a multipliable use micro

[kevo]

Hi  all just sent   in a few pics of my small boxfile layout  . it will run a few different types of rolling stock   inc gypsum  and fertiliser  and poss cement  hope you like it . work still in progress  .

[Rob]

Looks very good- very realistic scenes.

Great work

[Galteemore]

Very nice indeed. Shows what’s possible in a small space 

[popeye]

Very nice, it has so much realism.

I would be nice to see it expanded.

[kevo]

thanks popeye  glad you like it  . must admit  it could have done with being  a tad or to longer  but it was just to see what can be done in a boxfile . it has a two track  traverser so the whole layout can work with  two locos and roughly 4-5 wagons  . one loco brings train in  uncouples   and runs back out  .then i bring another  loco in to shunt .  belive it or not a shut around can last for a good 10 -15 mins before  reverse ing  the whole  process  . thats is not include ing  when things get in a jam and has to be un tangled  . at the moment  . i only have two 141 class    locos but hope to add a 121 in a weeks time . fingers crossed 

[David Holman]

Excellent work - well done you. There is probably more fun in building modules like this than actually operating them, but as your pictures show, they are great for posing and photographing models. Plus of course, one delvelops new skills in the process and the project gets going pretty quickly too.

 

Edited May 2, 2021 by David Holman
spelling

[kevo]

thanks David  yes thats true  as i tend to build only small layouts there is more fun in the build side  allso  things get finished much quicker  . as my iterest  in railways covers stadard gauge subjects and narrow gauge  and american to i can never justifie  one  large layout  . as i am nearly allways thinking of my next project before one subject is finished 

[murphaph]

Very impressed with this. I love the grungy 161 the most. Any chance of weathering up the ballast wagons too?

[kevo]

yes them wagons do need some weather ing   they  stick out a bit  compared to  the rather caked up 161  i hold  my.hands  up the hoppers  they only arrived  this friday just gone  so its in the pipe line .

[kevo]

hi all as its hang on to  your hat weather where i am this bank holl . thought i would knuckel  down to some bits on the boxfile . one bit that needed  finishing off was part of the duct work from the warehouse  i wanted to achive a blister peeling paint look  . there are lots of ways to achive this look . one methord  thats works for me  is the hair spray and salt tech  hope thease pics show how i did it  with the base coat of rust allready  on next stage was use a can of cheap hair spray blow over what ever your subject is a few quick coats is enough then just sprinkle some table salt on  air brush your top  coat on  leave to dry for 10 mins  then with a stiff paint brush  and water  brush the salt  and you should be left with a nice rusty pealing look   hope this is of use   

[the Bandon tank]

That is excellent.

[kevo]

thanks bandon  its a really easy way and quite fun  to do  it still needs  a dusting over with some weather ing  powders to finish off 

[murphaph]

That's really very good.

[kevo]

now the ducting and safety ladder our glued  back in place and blend back in .next job will be to tackel  the stone walling on the end wharehouse  i will probly  clad this in corrougated  sheeting so as to give it a more neutral look so it dus not tie the layout to any paticular region . 

[Galteemore]

That’s looking really effective. Shades of New Ross c 1980

[kevo]

Thanks Galteemore  my interest in irish railways has only been basicly a year or so  . so ime still finding my way around . i have just looked up new ross and found a few pics .  . brilliant  that is right up my street  cement and fertiliser  over grown sindings etc and in the 1980 thanks again for that .  just  taken a end on view from under the bridge 

[kevo]

A before  with the stone walling  and after with the corrogated  cladding  need ssome blending in with paint  to cover up the joint 

[Galteemore]

Inset track and subtle colouring look very good 

[kevo]

Thanks Galteemore quite a few of my other layouts have  eneded up with concrete  approns  i use a wash  of greys and white  and then use weather ing powders  aii rubbed in  till ime happy with the look 

[kevo]

i found thease two pics  that just show some more concrete hard  standing on my  old cement layout , i guess one reason i did this was it saved on groud cover  . also seen  here my old c class loco  sadly  i no longer  have ,

[David Holman]

Excellent ground cover. Presume you used a static grass machine to create the weeds growing through old sleepers and rubbish?

 Likewise, how do you create the concrete hard standing? Colour and texture look just right.

[Galteemore]

That is just terrific. Small incidentals like the overhead wiring just add so much here. 

[MikeO]

A great little layout. The weathering technique is very effective and looks simple to achieve. 

Edited May 6, 2021 by MikeO

[kevo]

Tanks all for your kind  comments  Hi David yes i 1st used  some stick on grass tuffs of different  bllends  then i used a cheap  static  grass applicator  looks a bit like one of them old tea strainers  and covered the grass tuffs  with different mixes of static grass fibers till it got that really over grown look  , the concrete hard standard ing  is just  white plastic  card  cut to shape in and around the track  then blown over with grey primer  then i just used railmatch  concrete acrylic  paint in a wash and kept adding  different greys whites etc . when dry then i use cheap artis chalks  rubbed on with my finger till  it looks ok .

[kevo]

hope thease two pics give a better view of the hard standing  . i enjoyed  building this layout a few years ago  it was not very big  possibley only 4 ft long the run off had a 3 track taverser  another shunting type layout really , i sold it on to fund other projects  so its out there some  where  i hope still . last pic gives a over all view of the whole thing .

[Galteemore]

This is a little gem. Lots of good tips like the curved backscene.

[David Holman]

Object lessons for us all, add in Ken's similar project and there is much inspiration in these small projects.

[kevo]

hi to all i have managed to track down  a couple of 2nd hand  IMR cement bubbles  just 2 add a bit of a change and to add to my lack of irish rolling stock . i doint know whats happened to IMR they doint seem to be around any more  i did have  a break van  and some cie box  vans from them a few years a go and would and would like to replace them as they all got sold on when i went back to narrow gauge moddeling . any way hope you like the new pics and my other 141 no 177 shuntting them around . allso i have startted adding a few bits of grass tuffs and over the next few evenings will add more weeds and grass growing in the cracks in the hard standing . 

[DJ Dangerous]

Stunning layout, so well built, and that little forklift does a great job at catching the eye.

 

[kevo]

Thanks dave  glad u like it its not far off complete  now . but i have a bit more tweeking  with weeds etc and those cement come fertilizer  bags on the pallet stack need some weather ing  and the last bit will be the front board ing to go on so it will look like a fish tank . after this project i have another  small layout that i started but never finished it was a BR scottish region small station   but will now get a irish theame  make over .

[kevo]

I know its diverting  away from my currant  project but ive putt in a few pics of how far i got with it  . things like the red phone box will have to be changed etc 

[Galteemore]

It just gets better and better ! Some classic theatre design principles here. Very nicely observed all round.

[JasonB]

22 minutes ago, kevo said:

Impressive work all round. The colours used on the stone look the business.  

[kevo]

Thanks guys  for the comments  . i think i may have to get this layout  down of rhe top of my bookcase  at the weekend and blow of the dust for a running session  

[David Holman]

Jason is right, there is a subtlety to your palette which makes everything look so natural. It is so easy to over do things, but these dioramas look just right.