A while back I wrote about trials I was undertaking, Throwback Paint with a mix of paint types.

This was the result for Shelfie2 under natural lighting which I was quite pleased with. That then was used to fill in the backdrop for Shelfie2 and the same technique used on Shelfie4.

Getting the backdrop to work is for me a big part of the layout presentation, if it doesn’t work then attention is drawn away from any modelling to that back scene. That was one of the reasons that Shelfie 2 sits as it does.

The view above, if you’ve followed the blog, socials and seen it at exhibitions will be familiar, but it has always sat uneasily with me, because I know the better viewpoint is actually looking into the layout from the opposite side.

Over the past few weeks this has been one of those areas that has concentrated my thinking I’ve started to brush off the Forest of Dean plans again and deciding if Shelfie2 needs a makeover. If it does go that way then the whole backscene will need to be reworked. If I do that then there’s the opportunity to make this fit with into the bigger story. Shelfie 2 could be worked up into a industry associated with the Sling tramway, either the colour works or the heavier industry of Watkins and boiler and pipe repair.

After selling a car, space has come available within the man cave, and a few batches of wagons have arrived 16t minerals mostly to add to the coal train fleet. They are an eclectic mix of kits built from Cambrian, Parkside, Airfix and some Bachmann RTR too. Those too will undoubtedly be joined in due course by some of the latest Accurascale releases, which are just arriving onto the market. I doubt that the differences will be too noticeable between the various types of wagons. Thats not disrespecting any of the manufacturers, the whole idea behind the style of presentation I do is to try and make everything ‘blend’ so no one item be it scenic, track or motive/power rolling stock stands out.

Geoff Taylors Barmouth layout is one of the projects that has underlined that for me. Some stock uses tension lock couplings, and as you get so engrossed in the layout, its atmosphere and operating the system the tension locks aren’t (for me) as noticeable as I thought they would be.

The view above is similar to what I mean, the tank wagons above aren’t immediately noticeable as fitted with traditional tension lock couplings, as your eye hopefully isn’t drawn to them with the other visual features on the layout.

However these tank arrivals will get couplings replaced, most likely to three links. Together with the mineral wagons that Forest itch is definitely getting more pronounced, and one location that can act as a stand-alone layout is the Berry Wiggins Bitumen terminal at Whimsey.

In my heads schematic system plan, Whimsey sits at the furthest extent of the branch line, which reflects reality.

So the end might be a good starting point!