Dukedog

likewise! They are very convincing and much better than I can do at the moment. I have some to do for my new layout so, a step by step guide to your method would be nice. Other than that just a list of materials used would be handy. Cheers! Frank

Time for the weekly update.... This week it's ROCK & ROLL! First the ROCK.. The spoil heap next to the tunnel portal has been made, glued, stuck down and painted. Some Mininatur grass clumps have been added. The remaining area has now received it's base of hanging basket liner. On the other (Viewing)side I've added some vegetation growing in the crack between the rock, just to break it up a bit. It's a pity that this view will not be seen by the viewing public but here it is anyway. Here's another wide angle shot showing progress on the front of the layout with long grass, reeds and more scree. Please excuse the kitchen table! No other means of support exists yet! Frank Now The ROLLing stock! I've been itching for ages to take a picture like this. 7812 Erlestoke Manor with the Down Cambrian Coast Express! Cheers for now! Frank

Great Modelling and a good story line too. If I was Mr Bull and I lost my head I think I would be a little upset too! Cheers Mikkel! Frank

Thanks for the info Re: Blue point switch machine. Much appreciated. Cheers! Frank

Can you still get those? I trawled the net looking and could only find a supplier in the US. Any chance of letting me know where I can get them? Cheers! Frank

I like the design of your Fascia Tom, It is certainly giving me food for thought when I get round to that stage with Morfa Bach. As for colour, It's a close call, I would have gone automatically for Black, but, after some comments on my last blog entry I'm having a rethink. Green is nice, especially being a Southern derived layout, but, mine being western region is going to be awkward, I'm not going to go for brown that's for sure. Anyway I'll keep an eye on your blog to see what you finally decide. Cheers! Frank

Looks like some useful tack there Paul. I've often thought about getting some sort of labour saving stirring device but, always been a bit put off by the thought of tins of paint taking off and splattering the shed walls or worse SWMBO's kitchen! The spatula looks a good idea though I often mix Humbrol enamels to get colours I need. (The dry stone wall in one of my blog entries being one example of multiple shades of grey) I use coffee stirring sticks most of the time 1000 for a fiver from Amazon. Cheers! Frank

Great innovation! There's nothing quite like using tools or equipment you have made yourself, I think it gives even more self satisfaction to any job. That is going to save a lot of burnt fingers and bad language! Cheers! Frank

And I thought my track laying was poor! Cheers! Frank

Nice to see this finished. I have made my comments on your previous blog entries but I will repeat again... ABSOLUTELY STUNNING! What's the next project we can expect to see from your workshop then? This will be a hard act to follow! Cheers! Frank

Hi Mike and thanks for the comment. To answer your query re track and gauge, Would you believe that it is actually 00 gauge NOT EM or P4! The track is C&L Finescale with hand built copper clad point. Cheers! Frank

PMP Thanks for your comment and input. I was thinking of using another colour other than black (Hence the question marks in my OP) Maybe a green or brown? or even a grey? Something I have to think about. Cheers! Frank

Thank you all for your kind comments. Mike, There will be a printed back scene, If i can't find one ready to use then I will probably end up printing my own or making up a back scene by combining several bits from others. Mikkel, the deadline is just for the MRG forum members day in Bristol on April 22nd this year, not a full exhibition, that is a long way off I think. Cheers all Frank

Another quick but significant update. Finally I have got all the base scenic features in place. I have just finished the hillside around the tunnel mouth. Significant meaning that there will be (hopefully) no more polystyrene balls floating round SWMBO's kitchen! The whole lot being given a few coats of "Gloop of a different colour"! This time matt black emulsion being mixed with white filler to give me that grey granite/slate colour. A fair bit of this will be covered with the ubiquitous hanging basket liner, grass and vegetation of one sort or another as well as more real rock. The front face of the layout has also had the facing fascia of hardboard glued and pinned in place and awaiting painting (Black???) Here's an overall view of Morfa Bach from the viewing side. Still lots to do and a deadline of April 22nd to meet! Must crack on and update again soon. Cheers! Frank

Llangollen station a classic view.

Oh dear! Sods law strikes again! There is much to be said for 5minute epoxy, at least it gives chance to adjust before it sets. Good luck with the replacement bits. cheers Frank

Sorry for the delay in replying to your query regarding the Hanging basket liner. There are different types of liner and as many different ways of using it. I can only tell you about the way I use it. The type I use is fine fibres with a central thin plastic(?) membrane. I just peel the fibre surface off in clumps and glue it down with PVA. Don't ask me what make it is because I can't remember, it was lying around in my greenhouse for ages that is why parts of it have gone a brown colour. I hope this helps Cheers Frank

Thanks for all the kind comments much appreciated Thanks for noticing this, I too thought it looked bowed so I just put a straight edge across the tracks. Yes there is a slight dip in the centre of about 1.5mm. I don't know why though because it was flat enough at the start. All I can think of is that the wood has dried out and shrunk a bit causing the distortion. There isn't much I can do about it now without making a complete mess of the job so I'm going to have to live with it. To the naked eye it doesn't look that bad to be fair, and there is no problem running stock over it so I shall leave it as it is and give the "armchair pedants" something to chew over! Cheers! Frank

Another week has flown by and it's time for the weekly update on Morfa Bach. Progress on the scenery at the bridge end of the layout, Hanging basket liner covers the east bank of the river and some rocks and scree have been fixed to the west bank area.A small boat salvaged from an old layout has found a new home too! At the tunnel end. A start has been made on adding some rocks and scree up the slope to track level. The tunnel is fixed in place and the new retaining wall made and fitted to the right hand side of the tunnel portal. Still have loads to do at this end. I'm waiting on delivery of some static grass fibres to create the salt marsh. Hopefully it will be here before the next update. There are other jobs to be done if it doesn't get here in time anyway so another update in about a week. Cheers! Frank

looking good Capt'n! This layout always seems to remind me of a section of the OWW line near where I was dragged bought up in thee "Black Country". I know the location of Callow lane is nowhere near the Midlands but the arrangement of the houses and the bridge is the same. Really riveting stuff! Cheers! Frank

The first picture I could swear was the prototype! It wasn't until I read the text that I realised it was your model! Good stuff, Cheers! Frank

Well,being that it's a Colliery layout it would be silly not to use real coal in the bunker, It's not as if they would be short of the stuff! Still haven't got round to seeing your layout at a show. have you got anything up and coming? Cheers! Frank

Hi and thanks for your comments. The stone work is nothing special, just Wills embossed plasticard sheet suitable painted. The top of the stone walls was the most time consuming job as the cap stones are cut individually from plain plasticard of various thickness. Hope this helps. Cheers! Frank

I just love this sort of project! Taking something (either kit or RTR) and making it into something better, especially when the bits involved come from the scrap box. Marvellous piece of ingenuity! It's the little details like this that can make or break a model. look forward to the next instalment Cheers! Frank

As usual I would like to thank you all for your kind words. Will, I'm not sure what Gesso is to be honest! All I know is that the formula I use for this "Gloop" (That is what the bloke who I got the idea from calls it!) is easy to make up. I checked this morning and it has set rock hard. The down side is it has dried out a lot lighter than I wanted. Still i suppose I can paint over the bits I want darker. BB, the brushes cleaned up OK after under a running hot water tap.so no problems there. Thanks again and cheers! Frank Next thing to consider is what to use for the water? It needs to be simple and have no odours as I'm working indoors. Any suggestions are welcome.