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.

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!