Nice work, everyone. It's been a while since I've participated in this thread. I finally got a little quality layout time, so I've been building a mountain.
For years, I had this excuse for a mountain on one end of my layout:
When I moved, the mountain had to go - I cut it off with a Sawzall.
After getting the layout running again, I decided to tackle the mountain and to a better job than before. As I was walking through Lowe's as I often do (I'm a HR manager for Lowe's) it struck me that metal lath might make a good structure upon which to build a mountain. I bought a piece and went to work:
The lath forms easily with pliers and cuts easily with tin snips. I wore leather gloves and escaped the operation without a scratch.
Next, I added plaster soaked paper towel strips (ala hard-shell):
This was followed with some rock castings (I make my own molds by brushing liquid latex onto hunks of coal):
The yellowish color is where I started applying Timberline rock color, then I remembered to take a picture.
With Timberline color #1 it looked like this:
Then color #2:
#3:
and color #4 and a little WS turf:
I like the effect I get from the Timberline rock coloring system. The metal lath proved to be a winner and the mountain is a great improvement over its predecessor. After everything is good and dry, I'll add a little vegetation and call this project finished.
Phil, I'm not a rocket scientist; they are my students.
Curt Webb Thats a great shot Tom, it will look awesome with a train on it.
Thats a great shot Tom, it will look awesome with a train on it.
Yeah a nice big articulated should fill that void just fine.
Truck.
Curt Webb
The Late Great Pennsylvania Railroad
http://s1082.photobucket.com/albums/j372/curtwbb/
Me again. Thought I'd crawl into that access hole and take a shot of the Deer Creek Viaduct crossing over the mostly new finished scenery near the back of the Buttes. I've never photographed it before from this angle. I suppose I COULD have put a train on it, LOL!
Tom
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
Looking nice as usual everyone.
Good luck Crandell with your new project, that's a nice layout room you have there.
I've been continuing to wire my display layout. I operated the first train on it this week. Here's some pics:
This one shows some of the wiring I've been doing. It was pretty challenging to get the command station and power supply into a 1X4 module.
On the topside the tracks are now down and hooked up. Here's a video that shows a little bit more:
http://youtu.be/BUPUM9CQGDc
Jamie
Cape Vincent Southern Railroad
HO scale Horseshoe Curve in 5’x10’
My YouTube
This is another pic from my first layout. The new lay is will on the way
Good luck Crandell. Be sure to show plenty of pics.
Curt Webb and McFunkey, nice work fellas. I've said it already this thread, but we have some great talent here, the better for us that they are willing to take photos, upload them to a webhost, and then provide links here.
Well, as I have alluded to earlier in the week, I am finally embarking on layout #3. It will go in an unused loft above our "barn" which is really a garage with a loft on the top level.
The loft is accessed by a sliding metal-framed door. At the door, this is what the space looks like. Note the batter on the walls which are really the inner hipped root. Also, you can see where I have placed tape to indicate how it will all work. I paid attention only to curve radii and turnout angles to make sure it would all work. Indications of the bench perimeter are still flexible. The aisle width between the peninsula at left and center and the edge of the yard at right is a bit over 24". No probs for a little fella like me.
The place where I am standing, at the open door, will have a roughly 30" lift-out block bridge on which will be a #6 double-crossover. The main will be twinned. The bridge will have adjustable height and yaw to deal with movement that may impact alignment from time to time.
This is the helix and turning wye. The tail of the wye will be the reversing leg. It descends, as does the track running in the helix above it, at 2%. The 34" radius in the helix assures at least 4" of clearance. This will be plenty for the 1/2" ply roadbed. The mountain housing this spiral tunnel will have a lift-off top. The crossing works out, handily, to 30 degrees. Tracks are already received, Atlas code 83
I am looking forward to this. I'll keep posting images as I go along. One of the first things I did was to make a comprehensive list of things to do, in order, with notes and cautions. Caution #1 was to do it right! No more rushing!
Who, me?
Crandell
Finished scratch building and installing the Mt. Coffin Cannery Co. ("A Taste To Die For!") on my N scale Mt. Coffin & Columbia River layout:
Now I need to get some seagulls and figure out how to model mounds of fish ;)
Keep up the great photos, and Happy Weekend!
M.C. Fujiwara
My YouTube Channel (How-to's, Layout progress videos)
Silicon Valley Free-moN
Curt:
Wow, you work FAST, my friend! And WELL! I like it!
I spent about 4 hours today working on my coal trestle. N-Scale piers (2") worked perfect after I built a wood frame to support the track (it fit perfectly-how often does that happen?)
Robby P. I love weathering a lot too, though I am not as good as you, I do get better with every car. I think that weathering and operation are the best part. I probly should spend money on buildings for the layout, but hey. Look at that cool covered hopper over there....
"Mess with the best, die like the rest" -U.S. Marine Corp
MINRail (Minessota Rail Transportaion Corp.) - "If they got rid of the weeds what would hold the rails down?"
And yes I am 17.
Content removed due to a completely frak'ed up and incompetent Kalmbach customer service.
Some great pics on this post
Some many nicely detailed layouts
51% share holder in the ME&O ( Wife owns the other 49% )
ME&O
jeffrey-wimberly Your measurement is off a bit. 4.6" = 33 scale feet. 5.5" = 40 scale feet or very close to it.
Your measurement is off a bit. 4.6" = 33 scale feet. 5.5" = 40 scale feet or very close to it.
Thanks! Ratios are not one of my strengths, I should have just measured a 40' boxcar (duh!)
Inspired by Addiction
See more on my YouTube Channel
PennCentral99 I actually started out with 3/8" rods (boy did they look WAY out of proportion). I will experiment with 3/16" and see what happens. I based the height on a 40' pole (I believe 40 feet at 1:87 = 4.6 inches). I thought about using wood skewers, but the diameter seemed a little small.
I actually started out with 3/8" rods (boy did they look WAY out of proportion). I will experiment with 3/16" and see what happens. I based the height on a 40' pole (I believe 40 feet at 1:87 = 4.6 inches). I thought about using wood skewers, but the diameter seemed a little small.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
cowman,
Funny, when I posted the pics, the poles looked strange to me. I too think it's the camera angle. I used dark walnut wood stain for the color. I dipped the pole in the stain and wiped off the excess. I think I got pretty lucky on the color. I scored the poles with a saw blade before staining.
I'm going to try craft beads (with a slight tint of green) for the insulators. Going to head to the craft stores (HobbyLobby, Michaels, etc) to see what I can find. I have the wife on the lookout too!
Thanks for your input and suggestions!
Pomperaugrr,
Thanks for your post. I have used Google Maps for research before, but had never considered Bing, their Birdseye view certainly adds a different perspective.
Cheers, The Bear.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Robby:
Hats off to you, sir--your weathering techniques are terrific! It seems that every time I decide to weather a freight car, it ends up looking as if it's been buried in the Sahara desert for a century or two, LOL!
I admire your work a lot!
Thanks gabeusmc, and Jeff. I really enjoy the "weathering" side of the hobby. It really relaxes me, kinda puts your mind at ease. Plus......I like the outcome of the cars also
"Rust, whats not to love?"
Great Work everybody
Activity in Black Hawk .......
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Super work from everyone. Tom your layout has come along quite a bit and looks great. Well, what I have to post is pretty basic. I have removed my diesel engine servicing leads (going on a future addition) and have started installing a coal trestle. Here is before and current. (the piers are not in final position).
Awesome work from all this week! Guess this is why this is my favorite thread every week.
TomW, great mountaineering sir!
I got back to creating the interior of the Powerhouse. Finished fabricating the two Turbine units and added piping for the steam, and the exhaust from the boilers (which goes through the floor to the lower level and is blown to a large brick stack near the building). I may add some more details, or I may just put it in place and close it up (will be able to be seen through the windows).
73
Ray Seneca Lake, Ontario, and Western R.R. (S.L.O.&W.) in HO
We'll get there sooner or later!
Wow Tom, that looks great already, it almost looks done. I was wondering how you got back there.
Michael
CEO- Mile-HI-RailroadPrototype: D&RGW Moffat Line 1989
gabeusmc Robby P. this is for models not real freight cars
Robby P. this is for models not real freight cars
Great photos as usual, everyone.
Elmer, that export grain silo is remarkable!
Michael: Rio Grande--ooh, be still my beating heart!
Got some progress on the 'back side' of the Sierra Buttes this week--not as much as I wanted, but enough to prove I was out in the garage, at least, LOL!
Here's last week:
Here's this week:
I'm doing all of this through a 3x3' duck-under access hole behind the trestle and it's slow going because I am neither the youngest nor the skinniest person I know, LOL!
PennCentral99,
Look OK, but I think I might have used a 3/16" for lineside and most rural lines. Think most poles are under 20". Not sure, but the same crossarms would probably look alright. .
The lack of taper doesn't standout on the distant poles. The closest pole in the second photo looks a little odd, but when I studied it to see why, I think it is the angle that the camera is looking at the cross arms.
Like your pole color, what washes did you use?
What are you going to use for insulators?
Have fun,
Richard