4mm Orchard Hill - a narrow gauge indulgence.

jonte

Western Thunderer
A further minor advance with this indulgence of mine. A name has been plucked from the ether and the little layout will be known as Orchard Hill. This will enable me to at last use a bulk(ish) purchase made some time back of modestly reasonable trees which had travelled all the way from Viet-Nam to the UK retailer! However, they are reasonable and relatively uniform so should , I hope, make a reasonable orchard - the actual crop has yet to be decided, :confused:. Attendant structures will, I am happy to think, be minimal.

Trackwork and wiring having been completed, including a minor modification to the 'yard' which has seen one siding lengthened and the other one removed. Test-running has been undertaken and a couple of wrinkles in the system ironed out, so now the locos and stock have been put in to storage whilst I start the scenery. The first job is the assembly of some buildings so that the siting of them can be done to enable the rising contours to be evolved, As this side of the hobby must rank as my favourite part, I hope further progress will soon be available for another report. So until then.........;)

Roger.

Good to hear, Roger, and glad you’re over the frustrating bits of the hobby which can affect impetus and thus progress :thumbs:

Atmospheric choice of name too, ‘Orchard Hill’. Puts me in mind of Somerset, and the orchards/artisan’s gardens that once limed the minor roads of the County, before it became Yuppies retreat.

I suppose that would also provide the solution as to the question of the type of crop: lemons! :rolleyes:

Only kidding, Roger. Is Scrumpy the local term for Zomerzet Zider? :D

Enjoy your scenicking, Roger, which hopefully can be accomplished indoors during the pending inclement season, and I look forward to seeing pictures of developments as and when.

Jon
 

Roger Pound

Western Thunderer
A further progress report on this small diorama type layout. The layout is now officially christened as Orchard Hill, as implied in the new title of this thread. The basic completion of buildings mentioned in the post #20 has been carried out. These consist of a pair of cottages and a station halt building provided as 'freebies' by a well known magazine. They now await a bit of detailing and general fiddling about after which placement can be done. The refitting of uncoupling units remains undone - I am still in two minds as to their value on this layout, whereas I can possible find more appropriate use for them on my 2025 project of a mini-Stutzendorf - more to follow on that!

The state of play at present is that the small hill upon which the token representation of the orchard will stand has been installed and the first layers of material are currently gently drying out. Being very old school, the method I have used is expanded polystyrene carved to shape, and glued to the board cork surface with a thick mixture of wallpaper paste. This is then covered with layers of scrap paper glued on with the said paste, to ease out any angles and obtain the required basic shape - it is all rather like a poor man's papier mashe but I've been using it for years and it works - so if it ain't broke.........:thumbs:. When the basic shape has dried out over twenty-four hours it will be generously coated with s slightly thinner mix of wall-paper paste and then covered with a mix of surface dressings and this allowed to dry out once again. The final move will be the planting of the trees and the adding of details using coarse turf and similar dressings. I have not yet mastered the new methods of creating certain scenic effects by use of the natural static effect to my own satisfaction, but have used and do appreciate some of the ready made scenic items now available. However, with Orchard Hill economy is the watchword, and my old methods still allow me the pleasure and satisfaction of completing the work in hand. Vacuuming off the loose surplus and that final tidying concluded by washing one's hands to remove the paste and anything else that me have stuck to them is, for me, most satisfying.

Having said that -it's usually when you come back from the wash-basin you see the bit that you've missed .............:eek:!

I feel that the sight of a rather soggy hill base is not worthy of a photograph, but I do hope that Orchard Hill will be more photogenic next time. Until then......

Roger :).
 
Last edited:

Roger Pound

Western Thunderer
Some further work on the aforementioned "soggy hill". Having the base materials firmly set and the paper coverings fitted, I have started work to, hopefully, make the hill in Orchard Hill look a little more realistic. Work so far has gone as follows - two different types of 'grass' matting remained in my stash of scenic leftovers and it occurred to me that a splice of them would enable a very obvious difference from the uncultivated embankment to the 'dressed grass' surface of the orchard. So the matting was laid and allowed to dry overnight and this morning the sloping sides of the hill, which had been left uncovered were assaulted with a variety of flocks, turf and other materials. This attack has resulted in the sight below. The slopes are not actually as severe as the pictures make them seem to appear.

A general over all view. The area is yet again still drying out :rolleyes: !
SAM_0089.JPG

This gives an almost 'ground level' view. Apologies for the flash reflecting off the back-scene. It isn't the arrival of The Vulcans, the Klingons or even ET............... You can tell I spent too much time watching Sci-fi, can't you? :))
SAM_0090.JPG


I would add that the colours will change slightly in some areas as they dry and settle. The bank as it goes round the corner towards the railway is next and will include some ballasting too. Going to let this lot dry out now and sort out the trees ready for planting :).

Well, folks, that should give you an idea of how I go about achieving effects using the methods I learned as a lad - say seventy plus years ago. I have embraced many of the advances in our hobby including the use of the huge variety of scenic aids now available, but as you see, still enjoy many old methods. I am not au fait with dcc control nor do I have any particular engineering skills but even without these wonderful skills, I still enjoy following my own path in this wonderful hobby.

Happy modelling to you all, and there will, I hope, be further news of Orchard Hill quite soon.

Roger :thumbs:.
 

jonte

Western Thunderer
Some further work on the aforementioned "soggy hill". Having the base materials firmly set and the paper coverings fitted, I have started work to, hopefully, make the hill in Orchard Hill look a little more realistic. Work so far has gone as follows - two different types of 'grass' matting remained in my stash of scenic leftovers and it occurred to me that a splice of them would enable a very obvious difference from the uncultivated embankment to the 'dressed grass' surface of the orchard. So the matting was laid and allowed to dry overnight and this morning the sloping sides of the hill, which had been left uncovered were assaulted with a variety of flocks, turf and other materials. This attack has resulted in the sight below. The slopes are not actually as severe as the pictures make them seem to appear.

A general over all view. The area is yet again still drying out :rolleyes: !
View attachment 233735

This gives an almost 'ground level' view. Apologies for the flash reflecting off the back-scene. It isn't the arrival of The Vulcans, the Klingons or even ET............... You can tell I spent too much time watching Sci-fi, can't you? :))
View attachment 233736


I would add that the colours will change slightly in some areas as they dry and settle. The bank as it goes round the corner towards the railway is next and will include some ballasting too. Going to let this lot dry out now and sort out the trees ready for planting :).

Well, folks, that should give you an idea of how I go about achieving effects using the methods I learned as a lad - say seventy plus years ago. I have embraced many of the advances in our hobby including the use of the huge variety of scenic aids now available, but as you see, still enjoy many old methods. I am not au fait with dcc control nor do I have any particular engineering skills but even without these wonderful skills, I still enjoy following my own path in this wonderful hobby.

Happy modelling to you all, and there will, I hope, be further news of Orchard Hill quite soon.

Roger :thumbs:.

Noted :thumbs:

Jon
 

Roger Pound

Western Thunderer
The saga of the hill continues......!

The decoration of the side embankment has been started and athough one side is only partially completed, the other just requires a bit of fine detailing and I can then let it lie. The orchard has been planted and the trees appear in blossom - looks like it could be a cherry orchard - nothing to do with the well known play of a similar name, I assure you. The pink blossom seems to infer that to me although those fruit tree experts among you may know differently. Suggestions on a postcard please............? :)) As the pack of model trees from which the orchard examples are extracted originated in Viet-Nam, I can only guess here. The orchard itself needs considerable extra fine detailing and some judicious brush work on the tree trunks may be of benefit too - typical of me, I should have thought of that before planting them :mad:. Anyhow, have a look..........

A general view of the fruit trees in particular - the just visible building is the Orchard Hill Halt - a Peco RM/Metcalfe 'freebie' kindly supplied by a good friend:
SAM_0091.JPG

Two views from slightly different angles of the improved embankment to the disappearance point to the yard/storage area.
SAM_0092.JPG


This one shows the unfinished area, warts and all...!
SAM_0093.JPG


So there we are - yet another stage of the adventure being undertaken by a relic of railway modelling (me, that is ;).) No doubt it will still rate a "Could do better" on the end of term report, but it's all fun anyway :D. After all, what are hobbies for if you don't enjoy yourself and can't have a laugh?

All the best fellow Thunderers,

Roger :thumbs:.
 

Roger Pound

Western Thunderer
Tim,

Gaugemaster. They were on their scenery lists on their web-site on the web and arrived as part of a mixed order I placed some time back. I believe they are described as a bulk pack. Certainly some of the better mass produced trees I have seen in my time. Hope this helps.

Roger.
 

timbowales

Western Thunderer
Tim,

Gaugemaster. They were on their scenery lists on their web-site on the web and arrived as part of a mixed order I placed some time back. I believe they are described as a bulk pack. Certainly some of the better mass produced trees I have seen in my time. Hope this helps.

Roger.
Thank you, now visiting the Gaugemaster website :)
 

Roger Pound

Western Thunderer
A further update pending a temporary halt in work on Orchard Hill - health problems and old age strike back :(! So far the small railway halt for the area has been installed just to the south or Orchard Hill itself and partially tarted up with a bit of scenic dressing. A road area has been partially installed and a cunning plan evolved to make the disappearance in to the back scene look a little more realistic. (I got an MA in 'Cunning Planning' at Baldrick University..........:))). That is where work has currently stopped and I shall be taking a rest whilst I get myself sorted out.

I hope to have further news ere long - with pictures even :rolleyes:!

Roger
 

Roger Pound

Western Thunderer
I am continuing my break from Orchard Hill whilst I grapple with the whims, whereby's and what-if's of learning how to competently use my new lap top - :eek:. On the plus side, everything is faster and brighter, so one mustn't grumble. However, please bear with someone of my age who still considers a computer as a typewriter that has pictures and files stuff....... :D!

It does also provide an excuse for the removal of Orchard Hill temporarily to the back burner and starting on my 2025 project of Stutzendorf in N. Well, they do say a change is as good as a rest - ;).

Back soon,

Roger.
 
Last edited:
Top