Test bed / Display base.

[Thorness]

I have seen something similar to this before on here by Bilco I think. I made this to try out various methods and it has been quite useful.
Overall views:



The first lesson was that the foamcore warped at the front in spite of the "box girder" construction at the back.

Next thing was the cracking of the DAS used for the cobbles/setts:


I've been trying different colourings on the fence to see which I like best.



The ballasting convinced me that I liked the appearance better than the track I had infilled using DAS.

And then it is a useful little base to show off my stock:

Jon taking a well earned rest, he is the only member of staff and has two locos to look after.

I now just need to get on with the proper layout!!

[Simon Andrews]

Nice work. I think your display stand was time well spent in spite of that problems you had.

Simon.

[Bilco]

Very nice, Don. I made mine as simply as possible, using stuff I had on hand and, as you've showed, it's a great aid to getting decent photos of your models.

[fatmac]

Those locos look like they run on Hornby 0-4-0 chassis, if that is the case, do they still leap into action & race along the rails?

[Thorness]

Those locos look like they run on Hornby 0-4-0 chassis, if that is the case, do they still leap into action & race along the rails?

They are both on Hornby Smokey Joes, Chinese manufacture and they are pretty good at low speed. The one under the green loco runs a bit more smoothly than the other one.
Both locos are Smallbrook kits.
https://vimeo.com/257369268

Cheers

[Ian-IoM]

Nice work Don, just wondering how you did the brickwork? It has a great crumbly weathered look to it

[Glen A]

Don,

Great job!! Its great how you have used the same print in the upper and lower walls, but they look quite different.
Are the capping blocks on the lower wall overhanging the lower part of the wall or not? It looks like there is a shadow under them but I can't tell if there really is one, or its a shadow on the print.
Very convincing!

[Ian-IoM]

Very convincing!

Aha! It's a print - fooled me

[fatmac]

Those locos look like they run on Hornby 0-4-0 chassis, if that is the case, do they still leap into action & race along the rails?

They are both on Hornby Smokey Joes, Chinese manufacture and they are pretty good at low speed. The one under the green loco runs a bit more smoothly than the other one.
Both locos are Smallbrook kits.

Cheers

Thanks for the info.

[rue_d_etropal]

on the whole the Chinese made small locos run better than their British counterparts. I would also imagine the extra weight of the resin body helps.

[Thorness]

Ian - as Glen has noticed the brickwork is a bit of a cheat.

It is a print of and old wall beside a canal in Venice. My wife thought I had lost the plot when I stopped to take a picture of a "boring" brick wall. I think it has turned out rather well and will no doubt use it again.
The print at the back is on normal 80gsm paper, the other printing is on a heavyweight matt photo paper. I did try to scribe the mortar lines on the one on heavy paper but I'm not sure it was worth the effort.

Glen , yes they are overhanging with the lower part stuck underneath.

This is the whole picture:


Cheers

[Glen A]

Glen , yes they are overhanging with the lower part stuck underneath.

Thanks. The combination of shadow detail on the print and real three dimensional separation gives a great effect!

[demaine22]

Superb little diorama, your printed brickwork really pushes it up a notch!

[Ian-IoM]

Ian - as Glen has noticed the brickwork is a bit of a cheat.

Not really cheating when it gives that good a result, good job spotting the original brickwork too (and putting up with any funny looks you got taking photos of a wall!)

[Thorness]

This is a link to one of the locos at slow speed:
https://vimeo.com/257368167
Probably not as good a some but then a Smokey Joe is quite cheap!