This diorama I am planning to build will have an industrial theme about it. I'm wanting a diorama where I can show some of my industrial Ruston locos. The diorama is an American walnut plinth measuring 285 x 55mm. I know it's small but it's amazing how much detail can be added without it looking cluttered. The Peco setrack has been laid and the basic weathering has been applied. I have used a fine kiln dried sand for the track bed which does look very good.
Hi and thanks for the likes. This morning I have been concentrating on the buffer stop area. I have used railway sleepers bolted together and the added some wire as sometimes this was used in some parts of the railways. I'm pleased with how this is looking and the site will be weathered in the course. I have made some corrugated sheet from foil trays what my dogs good comes in. This area will have a neglected feel about it with three weathered fence posts. The corrugated sheets will have some weathering added once the blue has time to dry.
Progress has been going nicely on my diorama. The static grass has been laid and I'm pleased with the way it looks, weathering along the edges where the grass is closest to the track will commence once the grass is dry. I have also been adding more dust to the track ties and the corrugated fence area. As always here are some progress shots..
Hi Mark, Probably too late now for this one but if you do something similar in the future using Sleepers as you have. I would suggest cutting off the chairs. Although when painted rusty etc. they add visual interest to the model, in reality when used in such a way. Leaving them fitted would make them much more difficult to fasten together, less stable and they would weigh a lot more. Bearing in mind that it would all be manual labour for such jobs.
Hi Rob thanks for pointing this out to me. Like you said it looks great as I visual interest but yes something I will be considering if I make another stop using railway sleepers.
If you give all the sleepers a dry brushing with white paint it will give them a weathered appearance, it will accentuate the timber grain. Practice on a spare piece of track first. Pete.
I tend to paint the rail first, then spray the whole lot with a timber colour (a mix of acrylic Burnt Umber, Black and Titainium white). Followed by the ballast then a final spray coating of grime over the whole lot - colour tends to depend on the period - browny grey for steam and an oily black for diesel. Paul
I like these small dioramas you create. Each one is different from the other. As you are modelling an industrial siding, here are a few tips for creating an industrial looking length of line : 1. work from a photograph of an industrial line, railway yard, TMD etc. 2. paint sleepers and rails before ballasting. 3. ballast to the top of the sleepers. 4. weather the track/sleepers with a colour the same as the chosen ballast of the surrounding soil. This will help blend the scene. Add oil stains etc afterwards. As Paul said, paint the sleepers and the rail. Personally, I paint the sleepers first in a variety of colours from dark greys to light greys, tan and wood brown. Highlights of the surrounding soil colour and ballast is done after ballasting. Here is a pic from my thread showing my painted track : https://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/inde...lm-trees-and-a-food-industry.5350/#post-87286 Cheers, Gary.
Hi Gary thanks for the advice it's great to share one's knowledge. I always paint the rails and sleepers before they are glued to the baseboard or plinth. All my painting and weathering is done by brush as I don't feel the need for an airbrush. I did dry brush the sleepers with white which when on closer inspection it brings out the grain and it gives it that old weathered look. Today I have added a few items of scrap to my diorama as these would have fallen from wagons. These still need to be rusted up more before I am happy with them. My oil drums have arrived today so I can concentrate on painting a few then adding them to my diorama. As always some progress shots..
This afternoon has been productive on the diorama build. Weathering of the trackbed and along the edges of the track have been completed and I'm happy with the dirty look. Two oil drums have been added and once the glue has dried I can weather them. As always some progress shots.
Morning I thought would take a few shots of little Jim having a run out. The diorama itself needs a few wild flowers planting, which hopefully will happen today..
Hi first of all thanks to everyone who have likes my diorama progress. Spring is certainly here as clumps of daffodils have been sprouting up around the diorama.I Im really happy with the way it has turned out. As always some progress shots..
