Pont-y-dulais: Crafting a scene...

When I set out to build Pont-y-dulais I had two views in mind, the right hand side with the coal wagons marshalled under a road over bridge, and the left hand side with a road crossing a single track line behind an engine shed...

These views were inspired by Gordon Edgar's photos and those in his book, of the various South Wales NCB lines in the 1960s and 1970s. I sketched out my initial concept, before starting, and it's been the steering force towards this goal that has kept progress coming.

This weekend I've been working on the texture of the yard, I tried using Gordon Gravett's technique of chinchilla dust over Humbrol gloss paint - it didn't have the colour or texture I'd hoped for - I washed over it with Games Workshop Nuln oil wash, and let it dry. Whilst thinking things over I decided to stipple in some of the 'Chester' brown soil emulsion paint into the edges...  

...this looked promising so I kept at it over the whole yard. It took on more of the muddy stony appearance I was after - it needs some weeds, spilt coal, other detritus here and there, but it's come on enough to feel like it was worth the continue experimenting. This colour palette is a new one for me, I'm much more comfortable with the colours I've used on my summer scenes in 009 and 006.5.

As well as the ground cover I've pushed on with the shed. I added a mortar wash to the brick work, and painted the interior in the same colour (so the brickwork inside looks white washed). The doors were then painted in matt green. The breeze blocks were painted with a mix of Humbrol 72 and 64, and dusted with talc. The roof was painted with mix of Humbrol 64 and 53 (gun metal), and the ends of the roof timbers painted in matt black. The bricks were then dry brushed and a few individually painted in Matt 70. It needs some weathering now, but also some glazing, and possible a knackered old drain pipe!

Finally, the scene behind the engine shed was worked up further with the gates being planted, some extra awning added (see top photo) and some signs planted. The fencing is all painted dark brown (Matt 98). The gates are not white, but Matt 28. Hopefully the shed will be finished soon so I can bed it into the ground surface and hide the edges, and I need to add some more variation in the grass and bushes along the fence lines in this area. I hope you've all had a good weekend. More soon...