New Year Progress

Following on nicely from the last entry, I have made several steps forward on the diorama project.  This has mostly been in the form of detailing and weathering.  I have now toned down the grey ballast to a much more railway-in-use mix of colours, including a representation of the deposits from locomotives stood at the end of the platform.  This has largely been achieved with weathering powders - not a medium I have always got on with if I'm totally honest.  On ballast and other scenic surfaces I find they tend to work better than attempts on rolling stock etc.

As can be seen, the line going off at the front of the scene now has a representation of a wooden crossing, this serves to disguise the fact that it falls off the edge!  In the background can be glimpsed something else that I have been experimenting with - laser cut vegetation.  This is from a Gaugemaster (by Noch) pack that I got as a present the Christmas before last (!).  I have used a select few of these on this scene - I didn't want to overdo it.

The eagle eyed will spot that there is also some variation within the grass.  This has been created using Silfor grass tufts - these blend in quite well one dry brushed with acrylics to kill the shine.

Progress of the Chivers coach kit through the paintshop has been brisk, the red is sprayed from a Halfords spray, the black and wooden areas are brushed acrylics.

I haven't forgotten that I promised to provide the details of MicroTrains coupler installation, it is just that painting has overtaken me writing it up...

Colin