Over the hill and round the bend

Having had a mad week with another in prospect, I had a couple of days off and managed to get some modelling time in which involved more plaster bandage and a new road over bridge.

These two picture show how I left things on Sunday evening, starting to get a better idea of the lay of the land.

 

 

On Sunday evening I constructed the bridge using mostly bits of Wills styrene sheet. The bridge itself is similar to the one on Underhill (which I originally made for this layout to go where the new footbridge is!) The idea of it being where it is is to provide a scenic break between the two chords of the horse shoe bend.

 

This is the finished article after painting. I would have gone for a more detailed job on the stonework but as it will always be at the far end and the back of the layout this will do.

Having made the bridge straight I've had to slightly alter where it sits as the original idea was for it to be slightly on the curve. I tested it place and the L&B PECO coaches were too tight a fit for comfort. To rectify this I got out a tennon saw and sliced through the new scenery nearer the straight and all is well.

 

With the bridge properly sited I then built up the scenery leading up to it to make room for the road. I wanted it to dip down below railway level and then come up and over a level crossing on the front edge but it ended up with just a slope down to the crossing. The road will have to run alongside the railway for a short while but I think it will be a characterful little scene. I might even have to pose a steam roller with a tiny Sid James waving his fist there.