The Gallery

13 March 2004. Very little to show you thus far but you can see some progress.

Ian Kirk/Branchlines 2-BIL. Driving car approaching completion. About to enter the paintshop before further detailing.

The completed control panel. There will be detail changes to reflect the layout changes. Note that both the main controllers can also be switched to a hand-held controller using the socket and switch below.

The adapted baseboard for the bridge. Although this now drops some 5" below datum considerable strength was required as this is a lifting baseboard subjected to frequent strain. The road bed and below it a river bed are also in place. Hopefully, scenery will transform this in due course.

29 October 2004. Limited progress through the summer months but nonetheless something to show for it.

Here, from the opposite end, you can see that the bridge arches have been filled in and a start made on the scenery for the embankments down to the road and the river.

The most recent view of the same area. The track to the left of the bridge has been fully ballasted and track dirt and rail paint applied. The track over the bridge is freshly ballasted but nothing else has been done to it. The road and river embankments now have the scenery framework complete (interwoven strips of cornflake packet supplying a surprisingly firm framework. The bridge is now largely constructed. It has been covered with Slater's embossed brick effect plastic card and an initial dry brushing of paint applied. Unfortunately the texture of the brickwork doesn't show in the photograph but this will be resolved as more painting is carried out accentuating the mortar courses. Note the two maintenance crew refuges built over the central pier of the bridge. While I was unsure what length bridge these would be required in it seemed that what was almost a four arch bridge would be long enough to justify these - which are in any event a feature I wanted to include.

6 November 2004

As you can see - albeit not too clearly - the bridge has now been fully painted and is looking good. It will look even better when the stray Polyfilla is removed! You will also see that much of the scenery around and to the right of the bridge has now been formed. Around the bridge Polyfilla (mixed with some dilute PVA adhesive to aid adhesion and flexibility) has been placed over the card formwork in the previous picture. To the right, Mod-Roc plaster bandage has been used over expanded polystyrene formers with the final contours being produced from the same Polyfilla mix. The road surface is a thin coat of polyfilla with a slight camber produced using a plasticard scraper. The river bed has been shaped with gentle slopes on the inside of the bends and sharply cut-away banks on the outsides of the bends.