Braybridge - 5' x 1' - Now up for sale

[Class 60]

What a great little layout, really liked the river effect! Who would have thought cat litter had a use in the modelling world

Will look forward to more updates!

Adam

[SouthernBoy]

I'm liking this

[jamest]

Thanks for the kind comments gents,

While I was in and out of the model shop waiting for my grasmaster to arrived I was 'conned' into several purchases!!!

So here are my new pride and joys - BAA steel coil wagons. I had already purchased a metals Vi-Trains 37 a while ago and couldn't resist these beauties. The plan is to either have a steel works further up the line or have the steel wagons run to the station from down the line to run around. I can take the coils on or off according to direction.











Right - must stop playing and get on with the scenery!

Cheers,
James

[whynot]

Nice! Play on, then we get to see the photos!

[jamest]

Hi all,

This week I've finished off the base layer of green with the grasmaster and added some trees and bushes.

For my bushes I use a base layer of hanging basket liner glued down with PVA:



And then I spray it with hairspray and apply my choice of scatter - then seal it with more hairspray:





I've also added some ready to plant trees from the Hornby range against the back-scene (I know....I'll try to make them next time!). It does help hide the right angled corners of the scenic section:



I've also plugged the gap in the back scene above the river behind the bridge. There is a join line (just above the bridge in the picture) but I will disguise it a bit better later:



Next I decided to have a dark ballast footpath alongside the river (the river needs cleaning out after the static grass application). I have some long 'reeds' that I plan to insert into the river bank after re-heating the scenic water with SWMBO's hairdrier!





Need to work on the left hand bank next.

Cheers,
James

[thebritfarmer]

You are making nice progress on this James.

[jamest]

Hi again,

Been practicing a bit more with the Grasmaster this weekend. I want to place some patches of grass on the layout and this months Model Rail reviewed different sources of such tufts of grass. One option they highlighted was placing a blob of pva on a biscuit tin lid in the shape you desire, and then applying your choice of static grass with a tool such as the Grasmaster. So I had a go and I'm really pleased with the results - It is much easier than doing it straight onto the layout and you can try it in place and move it around before fixing it in place. Its also very easy to recollect the extra fibres not used - just tip them back into the container.

Here are my first efforts - I'm thinking of running a grass line down the middle of the rural road over the station end.

P1010837.JPG (47.16 KiB) Viewed 3752 times

I'm starting to see why people rave about the Grasmaster - I'll need to restrain myself on the use of grass on future layouts I think!

Cheers,
James

[HARRYMALLARD]

Looks just as good as the ones you can buy and more economical too
Cheers Harry

[jamest]

Cheers Harry,

Doing the tufts made me think about the possibility of making the road over the station a bit more 'rural'. So I did a quick experiment with a long thin squirt of PVA and I think it has potential. I'll need to 'grass up' the edge of the road too - and make it a bit dirtier but its a good start and the long tuft is pretty resilient and easily move-able.



I've also placed the base for the signal box down and covered the last bit of cork! I've ballasted around it and placed the bits and bobs on top before I paint the surface. Does this arrangement make sense to everyone?



I've also re-jigged the embankment down from the road bridge - this was my first attempt with the Grasmaster and I wasn't too happy with it. I've also added a tree in place of the bushes:



And while I had the camera out I snapped away at some of the scenery completed:
Grass tufts in place (a bit green at the moment):



Some other shots, quite pleased with how the scenery is developing:







And a new one from the fiddle yard hole over the bridge:



Cheers,
James

[mika]

quite pleased with how the scenery is developing:

And you have every right to be so. This is looking great. I think I'll try my luck with making some of those grass tufts as well.
Keep up the great work and us posted!

Michael

[Lofty]

One option they highlighted was placing a blob of pva on a biscuit tin lid in the shape you desire, and then applying your choice of static grass with a tool such as the Grasmaster.

Did they lift off the tin lid ok? I wonder if putting the blob of glue on a bit of tin foil might be better. Either way I may give it a go.

The bushes on the bank side really look the part.

On your static grass you may want to try mixing a couple of colours next time to break up the uniformity a bit.

[jamest]

Hi Lofty,

The set PGA comes off the tin lid easily - but tin foil could be a good option. One advantage of the tin lid is that it creates a very flat surface underneath.
You are right on the mix of fibre colours. I have ordered some autumn and winter fibres from international models and I intend dusting different shades of static grass over the existing green.

Cheers,
James

[memyselfand1]

I only just found this thread and I agree it's looking great so far. You've almost convinced me to buy the Grassmaster...

- another James

[jamest]

You've almost convinced me to buy the Grassmaster...

Hi,

Here is some more evidence for the purchase!!!

As I mentioned earlier I ordered some autumn and winter fibres from international models - and they arrived yesterday. I couldn't resist having a go with them today. I've dusted over the existing grass, first with the autumn green and then with a mix of both autumn and winter. The shades seem a lot better to me.

I have to take pictures under the lights of the garage at the moment so the colours look a little greener than they are in real life. But by comparing to earlier shots the difference is clear. I'm also getting better at using the Grasmaster:





I've also extended the grassy bank further up over the tufts I placed down in an earlier post. I think I may have gone a bit over the top - would the railway have allowed the grass to get so close to the line? It also looks a bit like a lawn at the moment so I need to add some un-unifirm growth in the shape of bushes, weeds, etc.

Here are the tufts before:



And here they after a growing spurt!









I'm really happy with the effect - I just need to reign in the enthusiasm a bit! Might need to get the strimmer out!

Cheers,
James

[jamest]

Hi again,

Bit of a photo heavy update again - but the sun was out in Bratton Fleming this morning and I thought I'd move the layout into the sun and take some better shots of the grass now I've mixed it up a bit. I've 'strimmed' close to the line with Henry the hoover but I probably need to do a little more.

It also enables me to get further away from the layout for a scenic section shot:





You can see the grass is not as 'green' now I've mixed in the autumn and winter fibres:







Thought I'd get out the 108 as well, my photoshoot companion of choice!











As I said earlier it needs to look a bit more unkempt and not like a front lawn but its getting there.

Cheers,
James