BobM

Hi.... A light rubbing over with a fibreglass pen to tone the 'extreme' blue down a bit to a grayer colour - will dry bush further blue brick over this next.... Think it looks reasonable...? Regards always Bob

Evening guys..... Have made the first steps in 'blue bricking' the first panels of 'Llangeitho Bridge'........ Will follow similar steps to that followed when painting up the walls of the parcels buildings earlier..... So with that in mind, a light covering of Precision Paints Blue Brick has been applied, wiped off with kitchen towel, this when dry I will take a fibreglass pen to and lightly remove, a dry brush of blue brick will be applied, along with picking out various individual bricks in red and a lighter blue, when this is dry the mortar mix ( Das Clay and Artex) will be rubbed in and wiped off, allowing some to remain as a sheen, to provide that 'bloom' that you get on ageing brickwork hopefully, will post as 'we' go, so as to show 'warts and all' how it goes...? Regards always Bob

Hi.... Cheers guys..... Will probably at the same time as working on the blue bricks, add the mid tone to the paving too...? stay safe folk.... Regards always, Bob

Evening Guys Hope all are keeping fine and safe? Thought I'd post something on the state of affairs at the moment now that the light stone colour has been applied to the final bit of stonework and a also a selection of the paving stones. Will post further when the blue brick tone is applied to the walls themselves. Stay safe, keep well and happy. Regards always Bob

Evening All..... Hope all are keeping safe and well? The work continued on 'Llangeitho Bridge' this evening, two hours of 'therapy' beginning 'the paint job', it was quite absorbing slowly painting the capping stones to the parapets, amazing how such a small piece of the bridge can take 120 minuets ! Anyway this is what was accomplished tonight, only a small section, but already can see the difference it has made. Have used Humbrol Matt 121 Pale Stone which I thought made a suitable tone for the capping stones? This will be used as the base colour for the remainder of the lighter stonework on the fascia of the bridge and should contrast well with the blue bricks? Matt 121 will also be the lighter stone colour for the selection chosen three selections for the paving and granite sets. The evening is winding down in a continued ' Welsh Theme' coffee and Welsh Cakes...and to top it all watching 'Foyle's War' too.! Sorry (just noticed) about the washing on the floor in the centre photograph..... Regards always.....Stay safe please Bob

Evening Guys All well I trust,,,,? Have made further progress I believe on Llangeitho Bridge....spending a while filling the gaps in both the granite setts and the paving edge, using Artex. I have found Artex a very usable material personally to work with to fill any small gaps easily as it works in well, sets firmly when dry but removable whilst remaining moist. Although not having used the tub available for several months, the Artex I had available was as solid as a lump of rock, but a bit of warm water and a knife steel soon had it very workable and usable again. Began by working a finger full of moistened Artex into the edges and working around and into the joins of the setts themselves. As this was drying used a moistened fibre glass pencil to remove any excess and where the Artex had strayed into and covered too many of the setts entirely, also rubbed over the road surface to give a worn surface in places for effect. Will post further when initial painting begins..... Regards always Bob

Evening Guys, As always hope that everyone is okay and your respective Saturday's have gone well....? After spending a few hours of 'therapy' working on Llangeitho Bridge here is this evenings posting on the results...... Firstly cut up a number of 'flagstone' sized pieces of plasticard, some of which were to represent the 'broken' or 'cracked' one would expect to find on an old and not very maintained road bridge. These were then stuck down on each side to represent a walkway / pavement, again in need of some attention. Have also undertaken a little filling of the Wills granite sets and have everything a light grey wash undercoat to take away that 'plastic' look, much of which was wiped away whilst remaining wet, when when dry this surface will be rubbed over with a fiber glass pen..... This is where we are as of this evening with the road surface...... Catch up soon guys.... Regards always, Bob

Hi 'Llangeitho Bridge' is just drying in situ, and will be painted up in blue brick soon, at least initially........ The is to have a retaining wall - perhaps with a back garden or just grassed bank...... Regards always Bob

Evening guys....... All keeping safe I hope..... Have spent this evening working on 'Llangeitho Bridge', not literally obviously as it would be darned cold to say the least this evening The white edge is a piece of plasticard on to which (I will next lay) the 'pavement flags' this evening and hopefully will provide the slightly raised footpath, the granite set road service has been fixed down and now setting. The 'brown bit' is an extension scenic extension to the bridge wall, although much this lower section will be hidden though, the upper wall will be blended into the overall blue brick effect of the whole bridge. Will keep you posted on further progress..... Regards always Bob

Hi.... Well (thankfully) save for the tent to be removed, Christmas has 'been and gone' and although the SVR won't be operational passenger wise until April, there'll be much going on 'behind the scenes' here at Arley and we have our station back! Today planted out in the gardens, two further 'old apple' varieties, 'Annie Elizabeth'.....and managed to prune both the maturing apples and the standard wisteria, both of these tasks accomplished at the correct time of year for the first time for two years, previous pruning having to be delayed due to enforced lock downs! Here are the two Annie Elizabeth apples planted today.... Will keep you posted of anything that 'happens' in the meantime...... Stay safe folks.... Regards always Bob

Evening guys.... All okay....been a chilly old but 'crisp', frosty and foggy day up here, but beautiful sunshine too....hope to with you....? Just an update to say that I have hopefully turned an adversity into a positive.......as, last evening when attempting to wire in tube one of the points, everything when absolutely 'pear-shaped' and I irreparably damaged it to the point where it wouldn't throw at all. rather than the blind 'panic' that would normally ensue I decided to remove a couple of further points and sections of track, whilst retaining the overall plan....... Here's the section as it is now......... Regards always,,,, Bob

I Love You Because - Jim Reeves

Thanks Lez, It is only through the kindness of all the guys such as yourself that I have gained that strength over the last few years. All of the advice received has been greatly appreciated and continues to be so. Regards always Bob

Die Another Day - Madonna

Evening all...... Having made the conscious decision to 'stop' with the weathering for the moment (so that I don't mess this up) any further tweaking can be undertaken later and with the arrival of a couple of cans of Humbrol Matt spray varnish, decided it was best perhaps to 'fix' the applied powders now, save that whilst I may be moving the turntable from time to time I inadvertently remove or smudge them? So, I hope that I have followed the correct method described here....? Not wanting to get the varnish onto anything other than the applied powders, decided to pack the pit and beneath the deck itself with kitchen towel prior to spraying as a precaution..... ....then after giving the canister a good old shake, took both out side and sprayed the deck with a sweeping motion across all sides and down the deck a couple of times, but not overly directly at it or allowing it to become wet? This is what the end result looks like back on the layout.... Will be adding further weathering and effects (yet to be determined) to the pit at a later stage.....I am quite happy with the look so far, I am amazed that I haven't made a mess of this! Regards always, stay safe please.... Bob

Evening Guys, Hope all are fairing well....? Have undertaken hopefully further worthy progress on weathering the turntable.....? Began thus.......using 'smoke' first, brushing onto all the panels...... allowing this and dark earth which was also applied to the girders to fall on to the deck, where it fell I left it to be lightly finger rubbed in to the spaces..... a combination of both of these then brushed across the lower girders and whole lot....allowed to to fall into the pit and sides to create a 'naturally' grubby appearance..... Will leave at this for now until 'fixed' when I can revisit....? Comments as always would be greatly appreciated....stay safe folks please... (Happy that the decision to take the 'grey and grubby' appearance was made rather than the GWR dark and light stone approach)...? Regards always. Bob

Hi John The article you kindly sent featuring a similar Dapol / Airfix turntable marriage has set me wondering whether I should incorporate, as this is a pit turntable, a set of central access steps onto the girders too..? Regards Bob

Thank you that's very kind. Bob

That would be great if allowed. private message perhaps? bob

Evening..... Just a little bit of further weathering with the powders on the one girder, have decide to complete both girders then lightly spray with Humbrol Matt varnish to fix the said powders? Will keep you 'posted'... Regards always Bob

Hi Thought I'd post this for interest, found the info primarily when searching for 'fixing' techniques for powders, here using Humbrol Acrylic Matt varnish spray 'at a distance'...... Will continue to 'weather the girders' on the turntable before fixing the whole piece. Regards always Bob

Hi.... Thanks John... When I have used weathering powders previously on the granite set surface of the goods, I didn't used any fixer as it was just a flat, static non operational display, obtaining the effect, by wiping off and reapplying a few times until it became 'ingrained' in the surface colour and didn't wipe off, but this piece may require a different approach, hence my hesitancy? Two thoughts I had were.... If I am applying this with a brush, will it move the powders around? Can I lightly 'stipple' the varnish? Regards always Bob

Hi Guys Before I plough ahead and do something I am unsure of attempting, please could I ask a question. I only have Humbrol Matt29 clear varnish , which I will have to be applied via a brush to fix the applied weathering powders, is this going to be troublesome, or should I obtain a suitable spray product which you guys could recommend please? Regards always Bob

Hi Hopefully the very poor room light for this imaging, won't detract what I am attempting to convey? Have applied dark earth and smoke weathering powders to the first four panels, only slowly doing this as I don't want to overdo the effect of muck and some developing rust, what antique folks would term as patina? These have yet to be 'fixed'? Any good? Regards always Bob

Hi Must be an ageing thing but I cannot recall in the past what you've recommended to 'fix' the weathering powders to the surface? I have Humbrol matt varnish (matt 49), which rings a bell? Regards always Bob