Point repair
Ballasting
Rock faces
Platform surfacing
No Laurence this week, but work continued at a pace regardless.
Geoff set-to sorting out a point that had a reduced throw following his ballasting session. After extensive investigations above-ground, the point motor was taken off to discover a stray piece of chipboard causing the problem! However, poking around had messed up the ballast, and careful re-application of individual chippings was required!
Two smaller pieces were fitted to a recess on the back-scene and, no doubt, a few more will be applied to the hillock over the tunnel. These areas will eventually be covered with grass, shrubs and trailing plants.
Geoff then tackled the platform surface. This had been discussed on several occasions, but with no firm idea emerging. With lots of plaster flying about, it made sense to give it a try. A batch was made with brown paint added (to avoid white chips grinning through in future), poured onto a primer of PVA and spread with a straight-edge.
The excess will be sanded down once completely dry, but even as laid, the effect was very pleasing.
Meanwhile, Stephen was tackling the inside of the tunnel. He'd planned to prepare a plaster layer poured onto a crumpled tin-foil sheet and press it onto the outer wall. However, realising the void was quite large, he started off by laying a wall of plaster by spatula and fingers. This soon took on a roughness not un-rock-like. Geoff likened it to sprayed concrete (so clearly unimpressed), but we'll see what it looks like next week.
