Back on track

So at it’s last show, Ted’s Yard, the Gnine layout (formerly Barry’s Yard) failed massively, long story shot I actually ended up losing a fishplate, and so I decided the track all needed taking up and re-laying with replacement parts, I also decided this would be a good chance to re-wire the layout as well.

The temporary staff were rather happy to be cracking on…

So once all of the track is back down, a siding is being added at the front, which will lead to a loco shed/workshop, just to add a bit more visual and operational interest- this was always going to be a continually evolving project from the start so I’m happy to go forward in an organic way.

That loco again…

So my first KATO tram chassis has bitten the dust, a replacement is en-route from Japan as you read this, and with some luck it’ll be hitting my door step in the next short while (and before Pewsey on 15th).

As a precaution I have used this as an excuse to get a spare loco together on the Bachmann chassis…

Readers may recall that i intended to add a full cab to my next loco, and as you can see…there is not one here…well it just didn’t look ‘right’ and the battle continues for the right balance with this issue, however, I have foune a new purpose for the built cab.

Yes the line finally has a brake van, a tweak here and there and we will have two new vehicles to ad to the roster – the loco needs a proper seat and the brake van needs detailing and a roof, but the general idea is pretty visible here – I’m just glad the boys both have somewhere to sit now!

I do have another legless-seated figure who will eventually go into a cabbed little loco I am drawing up, this will be based on a tiny prototype I have seen on the internet which will catch some eyes.

In un-related news I start a new job today, lets hope I still have the drive to get this exhibition-ready!

Outbuildings

So the ‘main’ shed is painted and weathered, and once I plonked it down I decided to add to it! As for the secondary shed I have decided to develop it a little further and add a visible interior, simply a work bench and some sacks for now, but the shed will be removable so I can switch the interior around each show, will be good for kids who may notice, may even change interiors around mid-show.

Once I had the shed painted I realised how lacking in detail the door was, though I am pleased with the effect I have achieved with layers of washes and dry brushing cheap acrylics

And so some extra bits liven up the frontage, bit of paint and this is done, ready to be glued down and grounded in

The two buildings giving an idea of the final scene – I have since cut the door off the stone building and will have it leaning agains the building as-if it still needs to be hung, similar to an idea Steve Bennet applied to one of his O9 layouts years ago

I had a KATO chassis pack up on me at the weekend, and so I now have to replace it, in case of an emergency I have began getting something together for the Brick chassis I have in stock, and Mr Andrews is on stand-by with one of his lovely locos for MOMING should the KATO unit not reach  me in-time…pressure is on now only a couple of weeks to go!

No trains today…

As we all know, in this hobby it can’t all be play…

No Trains today.

Oh, look! There’s one!

Been working each evening on getting bits done, pics to follow!

A glimpse of what is to come

Next job…paint up the shed and get it grounded into place

The layout is currently the ‘wrong way round’ so I can detail the back areas a little easier and tidy the bits noone will probably ever see…but it’s more to put off working on the buildings really…although you can see here that the proper roof is now attached to the main shed.

It’ll be quite nice to watch trains travel ‘through’ the bushes

I think this area is a happy little accident, my next project will be a 009 railway set in woodland and this is exactly the kind of feel I am looking for – a couple of 009 shots below give the scene some context. Rather excited to receive the new layout when it is ready!

Love this low-level shot, this is what I want to acheive with my next project, with many more trees

This is my latest minitrains set, purchased with birthday cash…fancied a works train

Even more green….

Before moving on to the building…Ihad another little bash at the greenery, focussing on an empty area in a rear corner, I don’t think the layout nees to be plastered in bushes or trees but it looked rather sparse compared to everyting else and so I added a taller bush and some polyfibre – adds a little more visual interest.

Nearly there

Well after working up bushes and other greenery over the past few days, I have alos done some digging to make sure trains will roll arond out and uninterrupted. I think it is safe to say that if I were to take it to a show with no buildings it would pass off as ‘ok’ in my opinion.

Next project is to finish up the main building and get the other building in a presentable state also, nothing a bit of glue and paint won’t be able to solve, after that it’s a final electrical check before tidying and finer detailing (time permitting).

Bushy

After deciding the layout needed finishing before stock and locos, the box of sea moss was dug out from the shelf along with scatters and hairspray – some palying and positioning has seen some interesting developments with the layout.

Can you spot Eddie hiding in the bush…?

The natural origin of sea moss helps to produce some rather satisfying bushes in G scale, and some are so large they offer a decent amount of height to the scene now – their quality was more pleasing than the tree and so before these shots I decided to remove it and ty a difference method of construction, but I’ll be happy with bushes for now anyway.

I’ll keep adding bushes and vegitation until I am happy with this area, the opposite end of the layout will be more open in a hope to create a contrast and give the eye somewhere to start looking at the scene

Eddie makes the plants appear as bushes, but I have a 4mm scale dapol figure who makes look huge! Rather pleased with my first-time bushes

Sitting Eddie in amongst the vegetation gives an idea of scale, once bushes are complete, I think finishing the buildings will be priority – hopefully I’ll have time to finish a second loco if I keep up the pace.

Coming together

The timber-additions will contribute to the homebrew charm of the loco once together, there;s plenty of room to add that roof frame if I wanted…

The new little loco is coming together, once it was stripped of it’s many coats of acrylic and enamel I fixed an issue with the bonnet and started adding bits of detailing and getting the main components together.

Note to self. Jon needs his feet back…where’s my milliput…

There was, of course, some bodging to get some bits covered once fitted, but in general the loco went together as planned. I decided the character of it would be different to the other engine, something that is common on these miniature-scale lines. I wanted this loco to have a more hand-made, homebrew kind of feel to contrast the mass-production machine-made appearance of the tiny. Getting there slowly, then there will be two little engines rolling around once more.

Layer upon layer

We have been spending time building up the green layers of the layout. Polyfiber is laid over the static grass then lightly covered with various green scatters. This has a nice texture to it, after this is completed, we’ll go up another layer with sea-moss. After that the ballast and gravel need colouring, along with the exposed areas of the ground that I have missed with all these layers!