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The M - K & Eastern RR

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  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Wednesday, October 2, 2019 5:58 AM

I removed a part of the foam mountain backdrop and replaced it with a piece of hardboard cut like mountains. 

 

It will be painted to give a nice 3D effect. 

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Monday, September 30, 2019 1:09 PM

I've started with the plaster work on the mountains.

I use a mix of WS moulds, home made latex moulds and alu foil.

 

The plaster is regular plaster of Paris.

 

 

I prefer to cast in situ. I wait until the plaster shows small wrinkles in the mould before placing it on the mountain.

 

 

I carve the surface with WS rock carving tools.

May need some more plaster in places.

 

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Wednesday, September 25, 2019 2:18 PM

I've started on the landscaping.

 Big Smile

I made a stone wall and sculpted a plaster rock along the embankment.

 

The road is sculptamold for now.

 

It's real fun to get some nature on the layout.

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Thursday, February 21, 2019 3:37 PM
 

The track laying continues, I have only 12' of dual gauge tracks left to do....

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Monday, February 18, 2019 1:33 PM

Some more progress on my layout. 

The tracks are getting ready to be ballasted.

I'll use crushed chamotte that I'll stain to the colors I like.

Just have to do some painting first.... And add feeder wires where needed.

 

 https://youtu.be/JYtm-BeeMx4

 

 

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Bradford, Ontario
  • 15,797 posts
Posted by hon30critter on Monday, February 4, 2019 12:53 AM

Hi Graffen,

Nice track work. My first impression was that it looked messy. It took me a minute to understand what I was looking at until I realized that it is dual gauge. I apologise for thinking that anything that you would do might be messy!EmbarrassedSmile, Wink & Grin

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Sunday, February 3, 2019 1:51 PM

I made a new updated trackplan:

 

I've made some more progress on the track laying.

 

 

 

The tracks around Holy Cross jct are getting there.... (yeah, the town is named to get some plus points with my resident priest... Big Smile

 

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Wednesday, January 30, 2019 2:17 PM
 
First run on my HO/HOn3 track!!!
It's a great feeling after waiting for it.
 

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    April 2012
  • From: Denver, CO
  • 771 posts
Posted by middleman on Tuesday, January 29, 2019 2:02 PM

Nice! Looking forward to more...

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Tuesday, January 29, 2019 1:05 PM

The track Laying has begun.

I made the first stretch today.

 

 

The HO/HOn3 double gauge trackage is a bit tricky to do. But now that I've spiked the first pieces, it feels as I'm on the right track.

Now I have to drill the holes for the turnout motors so I can install them as well. It's really fun!

 

 

 

 

 

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Saturday, January 26, 2019 7:12 PM

That building looks magnificent. Very well done.

.

I love Vallejo paints. The wood finishing set is excellent.

.

-Kevin

.

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Saturday, January 26, 2019 4:30 PM

Today I stained some ties.

The HOn3 crossties and turnout ties, and the HO/HOn3 dual gauge ties.

I bought an extra bag of turnout ties as it's easy to cut them to regular crosstie length if needed.

I used water based stain mixed with alcohol and some ink.

It dried really quick.

 

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Friday, January 25, 2019 2:32 PM

Made some progress on the layout today.

Started the track laying! I decided to begin with the dual gauge trackwork before I do the narrow gauge tracks.

I couldn't use standard gauge cross ties as they're too thick, and I couldn't use narrow gauge ones, as they're too short... I then decided to use narrow gauge turnout ties and cut them to standard gauge length...

It'll be nice to finish the dual gauge tracks as they are very time consuming.

The narrow gauge will be a piece of cake after this.  :D

 

I

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    June 2007
  • 8,892 posts
Posted by riogrande5761 on Tuesday, December 18, 2018 6:15 AM

Sheetrock... We all love to do some sheetrock and mud and sanding, and mud and sanding....

Yes of course!  As a matter of fact, my wife and I hung our first five 4x8' sheets of sheetrock/drywall last Sunday in the main basement room.  We've been in the house since late Nov 2018 and other projects have taken precident but now have permit to finish basement and progress is moving forward.

Yours is looking great and you are an artist.  I'm going to need to figure out some back drops for my Colorado/Utah border Rio Grande layout circa 1979

Rio Grande.  The Action Road  - Focus 1977-1983

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Bradford, Ontario
  • 15,797 posts
Posted by hon30critter on Monday, December 17, 2018 10:02 PM

Graffen
I'm very happy with the result.

Hi Graff,

You should be happy! Excellent work as usual.

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Monday, December 17, 2018 6:40 AM

Thomas Yorke's kit of the "Pool Hall and Bordello" in HO scale.

Finished!

 

Front

 

Primed the castings with grey and started the stone color.

 

I paint the stones with a light ochre.

 

 

 

 

 

The floor:

I used the Vallejo wood paint set.

 

Looks nice when dry.

 

The fronts are very time consuming to build, as they need to be built to fit.

 

 

Interior wall for the stair well.

 

Most of the building assembled.

 

The rooms are lit up with SMD LEDs

 

 

 

Rear:

 

 

 

 

Side:

 

Roof details:

 

 

 

Fuel tank;

 

Interior:

 

 

Details:

 

I'm very happy with the result.

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Monday, December 17, 2018 6:40 AM

Sorry, I missed your question...

The clear plastic was sprayed with grey spray primer. Then I painted each stone with various beige and grey colors. The mortar is grey clay pulverized and mixed with PVA glue.

The doors are a mix of blotching and stippling.

 

 

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    August 2016
  • 84 posts
Posted by swisstrain on Monday, July 23, 2018 8:41 AM

Beautiful work on that brewery, I lover the clearly visible aging, but it is clear that the building is functional.  I have a couple of questions.

How did you do the stonework - I am assuming that the brickwork came as a clear plastic, that you the colored?  How was that done?

What is the technique used for the doors?  I have see a technique that involved "blotching" with a sponge before, is that what you did here?

Keep it going, can't wait to see the finished building.

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Bradford, Ontario
  • 15,797 posts
Posted by hon30critter on Thursday, July 19, 2018 8:58 PM

More nice work Graff!

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: west coast
  • 7,667 posts
Posted by rrebell on Thursday, July 19, 2018 3:04 PM

Nice stonework, love the rusted roof, how was that done?

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Thursday, July 19, 2018 10:02 AM

Some more construction pics of the brewery.

 

The door frames cut out from cardboard:

 

The painted doors:

 

 

Primed windows:

 

Painted windows with green acrylics:

 

Real glass cut to size with a diamond scribe:

 

The buildings foundation:

 

Loading docks:

 

 

The water tank:

 

The boiler house with the PVC stone sheet that is glued with contact cement:

 

I used Tamiya putty on the corners:

 

Painted:

 

Roof with cardboard frames to make it removable:

 

Corrugated sheet cut to size:

 

Mortar made with pulverized clay mixed with PVA and water and then wiped away from the top of the stones:

 

Getting there:

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Bradford, Ontario
  • 15,797 posts
Posted by hon30critter on Monday, July 9, 2018 11:42 PM

Hi Graff:

That is coming along very nicely! Thanks for explaining your painting techniques.

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Monday, July 9, 2018 7:09 PM

There has been some progress on the brewery.

 Content of the kit.

 

 Some of the tools I use.

 

 I started by measuring the parts and identifying them with the numbers from the manual.

 

 I add woodgrain with a wire brush.

 

 I cut out the windows with a xacto chisel blade, then I stained the areas which were to be glued together.

 

 I add nail holes with a Trumpeter rivet wheel.

 

 As you see, the wall lines up on the right side and the left is offset.

 

 After staining the walls with india ink and alcohol, I paint the peeled off paint.

I use turps on a brush and while the surface is wet, I apply the acrylic paint which then pearls up in places to look like peeled off paint when dry.

 

 I used a light grey green paint.

 

 Painted walls.

 

 The trim was painted green.

 

 I glued the walls together.

 

 

 

 

 The floor is glued in place. I added a hole for the stairwell.

 

 Support beams under the floor.

 

This is as far as I have gotten now.

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: west coast
  • 7,667 posts
Posted by rrebell on Sunday, July 8, 2018 2:08 PM

Need lots of details on this one as I got this kit to build also.

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Sunday, July 8, 2018 1:57 PM

Latest project to be started.

Bret's Brewery from Campbell.

This will be a nice addition to the layout.

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Posted by SeeYou190 on Friday, July 6, 2018 11:16 AM

That is really great work.

.

I am wishing my own layout room was not still a year away.

.

Please keep the updates coming.

.

-Kevin

.

Living the dream.

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Wednesday, July 4, 2018 5:23 PM

 More power to everyone who can do that. The first one I tried actually came out pretty nice. Took a while, but totally bump free. Great, I thought, that's the very first, it should only get easier the more I try to build. Well, after 5 failed ones, I finally had another decent set of points. Never did get another good set of points, even with the Fast Tracks tools. So I just put it all away and quietly went back to buying Atlas. Still don't know what I kept doing wrong, it looks so darn easy in the videos. 

                                          --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Monday, July 2, 2018 2:18 AM

Built a # 6 left-hand turnout in HOn3 with 26" radius.

 

 

They are starting to go together easy now. This one took not more than an hour to make.

I use a drawn template to get the radius right. Otherwise it's just a matter of using the NMRA gauge and Railway Engineering roller gauges.

The frog area has a narrower gauge to make the rolling stock roll better through the frog.

I use the flangeway gauge to get it right.

 

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Wednesday, June 27, 2018 3:36 PM
I built a curved turnout today.
HOn3 with Code 70 rails. 28" and 22" radiuses.
What's left to do is to make the cuts for the live frog and to clean the flangeways from solder.I build my turnouts to the narrow specs that Railway engineering promotes. I use their roller gauges and to check with the NMRA gauge, you use the flange end instead of the track end.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

  • Member since
    April 2009
  • From: Sweden
  • 1,468 posts
Posted by Graffen on Tuesday, June 26, 2018 7:27 AM

Made a bit more on my three-way stub turnout in HOn3. One drawbar is made, now it's two more to hold the track gauge to make as well. It's a little tricky to make them because the rails must be able to move individually. I soldered micro track spikes to hold the rails in place.

Swedish Custom painter and model maker. My Website:

My Railroad

My Youtube:

Graff´s channel

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