Ox Mountain Railway
- Thread starter trammayo
- Start date
Allow me to give Mick a hand with this one.....Trimmings off trees (weeds also work), spray painted, dunked in PVA, and sprinkles of dyed sawdust/flock.
My favourite weed is Yarrow, picked after it goes to sleep for the winter. Bind clumps of it together, and use recipie above. This was the first photo I found to illustrate the point.
Taken on my Sn3½ NZR layout.
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Although I have made a few trees, in this case they are factory made - bought from a Forum Member (Beavercreek). I think they were made by a company called Jordan as I have some identical ones in bags,
The evergreen was a piece of dowel drilled to take Leylandii clippings which I sprayed green. Deciduous trees as Gavin describes - although I made one with a metal armature (a largish bundle bent out to form branches. It was going to be my 'spreading chestnut tree' but it took up too much space!
Well, after several coats of blue, the yellow backdrops were obliterated (or so I thought). It wasn't easy having to reach in but I thought I'd got it sorted...
But I hadn't quite (the camera doesn't lie but it does accentuate the truth). Anyway (I thought), the clouds will obliterate the yellow tinge. Well we all kow what thought did. The spurge of blue also meant that the trees had to be cut in.
So, reaching in to paint to the clouds was going to be a problem. I cut two pieces of foam to a rough cloud shape - one small and the other large. I stuch the pieces to a piece of ply for the large one and a block for the other. I attached, at an angle, a stick to the block to enable me to reach in behind the frame work.
All seemed OK - although I was viewing it down the length of the trailer - so I closed the end shutters to let the paint dry.
An hour or two later, I took on the task of redoing the trees using an artist's flat brush with a 12" handle. Happy with that, I thought I'd take a pic. However, the oblique angle that I'd viewed it all from whilst painting, my judgement had been slightly clouded (pun intended).
Looking at the backdrops full-on, revealed something that doesn't look right ...
However, for the time being it will have to do - I tried messing about removing some of the cloud (photo later) but I still wasn't happy.
Reoutligning the trees went OK for me - it's just the cloud formations (too much cloud).
But I hadn't quite (the camera doesn't lie but it does accentuate the truth). Anyway (I thought), the clouds will obliterate the yellow tinge. Well we all kow what thought did. The spurge of blue also meant that the trees had to be cut in.
So, reaching in to paint to the clouds was going to be a problem. I cut two pieces of foam to a rough cloud shape - one small and the other large. I stuch the pieces to a piece of ply for the large one and a block for the other. I attached, at an angle, a stick to the block to enable me to reach in behind the frame work.
All seemed OK - although I was viewing it down the length of the trailer - so I closed the end shutters to let the paint dry.
An hour or two later, I took on the task of redoing the trees using an artist's flat brush with a 12" handle. Happy with that, I thought I'd take a pic. However, the oblique angle that I'd viewed it all from whilst painting, my judgement had been slightly clouded (pun intended).
Looking at the backdrops full-on, revealed something that doesn't look right ...
However, for the time being it will have to do - I tried messing about removing some of the cloud (photo later) but I still wasn't happy.
Reoutligning the trees went OK for me - it's just the cloud formations (too much cloud).
Mick, you could just paint a white background with a hint of blue in the mix?
Add a little more blue as you get higher up in the sky....
Add a little more blue as you get higher up in the sky....
Mick, clouds are not consistantly white (or any other colour the weather sends them in).
Try a light shading of brown or gray to the bottom of some of the clouds... see if that makes a difference.
Try a light shading of brown or gray to the bottom of some of the clouds... see if that makes a difference.
We are our own worst critics.. - That is why I 'can't' model..
I would be more than happy with that, and you are at country fairs (not meant in a derogatory way), not Warley Model Rail.. Your audience will probably not even notice the clouds!
I would be more than happy with that, and you are at country fairs (not meant in a derogatory way), not Warley Model Rail.. Your audience will probably not even notice the clouds!
Believe it or not, that was my original intention! The pads I made to stamp the clouds on were coated with paint using a brush and I thought I'd add a touch of grey to the "bottom" edge. However, before I got that far I had another thought - why not turn the pad/s round to give different contours! So the tinge of grey was left out. Most of my thoughts get flushed down the pan.
Right, the more I looked at the clouds, the more annoyed I got!
So, because it would have been hard to do other suggested mods (the backdrops are not painted from the front - I would have had to tie the paintbrush to a 6ft stick) - but rather from the side - I decided to remove some of the clouds yesterday afternoon!
The other end is similar.
So, testing and servicing has been the order of the last few days....
I only photograped one such test but it did show how the restricted depth (trailer width) of the layout made running these trains look silly to the trained eye (might be a pun there!)...
.... whereas running along the length isn't too bad! .....
I still have more scenic items to add, but don't hold your breath!
So, because it would have been hard to do other suggested mods (the backdrops are not painted from the front - I would have had to tie the paintbrush to a 6ft stick) - but rather from the side - I decided to remove some of the clouds yesterday afternoon!
The other end is similar.
So, testing and servicing has been the order of the last few days....
I only photograped one such test but it did show how the restricted depth (trailer width) of the layout made running these trains look silly to the trained eye (might be a pun there!)...
.... whereas running along the length isn't too bad! .....
I still have more scenic items to add, but don't hold your breath!
Yes , you've sorted the clouds out at that end just right, Mick.
Test shot looks great, Mick, both in technical and railway terms. There's plenty to look at, but not too much, surprises hidden round corners (always fun for adults and youngsters when they find them) and trains running.
People with trained eyes who are offended can always close them.
Test shot looks great, Mick, both in technical and railway terms. There's plenty to look at, but not too much, surprises hidden round corners (always fun for adults and youngsters when they find them) and trains running.
People with trained eyes who are offended can always close them.
Onwards (and uphill all the way it seems) .... added a little more to my back drop....
.... it's really plane sailing ....
.... and the opposite end ....
I haven't forgotten under the shelves either!
(Just a bit of greenery to add). The Blacksmith's shop awaits my attention - as it has since last year - but I probably won't get it finished before this Sunday's outing
!
.... it's really plane sailing ....
.... and the opposite end ....
I haven't forgotten under the shelves either!
(Just a bit of greenery to add). The Blacksmith's shop awaits my attention - as it has since last year - but I probably won't get it finished before this Sunday's outing
!
The aircraft really are class, Mick, especially the flying boat. A great touch that - trains and planes, now you only need the boats!
Managed to squeeze in a little trailer time yesterday ....
A splodge of green to sort of connect the depot to the backdrop....
and, once the paint had dried (and the rain stopped), it was time to load up bits and pieces. A simple framework supports the canopy corner infills and the latter keeps the five screens (wrapped up in an old bedsheet) in place.....
The above cradle demonstrates why my 'depot' had to be flat to the trailer side and only a millimetre thick!
Items in place and secured by ratchet strap ....
The only other item to be brought back in, and secured for transportation, is the story board which stands on the floor. This will be a Saturday job as the board's 2 metre length hides the batteries and their connections which I might need to access before the weekend.
So today I might have a go at fixing street lights (which need some alterations) in the village. So that may mean more to follow.
A splodge of green to sort of connect the depot to the backdrop....
and, once the paint had dried (and the rain stopped), it was time to load up bits and pieces. A simple framework supports the canopy corner infills and the latter keeps the five screens (wrapped up in an old bedsheet) in place.....
The above cradle demonstrates why my 'depot' had to be flat to the trailer side and only a millimetre thick!
Items in place and secured by ratchet strap ....
The only other item to be brought back in, and secured for transportation, is the story board which stands on the floor. This will be a Saturday job as the board's 2 metre length hides the batteries and their connections which I might need to access before the weekend.
So today I might have a go at fixing street lights (which need some alterations) in the village. So that may mean more to follow.
Just catching up with your thread, Mick. How's the solar charger doing? I'm in the process of doing something similar with our caravan which is stored in the garage over winter. The little 4W panel I've been using isn't up to the job so I'm looking for something a bit beefier.
Looks like your trailer is about ready for the new season. I like the clouds BTW.
Rik
Looks like your trailer is about ready for the new season. I like the clouds BTW.
Rik
Hi Rik. The charger is doing fine - I'm very pleased with it. Although I haven't measured its' output, even with grey skies (and that's nearly every day at moment!) it seems to be putting out 4 watts or so. When the sun appears it really puts out its' maximum 6w.
Although it is described as "a battery maintainer", the batteries went in the trailer at around 12volts and are now at 14v +.
I know that there are more sophisticated (control-wise) panels out there - and electronics are not my thing - but the Aldi purchase seems quite good to me. I had thought of permanent solar operation of the layout but a loco stall or short would blow the circuitry (It says to remove the panel connection when starting your car) but, as there are three batteries, it can be changed over to a stand-by one.
Well the April showers are dampening my enthusiasm working outside in the trailer and backwards and forwards to the shed. However I worked on the street lamps (slight modification) and drilled the locating holes and placed the lamps temporarily in position......
As delivered, the four "el cheapo" lamps (£8.00) had two brackets on them. If they had been "arms" for a ladder or hanging baskets I might have left them on but they were 'flat to the wall' types - similar to the eared collars on cast-iron fall pipes - and there was no way they would go flat to the wall anyway! Pic shows before and after....
They came with four resistors which will be soldered in the wiring to each lamps. As the floor in back of the trailer rises to give rear ground clearance for the transition from road to field, it's very much a crawl space so all the wiring (when made up) will be fed from the upper side and just brought to a more accessible location for connecting up.
Just some pics of the lamps in position for now. As the column basis are 6mm diameter it just required four 6mm holes in baseboard locations. I put an 'O' on the bases to stop the column sliding down and to hide any chavelled edges through using a standard twist drill...
In rural Ireland, as in the UK, there was no Town gas, so these are supposed to represent electric street lamps (well that's my excuse)!
As delivered, the four "el cheapo" lamps (£8.00) had two brackets on them. If they had been "arms" for a ladder or hanging baskets I might have left them on but they were 'flat to the wall' types - similar to the eared collars on cast-iron fall pipes - and there was no way they would go flat to the wall anyway! Pic shows before and after....
They came with four resistors which will be soldered in the wiring to each lamps. As the floor in back of the trailer rises to give rear ground clearance for the transition from road to field, it's very much a crawl space so all the wiring (when made up) will be fed from the upper side and just brought to a more accessible location for connecting up.
Just some pics of the lamps in position for now. As the column basis are 6mm diameter it just required four 6mm holes in baseboard locations. I put an 'O' on the bases to stop the column sliding down and to hide any chavelled edges through using a standard twist drill...
In rural Ireland, as in the UK, there was no Town gas, so these are supposed to represent electric street lamps (well that's my excuse)!
That first pic of the lights in place is very atmospheric, Mick, it could be a photo at full moon; the figure lacks only a black mask and a bag of swag