge to disguise this exit. The exit is just a hole in the back-scene board and also cut in to the back-scene sheet:
     

     
    The idea of the low relief bridge is that it will just slot in to the hole to make it look more bridge like. Since I want it to recede in the gap on the underside, it also has to be removable to allow separation of the layout from the fiddle yard. 
     
    Here are a couple of images of the low relief bridge from the front and from the back to show how it slots in:
     

     

     
    Construction is simple using thick card and a cut down Peco plate girder bridge side. The buttresses are finished with Scalescenes dark blue brick. 
     
    Here are a couple of images of the mock bridge in place, one front on and one from the layout viewers angle:
     

     
     

     
    More scenic work to go on in the foreground and to cover the right hand edge but I must retain the ability to remove the mock up.
  22. goldngreen

    Signal Box

    By goldngreen,


    Signal Box
    The signal box is made from the excellent Severn Valley Models etched brass kit. The kit is assembled using cyanoacrylate glue and goes together very well. I used Deluxe Materials Glue'n'Glaze to attach the window glazing. I struggled with one or two of the small parts, particularly in the stair case but that was more my one-eyed ham-fisted approach than the kit. Once complete it was primed and then painted with Precision Paints light stone and dark stone plus Humbrol for the walls, windows and roof. It was then weathered using pastels and weathering powder.
     

  23. goldngreen

    Coaling Stage

    By goldngreen,


    Yard
    The coaling stage is built from the excellent Poppys Woodtech laser-cut wooden kit. Despite the small scale the kit goes together very easily. The fact that it is real wood makes painting and weathering easy. I used a combination of water colour and pastels. I just need to get some coal on it now.
     

  24. goldngreen

    Engine Shed

    By goldngreen,


    engine shed
    After a long hiatus for the summer progress has continued a little. The engine shed has been largely finished for some time but I put the internal white washed bricks in this week to finish the job. The engine shed will be adjacent to the coaling stage, to which I am adding coal now! 
     
    It is not modelled on a prototype. It is however in the GWR style with similarities to Tetbury without the water tower, or a shorter version of Wallingford. 
     

     
    A view looking inside a little.
     

     
    The camera never lies; having seen the images I took for the blog I will have to improve the weathering on the doors. 
     
    It will help cover the scenic break bridge to the right of the layout. This means that, amazingly, I am still largely keeping to my original plan. Here is a view of it plonked in that location. 
     
     

  25. goldngreen

    Engine Shed Details

    By goldngreen,


    engine shed
    A quick run down on materials used for the engine shed.
     

     
    Outside bricks: Scalescenes Red Brick TX01 with the colour dulled down using The Gimp Inside white washed bricks: Scalescenes Painted Brick TX05 Guttering: Ratio Guttering & Drainpipes Doors: Ratio Doors with the arched tops removed with a razor saw Roof: York Modelmaking Slates N-Tiles01 Windows: Scene-Setters Glazing Bars 3x4mm -  I got these at a show. They are not currently listed on the website as they are rebuilding the site. I made the frames look more worn and yellow using a pastel. I smothered them in the pastel colour and then brushed it off. It sticks to the bars just enough but comes off the clear areas easily. 
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