Sawyer Berry
Clemson University c/o 2018
Building a protolanced industrial park layout
Thanks, I'm liking them as well.
Next up is the main road crossing in town. I've been working on it, and am about 85% done.
Here's a sneak peak
and I have a more pictures here
I'm kind of bummed about the different color in the road, but I want to see what's happening with that as it dries out (hopefully).
I'm trying to model 1956, not live in it.
I'm moving on with my trees!
I ordered the Supertrees pack, as well as some of the Noch leaves. Following their instructions (scenic express), I've been very pleased with the results.
Here are a couple in place surrounding the pine trees. The ones on the left are with a medium green leaf, the smaller on the right of the pines a light green leaf.
Just to vary texture, this one on the left of the track as Woodland Scenics foam instead of the Noch leaves.
Elsewhere, I got the yard by the coal dealer almost finished, need to dust it up with coal, and work on the surrounding area. At least it's not bare foam anymore.
I'm happy with these trees. Compared to other products I've purchased, the tree forms are pretty economical. The advertisement was 20-30 trees for $25 (although I got it at Walthers for $20), and after making 10 trees, I don't think I've made a real dent in the box. By varying the top material, I think it will make a decent looking set of woods.
don7 wrote:Great test layout. Checked out your homepage quite informative. By the way what was the cause of the short that ended up melting the plastic ties on your switch? Was there any damage to the Consolidation?
Great test layout.
Checked out your homepage quite informative.
By the way what was the cause of the short that ended up melting the plastic ties on your switch? Was there any damage to the Consolidation?
Thanks don. Turns out there is a "known" issue with insulfrog turnouts from Peco. See Joe Fugate's reply, as well as others on the issue on the original thread.
Thanks to everyone else; Spacemouse, the roads were done based on the idea in the Kalmbach scenery book.
I've added a few new things this weekend, including a yard office for Crosby's Coal, a guard rail on the road, and I've started putting in the scenic express Supertrees. These are really great, I've been looking for a material to use as trees; for $20 a box you get a lot of tree material - easily enough for 30+ trees. Now if I lived where I had sagebrush blowing down my street it would be different, (I've planted Yarro and Sedum in my garden for drying purposes) but as I don't, I think the sub $1.00 for each tree (delivered), and with how they look, is a fair deal.
That's a supertree front and center, to the left of the pines.
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.
I finished my first "major" craftsman building kit, Crosby's coal.
This is a branchline trains model, and a really nice kit, I had fun assembling it, even the roof shingles that go on strip by strip.
I found it easier to prepaint most assemblies prior to construction, and I didn't care for the self adhesive bits. I ended up using full strength white glue instead.
I had some issues with the decals; I'm not unhappy with the results even if they could be a bit more centered. Word of advice to anyone making this model, cut out the center words individually to reduce the decal film area. I didn't, being my first run at this stuff, and even with the decal solvent in the right light you can catch the blank film with your eye. I've sealed the model, I'm hopeful that weathering will disguise most of that.
I realized after I built the kit there is no "office", this is just the bulk material storage building. I've ordered a small office structure to go with it, I'll scenic the area once I have that foot print on hand.
Hi Scarpia, You are coming along great! Your birch trees look great, but as you say,"WS Forest canopy is far too pricy for the area covered. Enclosed, are shots of my first attempt at making a weeping willow tree. You start with a 10" length of multi stranded #14 bus wire and progressively twine 4 strands. then two strands, and finally one strand. One then adds repeated twined layers at increased height.(which I did not do ) Either grind up WS foliage clumps, or use WS static grass. Carefully spray the foliage branches with adhesive. Dip the sprayed branches into the pile of foliage. Wrap the trunks with tape and paint on the usual black and white coloration.This should privide fairly good birch trees, (especially for the background trees) Observe my Posted thread on making "Deciduous Trees" BobHahn
NSlover92 wrote:You willing to share how you made those roads? I would love to know, Thanks Mike
You willing to share how you made those roads? I would love to know, Thanks Mike
Sure, but the idea wasn't mine.
Paint (I used the Apple Barrel brown)
Sifted sand from the back of my truck
Dry
Vacuum off loose sand
Paint
Sifted sand
Draw ruts with edged tool
Painted with WS slate gray earth tones on a foam brush (diluted 4-1, I was doing rocks anyways and some ran over on part of the road. I liked the way it looked, helped tone down the Apple Barrel Brown).
Sprayed with water and white glue and alchool mixture to tie down any loose bits.
I think it looks ok, but next time I'll use actual dirt from this area instead of the sand from my traction tube. Although, sifting the sand provided me with a lot of small rocks that look good scattered around other areas. I recently got the How to Build Realistic Model Railroad Scenery book, and this method was in there. That's a very useful book, I thought I had a decent handle on scenery until I started reading it.
Scarpia wrote: HarryHotspur wrote:Since this is only a test layout, you might want to try a different product for the water feature on your permanent layout. Those pellets have received a lot of bad reviews in the MR media. I can see why. I'm not planning any still water in the next layout, so I may have to bench test some other methods. Cheers
HarryHotspur wrote:Since this is only a test layout, you might want to try a different product for the water feature on your permanent layout. Those pellets have received a lot of bad reviews in the MR media.
I can see why. I'm not planning any still water in the next layout, so I may have to bench test some other methods.
Cheers
- Harry
Well it's been a while, but I spent some time today working on it. Here's an updated shot near the spur of the future Crosby Coal Company.
and another
I've also been working on my roads. I'm not completely satisfied with them, but I'm going to live with them for a bit.
An inexpensive blue speckled coffee cup, from the camping section at Walmart, plus a piece of aluminum flashing along with one or two hose clamps to make a funnelled spout, makes heating and pouring the melting water beads easy.
The limiting factor on how much you pour at once is how much "shoreline" you can draw thin with a popsicle stick before it all hardens.
A heat gun will soften already poured "water" but will introduce ripples in an unpredictable manner. These can be smoothed, enhanced and "erased" with Artist's Gloss Medium.
Midnight Railroader wrote:Just FYI-- "water features" are found in gardens and landscaping.We typically call our models of water what they represent, i.e., lake, river, stream, etc.Also, you're gonna be in trouble with Harry Hotspur for not making them all blue on your layout.
Just FYI-- "water features" are found in gardens and landscaping.
We typically call our models of water what they represent, i.e., lake, river, stream, etc.
Also, you're gonna be in trouble with Harry Hotspur for not making them all blue on your layout.
noted, thanks. That may be my problem, I can't decide if it's a lake or a river, or a ......
Scarpia wrote: I'm moving ahead with this test layout, and finished my water feature. I, probably mistakenly for this application, used this product
I'm moving ahead with this test layout, and finished my water feature. I, probably mistakenly for this application, used this product
Scarpia wrote:I'm moving ahead with this test layout, and finished my water feature. I, probably mistakenly for this application, used this product After painting the bottom, and scenicking the edges, I melted my bag, and poured It didn't quite cover the area I had expected. So I hoofed it over to my local game store that I knew had a couple of bags, and got another one.It also didn't cover as I had expected.So back to the store, and I bought out their remaining two bags.Once home, I melted this batch, and added a squirt of brown acryllic paint (apple bottom), which made the mixture immediately froth in the pot. I thought I had just ruined it, but the froth settled out, and I poured the mixture on.While this wasn't quite the effect I was going for, it does look a bit like the rivers and ponds in this area in mid-summer - there is often a lot of "things" like foam on the surface on slow moving water. I had prepared the area thinking the water would level and flow, but this stuff hardens so fast, it doesn't get a chance. You can see here how it makes it's own edge.I brought the shoreline to the water in this case with more modeling sand. Overall, I'm not displeased with the results.But I think this product is best used for smaller areas.Cheers
After painting the bottom, and scenicking the edges, I melted my bag, and poured
It didn't quite cover the area I had expected. So I hoofed it over to my local game store that I knew had a couple of bags, and got another one.
It also didn't cover as I had expected.
So back to the store, and I bought out their remaining two bags.
Once home, I melted this batch, and added a squirt of brown acryllic paint (apple bottom), which made the mixture immediately froth in the pot. I thought I had just ruined it, but the froth settled out, and I poured the mixture on.
While this wasn't quite the effect I was going for, it does look a bit like the rivers and ponds in this area in mid-summer - there is often a lot of "things" like foam on the surface on slow moving water.
I had prepared the area thinking the water would level and flow, but this stuff hardens so fast, it doesn't get a chance. You can see here how it makes it's own edge.
I brought the shoreline to the water in this case with more modeling sand. Overall, I'm not displeased with the results.
But I think this product is best used for smaller areas.
Even if it didnt turn out the way you wanted, it looks awesome. Mike
The work on your layout is comming along great,Keep it up!!
JIM
I got the guard rails in place, they do snap in, thanks for your help. They are hard to see though...
Elsewhere, I've been working on terrain. I almost have the water feature ready to pour
and my "test" corner of my "test" layout is starting to shape up a bit.
I also got a new loco from eBay, need to DCC it.
Cheers!
Ok, so I am blind
I was expecting a bit more, but thanks. I'll try running some guard rails this weekend.
Take a look at your own photo after you click on it. Look in the second open bay near the left rail of the left track. I see two rows of small pin-like protrousions paralleling the rail. The guard rail should fit in them. Sometimes things like that are hard to see on the first time around with something new.
Also, another type of glue to use for holing the guard rail and bridge track down is Walthers Goo, but you do have to becareful with it not to get too much.
Elmer.
The above is my opinion, from an active and experienced Model Railroader in N scale and HO since 1961.
(Modeling Freelance, Eastern US, HO scale, in 1962, with NCE DCC for locomotive control and a stand alone LocoNet for block detection and signals.) http://waynes-trains.com/ at home, and N scale at the Club.
I've made some progress, including cutting the ME bridge track to fit. I've included a shot, what I'm not seeing are the places to mount the guard rails. Am I blind?