Manic May - Part Deux

What a difference three weeks makes. Can’t remember a time when I was so single minded in my approach to modelling. It isn’t sustainable over a longer period, but needs must if Burton is to be met.

All this warm weather and rain is sure making the grass grow!

Discussing this project earlier in the week with a mate who, whilst not a modeller, has other creative hobbies of his own and he shared these wise words: “It's amazing how stuff that feels 'difficult' but that you just need to give a whirl can stop a job isn't it” that very succinctly sums up why my layout projects have never gone green before. 

The mental block of doing something new and seemingly difficult should not be underestimated. Part of the issue for me is that there are so many different methods to choose from that the greater the choice just increases the confusion and leads to procrastination. 

There’s all manner of different ground cover to choose from, flocks and scatter through to static grass with all manner of different applicators. There’s no shortage of how to videos along with tales of “it didn’t work for me” on the forums to make you think twice. 

So, where to start? I have vague recollections of aiding in one of the scenic makeovers of our former group layout but not with sufficient knowledge to remember exactly what we did as it was two decades ago now. I was also acutely aware that with Burton fast approaching, time for experimenting was also not on my side. 

The first and most important decision for layout scenery is what season to choose. Late spring and early summer is my favourite season to be out on the Talyllyn. The lush and green vegetation from warm weather mixed in with plenty of showers results in vivid greenery and carpets of flowers as nature comes alive with winter left behind and the promise of summer ahead makes for an attractive scene. This would also aid the feeling of a down at heel railway slipping back into nature that I wanted to achieve. No, pristine new infrastructure standing proud in the landscape for me.

As ‘Wheal Ponder’ progresses and my own limitations, time being one of them, are being made obvious to me, I’m learning that compromise can be a good thing to reduce the procrastination, the pondering and to keep the project moving forwards. Whilst some are very adept at using the rawest of materials, there are also many materials out there which can speed the process up, look great and be the scenic equivalent of buying a kit or rtr model as opposed to scratchbuilding. For this, a little extra research of what is available outside of the model railway spectrum and into war gaming, or military modelling can pay dividends.

First step was closer to home, to my garage. My late friend Tim, and group leader for the TVAG group layout was a great hoarder and stock piler of materials, layout scenics being no exception. After his passing, the TVAG stores moved in to my garage and we have had a policy of group members being able to use what was there already before buying new. Plus, my other late friend Neil’s layout, which currently resides in my railway room came with the leftover scenic materials used on his layout. From these I was able to find various scenic scatter materials, coarse, fine and even finer from Green Scenes and Woodland Scenics with some suitable shades for what I wanted to start me off. Some of which I’ve used and, being handily labelled, enabled me to buy more of the colours that suit my layout. The other discovery was a box containing the hedges that had been rescued from our old group layout over a decade ago. Whilst slightly faded and a little dusty, with a bit of TLC they would give me a good start in the greenery department. 

Second step was the internet. Having seen the use of grass mats online and pre-made tufts of static grass on my other late friend, Neil’s layout, I wanted to see what was available that didn’t look like a croquet lawn. 

My search led me to a Czech company, ‘Model Scene’ who produce some fine looking grass mats. Whilst expensive over a large area, decided that the cost was worth it for a small area such as this. Available in the UK, a small selection of their spring and early summer mats were ordered and duly arrived. 

The second discovery was a company called ‘All Game Terrain’, an American company I believe, who produce edging strips of static grass.

Trees are another item that can make a layout. They can also be a tricky job to make, I still remember Tim struggling to make reasonable looking trees and I quickly concluded that at this stage, tree making was an area where compromise was possible and that buying rather than making from scratch was the route to follow if I was going to progress at an acceptable rate. 

I’d seen some excellent trees at reasonable prices from a company called ‘Primo Models’ at exhibitions and had bought three that caught my eye. The first was a chestnut which I’d bought as a trial, this was joined by a maple tree (our friends have one in their garden and it’s an attractive tree), these pair help hide the fiddle yard entrance. The third is a birch tree to hide the corner in my sky that helpfully reaches almost to the top of the backscene. 

Armed with these materials, it was time to get on with it. A series of photos follows with captions to explain the progress made, they’re not the best quality as taken on my phone in the attic. Once the layout is complete I will take the layout outside in the sunshine and take some photos with the proper camera. 

Entry, stage left. The surviving stable block from the old horse tramway days nestles alongside the newer both and the coal stage. In reality, a Petite Properties stable block, the obligatory Port Wynnstay shed and a coaling stage from 422 Modelmaking. I’m pleased with how the rust and weathered wood sets of acrylic paints from Lifecolor have worked. 

Swinging to the right we have the linhay, with a wriggly tin shelter for the stoker. He must be having a brew as his wheelbarrow lies unattended. The shelter was knocked up out of styrene and wriggly tin. The linhay and bagged clay store are my own creations from foam board whereas the building in the centre is another Petite Properties structure and the chimney is a slightly shortened Skytrex casting. 

The end of the line. Had this PLM Castaways water column for years and finally made something out of it. I need to weather the track in front of it for the oily marks left by waiting steam locos. 

The platform area and entrance. 422 Modelmaking platform edging, an Intentio hut that reminds me of the Glyn Valley waiting rooms. The fencing and gate are scale model scenery card products. 

The glue still very much needs to dry here. 

An overall view of the yard. The clay effect on the track to the left has been created using tile grout. 

This rather attractive cottage is another excellent Petite Properties kit. With a tree and lawn to help hide the second fiddle yard entrance that leads to the brickworks and granite quarry. 

Final area to finish off. 

Whilst all that pva dries, there are 101 things still left to do… some wagons for a start. Plus, a number of detail items I have to add, especially to the garden area to finish that off.