Getting the layout presentable (+ sprucing up 4 wheeled carriages)
Whilst I only have three photos for this entry, it is the culmination of the past two days of almost solid work on the layout. During the daytime I've spent about 8 hours (spread over both days) painting the layout fascias and trolley. Whilst my original plan was to whitewash the fascias to match the layout theme, I decided in the end to go for a dark grey.
It may sound like a bold move, but the idea was to make the layout "pop" a bit more, and also to give a better protection for the woodwork than a thin wash would've done. Whilst I could've attacked the softwood with a wire brush or the Dremel to give it that tatty look, the ply fascias were already thin enough without gouging out chunks! I'd much prefer to have a layout with structural integrity.
Whilst the grey is quite a bit darker than I expected given the colour on the tin, it definitely does the job of making the layout stand out from even the busiest of backgrounds; which is no bad thing. It may seem weird to have a mix of the very tatty nameplate right next to the very smart dark grey fascias; but actually, I think it's all the better for it. I'm sure it would look equally intriguing with a whitewash finish, but I dare say it wouldn't quite make such a dramatic impact as this "theatre" approach will.
To finish off the neat presentation, my mum has very kindly offered to stitch the Velcro onto the stretchy light grey fabric tomorrow (that we bought the other week). The plan (as it currently stands) is to fix a bit to the front of the layout (as you can see from the white Velcro on the fascia in the photo above). I will also probably fit a piece to the back, although it will be slightly short of the left hand side because the backscene and lighting pelmet support gets in the way. On the right hand edge (by the fiddle yard and control panel), there is currently no plan to fit any drape due to both the awkward restrictions on that side, and the need to access the trolley tray on occasion.
And speaking of that side of the trolley, the tea/cake/rolling stock tray has been fitted with left over corner moulding of some sort (to prevent stuff rolling off it), and now looks like this:
And to end off the post, I've also spent my evenings sprucing up these four wheeled carriages that have been looking somewhat forlorn in recent years. I took the opportunity to paint the metal straps in a darker grey (a very fiddly job!), and I also fitted new "felt" roofs with tissue paper and a wash of various shades of grey. As I'm relying only on an up-lighter for light in the photo below, the light levels are all messed up; in reality the roofs don't quite look so pale and naff!
And with very limited time left until the exhibition, it's about time I got on with finishing the scenic side of the layout!
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