I'm still alive!

What a shame... september and the first post in 2023!

A lot is going on, main focus right now is a micro layout that i started some 2 years ago. It froze in time until now as it has to travel with me to the US Convention in Switzerland coming 7 and 8 october. It is held in Neuendorf where we will travel to on the 6th. Its a good 800 kilometer drive and I will travel with my friend Ronald. Next to this layout we will promote our own Dutch US Convention which we held the first time in May 2022 and the next will be on the 6th and 7th of April 2024.

The layout is small, 1,2 meter by 0,3 meter, that is a 4 by 1 ft layout. Only 2 feet (55 cm) is visible, on both sides 1 foot (30 cm) is hidden. Trackplan is simple:

With its front on it looks like this:

The scenery will be based on the "Vernon" industrial district in Los Angeles:

How it looks at this moment:

Most is painted, still some to do like the framing around the visible part.

Its DCC, I use the new lenz starter system for this one. 3Amp, 4 locos maximum, that much I don't need. Track is Peco 75, turnouts are switched manually, the frogs are power routed. Necessary with Peco electrofrogs.

More to come!

Good exhibition

 Goodmorning! The diorama did well during the OntraXS exhibition which was held on 23, 24 and 25th of september in the Railway Museum in Utrecht the Netherlands. 

I had just received my demo table from Martin Welberg (owner of Martin Welberg Scenery Products) which still needs a good front photo plate. Diorama stood for 3 days and received next to my demo good feedback allthough its a trainrelated show.

Had a lot of fun building it and in time it will receive all the figures I planned for it.

Few photos with the cannon:

Later!

Almost finished!

 Well, the dio is almost finished. Bought a nice tree for it from th MBK brand:

Allthough H0 it is big enough for this scale. Poked a hole in the Sculptamold:

Shortened the wire and put it in white glue:

And on its spot. Also placed a set of 3 bushes from the same brand on the right:

I'm satisfied! Just a few small tune-ups and its done!

Finishing the green stuff!

Hi all, work is going on. First some fine turf overall:

After drying:

With the actors:

Now the bigger brushes. From my friend Martin Welberg from Martin Welberg Scenery I got some testmats and not-approved-for-sale mats. They came in very handy now. Tore them off and applied them with white glue:

Looks better already!:

He has a fine range of brushes so I applied some of them:

The mats:

The big brushes are in place:

Now its time for the finer stuff. One of my favourites to use are the Heki Flor and Microflor products:

Cut them in random pieces:

Then smaller pieces:

Apply dots of white glue:

Tear the little piece in all directions and after that drop it in the glue and form it a little with your fingers. The result is very good low growth:

With some flower tufts:

Ready for the grass fibers:

The grassfibers are applied with a static applicator from RTS. Its there 55 kV model and it works great up to 12 mm long fibers. Very easy to use, its power is a 9V block battery:

First lightbrown fibers:

Brown is all ready:

Starting with the green:

And ready:

All took me a good hour of work. Overall view:

Closeups. Middle:

Left corner:

Right corner:

The case needed a little more depth, applied a small strip of wood on the front:

Painted in the right colour:

And with the front screwed on:

Very happy with it! My friend Ronald (yes, same name!!) has a laser and is designing and making some typical ACW gate stuff so stay tuned. More to come!

Greetz, Ronald.