Chuffnell Regis

[MrWolf]

 

Day of the triffids from 1962 of course, but I was half expecting something like this to happen during Miss R's first week in the laboratory.

[Nick C]

9 hours ago, MrWolf said:

but I was half expecting something like this to happen during Miss R's first week in the laboratory.

Perhaps the news just hasn't leaked yet...

[Graham T]

15 hours ago, MrWolf said:

 

I've got that one too. I'd recommend it to anyone who isn't setting their layout in an urban jungle.

It's been a long time since I have made any trees and there's a lot required for Aston, there's no escaping it!

I’m a big fan of MBR trees, but think I might well make my own for the next layout.  As Jay says, practice makes perfect!

 

[Graham T]

14 hours ago, John Besley said:

Your tree is looking much better now, at first all it reminded me was of something from Calvin and Hobbes that had escaped from Mars 

 

Especially seeing it creeping up on the bench of waiting passengers

 

 

 

 

I’ve always liked the Calvin and Hobbes strip, and see exactly what you mean!

 

[Gopher]

2 hours ago, Graham T said:

I’m a big fan of MBR trees, but think I might well make my own for the next layout.  As Jay says, practice makes perfect!

 

Graham - another vote for the Treemendus tree kits (if it is possible to obtain them in Austria).

 

I find them particularly good for constructing tall trees.  I think trees on layouts (including my own), are too short at times

[Graham T]

Thanks Clive, I’ll take a look at them.  I’m keen to try making some more for myself though.

 

I agree with you about the heights.  An oak can grow to well over 100 ft tall - that takes a lot of space on a layout!  Much as with the railway itself, most of us will need to apply some compression…

 

[MrWolf]

7 hours ago, Nick C said:

Perhaps the news just hasn't leaked yet...

 

It wasn't so much a news leak that I was worried about.

 

Still, as long as there's no surviving witnesses, everything's fine....

[MrWolf]

4 hours ago, Graham T said:

I’m a big fan of MBR trees, but think I might well make my own for the next layout.  As Jay says, practice makes perfect!

 

 

It would probably double the build cost if I bought realistic trees and I'm not filling the layout with rubbish ones!

[MrWolf]

1 hour ago, Graham T said:

Thanks Clive, I’ll take a look at them.  I’m keen to try making some more for myself though.

 

I agree with you about the heights.  An oak can grow to well over 100 ft tall - that takes a lot of space on a layout!  Much as with the railway itself, most of us will need to apply some compression…

 

 

It's very odd that we don't tend to build tall trees, an 80 foot  black poplar would be 320mm high and overpowering perhaps. 

Nobody seems to model anything over 40 feet tall on UK layouts.

[Rowsley17D]

16 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

 

It's very odd that we don't tend to build tall trees, an 80 foot  black poplar would be 320mm high and overpowering perhaps. 

Nobody seems to model anything over 40 feet tall on UK layouts.

 

Quite right. The two so far on my layout are just over a scale 40'. Not made by me but Physicsman.

[Graham T]

All I've managed to get done since my last post is a few of those fiddly little jobs that feel as if they should only take five minutes - but don't!  The figures have now all been touched up (ooer), and I've also finished making the flower planters for the platform.  3D printed half barrels, blob of blu-tack inside (other colours are available), a bit of mixed green scatter, and then some flower tufts, that I'm sure I would never have used anywhere else.

 

 

I also wanted to sort out the bark finish on the alien oak tree.  I tried carving it, but the plastic is too smooth really.  Much as I like the sound of the Treemendus bark powder, I could quite possibly grow an oak tree by the time it would get here from the sunny shores of the UK, so instead I tried out a mix of PVA and talc.  I'm quite pleased with the look so far, although it's something of a pain to apply, and I still have quite a lot of the trunk to do.  Obviously I'm not sure yet how well it will all stick!  Let's see in the morning.  I'm hoping that a gentle spray of primer will seal everything in nicely...

 

[BWsTrains]

4 hours ago, MrWolf said:

It's very odd that we don't tend to build tall trees, an 80 foot  black poplar would be 320mm high and overpowering perhaps. 

Nobody seems to model anything over 40 feet tall on UK layouts.

 

Always dangerous to be too definitive.

 

My tiny layout, despite its most modest size sported several trees ranging from 180 to 250mm tall. I make that 13.7 to 19 metres lifesize (=45-62ft). As the layout was only 2400 *1200 mm they were a good size and fitted in well.

 

I had summer and winter versions, and a sample is shown below along with two of the archived winter trees

 

 

 

I favour natural materials, these are from English lavender prunings as they capture the realistic shapes of generic trees in miniature.

 

Another tip, glue a small washer on the base then they'll stand up nicely on a small neodymium magnet implanted in your setting. Here these two samples are shown sitting on my homemade kadee uncoupler!

 

 

 

# now departed this mortal coil, to join the Norwegian Parrots etc.

 

## I have more photos on my blog but now W-H has been dismantled I should go back in and paste more in its memory.
It was recently written up in the antipodean modeller's magazine, for a link see here:

https://sites.google.com/view/rmahome/rmahome?authuser=1

 

 

Edited March 8, 2023 by BWsTrains

[chuffinghell]

Your planters look great

[Graham T]

10 hours ago, BWsTrains said:

 

Always dangerous to be too definitive.

 

My tiny layout, despite its most modest size sported several trees ranging from 180 to 250mm tall. I make that 13.7 to 19 metres lifesize (=45-62ft). As the layout was only 2400 *1200 mm they were a good size and fitted in well.

 

I had summer and winter versions, and a sample is shown below along with two of the archived winter trees

 

 

 

I favour natural materials, these are from English lavender prunings as they capture the realistic shapes of generic trees in miniature.

 

Another tip, glue a small washer on the base then they'll stand up nicely on a small neodymium magnet implanted in your setting. Here these two samples are shown sitting on my homemade kadee uncoupler!

 

 

 

# now departed this mortal coil, to join the Norwegian Parrots etc.

 

## I have more photos on my blog but now W-H has been dismantled I should go back in and paste more in its memory.
It was recently written up in the antipodean modeller's magazine, for a link see here:

https://sites.google.com/view/rmahome/rmahome?authuser=1

 

 

 

Yes indeed, never say never.  Nice idea to use natural materials.  I have occasionally browsed the local park for stuff, but some of the Viennese give you a rather strange look!  I also like the idea of using washers and magnets.

 

[Graham T]

I've now finished the talc and PVA coat, which seems to have adhered fairly well.  It's had a shot of primer too, which should seal it.  Next step will be to add some horsehair.

 

 

 

[Andy Keane]

then squirrels and magpies no doubt!

[Gopher]

1 hour ago, Graham T said:

I've now finished the talc and PVA coat, which seems to have adhered fairly well.  It's had a shot of primer too, which should seal it.  Next step will be to add some horsehair.

 

 

 

Thats one ugly son of a bitch (the tree of course).  But so nicely modelled Graham

[Graham T]

18 minutes ago, Andy Keane said:

then squirrels and magpies no doubt!

Of course!  They’ll be there, you just won’t be able to see them because of the leaves…

 

[MrWolf]

Saw this movie, thought of you.

 

 

You're obviously modelling The tree of the dead from Sleepy Hollow...

[NHY 581]

On 08/03/2023 at 16:48, MrWolf said:

 

It's very odd that we don't tend to build tall trees, an 80 foot  black poplar would be 320mm high and overpowering perhaps. 

Nobody seems to model anything over 40 feet tall on UK layouts.

 

 

That's why I went with MBR trees, Rob. Trees are something I've tried and failed at. I lack the necessary skill set. 

 

Therefore, I ordered the oak, beech and willow for EWE which are roughly 220mm high. 55 ft ish. They were the tallest I could fit into layout with the roof on the layout. ( though I had a lucky escape with the card baffle for the middle strip light ).

However, whilst arguably practical for a few signature trees, they're somewhat impractical if you need a large number, due to the cumulative cost. 

 

Fortunately, I don't need many for Lambsdown! 

 

Rob

 

 

[MrWolf]

A pollarded willow is something that I am looking forward to / not looking forward to trying to build for Aston, because there's one in the field that the station yard abuts in real life and it's been there for a very long time. I could probably have ignored it, but I copied the rest of the landscape, including Eeyore's boggy patch.

 

It's top left of this picture. Luckily the surrounding trees aren't too big.

 

 

 

 

[Graham T]

There are some fantastic ready to plant trees available now.  I like MBR, and they are good value I think (an 18-22 cm oak for €24).  The trees from Primo Models also look very good, although I've never tried them, and they are quite a bit more expensive at £40 for a 14-17 cm oak.  I would also get stung for import charges on the latter, so I think that if I go for ready-made trees on CR Mk II then they will be from MBR.

 

That being said, I'm keen to try making some more of my own.  I've got Gordon Gravett's book on deciduous trees on the way, so will keep experimenting.  I added a little bit of horsehair to "the oak of death" this morning, using small, teased out clumps fixed on with 5-minute wood glue.

 

 

Still more to add, obviously, and then some static grass fibres to represent the smaller twigs and branches - hopefully!

 

[Nick Holliday]

17 hours ago, Andy Keane said:

then squirrels and magpies no doubt!

I think you need a Ford Anglia too! It is the Whomping Willow, isn’t it?

[Graham T]

So I've been told, but I've never watched the films so I can neither confirm nor deny!

 

[Graham T]

Here it is with all the horsehair added; I don't think it needs any more?