Louville Lane Cameo

Alan

Western Thunderer
I've done more basic work on "the Lane". Cork has been painted my normal shade of grey. Lots of white poster paint with a couple of drops of black roughly mixed and then painted on the cork with the final mixing as it were happening as I brush the mixture on. The sharp eyed will notice the track sides have been given an initial coat of dark rust. and rather obviously I have built another stretch of retaining wall and primed it grey which will act as the mortar as I have decided to go down the blue brick route for all the retaining walls.















Next steps will be to ballast the track and place the platform on the upper area so that I can work put exactly how the footbridge will cross the platform and come down to the road which will cross the the 2 entry tracks to the refuelling yard.
 

Alan

Western Thunderer
For those who noticed the lifting capping stones in photos 2&3 Will be pleased to know that has been dealt with.
The upper 2 lines have been ballasted and work has started on the platform sides and the steps that will come down from the foot bridge.
 

Alan

Western Thunderer
I've been working on the steps down from the footbridge. The first time I've worked with brick plasticard. It was painted with cream acrylic and then it was wiped off immediately which left the mortar lines and the bricks were shaded with pencil crayons (a mid brown). The steps came from a Metcalfe footbridge kit. It still needs some work, but I'm reasonably satisfied with it.











The final photo is where it will be on the layout give or take a mm or two.







The sides of the platform, still not fixed were done the same way. The decking of the platform is just placed there to get an idea of the height and position.
 

Alan

Western Thunderer
Whilst waiting for the arrival of more brick plasticard, I've been experimenting with the idea of a photographic low level backscene behind the platform of a train having just arrived, to give the impression there is a larger station behind







The carriages were photographed and then reduced to about HO size. I think in the photos I've placed them too high and possibly they need to be "dimmed" slightly. Also the arches obviously need work to make the pillars narrower.
As an idea I wonder what you think.
 

David Varley

Western Thunderer
Nice idea, but I think you need to lose the underframes - doesn't look quite right as it is to me.

I suppose the other way of achieving a similar result would be to have the backdrop cut away at that point and have a rake of model coaches permanently sat in a sort of letterbox arrangement, but I suspect it might be too late to do that.

Certainly given me food for thought on an idea I've been mulling over for a while :thumbs:
 

Alan

Western Thunderer
Yes they are too high, I'll rearrange them and mute the colours a bit more. Perhaps make them a tad smaller as well.
Heather I would hope that when the arches a built with a small amount of depth the carriages will look further away. I do like the idea of the letter box idea, I could have had them so that I could slide them in and out, particularly if they were DMUs. But I feel it is too late for that.
 

Geoff

Western Thunderer
Hi Alan,

Just a thought but have you considered trying a plain retaining wall with just the top of the coach sides, and roof being visible. Alternatively perhaps a smoky glass weather screen might do the job ?

Geoff
 

Alan

Western Thunderer
I shall give the idea of a plain retaining Wall some thought, perhaps combine both ideas and have a wall involving half the height of the arch of there abouts.
 

Alan

Western Thunderer
More work done on the retaining walls and they have been primed, but as you can see in the first photo I ran out of primer, it will be done again.







I apologise for the quality of this photo







2 helicopter shots the area with the cars is the staff car park and the white as yet unpainted structure is the stairs down into the yard. I hate it on layouts when there seems no way in or out. It was going to be a road however I couldn't get the clearance for the point operating switches, so I opted for the idea of the car park and steps (shades of the steps part of Kingsbridge Regis.







 

Alan

Western Thunderer
I've finished the stairs and given it a coat of primer as well as the back retaining wall when the last aerosol ran out. I really must buckle down and get on with some ballasting.
The steel block you can see in the background in the first shot, holding up the retaining wall, came out of the original Lima chassis that was in my D6XX.



and a couple of close ups of Western Queen to add some colour to a rather grey looking layout.



 

Alan

Western Thunderer
After building another staircase and refurbishing a bridge for the layout yesterday, today I started on that age old job that we either love or hate Ballasting.
 

Yorkshire Dave

Western Thunderer
I like the idea of the coaches behind the arches representing the station.

To avoid shadows being cast on the coaches I would build the arches to full depth - 12mm - or to the same depth of the arches on your retaining wall. If sufficient space allows mount the open arches about 2cm away from the backscene and insert a row of LEDS between the backscene and the arches. On a low voltage they should create the dimly lit interior of the station and reduce/remove shadows. I would also darken the coach prints to appear as if they were in a gloomily lit station.
 

Alan

Western Thunderer
Thank you Dave for your comments. I have built the arches to full depth as in the retaining wall, when I get back to that part of the layout I will have a play as how to do the background coaches and the far side of the station and the see how it all works.
 
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