Experimenting with Cameras.
The bridge is progressing well with the rail bridge now painted, transoms installed and western abutment completed. Construction is in progress for the road approach span and a mock up of Narellan made - photos will be added in next post.

One of my aims was to try and create a layout that lends itself to photography and a lot of experimentation is happening at present. A few shots were taken tonight to learn more about creating extensive depth of field and playing with lighting and post processing.

3013 and 3034 bring a down mixed into Camden platform 

3013 waits in the loading bank siding while 3034 shunts a CV, steel S and S truck into the goods shed siding

3013 has just uncoupled and run around the down mixed goods

the photographer has walked back behind the train to grab this shot looking
towards the buffers and Nepean House

I am happy with these results and look forward to finishing off the detail and getting the rest of backdrop in place. There was quite a lot of dust and fluff on the locos, they will get a good brushing before the next shoot. I would like to look into simulating smoke and steam for some future shots any one have recommended products for this??

Back to the bridge work Cheers for now

On the banks of the river (to the sound of beating drums)

3040 pulls an up mixed train across Cowpasture Bridge - as always a work in
progress with some mockup vegetation

The last couple of weeks have been spent detailing around the station and continuing with the bridge module - mainly terrain and the end abutments which required a couple of visits to Camden for photos and measurements - a quick trip to Monaro Hobbies in Canberra to stock up on scenery material, styrene and paint.

While there is still a lot of detailing to be done around the station the focus will be on finishing the road and rail bridges and approach trestles. I need to get the track work advancing towards Narellan.

The road bridge had very distinctive sectionalised hand rails with 2 staggered chains that could be folded down during floods - I have been experimenting trying to replicate these using a single strand of wire see picture below - this will be a slow process

Once the undergrowth is in place on the banks simulated water will be added using Woodlands Scenics deep water pour.

I am still debating whether to use proprietary track on the approach trestle and river bridge mainly from a convenience point of view. The downside is the sleepers are shorter than the prototype - had I thought of this earlier I would have made the rail bridge a whisker narrower to allow the sleepers to overhang the girders a bit more. I think the correct length sleepers will look better if not a little slower to fabricate - I'll make the decision once the scenery has been finished and the road bridge installed

Cheers until the next post

the simulated chains on the road bridge handrails

The photos below are  work in progress in the yard and milk factory

3034 approaches Camden station with a down passenger. The car with its distinctive
red wheel hubs appears in many of Weston Langford's photos of Camden
 parked outside the Milk depot. The white rails to the left of the loco I believe
 were to protect the points from trucks that would drive to the loading bank
- any feedback on this would be welcomed

Another work in progress 3034 with down passenger passes an MLV
in the milk siding that will be coupled to the up train