Millsend Layout - OO Gauge Sixties Midland

[mikem64]

Creating a very nice convincing atmosphere with your work, love the photo's.

Cheers Mike.

[KevSR]

Great looking layout, looks fun to operate too. I really like the platform canopies, are they Dapol kits?

[railwayjim]

Yes, they are the Dapol kits, so much better than they used to be.
All parts clean and crisp with no flash, think they have refurbished the moulds.

[JohnN]

I'm another one late to the party. This really is a smashing layout, congratulations on it.

It's a shame we didn't have the pleasure of seeing it develop and grow into the layout it is today as you built it. Please keep posting any updates though.

[railwayjim]

As promised a few more pictures of the finished station area with the newly completed and final weathering done to the station canopies.

Having seen the finished canopies on camera, the window spars on top clearly need more weathering, so perhaps not 100% finished, but nothing ever is on "Millsend".

The 4 pictures show a right to left view of the full station (a few more passengers are needed I think), but overall very pleased with the results.

Thanks for looking and all the positive comments are very much appreciated.

Jim.

[skyblue]

Fantastic - the station building stands out for me as a great structure - I assume it's scratchbuilt?

[ParkeNd]

Absolutely fabulous as always. Positively enviable.

[railwayjim]

Thanks for the comments.

As for the station building, it is actually a factory kit sold by "Cornerstone".
The kits consist of panels which if re-arranged can be made into different structures.
The factory behind is another one of their huge range. I have built this as low relief, so the four sides are used as the front of the factory
Just Google cornerstone kits and check out the images, they produce loads.
Thanks again,
Jim.

[skyblue]

Those kits look interesting - even thought they are American some of them - like the factory - look like they would fit into a British layout with no modification. Did you have to modify the station to 'Anglicise it'?

[railwayjim]

The only modification needed was the roof.
Most US factories have a flat roof, so a hip roof was created using slaters tile sheets and a couple of chimney stacks.
Once the building had a coat of cream on the windows and maroon on the doors etc. it soon took on a more British appearance.

Jim.

[luckymucklebackit]

I commented on this layout on the other thread, absolutely marvellous, the feature of this layout that amazes me is how the lack of ballast on the track does not impact on the realism whatsoever, a lesson there for anyone struggling to ballast a layout.

Jim

[skyblue]

lack of ballast

Lack of ballast????

I hadn't realised until now!

[whynot]

The Cornerstone kits look just right - and splitting a 3-d structure for low-relief is often the best value solution. Nice work.

Track laid onto ballast mat gives a pretty good representation of 1960s appearance, especially in a station area, I reckon. Wish
I 'd taken this approach again on my current layout attempt. Difficult to get the minimal ballast look using loose "granite" and fixative.

Thanks for the photos.

[railwayjim]

Yes it's surprising I have no ballast at all on Millsend.
After tracklaying, I just sprayed Track Grime over the trackwork and baseboard and
cleaned the rail tops afterwards, a quick touching in with a rust pen and sleeper pen and job done.
I have enjoyed kit building and scenic work in the hours I have saved not ballasting and you can lift
track to make small changes very easily as there is no ballast to disturb. (Works for me).
'But' - I have to say, a layout ballasted well, adds that bit more realism.

Jim.

[KevSR]

Really like the way you've arranged the terraced houses and the use of the backscene, very realistic.