Little Brickling (N Gauge micro)

[CarlP]

I shall be following this with interest, looks like a neat project, and I’m also curious about the ballast.

[potatan]

A brief return to Little Brickling to work on my hitherto non-existent hill-forming skills.

Modroc-onna-Roll

Just using this as my usual testbed before ruining the bigger layout. I made a few "ribs" out of cardboard to support the hillside and top, leaving them open at the rear for calamity access reasons. Then I tried putting metal gauze over the whole thing in the shape of a somewhat steep-sided hill. Glue-gunned it all together then whacked some modroc sheets on to make a passable hillside, followed by a few different basecoats of emulsion to see how they look under the rest of the scenery. I enjoyed making a little cardboard tunnel entrance the most I think!

Some issues

* the wire is not as malleable as I thought it would be. This lead to the next issue:
* the hill is a bit ridgey. I'm hoping this might disappear under the static grass. If not I'll claim it's an Anglo-Saxon ridge and furrow formation
* the modroc leaves a lot of tiny holes - again I'll see how it looks once it's turfed

Quite pleased really, as a practice effort it was fun to do A New Thing, and a change from all the wiring and soldering issues.

Rib it.. Rib it:

Does the tunnel cut fit the mustard:

Easy access:

Crazy rock strata in Little Brickling:

[aleopardstail]

the tiny holes generally are not a huge issue - however while the stuff is wet running a gloved finger over can smooth it out nicely. and a couple of layers will stop the holes aligning.

for the more vertical bits have some scrunched up tin foil and apply a bit of filler when its dry, then the foil for a rock effect (don't leave the foil on) the woodland scenics rock moulds you can cast with plaster are good too.

have a look at "modelling compound" (basically a mix of plaster and ground up egg boxes) works well as a texture filler

ridge bits where wire lumps become the little gullies etc you fill with clumps of bushes, they then vanish

and painting brown before grass is a very good idea

and it looks very good

[Phred]

potatan wrote:
Rib it.. Rib it:

Looks good,BTW.

aleopardstail
a couple of layers will stop the holes aligning.

"Unity is strength. Divide your enemy, and conquer them." -Sun Tzu

[potatan]

And here we have the finished item, for a wide-ranging definition of "finished".

I just wanted a go with the grass gun really, plus an attempt at a track/path. I dug up some dirt from the garden, ground it through a pestle and mortar, scorched it in the oven to kill any wee beasties, and made a little rabbit track across the top of the hill, then forgot and covered it in grass. I did use it to edge the road/track going over the hill, but I think I need to figure out some better masking techniques to stop the grass from going where I didn't want it to go - it's okay for the first layer as it will only stick to the PVA but for the subsequent layering layers it's difficult to control the aerosol spray.

I would have had a go at colouring in the rock face but it got covered in grass too before I could get the paints out from my rock-kit. I used the scrunched up tin foil effect for the rocks, seemed to work quite well - thanks for the suggestion <aleopardstail>

So now I think I'll put Little Brickling away while I see what kind of a mess, I mean tunnel I can make on the bigger Bricklington layout.

A little diorama: shunty boy about to steal some rocks with a recently purloined Gloucester Coal wagon while Daphne sets up her picnic at the top of the Cotswolds (out of scene). The Royal Naval Reserve class 42 is trying to take a carriage full of eager birdwatchers to the Severn Estuary but has inexplicably become trapped at the tunnel entrance by some hidden cardboard reinforcing ribs

Trouble ahead as a little rockfall threatens to encroach on the track

Chaos on the hill as the Ribble District championship cheese-rolling team turn up in their double-decker having failed to plan the route effectively; now they are blocking access for Dennis the British Railways engineer who is on his way to check the integrity of the cliff face.

[Phred]

potatan wrote:
Chaos on the hill as the Ribble District championship cheese-rolling team turn up in their double-decker having failed to plan the route effectively; now they are blocking access for Dennis the British Railways engineer who is on his way to check the integrity of the cliff face.

Who in all that lot will notice the empty car next to the empty bench at the scenic lookout? And who will discover something nasty?
I bet Miss Marple is among those birdwatchers on the train conveniently stuck just below! The rockfall may mean nothing or it may be a vital clue!

[Mountain]

Very nice. Those early satnavs!