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Worsley Dale Garden Railway


mick
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A bit of progress inside the shed today has seen my bare mountain take on a more natural appearance.

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I've used a teased out hanging basket liner that I purchased many years ago glued down with PVA onto the mountain which had previously been painted with a brown household emulsion paint. I've continued this around and over the tunnel portal. When fully dry it will be trimmed and further refined where necessary but I'm not looking for anything special  - just the sense of enclosure around the station which is starting to appear.

I've still to make a start on painting the backscene but if I can do that satisfactorily then I think it should all be okay.

Also been sorting out some more rolling stock, this time MK1 and MK2 coaches, and putting them into storage cases for easier access. I don't actually have that many coaches emblazoned with the 'Scotrail' branding but here's three blue/grey MK1's coupled up to 26024 and seen passing along Stackgarth Gill.

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We called into a local garden centre today and I noticed some lengths of plastic lawn edging that would be ideal for fastening around my elevated curved section at the end of Stack Gill viaduct which can be seen in the photo below.

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I've been meaning to do something with this section for some time. For one thing it's a matter of safety in case anything were to derail as it's a fair way to the ground from up there but I also want to ease that slight bow in the centre which niggles me every time I take photos there. I want a good solid length of metal screwed underneath to maintain straightness and then I'll fasten the lawn edging around the sides to finish it all off. I don't have a photo of the plastic lawn edging but it resembles a girder bridge structure - at least I hope it will do once I get it fitted.

 

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I made a start this afternoon on the elevated curve mentioned in my previous post. Using a 48 inch length of 'U' section shelf bracket upright, as used for the shelves in my shed, I screwed this to the underside of the plywood based curve so I hope it will help to keep it flat and level from now on.

I'm not perfectly happy with the plastic lawn edging - well the edging is ideal it's just me that hasn't made a great job of trying to fit them - but once they're finished off I think they'll be okay. It does look better than before. There is of course another section still to attach at the rear.

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Inside the shed there's now some paint on the end backscene board.

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There may be some touching up tomorrow now that I've had a good look at it but I'm reasonably happy with the way it's turned out, especially since I had no plans to do any of this until I just happened to pick up a brush. What I do like about it is how it disguises the right angled corner and makes it appear curved.

It takes me some time but little by little it's getting there.

 

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I've finished adding the plastic edging around the elevated curve - not pretty but it will do. I also took the opportunity to ballast the track along the curve using granite ballast and exterior varnish thinned with a little white spirit as the fixative. Hopefully it will be dry enough before the arrival of the rain forecast for later this evening. 68006 couldn't wait to try it all out. I just hope it hasn't got sticky feet now!

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On the front side I've since cut small offcuts of plastic edging to cover the screw heads but the ones on the rear I think I'll leave until they start niggling me. It's rarely viewed from the rear as it means ducking down under the raised curve to get there - a task made even more difficult now that the edging is in place.

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Hi Mick, wow that plastic edging looks good it it used for garden edging , can bend it, what I am looking at using for my curved decking especially the single track not so wide decking to spot the locos when de railling and going over the edge .

What is the class of that locoe, nice colour scheme, my new ICE 3 train is on its way tracking it.

Tony from cool down under.

 

 

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Yes the edging is flexible enough to go round the type of bends we'd be using it for Tony. I could have made a better job of the join between the two front panels but I'm not too worried about it.

The loco is a class 68 but other than that I know very little about the class itself. I've been out of touch with modern traction for some time now but I liked the look of this one, especially in its Scotrail livery. 

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I mentioned a few posts ago that due to the way I'd constructed the layout of Shieling Bridge station I couldn't work out a way to provide access to it for vehicles. I had considered providing pedestrian access across the tracks from the opposite platform to the station buildings but it wouldn't really have worked or been realistic. Anyway, I've now decided to make a roadway behind the station buildings running along the front of my mountain. I may be required to provide hard hats for passengers arriving on foot but I'll attend to that should the need arise.

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I've used some surplus platform edging to create the slope required to reach the level of the platform, added a thin layer of polystyrene and filled in with wall filler. This is where I've got to at the moment with more filling and then a lot of sanding to complete before I can think about finishing it off and making it disappear into the backscene.

I've had the usual stock running round today and took the following photo of 26024 hauling freight over the raised curve whilst pushing along the track cleaner. The dip or bow in the centre looks much better as does the top surface now that it has an edge and the track is ballasted.

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By the look of 68006 (below) I've also added a degree of cant to the curve..

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I also filmed a 'cab ride' using 26024 which is basically the same as every other cab ride I've done so far except I did it to see what effect the mountain and backscene have now there's been some work done on them. I'll try upload it later when I have the time.

 

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Geeez! I'd forgotten just what a time consuming task it is to edit and upload a video to YouTube! Still processing so not good quality just yet but I've uploaded in HD.

I've done a compilation of cab and lineside views which, although there's a significant difference in sound volume between the two aspects, is probably how it would be anyway. I had to turn off the shed lights because they made the video flicker but hopefully you'll be able to see enough of the 'mountain' and backscene to gauge the effect.

What I like most about cab ride videos is how it records the area along the lineside. All that dirt, debris, rust and decay - I could never replicate that on an indoor layout - it's simply amazing.

Two circuits approximately but I won't be sad if you skip after the first one.

 

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That's a fascinating video, Mick.  Really good to see the entire length of your line with all its fine civil engineering features now weathering nicely.  The breeze block viaducts seem to be taking on a more natural, matured colour.  And your artistry with the indoor mountain backdrop is fantastic - creates a really effective impression of a towering massif receding realistically into the distance.  I envy your tunnels, which look most convincing.  Altogether a superb layout, a suitable monument to all your efforts!

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15 minutes ago, Andrew said:

That's a fascinating video, Mick.  Really good to see the entire length of your line with all its fine civil engineering features now weathering nicely.  The breeze block viaducts seem to be taking on a more natural, matured colour.  And your artistry with the indoor mountain backdrop is fantastic - creates a really effective impression of a towering massif receding realistically into the distance.  I envy your tunnels, which look most convincing.  Altogether a superb layout, a suitable monument to all your efforts!

Thank you for the compliments Andrew but if you'd seen me performing today you would have seen things in a different light!

If there's one thing I would wish to be any good at it's painting. Just let me paint one picture that I could feel proud of and that would make my days. I've spent the best part of today trying not to paint a picture but to paint the backscene inside the shed. I'm amazed I can still get in the shed with the number of coats I've put on just trying to get something that looks okay. It doesn't have to be brilliant but I just don't want it to look silly.

First of all I painted the sky area which wasn't too much of a problem but then I painted the foreground too high up. I decided to paint over the foreground peaks in a 'sky' colour and found that they then resembled distant mountains! I didn't intend there being any mountains but they looked so good that I stayed with them. Several attempts followed as I tried to paint a decent foreground. It just looked too green especially in front of those distant mountains that I hadn't planned for. The green also made my 'mountain' in the corner look too brown so I left the backscene to add some creamy colour to my mountain.

With my mountain painted cream the backscene still looked far too green so I started painting it brown using a sponge and it started to look better.

Photo below shows the newly re-touched mountain and the beginnings of the brown grassy area to the backscene. 

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Here I've tried to show the whole backscene from the mountain end, still in need of a lot of work but I've had enough for today. I'm not happy with the shape of the brown area at the other end of the shed but I'll look at it again tomorrow.

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I might as well add the following 2 photos taken yesterday while I was sorting out some stock.

The blue class 20 is a recent purchase as I didn't already have one. Seen here after leaving Shieling Bridge station and crossing Low Shott viaduct with a rake of three BR Mk1 coaches.

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And also on Low Shott viaduct is 26024 hauling 'ETHEL 1' No. 97250 which had just been in the shops for an exchange of couplings (got rid of those large tension locks), some touching up to the paintwork, and some ballast adding as it was very lightweight. 97250 is non-motorised. It will return to the shops soon for some weathering as it looks far too clean.

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Hi, very awesome video indeed, yeah does take some time to download to you tube, Facebook is far easier don't need you tube , I like the way you changed from   cab to camera, did you have to have a special program to do that, I use my iPhone's video camera, will have that when I run my first train.

What do you think of the track cleaner, does it do the job it is a tenanted to do,I am looking at buying one and modifying it to fit into a loco, you station is going to look stunning when finished.

Tony from very cold down under, need to buy a new digital weather station , will clean the connections first outside unit not working for days  - 0 yesterday same again tomorrow .

 

 

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8 hours ago, aussietmrail said:

... I like the way you changed from   cab to camera, did you have to have a special program to do that...

I just use the Movie Maker program that comes bundled with Windows 10. Just a case of splitting your video into sections and cutting and pasting them around.

8 hours ago, aussietmrail said:

...What do you think of the track cleaner, does it do the job it is a tenanted to do...

It cleans the rail surface using IPA (isopropyl alcohol) Tony, which is all it's intended to do. I have to go round with the track rubber first but the track cleaner certainly makes for much improved running. It's been worth the cost to me.

A bit more progress today. There may well have been more had it not been for the cricket and motor racing on tv! 

I've been adding a roadway to the rear of the station but need a way to partly conceal its exit from the stage, as currently it would run straight into a field. I decided that a rock outcrop would provide a degree of concealment and create a route for the road to take. It's going to need some fancy paintwork on the backscene to make it work, and you know how good I am with that, but we'll see how things go. At the moment I haven't a clue what to do.

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The north end of the station had been largely overlooked of late so I've had a go adding some small rock outcrops to create a border in front of the backscene and around the tunnel mouth. There wasn't enough room to add the tunnel sidewall on the right hand side so I decided to leave it off but now it looks odd. Maybe I should take off the left hand one too and just have a rock surround?

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It's now a case of letting things dry and then taking a good look to see if there's anything more that needs adding. I can then grass it over in a similar way to the large mountain.

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When the weather is as nice as it is today there's an overwhelming temptation to sit back and run trains - but I've resisted. Instead I've continued working on the rock outcrops I added yesterday and have just finished adding the hanging basket liner 'grass'.

The tissue paper I glued over the polystyrene pieces yesterday was first painted brown and then once dry I dry brushed across the raised creases using a cream coloured paint. Here's a section of my rock outcrop before and after the dry brushing. It makes a convincing enough rock structure.

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The cream paint dries in no time so it's then on to adding the teased out hanging basket liner. Here's the rock outcrop which will hopefully conceal part of the exit for the roadway. It's in need of a trim now but that will have to wait until the glue dries. I think with some bushes, fencing, and perhaps an open gate, it will allow the road to disappear between the two rock sections and at least allow some access for passengers.

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At the north end of the station I've also added the grassed areas to the rock outcrop and it now frames the signalbox nicely. There's still a bit of work to do here to fill in the ground between the box and the tracks and then I'll add some more 'grass' at the base of the rocks.

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And to finish off there's a closer view of the signal box looking towards the exit tunnel onto Low Shott viaduct. The grass has yet to be trimmed.

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Managed to do a bit more this afternoon and it's difficult to find words to express just how pleased I am to have reached this particular milestone. I have NEVER been able to decide what to do with the rear of the station and never could find a way to provide a realistic means of access to it. I had just about come to the conclusion that it might stay as it is for all time.

Then, as you know, I decided to try add a roadway to the rear and allow it to disappear into the backscene. Why didn't I think of that before? I just seem to have a mental block when it comes to making plans like that. It was holding me back and I just couldn't seem to be able to move forward with anything else.

I looked at the dried plaster this morning and it looked promising - this evening I decided to 'tarmac' it with some appropriately coloured paint and gave the two platforms a fresh coat too. The transformation was amazing. It now looks like it could be a railway station forecourt. There's room to park vehicles! I can't wait to see the station buildings in place.

You'll notice that I've extended the smaller rock outcrop a bit too as I just felt it needed it to fill in a bit more space.

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It's hard for me to believe that it was only about 3 months ago that it all looked a little different.....

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This next photo gives a better view of how the road will go between the rock outcrops and it's imagined it will follow the line of the green area on the back scene board and disappear to wherever behind the smaller rock.

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What I want to do next is to start filling in all those blank areas where there's currently white plaster and/or brown emulsion.

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I haven't done much this morning other than paint in some of the bare plaster and add a bit of weathering to some of the new platform edging but I had to place the station buildings down to see how it all looks now the majority of the work is complete.

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I don't intend adding a lot of smaller details although I know that some passengers would bring the scene to life but I just think of all the cleaning that's required to keep the dust down and how fragile those smaller parts are - and how easily they can be vacuumed up. Platform lighting would be nice but I'll think about that later.

I want to do something with the station buildings just to make them that bit different from all the rest out there, even if it's just a change of colour scheme. The footbridge has always bugged me due to the fact that it can only be positioned one way and I'd really like it to be the other but it adds to the overall view.

I'm not sure what I ever intended to do with the empty space behind the main platform at this side. It looks like a bay platform but there's no room for there to have ever been any track down there.

Anyway, other than the small details and some filling in of empty spaces we're almost done at this side. At least it's as far as I think I need to go. The main things is it's workable so I can finish things off when I feel like it.

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Going to have to call it a day for now as I seem to be waiting for everything to dry but here's a couple of photo's for interest.

Firstly a view that's not often seen of the bay platforms towards the rear of the station. I notice that I've yet to weather the platform side on the right but it's only been there about 6 years or so. There's time yet! The 'grass' on the near rock has just been glued down so it looks a bit limp at the moment. Likewise the end of the tarmac road has still to dry before I can do anything with that. The end backscene is a bit crude but looks well in this shot giving a decent impression of distance beyond the station buildings. I've just ballasted these two tracks too as they had been moved when I had to realign the left hand track to clear the backscene.

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The next two photo's are similar but it felt good to be able to put a couple of loco's on shed once again. 37403 'Isle of Mull' and 37401 'Mary Queen of Scots' are parked up against the fuelling point. It appears I've got a wonky loco shed door so it's always worth taking photos otherwise you might never notice. The tunnel in the background has just had grass carefully applied above ensuring that the wooden slide can still be inserted to close the entrance when I've done playing. I've been thinking of colour schemes for the station and tried the signalbox steps in blue. I might just go with that.

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Finally the same two loco's but a slightly higher vantage point to show the weathered roof on 37403. One of my first attempts at weathering, I made a right old mess of the roof, painting it almost jet black. The following day I decided to clean it off and start over again but after using a cotton bud dipped in white spirit it began leaving the effect seen here. I have no idea whether it's prototypical or not as most 37/4's appeared much cleaner, but I really liked it. Strange how different 37401 looks with the yellow above the windscreens - I much prefer the black surround.

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Here's my first attempt at disguising the off-stage exit of the station approach road. Doesn't look too bad so I might leave it at that.

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I've got some small pieces of stone that I'm going to try add around the base of the rock outcrops and then glue on some more hanging basket liner to create verges either side of the road. Then I need to think about some fencing around the edge and it should be about done then. No point in doing too much because it only creates safe homes for the spiders!

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I'm well chuffed with the following photo. Taken from the same vantage point as the one a couple of posts back and showing the bay platforms at the rear of the station, this is with the addition of some teased out hanging basket liner and a couple of plastic Peco buffer stops....

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Yes I know, I've still to paint that platform edge but who cares......I think we've got ourselves a railway!

What I will say is....doesn't glue take a long time to dry! I'm wanting to get on but the stuff still hasn't dried enough to be able to pull at the liner and cut off the excess. I've almost glued liner along the whole length of the layout but now I'm sat twiddling my thumbs. Maybe I could paint that platform edge?

Here's the north end showing the signal box. Once I've got the grassed areas done I'll complete the ballast shoulder.

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Here I've stuck some grass between the tracks as it's such an empty space and would look silly filled with ballast. It needs teasing out and up when it's dried.

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There's plenty of grass round the tunnel area. Just need some shrubs now.

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And my roadway complete with grassed verges, again waiting for glue to dry before cutting and trimming.

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You're up to date for now.

 

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Back again with more photos from this evenings final efforts.

I've now started filling in the blank areas of ground at the north end of the station around the loco shed and signal box. This wider area between the shed and main running line has had hanging basket liner added and then ballasted. It's far too clean an area at the moment but it will be toned down with some weathering later.

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And the signal box now looks like it belongs there although I have still to conceal those wires running down the corner of the backscene. I know there's a multitude of scenic items I could add but at the moment I'm content to leave it be and just enjoy what I've done so far by running some trains.

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One of those days today where you set out with good intentions but can't seem to put your hands on the things you need. Then when you find them the light isn't good enough for taking the photo's I wanted so rather than get all frustrated I'll just take a short break. But not before posting a couple more photos.

All photos feature 37401 'Mary Queen of Scots' because it's what I've got out at the moment. Here she's passing beneath the footbridge.

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Standing alongside the platform at Shieling Bridge

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And this final one shows me that I really should to extend the backscene around to the terminus station on the other side of the shed. It would be a decent photo if I had done. In fact looking at a lot of photos I now wish I'd made the backscene higher all round.

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