The Headshunt - Taking a Fence (in place of a wall)

As I demonstrated last time the use of a small mirror appeared to resolve my issues with how best to photographically deal with the apparent 'gap' at the left hand end of 'The Headshunt' when pointing the camera in that direction. However the existing wall that represented a bricked-up gateway and pillar was not the best thing to reflect as it just looked odd. Having considered a timber building of some sort, I eventually realised that I was over-complicating things and instead settled on a low-key replacement in the form of two scratchbuilt fence panels made from bass wood. 

Although this looks like a post, rail and board fence it is in fact a cheat, the horizontal members are actually one sheet with cut-outs around the posts and the boards are scribed sheet rather than individual. This double layer of opposing grains made the piece quite strong. Nail marks were made across the planks using a track pin in a pin vice. I deliberately chose a pattern of fence that had a gap in the boarding where the upright stood. The reason for this choice becomes clear with a mirror, camera and slight touch-up 'in post'...

Not the clearest of pictures but it shows the effect well, the gap by the post makes the gap where the mirror sits blend right in!

Colin 

The Headshunt - They do it with mirrors

When we last saw the 'The Headshunt' a couple of weeks ago I was trying to see how the visual gap on the left could be filled for photography using an item of rolling stock. I had a further thought this week as to how the gap at the left-hand end could be "filled" for photography, so I ran an experiment, the Keef was hanging around as it is still for sale (hint)...

Whilst using a small mirror actually does fill the visual gap, it is clear that the reflection really makes little sense due to the doubled-up gatepost. What could work better is a sectional timber building, disguising the mirror with an upright. It is certainly something to consider, especially as it could be combined with the previous idea of an end-of carriage section to visually enclose the scene. 

Just for the record, this is the unedited version of the picture above.

Colin

 

'The Headshunt' - Taking a Trick-Shot

As alluded to in my previous post I have been considering the design of a new diorama to fit in a small photographic lightbox. Although I like that design, over the weekend I had a little play to see if there is an alternative, involving the recently refreshed 'The Headshunt'. 

When taking the most recent pictures of 'The Headshunt' I had been working in the shed with a basic LED strip light, but for the background I had used a large matt white plastic photographic sheet that my wife had picked up very cheaply. In the past I had always photographed this diorama on my desk using my standard desk lamp and whatever was to hand as the background, so the thought occurred to me that the sheet might be useable in the same way. The experimentation began... this is the set-up used, with a bonus glimpse of the new storage box being used as a height booster.

A pretty standard 3/4 shot. This is very satisfactory but I must trim the longer grass strands!

The awkward reverse-shot. Pleasingly the new grey edging is almost invisible in this and the next shot compared to the old black strip. My thoughts were turning to ways to reduce the white space, wondering if standing a carriage there might be the answer. 

Looking down the line. An anecdote from the rebuilding process is that I managed to snap the point lever during the work, hearing it ping across the shed never to be seen again. A new lever was found and colour matched to the original base.

The next day I thought I would try out the carriage trick for a shot pointing to the left, I think this works rather well and I'm baffled why I have never thought of it before!

This led to a further thought (dangerous, I know...) of a 'prop' of a half-coach that could be placed at the far left, and in combination with a couple of figures posed in conversation could "fill the gap" in photographs without having to have the coach right up against the subject matter. 

Overall I am very happy with the outcome, although I may try using a bit of one of the free Railway Modeller backscene pieces as a further trial in due course.

A bit of work down 'The Headshunt'

Those with long memories may recall that last summer I had intended to give my larger O9 diorama 'The Headshunt' a scenic makeover, but in the end carried out a similar exercise on my 009 layout 'The Old Quarry Line'. Fast forward to March this year, and frustrated with my lack of success with a new photographic diorama to fit in a small lightbox, I decided to revisit my planned work on 'The Headshunt'. Firstly, a reminder of how it looked...

 

As well as needing some new scenic work, the other thing that was really troubling me was the heavy black surround in 5mm ply. This particularly looked awful at the left hand end where it crossed the track and platform. So I carefully (with a mallet and heavy-duty scraper!) removed it. Nothing fell apart so the front strip had similar treatment, leaving everything a little vulnerable until they were replaced. The replacements are from 3mm ply, gently rounded on the front upper edges to reduce their impact, and are also about 1mm lower. Painted grey rather than black they no longer dominate the diorama.

The two holes in the new front trim are an indication of another long-envisaged aspect of the rebuild project, as they are securing holes for a ply/hardboard cover to protect the scene in storage. 

Within the scene itself the new areas of foliage can be seen left and right. As with work on 'Beck Bridge' and 'The Old Quarry Line' these use teased-out coir hanging basket liner, sprayed in two shades of brown, and various foliage mats, stems and other items to create a varied effect. I have also added Martin Welberg tufts and some MiniNature flowers in moderation.

The pile junk behind the headshunt has grown a little, as all piles of junk do... The wagon is a KB Scale Hudson frame with Black Dog adaptor piece, with wooden deck. This was completed some time ago and saved for a use such as this. Adding this led to a rearrangement of the oil drums, which sounds easy but they were very well stuck down! The green one was moved elsewhere and the red/yellow one moved into it's place, it just looked better that way... The more subtle addition is a cab frontspiece on the right, part of an old A1 Models etch carefully painted and weathered.

Overall I am very happy with these long-awaited changes, one advantage of the delay has certainly been the use of the grey surround in place of black, in part inspired by seeing James Hilton's work recently. Working on 'The Headshunt' has certainly kept things going on the modelling front for the last few weeks too. Thoughts have now returned to the new photographic scene but nothing concrete has happened... yet.

Colin

 

Dioramas on Display

Yesterday I displayed my two larger O9 dioramas at the 009 Society members day in Mansfield alongside 'The Old Quarry Line'. Here everything is set up and ready for action, the layout sat on it's box and one of the dioramas on the cardboard box I had created to carry 'Beck Bridge' in.

Days before the show I assessed the lighting options for the layout, having purchased two Ikea Jansjö lights that I had planned to clip to the box itself. Realising more height was required I fashioned an upright from a spare piece of timber and I opted to paint this in a black finish. Time was running short and I actually hung the timber from the washing line with a piece of wire and sprayed it with a Halfords matt aerosol...

A bonus was being able to mount the second light to illuminate the dioramas on the upright. 'Beck Bridge' was home to my pacific  and a Chivers coach...

Whilst 'The Headshunt' hosted the Exmoor tank and the recent works coach.

Interest in the layout and the dioramas exceeded my expectations and I was on the receiving end of many compliments and dodging out of the way of cameras (no-one wants a checked shirt backdrop to their picture!).

With everything packed away at home, the next day I ventured coastwards to see a pair of real Exmoor locomotives, but I'll leave that for another time...

Colin

Introducing 'St Edwin' - Exmoor in Miniature

Custom produced etched name and works plates for my Exmoor project arrived from Narrow Planet early in August, and this weekend I have finally plucked up the courage to fix them in position. I can therefore present the third Exmoor 15" gauge 'Saint'* - '[i]St Edwin[/i]'...

After fitting the plates using matt varnish I applied a little light weathering to tone down the smokebox, cylinders, cab roof and buffer beams and added a finishing touch of an oil can sat in one of the bunkers, something I noticed in pictures of 'King Arthur' at Rudyard lake.

I'm really pleased with how this project has turned out, although there are a number of compromises I feel that it really captures the Exmoor 'look'. I just need to arrange somewhere to give it a good run as 'Shifting Sands' is in storage...

Colin

*following in the footsteps of 'St Christopher' at Bressingham (ex Windmill Farm) and 'St Egwin' at Evesham Vale.

Exmoor - Paintshop Progress (Part 2)

Having set the loco aside for a few days I re-started work by tidying up a few areas that the photographs had shown up. Over the following evenings I then fitted the whistle and safety valves into place on the dome, secured the crew in the cab and fitted the cab roof , added coal to the bunkers and fitted MicroTrains couplers.

As if it were on a test run at it's builders, these photos were captured in natural light on 'The Headshunt'.

The project has now reached it's natural break point as it is now complete with all parts added that can be at this stage... To complete the loco will need it's name and worksplates, presently on order from Narrow Planet, plus a little light, appropriate weathering and maybe one or two extra details. 

For now it is resident in my display cabinet.

Colin

Spirit of Exmoor

You may think that in the two months since I last showed progress on my Exmoor Steam Railway 0-6-2T build I might have finished and painted it... well one of those is true, it is complete structurally and in detail. To celebrate I photographed her on 'The Headshunt'.

Since the last photographs you will notice that a lot more detail has been added. Some of this is from commercially available parts, suitably modified, others are scratchbuilt. Additions include the following:

• Cylinder covers using some Dapol railbus mouldings suitably modified.
• Bolt heads on headstocks and cylinders from Plastruct hex section.
• Coal rails from Peco N-gauge coke wagon rails.
• Dome from a modified Langley 'Lyn' casting, with new safety valves (Hornby spares) and whistle by Buzz models.
• Chimney from modified Gem base and cap with brass tube in between to extend the height.
• Tank fillers from Gem castings, with handrail knobs added as handles.
• Smokebox door handle from Hobby Holidays.
• Various pieces of plumbing from brass and phosphor bronze wire, split pins and fuse wire. This includes steam pipes and ejector pipework. 

Now the weatherman promises a warm weekend, so the primer spraying forecast is good...

Colin

(Still) Stuck in a Siding

Some progress to report on the "under repair" Avalon Line coach project, which has now reached completion. As previously described, this example of the kit was one of the early samples that I built, then sold on to Andrew Blackwell, who reduced it in height to match the Shifting Sands examples. In an effort to straighten out a banana shaped roof I managed to break part of one side, setting the path to this project.

I posed the completed coach on 'The Headshunt' and couldn't resist tinkering with the colour settings!

In colour the faded red finish becomes apparent. Rather than spray the red as per most of my fleet, this was brush painted over red oxide car primer. The roof was painted grey and the solebar and underframes a very dark grey.

The acrylic paints were then sprayed with what remained of a can of Citadel (Games Workshop) 'Purity Seal' varnish. This went on a little roughly and far too satin in finish, but I wasn't worried about this, as the next stage in the process was to let it dry for several days, then carefully attack the red and grey areas with 1500 grit wet and dry paper to take the finish back to a worn, matt finish. Various washes were applied to the solebar, underframe and roof, followed by dry brushing to add further wear and tear.

Several areas were given a coat of a red oxide over the top of the weathered finish to represent areas where repainting has taken place, as seen here on the side where the air tank is visible. I have aimed for subtlety rather than a too over-weathered effect. Once it has a permanent home it will no doubt be surrounded by appropriate junk!

Colin

Cover Star

I arrived home this afternoon to find the latest issue of the 7mm Narrow Gauge Association's 'Narrow Lines' had dropped onto the doormat. Staring back at me from the cover was one of my A1 Models locos and 'The Headshunt' diorama...

I had been tipped of by the editor that this was going to appear, but it is very nice to come home to it on a Friday!

Colin

The "Chivers Diet" - the Results are In!

After a lot of slicing, dicing and generally making it up as I have gone along, I can reveal the finished products of both of my Chivers Finelines O-16.5 to O9 conversions. These wagons were both rebuilt from assembled kits in a batch of five that I had acquired at a very reasonable price via the NGRM Forum.

The 2-plank wagon is seen complete, weathered and fitted with couplings. I have had the brown MicroTrains couplers in stock for a while, they suit this use better than a grey wagon or locomotive bufferbeam, in reality they do not look so obviously plastic.

The steel-bodied wagon is also now painted, when I said that it would have a splash of colour I meant it...

I've always liked this shade of grey-blue, I had an early O9 bogie wagon painted like this, plus a Gn15 loco at one stage - I also know that it is a popular choice with Steve Bennett of Black Dog Mining fame! Some subtle weathering in the form of colour washes and dry brushing have brought out the details in the Chivers mouldings very well. Using a 1/43rd scale drone I can show the interior weathering and plank effect on the floor.

Those who have followed my wagon ramblings over the years will realise that both of these wagons are in rather different colours to my usual choices, is there perhaps some scheme in the back of my mind that needs the wagons to all be different colours...?

Who knows ;-)

Colin

Come in number Eight...

I'm pleased to report that the second A1 Models locomotive is now complete, seen here posed on 'The Headshunt' diorama....

As can be seen above, I've added the windscreen wipers and number plates, and I have subsequently applied some light weathering, in the form of washes on the underframe and buffer beams and dry brushing over the grilles, bolt heads, edges etc. 

Having a play about with photo angles on the recently completed diorama.  I hadn't expected this angle to work so well!

I couldn't resist the opportunity to compare the two versions of the kit before the bigger one departs to pastures new, the smaller one is definitely closer to how I imagined this kit would look when I first suggested it to John Flower.

"I'm an industrial locomotive, I look down on him.."

"I'm a pleasure railway locomotive, I look up to him..."

Colin

Watching 'The Headshunt' / A1 Models Hunslet Update

I don't plan to add much more to the diorama 'The Headshunt', but a couple of additions that I've made this week can be found in this update. The figure is a Phoenix example from S&D, I've had him from very early in my 7mm modelling days and was one of a couple on which I used the black undercoat painting technique. He isn't permanently attached so in theory there could be an array of alternative figures to stand here! The other addition is rubbish... a black bag full, up against the wall, this was sculpted (badly) from left over Milliput from a filling job.

But just what is that chap looking at? This maybe....

As a taster of how the diorama can be used for photography, my almost complete, second version, A1 Models 'Hunslet' poses for the camera. I was in the process of getting her prepared for a trip to Peter Leadley's Clee Valley Railway at the Cleethorpes exhibition, although there are still a few details to add and weathering to tone down the livery.  

The boffins in the Shifting Sands workshop had rigged up a suitable coupling for use on the CVR allowing the loco to run solo, its performance impressing the CVR operators.

Colin

Completing 'The Headshunt'

I've been adding a few more details and finishing touches to 'The Headshunt' photographic diorama.

As the scene represents the end of a station area I have included appropriate signage on the barrier at the end of the platform.  This is from an old Lithoplan 4mm scale set of signs but seems large enough in 7mm scale!

Another small detail that was required was a linkage between the RC Link point lever and the point, this is a piece of brass strip bent to shape with a Grandt Line bolt at one end.

As hinted at last time, I have tweaked the ballast in places to build up the levels, and also added some more Silfor grass tufts along the edges of the ballast at the far end, adding some more detail but really just to hide some awkward patches in the ballast cover!

I have tidied up around the edges of the scene, using a black surround, a contrast to recent efforts in natural wood, I have used matt black paint. In typical fashion I have added the diorama name in dry-print lettering to the front edge and protected it with matt varnish.

There are a few extra items to add in due course, not least a removable figure to stand by watching proceedings, however the diorama is now largely complete.

Colin

Cluttering up 'The Headshunt'

Time for a catch-up on 'The Headshunt' diorama.  I managed to build up and prime the concrete fence to add to the front right-hand corner of the diorama.  This is from the Ratio/Peco mouldings, with added horizontal divisions scribed on.  Whilst the primer was out the RCL Hudson point lever also had a waft of paint ready to paint up to add to the scene.

Once painted and weathered the fence was set in place, complete with a few slabs piled up alongside it (left-overs from the Skegness inspired diorama last year), and a spare bogie frame (modified Avalon Line).  The plant life is starting to grow too, courtesy of Noch/Gaugemaster laser-cut products.

Along the back wall one of my piles of redundant track has been formed, made up from modified Peco parts.    

Further details have been added towards the left hand end of the scene.  The fence at the platform end is a modified Slaters product, the oil drums and pallet are Knightwing and the bag of stone is a Skytrex product.  Invasive plantlife is a further Gaugemaster laser-cut item.

Both the view above convinced me that I needed to put a little more attention into the ballast, which was duly added to and weathered to blend in to match.

Colin

Grass grows along 'The Headshunt'

Progress is being made on the 'The Headshunt', this may seem like a vast leap, but honestly, it isn't really...

The track was ballasted a week or two ago, using Woodland Scenics material laid dry, misted with water (with the obligatory drop of detergent) and fixed with Johnson's 'Kleer' polish. The last week has seen the ground turfed with Woodlands Scenic turf, the walls fixed into position and the grass applied using hanging basket liner.

Getting an idea of how it works photographically (if you ignore the shed interior background!)...

Once I was satisfied with the grass coverage - I had a few failed areas that refused to stick down when I tried to remove the backing - I trimmed it down with nail scissors, brushed it with a toothbrush, mowed it with a razor and did some more trimming. The grounded van body was then glued in place.

From the other direction, the roadway in the foreground will be clutter-free to avoid any focus issues...

This afternoon I have dry-brushed the sleepers and then gone over the hard surfacing and ballast with various weathering powders to add some colour variations and tone everything together.  I also subtly added some weathering powder into parts of the soft surfacing.  The final act was to add some 'Silfor' tufts into the grass in odd spots that had missed the hanging basket liner, this adds some variety to the texture and colour of the grass.

I really must make up the fence for the front right hand corner next...

Colin