STEP BY STEP
1
I began by checking that the loose parts of the coaling stage would actually fit on the Tim Horn 3ft by 1ft plywood baseboard. The standard track position, 113mm from the front edge, had already been set.
4
…lots of holes through the plywood. These holes make it easier to cut through the baseboard with a razor saw. I carefully neatened off the rectangle’s edges with a sharp Stanley knife.
7
I used a generous coating of Railmatch aerosol Sleeper Grime on and around the track. In order to keep the paint spray off the building behind it, I used a large piece of card to create a shield.
2
A rough test followed, with some 2in insulation to support the elevated track, and a second siding added at the front of the board. On this will stand withdrawn ‘14XX’ 0-4-2T No. 1448.
5
I found an old battery-powered circuit that flashes four tiny bulbs to produce a flickering fire effect and installed it under tissue paper in the pit. Scale Model Scenery also produces a bonfire kit, a modern equivalent, for £4.99.
8
Woodland Scenics’ Earth Undercoat was used on all the areas of the layout which were to be grassed. Diluted PVA glue and static grass were then applied, but I thought that this initial effort was ‘too green’.
3
A covering of 5mm foam board was specified. This is useful for marking out. I marked the position of the track and the coaler, and a 12mm by 270mm rectangle for the ash pit, which I cut out with a craft knife and drilled…
6
The pit is a one-piece fold-up ‘box’ made from thin card with tabs on the top edges, which enable it to be glued in place. Balsawood steps, Railmatch Concrete acrylic paint and ash sprinkled on wet PVA complete the job.
9
I removed much of the first static grass I’d laid with a stiff brush and reapplied a more brown and straw-coloured mix. Poly fibre and Woodland Scenics’ scatters were then added and fixed in place with hairspray.
10
I filled an egg cup full of ash from the grate in my sitting room and removed the largest bits. I have also used an artificial ‘ash’ which I think came from Green Scene, but the label is too faded to read.
13
I used two shades of Humbrol Weathering Powder, starting with Rust, which is a lightish shade. I actually prefer the darker look of the Iron Oxide powder, though, for the edges of the panels.
16
Humbrol Gloss Oil Stain Wash Enamel was used in places on the track where excess oil might be spilled. Some lazy drivers would be pretty careless when using an oilcan to lubricate the engine ( termed ‘oiling round’).
19
I made up the little coal tub with 20thou styrene sheet. The figure came from my spares box – possibly Langley or Malvern Models – and I just removed his coal sack.
11
Areas around the track and the ash pit were given a light application of diluted PVA and the ash was applied with an old tea strainer – a vital component in my scenic toolkit for many years!
14
The corrugated roof had been painted matt black before I applied the Rust and Iron Oxide weathering powders. Brushing upwards causes the powder to concentrate where the corrugated sheets overlap.
17
A small piece of house coal, placed in a sandwich bag and pulverised into little bits with a small hammer, provides enough real coal for the wagon, and for ‘spillage’, too, in carefully placed heaps.
12
Next came the weathering process, using a variety of powders and liquids, mostly from Humbrol. I wanted a rusty look for the edges of the tank panels and practised on the back of the tank.
15
I used Humbrol Smoke weathering powder on the wood structure to represent coal dust. Don’t put smoke marks above the arches, though, as locomotives could not pass under them.
18
Dapol’s BR 16-ton mineral wagon is the old Airfix kit and it’s still a great little model, nearly 60 years on. The working door is a real bonus for this scene. I added a part-load of crushed coal, set in place with PVA glue.
20
The coal chute can actually be made to move, but I decided to fix it in place as it is rather delicate. Once installed and painted black, the figure and the coal tub were glued in place.