Saturday, April 30, 2011

SSC has a bit of green!

The sight of some green foliage greeted the townsfolk of Evans' Gap as they ventured out today. The barren earth finally has some undergrowth on it. I've tentatively thrown around some green stuff, hope it sticks!
The area that SSC is set in is quite green and lush, and as much as this appeals there is a little voice niggling at me to make it a little dryer. So for now the brushes are green, however over at the main yard the country opens up a bit so is more inclined to dry out. That should be an interesting change, hope it works out OK.
As I said at the start this is the undergrowth, and there will eventually be a large number of trees over this part of the layout. I tried to match the colours of foliage to background paint, in the hope that they'd create some depth, the jury is still out on this, bit early to tell I think. This at least gives a better impression than the white.

Well off I must go, out with Craig at the Brisbane show on Monday, should be a hoot!

Oorroo! Geoff.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Boorolong loading Banks part2

This first photo shows the timber loading bank. It has a lower section in the centre for the loading of horses. This shot does not have the extra detail as I mentioned in the previous post., I'm still a bit undecided on this one. I've put it in front of the spot where the passenger loading bank will stand. The area that the goods siding is located is in the corner and can be viewed from two sides. It does however have the other side of the garage in the shot, a little distracting (as seen in the next photo).So for the purposes of the photo it's here just this once.
This one shows the loading bank in position, without the cement section, it's still on the modelling table, and to be honest I think that this one might be enough. The cement one might end up opposite this beside the goods shed.
And just to show you what is intended for this spot, the passenger loading facilities, before the station building. That'll do for now, two posts in one day! I need a rest...or maybe a beer!
Ooroo! Geoff.

Booroolong Loading Banks

Those of you who've been reading along on this blog for a while would know that Black Mountain in northern NSW, is one of my favourite railway spots, If only judged by the number of photos I've taken in that location. The station originally opened as Boorolong, hence the reference to it, and its use as a starting point for the Splitters Swamp Creek branchline. It is on the mainline on the way up to Wallangarra, but has many of the things that I like in a branch line. If you were to drive there today it would strike you that the railway is the town, as there is little else located close by. The feel of the location is that the line has been built before the town, as was the case in many locations throughout NSW.
The facilities were enough to get the job done and that was about it. The location of the line is on the side of a hill, and so the station and goods areas of the site have them curving around the slope of that hill to keep the line level with little in the way of earthworks required, it does remind me of Merriwa but on a much smaller scale, and isn't the end of the line either (so how similar are they???!). The loading banks have two different construction methods, wood and cement. You can see in this photo the mix of the two types. There was also a small timber loading bank for cattle opposite this one.
At SSC I want to create some operational interest so I've built a similar 'bank' that combines the two materials and various heights. Limited space in my goods area has meant that they are short, but do mean that some careful, planned shunting will be required. Like Boorolong, SSC is built into the topography of the location, so it is tight in spots.
The hardest part of the construction is deciding how much detail to put in. I like adding the detail, but where do you stop? In the above photo the metal tie down can be seen, should it be added? I don't think it would be obvious if left off, or would it be noticed more by being there? I've stained the timber. individually, then put it together. OK might be time for a photo.

For now I'll post this, as I've already put in the photos, and I'm still rubbish at adding them after the text! Another post for part 2, will be soon!

Geoff.

Friday, April 8, 2011

First rain at Splitters Swamp Creek

Today saw the first rain fall on SSC with the creek experiencing the first flows of this season. The levels that I built into the creek bed seem to be ok for this first pour. It won't be all that deep, but another flow of water will go in when the first lot has cured.
The last of the sleepers were laid today, all the copper clad ones as well. All ready for the rail to go down. I will breathe a sigh of relief when all the track is down and 100% operational.
The landscape foam has had it's last bit of contouring today also, all ready for the sculpta-mold to go over it. All in all a pleasant day, had the paintbrushes out for a while also and completed the back scene on this side, after resetting the height of the foam background.
I Don't know that you'll notice a difference in this last shot, except that the timber is down, and ready for some rail!

Time for Tea, then off to a Buy & Sell with the rest of the Boys, bargains to be found I'm sure!
Oorroo! Geoff.


Friday, April 1, 2011

It's the end of Winter!

I've had a little bit of time in the shed today due to some heavy rain keeping me out of the garden, don't you just hate the weather! I'd finished the ground formation the other day, so I thought I'd get some of the scenic base paint on the way. First order of the day were the rocks that I'd put in. I've not done this before so a bit of experimenting as I went was the order of the day. I put a dark grey on first and then built up the lighter colours on from there. I finished with a wash of 'black ink' (it's a paint made by games workshop called black ink) thinned down in some isocol so that it would find it's way into the cracks and such.

The backscene has had a bit of an update also with a few more sticks and leaves added. I think that part is done for this module now, only have to finish the other two now.
I've put down some colour for under the scenic scatter and tree bits. It is rather brown, but it should tone down once the 'bits' are scattered about on the top, soil seems to always be darker than what's on it in my humble opinion.

You can see the creek bed now on the front RHS of the module. That poses some challenge for me now, just when to pour the water, and what colour to tint the 'bed' below it? The spot on the right where the glue bottle is marks the spot for the school house. I'll do the scenery up to the building when it's placed on the layout. So for now it's plywood I'm afraid!
OK, there is one rock to be painted, the sculptamold around it hadn't quite cured so I left it till it's all dry. I like how it looks when you're closer to the rail. I plan to put plenty of foliage on the rhs of the creek so that the trains run behind something.

That'll do for today I think, Oorroo!
Geoff.