Hi Guys, thank you for the kind words.
JBA I will bring some various colors here soon, the ballast is mostly white and another thing, which I found out looking at the pictures taken, that the ballast is too coarse, so I am gonna shatter it a bit. I would also need better camera, because all the pictures show slightly different colors from the real thing, so hopefuly Santa Claus will read this topic here. However, there is still too many things to be done and this is rather semi finished work than anything else. In next weeks I will focus mainly on this dio to get more done.
Kimmo, I ordered ballast here ballast Everything else I could have found at the market was too fine for this scale
Cheers
Libor

Hi Libor, perhaps you can use differents lights as a base - this is called "white-balance".
For different lights you have to change the settings: for example to "energy-saving-lamps", or "sun", or "clouds" or "incandescent lamp" (the standard lamps).
Perhaps your camera has these settings, or you have just choosed the "automatic"-setting, which can produce different pictures.

Perhaps this helps.

greetings...
Soeren

Thanks for the link, Libor!
Just which gauge track ballast you used for 1/35 diorama? There´s 3 different available on that store: G, HO and O gauge. Your dio is coming up great, just can´t wait to see it finished. I have some long aim plans with DML armored car and Trumpeter armored german train...

Hi Soeren, thank you for informations, I am not very good in taking pictures anyway. This camera is a few years old and it used to be much better. I have tried some settings (and truly I am just getting suitable modeller lamp from China) but it does not work well. Another thing is that is not good at all to take pictures in Macro, cannot get mostly sharpness needed, si I want some allowing close macro what is very needed in modeller case. I have spoken to Santa already and he might by nice to me...


That sounds great Kimmo, I will use some of them in the future for next parts of my dio
I got G scale ballast, that fella said that would suit for 1/35 too, well, maybe half of it is all right, the rest has to be shattered, its really too big. But the rock is not bad, very easy to brake it, so work goes quickly ahead. I drilled many 3mm holes in ice cream box and now I use it to separate ballast by size.What gets through, can be used, the rest to be shattered.
Cheers
Libor

Hi Libor, the most close-up images have a small sharp area, which is made by a "big opening of a part inside" of the cam itself. (it´s the aperture-opening)

Mostly it´s also called "f-stop" and with a number. Also my camera would make macro-pictures using a small aperture -) big opening -) small sharp area, but I can change the f-stop numbers from 2.8 (small sharp area) to 8 (big sharp area).
The only problem is, you need more light caused by the smaller opening (f8) and you have longer shutter-speed times. So to compensate this: more light or a tripod.


Perhaps your next camera has this settings. Since 2 years now I use a Canon Powershot A720IS, which was not expensive. (ca. 250 Euro)

But If you have more money you could buy a (I don´t know the name for this type of cameras) Nikon D, or Canon or others with changeable objectives.


Also I´m interested in your next steps of your dio and the future plans.

That would be nice to see the armoured train as build up kits!!!

greetings...
Soeren

Thank you Soeren. This camera is I usually take 50 pictures to get 3 good ones.
These two pictures are taken immediately one by one, no settings of the camera changed, neither the light.



No one of them shows the real color of the dio. Time to get a new one. I was told that Canon Powershot SX200 IS would be very good camera at good price for my needs.

First weathering applied on the track, the ballast I used was too coarse for this scale, so I have shattered it into smaller size and changed. Grass base finished on the left and whole part connected to the extended ramp. I put on plaster layer on the ramp first to get wavelike appearance later, some tyreprints added for a driveway. Now I will continue with ballast and weathering of the track, different color washes will be applied here and there. Once again additional bunches of grass will be added on the left side and also partly on the ramp, and finally I will focus on the driveway.





Cheers
Libor

Libor,

I love your grass. I can see how your static machine gets the large areas of grass standing up- was it also used for the paler, longer, grass clumps? Did it naturally make the grass spread out out at a wide angle (not just straight up), or did you have to separate the grass a bit to get it to look so natural?

Alos, where is the opposite pole of the electrical circuit connected? Do you use a wire resting in the glue? I have planned to make one of these from an electric fly swat for a while now.

Can't wait to see it with the other railway bits in place!

Libor,

I really like what you have done with the grassy verge It looks fantastic . I am keeping an eye on your progress , You are showing outstanding skill and patience .

Lookforward to the next installment

Best wishes,

Jerry

Thank you for your kind words, Ben and Jerry.
Ben I use that tool just for first layer of the grass. Then I add single bunches of different grass from small foliage I bought before for this. That brings very nice result.



I would use probably my tool here as well, if I had longer hair static grass, what I did not want to buy, having foliage already. I think this tool is just perfect, mainly for large areas in scale railway hobby. If you put small selection of grass in the streiner, one color on the left, another on the right and one more between, that will create various effect. I wet small area and apply quality white glue on it, then I stick wire with a pin on the end anywhere in prepared area, switch on the power and apply the grass just shaking gently the tool 1 inch above the surface and moving slowly forward, when applied grass has covered enough area below it. Short practice will make you a master of that
Buffers added on the stop bar, they need some weathering and also area behind it has to be finished. I have done border between ballast and grass, and this part of rail is almost finished. Gardening in this area is done too, now I will stick on the opposite side, then I will apply ballast on remaining track.





Cheers
Libor

both sides covered with vegetation and I will finish the driveway.




Thanks for looking
Libor

On driveway I used some pigments to create lighter or darker mud mainly in areas with tyreprints, then I applied glue here and there and sprinkled various chippings over. When dried, I will remove excess and finish surface with pigments again.



Then I worked with ballast on another part of rail and meanwhile I finished weathering on very right part of the rail. Some pigments used on ties for dust, and greasy mixture for oily spots, metal pigments applied on the top of the rails.






Cheers
Libor

Area behind the stop bar finished.




Cheers
Libor

Wow, that vegetation just looks totally amazing, I must say. It's partly the mix you've got of different types and the way you've arranged it, it is very natural looking.

Thank you, Matthew for kind comment. Thats good for me, If I fail as modeller, I can switch my hobby for gardening
Cheers
Libor

Libor, Those plants look soooo perfect! The fern is awesome. Thanks for the advice on the usage of the static machine.

Excellent work Libor! I agree with Ben those ferns look brilliant!

I really love how the scene is coming together. Can't wait to see more!

Haha, that´s funny!!!

I also like the vegetation, the mix of it and ... I like ferns!
I saw some dios with a good vegetation, which worked like an "eye-catcher", if the model itself is one of the common types.

But for your dio, the vegetation is a part of the dio itself. It´s a full scene, because of the many scratch-built parts. That fits very good together!

greetings...
Soeren

Thank you for your nice comments, Ben, Jon and Soeren. I remember (thats actually more then 30 years ago) there was a spur track at rail station in my small town, and that looked exactly like this behind it. Childhood memories can be handy one day

The ballast is drying, and I returned to the other side of the dio. I added some weathering on the ruined building, mainly on the walls and below the windows, also gutter channel done, then I started concrete floor. I put on coat of white glue mixed with very fine stone dust, when dried, I will use pigments to get proper appearance.





Cheers
Libor

Another part of rails weathered, metal angles on the ramp painted and ready for some rusty touch. Also driveway is almost finished. Floor around the ruined building is dry and ready for paint and finish.





Cheers
Libor

the floor is done in concrete appearance, a bit weathered (more about to be done with finish touch), at the back I got ready plaster base with some tyre prints, that will be acces for coaling supply. A couple of drums nearby, I want also add a hand pump and some other accesories.




Cheers
Libor

Ah great work. I remember first looking at this pages ago and totally forgot about that building and the diorama having another side. It's crazy how this is all coming together. It should be something extraordinary. I can't wait to see the end product. Btw how is progress on the engine?

another great building for this project. The gutter on the factory is really good, the bending and aging is spot on.

Thank you Sean and Scott for your kind comments. To be honest, in my eyes this building is the weakest part of the dio and keeps me busy thinking how to get it better
Sean, I have pushed my loco on the second rail for a while, not too much done on it The last progress can be seen here:
loco
Cheers
Libor

Could I suggest some internal structure and furniture. I remember seeing some way back when you first started but if you look at AFV Modeller 46 or 47 I think with the Stug repair shop. It might be a good reference as to what you could do with it. Also have you thought about what your story might be telling, i.e. soldiers waiting to get on a train, loading up gondolas, etc. I'm sure it will all come together soon

Thank you Sean, I am on my way to get some adds here, and much more will appear later, but I mean that is actually the building itself I am not very happy with. Maybe I shoul dhace scratch built this one as well ...

Today continued with more details for this part of the dio, sand box with little shovel, box with tools, oil hand pump etc.







Cheers
Libor