Earlier this year I was out and about with my camera looking for features to model, and came across this ditch, which isn't far from where we live. I've walked the path alongside it with my old canine pal many a time, but how often, if ever have you seen one modelled? Its course is marked by the line of trees, and once out of frame on the left it disappears into an underground culvert, which takes it through the village. From time to time it emerges into the open, before diving underground once again. At one time it circled the village green, a short spur leading off to a pond. the latter is now filled in, and any hopes of building dams and searching for tadpoles are a distant memory.
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The ditch passes under the cart track on which I'm standing, by means of a large diameter concrete pipe, which is covered with earth and old timbers. It then winds its way through agricultural land behind me to the nearest river. Now all this got me thinking, and whilst reinstating the railway embankment on Llangunllo, I thought, why not model a ditch, or a leat? The latter is nothing more than a man made artificial ditch, dug to supply water to power a mill, or other industry. Once the water has done its work, it usually ends up in a pond.
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The course of the ditch follows the joint between the grassed area and the new plaster. Though you can't see it, a natural depression was formed between the two without any help from me. Sometimes things just happen like that, its as if they are meant to be.
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The old grass was removed, and the bare plaster painted to match the main embankment. The bed of the ditch was painted a murky brown colour, then sealed with neat PVA, A few small pieces of gravel being added before it all set solid. Once everything had dried, a couple of coats of gloss yacht varnish were applied to represent the water.
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It was then a case of replanting the grasses that had previously been removed, and adding new, darker tufts around the edge of the ditch. That's because grass is always greener around a water course, or in areas where it collects.
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Inspired by the village ditch that I mentioned earlier, the one at Llangunllo enters a concrete pipe, which is just visible in this photo. Its nothing more than a piece of Plastruct tube, which was cut in half length ways, and bedded into the wet varnish before it set.
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The other end of the ditch continues down the embankment, and is deemed to drain into a pond or quarry, neither of which is modelled.
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A few changes have been made to the allotments, the track leading to them is now narrower, shorter, and the whole site is more overgrown. Any fencing will have to wait until the point rodding as been fitted.
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Anyway, having passed under the allotments and the lane, the ditch emerges from the river bank to meet a sluice gate. This would have been opened to reduce the water level in times of flood, or if the ditch were a leat, it would have been opened when a flow of water was required to power machinery. Now the backscene is in place this whole area is being slowly worked up, I just do a little at a time, take a photo or two, and see how it all looks.
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The sluice frame was made from balsa, and ply sleeper strip, the winding mechanism being made from two Gibson crank pins, with a piece of brass wire bent to form the winding handle
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A storm is brewing over the distant hills, as a ray of sunshine illuminates the river bank and the sluice gate. The gate itself was made from Slater's embossed styrene planking, with etched wagon strapping for rivet detail. The river is low today, but once that storm hits, water will flow down off the surrounding hills and the water level will no doubt rise.
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After each modelling session I run a few trains, in this view 4678 storms up the bank from Presteign with a short goods train.
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...................................before reaching the summit of the line, and coasting down to Llanbister Road.
Finally, many thanks for all those who cast their vote on my recent magazine poll, according to my blog stats. 91% voted in favour. In the meantime take a look at this, and before you ask, no, its nothing to do with my poll :-)
The ditch passes under the cart track on which I'm standing, by means of a large diameter concrete pipe, which is covered with earth and old timbers. It then winds its way through agricultural land behind me to the nearest river. Now all this got me thinking, and whilst reinstating the railway embankment on Llangunllo, I thought, why not model a ditch, or a leat? The latter is nothing more than a man made artificial ditch, dug to supply water to power a mill, or other industry. Once the water has done its work, it usually ends up in a pond.
The course of the ditch follows the joint between the grassed area and the new plaster. Though you can't see it, a natural depression was formed between the two without any help from me. Sometimes things just happen like that, its as if they are meant to be.
The old grass was removed, and the bare plaster painted to match the main embankment. The bed of the ditch was painted a murky brown colour, then sealed with neat PVA, A few small pieces of gravel being added before it all set solid. Once everything had dried, a couple of coats of gloss yacht varnish were applied to represent the water.
It was then a case of replanting the grasses that had previously been removed, and adding new, darker tufts around the edge of the ditch. That's because grass is always greener around a water course, or in areas where it collects.
Inspired by the village ditch that I mentioned earlier, the one at Llangunllo enters a concrete pipe, which is just visible in this photo. Its nothing more than a piece of Plastruct tube, which was cut in half length ways, and bedded into the wet varnish before it set.
The other end of the ditch continues down the embankment, and is deemed to drain into a pond or quarry, neither of which is modelled.
A few changes have been made to the allotments, the track leading to them is now narrower, shorter, and the whole site is more overgrown. Any fencing will have to wait until the point rodding as been fitted.
Anyway, having passed under the allotments and the lane, the ditch emerges from the river bank to meet a sluice gate. This would have been opened to reduce the water level in times of flood, or if the ditch were a leat, it would have been opened when a flow of water was required to power machinery. Now the backscene is in place this whole area is being slowly worked up, I just do a little at a time, take a photo or two, and see how it all looks.
The sluice frame was made from balsa, and ply sleeper strip, the winding mechanism being made from two Gibson crank pins, with a piece of brass wire bent to form the winding handle
A storm is brewing over the distant hills, as a ray of sunshine illuminates the river bank and the sluice gate. The gate itself was made from Slater's embossed styrene planking, with etched wagon strapping for rivet detail. The river is low today, but once that storm hits, water will flow down off the surrounding hills and the water level will no doubt rise.
After each modelling session I run a few trains, in this view 4678 storms up the bank from Presteign with a short goods train.
...................................before reaching the summit of the line, and coasting down to Llanbister Road.
Finally, many thanks for all those who cast their vote on my recent magazine poll, according to my blog stats. 91% voted in favour. In the meantime take a look at this, and before you ask, no, its nothing to do with my poll :-)