Tomlins Creek ..... A NSWGR Inglenook

Thanks all.

Well if the paper and plaster doesn't dry , you could then say I'm I'll have to wipe it off and start again...
But if it does, I'll be flushed with success !

Cheers, Gary.

 

Thanks Chris.

I think I've been around long enough now to know where to paint and where not to ! So I don't think I'll have any issues with that, besides all the point blades have been wire to the stock rails.

Cheers, Gary.

 

Todat has been spent doing what I like the most on building a layout, starting the scenery ! Ok, not a lot has been completed, more so the installation of the scenic break bridge (got a pic for Richard ) and lots of painting and dry brushing...

So, this is what I woke to this morning...



...and so I got about giving the plaster surfaces a wash with Raw Sienna as a base coat. Some of the scenery was touched up a little first with Burnt Umber, then Burnt Sienna to give the cutting a much more natural look...



The creek has some exposed rock faces along it's edge so that needed heavy treatments of the burnt umber and burnt sienna..



After allowing this to dry, I used some Paynes Grey to high light the rock faces and tops. This was also applied in some areas along the cutting as well.



Looking up the creek towards the railway trestle. The rock face here looks pretty good with my eyes !! Looking forward to detailing this creek and bank.



Subtle high lights along the top of the cutting.



The scenic break bridge area had to have extra plaster added and manipulated to get it looking right. This included gouging into the plaster to make table drains along the road edge. The road was laid higher than the bridge and after the plaster had dried, I planed it down to the desired height. The bridge planks do look high, but I still need to add the road surfaces. I need to apply some more Paynes grey to the rock on the right hand side of the road...



Looking back across the bridge from the front of the layout shows the table drain alongside the road. I even tried to plane a camber to the road surface to help drain the rain off the road...



Looking down the line through the cutting towards the bridge... I think the colours are just about right. You will notice that I need to prop up the outside headstocks on the bridge with some concrete, well plaster anyway. It will resemble concrete when done. At the moment, the bridge is sitting on same card piers. These will be replaced with plaster.



So, the bridge fence will require some more paint (white) and the whole bridge will need to be weathered. But that can wait until I have made up some plaster piers for the bridge and set them in place. The piers also need to go in before any surface treatment with soil and such. Not to forget that I need to install some sleepers that are missing...

Cheers, Gary.

 

Thanks Richard.

The sleepers were given a wash of grey, then another, then some brown high lights and still that was not enough ! Lat night before bed I gave them a wash of white to make them look a lot more sunlight and heat weathered as you would expect from out west.

Looking directly down onto the track, you get this. It is a lot lighter than what the previous pics show. This was taken about 5 minutes ago, whilst the layout sits on the dinning room table !



Once ballasted, I'm sure it will look much, much better.

Cheers, Gary.

 

Thanks Ed.

The area modeled is north west NSW. These pics will give you an idea of the landscape that I'm basing my plank on.

This is Coonabarabran, approximately 460km (285 miles) from Sydney



^ The old loading bank. Note the dry old and tired looking sleepers, buried in the ground. That's the feel I want around the loading bank on my plank.



^ Once was a platform. The very dry looking surrounds is typical of the north west of NSW. Further west it doesn't look this good !



^ The ground around the old goods shed is what I would like to achieve on the plank around the fertilizer shed once built.



^ This is how I would like the embankment/cuttings to look when completed.

Cheers, Gary.

 

Nah, you'll need to pop over and I'll take you for a drive out west...

Cheers, Gary.

 

Over the last two days, the plank took a step forward...

I did not like the paper piers I made the bridge so a small mold was made from 3mm foam core.



This was then cut to size (x 2) and filed down to shape as the top was not smooth at all. These were then placed under the bridge piles, after being textured and coloured. Still not 100% happy with the colour of the piers.



As can be seen above, some ground coverings had been started. This soil, sand and ballast was applied and glued down with a 50/50 PVA/water solution (with a drop of detergent).



Road base was used in the larger open areas between the tracks and above the loading bank to simulate a road traffic used area.



Static grass was applied, this being a mix of burnt grass, honey and light green (Woodlands Scenic). A little mid green coarse turf was used to simulate weed growth.



Using the baking paper and PVA method, I made up several hundred grass tufts and glued these is around the layout. Various sizes were made from a mix of 4mm and 6mm, 4mm, 6mm and 12mm grass from Heki and Noch.



Greener grass was also applied (static) to the lower parts of the embankments where water would be much more present. A selection of small stones were scattered along the creek bank and bottom of the cuttings.



I used Jo Sonja's Clear Glaze Medium to simulate water. Will have to wait 24-48 hours to see what result I get...



There is only one thing missing along the creek banks...



...and that is some small shrubs. Using sea foam that I have had in my scenery drawer, I sprayed the trunks/branches black, then applied the foliage. These were held in pegs until cured.



The shrubs planted along the creek edge.



The layout is slowly coming together now some colour (ballast, grass etc) has gone down. Next will be a few scenic items such as point levers, sleeper crossings, fences, maybe a few trees, which will have to be hand made. Oh, not forgetting the shed along side the line that is not sceniced yet...

Cheers for now..,

Gary.

 

Thanks Kimbo.

As for wild life, there may be some sheep above the cutting towards the back scene... (what back scene..??)
If not, it'll just be the operator !

Thanks Mark.

I will add the check rails. I knew something was missing from the bridge and I was thinking nuts and bolts...!

Cheers, Gary.