Tricky

Good old Ned, ready for action...

Not a lot happened at Monks Gate today, although all the main buildings are built from ply and mdf structures. Will need to stock up on Das! Less obvious brickwork will be in Slaters embossed so as to prevent complete boredom....! Happy with the layout of buildings and the 'feel' of it all.

For those of you interested in how to make horse poo (!), the first photo is the raw ingredients; slightly dilute pva, dab of fairy liquid, seived soil and seived sharp sand. Mix together and leave to go off for a bit. When it's of a suitable consistency to hold shape but still stick, blob in horse-poo-looking piles. Smaller than you think. I also blobbed a bit of superglue just to help stick and sprinkle with soil to blend. When completely dry, chip or scrape off any bits of poo you don't want and hoover up. Job done! I believe there are other websites you can visit if you have a more particular interest in poo...

Detailed poo-making to follow.... Straw is simply chopped-up cheap coarse brush bristles sprinkled on a dab of pva. When it's good and hard rub it over with a finger to soften it and dislodge odd long bits.

Today I will mostly be making horse poo... And some other stuff maybe.

The yard is looking a bit more yard-like, ground colour and a bit of straw makes quite a difference. Cobbles to finish between the tracks plus adding the ubiquitous crates and barrels. Ned and her dray are coming along and will make an appearance soon.

Thanks Steven, that's very encouraging. Cheers, Richard

Hi Dave, waiting in eager expectation for your next entry...it's like waiting for MRJ...! The suspense. In the meantime, I wonder if I might trouble you to ask a question about where your figures come from? I have come across Andrew Stadden but wonder if there are others you use, typically of workmen, yard hands, idle boys, mangy dogs, that sort of thing. Many thanks, Richard

Hi Brian, good spot. I reduced it partly because as you say it dominated, partly because the platform edging it would go on which is already built is part brick and part wood so they wouldn't have built it over a wooden foundation and partly because I didn't fancy building something that big! It would go on for ever! I also fancied a tall chimney by way of a visual 'full stop' and also give the footbridge somewhere to terminate.

Realised I posted the wrong photo-here's one with some indication of what the toy-town buildings are supposed to be...!!

A slight revision to the far end composition of building with the card mock ups, still mulling it over and refining it. Your comments would be really very welcome...! Ned has made a brief appearance, and groundworks under way.

Yes, could do; or someone's bike...?!

Thought I'd post an update of latest progress. The goods office is finished and planted, a little lean-to has been built next to it of unknown use at yet! Gate post with lamp, just needs glass. Next step ground work, cobbles and infiltrate between tracks. The ground frame has also been christened!

Ha!! Just got it to work!!

That is very helpful, just still struggling to know how to copy a link to my thread? Something blindingly obvious I'm missing...Sorry.

Quite a busy day at 'Monks Gate'. Goods office largely complete, just need lead flashing once it's 'planted'. I have also been mocking up with mountboard how the buildings at the other end of the railway will look. Maybe not quite happy but it's easier to visualise once something of volume is there to look at from all angles.

Thanks Brian, fantastic photos there and yes, the yellow brick is very reminiscent of my time in SE London back in the 70s and 80s (my formative years!). Pretty sure I can incorporate some yellow brick buildings, especially non-Railway ones. Just can't justify Yorkshire looking stone still...Hum. I desperately need to see a precident then I will rest easy...!!

I was hoping the brickwork would look a bit more like London than Birmingham (see earlier posts for the explanation...!) according to an earlier poster it was looking a bit more like Yorkshire than London docks- a fair point as the bridge is a prototype from up that way! Still juggling to justify location in London (my preferred) in my mind. Help from anyone please!!!

Great! Have a go! Two bits of advice; first get Gordon Gravett's books on 7mm modelling if you haven't and second start small!!All the best, Richard

Natural daylight works wonders with my iPhone photography!

Hi Brian, I use humbrol enamels with a light off white wash first, then dry brush quite an orange followed by picking out various brick reds, blues, and infinite variations in between. It all looks a bit garish until I then tone down the mortar with careful application of a dirty thinned colour immediately dabbed off and smudged around with a cotton bud. Less is more or it ends up all over drab before you know it. Hope that helps, Richard

Just thought I'd post a couple of pics of the goods office progress so far before the roof goes on, plus a random shot of the culvert. Richard

Hi all, I am a recent convert to RMWeb, and you will find my thread 'Midland in London' over in the 7mm section of the forum. It's Midland Railway c1907, set in either Poplar Docks or Birmingham (long story!). It's minimal size and nowhere near finished. Hope you like it. Richard

The door knob is a scrap of 1mm brass rod 'turned' in the drill with needle files.