Model Railway Forum

You’ve a good memory Brian. R-

A long way to go, but this is what I had in mind. I may be able to bring the tunnel portal forward a fraction so that the buffers are just inside the portal (only just!!) with some railings behind. The fencing on the left will be moved further to the left.

IMG_1103 by Barry Clayton, on Flickr

Steve M wrote: ↑Sat Dec 18, 2021 4:37 pm Barry, you just triggered my OCD!
Could you skew the perspective slightly to make the tracks line up a little better?
That will look very good.

That reminds me of this photograph I took many years ago while out walking. Not wanting to hang around I just grabbed my phone, crouched down and took it. It wasn't until later that I realised how well it was framed.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/7sv1kb7GDKnZe69e6

Taken here:

https://goo.gl/maps/qrakAG97rtrmvUUF6

I think that’s going to look great Barry. I think the portal will need to come forward a shade on my attempt at this, otherwise the whole thing will look unnatural. Probably will anyway when I’ve finished but I’d like to give it a fighting chance. R-

I've made a little progress - all the parts of the retaining wall are just leaning against the "woodchip" - I intend to stick the wall and tunnel/bridge to a card which will have a backscene stuck to it before the bits are attached - this will mean that should the lifting section need to be lifted, I can remove the wall/tunnel beforehand. The Metcalfe tunnel portal is really to big, but wonder how a girder bridge side would look, and fit - realistic?? If the wall is "dirtied up" with perhaps some graffiti, I think it will look ok?

IMG_1104 by Barry Clayton, on Flickr

This is where I am with this at the moment.



Glue on door knob is still drying so still white. White panel to left of door will be a notice. Not happy with the colour of those vertical timbers above everything. I went for a wooden front as what was there, presumably metal plates, looked too far “behind” everything else. So, in short, nothing like what was intended but that’s how it goes.

Not sure how to represent barbed wire. Any ideas welcome.

Currently unable to find buttresses.

Bert is lurking to give a sense of scale. Ignore him, he’ll leave.

R-

Roger, I think Javis produce barbed wire for models.
Alternatively two or three long strands of copper wire twisted together then shaped by wrapping round a pencil would work. Attach one end of the stands to a fixed point and then put the other end in a drill and give it a spin. That’s how I did the wires on my fences.
Paint them silver then add some rust and you will have your barbed wire.

That's looking very good Roger - a few bushes hanging over the top and it will look great. One thing - if you cannot find your "buttresses" let me know, I have them in abundance I have the Metcalfe Tunnel Portal kit, which I probably will not now use. I also have a number from the Metcalfe Retaining wall - you get five in the kit, and I have five spares from the other walling built. The retaining wall items are very slightly shorter than those that come with the tunnel portal - if your stuck pm me. Barry

That does look good.

The only other possibility as an alternative is to do away with the buffers and have a fake level crossing beyond it and model closed gates across the line where there are signs that the line beyond the crossing is dissused (Bushes, weeds, growth etc). This may offer you a fraction of extra space as you will not neccessarily need the buffers to create the effect, but that is another option to the seario that you are faced with.
I have only just tought of this as an option for your layout even though it is what I had planned to do on my layout. It just did not occur to me earlier when I was looking, sorry, as I saw the buffers and thought "Closed dissused tunnel".

Either way it gives the illusion that something is beyond the immediate area. The illusion of space...

bulleidboy wrote: ↑Thu Dec 23, 2021 2:25 pm A long way to go, but this is what I had in mind. I may be able to bring the tunnel portal forward a fraction so that the buffers are just inside the portal (only just!!) with some railings behind. The fencing on the left will be moved further to the left.

IMG_1103 by Barry Clayton, on Flickr

I wonder if the height of the tunnel portal can be reduced slightly as it will look like it is slightly further away then it is,as often if one is in a train and has a trivers eye view, the tun els sometines look as if the train is not going to fit but when one is right by it it fits. One can highlite this illusion in model form by reducing the size (Height and width) of the tunnel entrance.