C1114 - Straw, C1115 - Autumn Leaves, C1128 - Snow, C1130 - Light Green, C1131 - Mid Green, C1132 - Dark Green, C1133 - Tree Foliage The elusive texture of delicate and yet dense grassland, vegetation, tree leaves, etc. is best represented by finely ground foam rubber. Whilst this may not be as cheap as dyed sawdust or cork, the effect is far more lifelike.

The dyes used in colouring also have a bearing. We have all seen layouts where the greens have faded, or worse still, are a turquoise colour. Yellow dyes are fugitive and those that are colour stable are very expensive. As modellers ourselves, we know the importance of colourfast materials and purchase accordingly.

Scenic Scatters are normally secured to the sub strata by Spray Mount or the cheapest, stickiest hair spray available. Spray over the desired area. Grassland is not even in colour; depressions for example will be darker in colour because they collect more moisture. So, for smaller areas of differing colour, make a mask by tearing an irregular shaped hole in a piece of paper and spray through this. When dry, surplus material can be brushed or vacuumed. Scenic Scatter may be used in patches on the ground or as a coating to hedges, and twigs teased out of Sprigs.

Natural Ballast is noisy, heavy, too even in colour and can cause problems if a piece finds it’s way into a locomotive mechanism. Our ballast is made from a wood material. It is angular and displays a range of subtle colour changes, as does the real thing… It is supplied in PVC ‘Jam Jars’, which prevent spillage and wastage. The Ash Ballast and Firebox Ash bottles contain a small bag of alternative colour material, enabling you to create varying patches of colour, as found on full size permanent way.

Running lines were filled with ballast, whereas yards and sidings were ballasted using ash.

Poor ballasting can ruin an otherwise good layout, so it is worth taking time to obtain a good result. Pour the ballast in and around the track work and level off between the rails with a flat brush - one about the same width as the gauge of the track is ideal. Spread up to the tops of the sleepers. Pieces of card can be used if necessary, to create an edge profile for spreading outside the rail area. Be sure to check that whichever turnout operating mechanism you are using is free and works smoothly.

Once laid, the ballast should be secured in place without delay. Do not use diluted PVA! We know every book you ever read tells you to do this, but it does have disadvantages. Once dry, it can give the ballast an unnatural glossy look and sets like rock. Instead use a latex glue such as Copydex, diluted with about 4 volumes of water. NB. Your local carpet shop will sell you a 5 litre drum of Latex quite cheaply. It will last forever and is ideal for many gluing operations. Pre wet the ballast by spraying over lightly with water and then dribble the water/latex solution by means of an eyedropper. Clean up if necessary, as soon as the glue is dry. Pick off any remaining blobs or bits of ballast which have got above the sleepers or onto the sides of the rail.

Our ballast is manufactured from crushed and steamed fruit stone - a natural product.The raw material varies in colour from consignment to consignment, so each batch of ballast we make up will vary from the last. Now we do not think this is a bad thing. Ballast colour on prototype railways varies quite a lot. Patches of new ballast are lighter and you often see variances where only the up or down line has recently been re-ballasted.

Model railways nearly always have the track ballasted to a uniform colour. We think this is wrong, but if this is what you want to do, please ensure you purchase sufficient at one time. For later purchases may well be of a different shade.

These finely ground pigments have a slightly greasy nature so that they may be rubbed into a textured finish to produce a permanent stain. They should be brushed or rubbed onto the model with a fingertip, cotton wool or felt pads, then worked into the corners and cracks. They may be smeared with a pad of blotting paper, or fingers and mixed together to get varying hues. Water streaking may be achieved with a paintbrush and water with detergent. The white powder may be used for lime-streaked effects. A matt varnish may be used to provide a basis on gloss-finished surfaces to which powders may not readily adhere. Wet & oily areas should be picked out with gloss varnish. No further protection is needed and handling a weathered vehicle seems to improve it rather than spoil the finish. Each pack contains four colours.

Rust and Coal Dust contains a fresh oxide colour and a darker rust as well as a jet-black and an oily powder. Shades of Mud contains a very dark brown, two lighter browns and a sandy chalk colour. Spring Greens contains four shades of green, two bright ones and the other two of a more natural toning. Mellow Yellows has four shades, typical of dry grass and dead leaves. Grey tones are ideal for toning down paintwork and putting dust onto wagon sides and carriage roofs. Primary Tints are used for blending into other powders so as to vary the hues and create subtle changes. It contains a strong white, ultramarine blue, and a bright yellow together with a strong red.

These are very good for dry dusting fibrous surfaces such as brushed Topsoil, torn lint and carpet felt, as they do not cause any matting of the fibre as paint so often does. Please note, these are not powder paints, or powdered chalks. They are pure pigments as used in the ceramics industry, hence the strength of colour and fineness of their consistency. These latter qualities are necessary for the necessary colour density.