The backscene was formed as a composite of several pictures, with a lot of editing and colour balancing using Paint and GIMP. Fortunately, the viaduct is a popular spot for drone enthusiasts, so there were plenty of YouTube videos to harvest for suitable views. Not so, alas, for the station end.
The backscene is now complete, the station buildings planted, the water poured and proper layout lighting installed. The next stage is trees, bushes and fencing, but final detailing and cleanups will be postponed until the end of the whole project.
The backscene was formed as a composite of several pictures, with a lot of editing and colour balancing using Paint and GIMP. Fortunately, the viaduct is a popular spot for drone enthusiasts, so there were plenty of YouTube videos to harvest for suitable views. Not so, alas, for the station end. The main grassing step is now complete. To me, that is always the turning point for a layout - where it finally starts to change from a messy construction site to a real place. The station buildings and platforms have had a bit of detailing work, but have not yet been properly installed. Work on the backscene has also started, but I had to lower it slightly so the clouds are too low and will need to be repainted.
Slow and steady progress continues. The track has been permanently installed and the plastering, puttying and painting is almost complete. Test trains have been run. The next step is to finish off the station buildings by adding fences, lamps, and other details, so I can permanently install them. That will finally clear the way for grass to grow!
The Malmsbury station buildings are now largely complete. Final details such as fences, lamps and signs will be added as late as possible since they are quite delicate. As usual, while the closeups are cruel, it looks reasonable at a normal viewing distance.
After another longish pause, the scenery is starting to take shape. The underlying support is corrugated cardboard, then plaster bandage and gap-filler putty, then enough paint for the rough undercoat and final visual checks. Roads are cardboard, and the aqueduct is 3D printed.
The main timberwork is now finished. This includes the track bed, backscene, and basic scenic supports (lowest level of terrain contours). The fascia boards and possibly a small lifting flap to hide the curve between the road overbridge and the backscene are still to be done. The electronics are also almost complete.
Some more progress on Malmsbury... I always like to pause for a couple of weeks at the mock-up stage, since that is the last chance to make changes to the design. The key take-aways from it were to angle the track slightly to not be parallel with the baseboard edge, and to push the track towards the back to maximize the foreground scenic area.
So, with the track plan adjusted accordingly, the 8 meters of track have been assembled and tested. The next tasks are the timberwork for the raised track bed, major landscape contours and the backscene, followed by installing and wiring the track. The first steps towards the Malmsbury model have now been taken: a site visit and photo session, all structures have been 3D printed, the baseboard built, the track manufactured, and final positioning mock-ups are under way.
There has been a lack of recent progress on Penzance, with me hesitating at the large number of buildings that have to be painted. So, to recharge my batteries I have started what I hope should be a fairly quick and simple 2-3 month side project. Serious planning began on May 1st, so let's see how well that time estimate holds up.
Malmsbury is a minor station about 100km north of Melbourne, with some local fame from having the largest stone viaduct in Australia. My usual 6' x 2' layout size is big enough to include both the station and the viaduct, with no compression. The layout will be in 1:480 scale, set in the 1960s at the end of steam, and consist of a simple double track oval - the station sidings and loops will be dummies. This will finally give me somewhere to run my VR trains, and an excuse to build more of them! After my brief venture into slot cars, it is back to railways again, with some Victorian Railways models in T Gauge (1:480). A Walker railcar, J and K class steam locos, and some typical wagons and carriages. As usual, these are low resolution 3D prints with printed paper sides.
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April 2024
AuthorMartin Kaselis |