Weekend Photo Fun 01/25/08 - 01/27/08

[Flashwave]

Sweet pictures everyone!

Graphite: I love that warehouse!

I made a tour of my layout so far, a little messy and kind of shaky camera work, but oh well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXUufn7NvhQ

Enjoy! 

great start. what size is the room? 

[Anonymous]

Sweet pictures everyone!

Graphite: I love that warehouse!

I made a tour of my layout so far, a little messy and kind of shaky camera work, but oh well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXUufn7NvhQ

Enjoy! 

[WCfan]

GraphiteHemi-Nice looking warehouse! I'm assuming that's scratch built?

I agree. That really looks nice. On the layout I'm planning it will have some what of a similar industry.

[graphitehemi]

GraphiteHemi-Nice looking warehouse! I'm assuming that's scratch built?

Thanks! Yup, 99.9% scratchbuilt. The only thing that isn't are the roof top details. The awnings and stairs were all scratchbuilt also. Awnings were the toughest part.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Thank you. I didn't use anything to create the flangeways while pouring the road.  I simply used some barriers to define the roadway.  Then I pour plaster of paris and use one of those phony credit cards to smooth the surface.  After the plaster of paris was dry, I used a hacksaw blade to create the flangeways.  

Here's another technique I saw used:

Put thin plastic strips butted up against the inside rail.  When the plaster sets, pull them out.

I use waxed dress shoe strings. I cut them into eight inch long pieces then put 1 piece beside the inside edge of each rail and pour the plaster. After the plaster dries I simply pull the shoe strings up and viola, instant flangeways.

[fiatfan]

Tom,

Thanks for sharing your road and flange way technique. I like the way it came out on your layout.

I have another question for you. Do you add the concrete color to the plaster mix, or do you paint it after it has setup and the flange ways are cut?

Thanks,

Ryan

Ryan, I add color to the plaster while mixing it.  I use the Apple Barrel acrylic paints from Wal Mart.  Generally the dolphin gray or the pewter gray.  You may need to add a little black to get it to a color that you like.  Experiment with small sections and keep track of what proportions give you the best color.

Keep in mind that when it dries, it will seem a little dark.  After the road dries, one of the things I do is to sand the surface with some 230 grit sandpaper.  This will lighten the color somewhat.  One other tip is to make a large enough batch to pour an entire section of road at once.  Sometimes it can be hard to match the colors.  

I generally pour my roads in two layers when working around tracks.  The first layer will tend to settle around the ties and leave the surface uneven.  The second pour then gives you a fairly nice surface with only a little sanding to do.  I generally pour the first layer to cover the tops of the ties.  When that is dry I pour the second layer.

One other thing I forgot to mention about cutting the flangeways.  After you use the hacksaw, you may need to use a small pointed tool to clear some of the plaster from the web of the rail.  I use  one of these:

They come in a set of four for a couple bucks at the local farm supply store.  Use a little care so you don't bevel the flangeway.

 

Tom 

[CanadianShield]

 

 You're in Jail/behind bars os some kind :) and we're supposed to believe you? Just Joshin!

[lvanhen]

 

 I'm a carsalesman. Just had to say something!  Haha

You're a car salesman & we're supposed to believe you?!!

Just joking!

[CanadianShield]

 

 Well if they were only in Canada this whole time, I think you Missed out!

 Ask Meat Loaf (of Texas) & Alan Jackson (of Georgia) what they think:

Well if I had money,
I'd tell you what I'd do,
I go downtown buy a Mercury or two.
Crazy bout a Mercury,
Lord I'm crazy bout a Mercury,
I'm gonna buy me a Mercury & cruise it up & down the road.

 

[DigitalGriffin]

Thank you. I didn't use anything to create the flangeways while pouring the road.  I simply used some barriers to define the roadway.  Then I pour plaster of paris and use one of those phony credit cards to smooth the surface.  After the plaster of paris was dry, I used a hacksaw blade to create the flangeways.  

Here's another technique I saw used:

Put thin plastic strips butted up against the inside rail.  When the plaster sets, pull them out.

[reklein]

EEyore,ya beat me to it. Thats a Canadian PU. When my Canadian relatives visited us when I was a kid,we always used to chuckle over that.

[eeyore9900]

And a red Mercury pick-up sitting along side the ROW

Chuck

???  I'll swear that's a Ford!!  Looks like my first truck!!

That's a Ford. To my knowledge Mercury never made any pickups.

 

They sure did-in Canada.  http://www.mercurypickup.com/

[CanadianShield]

 

 I'm a carsalesman. Just had to say something!  Haha

[jeffrey-wimberly]

 

 Mercury did have pickups... 

 

 

 But thats a ford in the pic.

That's a new one on me.

[CanadianShield]

 

 Mercury did have pickups... 

images.google.com and type in Mercury Pickup.

 

 But thats a ford in the pic.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

And a red Mercury pick-up sitting along side the ROW

Chuck

???  I'll swear that's a Ford!!  Looks like my first truck!!

That's a Ford. To my knowledge Mercury never made any pickups.

[SilverSpike]

Tom,

Thanks for sharing your road and flange way technique. I like the way it came out on your layout.

I have another question for you. Do you add the concrete color to the plaster mix, or do you paint it after it has setup and the flange ways are cut?

Thanks,

Ryan

[fiatfan]

Very nice work everyone.  Here's a road I 've been working on.  Still have some fiinishing touches to put on it but at least trains can run again.

http://www.frontiernet.net/~tbohlen/IMG_2721.jpg

Very nice Tom, what did you use on the inside of the rails to keep your filler from filling the whole gap between the rails in? I have some places on my layout that I will be doing this too and but I want to make sure I have enough of a gap for the wheel flanges to go through.

Thank you. I didn't use anything to create the flangeways while pouring the road.  I simply used some barriers to define the roadway.  Then I pour plaster of paris and use one of those phony credit cards to smooth the surface.  After the plaster of paris was dry, I used a hacksaw blade to create the flangeways.   Sometimes you may need to start the flangeway with an Exacto knife.  You just need to get a starting point so all you need to do with the Exacto knife is carefully scrape away a small amount of plaster to provide a guide for the blade. I have tried patching plaster but it can crumble more easily than POP.  Make sure the plaster is completely dry before cutting the flangeways.

 

Tom 

 

Tom 

[lvanhen]

And a red Mercury pick-up sitting along side the ROW

Chuck

???  I'll swear that's a Ford!!  Looks like my first truck!!

[AltoonaRailroader]

Very nice work everyone.  Here's a road I 've been working on.  Still have some fiinishing touches to put on it but at least trains can run again.

Tom 

Very nice Tom, what did you use on the inside of the rails to keep your filler from filling the whole gap between the rails in? I have some places on my layout that I will be doing this too and but I want to make sure I have enough of a gap for the wheel flanges to go through.

[IRONHORSE77]

And a red Mercury pick-up sitting along side the ROW

Chuck

[GTX765]

BR 19.10 in testing stages.......

 

Nice. how's it handle. I was afried that the pilot being in a guide would cut down on the radius

 

It handle very nicely on small radius turns, the main issues are one the manual for DCC is in German. The sound for this engine will be different than any other steam. I like it but others may not understand. Then engine used different technology than the American steam so there is no chuff just more of a long hiss. It has the lok sound 3.5 installled and a smoke generator that can be turned off and on by the DCC. I enjoy it very much and cant wait for the wagons to arrive for it. 

[loathar]

GraphiteHemi-Nice looking warehouse! I'm assuming that's scratch built?

[Flashwave]

BR 19.10 in testing stages.......

 

Nice. how's it handle. I was afried that the pilot being in a guide would cut down on the radius

[CanadianShield]

New Caboose and New to them 2-8-4:

 

[GTX765]

BR 19.10 in testing stages.......

 

[New Haven I-5]

Awaiting the call to duty, circa 1941, on the Hudson Highlands RR.

CNJ831

  Are those Mantuna's Camelbacks?

[C&O Fan]

After redoing the engine house I had these window cut outs leftover which were a scale 4x8 ft so I made an out house

 

 Since the switchman's shanty scaled out at 12 ft wide I had enough to do it too ! 

[graphitehemi]

Here's a little project I've been working on. It's all ready for paint before final assembly.