Captain Kernow's layouts
- Thread starter Captain Kernow
- Start date
mindyou, given the price of Silver Fox it might've cost nearly as much as mine... 
:lol: :wave:
Captain Kernow
Western Thunderer
I've made a start on the weathering of the track and ballasting on Callow Lane.
I would normally do all the track weathering first, which usually involves painting and/or dry brushing each individual sleeper, plus painting the rail sides and chairs varying shades of light/mid rust-brown/brake dust etc. This would then be followed by ballasting/siding grunge/weed growth etc.
My ballasting methods on previous layouts such as 'Engine Wood' and 'Bleakhouse Road' have generally involved painting PVA between each individual sleeper bay (3 or 4 at a time before the glue starts to go off), and sprinking ballast on top of the glue. The shallow depth of C&L or SMP sleepers makes this possible and I have been very happy with the results.
Callow Lane, however, uses track with 'full depth' sleepers from the P4 Track Co/Exactoscale, and when I tried 'The Captain's normal method', this was the result I got:
I'm using a mixture of beach sand and 2mm ballast from the likes of Woodland Scenics and Carrs, and I wasn't particulary happy with either of the above two experimental sections. The ballast was too low, and I didn't like the way it clung to the slides of the sleepers on one of the sections. It might be possible to repeat the process to get the required ballast depth, but I simply couldn't face that....
So, this time, I have reverted to an alternative method, which is used by many others and which I have used myself in the past, involving the laying the dry ballast first, very gently wetting it with a misting spray and then dropping dilute PVA (with a drop of washing up liquid in it) onto the damp ballast.
Here is a 9 inch stretch where the ballast has been wettened and dilute PVA applied. The cut up bits of bin bag are obviously there to protect the rest of the layout, including any of the steel rail within range of the spray:
The bit of vertical white plasticard is a temporary representation of the brick face of the old disused platform, which will be installed once the ballasting etc. has been completed. I would add that it took over half an hour just to get the ballast reasonably neat on that 9 inch section, plus a fair bit of time faffing around wetting it, applying the glue and clearing up!
Here is a shorter section which I did a couple of days ago, at least the glue has now dried solid (initially I used too dilute a mixture, and had to give it two goes, the glue I used tonight has a bit more PVA in it!):
I would normally do all the track weathering first, which usually involves painting and/or dry brushing each individual sleeper, plus painting the rail sides and chairs varying shades of light/mid rust-brown/brake dust etc. This would then be followed by ballasting/siding grunge/weed growth etc.
My ballasting methods on previous layouts such as 'Engine Wood' and 'Bleakhouse Road' have generally involved painting PVA between each individual sleeper bay (3 or 4 at a time before the glue starts to go off), and sprinking ballast on top of the glue. The shallow depth of C&L or SMP sleepers makes this possible and I have been very happy with the results.
Callow Lane, however, uses track with 'full depth' sleepers from the P4 Track Co/Exactoscale, and when I tried 'The Captain's normal method', this was the result I got:
I'm using a mixture of beach sand and 2mm ballast from the likes of Woodland Scenics and Carrs, and I wasn't particulary happy with either of the above two experimental sections. The ballast was too low, and I didn't like the way it clung to the slides of the sleepers on one of the sections. It might be possible to repeat the process to get the required ballast depth, but I simply couldn't face that....
So, this time, I have reverted to an alternative method, which is used by many others and which I have used myself in the past, involving the laying the dry ballast first, very gently wetting it with a misting spray and then dropping dilute PVA (with a drop of washing up liquid in it) onto the damp ballast.
Here is a 9 inch stretch where the ballast has been wettened and dilute PVA applied. The cut up bits of bin bag are obviously there to protect the rest of the layout, including any of the steel rail within range of the spray:
The bit of vertical white plasticard is a temporary representation of the brick face of the old disused platform, which will be installed once the ballasting etc. has been completed. I would add that it took over half an hour just to get the ballast reasonably neat on that 9 inch section, plus a fair bit of time faffing around wetting it, applying the glue and clearing up!
Here is a shorter section which I did a couple of days ago, at least the glue has now dried solid (initially I used too dilute a mixture, and had to give it two goes, the glue I used tonight has a bit more PVA in it!):
Dan Randall
Western Thunderer
Nice work Captain. 
When track in 4mm scale (whatever the gauge), can look this good, you have to ask yourself why "00" modeller's still bother with Peco track.
Chris Nevard's "Catcott Burtle" had a profound effect on me, but I can't imagine it having the same Wow! factor, if he'd used Peco track.
I've so got to build a layout of my own (in Scale 7 of course). In the meantime, keep up the good work and keep those updates coming.
Regards
Dan
When track in 4mm scale (whatever the gauge), can look this good, you have to ask yourself why "00" modeller's still bother with Peco track.
Chris Nevard's "Catcott Burtle" had a profound effect on me, but I can't imagine it having the same Wow! factor, if he'd used Peco track.
I've so got to build a layout of my own (in Scale 7 of course). In the meantime, keep up the good work and keep those updates coming.
Regards
Dan
Neil
Western Thunderer
That's very neat ballasting Tim, but this phrase caught my eye
That works out at about an hour and a half for half a metre, plus the time you've taken laying the track. I reckon that it takes a little less time to build, lay and ballast track built from individual components. I'm not sure I'd agree that the full depth sleepers are an advance.
Edit: Idea
I wonder if vibration would help settle the ballast into place. I can picture strips blue tacked at the margins of the ballasted area to give a shoulder to the ballast, the ballast roughly brushed on (I normally loose the will to live shortly after this stage) a mobile phone set to silent/vibrate taped to the baseboard close to the treated area and dialed up from the landline. Unfortunately I can't test this as I've no idea how to set the mobile phone to silent and there's no reception at Rushby Towers.
Captain Kernow said:
That works out at about an hour and a half for half a metre, plus the time you've taken laying the track. I reckon that it takes a little less time to build, lay and ballast track built from individual components. I'm not sure I'd agree that the full depth sleepers are an advance.
Edit: Idea
Captain Kernow
Western Thunderer
The vibration idea is a good one, Neil, and something I hadn't thought about.
However, one thing I forgot to mention is that it is necessary to tamp the ballast in place between the sleepers using a finger (although this doesn't cover the bit under the rail, which sometimes has to have a piece of thin, flat plasticard inserted between rail and top of loose ballast to tamp that part down).
I have found this tamping to be necessary to ensure that the high level saturation wetting with the mister doesn't dislodge any loose ballast. This is why I have to cover over such a large surrounding area with plastic bin bags.
So, I can envisage a situation where ballast is laid fairly approximately, and then some gentle vibrations introduced under the baseboard (which is easily accessible), to vibrate ballast to a more even level, followed by gentle finger tamping....
How much more exciting can this get?!
However, one thing I forgot to mention is that it is necessary to tamp the ballast in place between the sleepers using a finger (although this doesn't cover the bit under the rail, which sometimes has to have a piece of thin, flat plasticard inserted between rail and top of loose ballast to tamp that part down).
I have found this tamping to be necessary to ensure that the high level saturation wetting with the mister doesn't dislodge any loose ballast. This is why I have to cover over such a large surrounding area with plastic bin bags.
So, I can envisage a situation where ballast is laid fairly approximately, and then some gentle vibrations introduced under the baseboard (which is easily accessible), to vibrate ballast to a more even level, followed by gentle finger tamping....
How much more exciting can this get?!
Captain Kernow
Western Thunderer
It depends on the degree of vibration I suppose :laugh: :laugh:28ten said:[quote=""Captain Kernow"":xi0wt6mn]
How much more exciting can this get?!
The mobile phone idea is a good one -the alarm usually has a vibrate so that would work as well[/quote:xi0wt6mn]
I can see that I am going to have to provide a Full Report, following this evening's activities!
Captain Kernow
Western Thunderer
Most cordial felicitations, Simon, most aimiable of you....
I can report that some Klear has been used to bind a section of (much quicker-laid) ballast on a siding section, but as it's only in Experimental Status, and only a siding, it will eventually get partially covered with Humbrol Air Clay, as per Chris Nevard's ground cover methods on Catcott Burtle....
More sleeper painting is likely to follow at the other end of the layout shortly.
I must confess to trying the vibration method with the above-mentioned Experimental Section and all I can say, sadly, is that it didn't do much for me....
(paint brush and tweezers still required to poke errant bits of ballast back where they belong...)
I can report that some Klear has been used to bind a section of (much quicker-laid) ballast on a siding section, but as it's only in Experimental Status, and only a siding, it will eventually get partially covered with Humbrol Air Clay, as per Chris Nevard's ground cover methods on Catcott Burtle....
More sleeper painting is likely to follow at the other end of the layout shortly.
I must confess to trying the vibration method with the above-mentioned Experimental Section and all I can say, sadly, is that it didn't do much for me....
(paint brush and tweezers still required to poke errant bits of ballast back where they belong...)
Captain Kernow
Western Thunderer
Well, I've tried vibrations, and I've tried Klear on the ballast. The latter was more successful, but despite it's lack of viscosity, it is still apt to form 'bubbles' in the ballast, displacing carefully laid and tamped material... 
Anyway, the bit I did tonight was on the main running line and when it's dry, I'll see how durable it is and how neat the ballast has come out.
Anyway, the bit I did tonight was on the main running line and when it's dry, I'll see how durable it is and how neat the ballast has come out.
R
Re6/6
Guest
Yes it does. Perhaps does not dry quite as hard as the usual PVA method28ten said:
28ten said:
Not unless you want to weather/vary the colour. I now wouldn't use the old PVA wet/messy method again. If it's good enough for the likes of Tony Sissons, then it's good enough for me!
Captain Kernow said:......it is still apt to form 'bubbles' in the ballast, displacing carefully laid and tamped material...
This does happen, but for me, no more than in the traditional method. I'm still new to the technique but I find that instead of trying to drip from the dropper precicely into each ballast gap, I flood it in quickly.
Phill Dyson
Western Thunderer
Probably a stupid questionRe6/6 said:
, but could you describe how you flood it in without disturbing the ballast ? :scratch: Cheers Phill
R
Re6/6
Guest
Probably a stupid questionPhill Dyson said:
, but could you describe how you flood it in without disturbing the ballast ? :scratch: Cheers Phill
[/quote:1oihhuhh]I let it go onto the sleeper first and it seems to disperse without disturbing the ballast. It might be worth trying to flood it in at the side. I haven't tried that way yet. There's a useful thread here http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index. ... t-ballast/ Improvements would seem to the addition of isopropanol and washing up liquid. I look forward to trying these additions.
Phill Dyson
Western Thunderer
Probably a stupid questionRe6/6 said:
, but could you describe how you flood it in without disturbing the ballast ? :scratch: Cheers Phill
[/quote:292vjtu4]I let it go onto the sleeper first and it seems to disperse without disturbing the ballast. It might be worth trying to flood it in at the side. I haven't tried that way yet. There's a useful thread here http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index. ... t-ballast/ Improvements would seem to the addition of isopropanol and washing up liquid. I look forward to trying these additions.[/quote:292vjtu4]
Thanks for that
, I will hopefully have quite a lot of ballasting to do soon Phill
Captain Kernow
Western Thunderer
The bit I did with Klear yesterday didn't come out too badly, but one or two small sections came away when I vacuumed up residue this evening. Some small spots of PVA have secured new ballast to fill the gaps.
I've now done another section with Klear, however, this time using a small wooden tamper tool (idea from Re6/6) to tamp the ballast down neatly when still dry, and then have applied the Klear, which seems to disturb the ballast less, when it's been tamped with the wooden tamper tool. I've also deposited much of the Klear on the sleeper tops, from whence it has flowed around the ballast. We'll see how the sleepers have dried in the morning....
I've tried the 'flooding the ballast from the side' idea, and it generally gets the Klear to a point underneath the rail, but doesn't normally go that far into the main sleeper bay itself.
However, another advance is the use of grease-proof paper (idea from Will Vale on RMWeb), to tamp down any wet blobs of ballast, once the Klear has been applied. What's also been quite effective is using the wooden tamper tool on top of the grease-proof paper...
I've now done another section with Klear, however, this time using a small wooden tamper tool (idea from Re6/6) to tamp the ballast down neatly when still dry, and then have applied the Klear, which seems to disturb the ballast less, when it's been tamped with the wooden tamper tool. I've also deposited much of the Klear on the sleeper tops, from whence it has flowed around the ballast. We'll see how the sleepers have dried in the morning....
I've tried the 'flooding the ballast from the side' idea, and it generally gets the Klear to a point underneath the rail, but doesn't normally go that far into the main sleeper bay itself.
However, another advance is the use of grease-proof paper (idea from Will Vale on RMWeb), to tamp down any wet blobs of ballast, once the Klear has been applied. What's also been quite effective is using the wooden tamper tool on top of the grease-proof paper...
Captain Kernow
Western Thunderer
I've been busy doing more ballasting over the last few weeks. Although this is a freight-only line in the early/mid-1960s, the running (through) lines are being properly ballasted to begin with, before an element of weathering and cinder/mud ground cover is added, together with weed growth. The sidings will be mainly cinder/mud 'ballast' plus weeks, although I plan to do a small section of one of the sidings in the 'GW' yard with hand-scribed cobbles.
Most of the ballasting has been done by arranging the dry ballast between the full-depth P4Track Co/Exactoscale sleeper beds with a small brush and a home-made tamping tool (thanks to Charon for this one!). This is then dampened with IPA alcohol, which supposedly helps the Klear flow, and then neat Klear is applied on the ballasted areas using a pipette-type thingey. Despite my best efforts, neatly-laid ballast does sometimes get disturbed by the application of the Klear, although putting the Klear on the tops of the sleepers and letting it flow down into the ballast does help.
Thanks to Will Vale on RMWeb, I have started using grease-proof paper to tamp down any disturbed ballast once the Klear has been applied.
Here is some untreated ballast that I did last night. I applied the Klear shortly after these photos were taken.
This is the tamping tool - I've always had a fascination with the hi-tech end of the market.... :lol: :
This is some completed plain track, which has had the ballast secured with Klear:
Some more plain line, this is the through running line looking towards Coalpit Heath, with the 'Great Western' goods yard on the right:
The 3-way point was ballasted differently, as it features lower depth copper clad sleepers, so I was able to use my preferred method of applying neat PVA using a small paintbrush, no more than 2 sleeper bays at a time to prevent the PVA going off, and sprinkling ballast on top, vacuuming the residue away when the PVA is fully set:
It all looks rather pristine at the moment, but there is more weathering, grot and weed growth to come!
Most of the ballasting has been done by arranging the dry ballast between the full-depth P4Track Co/Exactoscale sleeper beds with a small brush and a home-made tamping tool (thanks to Charon for this one!). This is then dampened with IPA alcohol, which supposedly helps the Klear flow, and then neat Klear is applied on the ballasted areas using a pipette-type thingey. Despite my best efforts, neatly-laid ballast does sometimes get disturbed by the application of the Klear, although putting the Klear on the tops of the sleepers and letting it flow down into the ballast does help.
Thanks to Will Vale on RMWeb, I have started using grease-proof paper to tamp down any disturbed ballast once the Klear has been applied.
Here is some untreated ballast that I did last night. I applied the Klear shortly after these photos were taken.
This is the tamping tool - I've always had a fascination with the hi-tech end of the market.... :lol: :
This is some completed plain track, which has had the ballast secured with Klear:
Some more plain line, this is the through running line looking towards Coalpit Heath, with the 'Great Western' goods yard on the right:
The 3-way point was ballasted differently, as it features lower depth copper clad sleepers, so I was able to use my preferred method of applying neat PVA using a small paintbrush, no more than 2 sleeper bays at a time to prevent the PVA going off, and sprinkling ballast on top, vacuuming the residue away when the PVA is fully set:
It all looks rather pristine at the moment, but there is more weathering, grot and weed growth to come!
Captain Kernow
Western Thunderer
Took a short break from Callow Lane last weekend, to put 'Engine Wood' up for testing, prior to the Three Spires show in Truro in approx 10 days time. For some reason, much of the testing was done using hydraulic motive power, including John Farmer's visiting green 'Western' on a charter train...
