Making a New Start

Had a little bonus time with the layout today, after fixing the door hinges on the cupboards underneath the baseboard.  Decided to try and empty one of the boxes of scenic bits - this one with grass salvaged from the earlier layout. This had originally been made from ancient carpet underlay split to half thickness, then teased apart and stuck down in clumps, coloured with a dilute wash of various green and yellow Humbrol paints.  The area chosen for the work was the nearest side of the layout from the trestle to the outskirts of Cattewater. Now with grass stuck to the flatter areas it looks a lot better than raw painted plaster. I also added a couple of unused plaster rock castings, and these need bedding in and painting before the camera comes out again.
 
I should also finish off colouring the rocky face of the cutting opposite with a spray of black to show up the strata and crevices, and then work on the highlights. Not sure when there'll be time for this - perhaps on Sunday.

Despite the World Cup and an extraordinary Wimbledon match I managed an hour or so of scenic work today. Used the last of the spare rock castings at one end of the trestle and then sprayed some very dilute black paint on. It helps to bring out the detail on the already painted rocky cliff, but looks even better on the naked castings. Will have to be very careful when colouring them to match the rest of the surrounding area so as not to cover the effect already achieved.
 
Also pre-painted the windows and doors of the Barber Shop prior to fixing them into the structure's walls. There's going to be plenty to finish off and photograph on Sunday - luckily I shall be "home alone" for much of the day. What time's the match???

Well given both USA and England won today, definetly wont be getting anything done on my layout tonight, loking forward to new pics.

Today I just had to see whether it would be Isner or Mahut, but nevertheless managed to pinch an hour or two to work on the layout.   A little more grass has gone down, the new rocky cliff in the valley spanned by the trestle has been painted, as well as the fascia round the layout which improves the general look no end. Hopefully a bit more grass and some bushes tomorrow afternoon, and then.................pictures!

 
Some pictures of the hilly area between Cattewater and Hogwood. First the big cliff (actually more of a rockery)
 

 
Next a picture of one side of the valley spanned by the trestle.  More rock castings are needed to do the same on the other side, then I'll tackle the vegetation on the valley floor, and the bushes to go under the trestle - when it's been painted.
 (yes, Vic, I will get round to weathering those bogies and couplings soon!) 
 
Any trestle experts out there? Should this have horizontals joining the three bents to each other and the rocks on each side, or does the fact the uprights are sunk into the ground make horizontals redundant? 
   
 
Grass has also appeared along the back of the yard at Cattewater and that fence has finally had a coat of paint, not before time.
 
 
 
 
Finally a shot of #1 bringing an empty minerals train into Cattewater.  
   
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Some of today's new pictures - first off is #5 switching at Cattewatter 
  
 
#1 runs into Hogwood with a short mixed train.

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Having looked again at that last picture, I've made a start on a replacement for the cardboard mill in the background.

 
Began work recently on the new mill at Hogwood with some foam-core board, taking the old card mock up as a starting point for dimensions. Having put in two dormer windows, I thought it was beginning to look more British than American, so out went the left hand window. In its place will go a two-storey extension on the front wall. I also found a large HO scale roof (Revell bakery, I think) which nicely provides a semi-open covering over the end of the track through the building, and also stops viewers seeing that there is no room to model the interior. The first picture shows some 3D planning with the look-alike elements put roughly in the right places, while the sketch shows the direction I hope the whole thing is heading.
 

 

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Not much progress recently, owing to the tennis - so here's a shot from last week 
  
 
#1 hurries into Hogwood with a cattle train.

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Layout is realling starting to take shape.  I love it so far.  For the trestles I would add a least one or two rows of horizontal bents.  I believe they help the trestles from foward and back. 

Shawn
  For the trestles I would add a least one or two rows of horizontal bents.  I believe they help the trestles from foward and back. 

 
Thanks for that, Shawn. I suspected that was the case, so will add the extra supports once I've detailed the ground area immediately behind and under the bridge.  BTW I liked the "Summer days" shots of your line. Your engine house has almost exactly the same proportions as the one I've got to tackle soon, and your derelict mine scene is full of atmosphere.
 
Meanwhile, back on the C & S work on the mill has progressed. I've had to build the structure in two sections as it's too large to get into place all in one piece. Am also running out of balsa to clad the walls; not sure when I'll have spare time to get to a model shop for more.  Still. I've got plenty of foam-core board left in stock, so could make a start on the shell of the engine house, which is the last major project for the layout. If there's any board left over after that, there's a chance that a factory "flat" might be needed where the Clydes Creek line leaves the depot at Cattewater.

 
The planking on the main building is done, and the basic roof is on. No room for that top ventilator, though - shame!
 
Can't see more modelling time for at least a week, so new pictures will have to wait for a bit.

Something really odd has happened - all the posts are appearing in reverse order since my posting a couple of minutes ago. I'm sure I didn't do anything out of the ordinary except try to repeat a previous picture, which would not show on the new posting.
 
Mr Moderator - help, please!!
 
Mesasges now back to normal - many thanks

 
#1 indulging in a bit of switching at Hogwood.

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A small step forward at the mill - the walls have been planked, and some of the roof added, with slates (or should that be shingles?) to come. There will be posts to hold up the as-yet unsupported roof over the end of the tracks - I have a nicely weathered rocket stick from last Nov. 5th that should be just right. 

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The last picture above reminds me that Hogwood depot needs a bit of a rebuild to look more American. It was based on a tiny British station, and is little more than two garden sheds (see post #66). My plan is to make the roof pitch steeper with more overhanging eaves and decorative wood trim under each gable end.  There may even be a separate awning further along the platform. 
 
All that's a couple of months away - the cardboard engine house at Cattewater needs replacing first.
 
Something I forgot to add earlier............I'd like to add some decorative trim to the roof-peak of the depot. In real life it would be a strip of tiny spear-points, or something similar. Anyone got any ideas on how this could be done with "found" materials suitable for G scale? As with all the rest of the construction on the line, I'm looking for the cheapskate solution, as usual! 
 
My only thought so far is to use the top of some cut-down 00 scale paling fencing, but this isn't quite what I think I'm looking for.

 
Number 7 has been a bit camera-shy so far, so here's a shot of her heading up the grade towards Hogwood with a freight bound for the standard gauge interchange at Bonneyville.
 
Managed some layout work this afternoon - painted the mill's walls using very diluted acrylic paint about 15/85 paint to water; a pale grey which came out the colour of old sun-bleached wood. Then I dry brushed a bit of 80/20 paint mix in patches to look like paint remnants.  Also painted the Barber Shop walls. Much to my surprise a mix of a little Yellow Ochre and a lot of white resulted in quite a decent cream - much better than ordinary yellow and white. Next I need to repaint the frame and windows of the building - don't like the colour I used at first (Tamiya Hull Red) - will try NATO brown.
 
Will try and take pictures at the week-end.

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Just a note on #7's parentage. The inspiration came from a 2ft 6inch gauge logger on the website by Lennart Elg.
 
Basically it's an LGB OTTO, with a scratchbuilt stytrene cab, bunker and extended side tanks. A new US-style smokebox door was fitted and the sand dome was the conveniently-shaped cap of a sun-cream bottle I gathered up some time ago and put in the spares box. I also had to build up the steam chests with styrene and add a more typical pilot beam at the front and a rear beam below the bunker from LGB "Casey" spare parts.  These and the American style bell came from the "bits box" at GRS in Princes Risborough (as did the smokebox door).  The driver and fireman were formerly construction workers, bought for 25 cents each in a French car-boot sale, though both have been somewhat re-modelled into a more suitable poses, one with a new cap made from a shaped lump of epoxy filler and the other with 1940s era bib-and-braces overalls (see the pictures below, taken on the mk I version of the layout). 
   
 
 

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Looking back to the first posts on this thread I see that the C&S is six months old on Tuesday - and has just welcomed its 3000th visitor. Amazing - I never thought it would get anywhere near that total when I started posting.  Many thanks to everyone for your interest.
 
I haven't got any new train pictures to celebrate (must run a Special tomorrow) but meanwhile here's a quiet moment between trains at Hogwood Mills, with one of the employees doing a spot of work to the manager's new car. 
 

 

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Did a couple more hours on the mill this afternoon; almost finished bar a few small details and some weathering. It hasn't turned out quite as planned, as I decided against the tall chimney; instead I added a couple of bits of kit (possibly grain blowers) to the side wall - made out of Yakult pots and some sprue, two bits of tube and some zig-zag girder.  Have done some signs on the computer but they need a little more work before being attached.
 
 

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