N / OO9 Two scales one gauge

Petermac said

Excellent scenes Rick although, being a bit pedantic, the change in stone between the bridge and shed in the last but one photo, grates a little ………………………………….

The hose on the Baldwin tender is a nice touch - did it come like that or did you add it  ?

From “Post #292,711”, 19th October 2025, 12:28 pm

The hoses are as supplied. However they are fitted opposite ways. If you look closely one has the outlet to the right and the other to the left. 

One hose unstuck itself and was unintentionally refitted the other way around. 

The different stone is the consequence of the shed being ready-to-place resin and the bridge is scratch-built from card. I could re-skin the shed in the same card but the I have the issue of the window lintel being recessed too far (the window itself isn’t a problem) and the eaves and roof being a bit short and not quite reaching over the wall as they should 

Taking another look at the photo - because looking at the real thing doesn’t show me what others see - I wonder if I could run a wash of dirty “mortar” colour through the shed walls followed by dry-brushing some varied paler colour onto the blocks.  

Given where it's all supposed to be taking place Rick, I actually prefer the shed finish.  It seems, to me at least, to be more in keeping with the Welsh slate mine area - grubby and black.

Rather than a wash on the bridge, which might ruin the card, why not try a heavy chalk weathering.  That might do the job……………although it's only me who's commented on it,  I could be wrong - if memory serves me right, I was once some time ago …………………

Petermac said

 I could be wrong - if memory serves me right, I was once some time ago …………………

From “Post #292,714”, 19th October 2025, 3:08 pm

I can certainly take the bridge stonework down somewhat. 

There has to be a balance between the two scenes as it must also look right in “Yorkshire grot”. But more soot won’t go amiss in either location. 

As for being wrong ….. only you know the truth of that! 

I am not a fan of trains entering or leaving via a “hole in the sky” but I had a gap in the mountain scene where the branch line enters above and behind the engine shed. 

My answer has been to add a small panel of backscene with an arch cut for the trains to pass through. 

It’s not perfect. It doesn’t need to be. It cannot be fixed to the main backscene panel as that has to remain moveable to change between themes. The dark lines can be blurred in a photo-editor if needed. 

Dai Steam eases a general freight off the mountain and through the hole. 

Meanwhile the red Drewry takes the crossover outside the station with a train of laden slate wagons and stops alongside the passenger service. 

Looking really good Rick - rugged and slate-like………………..  That backscene is a masterpiece.  

Gwiwer said

I am not a fan of trains entering or leaving via a “hole in the sky” but I had a gap in the mountain scene where the branch line enters above and behind the engine shed. 

My answer has been to add a small panel of backscene with an arch cut for the trains to pass through. 

It’s not perfect. It doesn’t need to be. It cannot be fixed to the main backscene panel as that has to remain moveable to change between themes. The dark lines can be blurred in a photo-editor if needed. 

Dai Steam eases a general freight off the mountain and through the hole. 

Meanwhile the red Drewry takes the crossover outside the station with a train of laden slate wagons and stops alongside the passenger service. 

From “Post #292,730”, 25th October 2025, 3:00 pm

Thank you Peter,

The backscene is a Gaugemaster item, product code GM710 named "The Mountains"  It is, of course, OO scale which is correct for this 00-9 1:76 operation.  Whilst on the subject the N-scale industrial backscene is also Gaugemaster and is item GM756 "Industrial"

I am pretty impressed with both.  

I tried Gaugemaster backscenes on Waddlemarsh biut found their equivalent to those I settled on for that layout were too shiny with the sky a rather unrealistic blue.  Almost as though the saturation had been "pushed" too far in the production process.  I use ID Backscenes "Into The Town" for that layout and shall be pasting the new ones at the earliest opportunity now that I have the boards up to do so.  The boards are painted and will be sized with wallpaper paste; the paste will also be applied to the paper backscenes and allowed "working time" before fixing into place in the hopes that air bubbles or stretching / shrinking may be eliminated.  

Are ID backscenes not photo prints Rick ? 

Petermac said

Are ID backscenes not photo prints Rick ? 

From “Post #292,747”, 27th October 2025, 9:33 pm

Yes they are.  The ones I use are more muted (and to my eyes more realistic) in colour intensity than Gaugemaster.  They come in standard and deluxe versions with the latter being self0adhesive if I remember correctly.  I prefer doing the sticking myself and also found the heavier self-adhesive ones looked a bit colour-heavy.