Grahame's N/2mm bashes
- Thread starter Grahame Hedges
- Start date
Grahame Hedges
Western Thunderer
I did explain my choice earlier in the thread. I'm using Peco finescale code 55. It's not the finest looking but with using code 40 rail for the third conductor rail it alleviates issues with shoe beams catching, and although the sleepers are rather chunky and deep (to accommodate the buried part of the rail) once property ballasted to the sleeper top surface it looks a lot a whole lot better.
Anyway here's a pic with a bit of track, although it's not ballasted or painted/weathered (which also tends to visually reduce the rail height) and the viaduct walling/sides are yet to be added (which should also help hide views of the rail height/track.
I must upgrade that EPB with better sides and paintjob - it was made many years ago and is showing its age. However, this pic hopefully shows that I'm starting to get close to what I wanted to achieve with the layout; commuter trains at high level winding through a landscape of urban commercial and industrial buildings and past residential roof tops based on a real location.
I must upgrade that EPB with better sides and paintjob - it was made many years ago and is showing its age. However, this pic hopefully shows that I'm starting to get close to what I wanted to achieve with the layout; commuter trains at high level winding through a landscape of urban commercial and industrial buildings and past residential roof tops based on a real location.
oldravendale
Western Thunderer
Truly magnificent, Grahame.
Kier Hardy
Active Member
Fantastic stuff Grahame. I've always enjoyed your updates and get a good feeling for the area you're modelling. As for the EPB, it looks fine to me, but sometimes we're our own worst critics.
Grahame Hedges
Western Thunderer
Thanks.
I appreciate that a gritty grimy urban scene set in the 70s/80s is not everyone's cup of tea, but hopefully it is something different and provides contrast to the more usual and common green rural idyll type of layout.
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Grahame Hedges
Western Thunderer
Thanks.
I think one of the issues is that being N gauge the stock is small and you can, or at least are tempted to, get away with a more broad-brush and less finescale approach, but when I see some of the fantastic modelling, particularly on the 'EM gauge in the 70s' thread, and other layouts in 4mm scale (and 2mm finescale like CF) it provides inspiration that I want to match in detail and finish.
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I've been making two buildings, a commercial block and a pub, to complete the block behind the viaduct towards the east end of the layout. The commercial block is at the end of what are now apartments, but was formerly a tea importers warehouse, and the grey block is based on the Pearson Professional Centre that now occupies that end section. The pub is based on the Lord Clyde from relatively nearby and adapted to suit.
Still some details to add to complete, such as chimney pots and flaunching, signage, the pub yard gate, and weathering, etc., but here is how the last part of the block now looks in position (although not fixed) on the layout.
Still some details to add to complete, such as chimney pots and flaunching, signage, the pub yard gate, and weathering, etc., but here is how the last part of the block now looks in position (although not fixed) on the layout.
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Joe's Garage
Western Thunderer
Looking very realistic even at this stage Grahame.
Hope all goes well
Julian
Hope all goes well
Julian
Thanks.
I spent quite a bit of yesterday trying to eliminate the dark lines down each side of the strips that hold the wall panels in place and the quarter round trim in the corners. When I originally painted the walls grey, the strip edges, where sealant had been run, leached through and showed as dark marks. I've given them a coat of primer and another top coat hoping it would solve the problem. It's worked to some extent but is not 100% successful (although I'll not eradicate shadows without adding more direct lighting) and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it doesn't slowly leach through again and get worse :
Grahame Hedges
Western Thunderer
It's not actually a stain (like water or oil) that is coming through as the surface was white (silicon filler, I think) and smooth, but more a case that the paint is not covering and drying the same as on the main wall. Hopefully, the extra primer and emulsion top coat will sort it and appears to have at least mostly worked.
oldravendale
Western Thunderer
Your response there, Dave, threw a switch for me and then Grahame mentioned silicon filler. For a number of reasons I've had to use stain stopper in our current house, and the only thing I've found (so far - I'm sure there are others but once I've found something that works I stick with it) is this stuff: B-I-N® | Zinsser UK
One of the issues for me is that the windows are sealed in with a silicone adhesive and the B-I-N product is the only thing I've found which will adhere and which can then be overpainted.
May be worth a thought if all else fails.
Brian
One of the issues for me is that the windows are sealed in with a silicone adhesive and the B-I-N product is the only thing I've found which will adhere and which can then be overpainted.
May be worth a thought if all else fails.
Brian
daifly
Western Thunderer
Hi Brian
That's the one I use and for the same reason as you. Getting anything to adhere to silicon filler is a devil.
Dave
I took the advice and got an aerosol of BIN Zinsser. It has definitely helped improve the dark marks but getting it on and overcoating in that heat yesterday (28' seems like 29 according to the weather and hotter in the shed) was a hot and sweaty operation, although everything dried very quickly. Just the shadow from the lighting now, but other than that a lot more happy.
I've spent most of the morning laying the road (from mount-board card) that forms Station Approach and sweeps around past the bus station and becomes London Bridge Street. It was rather fiddly to cut to fit accurately but I'm relatively happy about how it has turned out. Next is to sort out the supports to form the appropriate slope and paint it. Here's a pic of an LT DMS bus passing under the bridge on its way to the bus station.
