Finally gettiing out of my system.

Trees.  I thought that a few trees along the back of the layout might give some vertical height to an otherwise fairly flat railway.  The current trend of using seafoam, also known as sea moss, appealed to me so I bought a box of the stuff from WW Scenics and after watching a couple of Youtube videos, got stuck in. This really is a very fast way of making presentable trees.  I decided to make five trees and after selecting suitable sprigs, spent a couple of minutes picking off unwanted branches and the few dried seed pods which were present.  Each sprig was given a short burst with brown spray paint and put aside to dry.  Each sprig was sprayed with adhesive (again I obtained this from WW Scenics) and some suitable flock was dropped onto the branches.  This was done over an empty biscuit tin.  A second spray with the adhesive followed by more flock and the trees were complete.

Small holes were drilled in the scenic shell and the trees were planted with a blob of glue.  A bit of flock was thrown over any excess glue at the base of the tree and the job was done.


Trees made this way will not stand up to rough treatment as they are quite delicate and easily broken.  However, if handled with care I don't see why they shouldn't last for the life of the layout.  If damage does occur they are easily replaced. 


Here they are in situ.  I am now considering mounting a strip of LEDs above the trees to eradicate any shadows thrown onto the backscene.

Nice looking trees but funny you should mention the lights. I have a strip of daylight flouro's on the wall above my layout and get no shadows. I have to go out now, but I'll try putting a photo or two up to show you what I mean.

The camera's really cruel. The shadows between the tubes aren't apparent with the naked eye… not even a fully clothed one.

The trees suit the back scene too Terry. In that the tall, sparse planting of trees along the fence line matches the occasional tree apparent in the distant hedgerows between the fields. 

Thank you Marty.

Thanks for the photos Pete.  The idea of having lights over the backscene to eradicate shadows cast by the lights behind the front facia has been espoused by Iain Rice in some of his books.  I never took much notice until now!


Terry

This is looking rwally good Terry - love the trees - not the tiddly little things looking like green snowballs one often sees on, otherwise quite good, layout but "proper" big trees.

Great "how I did it" to boot.  Thanks for that.  :thumbs

Pete's lights look good but my word, what a train room he has !!!   :doublethumb

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

This is looking rwally good Terry - love the trees - not the tiddly little things looking like green snowballs one often sees on, otherwise quite good, layout but "proper" big trees.

Great "how I did it" to boot.  Thanks for that.  :thumbs

Pete's lights look good but my word, what a train room he has !!!   :doublethumb

Arf a garrige innit mate. Still get a car in in case of a hail storm.

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

Wow Terry - if those 3 shots of the ground signal and point rodding are from your model, it's incredible !  I honestly can't believe it's not the real thing - my flabber is totally ghasted ! 

Tell me about the track weathering please ……. :hmm

Dead right. That track work is something else.

Thank you Peter and Pete.

Terry

Sorry Terry, I seem to have been sleeping on the job and missed your trackwork enhancements . . .



Not that enhancement was needed, but now accomplished, it looks so right in its environment.

You are setting a high bar and I hope more of us rise to the challenge of wonderful trackwork.

Thanks for reminding me how much more enjoyment there is ahead  :thumbs

Best,

Bill

Hello Bill.  Thank you for your kind comments.  

Best wishes,


Terry

The layout is at the rather enjoyable stage where I can indulge myself in adding the fine detail.  All that virgin platform fencing was simply crying out for some decoration.  Out came the beautiful enamelled advertising signs from Sankey Scenics…

Herewith a couple of pictures which I forgot to post a few days ago.  Once again the signs are from the superb Sankey Scenics range.  Usual disclaimer.

Can't help with rotating the photo, but those signs certainly look good.

[user=711]col.stephens[/user] wrote:

Herewith a couple of pictures which I forgot to post a few days ago.  Once again the signs are from the superb Sankey Scenics range.  Usual disclaimer.

Sorry - I can't seem to get the last photo to sit vertically.  Can anyone help please?

Terry.                            Sorted. B

Sorry Terry. On my iPad they really look excellent . When I had a similar problem it was suggested that “as long as I kept the lens? whatever, uppermost it should be ok.   Best wishes Kevin

Thanks for sorting it Matt.

I cropped the picture from a larger one and it is the right way up in my pictures on my PC.  Strange!


Thank you Pete and Kevin.


Terry

I decided that it was time to get some people on to the platform.  All figures from Dart Castings.  Painted by me yesterday in rather muted acrylic colours.

It's all looking most authentic, Terry, and your figure painting is superb.
Michael

Thank you Michael, very kind of you.

Terry

That looks really nice. As Michael said, the figures you are painted are brilliant. You must have some rather steady fingers.