Thomas At Silver Fox Island - one for kids to drive

[Dad-1]

The Langley scout camp set arrived, by return of post !! Super service.
Although still split I rested the tunnel section into place to try
and pump up the enthusiasm for that final push to completion.



Geoff T.

[thebritfarmer]

Looks really good and I am enjoying following your progress.

Regards
Scott

[Dad-1]

Hi thebritfarmer, Thanks for the comment.

No additional photographs today due to just adding more greenery to that hill.
Going to take several more days to cover and taking loads of scatters, so much
so that I was out shopping again today for a couple more bags of Gaugemaster
grass flock. Even have to look carefully at my bottle of PVA !

Won't want to go out again until Monday as we live just off the A5 road about
7 miles from Silverstone and it's British Grand Prix weekend. Near enough to
hear the cars and have the sky full of helicopters !

Still I have a load of Scouts to paint, I also want a large bell tent that'll need to
be scratch built. Off to dig in the spares/plasticard/junk boxes !!

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

Yesterday my final work was making two ruts down a slope
to represent a route the farmer takes with his tractor.
This morning before I start he's come down to take a look :-



Back to more grass laying !!

Geoff T.

[Stewart Gethin]

Looks great there Geoff. Living in rural mid Wales, I see plenty of scenes like this, without the massey 35(?) tractor in it.

Stew.

[Dad-1]

Hi Stewart,

I wonder if holidays in Wales and many rallies in the hills has influenced my love of slightly wild & rugged countryside.

Grass laying almost complete - I should manage my last patch early on Sunday. When today's PVA has
thoroughly dried I hope the animal paths still show up. I didn't try that idea until some likely path
routes had been laid and dried.
Still several small patches to tidy up, particularly rebuilding the road over bridge
with a plasticard roadway due to sagging of cardboard.



I would love to have matchstick & fishing nylon fencing all around the track, but it would be too vulnerable to
children touching and probably foul up when folding over into the closed position.

Hopes of finishing by Monday gone now, but a week on Monday shouldn't be a problem.

Geoff T.

[thebritfarmer]

Looking very nice Geoff and you are a dab hand with the grass. I know who to employ as my groundskeeper

[Stewart Gethin]

Hi again Geoff, the pure simplicity of this just makes it for me, along with the amazing scenery

Could we have some close-ups of around where the red landrover is? as I may have a couple of ideas for you there, but I would like to clarrify some things first.

Keep the updates coming. I find them fantastic, however small they are.


Stew.

[35011 GSN]

this is an amazing layout. i want a go

[Dad-1]

Hi 35011 GSN,

Hartlepool is a long way north, but on 20th August at Milton Keynes children (of all ages) can have a go.
This child of 69 was playing this very morning, before attacking that last piece of bare earth. Had to have
some animals in the field, I think it must be early morning with traffic taking people to work. Sorry no
trains, but all this has to go now as I prepare for the FINAL days grass laying ..... yipee.
I don't hate grass laying, but this was a big area, brings it all to life so I love the results.



When I rejoin the boards which should be later today I'll be in a position to take a few more cameo scenes
although painting 16 scout uniforms in 1/76 is going to take even more time.

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

This set photo intensive,
Today, still not quite 3 months from buying the wood I've reached a stage where just a few little jobs need sorting out.
The main thing is to rebuild the road over bridge and fully paint up to match the scene.

The first two giving overview from each side.





Then a few more compact scenes, starting with the station (note still needs signs)



Entrance to the field



Sheep on the hill side



May add a few more later as this is as much as a single posting likes.

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

Just made a drink for the dear lady - she had a small outpatients operation
today so I may have to ease back on my final work.
Still other photos

My gravel track from cornish beach sand, I'm quite impressed



In case we forget it is a Thomas layout, Oh yes that needs trains !!



I know I should add a stone facing to the tunnel, but not certain I can be bothered, may just paint a brick type colour.



Looking down the ridge road



More of a close-up



I must add yellow & brown tinges to the edge of that burnt patch.

O.K tht's it for a few days, I hope you like the countryside. In fact this is meant to be an abandoned ex-quarry site

Geoff T.

[413x]

geoff t i think that having put soooooooo much effort into this i think you shoud go all the way to add all your railway expertise so i think you should bother putting in some tunnel arches because other wise it will look s*** so go all the way

thanks alex

[Dad-1]

Hi Alex,

Yes I'm tempted to agree, for a couple of sheets of embossed plasticard it'll look
so much more complete.
Just before I folded it to put away in the garage I ran a Jinty with a few iron ore
tippler wagons ....... It may have been built for Thomas, but has other uses as well !!



Geoff T.

[Lofty]

I would love to have matchstick & fishing nylon fencing all around the track, but it would be too vulnerable to
children touching

I would go for a fully working electric one

Love the 'beach sand' track