jamest

Hi, Good luck for the weekend - I'm willing to bet you will have nothing but positive comments on your hard work. Would love to have made the journey but its a little out of my range from North Devon - although I will be just up the road in Titchfield with work on Thursday annoyingly. I hope one day it will appear somewhere I can see it in the flesh - I will keep an eye out for it - and follow it on here of course. All the best, James

Hi, Welcome to the forum, looking forward to seeing your progress. Regards, James

Hi, I also think you are too hard on yourself - although as with many things in life - decorating, etc. your always see the errors while no-one else does. And no-one is going to get as close a view of the layout ballast as your photo of 'real life'. Looks great - and useful tip on adding colour effects while the ballast is wet - I'm one of these people who still blow over sleeper grime with an airbrush after ballasting. Good luck with the rest of the work - remember to enjoy it, if you can under this time pressure :-) Regards, James

Hi all, I've now filled in the walling behind the station building and around the scenic break at the end. I've also painted the hardstanding a basic colour and I will weather this down later. I've also ballasted at either end, which will also require toning down to match the other track/ballast. Scenic break - there will be 'green' added behind and over the wall and portal: Here is the station area and surrounding wall - still got to decide what to put behind the station on the upper level before blending to undergrowth for the left hand side of the station behind the lower wall: Getting close to firing up the noch grasmaster! James

Hi David, Good to chat again and see the layout in the flesh on Saturday. Really impressed with the setup - lights, legs, fiddle yard, point control, etc. Really shows off your hard work well. All the best, James

We'd take two hours, but estimate 10, and my company would charge for 15! Looking forward to seeing the results. James

Hi Tim, That's impressive 3D content - are you a fellow CAD jockey by trade? Regards, James

Hi all, No update for a while, but I have been busy working on the station board. One of the unfortunate results of not planning ahead is you spend a lot of time musing how you will cover certain areas and arrange certain things. I did think the staion building could be on the upper level with steps to the platform, but I've decided to go with a platform level building with a ramp down to it. I tried several options for the building but settled for a scalescenes example. I've also decided to straighten the siding and add a hardstanding so that there is access to the old 'middle' line. It also means vehicles can access the middle line over the track rather than having to provide access behind the buffer stop. I've started the hardstanding and I need to ballast the moved track either side of the card. I will also fill in-between the tracks too. I've also weathered the ballast/track with sleeper grime and black where the locos will sit and operate the most. This has blened the two colours of ballast used well. I no need to link up the upper level and ramp to the 'tunnel' mouth with a low wall. I then plan to fill in behind with vegitation. Here are the essential pictures...... The transition between boards: The bridge and upper level above the station: The beginnings of the scenic break - although there is an option to run through on the platform line. This is supposed to represent a double through line previously (hence the tunnel mouth span): The moved siding and plain card hardstanding (will be painted): And finally shots showing the track weathering: All the best, James

Hi David, Are you taking this to Minehead next month? I saw an announcement on their thread sounding suspiciously like this layout. If so looking forward to seeing it. Regards, James

Hi, Sorry to hear about your cat - as well as being curious about anything you are doing they really get into your heart and your family. We lost both our cats last year after having them as litter twins in the year 2000. All the best, James

I'd travel to see as it is now. you could argue that 'work in progress' stuff is more interesting in some ways. But good luck with the rest! Regards, James

Hi all, No pictures but some great news regarding my shed. Subject to me dodging the rain to dig a channel for the wire this week - power will be installed this saturday! The layout can then take up home permanently and I can stop transferring it to the garage when I want power or lights. Regards, James

That is fantastic - hope it comes somewhere I can see it in the flesh one day. Regards, James

Top work - looks really good. I really like the weathered tunnel portal too, nice and dark and grimey. I assume the trees you show are the florists wire covered in flock/fibre you talked about attempting? Can I ask what you use as a cover material? All the best, James

Hi Tim, Sorry to dirty your thread with pictures of my layout but I'd like to share the javis scatter result with you - I'm very happy with the result and it will form a good base for the greenery: And I've had a watch of the utube videos you put me onto - Kathy has some really useful ideas. Thanks again, James

Hi again, Third and last rapid update - this brings us up to date. It took a while but I have completed the terraced houses for the back drop of the scenic board. I have placed them on some 1.2mm card with pavement surrounding it. I've also used that method for the pavement along the bridge. I was a bit hasty cutting out the bridge width so I had a decision to make - wide road lanes with no pavement, or normal width with pavement one side only. I opted for one side and decided that the pavement side would be the far side to enable me to put some walling to hide the backscene hole (where I planned to have storage roads under the houses) and provide a better visual stop. This does mean any car exiting the road at the back of the houses onto the road will have crap visability looking right - I have lowered the wall away to address this but it seems doubtful this would have arisen in reality. I'm happy with how it looks though. I have completed the girder bridge with a Wills vari-girder pack and painted it dark grey in preparation for a bit of weathering. The wall along the back of the alley road is made from scalescenes printed paper too - very easy and effective. It is a bit of an 'attack' of red brick with little, or no, variation but I am pretty pleased with the overall effect. The photos are a little cruel if you look at the roof line - but I've seen several terraced houses with undulating roof work! Terraced houses: Bridge and road: Overall view of board - just green stuff to go! Edit - and chimney potts! All the best, James

Hi all, Ok time for update two. As you can see I have now produced the upper level on the station board as well as re-modelling the platform a little longer. As I mentioned before I wanted to keep the road bridge over the platform edge to help break things up. I have added the insulation board (left over from insulating the shed), cut it to shape, covered with a layer of plaster bandage and painted it brown with a Wilco's tester pot. I saw javis scatter used on another layout on here and thought it was a much more effective cover for areas devoid of grass or on the boundary between nature and the railway. So I have scattered some of that over PVA in some of the areas shown. I've also made a start on the stricture around the plate girder exit bridge. I plan to have a row of scalescenes terraced house backs overlooking the straight track with a road and brick wall leading to the embankment. All the best, James

Hi all, Long time since my update but I have been hard at work with the layout - time for some staged updates! I seem to go through highs and lows - I'll hit a blocker and stall then have a flash of inspiration and move forward quickly - I'm sure that sounds familiar to all but the most effective of planers on here. There have been a few updates to the plan shown previously - I've decided not to store locos under the scenic board as it is too tight on height - and I have given the option to run through the station and on if I need to. Seemed sensible to include this option now even if it comes to nothing later. Anyway a picture tells a thousand and all that..... I have ripped up the old platform top in preparation for the longer surface without bay The scenic board has been relaid and the overlooking structure added in 6mm ply You can see the 'quarter' pieces of 12mm ply at the baseboard edges in the the contour of the bank. I plan to fill this in with insulation board and cut it to shape before covering with plaster bandage. I plan to use a old disused Bachmann signal box in the foreground. I was going to do away with the bridge over the platform but I think it helps disguise the short layout/platform. The eagle eyed will also notice a hole in the end of the layout - I plan to cover this end with another bridge/possible overstation and provide the option to run through passenger DMUs on the singled line beyond. This may only happen outside of the shed depending on what I do with the main fiddle yard. Thats it for now - more updates to follow. All the best, James

Hi, Been away from this thread for a couple of weeks and just spend a jaw dropping few minutes looking through your progress - I can only echo what others have already said - absolutely great. Apologies if you've already mentioned it earlier - but can I ask how you produce the road surface? I assume its not easy and it looks like you take your time with paint and an expert eye. I'm still using scalescenes prints - which are very good but I'm less happy with them after looking at this! all the best, James

I agree - great views of the layout fully assembled. Really shows off the flow of the track - it will be very pleasurable to see a HST wander through the scenic section. And the last picture in post 315 really shows your excellent work on the scenic so far. The track/platform and fence/undergrowth look superb. All the best, James

The real life pictures certainly show what you are achieving with your modelling is spot on. Are the uprights for the wooden fencing made out of rail? Apologies if this has already been noted. Regards, James

Looking ok? - you're kidding right? It looks top notch. 10 packs of Javis Scatter No. 32 on order Cheers, James

Hi, Really enjoying following this - can I ask what product you use for your brown scatter undercoat on the embankments? I've painted mine brown in the past before adding green - but this method looks better. regards, James

Hi andy, Looking forward to following this - plenty of boxes ticked for me. The scenic run is looking great - If you have space, and I know a lot of people don't, it looks so much better to have scenic run prior to the station. all the best, james

Hi, Thanks for the interest and kind comments - the layout is now sold and handed over to its new owner today. Regards, James