All in all it's just a... (Up-cycle pt.3)

After experiencing a few issues with the right-hand point that led to the front siding (all due to it's slightly battered beginnings and my attempts to correct it) I looked again at what this Up-cycle should achieve in the way of being a test track rather than a micro layout. I set out the following new objectives:

• Some 16.5 mm gauge track to at least allow rolling road block testing (using DCC Concepts rollers).
• A length of un-ballasted 9 mm gauge track to allow rolling road block testing.
• Low-key scenic treatment on part of the board to use for photographic purposes.
• The ability to shunt a few wagons about as the mood takes.

So there has been a change to the track layout, the pit that accommodated the loco cassettes from 'Shifting Sands' has bee filled in, all gaps around the joins in the cork filled with decorator's flexible filler and the whole area painted with blackboard paint borrowed from the craft cupboard.  This area is the 'test' area, the other part will receive scenic treatment.  The area around the point could go either way at present, we shall see what develops...

I have also made some progress on a brick wall to sit along the back right-hand end.  Having had a wander around the canalside industrial area behind my workplace and taken a few reference photos on my phone (backed up with Google Earth) I had a good idea of what I wanted to build, I wanted a bricked-up gateway with a replacement smaller gate, plus a length of buttressed wall to the side - I didn't want a plain wall as it would be one of the main features of the scene.

This is actually wall v2.0 (the less said about the first the better...), using Slaters embossed brick in two patterns (in order to give some variety) mounted on 3.5mm foam core.  The majority is in Flemish bond, I found that the sheet I bought last weekend has little in the way of squareness in the embossed pattern, which was rather annoying to say the least...

The pillars of the gateway are built from a plain bond in order to make the corners easier to match up.  The infill section was recovered from the first attempt at the wall, but altered to incorporate a rebuilt upper section to add interest.  Capping is from the Wills 4mm scale roof/guttering pack.

Further along the wall is the buttressed section.  The buttresses are an overlay with a 40 thou piece of styrene behind, the top is tapered in to a slot in the brickwork.  The sides of the buttresses have the brick courses scribed in.  Again, there is a repaired stretch of wall along the top, capping is again from the Wills pack, the original capping is assumed to be the triangular pattern, the replacement is rounded.

Painting will follow in due course, I tend to find that I prefer yellow brick, but we shall see...

Colin