More scenery work at Chilcott’s Ck
Have been doing more scenery work lately between Chilcotts Ck bridge and Kankool.
Getting some scenery dirt down and more long grass.
3d printer assembled & working
Well, the printer is finally assembled and now working through some test prints.
Very pleased with it so far. Build quality is excellent, with some very complex 3D printed parts involved.
Long grass
Following on from the diorama, I have applied the same techniques to the layout, starting with the area around the bridge.
Some time ago, I had initially applied the 2mm grass layer, but had gone no further, as I didn’t know how I was going to produce long, rough and woody grass. I had been experimenting with fake fur and similar materials, but could never get it to look right.
I think it’s starting to look pretty good. There is lots more to be done, even in this small area with weeds, trees, scrub etc.
Diorama
Over the last few weeks I have been working on applying scenery to a small diorama I initially made a few years ago. Up until now, it had just been sitting around with track ballasted but no scenery.
So out came the scenery dirt and static grasses. Still a work in progress as I am yet to finish the road. I was trialling different techniques to produce long grass. Basically, the first layer is 2mm fibres applied into Mod Podge glue. When that has dried, 3M Super 77 adhesive spray is applied over the top then a mixture of 4mm and 6mm fibres is applied over the top. Different colours are mixed together to get away from a uniform colour. Additional grass tufts, weeds etc are then added.
Re-laying track
Well I can’t believe it’s 12 months since my last post. I just never seemed to get around to posting anything.
One of the biggest tasks undertaken was to re-glue the rails to the CV ties all the way from Kankool to Ardglen. I had discovered that the rail had started to lift in quite a few locations. I am still unsure what the cause was, but I’m putting it down to my initial glue mixture of contact cement and MEK.
I had been very apprehensive about doing it, but realised I had to just bite the bullet. Subsequently over about a six week period, I lifted 38 metres of rail, cleaned the old glue of the base and also off the CV ties, and using Pliobond straight from the tube, applied it to both rail and ties and re-laid the rail back in place. The process wasn’t too bad, as it was still all pre-curved.
During the process, I also increased the gap between lengths of rail from virtually nothing to around the thickness of a piece of paper.
The next biggest task had been to install more scenery foam nearly all the way to where Ardglen quarry is located. This was roughed in using previous techniques and is yet to be carved to shape.
More backscene board was installed, again, up to where the quarry is located.
Track cleaning
An interesting article in this month’s (May) Model Railroad Hobbyist online magazine on keeping wheels and track clean.
Go to Page 9, “Publisher’s Musings”.
Some time ago, there was a thread on the MRH Forums on this same discussion, and I purchased a graphite stick and have been using it occasionally on the short section of track between Chilcott’s Creek and Kankool. I have yet to actually “clean” the track with a track rubber or similar since the initial application of graphite, and locos run perfectly on it every time, most often with months between runs.
First 442 class weathered
It’s been a while between posts.
Work on the layout has been sporadic at best. My order of Auscision Models 442 class locomotives arrived in late February and one entered the weathering shop almost straight away.
Once again, Auscision have excelled themselves with this model. They are a superb runner with excellent detail and equipped with the latest Loksound V5 decoder.
Weathering involved my usual techniques of a black oil wash and Pan Pastels, although this time, the body was nearly exclusively done with the wash, with the pastels used only for highlighting.
I also completed weathering of 4821, which was the dreaded “stuff up” late last year where I mistakenly washed the body in metho prior to weathering. It has turned out pretty good.
Coupler pockets
A little thing that always bugs me is how the rectangular shape of the coupler pocket protrudes un-prototypically through the pilots on the Auscision Models 45 and 48 class locomotives. It is most likely the same on their other models as well.
All my locomotives have buffers, so the coupler pocket is nearly hidden, but on models without buffers, I would think it sticks out like the proverbial!! I also replace the Kadee type coupler with Sergent couplers, and being that bit smaller, they tend to make the coupler pocket more visible, even on buffered locomotives.
When I was weathering my 45’s, I trimmed the coupler pocket back to the shape of the curved castings top and bottom by eye, but soon realised I needed some sort of jig to make the job easier. I have now fashioned a tool to hold the coupler pocket to allow shaping to the correct profile. The pocket is secured in place and using a razor saw to remove most of the plastic, a sharp scalpel blade is then used to trim it back to the brass profile.
The pocket is then flipped over and the process is repeated. The front edges are touched up with red and silver paint and refitted back into the locomotive.
Spray booth
Another long time coming task completed today.
My Runway13 spray booth fitted into its own cabinet in the toilet area of the layout room. The booth itself is still removable from the cabinet. The fumes are vented out through the wall and up into the ceiling space.
Liverpool Range 