7mm Heybridge Basin

[76043]

Rather than have manual clickers and flickers why not have a train occupancy detector at the end of the fiddle yard and when you run over it a the end of a move it advances the screen?

Or alternatively have a foot switch which leaves both hand free and avoids the potential need to play 'hunt the clicker'.

Or even mount the clicker/switch at the end of the fiddleyard and use the train/loco buffer to activate it at the end of a move.

Just thought I'd offer my experience here at exhibitions, now I've got fifteen or so under my belt. My layout is the cameo cabinet type so the clicker sits on the top next to me. For me personally a foot switch would be trip hazard, I would come a cropper eventually. On the detection side, could work, but requires more wiring and a switch which becomes another potential fault to find, at least a wireless clicker can rule that part out. Also with some dodgy shunting in the fiddle yard, you could easily find the switch is tripped twice, then without a manual override you've missed a sequence. However, I do also have a wireless mouse at exhibition which sits on top of the cabinet too, this could be on hand to wind back the sequence if the sequence was moved forward too many times.

I've found the clicker to be the most simple and effective solution to be honest. It's not failed me yet, just need to remember to take spare batteries, which sit in my exhibition toolbox.

Tony

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

I've found the clicker to be the most simple and effective solution to be honest. It's not failed me yet, just need to remember to take spare batteries, which sit in my exhibition toolbox.

Silly question. Is there not clicker you could recharge via a USB socket in the PC rather than carry spare batteries?

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

The colour of the water in the basin needs to reflect the colour of the imaginary sky above. Water is by far the more difficult of the two for me, so I really must have a go. Painting the backscene to tone with the water has got to be easier than the other way round.

My experience of modelling water comprises some solvent-encrusted string for an N gauge waterfall (not very convincing) and a modest pond in H0 (better). I have never tackled anything like this basin in my life.

Returning to the waterfront.

On a Dutch HO layout I built many moons ago (since scrapped) I filled (polyfiller) and smoothed the wood of the baseboard - at the same time creating the visible mud at a low/ebbing tide.

This was then painted a brackish/greenish/mud colour as seen in harbours having being churned up by the two tides and vessels. I also attempted to darken the colours towards the centres of the channel, however this is hardly noticable in tidal areas being constantly churned up.

Once dry I painted it with neat PVA and let it set to form a seal then again with annother coat of PVA. While the second coat was drying and became tacky I went over with a largish painbrush in a regular motion and in the same direction to create a ripple effect. The tidal mud was given a coat of satin varnish and the harbour water a coat of gloss varnish. The bridges were installed afterwards.

Here are some pictures to show the effect. Not brilliant by any standards but this was the first time tried to create a tidal scene.

This shows the colour - being at a high angle with no side illumination any rippling cannot be seen



At a lower angle the rippling can be just be made out



And a lower angle still - there is enough rippling to create movement and maintain some reflective properties.



And from above (this is during the dismantling).

 

[Richard Gawler]

Dave it was a beautiful model, thank you for posting it here.

The rippled PVC sheet I have mentioned is on a long lead time for a large sheet, effectively next year. Plenty of time to experiment. It occurrs to me, because my basin area is a lift-out "cover assembly", I could build a second one with a different appearance. For example, the rippled sheet with the Magnorail swans for exhibition, and a more "scale" representation of water for photography. This would allow a much wider choice of materials and techniques.

 

[Phil O]

This is my take on a water feature.

Pottery Quay. EM test track / shunting plank.

Last weeks progress was a bit limited, by various extenuating circumstances and being away for the weekend. The first job was to cut some 4mm MDF for the scenic are corner fillets, I dislike square corners if I can avoid them. They were then sawn partway through to allow them to be curved...

www.westernthunder.co.uk

Scroll down to find it, 30 July, and onwards.

 

[spikey faz]

Hi Richard

As you may have some time to experiment with water, maybe have a look at greenstuff

I realise the sheets are not big enough for what you need, but it might be possible to hide the join using one of their other products. Just a thought.

Mike

ps Lots of other interesting modelling materials on the greenstuff website to help you spend your money!

 

[NHY 581]

The colour of the water in the basin needs to reflect the colour of the imaginary sky above. Water is by far the more difficult of the two for me, so I really must have a go. Painting the backscene to tone with the water has got to be easier than the other way round.

Hi Richard,

On the subject of colour, for the consistency you seek, my first thought would be to use the same colour on the base of any water as that used for the backscene.

I appreciate that you want to have moving wildlife ( which I understand but personally wouldn't want to explore ) so would a smooth perspex/ plastic sheet to which a coat of clear plastic or varnish ( or both ) work.....?

As in, paint the underneath of the clear sheet, which is raised to accommodate any electrickery, then the top of the sheet is pva'd to produce surface texture then top coated with traditional yacht varnish to catch the light......as per mine below.





My only concern would be any gap (s) between the base of any bobbing fowl and the ripples, equivalent to the dreaded gap between a building and the ground.

Rob.

 

[NHY 581]

And of course there is this masterclass on such things.

De Graafstroom – Scaleforum

www.scaleforum.org

 

[Richard Gawler]

The basin dominates the diorama but does not need to appear in many photos of stock. I would like to return to it after I have decided whether I should best represent the constantly-rippled appearance at the real location or the much more placid appearance further along the cut. Though Rob's modelling above is very good indeed!

In the meantime I want to explore the photographic possiblities of the diorama, to see how well it can work and what I ought to alter. This is supposed to be a fairly open location, and here are six views of the same wagon in different spots.


1


2


3


4


5


6

I want to add some kind of scenic detail on the left in photo 5 (and on the right in photo 4), just something small to balance things up.

I put a mate's "Britannia" on the layout last week and could not get one decent shot, though being green it looked pretty awful against my brown-green under-grass.

I wonder what else I ought to do before the ballasting.

 

[Richard Gawler]

An overview might help.

 

[Dog Star]

I think that the last image - the one with the running-in board, two figures and waiting room, presents the wagon nicely.

Rgds, Graham

 

[Richard Gawler]

I suppose, most real locations have one or two good spots for photos. I want more, so I may end up contriving things. The running-in board might be at the other end of the platform but the layout looks more balanced with it here.

 

[NHY 581]

The basin dominates the diorama but does not need to appear in many photos of stock. I would like to return to it after I have decided whether I should best represent the constantly-rippled appearance at the real location or the much more placid appearance further along the cut. Though Rob's modelling above is very good indeed!

In the meantime I want to explore the photographic possiblities of the diorama, to see how well it can work and what I ought to alter. This is supposed to be a fairly open location, and here are six views of the same wagon in different spots.

View attachment 224020
1

View attachment 224022
2

View attachment 224023
3

View attachment 224024
4

View attachment 224025
5

View attachment 224026
6

I want to add some kind of scenic detail on the left in photo 5 (and on the right in photo 4), just something small to balance things up.

I put a mate's "Britannia" on the layout last week and could not get one decent shot, though being green it looked pretty awful against my brown-green under-grass.

I wonder what else I ought to do before the ballasting.

Morning Richard,

Thank you. The water came together very well and there was some relief just how well as being at the front of the layout, there's no hiding !

Looking at your overview image below, I understand your dilemma.



The main consideration is maintaining balance, in that with the tree adding height to the left, you'll need something on the far right, of equal height and stature, but that wasn't your question....

I wonder then , delightful as the green hut is, would something longer but of the same height and extending into the grassy area work better. I'm thinking of a grounded coach body ?

Or......Tree to the right and a similar proportioned tree between the two buildings ?

Rob

 

[Richard Gawler]

To be honest, the balancing of the whole scene will improve when the layout has its extension to the right, complete with railway office, and a Lombardy Poplar in place of the Heki(?) model. I'm interested in spots for photos at the moment.

No coach body - too big, too difficult to model, and the wrong image for the railway.

The trees would have been between the railway and the navigation. Some boundary fences at the station will help. I intend to give the platform one oil lamp, this could go to the left of the waiting shelter to help the work of the porter-signalman. If passengers need a second lamp to find the entrance to the station, this can be off-scene.

I rather like being able to lift off the buildings for different photos. I am finding making stock far more rewarding than doing the scenic setting (in 7mm scale), and the trains will be the subjects of the photos I want to take. Sorry if this sounds rather the opposite to so many takes on layout building.

 

[NHY 581]

Ah, I wasn't aware of the proposed extension to the right, Richard so treated the board in isolation.

Rob

 

[Richard Gawler]

I think that the last image - the one with the running-in board, two figures and waiting room, presents the wagon nicely.

Thanks Graham. Perhaps this is the best photo because it has enough background detail to give context and to allow a pleasant composition.

The exercise has told me, I don't need to remove or move anything I've done so far, and a boundary fence won't detract as long as I make something suitable and do it neatly. Also the water, however I model it, won't spoil photos of stock.

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

In the meantime I want to explore the photographic possiblities of the diorama, to see how well it can work and what I ought to alter. This is supposed to be a fairly open location, and here are six views of the same wagon in different spots.

When re-arranging scenic items for photography I usually check the views by placing my mobile phone camera (and other camersa) at 7mm scale eye level which effectively replicates the human scale view. Unless for a specific purpose e.g. overview, during construction; I generally photograph models and scenes on my dioramas from the relevant scale eye level 1:87, 1:48, 1:43.5, etc.

Unless we're standing in an elevated position we would not see the 'helicopter' or 'drone' shots beloved of Railway Modelling magazines.


On another train of thought.... Depending on how exposed your diorama location is and the prevailing winds, wouldn't trees and bushes be leaning slightly leeward as often seen in coastal areas? This would definitely set the scene as exposed and coastal .

 

[Richard Gawler]

View attachment 222817

I agree. So far, my favourite photos are the ones taken from just slightly higher than eye level, as if the photographer is standing on a crate or perhaps a barge to get a better view.

I will watch out for the vegetation when the time comes. I am putting off the ballast because of indecision on its constitution, but almost anything would be better than nothing at all.

 

[Richard Gawler]

A sensible solution to my photos 4 and 5 above is to enjoy this piece of empty space on the layout, and add nothing much more to it.


I am happy with this viewpoint.


If the camera goes higher and I am using a portrait lens (to keep the camera out of the light) I can get a mildly 00 look, something I thought I had banished forever using 7 mm.

So - I have enough space between models to compose quite a few different photos, and the basin gives me vertical space to hold the DSLR. Most of the track looks okay, some needs a bit of cleaning up. I am now rearranging furniture so I can add a fiddle yard, maybe run a train one day

 

[Dog Star]

The portrait of the 3-plk wagon is rather tasty, nice work.

Rgds, Graham