It has been mentioned people are becoming deflated. It is because of Covid 19.
As a pick-me-up a mini-competition is arranged.
The idea is to make something for or do something to the layout.
No matter how small or large, it is up to you.
To start --
My entry will be the backscene for Clarence Dock
Post your entry on here for all to see.
A little bit of 'fun' to get us back on track.
Closing date 14th November.
Happy modeling.
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
Take a look at 'the to do list' and do it.
The kit that hasn't been built.
The partly finished model.
A freshen up of the layout.
etc etc etc.
NorthBritA freshen up of the layout.
OK, I'll jump in
I began my present layout in 1995. Just the other night I looked at 'no-man's land' here between the back shop and main line coal tower. It has been bare plywood for twenty-five years
Ready-track-east by Edmund, on Flickr
Why do I procrastinate like this? Hummm?
The photos show cork sheet being filled in to level the surrounding ground and I reduced the base on the Tichy water tower. The box car will be "weathered" and used as a tool shed. The horizontal tank will be for chemical treatment of the water. I need to build a pump house, some various tool sheds, oil house and maybe a crew shanty in there. Lights for the inspection pit. Details for the ash dump, walkways and workers.
The list goes on
Ready-track by Edmund, on Flickr
Here we go!
Cheers, Ed
Well, since I actually got some stuff done yesterday on the benchwork (all verticals in place now on the yard side of the wall, and enough support blocks that I hung the next section of backdrop on the lower level), I am goign to challenge myself to get all of the wall mounted parts, including the backdrops, finished (including painting) by the end of next Sunday. That's pushing it - they need to be sanded, screw holes and seams spackled, sanded again, then 2 coats of primer and a coat of my sky blue. But I am itching to start putting down some track. I made a list of what I need to get to run the main down the outside of the yard, around the turnback, and up past what will be the city area. But after the backdrops are done, I need to make my arms by cutting up a couple of sheets of plywood, before the subroadbed can be cut out and placed on top of that.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Welcome on board Ed and Randy. Interesting work to be done by both of you.
For anyone else thinking of joining in, please do. it is just to get the things done that you have put off and put off again.
Ok, sign me up. I'm more of a turtle than a hare in these things, but hey, it's just for fun and a great excuse to show the results. I just started a coaling tower, so the timing is good.
Simon
I have a layout that is only a little over two years old, with many sections that are planned to be finished, and I have a good idea what I will do for them. However, one section I really don't know what I want there.
This may challenge me to come up with something.
This is a good thread on the forum for me. Thanks, NorthBrit.
York1 John
Welcome on board Simon and John.
It is just a bit of lite-hearted fun. No prizes. Just the satisfaction of getting that niggling little 'job' done that has been put off and put off.
My 'little job' is a small section between Clarence Dock and the rest of the layout. I have ordered some backscene pictures. I thought they would have arrived today, but like everything here in the UK thinga are running behind.
This sounds like a lot of fun, and I hope this thread gets updated a lot.
I will not be joining in, but I will be following along. Model Railroading is not happening for me right now.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Yes, we should post pictures of progress for sure.
My pickmeup is to work on the layout every weekend; unfortunately the master bath toilet decided to start leaking so my pickmeup last weekend was to remove the toilet, and cut out the rotting wood in the subfloor and replace it and re-install the toilet. My wife helped with a lot of it too.
My most recent work didn't merit pictures as I was running bus wire - boring but necessary.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Ill join in! I have been busy with life, but this weekend I found myself a free afternoon. I went up to a hobbyshop and bought the static king, soo line ACF 3 bay kit and a box truck for the bakery.
I was able to get some grass down, build and weather the hopper, and finally finish my Milwaukee road GP9 which was painting ends of handrails and cutbars white and installing grab irons. Turns out I'm missing one! Wonder where it went!
SeeYou190 Model Railroading is not happening for me right now. -Kevin
Model Railroading is not happening for me right now.
As we say here in the U.K. "Been there. Got the Tshirt." You will get the 'spark' soon.
Meanwhile. I have been making way to start my challenge.
The goods yard at Clarence Dock is almost finished. There are still a few things to 'tidy up'.
As can be seen the backscene needs doing and the bit in the front.
The signal box has to be incorporated into the scene
It is fully fitted including the signalman
And has lights.
I hope the backscene pictures arrive tomorrow. Then I can work from the back to the front of the layout.
NorthBrit...As a pick-me-up a mini-competition is arranged....
I'm tempted to join in, but currently have too many non-model-railroading projects underway.
My home forum regularly runs "Challenges", sometimes very simple ones, while some are bigger projects with much longer times for finishing. Soon after the deadline date, participants and those just following along to see how things are done, can vote on which ones they like best, with token "prizes" are awarded for the top three finishers.
You can check out a complete selection of past projects [forum link removed by moderator], although I'd suggest that you don't view mine, as they tend to go on...and on, and on.
Wayne
Here's an update to my "Ready track" scene which has been bare plywood for 25 years:
Ready-track-11-2 by Edmund, on Flickr
I have placed cork sheet to raise the ground level and given most of it a preliminary gray color. I'm playing with the layout of structures. An oil house, tool shed, crew shanty, pump house and possibly more.
I'd like to make a flue rack which was often seen in roundhouse/shop areas.
Ready-track-11-2tt by Edmund, on Flickr
I might place this "white-lined" box car in the scene as a tool or storage shed.
Ready-track-11-2e by Edmund, on Flickr
Thank You, Ed
Well, here is my entry: a coaling tower bought cheap in the bargain bin of my LHS. I bought it a while ago for kit-bashing purposes. Recently, I found a spot for it in the background of my layout. So the challenge is: 1) to complete it before the end date; and 2) to make it look good!
I started by washing the parts with soap and water and removing the flash. I did not remove the sprues - I like painting the parts in advance while they are still attached. I also scrapped off the highlighted wood grain with an Xacto: I undertand its purpose given that many modelers don't paint their finished models, and that this grain removes the shine from the plastic. Scrapping it and a bit of sanding should achieve a better finish. I will finish that step tonight. Next step will be airbrushing the parts in advance.
20201103_192928 on Flickr
20201103_193003 on Flickr
With no layout experience, I laid out my streets and tracks. Unfortunately, the six inches between the street and the track is an area I don't know what to do with.
On top of that, the area is right where visitors stand, so I have wanted something that looks good, but would not look like it was just planted there to take up space.
Because of that, it has sat like this for over two years with no solution.
I think I'm going to figure out a way to put the church I am building in this area, and not where I had originally planned. I know a church next to railroad tracks is not ideal, but then I remembered in my small town, we have a church about 200 feet from the BNSF double mainline.
I'm not sure I will finish this in the time allotted, but it is pushing me to finally do something with this area that has stumped me for a long time.
snjroyWell, here is my entry: a coaling tower bought cheap in the bargain bin of my LHS. I bought it a while ago for kit-bashing purposes. Recently, I found a spot for it in the background of my layout. So the challenge is: 1) to complete it before the end date; and 2) to make it look good!
That kit looks very massive and rugged when assembled. Just applying weathering washes to the "wood" parts makes it look good. I kitbashed one into a rock bunker for a previous layout and was thrilled about how well it turned out.
York1 I know a church next to railroad tracks is not ideal, but then I remembered in my small town, we have a church about 200 feet from the BNSF double mainline.
John, churches are one of my favorite subjects for photography.
I can assure you, that at least in the South, there are plenty of examples of small white churches right next to railroad tracks.
How are you guys doing on your projects? I started airbrushing the parts. I like doing that in advance and do touch-ups later. I was not sure about color - looking at pictures on the Internet, I opted for charcoal brown as a base, but it was not a slam dunk in terms of choice. Anyway, going through the parts, I also realized that some parts of the kit were missing . The main structure is there, so it's nothing major. Looks like I will need to go through my spare parts bin to complete the model. Oh well, I can't be picky, it was an "openned box" special I got at the LHS for $5!
20201106_094613 on Flickr
I hven't got far. I am still waiting for a postal delivery with the parts required. We haven't had any post for a week now. I shall be doing something over the weekend with other bits of scenery which is part of the overall project.
I decided to replace a kitbashed industry with a mostly scratchbuilt one, so a major customer could be unique.
DSC03576 by wp8thsub, on Flickr
DSC03576
This flour mill is heavily based on what is currently Grain Craft in Ogden, UT https://www.google.com/maps/@41.2104719,-111.9819872,395m/data=!3m1!1e3 . Due to the space available, I opted for shallow releif background structures. The prototype was selectively compressed in height and length, but is still large for a model.
The basic structures are cores of .030" and .060" styrene sheet, along with Evergreen corrugared metal siding. Layers of styrene strips were added to represent the architectural features of the prototype. I used brick sheet from Holgate & Reynolds for brick trim and some of the blanked out openings. The frieze detail was laser cut from a taskboard material by a friend who had a laser cutting machine. The tarpaper roofing on the loading shed is from strips of gift tissue.
Windows and doors are modifed from Grandt Line, Micro Engineering, Pikestuff, and Great West Models parts. The baghouse dust collectors on the roofs use Evergreen styrene standing seam roofing, with pipes, blowers, ladders, and so on mostly from Walthers. Other details include Blair Line vents and a TrainLife air conditioner.
This project took a couple months of more or less quarantine time to finish, but I wasn't going anywhere, so why not.
Rob Spangler
Well, I was bound and determined to accomplish a lot on the layout the season and just as the worlds longest bathroom project was drawing to a close we had a dishwasher do some extensive damage to our kitchen and you know what that means, yes, a whole new kitchen.
I dove in with great furvor which ground to a halt rather quickly when the kitchen leak was discovered.
I got this much done on the next kit, any guesses as to what it is?
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Well the pictures for the backscene have not arrived. (Nor surprised.) So I cannot work from the back to the front. I therefore started at the front.
A small hunt scene outside 'The Coach & Horses Inn'. The inn was built in 1711 and has seen better days.
Cobblestones have been laid at the otherside of the track. The four house fronts are there temporarily. (They were the first things I built nearly 50 years ago.)
Some more scenery added to the front.
The signal box in place and light working.
BATMAN Well, I was bound and determined to accomplish a lot on the layout the season and just as the worlds longest bathroom project was drawing to a close we had a dishwasher do some extensive damage to our kitchen and you know what that means, yes, a whole new kitchen. I dove in with great furvor which ground to a halt rather quickly when the kitchen leak was discovered. I got this much done on the next kit, any guesses as to what it is?
Not the order I wanted to do things, but thanks to our Postal Service delivering once a week now, I have done a little of the backscene with Pictures of Hyde Park Corner in Leeds.
This last scene shows the gap in the backscene still to do. I have fencing to do and then dirty things up a little.
I hope there is a Postal Delivery tomorrow!
snjroy A mining structure maybe? Is this an entry in the competion? Simon
A mining structure maybe? Is this an entry in the competion?
Here's the latest view of the "Ready Track":
Ready-track-11-9 by Edmund, on Flickr
Compare this to the first photo of my first reply. Making progress
I plan to have a material storage area where those wheel and axle sets are, perhaps a small bridge crane there. The track ballast is too "nice" and will be dirtied-up with a spray of grime.
A few yard lights will be next.
Thank you, Ed
The pictures for the backscene have finally arrived.
and in place on the layout.
Now to go back over on the work already done and tidy up, fencing to fix in place and weather things.
BATMANWell, I was bound and determined to accomplish a lot on the layout the season and just as the worlds longest bathroom project was drawing to a close we had a dishwasher do some extensive damage to our kitchen and you know what that means, yes, a whole new kitchen. I dove in with great furvor which ground to a halt rather quickly when the kitchen leak was discovered.
Gotta love those home hidden water damage issues. My wife smelled somthing I never noted at our front door. We started pulling up the hardwood floor by the threshold and found badly rotted wood on both ends. We ended up ripping it all out and had a carpenter remove the old front door, replace the bad wood and install a new one.
Then one day my wife was off and I came home to her doing demolition on the master shower busting out the tile. We knew there was water damage at the floor on the corners outside the shower door. sure enough, just like the front door threshold, two badly rotted areas on either side. This is a 2005 built home - they were slapping them up fast back then and did a crappy job. We tossed the old Jacuzzi tub and shower stall and custom refinished with a new jetted tub and walk-in shower.
A couple weeks ago my wife noticed the master bath toilet leaking. After removing the toilet naturally the subfloor was rotted so that took all the previous weekend for us to cut out the bad wood and install new sub floor and new luan and re-install the toilet. Since the linoleum is gone but we plan on re-tiling the bathroom floor. We'll probalby save that job for early next year.
I'm sure the hall bathroom has water damage issues so we can look forward to that at some point. Gotta love home owner ship!
Anyway, I don't have any thing "showey" to post here. But I'm plodding along on the layout. I've run the mainline bus, added feeders to the entire staging yard and have started cutting subroad bed to start extending the mainline.
I just started the first bit of 3D scenery that I've built on my own layout in almost 35 years. This is the beginning.
We'll see how it goes.
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton