Sunday 15 March 2015

Sturminster Newton - Landscaping - part 3


A bit late with this post, but work is continuing, and it is occurring both above and below the baseboards!  The work on the village scene moved ahead with the siting of the buildings (finally), and laying down of the road and the associated boxing and applying of the cobblestone roller.
 - Buildings and roads in place
- Road into station forecourt.
On the building side, I’ve use some old SD mouldings plaster cast buildings I had lying around.  They fit the scene and resemble the building that were found in the area.  I’ve use 1 ready to plonk Hornby Lyddle End building, which will serve as the post office, a scratch built card shop building and also a Severn models etch-brass shop kit. 
 - shop in progress
 - finished and ready for painting
- 50% good, but blue acrylic didn't quite work, so strip and start again.
This was a Kickstarter project from last year which got-up.  They are quite simple to build and the detail is great.  I’ve also built the stables which I intend to use within the station yard complex. 
- completed stable
I’m still pondering as to what the shops will be, but research has indicated a bike shop, butcher, drapery and general merchandise stores where at that end of town.
The paving was painstaking!  After laying the timber boxing and getting it level, I picked a nice 33°C day to lay the clay.  I did it in small sections, on a diluted PVA base to give it some adhesion.  I’m still a bit concerned how it will withstand movement. 
 - 1st section
 - drying and cracking commence
 - a village appears.
Time will tell, and the guys have tentatively booked me into the Toowoomba show at the end of May; that is a round trip journey of 145km.  As the clay dried I kept spraying with a small mist bottle and using a damp finger or paint brush filled in some of the minor cracks.  I learnt early on that to properly use the cobblestone roller that use must let the clay being to dry.  Rolling it too early, while still damp, cause the roller to slip and spin and the area turning into off-road adventure park.  Once finally dry, I applied some grey paint, in this case Tamiya grey texture paint, which gives the rougher surface.  The roads are not perfect, but what road would be in Dorset during the 1930-50’s?
On a past Turs UFO night the question of lighting was discussed.  This lead to the use of LED strips.  A quick visit to eBay and 5m of lights were purchased with associated electrical connections, all for a very reasonable price.  They arrived with a week and we had a play with them on the Thurs just past.  I now need to assemble some 25mm PVC pipe to mount them in.
- 5m roll of LEDs.
And then we went under the baseboard!  Uncouplers!  Homemade electromagnets, using Peco uncoupler arms.  So far I’ve made 12, and installed 6, and will most likely require at least another dozen.  With current deadline in mind, Peco will have to suffice, but it does limit what I can and can’ shunt.  Our group meeting on sat we were discussing DG’s, so will need to follow that up some more.
- 10 down, how many to go?




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