Petermac's Railway

To be honest Peter, I use whatever paint is the right colour as long as it's matt, as for using your airbrush on the first coat, is it actually worth the cleaning etc, when a few minutes with a larger brush can do the job and with just a swill under a tap or a few dips in thinners.

I think the effect on the wall on the header is what you need?
 
Just been looking in a dictionary what Holidays are  :roll:

Yes indeed Phil.  If I could even get into the same room as that one, I'd be delighted !
I've just been looking to see what's available in embossed sheeting.  I did see some Redutex brick sheets last time I was in UK and it looked very impressive indeed, if expensive.  

Online, I stumbled across the Noch range of embossed card.  Some time ago, I used the odd sheet of Faller card (I think it was Faller).  It too was fairly impressive and I think Noch is very similar.

Has anyone any experience with the Noch offerings ?

Believe me Peter it's not difficult to get a realistic look, just make sure that you have the correct colours etc, it will be interesting to see what types of stone sheets you find.

You fill me with an unfound confidence Phil - but I'm more than willing to give it a whirl.  Just as long as you're there to hold my hand !!

I'll see what I can arrange stock-wise …………..

I've just been having a further play with the viaduct.

I'm almost convinced to clad it with either embossed plasticard or maybe Noch embossed card.  I have yet to examine the latter.

The final finish is uncertain.  My memories of industrial Yorkshire in the 60's and early 70's, essentially the West Riding, are of soot-blackened rough faced stone and dark red bricks, a sort of deep plum colour or, in some cases, dirty blue "engineering" bricks.  "Dirty" always being the operative word.  "Weathered" was reserved for the rural East and North Ridings.

Still a potential option for cladding is the range of Scalescenes papers.  Good from a distance but naturally, lacking any kind of relief.

Here are 3 options - from the left, dark random ashlar, dark red brick and on the right, random ashlar.  The dark random ashlar is I think, closer to how I remember things being although much of the detail is lost in the grime ………………

Any thoughts Gents ?

First time in my life Peter, I lean to the left!

  Hi Peter,
  
I’d go for a dark weathered stone and also pay close attention to traditional construction when you get past the mock up stage. The final version should have prototypical low parapets and curved stone courses to support the parapets and railbed above.
  
The viaduct at Huddersfield looks particularly impressive on https://www.agefotostock.com/age/en/Stock-Images/Rights-Managed/MEV-10928946
  
I can see us all getting excited with this end of your emerging layout. We may need a Wow stamp!
  
Have fun and bon courage,
  
Bill

I've just checked that area and the stonework is very similar to that in South Wales which is a sort of grey/brown, the one on the right seems closer, the one far left doesn't look right at all and is too dark, I would go for a sheet as close to Wills course stone and the light/medium brown-ish colour, it can then be weathered accordingly.

Hi Peter
My thoughts to add to the pot!

The viaduct should be primarily stone rather than brick

If you use paper then I agree with Random Ashlar

To my mind Tetley Mill (closely followed by Pen Y Brin) gives the best representation of how I remember Pennine stone work in the sixties. There is a bank scene that is absolutely spot on.

 Because of that I think the left hand sample is too dark and is somehow less random…..almost contrived. The right hand sample, straight off the printer, is ok for 21st century not the gritty North of the sixties. Try Printing another sample and use weathering powders and some judicious watercolour to recreate the Tetley Mill effect. You will be surprised how this creates the perception of texture…..particularly from a distance

Paper , Plastic or Embossed?

Phil’s stonework using Wills sheets is superb and I imagine a similar effect can be obtained using embossed sheet. It will be more expensive, less forgiving and more time consuming than paper. It will however look more authentic

To help make up your mind you need to determine how visually important the viaduct in itself will be. Will you and others see the viaduct as the absolute centre piece of that wall or will it be more a significant component of an integrated scene supporting the stars….the trains. To what extent will the canal, locks and buildings draw attention from it?

Long post….I am afraid. I am convinced that you will turn that difficult side of the room into a brilliant feature of Maxmill …….its worth taking a lot of time now .

[user=364]Super D[/user] wrote:

First time in my life Peter, I lean to the left!

I'd hate you to take this the wrong way Derek, but so do I ………. :cool wink

Strange you should show that link to the Lockwood viaduct in Huddersfield Bill.  I used to drive under it every day when I worked for a well known gunpowder emporium in Huddersfield.

I think my stone falls between 2 stools Phil - I agree the dark ashlar is probably too dark - certainly it loses much of the detail but I slso think the one on the right is too light.

I'll have another close look at Tetley Mills John and also try "weathering" a paper print - thanks for the tip.  In terms of importance, the viaduct is across the doorway so, whilst perhaps not yhe "front stalls", it is quite visible.  Additionally, I like bridges !

Phil, your suggestion of trying the Wills random stone is food for thought.  I have read that Wills plasticard is difficult to work with do to its thickness.  However, I won't have to cut any windows out !!  It will be included in my "test samples" pack.

I'm going to collect samples of each medium, then see which looks best and what I can manage in skill terms ……

If I was doing it I’d go with the lighter on the right! I also think having it embossed with Plastikard or Wills kit plastic is a good call as it adds a little depth. 

Hi Peter
I've been following along with interest.  The bridges are going to look great and will really add a wonderful feature.  Very brave that you have done it on the lift up section, but that is so much better than a "safe" boring scene.  I note you have taken inspiration from John's bridges, and I don't blame you, they are super.  But shouldn't you be add another one or two at odd angles, weaving the track and cutting strange shapes to get the desired effect? 

All of my brick buildings on Abbey Street (not the station, which is Scalescenes) are card, clad in Wills sheets.  It's not the friendliest, but nor is it a monster.  Patience and a variety of cutting techniques does the job.  For simple cuts, scoring and snapping works just fine.  Curves are more problematic, but not impossible.  They also do a thin, bendy brick liner for inside viaduct curves, which may, or may not be useful to you.  I find them easy to paint because the relief is quite good, so dry brushing stone work could be relatively painless. Although I have not used their stone sheets yet, so cannot actually be certain.

I made a bridge from Scalescenes Random stone….



Sometimes I think it looks quite textured, and others that it looks like paper!  But perhaps it will help you to rule it out or explore further.

Looking forward to the progress and your choices very much.

Michael

[user=1512]Headmaster[/user] wrote:

That is the problem I have with paper. My initial reaction to Michaels viaduct is wow, that looks amazing! But the. I’m drawn into the detail and it’s flat and I lose the excitement about it. 

I don't know what your PC skills are like or what software you have, but I darkened the scalescenes sheets in a photo programme before printing, which is better than trying to weather it afterwards with paints and powders.  Just a thought!
Michael

If I were using paper I'd go to the left as well, because that's how I remember the west riding, even though I'm a southern softie. I used some on my old layout before we moved and it didn't look bad. Having said that, if I wanted a wall or bridge now I'd use embossed plastic.

That's a great bridge there from Michael and looks very realistic, but like he says sometimes it looks like paper.

It depends I guess on if you intend taking good pictures, as closeups can usually give the game away and it's too late once it's all papered up.

Wills I find are great, they can be scored and snapped, but the best way to cut them is with a jewellers saw, they can also be bent by cutting groove lines in the back, a corner can be made so the stones line up, by cutting or filing a V on the back, painting in some PVC liquid to soften and then bending.

I think it's going to be difficult bettering Wills, here's a few progress shots:-

Phil now that is amazing work! How did you do the coping stones around the edges? 

Do you mean on the top of the wall? That's poly sheet scored  with the individual stones and the edges nicked with a craft knife.

The top of the archway sorry. Is that a similar method?