The last two months have seen plenty of activity on the MSN layout. Track laying is now complete. Wiring is 90% done and work has now commenced on scenicing.
Here are our latest pics. As usual, click the image for a larger view.
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The scenicing process has begun with the shaping of foam rubber sections to create the contours and land-forms. Ordinary foam rubber is used. We picked ours up off the side of the road during our local Council's hard rubbish collection week. The foam is then rough cut to shape with a variety of knives & shears (serrated bread knives, Stanley type box-cutters and sharp scissors were the most useful), and the surface is then roughed up with the edge of the bread knife to give it a randomly uneven appearance.
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Mike cutting up some of our "salvaged" foam rubber to make the embankment behind MSN station. |
Allastair getting creative with a serrated bread knife. |
The trick is not taking your finders off in your enthusiasm. |
A look at the one of the tunnel surrounds prior to painting with Gyprock Pre-mixed Joint Sealer. |
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Once the foam is shaped, it is fixed in place using a hot-melt glue gun and then painted with mix of 50:50 Gyprock Plasterboard Pre-mixed Joint Sealer and water. Gaps and joins between pieces of foam can be filled with undiluted joint sealer applied with a palette knife. This is allowed to set. Once dry, scatter materials and weathering powders can be used in the usual way.
We find this method is quick & cheap (the foam is free, the joint-sealer can be purchased for about $10 for a large container - one did our whole layout), and is relatively non-messy when compared to the usual methods like chicken-wire + papier-mache, plaster bandage, or woven cardboard strips. Most importantly for a transportable exhibition layout, it is extremely light. |
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A few shots of electrician Henry doing the wiring. |
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Peter gets "up close & personal" with some connecting blocks. |
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A shot of the contoured section at Norton Hill Colliery prior to the parapet wall going on, showing the support structure.
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Allastair marking out one of the parapet walls for Norton Hill Colliery. |
"Whatever happened, I'm not responsible!" |
Peter adding some embossed paper sheet to the parapet wall at Norton Hill Collliery. |
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Station platforms are fabricated from 16mm styrene foam cut to shape with an electric scroll saw. Ramps are created by carefully applying the platform blank to a belt-sander. Once all the shaping is done to satisfaction, the platform sections then have their sides covered with embossed paper sheet (glued on with PVA glue - Aquadhere of similar), flagstones are added and a suitable sand mix glued to the top to simulate the platform surfacing (see Progress Report 3 for details).
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The parapet wall with paper sheet added. All that remains to complete this section is the addition of coping stones on top. |
Completed platform blanks cut out of 16mm styrene foam. |
An electric scroll saw was used to get a clean cut & fine edge on the platform sections. |
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