Ballasting is not one of my favourite jobs, and it would appear that I'm not alone. Ever since the days of 'Penhydd' I've been using 'Carr's' ash ballast, which I reckon looks just right for use on branch lines. However its no use whatsoever for ballasting 'Streamline', or other track systems which feature thick sleepers. I don't use any fancy gadgets such as ballast spreaders, and simply sprinkle the stuff in place, twixt finger and thumb. Tamping it down with the end of a pencil, and brushing the excess off the sleepers with a fine, flat brush. An old Stanley knife blade comes in handy for tidying the edges up, and an old yogurt tub serves to hold the adhesive.
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On the original Llangunllo I had used old formula 'Klear' to secure the ballast, and found the whole chore to be a doodle. It was a simple case of sprinkle, and tamp the ballast in place, and then touch a loaded brush of 'Klear' against it, capillary action did the rest, and in no time at all, the track was ballasted. So it made perfect sense to use the same method again, alas it didn't work as well this time around. I put that down to the track being laid on paper templates, rather than directly on cork underlay?
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However it didn't take long to put matters right, a few spots of neat PVA, some extra ballast, and all was well, but then I hit another snag. Whenever I've used 'Carr's' ash before, its always dried out into a mid grey colour, but this time it stayed jet black.
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Anyway, a couple of coats of thinned 'Humbrol Light Earth' enamel later, followed by some dry brushing with 'Dark Earth' and 'Natural Wood' things were looking better. Talking of 'Humbrol' enamel, I recently purchased half a dozen tinlets of various colours, only to find very little colour pigment, but plenty of solvent. You can stir the stuff until the cows come home, but all you are left with is a watery solution. That's why I've not yet managed to paint the rails, chairs and fishplates, needless to say that I'm not amused!
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Anyway, enough of track, ballasting and moaning about paint, I've also put the lattice support in for one of the embankments, and made a start on the other behind the station yard. Once again I've used strips of cereal packaging, which will be covered with my usual plaster / PVA coated newspaper. Despite what you might have read elsewhere, this method of scenery construction does work when done correctly.
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Its slowly coming together now, and I'm getting that all important feeling of place. Once those rails, and chairs have been painted, I'll be getting to grips with the Modelu point rodding. The old yard crane, scratch built for 'Penhydd' from styrene strip, and oddments from the scrapbox has certainly stood the test of time.
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Mr Robinson's allotment huts take centre stage in this view, the area in front of them will just be a piece of weed infested waste land. There will be nothing more than a small goods shed, and perhaps a ramshackle shack for the coal merchant in the yard. No means of storing coal will be provided, as it is deemed that it would have been bagged, and weighed straight from the wagon. A small stone station building, and a low overgrown embankment, will complete the scene.
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A view taken through the Llanbister Road cassette deck mousehole, the layout is now more open, and I feel that I'm back on track, with my 'railway in the landscape' theme. So its now a case of resisting temptation, and keeping things as simple, and uncluttered as possible.
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Finally a view looking in the other direction, taken from under the road bridge.
On the original Llangunllo I had used old formula 'Klear' to secure the ballast, and found the whole chore to be a doodle. It was a simple case of sprinkle, and tamp the ballast in place, and then touch a loaded brush of 'Klear' against it, capillary action did the rest, and in no time at all, the track was ballasted. So it made perfect sense to use the same method again, alas it didn't work as well this time around. I put that down to the track being laid on paper templates, rather than directly on cork underlay?
However it didn't take long to put matters right, a few spots of neat PVA, some extra ballast, and all was well, but then I hit another snag. Whenever I've used 'Carr's' ash before, its always dried out into a mid grey colour, but this time it stayed jet black.
Anyway, a couple of coats of thinned 'Humbrol Light Earth' enamel later, followed by some dry brushing with 'Dark Earth' and 'Natural Wood' things were looking better. Talking of 'Humbrol' enamel, I recently purchased half a dozen tinlets of various colours, only to find very little colour pigment, but plenty of solvent. You can stir the stuff until the cows come home, but all you are left with is a watery solution. That's why I've not yet managed to paint the rails, chairs and fishplates, needless to say that I'm not amused!
Anyway, enough of track, ballasting and moaning about paint, I've also put the lattice support in for one of the embankments, and made a start on the other behind the station yard. Once again I've used strips of cereal packaging, which will be covered with my usual plaster / PVA coated newspaper. Despite what you might have read elsewhere, this method of scenery construction does work when done correctly.
Its slowly coming together now, and I'm getting that all important feeling of place. Once those rails, and chairs have been painted, I'll be getting to grips with the Modelu point rodding. The old yard crane, scratch built for 'Penhydd' from styrene strip, and oddments from the scrapbox has certainly stood the test of time.
Mr Robinson's allotment huts take centre stage in this view, the area in front of them will just be a piece of weed infested waste land. There will be nothing more than a small goods shed, and perhaps a ramshackle shack for the coal merchant in the yard. No means of storing coal will be provided, as it is deemed that it would have been bagged, and weighed straight from the wagon. A small stone station building, and a low overgrown embankment, will complete the scene.
A view taken through the Llanbister Road cassette deck mousehole, the layout is now more open, and I feel that I'm back on track, with my 'railway in the landscape' theme. So its now a case of resisting temptation, and keeping things as simple, and uncluttered as possible.
Finally a view looking in the other direction, taken from under the road bridge.