Friday 16 January 2009

Dark & Grey...

... an English Film, a Wednesday Play. 

How do you plan your layout? Track plans? Prototype research? Maps? Photographs?

Well yes to all of those, but what about art? What about music? Literature? Nature? I find that all of these feed into the gestation of my modelling, especially layouts. The above line from a song, a piece of music by Sibelius, Dickens, photos and pictures (not necessarily railway related), winter walks. All currently informing and inspiring my modelling.

I am seeing Brafferton (which I have already decided to set in Autumn) being very muted in its colouring; almost monochrome. Not necessarily over-dark, but certainly not bright and colourful. We have a long way before we start worrying too much about colour though. I have been finishing up the plastering on board No. 1:


The left hand of the board has been demarked using card to enable the end of the platform to be let in. Having formed the basic shapes from insulation sheet, a base of pre-mixed filler was followed by a thinner mix which included emulsion paints to give a workable base:


The corner of the backscene will be infilled to provide a smooth curve between the back and the side. For those who are interested in backscene heights, and their relationship with board width etc., the backscene rises 6" above baseboard height and so only about 40-60% is visible on this board due to the hillside. The baseboard is 12" wide so that at its maximum the backscene will never be more than half as high as the board is wide. 

When dry, I will need to finish ballasting the trackwork. I will then probably finish the bridge by which time I ought to be in the mood to lay some more track!

For those who aren't on or don't read the VAG, this rather nice link was posted recently; some very atmospheric photos to inspire you, perhaps?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I intend to set my Challenge Layout - which seems to be getting called Brompton sidings - in a dull West London day, probably in autumn but definitely after a shower of rain.

That should set some interesting challenges for the "weathering" of stock and scenery!