Two Planks Become One

Sorry Kevin , its that time of year again and work is dominating my time atmo. Hopefully it will quiet down to a dull roar later in the year  :roll:
I agree with Michael, a hint of rock covered partly by undergrouth  rather than a full rock face would suffice. You can get fair results using a cheap small bag of tile grout from B&Q or various other outlets. White or cream/ivory for chalk or grey/ brown for other types of rock.  Mix the grout in a container to a sticky paste, spread a piece of clingfilm over a spare tile, piece of gass or any flat surface. Use a paint scraper, spatula or old knife to spread the grout out into a semi rough slab to the size you want or roll balls of grout into rocks/ bolders. Leave the grout for a few minutes to start firming up,  put a piece of clingfilm over the top and you can then press in some texture to the surface  using various tools or a sponge or balled up cloth, even the rough side of a piece of tree bark, anything to get the look you want. You can paint and weather once dry.  To make the grout slightly less brittle add a 3_1 pva mix instead of pure water which helps to strenghthen it some. Trial and error with the mix in small amounts until you get what works for you !  
              Most of all have fun trying !

Cheers

Matt

Hi Michael. Thank you for your reply. Southern England is famous for Chalk cliffs but I am uncertain where that becomes Clay . I have plenty of time on my hands at the moment and will give you reply a try. If I had gone the regular way about things I could have had a more coherent plan by beginning with a location, but I went for the Inglenook first and extended with an imaginary junction. Best wishes Kevin 

Hi Kevin,



From Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southern_England_Chalk_Formation

 Nigel

Edit. Clay is  not ground-up chalk. The chlorite group of clays can contain calcium. Usually not from calcium carbonate - chalk.
 

Hi Matt.  Thank you for your reply. I can see that would be fun, and what a mess I would make.. would I have to do something with the bare plywood for the grout to adhere to it? I took Michael s advice and googled cliffs which threw up a surprise, Chalk cliffs do have Strata which are not level , which would give variety. Best wishes Kevin 

Hi Nigel. Thank you for your reply. I am storing up this info for where I am up and about. Coincidentally the cliffs that I googled were the “ Seven Sisters “ . How that would fit in with my plan I am uncertain but, I do require a Cliff or Rockface for my tunnels. Best wishes Kevin 

For your tunnel Kevin, I'd go for a cutting into a hillside which eventually becomes too deep so they had to tunnel.

There are some, but inland cliffs are quite rare in UK. I am of course, excluding man-made ones such as quarry faces etc.

Hi Petermac. Thank you very much. You have corrected me in my thinking, but, cuttings are common place and I will have to work around the “ The Bodge Up “ that I made in adding to my Inglenook, due to confines of space.Best wishes Kevin 

Hi Petermac.  Yet another reply, I googled “ British Railway cuttings “ and found an interesting photo of the “ Ridgeway Railway and Weymouth Relief Road Cutting “. With the Tunnel passing under Chalk down and Oxford clay.As for constructing a cutting, that would be a one sided affair otherwise it would obstruct the Inglenook. The original plan was for a small yard with all you would expect to find, cattle dock, goods shed, coal merchant. Best wishes Kevin 

You do get inland chalk "cliffs" as it were.  This is near where I live…..

Might make a nice scene.  In fact, I might have a go myself!

Michael
 

Hi Michael . Thank you for your reply. Yes it does look good. But, for my part at the moment the stairs are a challenge for me and the carer has to assist me, yesterday I had an idea to do some work on the layout while it was still light, but, standing up is a PITA and the bedside table is occupied by the laptop. Please keep myself and everyone posted. Best wishes Kevin 

Hi Kevin,
Ventnor Railway Station, IoW, inland chalk cliff with tunnel.  

Nigel

Hi Nigel. Thank you very much. I have boxed myself into a corner with the tunnel as I really wanted to make a small yard and the idea of a cutting, as good as it is, would make entry to my plan for the yard has gone out of the window.But I have plenty of thinking time. Best wishes Kevin 

Hi Kevin,

The yard at Ventnor started almost immediately after exiting the tunnel with a 3-way, then 2 rights and 1 left switch. This was a very small yard, passenger lines in the middle, coal on the right with the offices in caves ("underneath the arches"), goods on the left. No runaround after the platform because of space, a small turntable immediately after the platform was used instead. No cutting was used from the cliff. Signal cabin to the left on exiting the tunnel. Check photos and plans. Plenty on the web. If you want a chalk cliff, no cutting and a small yard this is a good prototype example to base one on. Just takes a bit of imagination and lateral thinking. Plus some graph paper and a pencil and ruler. Doodle, not Google.

Nigel

Hi Nigel. Thank you for your reply. As it happens I have an 02 Loco, subject to derailment? If I am lucky I may well get away with it, but with my hands the way they are, numbness and pins & needles, it may take a while?Best wishes Kevin 

Hi Nigel. This is another reply. I have been looking at the Ventnor station website, and think that any serious attempt that I would consider would have to be from scratch. Leaving my Inglenook Junction aside. But, not  until I and if, I get my hands and fingers working again . The only time that I traveled on the IOW Railway was down to Shanklin on former London Transport Tube stock, and single line. Was it single line originally??? Best wishes Kevin 

Hi Kevin,

You were looking for an example of a railway tunnel through a chalk cliff, no cutting. You now have one.

Nigel

Hi Nigel  . Thank you for your reply. I realised that and appreciate your advice, but the idea inspired to think of building a layout to a track plan that was factual not imaginary.. whether it was just a terminus with a fiddleyard or whatever.It does seem the way to go. Best wishes Kevin 

Hi Barry.  Yet another late reply. On the subject of steam locomotives, I do have DCC Locos in Steam ( and many awaiting conversion) but on the day in question I had taken up enough of your holiday weekend time, when you probably had other things to do.  Best wishes Kevin 

Hi All I have been back in Hospital, and my fitness is really in doubt, although I nagged the Doctors until they allowed me home. I had another case of Cellulitis that caused an infection causing my heart beat to reach 150,Yes and that was ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY BEATS. Therefore  I am going to be a bit laid back, for a while.
They pumped me full of antibiotics whilst in there , and have given me more antibiotics in tablet form to bring home.
Best wishes Kevin 

Oh dear!  So sorry to hear Kevin.  Hopefully the antibiotics will do the trick and you will bouncing back quickly.  Until then, take care and look after yourself.
Michael