Long time no blog. Well, I have a good excuse, I was overseas having a great time in Wales, Scotland and Norway! And you guessed it, no progress on my train shed - it still in the same state as before - ie it is standing, has no insulation and no lining added yet - even though it is all sitting on the floor ready. But I did do something - I added a second clothes line in it!
Anyway, back to my local train club. The HO'ers have been slowly progressing ideas for the top deck peninsulas that will host both 12 mm and 16.5 mm track for the HO. To this end, Darryl D was showing off some of his 12 mm gauge QR locos and wagons back on the 4th of July. He just grabbed some 12 mm track and hooked a few wires to it so he could go back and forth. Looking at this HOn3½ stuff, it does look nice, I'll give it that.... Tempting....
I didn't do any work on the layout on the day as it was my first day back. So instead I brought down some of my NSW HO trains and had a nice run. I reckon the wharf area is going to look really good when complete. Here is a shot of my 47 and 49 sitting near what will be the coal loading/unloading area.
Wednesday the 8th saw me knee deep in muck again and smearing some of my home made putty around the place making a few mounds to take the flat earth factor away. I also added in some more foam at the front of the trackage so that the boys can start figuring out some facias for that middle peninsula. John B was busy adding a bit more width to the top deck of the end peninsula to give the 12/16/5 mm track a bit more space to coexist.
We then had the Gold Coast show to attend - great fun was had by all.
The 20th saw me down at the club again, this time adding the green green grass of home all over the foam and putty I have laid down previously. The peninsula is starting to take shape.
There - up to date! Now for today.
My first job was to make more dirt. I ran out of my ready to use dirt, so got out the bucket of dried creek mud/silt and pulverised it well and good to make it nice and fine. Then I sieved it into the grade of dust and fines I required - ie nice and fine. I used this today to coat some of the foam I hadn't yet covered. This acts as a base for the next layer which will be the grass coloured fine ground foam.
More putty was also made up so as to add shape to our flat earth of the plywood deck on the middle peninsula. I used my usual recipe which this time was tweaked as being a tube of acrylic Gap Filler (under 2 bucks from Bunnings), some kids acrylic poster paint, some Aquadhere to moisten it a bit, a tiny bit of water to thin it a bit, three cups or more of Vermiculite. It ends up like really thick oatmeal porridge.
I then got my small spatulas and smeared the putty into place and shaped it into small mounds to emulate rock and dirt piles between the mainline and the sidings. I also added what looks like ant mounds to the existing grassed area to give it a bit more undulations. These mounds will all get grassed next week.
I also added in some bits of plywood to the back of the track area which had been missing for yonks.
B1 strengthed the N Scale exhibition layout main module legs by adding in another brace. Simple it was, just used some of the spare existing braces and screwed on some door stoppers in the right place and voila, we have a sturdier module.
Stewart has been working on an engine shed that has appeared at the right hand end of the yard. Not sure what we'll do with the end of the peninsula now though. Engine shed will look good, but it now blocks track access to the end - maybe a big mountain - I like them for a scene :o)
And John B has finished widening the top deck. You can make it out in these 2 shots.
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