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A new addition at Wykeham shed.

IMG_1375 by Barry Clayton, on Flickr

No work on the layout for sometime. I am about to replace the Metcalfe Retaining Wall with a self-cast textured wall - not sure yet whether to use plaster or resin. I have the moulds, I just need to start mixing.

A quiet day at Wykeham Shed.

IMG_1383 by Barry Clayton, on Flickr

I have started to replace the Metcalfe Retaining Wall - there is nothing really wrong with it, but it lacks texture. In the first picture I have used a plaster retaining wall I found on ebay - pre-painted (Halfords Grey Primer??). It was £15 for 870mm - so fairly cheap, and is very similar in looks to the Bachmann Scenecraft version. It needs some weathering and added detail, but it does look a little more realistic than the Metcalfe version.

The second picture depicts a quick home-cast retaining wall from a ScaleCast mould. It came out well, but, I think the detail is too coarse.

Comments welcome.

IMG_1408 by Barry Clayton, on Flickr

IMG_1411 by Barry Clayton, on Flickr

To my eye, I think the retaining walls look to be made of brick and the cast version of stone.
Thus the coarseness of the cast version.
Perhaps your depicted layout location might be a deciding factor?
Thanks
End2end

The home cast version looks rather crude to me, mortar lines too deep, stones around the arch too small in comparison to the rest. I'd go for the other ones but it really needs detailing to introduce some variation into the brickwork.

Many thanks for the comments. I think I will use the dark grey "brick" walling. The more I look at it, the plaster cast "stone walling" appears out of scale.

If you are shopping in Halfords try Halfords super matt Khakki as it makes a great primer for brickwork, it has that concrete/mortar look when dry and if you sponge on your grey/brown stone colour. I had a recommendation to use 7mm Slaters stone plasticard, it had worked really well for me

Jim

Hi Jim - Thanks for the suggestion about the Halfords Matt Khakki - I might try that. Although I think a wall bordering a steam shed, over the years would be a dirty black - even the pointing.

A Class 205 (Thumper) leaving Wykeham.

IMG_1421 by Barry Clayton, on Flickr

I have added working headlights to the leading taxi on the station cab rank. Only problem appears to be one light on "main-beam" the other on "dipped". Will get that changed before MOT is due.

IMG_1429 by Barry Clayton, on Flickr

Battle of Britain Class 34070 "Manston" on a quick visit to Wykeham, having received its new 10-year boiler ticket on the 16th November 2022 after a five year overhaul. The real "Manston" can now be seen again on the Swanage Railway.

IMG_1432 by Barry Clayton, on Flickr

A good "Black Friday" deal - Four 4-wheel coaches (with lights) for the price of two.
IMG_1453 by Barry Clayton, on Flickr

Always love seeing bits of Wykeham.

Geoff T.

Thanks Geoff T - I have not done much of late. I have replaced the Metcalfe Stone Retaining wall with a plaster-cast version - it has texture and detail which the Metcalfe version lacks. I am now going to mount the walling on strips of wood, with a similar strip along the back, this will enable sections to be removed in one piece (five sections of walling). Followed by some weathering and plant growth along the top.
Although I bought the moulds from Scalecast, I did not use them, I did a trial and they looked to much like a castle wall, whereas what I have used was cheap, and looks very much like the Bachmann Scenecraft retaining wall.

IMG_1445 by Barry Clayton, on Flickr

IMG_1444 by Barry Clayton, on Flickr

Having replaced almost nine feet of Metcalfe Stone Retaining Wall with a plaster cast version, I now have to start the weathering process. I have a couple of pieces of walling with which to experiment on. I have stuck the walling onto some strip pine (copied this idea from Shawhurst/Fratton71D), so there are now four, five and six wall sections per removable section. Currently playing with paint colours and washes.
IMG_1459 by Barry Clayton, on Flickr