7mm Bleddfa Road

[Geoff]

Since my last update I have been busy down in the goods yard, the coal merchants huts have been completed and bedded into the ground. The yard surface is becoming more overgrown and 1455 has been weathered.



The huts, like many similar prototype examples have been cobbled together from whatever materials were to hand. They are a mix of 'palight' foamboard and Slater's corrugated sheet. The wooden planking has been scribed onto plain styrene sheet with an 'Olfa cutter' and windows are clear PTEG sheet with frames made from self adhesive labels, they don't look as bright to the naked eye. The grass is a mix of Greenscene straw and summer static fibres and small individual homemade tufts.



Geoff

 

[Geoff]

After a little more work on the scenery I am now beginning to think that my backscene might work in the senior scale after all. I did have my doubts and came close to using a photo scene. The layout is only 21" wide at this point, but to my eye it looks far wider, I'm also happy with the colour matching between backscene and model.



The same scene from a slightly different angle, the next job here is to bed the combined WC and lamp hut into the platform surface. Taller grasses are also needed along the railings.



The goods shed has received a coat of Precision Paints weathered wood enamel, and I've started to add some subtle rusted areas along the lower edges of corrugated sheeting. The steps aren't attached to the shed as they are meant to be removable, meanwhile over on the platform the station building canopy is taking shape. Once both buildings have been completed I'll be carrying on with more scenery.


1455 looks a different beast now the initial weathering has been applied by Steve Johnson, I'll be adding some more subtle weathering effects and extra detail in due course. The 16T mineral still awaits a touch of weathering, but I won't be going overboard with heavy flaking rust patches as these wagons were still being built in the era in which the layout is set.

Geoff

 

[keefr22]

Lovely work again Geoff, and I have to say it looks even better (if that's possible?) on here than the blog, with the ability to make the pics much larger .

Keith

 

[Geoff]

Lovely work again Geoff, and I have to say it looks even better (if that's possible?) on here than the blog, with the ability to make the pics much larger .

Keith

Thanks Keith,

You can view each photo full size on the blog Keith, just scroll down to the end of the post and you will see the gallery, left click on the photo you want to view, then click on the exclamation mark within the circle at the bottom right hand corner of your screen. The number of the photo that you wish to view will then appear in the bottom centre of your screen, and below it you will see a tab "view full size". You can then click on the photo and even zoom in if you wish to see all my mistakes that the camera picks up

Geoff

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

After a little more work on the scenery I am now beginning to think that my backscene might work in the senior scale after all. I did have my doubts and came close to using a photo scene. The layout is only 21" wide at this point, but to my eye it looks far wider, I'm also happy with the colour matching between backscene and model.

Personally I'm glad to see you did not take the 'photo scene' route as they are what they are - a photograph to which you would have to match your scenery colours to in order to minimise any jarring on the eye plus you may not have found a suitable photo backscene for the area you're modelling.

The painted backsene works very well as it sits there idly minding it's own business in it's understated way . By painting your own backscene you are able to fade (and blend to complement your 3d scenery) the colours to create an impression of an 'out of focus' distant so your eyes are naturally drawn to the modelled scene whereas a photo would always generally be in focus and can dominate the scene.

Excellent modelling as ever.

 

[Geoff]

Thanks for your kind comments Dave.

You present the case for a painted scene very well and I fully agree with the points you make. Had I gone with a photo scene it would have been a custom job with a hazy/misty finish, apparently they can add all sorts of effects these these days. But I'm glad that I stuck with a painted scene now that I can see how it is going to work.

Geoff

 

[Geoff]

The Welsh Marches on a quiet Sunday morning, the goods shed is now in the last stages of being weathered and over on the platform the station building is rapidly taking shape. Good job too, as two years have passed since the 'palight' foamboard shell was made to test if 7mm scale was for me.



The building sits within the platform surface rather than upon it, so there is no unsightly gap between the two. It is a mix of the aforementioned foamboard, Slater's embossed corrugated sheet, plain styrene and basswood.



The idea of using an old iron mink van for a buffer stop has been dropped in favour of some heavy timber baulks, which are chained to the track as suggested many moons ago by Yorkshire Dave.



A mound of spent ash ballast forms a further barrier beyond the timbers, not that you can see much of it!



And to round this post off here is a shot of W22W arriving earlier in the week, she was being used to check the station canopy clearances.

Geoff

 

[Muddysblues]

Hello Geoff, I would say 7mm is definitely the scale for you, this layout just keeps oozing atmosphere

Best regards
Craig

 

[LarryG]

Geoff's backscene would be suitable for most places on the Trawsfynedd brnch. It's what it reminds me of anyway.

 

[Geoff]

Hello Geoff, I would say 7mm is definitely the scale for you, this layout just keeps oozing atmosphere

Best regards
Craig

Hi Craig, thanks for your comments. I'll admit that it was touch and go for a while until my eye adjusted to the larger scale. When I compared Llangunllo and Llanbister Road with the size of a 7mm scale B6 point template, I almost had a fit and quit on the spot!

Geoff's backscene would be suitable for most places on the Trawsfynedd brnch. It's what it reminds me of anyway.

Hi Larry,

Looking at photos of the Trawsfynedd branch I can see what you mean. The actual scene is a mix of the Long Mynd as seen from Montgomery Castle, and the Carneddau as seen from above Betws- yn -Rhos, only painted as a reverse image.

Geoff

 

[keefr22]

[/QUOTE]

That is quite amazing Geoff!

Really like the picture of the railcar checking clearances in the earlier post!

Keith

 

[LarryG]

Betws-yn-Rhos is 5 miles up the road from here on Tan-Y-Goppa mountain.

 

[Geoff]

Sorry for the late response chaps we've been away

That is quite amazing Geoff!

Frightening as well Keith until your eyes adapt!

Betws-yn-Rhos is 5 miles up the road from here on Tan-Y-Goppa mountain.

It is indeed Larry and even closer to our Welsh bolthole, just wish we lived up there all the time



With the weather closing in 1455 is about to head back to civilization on a damp September morning.

Geoff

 

[john lewsey]

Great photo

 

[Geoff]

Great photo

Thank you John, I took the same image in colour but feel it lacks a bit of 50's atmosphere when compared to the monochrome version?



Geoff

 

[AJC]

A

Thank you John, I took the same image in colour but feel it lacks a bit of 50's atmosphere when compared to the monochrome version?

View attachment 148749

Geoff

I like both very much - it’s amazing how the colour version creates a totally different mood to the black and white. Two very different September days from the same image.

Adam

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

I took the same image in colour but feel it lacks a bit of 50's atmosphere when compared to the monochrome version?

To get closer to the late 50s early 60s colour film (or slides) depending on the film stock (Kodak, Agfa etc) you would need to wash out the greens a bit by adding blue and removing red. I had a go in Affinity and based the colour adjustments on one of my dad's colour slides taken in the early 1960s. I also adjusted the ambient light colour by adding a cream/buff colour. The monitor you view the image on can also alter the colour seen.

 

[Geoff]

A


I like both very much - it’s amazing how the colour version creates a totally different mood to the black and white. Two very different September days from the same image.

Adam

Thanks Adam, a completely different mood can be created by turning the layout lighting off, but I really like the effect caused by the early morning sunlight as it streams through my layout room window. On those rare occasions the layout appears to have a sunrise all of its own, so far my attempts at capturing the scene have failed miserably but I'm working on it.

To get closer to the late 50s early 60s colour film (or slides) depending on the film stock (Kodak, Agfa etc) you would need to wash out the greens a bit by adding blue and removing red. I had a go in Affinity and based the colour adjustments on one of my dad's colour slides taken in the early 1960s. I also adjusted the ambient light colour by adding a cream/buff colour. The monitor you view the image on can also alter the colour seen.

View attachment 148795

That is very interesting Dave, I often play around with the filters in my photo editing programs, the possibilities are endless.

As for 35mm slide film, when I was out and about capturing the 70's scene I dumped Kodachrome as I didn't like its blue tint, and switched to Agfa colour which to my eye looked more natural.

Geoff

 

[Pencarrow]

I also like playing around with filters to give a more period look to a photo. Here's two of my favourites of an old layout, Treneglos.





Original photos taken by BRM for an article on the layout.

 

[LarryG]

I thought the shot of the SR 2-6-0 was real. Wow.

Tuppence worth of messing around in the eDarkroom. I just love that Cambrian corrugated goods shed...