Jon Nazareth's 7mm layout

[Jon Nazareth]

Prompted by Ripper's 8' layout in 7mm, here are a few pictures of mine. It's 8' long but only 2' wide. It is fully wired but has become a diorama. The goods shed is one just up the road from me but as I had copies of the original drawings, I didn't bother visiting the site. Part way through the building of the model goods shed, I thought that I'd take a look at the real thing. Well, it was there alright and just like the drawings, only thing was, and for some unknown reason, they built the b----- thing 3' taller! I'd done so much work already that my version would have to be 3' shorter. I have the basis for another 7mm layout which will be 13' x 3' but this G3 stuff keeps getting in the way. To go with the stock on the old layout, I have a wealth of new kits waiting to be put together.....one day.

Jon

 

[Ian@StEnochs]

Nice models Jon.
I particularly like the way your back scene merges seamlessly and your little people are very realistically posed. They add a lot of life to the scene. My only criticism, and it is only small, is that the wagons look too pristine and clean, and would the white roof on the loco stay white?
Ian.

 

[john lewsey]

Very nice Jon very nice indeed

 

[Mike W]

Wow, you are a dark horse Jon! Very nice.

Mike

 

[Jon Nazareth]

Ian
You are absolutely correct, the wagons et al are far too clean. The trouble is, I don't have the heart, or even courage, to discolour the paintwork after trying so hard to get a decent finish. I do like weathered rolling stock but not sure that I want to try it myself.

Regards
Jon

 

[oldravendale]

Oh yes, how I sympathise Jon. Guess why?

B

 

[Jon Nazareth]

I give up, why?

Jon

 

[Ian@StEnochs]

Hi Jon,
I too was a bit reluctant to weather my pre group models. I was convinced after I read Martin Welch's weathering book with quite a few closeup photos of pre group locos with dirt and decay quite noticeable. Since then I weather everything. Even a quick spray of Humbrol leather, gunmetal and black well thinned will take the newness off the livery and tone the lettering down.
Regards
Ian.

 

[oldravendale]

I give up, why?

Jon

Same reason as you, Jon - having spent many hours to get as hear a perfect finish as I can I'm very cautious about covering it in crap!

B

 

[geoff_nicholls]

with your taste in rolling stock and period, you could build a nice little G3 layout in 13' by 3'.
That backscene looks exactly like the countryside we walked through to see some roman mosaics near Bignor, in LBSC territory.

 

[Jon Nazareth]

Well, it's the same South Downs, Geoff, but a little further West.
To build Singleton the Company had to cut into the side of the Downs to form a flat plane hence the reason for the background field slopping up and away. There is a bit of poetic license with the backscene as Goodwood Race Course is in the top right hand corner with the Royal Box to the right complete with bunting. From the Goods Yard, the race course cannot be seen but hey, ho.

Regards
Jon

 

[Jon Nazareth]

I've been struggling for about 1.5hrs trying to re-size and then find where the b***** computer put them still, all done now.

While I wait for my G3 bridge materials to arrive, I thought that I would make a start on my NEW 7mm layout. This one is 4m x 900mm and 1320mm high. The first picture shows the frames, the second with the ply cover, the third with a layer of cork and the final is a close up with a piece of rail up against the painted rail on the back scene. It really looks as if it's going around a bend well, at least, I think so. There will be a road bridge this end plus the station and a small signal box. I was going to make the station and the box myself but I've seen some laser cut kits and I may go for those instead in fact, it's highly likely I will be going for those. A WT member is thinking about the bridge for me

Jon

 

[JimG]

I do like that blend with the background.

Jim.

 

[Osgood]

Quite wonderful, I've not seen this done before. Out of curiosity, what does it look like viewed at 90 degrees to the track?

I hope you have not patented the concept!

 

[Dog Star]

I thought that I would make a start on my NEW 7mm layout.

...

The first picture shows ... and the final is a close up with a piece of rail up against the painted rail on the back scene. It really looks as if it's going around a bend well, at least, I think so.

Very nice set of photos and I agree about the slight of hand where the rails meet the backscene. Please tell us how you set out the "curved track".

regards, Graham

 

[Jon Nazareth]

This is the nearest that I van get to the curve without climbing onto the baseboard. I didn't paint the back scene but a friend of mine who is an artist. There should be another bridge at this end of the layout but I didn't want that and suggested this idea...worth a try...and it worked. I've taken one picture with the track in position and one without which shows 'how' a little clearer. I'll try another picture from right in front which may help a bit more.

Jon

 

[Jon Nazareth]

This one is with the camera on the board and parallel with the wall/painted track, hope this helps.

Jon

 

[Osgood]

Thanks. So it is just a question of guiding or constraining the field of view to this point, by carefully placed infrastructure, to that which works best.
A great idea.

 

[Jon Nazareth]

This is a section of my new 7mm layout where the intended bank is too high. It is 150mm high and available space tight to the sleepers of the track is 140mm. I can't have the foot of the bank tight up hard to the sleepers and will have to leave a gap which will mean that the proposed bank will be even steeper. My solution is to make a bank with a reduced height which will leave some of the white painted wall exposed say 30mm or so. I was then going to place a thick bramble hedge against the wall and on top of the bank which will hide the white background. My question is, does anyone know how to make good bramble type hedges or can they point me to a book that can show this? I have experimented with rubberised hair but it just tears away in layers not giving that 'wild' look that is needed. There is a piece in front of the wall to show this. Some may suggest simply extending the painted background. Well, there is now a very deep board in front of it making this idea practically impossible. The most that I can hope to do there would be to paint it dark green to give some background to the bramble hedge.
All suggestions gratefully received.
The patches immediately in front of the wall on the board are the remains of my first attempt at a bank made of Cellotex which I took demolished yesterday.

Jon

P.S. It's a bit like my G3 bridge, if I had planned it better then the problems wouldn't arise

 

[Dikitriki]

P.S. It's a bit like my G3 bridge, if I had planned it better then the problems wouldn't arise

View attachment 48030

Ha! We've all been there.

To answer your question; the Gravett books ('Modelling Grassland and Landscape Detailing' may be the most appropriate for your purposes - I don't have a copy as not a lot of grassland on Heyside ) are probably the best source of inspiration and ideas, and for a quicker and simpler solution, you could try some of the products of Treemendus http://www.treemendus-scenics.co.uk/

Yours,

Richard