Progress on my layout...

[RobertInOntario]

Here are some recent pics showing progress on my British layout, which is generally British Railways steam ca. 1959. I started this layout in the winter of 2005 and have tweaked it many times. It consists of an inner and outer loop and the outer loop has a passing siding. There are also 4 other sidings.

It's only 4x6 and I have to stow it away after use. I'm completing the ballasting & scenery in sections, and I've generally done about 1/3 to 1/2 of the right-hand side (where most of these pics were taken).

The Locos in the pics are the City of London, a Black Tank engine and a green 0-6-0 Tank (all made in the early-1960s by Hornby Dublo). The two GWR locos are the Frilsham Manor and a Collett 0-6-0 (both modern Bachman). I have several others including some that are LMS, LNER & S&DJR, but there's only so much space!

Could you please pass on any criticism, comments and feedback? Thanks so much.
Rob


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[UP SD40-2]

VERY NICE Rob!:thumb: i enjoy seeing what those foreign engines look/looked like, freight, and passenger cars too!:thumb: THANK YOU! -Deano

 

[MilesWestern]

Nice little layout! The only things you need to add would be:

-People
-Trucks and cars
-Dirt and concrete around the buildings
-other small deatials that add life, like boxes, newspapers, barrels, and signs.

Looks like it's coming along great though! I hope to see more of your progress, as well as seeing more of those lovely british locos (did I just say that? Slap! I'm an American Steam fan, yeah, that right... sign1 )

 

[RobertInOntario]

VERY NICE Rob!:thumb: i enjoy seeing what those foreign engines look/looked like, freight, and passenger cars too!:thumb: THANK YOU! -Deano

Thanks, Deano! I'm Canadian but have a strong British heritage & connection. In some ways, the British trains look familiar, but some elements do look 'foreign' to me, i.e. the Guards Vans (cabooses) and some freight cars. Thanks again, Rob

 

[RobertInOntario]

Nice little layout! The only things you need to add would be:

-People
-Trucks and cars
-Dirt and concrete around the buildings
-other small deatials that add life, like boxes, newspapers, barrels, and signs.

Looks like it's coming along great though! I hope to see more of your progress, as well as seeing more of those lovely british locos (did I just say that? Slap! I'm an American Steam fan, yeah, that right... sign1 )

Thanks, Miles. Those are good points. I've already started adding a few people on one of the station platforms (not shown in these pics since that part of the layout is only partly finished). I'll add some of those details this winter, I hope. Thanks again for your feedback. Rob

 

[60103]

A couple of those locos look faniliar.
The autumn colours look a bit startling; I'm never sure what autumn in England looks like; the main shade in November is grey.

 

[RobertInOntario]

A couple of those locos look faniliar.
The autumn colours look a bit startling; I'm never sure what autumn in England looks like; the main shade in November is grey.

Thanks, David. I agree about the autumn colours are too harsh. They were one of the first bits of scenery that I did and I've already removed some of them. I was actually thinking of removing them totally & you're convincing me to do so.

Apparently, the dominant fall tree colours in England are yellow and some orange. You don't get the bright red Maples that we see here, so I probably should tone it down.

Take care, Rob

 

[Chessie6459]

Looks Good Rob.:thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

 

[MasonJar]

Rob,

I don't think that the colours are too out of place, it's more like they do not match - nothing else in the scene says "fall" - e.g. the grasses are all still in summer green. You can try to tone down the fall foliage with an overspray/wash of very dilute black or brown. A wash of tan, or possibly some dry brushing can change the look of the grass. Experiment first though...!! Results can be a bit unpredictible (don't ask how I know ).

The other thing is that it looks very clean. There is no dirt visible anywhere, not even around the building towards the back. No pathways or roadways (which Miles suggested, above).

Otherwise - let's see some more photos of the rest. Gotta love those British steamers...

Andrew

 

[RobertInOntario]

Rob,

I don't think that the colours are too out of place, it's more like they do not match - nothing else in the scene says "fall" - e.g. the grasses are all still in summer green. You can try to tone down the fall foliage with an overspray/wash of very dilute black or brown. A wash of tan, or possibly some dry brushing can change the look of the grass. Experiment first though...!! Results can be a bit unpredictible (don't ask how I know ).
The other thing is that it looks very clean. There is no dirt visible anywhere, not even around the building towards the back. No pathways or roadways (which Miles suggested, above).
Otherwise - let's see some more photos of the rest. Gotta love those British steamers...

Andrew

Thanks, Andrew, those are good points. I think toning back the fall colours would work. But what do you mean by a "wash" -- is it watered down paint? I tried to use more oranges and browns and I could add more of those. Maybe I could also sprinkle some burnt/yellow grass onto the green grass.

Yes, I also realize that it needs some pathways, dirt, debris & finer details. I'll try to do this over the winter.

Yes, I too really like the British steamers! I'll try to post more pics in the near future.

Thanks again, Rob

 

[RobertInOntario]

Looks Good Rob.:thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

Thanks, Matthew! I'll keep at this and post more pics [hopefully] later in the fall or winter. I've actually still got a fair bit of scenery and ballasting to do on the left-hand side of the layout.

Rob

 

[MasonJar]

Thanks, Andrew, those are good points. I think toning back the fall colours would work. But what do you mean by a "wash" -- is it watered down paint? I tried to use more oranges and browns and I could add more of those. Maybe I could also sprinkle some burnt/yellow grass onto the green grass.

Rob,

A wash is a very dilute "thinning" of a colour. Commonly used in weathering rolling stock, but also useful in landscaping... Sometimes it is necessary to make the wash "wet" by adding some alcohol or a few drops of dish detergent. This breaks the surface tension of the water and allows the mix to flow better into the surface details and/or materials.

Your point about adding material is also good - more ground foam (or other materials) will help change the appearance of the existing landscape. Lots of layers are always good for ground cover.

Andrew

 

[RobertInOntario]

Rob,

A wash is a very dilute "thinning" of a colour. Commonly used in weathering rolling stock, but also useful in landscaping... Sometimes it is necessary to make the wash "wet" by adding some alcohol or a few drops of dish detergent. This breaks the surface tension of the water and allows the mix to flow better into the surface details and/or materials.

Your point about adding material is also good - more ground foam (or other materials) will help change the appearance of the existing landscape. Lots of layers are always good for ground cover.

Andrew

Thanks, Andrew. I'll give that a try and will certainly try to add some more ground details, burnt yellow grass and maybe some darker foliage. Thanks again, Rob

 

[Nazgul]

Rob,
I really don't have anything to add that hasn't been said already, but I do want to tell you to keep up the good work:thumb: and thank you for sharing your excellent progress with us. Would love to see more

 

[RobertInOntario]

Rob,
I really don't have anything to add that hasn't been said already, but I do want to tell you to keep up the good work:thumb: and thank you for sharing your excellent progress with us. Would love to see more

Thanks for your encouragement, Steve! I'll try to post more pics as the layout progresses and/or include some different trains. Rob

 

[Nazgul]

My pleasure Rob:thumb:

It would be neat to see a pic taken from above so we could get a better Idea of the "look" of your layout.....and don't worry about it not being finished.......It never stopped me!

 

[RobertInOntario]

My pleasure Rob:thumb:
It would be neat to see a pic taken from above so we could get a better Idea of the "look" of your layout.....and don't worry about it not being finished.......It never stopped me!

Yes, I actually thought of that, to get an overall perspective. I'll try to do that soon. The layout design is quite simple (two loops with sidings) -- maybe I'll make a more complicated one in the future. If I were starting again, I'll rigidly follow some plans. When I started this in early 2005, the track/layout arrangement was quickly thrown together by trial & error. This is why I've had to spend extra time troubleshooting track & derailment problems. Originally, I started out with one loop and sidings. Then I added the inner loop later on, and have tweaked it many times since, and am now doing the scenery. Cheers, Rob

 

[interurban]

Yes indeed Robert keepup the good work:thumb:
I love British models, looking forward to your updates.

 

[RobertInOntario]

Yes indeed Robert keepup the good work:thumb:
I love British models, looking forward to your updates.

Thanks, Chris. I'll post some updates in the near future. I'm taking my time (going very slowly) and if/when the layout is ever done, it will be time to start a new one! Thanks again, Rob

 

[RobertInOntario]

My pleasure Rob:thumb:

It would be neat to see a pic taken from above so we could get a better Idea of the "look" of your layout.....and don't worry about it not being finished.......It never stopped me!

Steve: FYI, I've just posted a few other pics (in a new thread), including one that was almost taken from above, and shows a good portion of the layout. This will at least give folks a better idea of the look of the layout. I'll still try take a better shot of the entire layout in the next few weeks. Thanks! Rob