Backscenes at Hewish Gates

I'm a late-comer to the current practice of many who now create backscenes from photographs. In the old days I had a go at painting backscenes or using Peco art backscenes - was not too impressed, so I reverted to just sky blue paint. Nothing could have prepared me for the amazing effect of using photographs of the real location. They add atmosphere and depth to the model on a scale I did not expect.

I created a panorama of stitched photos in Photoshop. Not all the scene is from one contiguous location. The landscape is varied enough that different areas can be stitched together to blend with the foreground model landscape.

The sky was cut out of the panorama and replaced with a sky blue layer, only because I felt the cloud formations would be a distraction from the model. Brightness and Saturation levels were adjusted negatively to produce toned down colours representative of the distant landscape. The scene was then cut into A4 chunks and printed. Each A4 is stuck to the next with double sided tape and this is stuck to the backboard.

New Windows for R226

The Triang R226 SR bogie utility van is fitted as standard with ill fitting window glass that is screen printed with white security bars. I converted my model using 'South Eastern Finecast' flush-glaze windows (SE63). The flush-glaze are embossed and fit snugly into the window recess from the rear. However, they do not carry the security bars so typical of the prototype.

My research into the design of the bars lead me to a preserved van on the Bluebell Railway. The bars are fitted inside and comprise three horizontal and four vertical bars. I created the security bars in Photoshop and printed using an inkjet printer on transparent film, thus creating a printed window glass. The bars are 1 pixel wide. I could not determine the bar colour from available photos so opted for the same colour as the body - green.

Three attempts to assemble bars and windows to the van before finding the best technique that does not result in liquid glue residue 'frosting' the glass. Fortunately, there are sufficient flush-glaze spares supplied in the pack to cover for failures. The solution was to use tape instead of glue, as follows.

Cut out each flush-glaze window from the strip leaving flanges on all four sides. The bars-glass is stuck to the rear flanges of the flush-glaze using strips of double sided tape This now looks like double glazing with the bars sitting back from the front glass. More tape is stuck to the otherside of the flanges and the assembled window offered up to the recess and pressed in place.

ACE Coach Roof Destination Board

I'm in the process of assembling a representative ACE train with Merchant Navy Pacific and Bachmann Bulleid coaching stock and wanted to add roof destination boards to the coaches. Each coach has provision for four boards, two each side positioned centrally. My research thus far has been inconclusive. I have the impression that there was no hard and fast rules on the use of ACE roof destination boards. Train images show either two boards side by side, one board or none at all! The boards have straw lettering on a dark green background. Legends: "ATLANTIC COAST EXPRESS" either on one board or across two boards, possibly with the word THE preceding ATLANTIC. "WATERLOO TO ILFRACOMBE" and the other destinations BUDE, TORRINGTON, PADSTOW, PLYMOUTH, EXETER CENTRAL and WEST OF ENGLAND. The latter for the East Devon destinations of Seaton, Sidmouth and Exmouth. I have surveyed hundreds of southern train images but yet to find an ACE showing any of the boards with discernible lettering. I am making my best guess as to what to place where until a photo turns up. In 4mm scale I made boards using MS Word and the font Vrinda 8pt. Printed on sticky back labels 43mm x 2.5mm. Two strips of 1mm high x 1mm thick plastic card were applied to the sticky side top of board for rigidity. The board is positioned on the coach roof between the board end brackets and pressed onto the rain gutter where it is held by the label glue showing on the bottom of the board. The board can be easily removed when the coaches are used on other duties and reapplied when forming the ACE, so long as the stickness lasts.