WPF 5/2 - 5/4

[jacon12]

 I like the 'dirty' area between the rails in this shot, Crandell.  How did you achieve that look?   Looks like a winner for my yard area.

Jarrell 

 

I gave up trying to get a better image than this one.  The angle is tough and I don't know how to manually focus it.  As it is, I set the camera about as far back as I could and tried to get a good depth of field...to no avail.  So, it is what it is.  I altered the raw image to get it to look a bit overcast.

Nice images up above, guys.  Nice to seem some new posters.  Lots of talent out there.

 

-Crandell

[twhite]

Okay, three more then I'm outta here for a while: 

The further adventures of 2-10-2 #1408 (do I LIKE this loco or what?)

Heading up toward Yuba Pass at the foot of Sierra Buttes.  Sierra City (my only 'on set' town) at the bottom. 

Tom

Tom,

I could have some fun with that vertical wall behind your train....it's just begging for some rock castings!

Don Z.

 

Don--have at it, friend!!

Actually, after seeing your incredible work, the Buttes are my summer project.   Just hope my granite turns out half as well as your sandstone.  I'm heading up to the Sierra next week with liquid latex, gauze and looking for every hunk of broken-up granite I can get my hands on.  Nothing like the natives watching a 'tourist' slapping goop on rocks by the roadside, right?

Tom

[loathar]

twhite-It ain't hoggin when your posting pics like that!

[SpaceMouse]

I posted this in Layouts as it's own thread, but for those of you that don't make it there... 

Finally after a couple weeks of programming, after it's demise 18 months ago, a tribute to the Rock Ridge and Train City, a 4.5 x 8 layout. Lots of pics--the content is in links in the small left column.  

Click: Rock Ridge and Train City 

[selector]

Jarrell, in this case, I used a medium-light wash of burnt umber and maybe a bit of black.  Acrylic cheapo's of course.  Remember that I have real sifted garden soil there, so it got absorbed to a great extent.  Also, I over-sprinkled that with the tiny "cinders" that WS offers.  Comes in a small plastic bag, maybe a cup of it, a bit less perhaps.

Another way is to just be heavier with the weathering compound powder that Joe Fugate says we should use for the between-rails area, and just outside them.  You will need to find both black and brown tempera powder (Crayola makes it, so try Michael's or an arts & crafts store), and plaster of paris.  You mix them sort of one for one, and then brush it heavily between the rails so that there's quite a bit of a solid dusting in there.  Then spray just enough water and alcohol to wet it..no more.  In an hour or so you have weathered ballast.  Not good enough?  Do it again.

-Crandell

[selector]

I posted my first video!  It's a start, but it turned out much better than I expected.  Often such videos are horribly blotchy...must be from cell phones.  The sound here is as good as can be expected considering it is taken by a small Powershot.  Tinny, that is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3XmJDVAoeU

-Crandell

[wm3798]

Crandell,

To get better depth of field, try setting your F stop as low as it'll go (I think it's F8 on a Powershot) Dim your room lights, and set your exposure for 8 to 12 seconds.

It won't give you Helicon results, but it should improve things considerably...

Lee 

[selector]

Lee, thanks for both your messages.  Aside from the obvious defect you are attempting to encourage me to rectify, you are also reminding/goading me to, for once and for all, spend two hours with the camera and manual and learn how it works so that I can use it properly. 

I appreciate what you have done, and WILL do it this very day.  Thanks, Bud.

-Crandell

[Flashwave]

If I may, that whistle sounds more like an HO whistle. (Sounds, not operator) But the bell and chuff do a very nice job. Who makes the sound decoder?

[twhite]

I posted my first video!  It's a start, but it turned out much better than I expected.  Often such videos are horribly blotchy...must be from cell phones.  The sound here is as good as can be expected considering it is taken by a small Powershot.  Tinny, that is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3XmJDVAoeU

-Crandell

 

Crandell--

More--MORE!!  What an absolute sweetheart of a loco and train.  And SMOOTH!  Now we can also watch your J-1 and those N&W articulateds in action.  Nice job!

Tom

[selector]

Flashwave, it's a BLI engine with the upgraded chip QSI decoder that I used to replace the original QSI that had no BEMF for slow start-up.

Tom, thanks, I'm glad it worked okay.  That was film #10 or so. I had problems of several kinds until I finally got a decent enough run.

I'll try others in the next while.

-Crandell

[twhite]

Crandell--

Did you do that with a digital camera?  Reason I ask is that I notice that my Sony Cyber-Shot has a video setting.  I've never used it, but now I'm curious as to what it might do (of course, I could read the instructions, couldn't I, LOL?).   Kinda lets you know where I'M coming from--I still remember those 45lb video cameras that broke your back while you were trying to focus in.

Tom

[selector]

Tom, yes, it's a Canon Powershot A710is, a smallish point-and-shoot.  I tried it on the low density setting (suitable for emails) and I hate to think what youtube would have done to it..it was already worse than the very worst on youtube.   This was "standard" mode, and took youtube about 15 minutes to download and then to process.  Quite a bit.

-Crandell

[jbinkley60]

This week I added two new cars to my fleet of rolling stock. The first is a rtr Athearn Railbox boxcar and the second is a Bachmann Silver Series gondola. The gon is scheduled for a repaint to KCS black and white.

I also picked up a Digitrax DZ143PS decoder to install in my Proto 2000 GP38-2. 

Jeffrey,

Why a DZ143PS for a P2K ?  The Digitrax LO decoders are drop-in decoders and have the current limiting for the lamps. I use the DZ143PS for Bluelines.

PS> Great first name.  We even spell them the same.

 

[David Woodard]

bump

[howmus]

WOW!  Incredible work from so many people this weekend.  I am in awe of several of you and your modeling and your photography.  Tom, glad you got the photo posting thing down......

I have been doing a bit more work at the top of the hill.  This week fencing was put in place and some well grazed pasture over across the road from the barn.  The scene is still far from complete but seems to be coming together nicely.  Oh, BTW those aren't dead trees you see along the fence, they just haven't received their "Woodland Scenics" foliage yet.  That will be one of the last things to get done after the rest of the fence and pasture is finished and a water pump and water trough is added to the scene (You gotta have water for them cows ya know....).





And a couple from the other side of the mountain (What the bear saw...)

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Jeffrey,

Why a DZ143PS for a P2K ?  The Digitrax LO decoders are drop-in decoders and have the current limiting for the lamps. I use the DZ143PS for Bluelines.

PS> Great first name.  We even spell them the same.

Because it was the ONLY decoder the LHS had on hand. I know from experience that the DZ series can hamdle HO applications just fine. The DZ143PS has a 1.25 amp rating. They had ordered some for a customer and had ordered one too many. They were going to send it back. I just caught sight of it at the right time. All I really wanted was motor control. As I needed to replace most of the bulbs anyway (they were burned out) I put in 14 volt equivalents.

[twhite]

Ray--

That farm scene is just beautiful!  Question--about how much space does it take up?  It looks like it might not take up very much space at all, but it's so cleverly designed that it uses the space to the fullest.  I REALLY like it!

Tom

[AggroJones]

And a couple from the other side of the mountain (What the bear saw...)

What a slick use of space.

[AggroJones]

My lastest weathering job. It was my first time trying to simulate rust.

....and what did we use for rust?

[ngartshore350]

Hi Guys,

Just some progress shots. as I have used screws to hold down the styrene I have had to make access holes and cover them with checker-plate.

Do they use raised platforms in the US?

Regards,

 Nige.

[sledgehammer]

heres a video someone sent me i thought it was neet.

http://view.break.com/493000

[jbinkley60]

Jeffrey,

Why a DZ143PS for a P2K ?  The Digitrax LO decoders are drop-in decoders and have the current limiting for the lamps. I use the DZ143PS for Bluelines.

PS> Great first name.  We even spell them the same.

Because it was the ONLY decoder the LHS had on hand. I know from experience that the DZ series can hamdle HO applications just fine. The DZ143PS has a 1.25 amp rating. They had ordered some for a customer and had ordered one too many. They were going to send it back. I just caught sight of it at the right time. All I really wanted was motor control. As I needed to replace most of the bulbs anyway (they were burned out) I put in 14 volt equivalents.

Makes sense.  I agree the DZ143PS will handle HO locomotives fine.  Like I said, I use them for all of my Blueline HO diesels.  I always keep some on hand.

 

[tatorsalad]

My lastest weathering job. It was my first time trying to simulate rust.

....and what did we use for rust?

I used mixtures of acrylic paints, washes and layers of chalk powders.

[Anonymous]

Crandell, very nice video! To eliminate the "tinny" sound from recorded sound decoders, you could dubb in sound from a prototype locomotive. All my locos are DCC, but no sound, so I have to dubb in prototype sounds (much easier for me though, modern era loco sounds are easier to find) on all my videos. Let me tell you, it gets easier the more you do it. Here are a few sites that might help you:

http://www.grsites.com/sounds/trains001.shtml 

http://www.dieselairhorns.com/sounds.html

TatorSalad, I'm pretty sure you're about to hear some constructive (maybe) input about your weathering. Don't worry about what everyone says, it looks fine for a first time rust job to me. No one can produce perfect rust their first time. Lay off, the rest of you critics, wth the degrading comments, please, I don't really feel like another flame war on WPF....

I for one would like to hear about maybe your "perfect" weathering methods, but please don't just critique with harsh comments, etc. Alright, I'm done peacekeeping.

I took a ton of video of New Jersey Transit action this weekend, I'll get it edited and posted hopefully this weekend. Great work to all here!

[Driline]

TatorSalad, I'm pretty sure you're about to hear some constructive (maybe) input about your weathering. Don't worry about what everyone says, it looks fine for a first time rust job to me. No one can produce perfect rust their first time. Lay off, the rest of you critics, wth the degrading comments, please, I don't really feel like another flame war on WPF....

I for one would like to hear about maybe your "perfect" weathering methods, but please don't just critique with harsh comments, etc. Alright, I'm done peacekeeping.

I took a ton of video of New Jersey Transit action this weekend, I'll get it edited and posted hopefully this weekend. Great work to all here!

I'm sorry I must have missed it. Who "bashed" Tatorsalad with their rude & unmerciful comments?

[jeffrey-wimberly]

TatorSalad, I'm pretty sure you're about to hear some constructive (maybe) input about your weathering. Don't worry about what everyone says, it looks fine for a first time rust job to me. No one can produce perfect rust their first time. Lay off, the rest of you critics, wth the degrading comments, please, I don't really feel like another flame war on WPF....

I for one would like to hear about maybe your "perfect" weathering methods, but please don't just critique with harsh comments, etc. Alright, I'm done peacekeeping.

I took a ton of video of New Jersey Transit action this weekend, I'll get it edited and posted hopefully this weekend. Great work to all here!

I'm sorry I must have missed it. Who "bashed" Tatorsalad with their rude & unmerciful comments?

Nobody, yet.

[liljoe]

tatorsalad, for a first try that looks great, keep up the nice work. Your lucky because I can tell you have the eye for blending colors, that a gift not all are lucky to have.

 DAK

[selector]

Thanks for those links, Tyler.  I'll have to figure out how to dub sounds, though; that'd be a new one for me.  Also, I would have to fairly closely match chuffs to revolutions which would mean a restricted range of speeds in many cases, and would restrict me to showing videos of trains underway at a steady clip.  Unless the library has start-up sounds..I could look for those.

[howmus]

Tom and Aggro thank you much!  That scene is basically a triangle approximately 2' wide at the back and 3' long coming away from the wall.  The area just underneath it houses three different tunnels.  The scene is as much a room divider as anything else.  It is based on some old farmsteads I have seen in the Southern Teir of NY that were also on very small lots at the top of the Endless Mountains.  While the house and barn are Laser kits, most everything else in the scene is scratchbuilt.