O gauge Layout scenery - Kimmington Quay phase I

Alongside ticking over with the building of rolling stock, I have had the end two boards of the layout set up in the lounge over the past two weeks and have made a decent start on the scenery. These two end boards form the 'countryside' element of the layout, with the track progressing from these boards into the platform and the quay front. The scenery has been built up using an initial gluing down of soil scatter, before layering in about four mixes of static grass. The mixes of static grass start off with a basal layer of 2mm spring grass, before adding progressively taller static grass blends. I have attempted to blend the grass tones with the underlying topography, providing some subtly in the overall grass finish - avoiding blocks of homogeneous grass cover. I have had little previous experience of modelling with static grass, so I treated myself to a new static grass applicator and did some testing before tackling the layout. Overall I am very happy with the outcome so far, although there are more bushes, weeds, ferns and hedges, etc to add to complete the scene. However, with these basic detailing elements done, the installation of the back scene can progress (at least once I have done the quay front water - the last of the messy jobs to do).

The layering of the static grass in progress. On the right hand side of the image is the initial base application of short grass, whilst on the left hand side, more layers have been added to increase differentiation of the vegetation, with some bushes plonked on top!

I temporarily placed the pub on the layout to see how it would  look. I think the tones of the tunnel and the pub bled together well.

The other side of the pub (with the wires for the internal lights visible!). the lighting for the layout creates a pleasing shadow on the side if the building.

The other area I have tacked recently was the road leading down to the platform. I initially put some plaster down and smoothed this using my finger, whilst driving a model vehicle over it to provide some tyre ruts. I then painted the surface using some light enamels, with a base coat of light grey overlain by dry brushed lighter colours. Some fine sand was added, to fill in some of the potholes and then some static grass was added down the middle of the road. I am really pleased with how this bit is looking and it just needs a fence and some gates to finish this section off. 

The road looking towards the pub - that mini is far too shiny!

The road looking towards the platform.

There is a bit more to go with the scenery before I can take these two boards down and start the water in the quay. Hopefully, that can happen in a week or two. Then it is full steam ahead with the fitting of the back scene. I am really looking forward (and also dreading) the installation of the back scene, as once this is added I hope it will transform the look of the layout.  So plenty of progress and I feel the layout is heading in the right direction again, after the hiatus of the house move and all the redecorating. Hopefully, more to follow soon.