A weeks worth of work (5)

Is it five weeks already? I'd better get working!
It really feels like I've done nothing much this week, though I have done a lot of work on the scenery.

Work on making the PECO crazy track look better.

The first task was to improve the track. I love PECO track. I wouldn't use anything else, and this time I've been making an extra special effort to make it look more realistic. I've spent a lot of time looking at track, and many sleepers/ties are a variation of greys rather than browns that the track is moulded in. To start with I scribed into some detail into the grain of the sleepers than after a spray with light earth I added some washes of greys acrylics. Then when that dried I wash some of my Indian ink/alcohol weathering mix pick out the grain in the ties. After painting the "chairs" and rail a rust colour things are starting to look OK.

Looking better.

Now I find myself agonising about what size and colour of ballast to use.

The other major task of the week was to get on with the ground covering. Nothing much special here. I have plenty of Woodland Scenics turf products of various sizes and shades. So it was a given to use those to keep the costs of the project down. 

Who remembers a few years ago when reversible pot toppers were discovered as a cheaper source of grass tufts? I bought a topper to use and I thought it was about time I used it. It looks a little bright on the layout, so it needs a little toning down in places. But I like the effect. I might go out and see if I can finds another topper.

Reversible Pot toppers. Remember those?

Once its broken up and glued oil place it looks quite acceptable.

One task that went a little easier than I thought but still has a few issues, was the working loader. If I was an expert in trigonometry I would have been able to calculate the prefect angle and length of chute. But instead I had to guess...

Finding the right length of chute.

It works! But not perfectly. 

Luckily, guessing was relatively easy. But the loading is not perfect. The material I had been using for loading was Woodland Scenics Talus. It has no weight, so emptying by gravity is minimal. The friction of the Talus on the cardboard structure of the bin overcomes the gravity so I'll need to concoct a shoving stick to help empty things or find a heavier loading material.

Though the weeks work didn't seem all that much, on reflection I achieved quite a bit. Aside from Ballasting and fixing the mine in place, the cabinet is exhibitable. I need to add trees and mining detritus around the site for atmosphere and I need to put my wife on the task of dirtying the figures I have. As for me next week I'll have to work on the off stage storage.