Pestle and Mortar

nevard_130508_PGCH_IMG_3807, a photo by nevardmedia on Flickr.

Polbrook Gurney Colliery Update:

With RAILEX just 2 weeks away finishing touches are taking place, starting with the the screen area behind the loco which was given a good dusting of real coal (found near Shillingstone on he former SDJR) which had been ground up with the kitchen pestle and mortar and then sieved into place with the kitchen sieve (don't tell my wife). The whole lot was then spayed with diluted PVA (white glue) to fix into place. Then when the above was dry, the track was cleaned and I gave the layout a really good run using a wide range of locos, ensuring that there was no stalling or jerkiness caused by the track or incorrect back to backs. A few spots needed the paint removing from the inside of the rail heads.

The shot here is unmanipulated, and shows to advantage of the high warp around backscene a real bonus for photography. Note the narrow gauge tramway above one of the fiddle yard exit points.

See this layout for real at RAILEX 25/26 May www.railex.org.uk/
Follow the build of this layout in Model Rail magazine - www.model-rail.co.uk