Triple Whammy

Three things are conspiring to restrict the amount of construction content I'm able to post on the blog currently.

I'm still working through a large order of kits for the FR shop - yes, still! 3/4 done now, by the way.

While that's tying up my time Himself has not had anything to contribute. In fact he's going to be out of action for a few more weeks.

And lastly my elderly laptop has expired and there's only so much copy you can type with one thumb on a smartphone before it becomes terminally tedious.

So here's another snippet of video to keep you entertained in the meantime.

River Tree Planting

Eventually there are going to be a lot of trees on Bron Hebog, but for the moment Himself is concentrating on populating small areas such as the banks of the Afon Cwm Cloch which flows from back of the back of the layout to the front.

At the moment only the north bank has been treated. In time there will be trees on the right hand side of the lane as well creating a sort of green tunnel.

Even at this stage I think this lane scene is beginning to look very effective. It would be great to hear what readers who know the area well make of it.

Himself has also been experimenting with some white paint effects on the river water to give it more of a sense of movement.

This is the view from the rear of the layout as the operators will see it.

I hope if you manage to come along to the exhibition in Crawley this weekend you'll be able to give the team some feedback on how Bron Hebog is coming along. You can leave comments here on the blog or on our Facebook page and Twitter feed - just search for Bron Hebog.

Down On The Farm

Himself has sent me some snaps of the latest scenic additions around the farm area on Bron Hebog.

The yard has acquired some gates, and livestock...

And on the old bridge over the river he has added some very nicely distressed guard rails.

There will be a great many small details like this to add to the layout which although basically complete in terms of track and basic scenery is very far from finished.

Water Works

The time has come to fill the Afon Cwm Cloch.

This is one of the major scenic features on Bron Hebog.

It runs the full depth of the layout with the railway crossing over it three times as it winds its way up / down the long S bend.

Himself has decided to use some gloop called Realistic Water and I'm given to understand it's been a venture into the unknown with a lot of trial and error involved.

Firstly it would appear the river bed is porous in places because some of the stuff is leaking out before it sets - destination unknown!

Then the actual cure time as been causing much consternation.

If it is poured to a depth of 1/8 of an inch it stubbornly refuses to set, so little and often appears to be the key.

Of course it's possible that the ambient temperature at this time of the year in the UK is a factor but having not used the stuff before it's hard to tell.

Hopefully it will all be dry / set for the next exhibition appearance in a few weeks time!