Gated crossing on Pont Dulas…

Regulars may remember that my Christmas project this year was a small cameo scene, a HiFi-micro if you like, inspired by the lines through and between Carmarthen and Aberystwyth…

Largely scenically complete over the period it was another wonderful balm, in both the creative processes that generated its small form (60x23cm ish) but also the effect of becoming lost within its constraints. However, there was one element in couldn’t complete in the holiday - the gates I wanted in include at the right of the layout.

These I hoped, could be formed in a nice crisp thin material, much neater than I could hope to scratch build in N, by etching to my own design. These examples are both measured and drawn from gates a stones throw from my front door - and these etched examples are based upon drawings I had done for the 3D printed examples on the Dyfrdwy Tramway in the garden.

Etched in brass they were sprayed with etch primer and painted in Humbrol 98 before being carefully removed from their etch fret and superglued in place. 

I chose to model the field gate open, an artistic decision that allows an uninterrupted view of the crossing keepers from door from the front of the layout.

The field gate has been placed with a lean, and I’ve added thicker styrene (1.5mm square) for the posts that were carefully shaped to feature a tapered top. All this goes to add to the degrees of realism we need to artfully balance and consider in N, and in these smaller spaces especially. The arrival of these parts has spurred me forwards to now address the last part of the layout - the platform. Until next time, more soon…

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