Physicsman

Just a cropped part of one of today's pics - showing how the walling is looking. Grass still at 2mm stage.

I'll possibly update this thread in a week or so's time, by which stage most of the work will be (nearly) completed. No need to show all the intermediate stages, eh? For those wishing a more photogenic "fix", there'll be a further parade of out-of-the-box locos on the HGS thread later this week. J.

Here's a quick update. The plaster has been given a base coat of brown paint, standard flock mix and - this afternoon - a base coat of 2.5mm grass. It'll take until tomorrow for the PVA to set and clear, at which point something else may be chucked on top. A bit more walling has been done to join the 2 sections. I'll give the plaster until the end of the week to ensure it's set all the way through, then I'll cut the 2 boards apart. A bit more walling and maybe some rail-fitting tomorrow. Jeff

Here are some pics, taken about 45 minutes ago. All the embankments are now plastered. The 2 boards ARE separate, but for matching purposes it's easier to plaster across the join and cut through with a scalpel when the plaster has set. The bottom of the embankment slopes, where the hill meets the cess, will receive the usual "DAS transition" treatment when the plaster has set (on the surface at least). A brown base coat will go on tomorrow and I'll get back to the walling!

Hi Chip. Thanks for the continued input. I actually changed the "cams", following your advice. It turned out that the proportion going one way, and the other was very nearly 50:50. I chose one direction - almost at random - cut out the other direction and filled the gaps with new stones. I think it took about 140 stones, but it does look a lot neater with all the coping stones pointing in one direction. Your photos are very useful and will certainly come in handy when I build my section of wall in 7mm scale. Not sure how long it will be - maybe 30 to 40cm - but, subject to DAS stocks, I may have a go at it at the end of next week. More pics from a short while ago in the post below, but I'll take some closer views of the new diorama wall when I've got it in a more complete state! Jeff

I hope to turn the burners up today with further progress on board 2. It's a nice change from GH, and I I do like messing with plaster!

Hi Ade. Please don't get the wrong impression, as I think there are some wonderful RTP materials out there and I've used plenty myself in the past. I'm relatively new (last 10 years) to scratchbuilding so the "bug" hasn't worn off yet. I suppose (you've heard it before, sorry, I'm not going to rant on) I just get a bit fed up when threads get a lot of credit when a lot of the stuff is plonked "ready-made". I've just ordered a selection of gauges of florist wire, so we'll see how the scratchbuilding holds up when I attempt some trees for the first time! J.

Not a bad idea, Steve, selling by Wednesday. But before I can do that I'll need to change the track-plan. Maybe run it from wall to wall, as I could just "make it up" and ignore any kind of prototype. Maybe use my stocks of PVA to add some "scenic accents". Yep, that'll be next Thursday's job...

A rudimentary track bus has been fitted to both boards. The scenery has been built-up to the plaster stage on board 1 and the first section of walling sat into the wet plaster on the top. When dry, there'll be a bit of additional work on the slopes, involving some DAS edging. Probably tomorrow. Pics for those of you who are interested. I apologise that they are a bit mundane and lack colour - or that they haven't just come from the model shop or out of a box, as those factors seem to attract a lot more "punters".... Jeff

First, a reminder of the photo, from post 1, that I'm using as my inspiration for the diorama. There's ALWAYS someone that "gets the wrong end of the stick", so let's make it clear: I am NOT making a copy of this, but the overall scene contains the key elements I want, in order to highlight some magnificent steam locos. Some outline "doodlings" on board 1 to show the positioning of the rear wall, embankments, cess and cork underlay. Cork underlay fixed in place with the approximate position of the outer rails shown in blue. The gap near the board-join is to allow PCB sleepers to be fitted onto the track to anchor them in place at the join. The wall is currently sat on the board. The near wall is incomplete and both walls will actually sit on the top of a rising embankment. There will also be a shorter section of wall towards the front. It was nice to get something done today after 2 days out of the Bunker. 5 hours worth of progress. More walling tomorrow.

I finally managed to get into the Bunker this morning, so here are some exciting pictures of timber and ply - and I know you love looking at them..... So there'll be another batch in a little while. The base-board for the diorama is a sheet of 12mm thick birch ply, 60cm x 40cm. Shown here with its 44mm x 44mm under-framing. All screws are fitted from the bottom so they are accessible once the scenic part is put onto the top. Two boards have been built. Both will have a power supply and a couple of bolts have been added to allow better alignment when the two are pushed together. More in about 20 minutes, after I've finished my coffee! Jeff

Evening Neil - early morning in Melbourne..... I seem to be flying off at lots of different tangents at the moment, and it's fun. I think that when the present diorama is "completed" - haha, it hasn't even started yet! - I'll have a go at building a wall in 7mm just to see how it works out. Could be interesting!

Update.... I now have the ply boards and the wood to frame underneath them (just 44 x 44mm, as usual). What I haven't managed in the last 2 days is to do anything - even a stone in a wall - as I've been roped into decorating a bedroom at my dad's. I think it'll be a relatively early start in the Bunker tomorrow to retrieve some "lost time". Pics of bits of wood, when available! J.

The great thing about the size of that project, Jay, is that you get a "lot of bang for your buck" TIMEwise. It's barely 3 weeks since you started and your creation is already at an advanced stage. And looking very good, too. FAR better than some fictional claptrap using everything RTP. What you're building has real character and provides immense satisfaction in the achievement. As Rob said in the previous post, "keep posting!" Jeff

Jay, Ade, thanks for the comments. The wall is a "work in progress". I'm speeding up a little as I do more, but I'd never have been able to build 15-20 metres in the "new" way, as required on KL or GH. I'm more than happy to contemplate using this method for a diorama or for HGS, and as I mentioned in the diorama thread, I'm keen to have a go at a wall as part-background in a 7mm diorama. J.

Thanks for the info, James. I'll have a look at my other two Brits - Apollo and Clive of India - when I get them down from the loft.

Simon, that is TERRIBLE, even by my "standards"! I like it! Just off to the Bunker to do some more walling.

Chip, just an afterthought.... Had a closer look at the walling patterns in the pics you attached. Modelling those walls would be easier than the prototype I'm using as the horizontal rows are pretty regular. Better stick to what I've started!!

Morning Chip - and good to see the "walling consultant" leaping into action! I was going to email you some pics to garner your opinion, so you've saved me a job. Now, as far as the capping stones are concerned.... I am VERY PLEASED with your comments. For years I've wondered about the direction of these things and always had the opinion that they first leaned one way, then swopped, then reversed again. It actually is a pain if they do this as the "swapping point" doesn't look right. So I'll be happy to modify the "cams" to all lean the same way - it's a relatively easy fix with the scalpel. The photos you've posted serve their purpose and (tongue in cheek) the "Lord Lunester" will be very happy to oblige! Jeff

Rob, thanks for the encouragement. You're pretty good at that, being one of the prime movers of the viaduct-cladding technique! Btw, if you ever need a good laugh, have a look at your post re. the "Fell" on page 127 of the KL2 thread. Always makes me chuckle. I was unconvinced of the wisdom of the "new" walling as I started to assemble it, bit-by-bit. But once I had about 15cm of wall, with the PVA dried-out, I was happy with my decision to give this new madness a try. Hopefully, the diorama will do it justice. At the end of the day it's just another thing to try, isn't it? Jeff

I suspect that people are more likely to look on this thread than on the new diorama thread I started 2 days ago. So here's a repeat post of the "new, improved" walling that will feature on the diorama (the diorama is basically a test bed) and then be featured - on a much larger scale (length-wise) on Hell Ghyll Sidings. This version of the walling takes a LOT longer to build than the "mass-produced" stuff that featured on KL and now Gill Head. I DON'T intend to produce any of the new stuff for GH - not that there's much left to do! The context of this walling (the pic shows a 50cm length of it) will be more apparent in 2-3 weeks on the diorama thread. More details of stone walling and the building of it are on the diorama thread "Glorious Steam".

If I said it looks like it's about to fall apart, take it as a compliment to the modelling. I'm sure there's plenty of glue in there!

Yep, Jay, that looks the part. A nice well-worn feel to it, built according to prototype and spot-on for your location. You're clearly enjoying yourself. Good stuff. Jeff.

Here's a view of a longer section of the new walling - and it's had a bit more acrylic wash dumped onto it.

John, that's a good suggestion. It may well be that Andy Y will get in touch with me - or vice versa - when the diorama is well underway, and suggest an article for BRM. I'm ordering the ply boards later today and I'd expect to make a lot of progress - except for the trees - in the next month or so. Jeff.