Much of my time away from editorial duties has been spent drystone walling (or recovering from it!), so practical modelling sessions have been scarce over the past month.
That said, I have managed to maintain steady, if unspectacular, progress on my ‘OO’ gauge layout. Gaps in between online meetings or tea breaks have been harnessed to undertake small, self ‐contained jobs, such as priming and painting the goods loading platform. Located towards the rear of the baseboard, the platform was built and painted in situ. This raised a small problem when I came to apply paint via aerosol cans. Masking the backscene and surroundings with scraps of lining wallpaper was easy enough, but extracting the fumes was another matter.
I didn’t have the time or the inclination to move the layout outside so, with all widows open, a pedestal fan switched on (directing the fumes towards the windows) and a heavy-duty respirator mask on, the spraying could begin.
On the whole, the painting was successful, building up light layers of black, grey, red and brown paints until a generally grimy appearance was achieved. I’ve pinched this idea from Chris Nevard and it has certainly allowed me to achieve more in a shorter time. A few finishing touches will be added by hand and airbrush in due course.
Another area of the main baseboard has also progressed, with an elevated industrial building modified to fit into the scenic contours more effectively. Built from a Knightwing plastic kit (PM113 Mine Top Buildings), the support legs were shortened to reduce the headroom slightly. Straddling a non-powered siding, part of the building’s role is to act as a scenic view-blocker, and its lowered nature helps it achieve that job more effectively.
I also trimmed a Hornby Skaledale building slightly, allowing it to sit beneath the elevated structure and obscuring the backscene. It’s nice to see the Knightwing structure find a new home, after being built – and distressed – for a previous Model Rail project (February 2016).