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Thursday, 9 October 2025

O Gauge layout scenery Kimington Quay Phase 2

The detailing of the some of the basic scenic elements for the layout have continued over the last week, focusing on the diary and platform end boards. The scenic detailing tasks were to add some static grass to the areas surrounding the track bed, platform, dairy platform and sidings, blending this into the modelling already undertaken on the curved board. A very enjoyable Saturday and Sunday were spent applying  these scenic details, dabbing down glue and layering in some basic grass and bushes.

View looking down the layout, past the platform and towards the diary siding.

I am no expert in undertaking layout scenery but one of the things I wanted to avoid was large blocks of homogenous grass colour, especially as the detailing approached the the quay masters cottage and runs along the edge of the platform. The area between the platform and the quay wall was an attempt to model some ground that has been reclaimed by nature, as part of the run down of the railway network in the 1970s. There are some more brambles and shrubs to add, but these extra bits can wait until the water at the front of the layout is finished and the backscene has been fixed in place.

The area in the front of the platform is an attempt to model some ground reclaimed by nature.

The variation in the ground cover after the quay wall is just about visible in this photo.

In the fictional world of my model railway the diary is still in business throughout the 1970s, although the siding for the short diary platform is somewhat rundown and overgrown. I used a different colour grass for the siding, trying to replicate newer growth.

The diary platform and area surrounding the quay masters cottage.

I really like this view of the layout - looking back towards the platform from the quay masters cottage. It has the feel of the openness of the railway, whilst looking very down at the heel, befitting the 1970s.

The transition from the quay wall to the platform is staring to get there. I now need to add in a fence or two....

Overall I am really pleased with the scenery so far. The really big messy jobs are now finished. So this weekend, I am going to try to put down the water in the quay and once that is done, I am going to attempt to add the backscene in a couple of weekends time. I have also started to play with the arrangement of a few scenic elements in the area of the quay masters cottage. There will be an information board (not yet built) alongside a telephone booth, post box and street lamp. These elements will need to wait until the backscenes are in, when I can move onto the next stage of detailing.

Some of the details plonked down at the quay masters cottage. These items need to be toned a little and then glued in place.

Saturday, 4 October 2025

O gauge platform painting and the start of the scenery - the next jobs!

I have managed to keep the layout set up in the lounge for a few weeks and have very slowly progressed some of the detailing. The next job on the list was to create a bit of tonal variation on the platform. The platform look too dark and too monochrome; repainting it was just one of those moments when I had to  draw a deep breath and just start. I had various colours to hand and started dry brushing using a light grey, rust colour and a very pale yellow.

Once I started I thought what have I done!

The dry brushing provided some variation in the colour of the platform.

After the first couple of dry brushed coats I had one of those  'what have I done moments'! However, I persevered and ending up air brushing over a light final coat to blend it all together.

The finished platform with more colour variation now evident.

The top of the platform, which has some much better contrast now. The platform furniture will help break up the appearance of the surface even further.

So with the platform improved - I have made a start on adding the basic elements of the vegetation. I started from the curved board, which had already received the basic scenic elements. I had stopped short of the board join on the curved board and this allowed me to blend the scenery from the curved board through the platform board.  Various static grass coats were laid down and  I am now in the process of adding bushes and brambles, alongside layering in more grass. In some areas the first grass layers were too thick and did no convey the idea of old made ground that has been reclaimed by nature - so there is some thinning out to do today and a lot of brambles/bushes to add. There is also a fence to add alongside the tack edge, which is currently not finished in the paint boxes.

There is some grass thinning to do today alongside adding in more weeds / brambles. That elderflower tree also looks far too shiny!

It is all definitiely heading in the right direction, although there is plenty more detailing to go on these boards. However, once I complete the basic vegetation on the boards, I can move onto finishing the water in the quay and adding the backscenes - these are the big modelling tasks I am aiming to complete over the next couple of months. Once these jobs are done I will have a largely operational model railway and I can then add lots of the smaller details in over the coming months (or at least that is plan).