johnteal

Thanks Mikkel I aggree fully, very few UK outline wagons give you a view inside, they may be a result of modellers preference of operating over detail ? I can get away with running stock with doors open due to lower Health and Saftey awareness in my made up South American world !

I have quite liked the new format of the blog feature here. Although I have been a blogger before, the idea of replacing a forum topic with a blog did seem a bit strange at first. As a "mixed up modeller" when I have had several layouts, hence topics on the go, I have confused myself let alone others, with cross posts. Now with a single blog it is all in one place, its more a journal of my modelling than individual projects. After reading some posts and blogs I have now takien on board the idea of a blog index, see top right of this page. Each blog post is now linked in sections relating to the layout it is about. Hopefully this will make reading easier. You may notice that one of my layouts is getting much more attention at the moment, but the others will get their day !! As to wether blogs are generally more popular than topics, that remains to be seen. At the moment this blog is atracting viewers but not amny comments, its always hard to tell if that is down to the format or the content !?!?! John

Im getting to my favourite part of model making, the colours, detais and bringing it to life ! Another batch of pictures today, the lights in the canopy now have power to them and it has been painted a suitably gaudy mix of orange and yellow, cant have british greens or blues on their own in South America !?! Comments and suggestions as always, welcome

excellent workmanship, A very interesting idea of several micros of one location. I assume that as you have commented that they do not connect, that the making is more of an interest than the running of trains? I will be watching your inspirational "depot" concept take shape !

the rendering is decorators caulk (the type in a cartridge gun) I sqeezed some on a nd spread it out evenly with a scrap piece of plasticard. Then using a dry sponge, flatened it down gently leaving a dimpled finish. The cracks are just scratches put in the wet caulk.

The pillars have now been beefed up with 5 ball point pens The tops were used as pressure valves on the storage tanks at the back. The canopy also has some corregations on the top and an all over coat of grey primer. Its only gently pushed into place at the moment so the gaps under the pillars will go on the final fit. But the big news is the signage on the rendered wall of the factory.

Thanks for taking the time to comment. The platform deck is made from thin balsa wood stripping. I think it was about 1.5mm thick. I cut it into planks with the grain running along the plank. Balsa was used as "bearers" running parallel to the rails then the top deck was glued at 90degrees to the rails one plank at a time. Its glued down with superglue. The colour is a brushing of a watery domestic wood stain applied in a non uniform patchy effect. I do like using real wood as it has a natural grain that is hard to copy.

I often think that video gives the vieweer a more 3D perspective than a still photograph can portray http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IiSQPOL-aQ The next task is to fit the new sign on the factory wall, It will probably be mounted on a card back and then glued onto the rendered side face.

It is fair to say progress has been slow this last couple of weeks, finding time has been a bit of an issue. The orange growers now have a canopy... I cant decide if the support posts are too thin ?? but they were all I had to hand.

Tonight I had some time and have added colour to the main factory building, it still needs its orange growers signage ! I may be wrong but loosing the monotone grey primer look has brought it more to life. Im getting a bit more confident that it will be ready for the January show now ! Comments welcome

Im getting back into the routine of getting stuff done now, after my period of "modellers block" The ground cover added last night hsa had the PVA added along with some additional cover at the front, looks like the grass has started to take hold too !! Im trying to keep an open uncluttered look hence no buildings at the front, I have found previously, that large structures at the front limit photo opportunities. Although I am tempted with a canopy over the boardwalk station. ? ! Anyway here are the pictures.... John

looking forward to see what other "bits" you add !

Well it had to be done !! The Consolidation was just too new looking !! So here she is after stage one weathering (general grime). John

A couple more hours work done today, John

Well Ive struggled to find any time at all since the last post but tonight I spent a couple of hours cladding the buildings.. John

Good start there Stephen, You may find it easier to add the "quoins" after doing the initial corner joint, then you dont have to worry about getting the right amount of overhang on it.

Thanks for taking the time to comment. For more videos of the garden I have a youtube channel RJR Branch Lines As for the plasticard I usually start with 1.5mm (60thou) as a base, then as various details get added it thickens up. For the buildings Im doing at the moment I am using a type of plastic board that signmakers use that hasa twin skin. It strong but not suitable for solvent weld adhesive, so I am having to use superglue. John

Over the past couple of days I have made a concerted effort to make a start on the second On30 module that needs to be ready for the January 2010 CRM Exhibition in Crewe. The first step was to dig the 2 modules out from under the workbench and store the 45mm stuff out of the way for a while. The turntable module is a at a detailing stage and has taken up its place on the left bench of the garden shed. The Orange Growers module is somewhat further behind and has taken up reidence on the right side of the shed. The modules will be making up a long straight layout when connected to other CRM members modules, but here at home they form a U shape linked by a static viaduct that never leaves home. Like this The On30 Turntable Module The fixed viaduct Because I have both OO and On30 modules the viaduct is not scale specific, in fact in the last picture, taken a while ago it is shown with some OO coaches crossing. This next picture shows a view from the On30 Turntable module into the viaduct section (this time with On30 stock) Finally the last blog post showed the Orange growers On30 Module as it was till Friday night (BARE !) Here it is after a couple of afternoons with some signmakers plastic and a knife..... It all looks a bit white at the moment !!! But hoefully in the coming days / weeks that will change. Till the next time.

Due to lots of home comitments modelling has taken a bit of a back seat at the RJR shed, but I decided I would start a RMweb Blog so I could be ready for any blasts of activity Just a quick overview of whats in the shed at the minute !!! The 45mm stuff seems to be my favourite size of choice at the moment, the most recent creation being a loco to clear those 1:1 scale leaves of the outdoor line ! Seen here sat waiting on a cold night http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFNHUOIn4Uc This is a plasticard scratchbuild on a Playmobil motor block (low cost is always best !!!) But with an ever nearing deadline of the CRM exhibition in January I really must get on with some of the On30 modules Im down for taking !!! The Turntable module is not far off But the orange growers module ............. is just bare boards and track at the minute !!! Best get into gear !!!

Happy New Year to all !!! Our house full of party guests have now left and we are still wide awake. So here is the video I compiled this afternoon from a running session this morning. My Lap top didn't like processing the 6min film in HD so the quality is not as good as I would like but it gives a good idea of the two On30 modules in action (more or less ready for the Crewe Exhibition this month0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsYBNyUDJnY I also managed to meet my goal of getting my website up to date by 2010 !! Take a look at the site Here John