Jump to content
 

Sandhills

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    782

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    25

 Content Type 

Blog Entries posted by Sandhills

  1. Sandhills
    Spent last night completing the final third of scenics on the board so the next trip out for photos would be a little less restricted.

    Using a Silflor grass mat as a base several other layers of light green flock and dark green fine turf were scattered on top to build up the rough layered look that I am left with.

    Certainly feel the colour of the Autumn grass is a little easier on the eye compared to the summer and spring shades that were used on Brookestone. It did look like I had killed Kermit and spread his skin out to dry !!

    The ready to plonk shunters cabin has worked well with the addition of surrounding trees, ivy, a hard standing area and some oily handprints. Maybe a little LED in here to add some atmosphere on night shoots wouldnt go a miss ?

    The trees and bushes on the rear embankment were done using a twig of fine leaf foilage from woodland scenics with small pieces of International flower tufts glued into place around the base. The flower heads were a little oversized and way too bright so these were removed and just the stems left in place.

    I still have to add several trees (yet to be purchased !) but need to be careful I dont over clutter the photographic angles.
     
    Some of Pete Harveys fencing will run along the back of the board just to break up the transition between model and landscape/sky although the decision on the colour this will be sprayed is yet to be made. Aluminium silver could be a little harsh and I have seen fencing of this type in various shades of green so this could be an option.
     
    The vision I had when the board was pictured on the dinning room table compared to this morning is about where I wanted. I know its a little heavy on the green but it does mean the many liveries in my stock collection contrast well.
     

     

    I think the next one will be Eastfield Depot based, I like the look of that famous view into roads 5, 6 and 7 and the corner of the shed with the battered roller shutter doors !! Drab grey buildings, muck and not a tree in sight !!
  2. Sandhills
    Had big plans for today but ended up doing lots of different little jobs and at 5pm wondered where the day had gone and wasnt quite sure what I had achieved ?!
     
    After a big tidy up of kit I got a bit more scenic work done round the cabin on the low level.
     
    Spent the morning weathering the first of what I hope will be a complete rake of 10 Seacows in Mainline Blue. The complete train will hopefully feature a pair of sound fitted Cromptons in Mainline branded grey or dutch in the future.
     
    Seacow received a coat of frame dirt on the bogies and the body was coated with a good spray of weathered black. Most of this was taken off with a rag soaked in thinner and cotton buds for the finer detail.
     
    The stone slides at the sides were painted with silver enamel then rubbed over with the blackened cotton buds that were used to clean the bodysides ! The thinner on these melted away parts of the wet silver paint and left grubby, dull black streaks on the metal. Will spend a bit more time on this area with rusty based powders tmow once everything is dry.
     

     

     

     

     
    After this was done I disappeared up the GCR for a while for a look at that 'Tor**do' steamy thing !! Got to admit it is very impressive, however it put me in the mood to come home and thrash some diesels up and down on the board which then led to 3 new videos all featuring snips of BR Blue ! I must be getting old and nostalgic !!!!
     

     

     

     
    Thats all for now folks, work and lots of overtime beckon over the next week or so to pay for all these Cromptons, sound chips and Seacows !!
  3. Sandhills
    I was going to work on the board during Easter Sunday but after reviewing the weather first thing and seeing that it was turning into a pleasant day, Joey and I decided to move board, stock boxes & Dynamis outside for a bit of a play !!
    Everything had a turn and a chorus of engines have been singing away all day whilst we got on with some tidying, weeding and relaxing.
    We also devoured a large quantity of chocolate !!
     
    Very new to videoing my little creations, however, we have had a quick go today and I plan, after the purchase of some decent converting, editing and playback software tomorrow, to have a better go at it next week and hopefully, time permitting, will have more than 2ft of board to capture the action on by then !!
     
    4 links to YouTube below -
    (The picture quality & frames per second will improve next week, i promise)
     

     


     

     
    There you go then, apart from the obvious picture quality issues, wooden driving skills & reduced setting, let me know what you think and if you want more. We enjoyed doing them but without the conversion software to mpeg, as AVI files the uploading time is silly and its took all night just to sort those 4 clips ! I will invest in the software required if they prove popular !
     
    You may have noticed the only addition to the board this weekend in the form of some trees. 7 added but I reckon on another 20+ doing the trick across the board ! It aint going to be cheap, thats for sure !!
     
    A handful of pics to finish with another of the Vac that I couldnt resist as its taken facing the unfinished side of the board, the grid makes an appearance and the 20 is pictured dumped on the blocks having a well earned rest.
     
    (A couple of RMwebs' more experienced members pointed out to me the other day that maybe I went a little OTT on the colour saturation at times and after reviewing my gallery I agreed as it was obvious that quite a few shots were less realistic & a little too punchy due to the colours. I have banned any twiddling of the colour saturation knob on paintshop from now on and hopefully you will be able to 'spot the difference' with these shots ?!)
     

     

     

     

     

     

  4. Sandhills
    With Friday, Sunday & Monday free from work & a box full of scenic supplies in the model stores its time to crack on and cover some of the bare bits and those foam/concrete(!) blocks.
     
     
     

    With the left bank complete I decided to make a little feature on the right bank. A landslip which occurred several years ago was fixed by an infill off large boulders which have since been overtaken by shrubbery. The retaining wall still needs a cover of stonework but the major task of glueing the stone pieces in place has been completed this afternoon.

     
    A visit to the model shop yesterday turned up another little feature when I was rather drawn to Bachmann’s brick platelayers hut. I have steered away from ready to plonk buildings in the last few projects but I couldn’t resist this one and I have added some oil hand prints around the door and some excellent Ivy from International. Still a bit of weathering to do round the windows and roof but it serves the purpose it was bought for and will act as a shunter/traincrew cabin for the sidings.
     
     
     

     

     

    Spotted the Dapol silver bullet ECC tanks yesterday ! 6 are on the shopping list but at £27.95 a piece I cant see the final train of Speedlink Distribution 37’s rumbling across the high level with 6 tankers happening until my birthday & possibly next Christmas have passed !!
     
     
     
    Although the weather has put any major photo sessions on hold both yesterday & today I’m hopeful of getting out with the board on Sunday or ‘good old’ Bank Holiday Monday. Saying that though, I think the nighttime stuff out in the back garden that I have done during dry spells over the last couple of nights has proved more successful so far than the daylight stuff. The combination of a pitch black sky with no street lamp orange cast infront of the board and the house security light on behind me has given some dramatic results which I have been very happy with.
     
     

     

    I will do a separate blog entry for the weathering of 47535 & 50045 however I have to say that I’m very impressed with the new Bachmann 47 especially with the sound added from Howes. The 47 was, by my standards, lightly weathered however I have to admit the OTT look on the 50 was by accident. Strong thinner and too much rubbing led to the paint starting to disappear on the red,white & blue stripes of the NSE livery however a quick save with kitchen roll & lots of blowing rectified the situation and by default left quite an authentic finish of ‘shagged paintwork’ !!

     
     

     
     

    Next up, a rake of mainline blue seacow’s !
     
    Might need a pair of Mainline branded 33’s to pull them !!??!!
  5. Sandhills
    Amazing what you can get done in a few days with no work or female interference !!
     

     
    As you will have seen from some of the photos in my gallery, work on scenics has begun and the first 2ft of 6ft is about where I want it. Really feel like my scenic work has come on a little from previous projects, the secret I think, is taking your time, using the higher priced end range of materials and taking the time to tidy up each section after the glue has dried with tweezers, picking out all those annoying bits that tend to stick out like sore thumbs on close up pictures !

     
     
    The board has a split personality with the higher level single line in place and now, 2 dead end roads which sweep round and disappear off the front edge of the board on the lower level. I can now take my prototype length train shots with sky backgrounds on the higher level and my closer studies of weathered & detailed locos & wagons on the lower level. Slight curves in all the tracks help with keeping the baseboard edges out of the pictures.

     
     
    Just to run through some of the materials & features used, the retaining wall sections are all from Internationals Rustic foam wall range, the excellent telegraph poles from Express and most of the scenics have come from the Silflor range available at International.
     

     
    Still using good old Peco code 75 but the ‘call’ of P4 beckons as I still feel a lot of the closer range shots are let down by wheels and track. Paint & weathering wise, everything has had coats of Railmatch Sleeper Grime, Frame Dirt & Weathered Black with some extra touches using Carrs weathering powder applied with small make up brushes and sealed with Railmatch Matt Spray Varnish.

     
     
    After a Google search for spacing distance on telegraph poles I found that 10.4’’ between poles and around 1.5’’ from nearside rail was about right. The first 3 are lightly tacked down with PVA as I am still not convinced on height, size & location. Several photos have given the impression that they would decapitate traincrew despite being a scale 10ft from the nearest running rail. They say the camera never lies but I think the rule of angles often can !!

     
     
    Top level photos wont be undertaken until the board is complete. Apart from the 6+6 Redland and ECC PGA’s I have I am a little short on full rakes of anything. I suppose some mixed Enterprise trains could happen but I really cant wait for the day when I can picture a cl50 on 6+ NSE coaches or a cl60 on 10+ seacows !!
     
     
    Space in the bottom right corner of the lower level is begging for some kind of feature whether it be a structure, building, mast or derelict water tower .?.?.?.?.?
     
     
    Fencing is also a thought. I do love Pete Harvey’s security fencing sprayed silver or green and may have to find a use for some somewhere on the board.
     
     

    I also need to think about how I do the wires between telegraph poles ?? Any ideas on materials & execution would be greatly appreciated !!
     
     
    Bachmann 47535 with Howes sound is currently in the hands of Parcel Farce and should arrive tomorrow, so looking forward to a few nights on the workbench weathering, detailing, hearing and then photographing my first ‘Spoon’ next week !! More Large Logo Blue, I shall be modeling steam next at this rate !!
     
     

    Despite one of the comments on the last Blog entry, I can assure everyone I didn’t use breeze blocks to build the embankment despite the photos suggesting otherwise. The board is remarkable light and I can comfortably carry it with one hand between home & garden !! Just incase anyone is interested, the foam slabs were from B&Q and £11 for 5 4ft by 1ft pieces. It was very easy to work with, didn’t shread into snow like some cheap polystyrene blocks do and I actually used an electric kitchen carving knife to shape my earthworks !! Carving the Sunday roast will never be the same again !!
     
     

    Anyway, with a mass of glue, varnish & scenics drying nicely on the board I shall turn the last of my free time this afternoon to a few more photos, maybe a little DCC sound video (!) and painting up the Shawplan pipes ready for ‘University Of Leicester’s’ bufferbeams !!

     

    My final pic is my favourite so far, without even knowing it I created a quiet little corner, 'feet up on drivers desk, tea can on hot plate and a copy of the paper', making it the perfect little spot for a PNB !!

  6. Sandhills

    A monster is born !

    By Sandhills,

    The lonely nights in front of the TV finally got the better of me last night and with 2 days off work I decided it was time to get into a new project and make the space problem work one way or another.
    A full blown layout was out of the question, a shelf layout is being done in my lad’s new bedroom and with photography on dioramas being the thing that really floats my boat I decided to go for another. This time a little larger and a bit more adventurous on the scenic side !
     
    A bookcase in my bedroom very kindly has a 6ft by 18’’ flat top so it was crying out to have a model board stored on top of it so with the max space in the back of the car with seats folded and shifted about I decided to go for a 6ft by 1ft scene.
     
    I suppose with power supplied to it whilst at home it could be a layout of sorts but for the sake of argument lets stick to it being the mother of all photo dioramas !!
     
    Not really got a name, story, history, location or era yet as with my varied tastes in locos and stock the storyline to accompany photos, era & location could all change on a weekly basis !
     
    A trip to B&Q & the model shop for a few bits and my legendary speed at starting projects off at a pace has combined to result in a fair bit of progress in initial build this evening.
     
    I would love some suggestions & ideas as to what should be included as I still feel it’s a bit of a blank canvas.
     
    With only a foot in width to play with and a hefty embankment at the front and a rear hide wall/bushes (still to be started) at the back, it has limited me to a single line. I tried double track but it all looked a bit squashed.
     
    Single locos can be pictured in several locations along the length of the board and full length trains can easily be accommodated along the full 6ft length.
     
    Think I will try my hand at homemade trees, maybe some water and to give it some height, telegraph poles and wires. Fencing, P Way clutter and foliage will all add to the scene and I will definitely be using the excellent Silflor grass !
     
    I will document all the build process in future blog entries but for now, seeing as its way past my bedtime (!) here are a few shots of progress so far.
     
    2x1 framing, 6mm marine ply top, heavy landscaping using polystyrene insulating blocks cut to size and shaved with an electric carving knife (that was great fun by the way !!) and the first of the foam walling sections from International Models installed. I will give full details of the build so far in the next blog entry.

     

     

     

     

     

  7. Sandhills
    With some free time this weekend further work on Brooke Stone could take place however I was still a bit undecided what to do next on the main board so with a list of small side projects to get underway I decided a spot of detailing and weathering would fill Saturday afternoon.
     
     
     
    I wanted a van to sit on the back road round the side of the servicing building. Something that would provide storage for the depot and engines could be put to use shunting into a position of loading/unloading on the concrete pad.
     
     
     
    A browse in the model shop the other day turned up a Hornby 20T ex ferry van (ZSX) which I liked the look of. Lots of potential for some effective weathering and a decent price at under a tenner ! The bonus was it was departmental grey/yellow and would match 50015 a treat.

    Out the box it was all too clean, shiny and toy like for my tastes !

     
     
     
    The undercarriage and couplings defiantly needed work so with a sharp knife away came the ugly couplings and I was left with something a little more eye catching for the right reasons !
     
     
     

     

    Further detail was added in the form of vac & air pipes & a smart working coupling that I can loop over the hook on 50015. With the roads on Brooke Stone all being reasonable straight this connection will be adequate I think. Tail lamps added to the brackets and it was time to weather.
     
     
     

    My weathering kit (!), nothing special and completely air brushless due to the cost, the cleaning & maintenance involved and also the fact I know I would be useless with it !!
     
     
     

    Now, don?????t panic but first up was my customary blanket coat of Railmatch Frame Dirt in a can !! Bounced off the board the van stood on at close range and a spray across the roof from side to side left me with this mess !
     
     
     

    Taking most of that off with thinner & cotton buds whilst still a little tacky provides the texture and coarse look to the bodywork. The cotton buds cant quite get into all the nooks & crannies so the impression of long standing muck building up in these areas is achieved.
     
     
     

    Next up was several dustings of the 3 powders you saw within my kit. All rust, brown & yellow based these are applied with the bigger make up brush and pushed & worked into the general areas you would expect rust to have taken hold.
     
     
     

    Using the powder in the Tamiya box which is a little thicker & oily compared to the loose stuff in the packets I added streaks of the rust colour concentrating on the door and the yellow stripe always working from top to botton and never left to right. Black powder was added to areas around the wheels and handbrake.
     
     
     

    I picked out a few details with a thinner soaked cotton bud like the yellow axle box covers, lifting points, tail lamps & signage. After a good coat of matt varnish and a couple of dry & windy hours drying outside the finished van was complete and ready to take up residence as a internal user storage van at the quarry. Just a couple of stray hairs to pick off with the tweezers !!

     

     

     

     

     

  8. Sandhills
    Not feeling very inspired with scenics and what to do next on the board so settled down infront of the fire & tv with a mug of tea and got cracking on the next 6 PGA's.
     
    ECC variants this time so that 2 different rakes of stock can pass through the loading hopper on the top level.

     

    Spent alot of time working these exmples in and out of Croft so I knew exactly how I wanted them.

    A bit haphazard in method but after 5 hours work I have come up with the finish I wanted.

    Usual coat of frame dirt and sleeper grime taken off with a thinner soaked cotton bud. Several dustings of rust, cement & brown powder and everything sealed with 2 coats of varnish, one satin & a second of matt applied about half an hour apart. I also dusted over them with a soft make up brush before the matt varnish had gone off to create the textured/rough look to the wagon sides.

    Water slide graffiti applied to several and the transfer background masked with a small dusting of mucky powder.

     

    Need a few more of these and I haven't seen any about so 'keep em peeled' for me if you come across any in your local model shops !!

  9. Sandhills

    Resistance was futile !

    By Sandhills,

    Only went for a bottle of glue & a tin of matt varnish..........honest !
     
    I tried so, so, so hard.
     
    I knew I would have to walk past the Hornby cabinet to get to the counter but still I went like a lamb to the slaughter.
     
    It was like my eyes had a mind of their own. I couldnt stop them from gazing left as I walked past.
     
    ......and there it was, all vac like, dutchy and gorgeous !!
     
    By this time I was on my knees, dribbling down the glass in a trance like state with the voices in my head saying
     
    'buy me, buy me, you know you want me, buy me, I would look lovely on Brooke Stone with some Limpets & a brake, buy me, buy me.'
     
    So there it was, Hornby's latest sound offering. One of my favourite engines, in my favourite livery and with decent sound built in and ready to go. How could I resist ?
     
    Ok, I wasnt planning on running any railtours with 008 into Brooke Stone, Brooke Stone wasnt really supposed to be based on the Western region & money wise, it was steep & I had 28p in my pocket ?!
     
    Now for the real shocker and this will show just how much I had to have this engine. Knowing my local model shop owner would do me a part ex or swap I dropped my plans for the afternoon, paid for my glue & departed the shop like Arnie screaming 'I'll be back !'
     
    After a mad dash home and several difficult minutes going through my stock I decided, seeing as I hardly ever use them and have no use for them on Brooke Stone, it was time to say bye bye to the Rail Ex DRS 37 twin pack !!!!!
     
    After an excellent deal back at the shop an hour later I was the proud owner of the Vac, 6 lush ECC PGA's & a healthy deposit on the Gaugemaster Prodigy.
     
    Had fun with the Tractors but with 667 already in the loco box, having 688 & 510 was overkill. Both weathered, detailed & sound fitted, I'm sure they will bring someone else lots of enjoyment not to mention the fact that 510 was a celeb having appeared on the front of Rail Ex !
     
    Now this will shock you all as well.........I have been quite moderate with the weathering on this one !!
     
    I even researched several pics of my own & off the internet to get a general idea of how 015 looked from day to day.
     
    Too whacked last night to do anything so first thing this morning, I set about my Sunday morning project.
     
    Fully detailed with the ploughs & pipes supplied, a light dusting of frame dirt and several dustings of rusty based powders later and my first Vac is captured on the single line on its way to Brooke Stone !
     

     

     

     

  10. Sandhills
    First of all, Happy New Year to everyone. I don??™t really do New Year. I see it as a bit of an anti climax after Christmas and since becoming a dad I don??™t think I have actually been up at midnight for the last 6 years !!
     
    Never the less, I trust everybody had a great time the other night and I hope this year will see RMweb go from strength to strength with its new format, hopefully a Member??™s Day to rival last year (hint, hint Andy !) and lots of interesting new creations built for the challenge.
     
    With the day off yesterday, an early night under my belt and a promise of a sunny (but cold) day I was up with the hung over skylarks and set about a few jobs on the board before the sun came up.
     
    First up was to fit the extension plate on the front of the board for the Guagemaster Prodigy. Not actually purchased the system yet but did manage to afford the faceplate before Christmas. My local model shop will have a system in stock soon, so an Easter time purchase will enable me to start running locos shortly after. Should have the track laid to the fiddle yard and all the wiring done by then !
     

     
    Further scenics have been added to the front edge around building 3 and weathering has commenced on the walls & panels.
     

     

    The retaining wall from top to bottom levels has furthered itself around the back of the depot and along the front face however this still needs a lot of attention in the form of weathering and I plan to cover a lot of it with foliage & ivy. I??™m not unhappy with it, just feel it needs a bit more work to fit in.
     

     
    Last up was the work to the ballast pile. Why its there, I do not know (!), but it fills a space, acts as a distraction away from the fiddle area and looks ok so far. I may build a small conveyor that protrudes from the building behind. A sort of overflow heap that is cleared occasionally by digger ?
     

     
    After all this I was ready to brave the cold and go enjoy the fruits of my labour with a trip out with the camera. Most of these have been in the gallery for 24 hours due to the delay in posting new blog entries but I will post again here to keep the blog updated with the latest.
     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  11. Sandhills
    Put together the last of the 5 structures last night & this morning but then I faced a bit of a dilemma ?
     
    Do I place and fix all the structures then build the scenary around them or do I try and put the scenary around the footprints of the buildings then place them at the end.
     
    After much debating I decided on the first option and spent this morning sticking everything down !
     
    I realise working in tight spots and around the buildings isnt going to be easy but this is a challenge and I think doing it this way round will result in a much better finish, with the scenary looking more at home around the structures.
     
    With all this activity and having the main scene as set as it was ever going to be, it spurred me on (despite the cold !!) to pack the car up, venture off to a random field, take advantage of the hazy sunshine and do a test shoot.
     
    Only took a small selection of stock and obviously you will have to turn a blind eye to the un weathered bits and bare wood in places but overall i'm glad I went out and tried a few pics as the results have given me loads of inspiration & a bit of focus on what to do next and where to go with the whole project.
     
    Took nearly 150+ shots but I will pick out a few and post 5 at a time over the next few days along with other blog ramblings about stuff thats done & needs doing ! I'm liking stuff in B&W at the minute so both colour & greyscale versions are posted below. A lot of these work better in B&W in my opinion but with both versions posted you can decided what works best for you.
     
    Anyway, welcome to Brookestone Quarry folks, work in progess, but officially open for business !
    Hope you enjoy the view.................................................................................................................
     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     
     
     
  12. Sandhills

    6 down & 33 to go !

    By Sandhills,

    Late night session at the workbench last night saw the first 6 Redland PGA's weathered to a grubby state.
     

     
    Time wise on the board the wagons would have been very close to the overhauls that saw them painted white & rebranded with the LaFarge logo so thats my excuse for the distressed Redland look !!
     

     
    Not seen any ballast loads for PGA's before so going to have a crack at filling the inside on some examples with packing, then a layer of fresh grey stone on the top.
     

     
    9 ECC variants await similar treatment as well as several yellow/grey Seacows which I do have the ballast loads for.
     

     
    Hopefully a big day of modelling awaits tmow............
     
     
     
     
  13. Sandhills

    Seeing Double !

    By Sandhills,

    With the festive season in full swing a new addition to the fleet has arrived joining 60006 as the second Brooke Stone Quarry allocated construction 60.
     
    005, 010 & 100 will arrive in due course to complete the allocation of 5.
     
    Another conversion from a Hornby Mainline 077 example, Simon has done a superb job with Hither Green diamonds, cast arrows, re numbering and construction block transfers.
     
    The job is completed with 001's signature grey snowplough which it didnt keep for long and was actually a different design & shape to the rest and the one shown but as you all know i'm not picky with minor details & inaccuracies and I will leave it as it is for the sake of it being a little different & something which will identify 001 from the rest.
     
    Weathered by myself over a couple of relaxing hours first thing this morning, all it requires now is the sound chip & speaker from SWD which is yet to be unwrapped under the tree !!
     
    May get some board work done later this evening and with tmow booked for the big family get together any real progress with Brooke Stone structures will have to wait for the full days modelling I have planned on Monday.
     
    'Nearly 2 years on after its release from Brush at Loughborough, 60001, having undergone numerous CPU mods, testing & alteration, settles into its new home joining 60006 as a revenue earning machine at Brooke Stone Quarry.'
     

     
    'Basking in late winter sun, 001 awaits a wash down & fuel before its night time run at the head of 6C31 00.23 Brooke Stone Railhead - Radlett'
     

     
    '60001 draws inside the service point for fuel'
     

     
    A couple more B&W views that work ok......
     

     

  14. Sandhills
    Family Christmas preperations are in full swing so all things 'Brooke Stone' related have gone on the back burner for a while.
     
    I did managed however a job last night and a few pics this morning before packing everything away in the train room until my long awaited 4 day break between Christmas & the New Year.
     
    The 'big end' building has been painted, weathered & sealed with just the lighting, signage and roof to sort out.
     
    With a can of beans standing in for the 5th un built structure these pics show the progress so far and how things look at the close of the year.
     

     

     
    Pleased with the views from right to left looking through the small gaps in the buildings. I think come the summer, in the right weather conditions and with a decent backdrop this particular angle could become my favourite.
     

     

     

     
    Could'nt resist a few loco shots as well. The 25 & 56 provide a time span of around 15 years and so long as I am careful with the detail the board could run anywhere from late seventies to present day.
     

     

     

     

     
    .....and last up my favourite so far. Dont think the grass is looking to OTT now. The growth in the 4ft was trimmed and everything was dusted with various shades of black & brown powder and after sealing with hairspray i'm a bit happier to continue with its use on further areas of the board.
     

     
    Have a very Merry Christmas everyone & the next update should be post turkey around the 27th !!
  15. Sandhills

    Got the hump !

    By Sandhills,

    Looking forward to painting the big building I was rather fed up this morning on discovering it was going to be cold, wet or both for at least the next week, so with the indoor spraying ban imposed by SWMBO any fun with the Halfords primer will have to wait !
     
    Snatched an hour this afternoon between jobs and managed to get a couple more things started, funnily enough, both involving humps !
     
    Laid grass to one of the sections between the cripple road & shed road and it didnt look right being too flat. Up it came and a shaped piece of polystyrene was inserted and the grass re laid. Looks better now and will give some depth to any photos of locos 'on shed'.
     

     
    Using layers of foam board I built up a rough shape to form a ballast/stone spoil pile in one of the small available places left on the board, its quite full/busy with all the structures in place ! A thin layer of plaster repair was spread over and once dry I will sand, layer with glue and sprinkle a suitable scatter product over the top. Further weathering with some yellows & browns and thats another little feature and something to break up any flat bits !
     

     

     
    Couldnt resist a couple of snaps next to the back door before packing up. I'm a winter person usually prefering snow, dark nights & open fires to suncream, sand & sweat but I can honestly say I have never wanted the sun to come out so much as I do now. Think the grass with a bit of natural sunlight on it will produce some realistic pics. Oh well, we live in hope ! You watch it come out on Christmas Day morning and the trouble I get in sneaking out to the fields with the board. Me thinks it wont just be the turkey getting a roasting !!!!
     

     

  16. Sandhills
    10 days since the last entry & not had a lot of time to do much to the board, until today !
     
    Awaiting detail bits & lighting for the 3 structures that have been started so rounded up every last bit of plastic & balsa and set about the 4th & biggest structure for the board.
     
    Turned into a bit of a monster and by the end of construction I was cleared out of all material so building number 5 will require a few purchases & a re stocking of the storage box !
     
    Anyway, results shown below (apologies for the poor lighting and kitchen backdrop) with the structure shown off the board first then positioned on the left hand side & back edge of the board. A conveyor will run from this structure, across the elevated loading lines and into the loading hopper shown on previous blogs. This is yet to be constructed and will be broken half way across its journey by a conveyor sub station, ie the 5th and final structure for the board.
     

     

     

     
     
    Fitted lights inside the depot building although the benefit from these will show better on a planned night shoot sometime in the new year when all the lights are installed and all 5 buildings affixed to the board.
     

     
     
    Took delivery of a few samples of Silfor grass mats and have played around with a few ideas on the bottom left section of the board.
     

     

     
     
    Track has had a base coat of Rail Match sleeper grime and weathering and rusting will take place over the coming weeks, no doubt as, ???one line at a time??™ sessions until complete.
     

     

     
    The metal storage bins shown in front of the depot are a little tester/teaser from Pete H (PHD) and I can see them being added to Pete??™s product list vcry soon. I for one would like several more & at least 5ft of the modern security fencing !!
     

     

     
     
    Not sure about the retaining wall colour, texture & design and further weathering and covering with foliage may be required to get something I am a little more happy with.
     

     
     
    Love the Silfor grass mats and think I will go for a lush green summer look across the board to suit the blue sky & sunshine photos I plan to take in the summer months.
     


     
    Was so pleased with the colour my plaster repair concrete apron dried I have decided after a good sand not to paint and I have added the weathering powder straight to the plaster.
     

     

     
    Hopefully I can get the board outside in the garden for 10 mins between now and the weekend and get some natural light on the grass.
     

     
    With work going into overdrive & lots of family commitments in the run up to Christmas it may be my 5 days off over Christmas before I can get anymore done.
     
     
  17. Sandhills
    Looked at some finescale track and was impressed. However...........
     
    Then looked at contents of my wallet and what I had leftover from previous projects and a compromise was required.
     
    Seeing as I made the trackwork on 'Two Way Traffic' look quite realistic I have decided to go with Peco 75 and the ballasted underlay rather than the more expensive route of breaking new ground with C&L stuff.......another time maybe !
     

     

     
    Anyway, soldered droppers onto 5 lengths, incased them in the underlay and glued them down into position. A quick test with the Dynamis connected to the DCC bus I have fitted revealed all my solders were good.
     

     

     
    Marked out the area where the depot will sit using some L shaped plastic strips and filled the area with plaster repair. Smoothed over and misted with water its drying nicely with no signs of cracking. When dry I shall spend time cleaning up and sanding smooth and using a sharp knife to dig out the inside of the running rails to allow locos access to the depot. Did this sucessfully before on Brooke Wharf so i'm not too worried even though it can be a nightmare job.
     

     
    To get the same sort of finish on the track as the last photo board I will be spraying all the track and ballast with Railmatch Sleeper Grime, weathering in places, rust side rails & pick out the sleeper chairs. Much of the track work will have weeds in the four foot and I expect on some photos, with the length of vegetation that the track work will be obscured anyway.
     
    3 buildings are at the final stages of weathering, detailing and lighting however for these to progress an online shopping spree for lights will be required so post Christmas for that one !!
     

     
    The final 2 buildings to make the magic 5 are still at the 'planned in my head' stage but with a good supply of card, plastic and balsa I can make a start over the coming weeks.
     

     
    Seeing as I made a saving/compromise with the track I plan to indulge on the scenics and its likely that the ground cover base will be the rather expensive but completly brilliant Silfor grass mats from International.
     

     
    Simon of this parish has very kindly decided to let me purchase the re spray of 001 so thats on the Christmas list as a present, 10+ ECC PGA's have been secured at the model shop and will be held under the counter until next year when financies allow.
     
    I also plan to have re sprays of 005 & 010 before October next year and this will bring the Construction Tug fleet to 4 all operating on the board. All sound fitted its not going to be cheap but with a Christmas, Birthday & plenty of summer time OT it should be affordable.
     

     
    The rough timetable looks like this -
     
    Now - New Year = Buildings, trackwork, electrics
     
    New Year - March = Scenics
     
    March - April = Building placement, further smaller detail
     
    May (Birthday month) = Purchase DCC system (Lenz or Prodigy ?)
     
    June - July = The finshing touches
     
    August - September = Fleet upgrades, wagon weathering, late summer sun photo sessions
     
    October = Final presentation
     
    Really enjoyed todays session and coupled with the enjoymant of seeing everyone elses progress via the forum i'm getting really excited by the potential photographic trips in the summer. Already found 2 cracking locations out towards Mountsorrel with the quarry and blue sky as backdrops.
     

     
    2010 sq in but the views will go on for miles !!
  18. Sandhills
    Still waiting for the boiler suited man with spanners so in the meantime challenge work continues at a pace !
     
    For 75p, a strip of balsa split in half gets you a chunky conveyor belt housing in 5 mins..................
     

     
    Stuck together and cut to a length leaving a few mm either way ready for fitting a quick rummage through the off cuts from the building panels gets you enough to cover 3 sides.....................
     

     

     
    Finished in 5 mins with the aid of super quick setting Red Rocket and its off to the spray booth along with an equal length of pipe.............................
     

     
    The magic colour as many on here will have discovered in the past is the Halfords Grey car primer. I use the one for plastics..............
     

     
    Welcome to my sophisticated spray booth with natural vapour extraction !! Dont think SWMBO was too keen on grey kitchen units and worktops !!
     

     
    No problems this time with the paint going wrinkly and half a can later everything was coated to a satisfactory level with any light patches covered later with the weathering. Remebered to mask off the brick work this time ! This stuff doesnt come off to well without lots of scrubbing and very strong thinner !
     

     

     

     

     
    Once dry I decided to go for an ashphalt roof effect on building 3 and after mixing a pot of 2 & 4mm black & grey ballast I painted the roof area with a layer of pva and sprinkled away ! Left outside for an hour I blew the excess ballast off, checked for any glaring errors and everything is now inside and ready for a test placing on the board and a few more pics.
     
    More on that later..........................................
  19. Sandhills
    Talk about being stuck between a rock & a hard place. Usually work my booked days off for extra pocket money but with the plumber booked to come and sort our heating problems and SWMBO being full time Mon-Fri its down to me to be 'stay at home dad' for the day and await the potentially expensive visit from the boiler man ! Ironic really when I should be working to earn the pennies to pay for the repairs !!
     
    Anyway, the plus side is with not having to get up at stupid o clock I had a late night at the kitchen table last night and put together the 3rd big structure for the board. This one is for the front right side of the board and will provide the cover from fiddle to scenic section. I even managed to take a few pics during construction so I can prove its me building these things and not a team of modelling goblins that do it during the night while I sleep !!!!
     
    Still have the pipe work and conveyor housing to do but this cant be started until the two buildings these will run between are finished and in place on the board.
     
    The story so far then.................
     
    First up, a balsa wood frame using rough measurements for loco clearance, scale and board position. I cut my balsa strips up with a very sharp blade and use a sanding block just to square off my cut edges. Nothing is an exact science and so long as it sits level and holds together well it does for me. I use rocket glue (yellow) to hold everything together and the roof and underfloor were done using 5mm foamboard this time as the balsa supply was running out !
     

     

     
    .....and to give you an idea of how it works on the board -
     

     
    Next up is the brickwork. One sheet of 4mm plasticard brick painted with Dulux white emulsion. I then sponge off the top surface and this leaves a rough looking white in the grout. Cut in strips and applied to the structure using rocket then the joining edges trimmed with a scalpel.
     

     
    Decided not to go for the overhanging side cladding this time to save on wood strips and time so the next step was to apply the plasticard planking cut to size directly onto the frame. Even though this stuff is designed to represent wooden planking I think it works quite well as modern industrial metal factory cladding especially when painted with the grey primer.
     

     
    After a rummage in the bits and bobs box I found a few strips of tube and right angled plasticard to add some detail, hide some joins and finish the corners to cover my dodgy cuts and unequal lines & gaps !!
     

     

     
    'Good size, this one' as you will have noticed and I think once the joining pipes and conveyor belt housings are added from the loading hopper on the higher level, this building will look at home on the front edge and serve its purpose to hide the fiddle well.
     
    Its not raining this morning so next up is to mask off the brickwork and give everything a good coat of Halfords Grey Plastic Primer outside in my garden spray booth !!
     
    More pics later............................
  20. Sandhills
    How do central heating systems know when theres a cold snap on ?
     
    Just about to go out and purchase some bits for the board including the track, Lenz system & the first bag full of assorted scenics and the boiler packs in !
     
    So, as well as being cold this weekend the wallet is bracing itself for the plumbers bill next week and not a visit to the model shop. This challenge really is turning into a challenge and then some !
     
    Good job we have plenty of time so a bit of saving wont do any harm to the boards progress and I can get on with building the next structure which I already have the materials for.
     
    Meanwhile, plumbing & heating issues aside, the board progressed a little further this afternoon with a coat of 'Dark Sky' gloss by Johnstones.
     

     
    The support table by the way is a very handy piece of kit I found on the Cromwell Tools website. Currently on offer at ??26 it folds and locks in half a bit like a paste table but has legs of steel tube construction and a hardwood top with a gloss coating. The legs all fold in and a carry handle is included. Very handy and just the right size for Challenge entries. Link below for those interested -
     
    http://www.cromwell.co.uk/PRO8000004A
     

     

     
    Had a half used tub of plaster repair in the garage and seeing as it dries quickly, is sandable and doesnt weigh much when hard & dry I decided to use it up and create some variation in the surrounding land around the running lines. Still have more to add but whats done so far will help to give the stabling point area a bit of depth and seclusion for the photos & the lump on the other side that spans the 2 boards will help to break up the uniformity of the brick wall that will run along the face of the raised loading roads.
     

     

     

     

     
    After another check for warping and that the boards were fitting together smoothly we decided to have a little play with some trains and took a few rough measurements for the next structure which will be right on the front edge of the scenic board butted up to the front panel on the fiddle yard board. It will be as tall as the building at the back on the raised section and span the 3 running lines on the lower section to provided some cover from activity in the fiddle yard.
     
    With several pipe runs and conveyors running from this structure to the back structure the view to fiddle yard should be obscured enough and with the fiddle board detached a perfect camera angle will be provided looking through the structure down towards the stabling shed.
     

     

     

     
    Right, back to the workbench for some balsa bashing whilst dressed in wooly hat and gloves to keep warm !!!!
  21. Sandhills
    The bad weather has arrived this afternoon as forecast so its back inside for some laptop work, blog & thread updates & some research into some decent track !
     
    Did manage a couple of hours woodwork earlier this afternoon and managed to complete the higher level base and frame 3 sides of the main board with 6mm ply. All sanded, glued, screwed & nailed with a good level surface, no big gaps (my usual wood working outcome !) and no sign anything will move or warp.
     

     
    Sourced some alignment dowels this morning so should get them fitted tmow & hopefully if the weather allows for working outside I can get the remaining 19''x30'' fiddle board finished and connected to the main board. Plan to use clips at the side along with the dowels and when supported by 2 Wickes trestles it should all hold together well. Weight wise, its certainly lighter than the MDF stuff I have put together before and should make transportation to those rolling landscapes a lot easier !!
     

     
    The shots below should start to give you an idea of size, scale, the sense of space & some of the great angles I can get from all round the board.
     

     

     

     

     

     
    Looking into track later today. Need to consider cost and also the fact that I have spare Peco code 75 in the Brooke stores but if this bull head stuff really is impressive then I might be tempted. It makes sense to use it as I have bags of time to research & purchase it and when you consider it will probably feature in every photo I take, it surely justifies the upgrade ?
     
     
     
     
  22. Sandhills
    I suspect, unlike the 2012 Olympics, Brooke Stone at this early stage, appears to be, on time, on budget and most importantly on size !!
     
    After another woodwork session this afternoon the detachable fiddle/loco hide was constructed and with the use of alignment dowels (4) and side catches (3) added to the main board.
     
    On the fiddle yard board 2 high sides have been installed using 6mm ply with the back left open for access to the 5 running lines. Another scratch built structure will span the depth of the board from front to back and be wide enough and angled across the join to sufficiently hide rolling stock disappearing off the scenic section.
     
    The big moment came at just after 16.00 this afternoon when my lad, tape measure in hand, declared that despite dad's limited woodwork skills the boards, combined, were indeed the magic 67'' x 30'' resulting in 2010sq inches !!
     

     
    Next up is a little bit of filling, sanding and tidying up on the 2 boards then a coat of paint. A shade of Railfreight Construction Blue, or something quite close, is looking favourite at the minute and I will be tasking my local sign writing guy to run up a set of yellow self adhesive letters for the front panel on the fiddle yard board.
    BROOKE STONE


    The 2010 RMweb Challenge


     
    Along the 5 theme, as well as having 5 roads, a couple more thoughts over the last few days have been -
     

    5 resident locos, possibly all construction based 56 & 60's from the 1990-95 period. All custom re sprays with weathering, detail & sound. 5 major scratch built structures on the board of which 2 have been started, 1 in early stages on the workbench & 2 more to plan, build & place. Spare time and cash for the layout will be on a drip
    feed from now until after Christmas due to work going into silly season & a 5 year old with a 7 page list for Santa !!
    Got plenty of building material in the stores though so whilst track, power & control systems, lighting & rolling stock will have to wait until after the festive season I can spend the next month or so beavering away on the workbench coming up with the other 3 structures and finishing the 2 already started.
     
     
  23. Sandhills
    Hi all,
     
    Here goes then, dont get too excited as this may not suit many but seeing as I was about to start a new project I might as well join in the fun and enter it as my 2010 challenge layout or should I say overgrown photo diorama !
     
    Its not going to win many marks for operational content or ingenuity but for me this is about some top draw realistic photos, cracking scenary including using some stuff I have not tried before and showcasing some weathered stock both new & old.
     
    Lets get the controversial bit out the way first. I HATE POINTS ! Whether it be fitting them, painting them, motorising them and especially, photographing stuff on them. I find them ugly, locos dont look good in pics straggled across them and I feel its quite acceptable on a board this size to imagine my scene & the ground it covers not having any points visable. The other factor is cost. I would much rather spend my money on quality scenics to enhance the pics rather than having to splash out on points, motors, electrics etc etc etc........
     
    So there you have it, no points, but, 5 roads to celebrate the 5th birthday and the 2010 sq in thing nailed firmly on the head with an overall size of 67'' x 30'' which, if my maths is correct equals the desired maximum.
     
    The scenic bit is 48'' by 30'' and the beginnings of a baseboard for this section were started on this afternoon. To the right will be a 19'' fiddle. I am looking at ideas for this bit including a slideable cassette system to move locos from one road to another but for the minute I will concentrate my efforts on the scenic bit and see what develops & suits best for the hidden bit at a later date.
     
    The board itself is going to be a couple of different scenes from front left to back right, however, my plan will be to give everything a 360 finish allowing photos & viewing from all sides. I am hoping the 2 scenes will sit well together on the one board and the scene I create will be believeable enough.
     
    BROOKE STONE then, will be a 2 road loading hopper with a network of pipes & conveyors etc on a raised back level on the board whilst nestling below on the front 1.5' of the board will be stabling sidings, a cripple road for wagons leading to a small reapir facility and a depot building of sorts offering service checks, A exams and undercover refueling for locos not returning to Brooke Wharf or Lane and awaiting their next turn of duty on site, a la EWS and their set up at Mountsorrel.
     
    Boards are 2x1 framework with batons every foot and to cut down on weight 6mm marine ply sides and tops. Not worried about warping as I have batoned the underneath well and I am a lot happier with the weight this time as the 9mm MDF constructions in the past have been a real bu**er to shift about when out photographing !!
     
    Power and control will come courtesy of a DCC Lenz system which is on the Christmas list and the track will be Peco code 75 having tried it and loved the look of it on the Two Way Traffic board I did a few months ago.
     
    Seeing as we have nearly a year I can safely say there will be several new loco & wagon additions for use on the board and I will include the weathering of these items as part of the overall project.
     
    Pictures galore guaranteed and I am keen to scratch build as much as possible so all this will be documented.
     
    A few pics below to set the scene and I hope everyone enjoys watching it develop into the finished article come October next year...........
     

     

     

     

     

  24. Sandhills

    Cropped & shopped

    By Sandhills,

    Back to work tmow after 4 enjoyable days off and a spot of modelling. Plenty to get on with next time I get some modelling time with the retaining wall and perfecting the ballast heaps first up.
     
    A few more pics below from this mornings trip out. All cropped/clarified and some have been posted in the 'How realistic' thread but I wanted them recording in the blog as well.
     
    I will hopefully update with some more progress over the New Year weekend.............
     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  25. Sandhills
    Just a quick update today with one addition to the project.........................
     
    The era the board is run & photographed in will vary according to the stock I have at hand but the main time period I am going for is 1990-1995. My favourite railway period and also a time of some of my favourite liveries. Dutch, civil engineers & above all the two tone grey with sector markings.
     
    The colour scheme and vinyl lettering is as close as I could get to 'Construction' and with a blue drape around the table (yet to be stitched by mum !!!!) I am happy with the presentation so far. Just hope the scenics on top look as good ??!!
     
    A couple of express connection DCC plates will be installed on the front left and back right of the board for all round operation.
     
    Anyone got any Railfreight Construction 'blue & yellow block' motif stickers leftover from the Railfreight Roadshows in 1989 ?????? !!!!!!!
     

     

     
     
×
×
  • Create New...