Sandy Hills The new layout

[Steve M]

Sandy, you can guess what my suggestion is......airbrush.
You may have some luck with washes of grimy paint, there’s an article in one of this month’s model magazines where the builder stained their ballast with tea and coffee!
Personally, I don’t favour powders although some seem to get good results - sadly not me.

[sandy]

Thanks Steve will have a rethink.

[Bandit Mick]

I use washes of artist acrylic paints as well as weathering powders. The secret seems to be to build up the weathering gradually ie don’t use too much or dark colours straight away. I seem to get to my eyes a fairly good result. However, I’m sure others with much more experience than me may have better suggestions. If in doubt try your chosen technique on spare material not on your model - but I’m sure you already realised this.

[sandy]

Thanks BM have taken in everything you said, thanks for the advice.

[sandy]

Will be leaving the Engine Yard for a while and consentrating on the embankment and after getting the W1 Hush Hush will be using that to test the gradent up from flat to the incline because of the lack of clearence of the W1s rear wheels. Think that Loco is going to show every little imperfection on the track and gradients will need a very gentle rise from flat to the gradient. And the level at the top like wise. If the curve is to sharp at the top I can imagine the loco lifting up the front of the tender and derailing it. Think it may be trile and error for that job. I had thought of removing the rear wheels to make life easy but dont think it would look right.

[Chops]

Fascinating and most intricately done. Looks like you have mastered the issue of the lift gate.

[sandy]

Thanks chops. I think the method of using PCB is the best way of doing it. you get PCB 1.5 mm thick which is just a little less that peco wooden sleeper track . Lay the track, push a piece PCB (glass fibre type) under both flap and board having cut away sleepers where needed push a peice of solder under each rail and solder up. Then cut the rails with a dremmel drill. That way you get perfect rail level. And it is easy to do.

[Walkingthedog]

And don’t forget to cut a gap in the copper between the rails.

[sandy]

Thanks WTD forgot to mention that. I did that last after the picture. Going to put plastic sheet wooden planking over the nasty looking PCB to make a walk crossing across the lines.

[Jsa274]

Looks really good, nice work!

I have a hinged layout, but it is made more complicated by track crossing the join at an angle.

I’m not at the ballasting stage yet but I personally think a darker hue is more fitting. especially if running steam engines or in areas where diesels would spend a lot of time static, such as fuel points, sheds, or near the end of platforms.