Weathering the platform.

Having glued the platform surface to the base it was time to weather the base. The bricks and cables just looked too bright and new, not dirty and old as such a platform would be. Not only that but a bit of weathering does hide the odd glue smear and similar! The airbrush was loaded up with some very thinned earth coloured paint and randomly sprayed on the base until the desired effect had been achieved.

Putting it on the layout it turned from this....

....to this. Still more to do to the platform itself but it is coming on.

Back to model making!

 Time to get back to some modelling as it did rain today! Still didn't get much done as there were indoor jobs to do on Mrs. woody's list! However, I did get some more done on the platform for my 00 gauge layout. Something that you see attached to most platform sides are electrical cables but rarely modelled so that was my challenge today. I had some thin black cable salvaged from a defunct electrical appliance and although not long enough to go the full length of the platform I had a plan!

First off I needed some supports to attach the cables to - just like the real thing! I cut 5mm lengths of sme plastic rod from the WMD stock of such things and super glued these at 25mm gaps - roughly 6 feet in old money,

My plan to cover the joints in the wires was to make a dummy joint box. Some angled plastic strip did the job.

Painted balck they blended in.

Tempoarily putting the platform in place it looks good - in my view anyway!

Just needs the top surafce gluing on and some weathering - I wonder if it will rain tomorrow!

WMD Stores added to!

As a result of my visit to the Market Deeping Model Railway Club Exhibition, not only did Mrs. Woody get her Tiffin but the WMD Stores got a few items!

I picked up this from a company called LCut who produce laser cut building kits. They sponsored YouTuber, Lauries Mechanical Marvels, in his recent model railway build so I thought I would try one of their kits.

Very well packaged and I bought some DeLux glue made for the job to.

There are certainly a lot of parts but looks very interesting.

The gent who does 3D printing with profits going to the Lincolnshire Air Ambulance was there and I really do love what he has in his ever expanding range. This 009 diesel loco body was just £13.

This very nice Cat pipe layer was just £8 - look at the detail!

And these bikes were just £1.

There was also a bus stop shelter and a telephone box again £2.

I just need time to put them together! Talking of which the good weather is seeing me concentrating on gardening rather than model making so maybe some rain is needed! However in the meantime the log splitting is seeing the pile go down.

And with hedges and grass cutting together with weeding there is a nice pile of bags to go to the recycling centre - evidence that Mrs. W cannot refute that I have been busy!

The Market Deeping Model Railway Club Exhibition May 2024 part 2

Yesterday I highlighted two unusual layouts and I will follow that today with a few others.

First off something that you don't see usually at a model railway exhibition, a ScFi layout curtesy of Laurie Calvert who has produced several of these layouts, plus others, over the years. His YouTube channel, Calvertfilm has a plethora of interesting and entertaining videos on all sorts of model matters. A great gut to talk with and really gets into the part with him and his parnter both in Steam Punk costum. People like this really do make a big difference to an exhibition.

It was great to see one of his layouts in the flesh and whilst many railway modellers may dismiss such layouts, I find them fascinating and they usually make a big impression on those non-railway modellers who attend shows such as Mrs. Woody.

A short video clip brings it all alive!

The whole layout is about 6 feet by 2 but packs a lot in.

This, believe it or not, is a GWR railcar, with a few ScFi additions!

Many of the lights and movements are interactive with switches for people to press!

Moving onto something very different and based on history and not ScFi we have this amazing duo of layouts depicting the exact same spot n Switzerland, just that they are 100 years apart! Take a look at the two pictures below. There are the subtle and less subtle changes such as the balloon being replaced with a helicopter, the horse drawn wagon going over the bridge being replaced with the Mercedes Actros but belonging to the same company! Whilst the owner explained the history of the layout my eyes just kept dating between the two layouts. It was fascinating and expertly executed and I have never seen it done before! You can click on the pictures to get the original high resoltution photo open up in a new window if you want a closer look.

Another first for me was to see a monochrome layout. Based on the old black and white film, Brief Encounter, the layout looked brilliant. I am guessing just working in monochrome is not easy but it is possible as this layout proves.

There is obviously a sense of humour wit the funeral parlor offering 'Buy one get one free'!

Another dock type layout in the form of Eastgate Harbour with its two teddy bear guardians!

Some wonderful ship modelling as well as the railway side of things.

This layout also had animated scenes and I was taken by this one of two brawling dockers!

Amazing the lengths to fit something in that modellers will go to. A cinema on one layout had an open roof...

...the audience and the film actually playing on the screen - and it was playing! Apologies for the poor camera focus.

Lastly, my first layout in the new Hornby TT range based on the Dawlish seawall.  Have to see if any others appear in this new gauge during the year or whether this is a lone sighting!

It was a great exhibition and I could post more photos but the ones I have posted are perhaps the type of layouts you may not see very often at an exhibition. To see so many in one is a credit to the club and exhibiton manager.

The Market Deeping Model Railway Club Exhibition May 2024,

A surprise visit today to the Market Deeping Model Railway Club Exhibition held in Stamford, Lincolnshire. I say surprise as up until 10pm last night it had been off my radar for reasons I have yet to work out! Anyway Mrs. Woody was delighted to go out at short notice to, as I carefully explained to her, buy some chocolate tiffin, so off we went. 

I have been to the last 3 events and baring the two events cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid it has now been five years since the club hit international headlines when the 2019 event was badly disrupted by four youths who vandalised some of the exhibits over night before the opening day. To see where the Club are now is a great example of people picking up the pieces and making something even better from them. This year there were some really great layouts with some unusual and never to me seen before layouts.

Starting with Essex Brick the layout exudes a character which took me seconds to recognise as being modelled on the type of interpretation of the Victorian Industrial scene that you see in the recent Sherlock Holmes films.

It is completely 3D printed - that is all the rolling stock, warehouses, vehicles, ships, cranes, people and cargo! As the builder said nothing is available in the shops!

It is a fascinating layout that needs a lot more time than I had to look at and spot all the details and cameos.

Another model full of character was this WW! layout  - A Cold Front. You just have to look at the scene itself to see this is a different layout from the norm. I was particularly taken by some of the rolling stock which had several unusual trains.

Just like this small Red Cross wagon and small loco.

Or this Swapwith Camel aeroplane in bits.

There are other layouts equally interesting and inspiring and perhaps more of those tomorrow and yes, Mrs. W did get her chocolate Tiffin. There is a lady who makes them who attends the exhibition each year and they are delicious!

Logs and platform escapades!

For some reason I had to choose today, the hottest day of the year so far, to work in the sun and get on with some logging escapades! The pile of tree parts on the front drive that I have accumulated over the Winter (all for free) and looks an eyesore (well it was free as I tell Mrs. Woody!) is getting smaller as I split and log the wood. Mrs. Woody will be pleased - I hope!

My work space with trusty cross cut saw!

After several hot hours it is a much reduced pile and a log store looking much better for Winter!

Meanwhile, as they say, things are moving, slowly, on the platform for my 00 gauge layout. The platform surface is sprayed with Halfords grey primer for that worn tarmac look and the edging stones are now being painted in a stone colour by brush. A bit of masking tape helps keep a neat edge.

Putting the surface on the base shows how this is coming together rather nicely. Certainly easier to do then my log escapades!