# Ophir Loop in 1/20.3



## peter.smith5547 (6 mo ago)

I am currently building this layout for a customer and thought people might be interested in seeing it. I last modelled in large scale in 2005 and was a regular contributor to MLS then but this is the first time I've looked in 17 years! Things do seem to have changed a little.

This layout is in an old coach house in England, U shaped and just somewhere to run a collection of 1/20.3 loco's and stock....it's not really meant for operating. I'm going back for another day on it tomorrow so I thought this was a good time to introduce it. 










This is the room before I began work, with the baseboards already in place.










This is the larger of the two trestles, built up mainly from 15mm square stripwood glued together with Superglue. 










This is how I left it last time, with the backscene painted using artist's acrylic paints and the trestle spray painted before it was put in place.I should finish this scene tomorrow.










This is the depot building, four feet long! I'll take some pictures tomorrow of it in place.










I've done more work on the paintwork since I took the pictures. 

I hope what I've done so far looks OK; I'll keep updating as it progresses,

It's nice to be back!

Peter


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## fsts2k (Jan 13, 2009)

Very cool, thank you for sharing!


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## ferroequinologist (May 8, 2016)

Excellent work, keep posting more progress images and that Ophir depot building is fantastic and yes in 1:20.3 scale buildings are huge and probably very heavy.
Russell


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## Fred Mills (Nov 24, 2008)

interesting...


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## peter.smith5547 (6 mo ago)

I've just got back from a day working on the layout, so here are some pretty pictures.










The river still needs more coats of varnish.










I added the log cribbing at the far end today as well as completing the scenery.










I'm looking forward to seeing a K27 running scross!










I've brought the depot home to finish it off, but we stood it in place first. The card shapes mark the position of the road. 










The black rectangle will be the store.










I've brought the bents for the small trestle home to complete it here. 










I'm going back next tuesday, and in the meantime there are a lot of buildings to make.

Peter


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## peter.smith5547 (6 mo ago)

I've been working on the buildings for a few days:










This is low relief and will sit against the backscene so the dormer windows and chimney are just flat. 



















The tram house is coming together but I've run out of corrugated sheet. 










This is one of the bedrooms in the depot; the furniture is laser cut in 1/24th scale found on Ebay. 










The upper floor just slots into place so it can be removed to give access to the ground floor rooms. I'll be detailing those tomorrow. 

Peter


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## MGates (Mar 16, 2016)

Thank you for sharing your progress, the trestle looks great! It's nice to see a scene come together.

-Mike


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## peter.smith5547 (6 mo ago)

Thanks Mike, it is nice seeing the scene coming to life now.

Peter


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## peter.smith5547 (6 mo ago)

I've finished off the interior of the Depot building; it's not easy to photograph but these should give some idea. I've still got to add the LED lighting.










The store looking through the bay window. Why Ophir needed three stores standing almost next to one another I have no idea - where did all the customers come from?










The shelves are just a flat picture, and don't look too closely at the prices because they are British! 










A peek into the kitchen. The curtains are just a flat picture but they look three dimensional.










The kitchen from above. It's obviously not accurate but it will only be glimpsed through the fairly small windows. 










The small bedroom, which will only be seen through the windows on the right. 

I'm going to fit strips of LED lights which don't get hot.

Peter


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## peter.smith5547 (6 mo ago)

This is the model of Mrs Skillen's store so far.....



















The corrugated sheets to finish the roof should arrive tomorrow.










There will be steps leading up to the door but they need to be added when it's in place.

Peter


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## fsts2k (Jan 13, 2009)

Really looking great, thank you for sharing the photos. What are you making the buildings from? It almost looks like cardboard?


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## peter.smith5547 (6 mo ago)

There's a good reason for that - they are! I've used corrugated cardboard for the structures, covered with card planking and stripwood shingles and detailing. The doors and windows are plastic. 

I like cardboard, it's cheap, it's easy to cut and it's light. I buy boxes from a firm specialising in things for people moving house; they come flat and I just cut them up and glue the parts together with a hot glue gun. I do my scenery in the same way. 

The only thing likely to have an adverse affect would be damp but I knew where the models would be going and they're well protected.

Peter


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## ferroequinologist (May 8, 2016)

Ah.. the advantages of modelling indoors in large scale! Looking good and you do work fast.
Russell


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## peter.smith5547 (6 mo ago)

Another advantage of cardboard Russell. I thought a couple of pictures of the back of the store might be of interest:



















It's very crude but as it will never be seen it doesn't matter.

The last building is a small house that stood by the crossing:










It's not finished but it's getting there. 










The planks that don't line up will be disguised with some flowers.



















Obviously the interior is guesswork, I have no idea what the real thing looked like. The fact that one of the stovepipes is right over the bed is a bit inconvenient; I'll think of something, give me time!










I found an old Colorado newspaper on Ebay and copied the image.










There isn't much room to get out of bed!










With no window on the wall facing the front this will only be seem by lifting the roof off.










I'm away for a few days now but it will be finished in time to deliver it next Tuesday.

Peter


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## peter.smith5547 (6 mo ago)

I've been back doing more work on the layout today; I delivered all the buildings and spent the day painting the backscene.










The blank area below the painting will be the hillside. 










I hope it looks a bit like Colorado. 




























We think the trains will fit under the tram house...................!!




























The store disguises the corner of the room nicely. 



















Continued below.


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## peter.smith5547 (6 mo ago)

(Continued)



















I will be modelling the wooden platform around the depot building.

I don't go back now until a week on Monday so there won't be any more progress until then,

Peter


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## ferroequinologist (May 8, 2016)

Looking good, backdrop painting will make a difference and give some "depth"


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## peter.smith.second (5 mo ago)

I've made more progress with the laoyut; I should complete it on Monday.










My customer decided to add a water tank and move the trolley shed, it does make as nice scene.




























I still need to add the loading pipe to the tramhouse.




























I'll be scratchbuilding a proper set of steps.










I'll post some more pictures when it's all finished,

Peter


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## ferroequinologist (May 8, 2016)

That's looking good Peter and it's amazing how some scenery and backscene gives depth and distance to a layout.
Russell


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## peter.smith5547 (6 mo ago)

It does Russell; the trick to blend them together so they look like one scene. I normally use photographic backscenes but in this scale that wasn't an option. My knees have just about recovered from the day I did the painting!

Peter


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## peter.smith5547 (6 mo ago)

I've completed the layout today so here are some new pictures. I'll be going back to take a new set in a few weeks when the owner has unpacked all his loco's and stock.




























The odd grey shape is where the wooden platform used to be.



















Creak!!














































It's been a real pleasure to build and I hope you all think it looks OK. 

Peter


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## ferroequinologist (May 8, 2016)

Looks good Peter, makes a small space come alive especially with the weathered loco and coach. Good job on the hand painted back scene as that's often very difficult to do convincingly by not drawing the viewers eye to a highly detailed scene, just filling in depth as the viewer looks at the foreground. 
Russell


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## stevedenver (Jan 6, 2008)

Superb.


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