Physicsman

It's a lovely sunny morning at Gill Head as the 07.14 from Long Meg passes the goods shed, heading south.....

Can anyone spot the deliberate mistake - and it has nothing to do with the loco.

Al, thanks for the illustrations and reminder. And I've used the paper method ever since it was recommended by the "infamous" Jason!

My usual method is to tile completely to the boundary, making sure the tile layers are aligned. Then I put the "flashing" - just the same thick paper painted a different colour - down the channel on top of the tiles. It does mean the flashing area is slightly thicker than it should be, but saves me having to trim the adjacent tiles. Even with a sharp scalpel it can easily make a mess.

My way is a bit of a lazy way, but I prefer it for the "almost" guaranteed neatness.....you wait and see what happens this time!

Always good to hear from you. Apologies I rarely stray to the C&HPR, though your backscene is very effective.

The 07.14 from Long Meg emerges from the North Cutting on its way south via Gill Head:

I finally "bit the bullet" and made a start on the completion of the station building. On the basis that once-started it just has to be finished, I enjoyed a good 3 hour stint tiling most of the main roof section....

That looks familiar, Jonathan.

Imagine working on that, out in the open amidst the beautiful weather that tends to occur up there. Even in mid-summer!

4 minutes ago, Rowsley17D said:

Liking the road surfaces now that you've given them a bit more treatment. I went to Keighley show at the weekend and there was a professional modelmaker selling trees she'd made. She had demo ones in various stages of completeness and were fine until the foliage was applied which made them look like green lollypops and not a patch on yours. I didn't see what she was asking for them though.

That's very interesting and I'm grateful for the supportive comment. I have to be careful "advertising" future "product" on here, but you're certainly doing a good job at convincing me that there might be a market for a few of my "items".

The static grass-technique post on page 82 has been updated to recover the "missing" pics.

They were still there, but Andy York said a server glitch had shuffled them off the post into a storage buffer.

Hope that post is now of interest to anyone who hasn't seen it!

21 minutes ago, stevel said:

love those close up views of the grass, there was a Youtube video of the technique, by the guy who built Heaton lodge, using several different layers to achieve this very effective look, but I can't seem to find it today.

Hi Steve.

I did an extensive post on my technique earlier in this thread. The pics disappeared with the Forum server problem.

So I re-did the post on pages 81-82 and put new pics in again. When I looked a couple of days back, the pics had disappeared again!!

I'd do a video of my technique but it's nothing original. And I've never done any video editing to piece together a series of "takes".

I'll have a look at that method post later tonight and re-do the pics again.

8 minutes ago, JustinDean said:

Hahaha. I don’t mind mess. I do mind a room full of weird plastic dust. I like the results hence persevering with it. Plus I’ve got bloody loads of the stuff. 
Jay

I use a Celotex equivalent - PIR board is a great modelling material.

Years back I used a saw to cut the sheets- now I use an old steak knife. Still a bit messy, but not too bad.

The joys of landscape modelling!

6 minutes ago, JustinDean said:

I’ve been using Celotex as a base which is then coated in watered down filler. This seems to provide subtle undulations in the surface. It’s horrible stuff to work with though!

 

Jay

Ah, Jay. You're a wimp  😀 - I just love the mess, haha. Some people hate mod roc.  I think it's great.

If it works, that's all that matters. 😀

16 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

The tufts of coarse grass and uneven ground are to me what gives the layout a sense of place without looking at the architecture. I'm looking forward to building up the more unkempt areas of my layout where the sheep don't get too often and photos of the area are going to be a real help. 

The road might be just "paint" at present but it's a close match. I'll be interested to see how you replicate the polished areas where vehicle wheels run and the inevitable loose material at the verges, as well as the weeds at the base of the wall.

No prizes for guessing what my next job is?

I have a simple, very low tech and not very effective way for wheel runs. I use a model land rover (if I can find it) and play "vroom vroom" running it up and down the road. I think it produces an almost imperceptible sheen on the surface!

The verges need a bit of low grass. The right side needs a post fence putting in. Then it'll be a few choice weeds, again, almost random. I find it best not to think too much about the process. If it looks good, that's ok. If not, the great hand-weedkiller from the sky descends and I try again. With almost infinite variety available, who's to say who is right and who is wrong?

I think one important factor is to include base undulations on the board before anything goes down. Cutting an old rag into bits and laying it onto the baseboard with strips of mod-roc to hold it down gets rid of the flatness. After a base coat of brown paint and flock the grass layering seems to work better.

I always put my 2mm fibres on first, leaving random non-grassed flock-only areas here and there. When longer fibres are added, this seems to break up the landscape giving a more natural approach.

Here are a few grass pics, Jay.

There'll be additional "weeds" added in to some of these areas, as well as peripheral hedging/bushes and a couple of smallish trees adjacent to the station.

And btw, I think your grassing on Llanybod is very effective.

The last pic is the road leading to the underbridge. It's just had a coat of "paint" and the walling may need another wash. And there's still a bit of grassing and a "mucky area" to go in....

Jeff

1 hour ago, JustinDean said:

Yeah I lined that up nicely for you mate ha!

 

I think it’s that desire to have my own Peak District based mini-Pendon. I’d better buy a bigger house. 
 

I’ve been using layering and blending techniques since I started on Middleton Top but I think I need to work on getting clumps and less even textures on the next set of fields I’m making. Some good inspirational stuff on here as always Jeff - the photos show that it CAN be done. 
 

Cheers

Jay

I'll post a few more pics later with emphasis on the grass areas - hopefully useful.

Jay, maybe it's a man thing but we all crave for something a bit bigger. Layouts, I mean.....😇

As for the grass. All down to multiple layers and a bit of random chance with the pointing of the grass gun.

Rob, I must admit I'm happy with the way the platform surfaces have come out. A bit of uneveness to indicate wear and tear - again, a bit of randomness as to where the sand stuck onto the PVA. This time, unlike the last layout, the chinchilla sand seems well fixed in place.

Rich - nice to hear from you. A bit of relaxation at home and a bit of modelling - even if you only make small progress - is just what's needed.

Thanks gang. I really DO appreciate your feedback.

15 hours ago, teaky said:

It's nice to see the station building again, Jeff.  I'm looking forward to your lesson on splitting slates from a solid block of Das before finishing the roof.

 

P.S. I couldn't resist giving you a like.  😈

 

Don't give me ideas, Rob. You know where that can lead!

4mm scale is too small for individual slates - but if I was working in 7mm or larger then I'd have probably gone down that route. Using plastikard though, not DAS.

I don't mind receiving likes - but I prefer comments....even if they are written in 6 font!

Brief update: I've sorted out nearly all the walling in the station area and surfaced the access road and platforms, painting them after the surface had dried.

This afternoon I pulled out the door, roof and other bits I'd concocted for the station building in 2018. The pics show these bits sat loosely in place and - to my surprise - most of what's needed had been done. So maybe I'll do a bit of work on the building in the next few weeks. MAYBE.

Rob, looking at the state of that, it might not be standing at Christmas.

It'd make a nice restoration project, though - in 1:1 scale....not DAS blocks!!

Ps. Just bought the 32nd/33rd of block of DAS used on the GH project (yes, I'm a sad git who keeps count!)

4 hours ago, Tortuga said:

I don’t think I’ve commented on this thread before - knowing that you prefer constructive criticism, rather than gushing praise - and I try to avoid hitting the “like” button on this (or any) thread as I, personally, feel that a relevant comment is more helpful.

 

I do enjoy following your thread and I hope my own efforts improve as a result of doing so.

1 hour ago, Blandford1969 said:

Its a similar story on Facebook groups if you put something up that is an A1,A2,A3, A4, Duchess, King etc then you get likes, but put up something interesting and less photographed like a simple goods engine and its ignored. 

 

Many of us may not click likes, but really do enjoy watching your incredible modelling. 

Hi Tortuga, Blandford.

I'm very happy to dish out likes to thank you for your kind comments. And yes, I make loads of mistakes - and hopefully learn from them (and report them on here) - so constructive criticism (and definitely not sycophantic ar5e licking) is appreciated.

I agree, it seems a widespread thing that unboxing or plonking down a "specimen" loco (A3, A4 especially) rakes in the likes but ACTUALLY DOING something - no, no, we can't have that!

Please keep your comments coming - if you wish to do so. I'm painting platform tops at the moment and have had to escape the Bunker, temporarily, to avoid the stench of a particularly obnoxious grey primer (not my usual vintage).

Jeff

46 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

 

It's quality not quantity Mr P that counts.

 

My apologies for hijacking your thread Jeff.

 

 

 

 

Don't worry about that, I don't "do" thread hijacks. Nearly every post is relevant in some way and - providing people aren't being over-stupid or ar5es - we just go with the flow.

Just downloading tonight's pics, so a quick glance to see Andy's news.

Cheers Jim.

The Likes business is a bee in my bonnet that surfaces every now and then. I have no qualms about expressing my opinion and I certainly don't claim to always be right in my views. But too many people on here just want an easy life and put up with anything.

Whatever, I enjoy what I'm doing to get too despondent. As I've said, my comments are on behalf of many who often are ignored by the "system".

This really is a great hobby (almost on a par with my other love, astrophotography 😀) and it's nice when modellers get the plaudits rather than the comedians or attention-seekers!

2 minutes ago, jcarta said:

Jeff

 

Like others I was just going to press the "like button" and I do agree with you it is demoralising especially with all the effort that you are putting into to the modelling scheme. Your's and the majority of the modelling on this website deserves a few words from the individual rather than push the "like" button but sadly this is the way the world seems to be going, "the art of conversation seems to have died, many years ago".

 

I also would like to see some of the icons disappear but I don't think this will alter the current situation as people will only read the thread and move on to the next one ....

 

This is just my opinion and I may be wrong so please don't shoot me but I am also guilty of ticking the "like" button....

 

I do envy what you have achieved and I love this thread, very inspirational.

Hi jcarta - John, Jeff, Jim? 

Thanks for your comments, fully agree.

Can I make it clear to all that my comments were GENERAL comments. They weren't specific to what I'm doing, but to ALL the excellent modellers on this Forum who get SOME credit, but often a lot less than a group of people exchanging a joke. The most annoying situation is for the modeller to put up some work and get, say, 6 likes and then 2 or 3 people to post comments about the modelling and get MORE likes than the modeller who has done a lot of work! Clearly ridiculous.

As you say, nothing is going to change. But it doesn't mean we should just sit here, say nothing and put up with it. Some of the stuff being posted on supposedly top notch, inspirational threads like Realistic Modelling is scandalously poor and nobody says anything. And is then repeated ad-infinitum, and still nobody reacts.

Politics is a no-no on here, but one only has to look at Putin's Russia to see where a laissez-faire attitude can lead.

So, jcarta, thanks for your supportive feedback. Irrespective of any likes (it's the unfairness issue that annoys me), a lot of us in here will always try our best, even if it doesn't always work!

Cheers,

Jeff.

21 minutes ago, Ramrig said:

Hi Jeff 

 

I fully agree with what you have written above. My annoyance with the system is those that “open a box” plonk it on the track and get umpteen likes as opposed to a decent modeller who, renumbers, adds detail and weathering and gets a couple of likes. Or takes a model out of the box, adds no detail apart from a kaydee coupling, claims it’s just been cleaned and thinks it looks realistic.

I stopped adding images to my narrow gauge thread partly due to these reasons. RMWeb is a great resource of information, help, advice and tips from some very knowledgeable people. But my concept of realism is along way from others on here.

 

 

Yes, Steve.

Two issues for me here.

The Likes issue - yes, I know people have the right to choose if they want to give a like. It's simply that a lot of these are "awarded" for trivia, non-railway issues while the modellers (that includes research, history, design, planning, building, updates etc) often get short shrift.

Then there are those that play the system for likes. Same picture again and again and again.....same background, no new modelling, again and again and again and again. Loads of likes for the same pic. Meanwhile, the modeller posts what he's been working on for a month gets acknowledged, a few likes, then back to the grind.

You could argue that none of this causes any harm. But YES it does. It's demoralising to get little response for a lot of good work while others get credit for banter, crap modelling or just posing the same thing....again and again.

Right, Steve. We'd better get some modelling done. About time I put something onto Realistic Modelling to pull in a few more likes. 

16 minutes ago, Rowsley17D said:

I was going to do a "like" to your post above, but thought better of it! 

 

You were going to give your station road a pounding to smooth it out, it looks like you have done so in the video.

Thanks Jonathan.

Not double standards, but a like for the above statement demonstrates some kind of support. I know ticking Like can save having to say "nice bit of work" and I agree with that. I just object to the abuse of the system for, especially, stuff that has nothing to do with railways or railway modelling.

Anyway, on FAR more important matters, thanks for forwarding that email this morning. I hope something is successfully sorted out in the very near future.

Just an observation and some of you will groan and go "not again"....

I dislike the "Likes" system on this Forum, not because of its general usefulness, but because of its unfairness. Some threads, consisting of nothing but people having a "jolly" abound with mutual pats on the back and tons of likes for supposedly "whitty" conversation. When this extends to dozens of pages it wears a bit thin.

This page shows a very good example of how stupid the system is. This is SUPPOSED to be a railway MODELLING website, but modelling often goes uncredited at the expense of a quick bit of info or, as cited above, "banter".

So, a few posts back I informed people of my plans for the near future. 3 or 4 sentences, 2 minutes typing. 8 likes.

I then post a video and pics representing 5 days and about 25 hours MODELLING work. 8 likes.

THANK YOU for all the likes, irrespective, but MODELLING, whatever the thread, ought to be given more credit. I used my page as an example. I could have chosen loads of threads where fantastic modelling is virtually ignored, but if you want a bit of banter - go onto, e.g. The Night Mail thread, have a laugh (which is good) and collect your dozens of likes.

I'm not trying to be miserable, just highlighting unfairness. I wish the whole likes system was scrapped as there are a few on here (the Forum, not this thread) who do nothing, talk crap or try to be witty and glory in their Likes.

This is what I feel. I'm certainly not going to apologise for my viewpoint and if you're offended by this - tough. Go and look at something else.

Jeff