Hi all,
Weekend before last, my dad helped me build the 2x8 "box frame" for the diorama/shelf layout I've posted about on here. A friend came over today and helped me get the box and brackets on the wall. I'm mainly building the whole thing around the South River Model Works kit. I'll do another layer of 1" foam inside "the box frame" for a level surface, but plan to do a 1" and 1.5" layer on top. Why two different thicknesses and not a single 1.5" layer of foam? Because I already have those two sizes. I bought a hot knife foam cutter from Harbor Freight today and that's so much better then the single edged razor blades I'd been using. I also have a Woodland Scenics hot wire cutter but that's only for cutting countours and a few inches off an end, but it's a great tool and glad I have both. I deviated significantly from Pelle Soeborg's shelf layout by having a flat piece of hardboard for the backdrop and not curving the corners, it seemed like it would take to much force to curve it to the radius he did so my dad and I just did a backdrop surface flat against the wall. I'll get a photo back drop sometime soon.
The frame mounted on the walls. Took the photo from my work bench. The white boxes are F&C kits I'll build one day.
Overview shot with the South River Model Works kit put in place. I'm only adding a small amount of river scenery out front of the model as I do not want the tracks so far in the back. The track height is about 56" which is a bit high even for me but as I already have things up and off the floor I'm leaving it like that.
Alvie
Alvie, thanks for the update! You have a great start. I absolutely love that structure! It looks so detailed and the colors work perfectly. Looks like New England? What railroad/prototype location are you modeling?
Keep us updated; this has a lot of potential! I love small layouts.
-Matt
Matt,
Thank you! It's a South River Model Works kit I've been working on for several weeks. Aside adjusting it to my layout, I'm building it per the instructions. My layout will be a slice of the US of A inspired by upstate New York and New England, mainly New England, after looking at layouts set in New England from Model Railroader and others. I have a Boston and Maine T1b 2-8-4 and a handful of freight cars. Plus numerous freight cars painted for various roads.
I did some more work on my shelf layout, I'm putting foam on top of the benchwork, except for around the Wrisley Papers model which is in a valley. When the layout nears completion, I'll put a hardboard fascia over the foam and lumber painted black that follows terrain contours but that'll be way down the line.
Here's a hand drawn (crudely) plan I'm working on. The two tracks at the end going from single to double is to accomodate Wrisley Papers. I didn't like having my main tracks behind the building and didn't want to crowd things to much in front of the building and the sluice gates out front. The building is to nice a model and has been to much work to not include. Track will be Micro Engineering Code 70, turnouts will be the company's #6. I'll put in a couple Tortoises in some places, but most switches will be handthrown. Control will be NCE Powercab as I already have one. I'm thinking crossovers on each line, the front and back. On the grid, each square is 2"x2" so a 6x6 area is a square foot. I'm thinking of moving the rear tracks after Wrisley Papers forward a couple inches to have four inches from the edge of the roadbed to the backdrop for scenery. Look forward to everyone's thoughts and feedback.