ScR steam in the 50's

The goods shed at Helmsdale has likewise been given its revised roof, and here are a couple of shots of it.


A local passenger, hauled by Ben Alder is seen passing the shed.

So that's why these shots are so good - you're a locomotive, not a modeller !!!!

Once again, excellent shots Ben. :thumbs

How do you weather the track and trackbed ?  It really does look like rust - not too orange, not too brown and not at all shiney ….

Also, in the last shot, where does the backscene end and the layout start ?  I think I know but it's an almost invisible join on both shots…

Yes, adopted 54398 as my nom de plume. In an attempt to get round to having a running Ben- kit sat in a cupboard for thirty years waiting to be built- you know this scenario- so in the end it was a heavily bashed about T9 with some of the kit fittings that emerged- but it runs beautifully!

The rails are weathered with goldust- the long vanished Humbrol track colour (now down to my last jar), which gives a v. good rendition of a worn rail. The trackbed between the lines is a layer of Games Workshop Stormvermin Fur, which was sprinkled lightly with some sand and Greenscene 2mm ballast. It has come out OK, though I say it myself……


The backscene stops just behind the wooden fence- old sleepers on the real thing- and does blend in well. The availability of this sheet was the tipping factor in modelling Helmsdale, as it gives a fairly good representation of the country around it.

Thanks for the interest.

I was right about the backscene/layout join but I have to say, it was only a guess based on the fact that I didn't think you'd ever have made all those trees …………………:roll:  As I said, virtually invisible.

Don't Humbrol make a track colour now or have they just changed the shade ?  It's a pity because it's one of the best colours I've ever seen. 

Regarding the Games Workshop stuff, I've read before that they do some very interesting stuff (with some odd names).  Perhaps we should investigate the range further …………..

Do you use builder's sand, beach sand or river sand and do you wash it first ?  Beach sand would be difficult here but builder's sand comes by the lorry load.  Not sure if it's quarried or river sand but I'm pretty sure they're not allowed to use beach sand because of erosion problems.  There is quite a difference in the particle size - river being very fine.

Looking forward to more photos. :cheers:cheers

p.s. Has the sun set for the winter up there yet ?

I'm afraid Humbrol Track Colour has vanished from their range a long time ago, and no adequate replacement is available. I know a lot of people use Precision Paints Sleeper grime as a general coverall but mostly it doesn't work, IMO. Track, ballast and sleepers tend to be seperate colours, and benefit from being represented as such. as an example, here is some track at the local station- not entirely typical as it is rarely used nowadays, but shows the differences in colours.



The sand I use is a fine builder's sand, taken during a house up grade years ago, but where it came from I do not know. The tub I have will last me decades though!


The dark is drawing in here now- we ate at seven looking out at gloom- time to start pulling down the blinds!

Work has been continuing on the layout, and all the telegraph poles and signals- all two of them!- are in place. The next job is to add more ground cover, to hopefully give a more finished look to it all, and I'll post some update pics when I have something suitable to show. Meanwhile, a shot of Helmsdale yard as of last night.

Very nice Ben

You have to do a double take to see that it is a model. Excellent scenic work!

That track and ballast weathering is absolutely brilliant and, as Ray has said, it is so realistic it could so easily be taken for an actual station approach.

 I have started applying some more layers of scenic fibres, and this is the approach to Helmsdale. The ground cover here was scrubby and tufty, with gorse bushes and not much in the way of longer grasses, and this is the first extra layer as applied. It is a scattering of Woodland Scenics coarse turf- various shades- onto a layer of PVA, and again a mixture of static grass shades from WS and Noch- all short- put into a puffer bottle and shaken over the coarse turf.
I hoovered it after an overnight dry, and was pleased to find that most of it has stayed in place, so think that this will just about do for this section apart from some gorse bushes. The longer grasses that sheltered beside the sleepering fencing will be a longer mix, and put down with the Grassmaster, which works these lengths better.

More to follow once I have more to show!

Looks like you've got it just right, Richard.  :thumbs

I agree with Max.

A very realistic blend of colours and textures.

I guess I have to join the chorus of "what a brilliant thread"……  just dicovered it and read it fron start to finish. Like the others I am extremely impressed with the effectiveness of the back scene…….there is a tremendous feeling of space and most importantly depth.

I particularly liked the signal boxes……have you posted a " how I did it" elsewhere……..they are superb creations.

Knowing nothing about the far North and its railways……other than a pannier the GWR didnt really get there……. I assumed that your name was, indeed, Ben Alder…….and I couldnt quite understand why my old friend Max kept calling you Richard…..put it down to advancing age…………..the penny finally dropped around page 5 :oops::oops:

Regards from Vancouver

"I particularly liked the signal boxes……have you posted a " how I did it" elsewhere……..they are superb creations."

Glad you like them- scratchbuilt with window etches from a firm that does v. useful Highland odds and ends, and Ratio steps from their GW kit - I'll quite happily adapt something ready made if it saves time and looks the part. The build is part of a layout thread that I have on RMweb -  The Construction of the Far North Line - Layout topics - RMweb - that takes the build from start to current state. There are some shots of the signal box build on page 4.

HTH

Ben/ Richard

Replied to the PM before I saw this post..............thanks again for the link

Grasslaying has been underway at the terminus, and a couple of photos to show where I have got to. They are hardly the most inspiring images, but give an idea of the 3D effects that can be achieved with the Grassmaster. A random selection of lengths and colours was prepared and applied. This is just one coating, but I think I'll stop at this while I am ahead! I'll have some more general shots ready in a few days- tidying up gaps and missing bits of paint ATM, but the construction phase is just about complete.

Just thought that I would re-show this one to illustrate the effects of static grass! The approach to Thurso is heavily vegetated, not at all like most Highland boxes, and what I have applied is subdued compared to the real thing.

Lovely shots Richard……..I do like those signal boxes!!!

Its only the angle of last shot that made me realise how close the back scene is to the fence……..is that fixed in place or is it your removeable backscene? An excellent idea by the way…..I have a number of spots on Granby that will benefit from this innovation:thumbs

Regards from a very wet Vancouver

Very convincing, Richard.  :thumbs   The grassy bank looks excellent.

I'm not sure I understand the fence posts being suspended in the air, though.   :???:

[user=434]John Dew[/user] wrote:

Lovely shots Richard……..I do like those signal boxes!!!

Its only the angle of last shot that made me realise how close the back scene is to the fence……..is that fixed in place or is it your removeable backscene? An excellent idea by the way…..I have a number of spots on Granby that will benefit from this innovation:thumbs

Regards from a very wet Vancouver

Hi,

Backscenes are spray mounted onto to mounting board and are removeable for emergency access to the hidden running tracks- I held them in place with 1/2" square strips of wood and some vertical stiffeners of the same material.

HTH,
Richard