Midsomer Norton
Progress Report September 2005

Work has been a little slow over the last couple of months with the onset of a bout of extermely cold weather making working conditions in the "shed" somewhat uncomfortable. Also, many members of the group have spent time travelling, taking holidays and meeting work committments.

Nevertheless, some progress has been made in the following main areas:

  • Lighting gantry has been modified and set in place
  • Cattle loading dock has been completed
  • Station Platforms have been finished
  • Scenicing has begun on Module 5
  • Colliery buildings have been located
  • Work has begun on the Silver Street underpass

Here are our latest pics. As usual, click the image for a larger view.

View of the lighting rig in place & in action. Supports have been lowered by about 400mm.

This pic and the one on the right show the completed cattle dock in position relative to the goods shed.

 

View of the finished station platforms (see the sequence of photos below on this page for tips on how to achieve this effect?

These four shots show the first module to be sceniced (Mod.5). Note the track ballast hasn't been added yet as we're still working on the electrics.

Foam hills and baseboards are first painted with a 50:50 mix of PVA glue and water with a few drops of dishwashing detergent also added to reduce the surface tension..

Scatter materials of various shades & textures are then applied directly to the wetted areas.

All the work shaping and texturng the surface of the foam rubber was worth it. The effect is quite lifelike.
       

As a final step, a mix of 25:75 PVA glue to water is sprayed onto the whole set-up with a small garden sprayer. Again, a few drops of dishwashing detergent is also added to the mix.

In this and the shot to the right Alastair applies some PVA:water mix to the base boards prior to sprinkling the scatter materials.

You need to be careful not to gum the point blades up. Try to avoid getting glue and scatter materials in the moving/working parts. Any excess should be removed immediately.

Here's a shot of the inside of the control box - looks a little like a telephone exchange.
       

This pic shows the Norton Hill Collliery buildings in position. To avoid damage during transport, both buildings are removable.

This view of modules 1 & 2 shows the colliery in the distance and the foam hillsides prior to scenicing.

Silver Street underpass with a first layer of textured paint. More work to be done yet, including the addition of a plate girder bridge structure.

The plate girder bridge sections have now been fixed in position.
       

This sequence shows the steps to finishing the station platforms. Firstly, strips of cardboard (textured picture framing mat was used) are cut 6mm wide (18" scale size).

Strips are marked with a pencil and then scored with a craft knife at 8mm intervals to simulate the flagstones on the platform edge. The strips can be bent slightly at the score marks to allow for platform curves.

Glue strips to the foam platforms with full strength PVA. Then brush a mix of 50:50 PVA glue to water onto the area between the cardboard strips.

Be careful not to get glue onto the cardboard strips themselves. Ensure you wipe off any glue that goes astray.

Fine grey ballast or sand is then scattered thickly directly onto the wetted areas.

Be sure to spread a couple of sheets of newspaper under the job.

Pour and/or shake off the excess when the glue covered area has been liberally coated with ballast.

The newspaper will allow you to salvage most of the ballast material when the excess is shaken off.

Pour the saved ballast back into its container for use on another day.

My suggestion is that for long platforms such as the ones at Midsomer Norton, you do the job a section at a time

The result is an even and very clean platform surface. Easy!

These four shots give a good view of the platforms in position after some scatter materials have been added.

Ballast is still to be added to the track bed, along with more hills, trees, rocks etc.