TheRailwire
General Discussion => Layout Engineering Reports => Topic started by: Caleb Austin on August 05, 2016, 05:56:16 PM
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Hey folks!
Here I will be chronicling the construction of my current layout, based on the Chesapeake and Ohio in central Virginia around 1974. Most of my inspiration comes from the eastern end of C&O's Mountain Subdivision, between Charlottesville and Stuanton VA, and the run over the Blue Ridge Mountains. I chose 1974 because of the variety of trains I can run, from a few new Chessie units to old GP9's still roaming around.
The layout is 27"x48", small enough that I can fit it in my apartment with ease, and hopefully be able to finish it in a reasonable amount of time!
Its been a while since I've posted regularly here, or done much in hobby at all, but I'm glad to be back at it. I had a massive thread on Train board years ago on my last layout for anyone who is curious what this layout may start to look like. You can see it here: Central VA Door Layout (http://www.trainboard.com/highball/index.php?threads/the-central-va-door-layout-progress.41899/page-32)
There's still a lot to work out in the plan, what season to model, what structures and the like, but all the track is down and wired and I'm looking forward to figuring it all out.
First off, here is a very rough track plan, and a few current photos.
(https://s6.postimg.org/mr0h7i2kh/layoutplan.jpg)
(https://s6.postimg.org/76t3gysg1/layoutplanyes_2.jpg)
(https://s6.postimg.org/8bn5mcewx/layoutplanyes_4.jpg)
(https://s6.postimg.org/ibdgoi0sh/layout_2.jpg)
(https://s6.postimg.org/562jw4wap/layoutplanyes.jpg)
Thanks for looking guys, more to come shortly.
Caleb.
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Glad you are back.
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I'm looking forward to following your progress. Thanks for starting a thread!
DFF
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Looking forward to this, based on that old thread on TB. Why no center backdrop?
MH
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Looking forward to this, based on that old thread on TB. Why no center backdrop?
MH
Yeah, I was originally going to have a backdrop, after seeing other 2x4' layouts like Chuck Geigers that use one so well, but the plan is do a lot of outdoor photography with this layout, so not have a backdrop opens of a few more angles. I also wanted to let elements of the scene like the river and road have a bit more room to stretch out without being cut off by a backdrop. Hopefully all the scenes will flow together nicely.
Caleb.
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Caleb, I too am glad you are back at it! I truly loved the scene with Little Rock tunnel from the last one. I managed to catch a WB train there once. I am thinking about modeling the line with some use of modelers license to add some switching.
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Caleb, I too am glad you are back at it! I truly loved the scene with Little Rock tunnel from the last one. I managed to catch a WB train there once. I am thinking about modeling the line with some use of modelers license to add some switching.
Thank you! Glad to see somebody else with an interest in the line.
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I've been working on a small road underpass on the town side of the layout. I thought this one in Charlottesville would make for an interesting prototype to model.
(https://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8195/28855856155_27805fdb63_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/KXTNHi)
The first thing I've done is make the abutments. These are made out of a pack of Woodland Scenics retaining walls, cut up and carved and glued together. It took many broken casting before I got a usable set!
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8608/28855835905_685a910b0f_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/KXTGGa)
Here they are loosely positioned. All I've applied is a thin black wash for now, but they will get properly painted and weathered soon.
(https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8681/28238602214_fdf96414c0_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/K2mdBY)
(https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8661/28751008342_7949ce393c_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/KNCr7o)
Thanks for looking.
Caleb.
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More abutments! This time for the girder bridge over the creek. I fashioned these from some 1/8" balsa.
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8682/28323631353_df57ac14cd_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/K9S1PB)
The pieces cut and glued.
(https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8194/28321017564_0ba3ea732f_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/K9CBQh)
After wood filler putty, much sanding and paint. Next will be another coat of paint and weathering.
Thanks for looking.
Caleb.
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That sure is sweet! 8)
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Looking good!
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Once again . . . Dang!
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Thanks guys!
I've been working on a couple things this weekend. First I've been continuing to paint the track. On previous layouts I just painted the ties and rails Polly Scale roof brown and called it a day. It looked good, but I wanted to add a bit of separation in the colors from the rails and ties this time around.
I chose Model Master Burnt Umber for the base tie color, airbrushing this first. I then mixed equal parts Burnt Umber and Burnt Sienna for the rails and brushed this on. This combo adds a bit of rustyness the to rails, but they are close enough in color that its not distracting.
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8786/28571536120_d1425a8416_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/KwLAgJ)
Base coat of Burnt Umber
(https://c6.staticflickr.com/9/8637/28779956741_b7877a91cc_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/KRbNsH)
Applying the rust mix.
(https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8565/28571536310_9281dc161f_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/KwLAk1)
(https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8834/28952235426_d6c7340b70_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/L7pLUS)
It's subtle, but hopefully will be worth the effort.
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I also airbrushed on a quick fade to my GP9. I'll finish the detailing before I do anymore weathering.
(https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8787/28908198031_b7d63b6ccc_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/L3w58r)
(https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8642/28952235846_440cfe9b27_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/L7pM37)
Thanks for looking.
Caleb.
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It's subtle, but hopefully will be worth the effort.
I like it. It looks really good!
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Great job...I love the N. Mountain Sub. I was part of the NVNTRAK oNeTRAK Mountain Sub group; I modeled the curves at Christian, VA and the Rt. 250 overpass. The band broke up when our Chief Inspiration Officer/Guru of all things C & O/Motivator Matt Schaefer passed on in 2009. I finally sold off my modules two years ago and they were in the 2014 N Scale East Convention layout.
Jeff
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Oh yes, I remember seeing photos of those modules a few years back. I really wish I could have seen that great modeling in person.
Caleb.
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Progress has been slow recently, but I did manage to make some bridge ties for the deck girder bridge.
(https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8505/29240129552_2290a5057c_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/LxRiNG)
I started off with 1/16" stripwood from Michaels, chopped it down to 3/4" pieces. I them made a rough jig with a couple old saw blades and slotted them in, with small bits of card stock to space the ties correctly.
(https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8394/29347960535_26c5bb21d1_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/LHnYcz)
I then applied a couple strips of masking tape and lifted the ties out.
(https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8514/29060944420_495735aa3b_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Lh1WiS)
Next up was stringers, and I squared off any un-even tie ends with a razor blade.
(https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8028/29314727396_0660813c30_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/LErD9q)
On the bridge with a base coat of paint.
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8763/29269443481_e0efb64d9d_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/LArxPg)
(https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8431/29060848230_8501b7144d_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Lh1rHq)
That's one bridge done!
Thanks for looking.
Caleb.
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Hubba.
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Good job Caleb.
Those are actually called "guard timbers" and they serve a couple purposes.
They keep the ties in good alignment and spacing and also aid in keeping a derailed wheel from dropping over the edge of the structure.
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(https://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8431/29060848230_8501b7144d_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Lh1rHq)
Very nice! 8)
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Not much to report for the past couple months. But I have just about finished the small road bridge construction.
(https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5682/31021903702_f8c5e1723b_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PginbE)
(https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5798/31021903442_c6967931c1_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Pgin7b)
(https://c5.staticflickr.com/6/5621/31129216516_cbf348487e_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/PqMnxA)
(https://c3.staticflickr.com/6/5663/30343898234_978d2c733b_b.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/NeopMd)
Thanks for looking.
Caleb
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Nice weathering on the N&W covered hopper.
Are you going to install guard rails on the bridges?
See "Tracklaying Questions" thread in N and Z Scales section for more discussion on this topic.
https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=38682.0 (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=38682.0)
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Nice weathering on the N&W covered hopper.
Are you going to install guard rails on the bridges?
See "Tracklaying Questions" thread in N and Z Scales section for more discussion on this topic.
https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=38682.0 (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=38682.0)
Probably not on this small bridge, the prototype doesn't have any so I'll follow suit. I'll add some to the other bridge over the creek though, so I have been following that thread closely. Lots of great info!
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Looks great! I like these shots a lot
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@Caleb Austin,
What era are you modeling? As we discussed a while back, I still have some C&O rolling stock left over from when I switched back to modeling the SBD several years ago. I'd like to clear out my collection and find some unused rolling stock a good home. I will gladly pass some/all of this along to you free of charge, if you can use it. We're talking about C&O freight cars from the late 1960s to the early 1970s era, i.e., pre-Chessie System. If this appeals to you, let me know, and I'll run an inventory.
DFF
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Oh man, its been a while since I've updated this thread.
Up until the last month, I had barely done a thing on the layout, but I wanted to push and make enough progress to start on scenery structures, so I've made some headway.
I've carved up some rocks, applied some dirt for the base scenery layer, and started ballasting.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4495/24013924048_74a363084f_b.jpg)
I've also rebuilt the bridge abutments I made earlier in this thread. The balsa I made them out of showed too much wood grain for my taste, and when I tried puttying them to help, the edges looked to soft. So I built this set out of styrene. They closely match a pair on the C&O piedmont sub as well!
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4457/37157044714_87ab30e64b_b.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4464/37818009956_336d7106a6_b.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4500/24013924568_bd7413585e_b.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4500/37818010996_d157144d34_b.jpg)
Thanks for looking!
Caleb.
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Looks great Caleb. Very natural contours.
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Looks great Caleb. Very natural contours.
Yep. It's why he's one of the best.
And why every time I see his work, I think of this LCD Soundsystem song.
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Haha, no no. Nobody is sneaking up on your skills Ed. Your scenery work is the main reason I joined this forum way back when.
I've just been doing a little work on the creek bed.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4445/37881227206_3e6f1d3b56_b.jpg)
First up, I spread some full strength white glue, and then stick a few medium size rocks down. These are just some chunks from my driveway. I try and arrange the rocks in a way that would make sense for the flow of the water. Mostly pushed into the bends in the creek.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4469/26158439869_6f20466b27_b.jpg)
While the glue is still wet, I sift on some fine sandy dirt as a base texture.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4484/37881226846_d5eb3ea6a1_b.jpg)
Finally, I add some small rocks. Mostly clustered when the bigger ones are. I'm not worried about the colors of any of these too much, as I'll be hitting everything with washes of paint once all the glue dries.
Thanks for looking,
Caleb.
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Caleb taught David Frary
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Caleb taught David Frary
I think this may be a new meme.
I heard he was also consulted by John Armstrong.
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I was thinking Mr. Zip Texturing Ed. Bill Mc Clannahan
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Caleb you have to give up your land form techniques and products. You might have before.
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Yeah, I was originally going to have a backdrop, after seeing other 2x4' layouts like Chuck Geigers that use one so well, but the plan is do a lot of outdoor photography with this layout, so not have a backdrop opens of a few more angles. I also wanted to let elements of the scene like the river and road have a bit more room to stretch out without being cut off by a backdrop. Hopefully all the scenes will flow together nicely.
Caleb.
Thanks brother my new 2x4 will hopefully be BNSF Mojave Sub and I am looking at no backdrop and open landform like yours with a desert spin of course. I love what this guy in Australia did with BNSF Mojave Desert land forms. Or if I do one, low blue.
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Caleb you have to give up your land form techniques and products. You might have before.
Sorry Chuck, I missed this. On this layout I used foam board, shaped with a knife, then a rasp, then sandpaper. I usually coat everything with a thin layer of plaster of paris. It dries pretty quick, and as it does I can smooth it out with my fingers.
I mostly just study the land forms of the area I'm modeling, and always think in cuts and fills, how the railroad surveyors would have carved the the existing terrain. I can't remember who said it, but there is a quote about shaping land forms that said it should look like terrain with a railroad running through it, and not a railroad with terrain placed around it. There are a few places I missed the mark on this layout though. I think I should have carved the main hill in the middle down a little more, it looks a tad un-natural to my eye. I can disguise that with trees though.
Caleb.
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I've made a bit more progress in the last month.
Here is the creek bed now. might do a bit more painting here and there, but ts mostly finished.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4582/38668398601_afd4a8c15b_b.jpg)
I've carved a bunch rocks around this cut, that transitions to a clay embankment.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4533/26892175129_77be906307_b.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4548/24795859548_3816a8afc3_b.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4565/26892175839_4562850676_b.jpg)
You can also see where I've started roughing in where the forest will be with some ground up leaves.
Most importantly, I installed a fascia around the while layout! This is a big deal for me because I've always procrastinated on that until the layout is almost done. :D
Thanks for looking.
Caleb.
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I can't remember who said it, but there is a quote about shaping land forms that said it should look like terrain with a railroad running through it, and not a railroad with terrain placed around it.
Caleb.
I feel the same way about terrain. And that saying is one I practice, don't recall the source. One mistake modelers make when planning layouts is they mentally place the lowest point of the land at track level. They can avoid this pitfall by assigning the lowest level of the scenery (water surface, dry rock canyon bed, street level under a viaduct, etc) as zero point, and the track at some height above that. Even if that zero point is the top of an HCD, plywood sheet, or slab of Styrofoam, by thinking of the ROW as having to be elevated above that helps plan variations of ground level below as well as above the track height.
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Looking really good, Caleb!
Yes, the landforms should look natural if you were to remove the track and restore cuts and fills to the "original" condition (in hilly terrain, cut and fill volumes should generally balance).
Looks like you're nailing it!
Otto k.
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I forget. What are you using for your "leaves"?
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I forget. What are you using for your "leaves"?
Leaves. :facepalm:
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Yep! just real leaves from my back yard, ground up in a blender.
Caleb
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There ya go.
Dried up tea leaves work also. Just cut open your old used tea bags let em dry and voila.
Rod.
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There ya go.
Dried up tea leaves work also. Just cut open your old used tea bags let em dry and voila.
Rod.
I have 3-4 shaker cans of tea leaves in my cabinet, a box with enough bags to fill another one, and my friend has 2 more shakers full. We use it as filler material for a custom forest floor mix, adding various colors, shades, coarseness of foams etc.
We drink a lot of tea :D
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See sh@! just got real - You don't get this anywhere but RW. Old East and Caleb, right on. I have never done
this concept, but will on next one. Scenery comes first then track. Duh! :)
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Hmm, I've been neglecting this thread. I'll do a run own of layout progress over the last few months.
First up is ground cover. This was my first time using a proper static grass applicator. In the past I would just pinch bunches of grass into full strength glue and vacuum off the excess. I worked alright, but I built an applicator out of one of those harbor freight bug zappers, and its a huge improvement, though I am still getting the hang of the thing.
I'm using a mix of Woodland Scenics light green, Silflor 4mm autumn and Silflor 4mm Summer green statics grasses.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4626/26451719878_e4e05921a3_b.jpg)
Just the static grass layer.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4609/26451720188_864c52d684_b.jpg)
Now with fine and coarse turf applied.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4703/38514730660_e7d47c9910_b.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4644/27751130649_92c6cbbe7a_b.jpg)
Then finally patches of poly fiber with ground foal and leaf flake undergrowth and Super tree bits. Increasing the underbrush closer to the forest line.
Next up is trees.
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The trees are Super Trees, spray painted dark brownish grey, with a few different foliage materials. WS medium green coarse turf is the most used. Its a good summer green color and does a good job of filling out the branches. I also use burnt grass fine turf to add a bit of color variation. I also use scenic Express Super leaf flake, both by itself and layered on top of the coarse turfs. The leaves are ground down in a blender to make them closer to scale size for N scale. They add a nice shiny texture to the trees.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4666/39426651955_858328da4d_b.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4615/39426653225_d95e2b56b5_b.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4717/39832343862_f3f43d8873_b.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4630/38772949885_e80336272d_b.jpg)
(https://www.therailwire.net/forum/gallery/4/medium_742-270118113950.jpeg) (https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view;id=4589)
Leaf scale difference.
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Finally, here is an over all photo of the layout in its current state.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4708/39426652705_3573fd3dcb_b.jpg)
Thanks for looking!
Caleb.
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Caleb, that looks really great!
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Looks great! This has helped me plan out how I will do my little wooded spot on my layout. Pretty sure my results will not be as good yours, but it will be a start. :D
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Thanks guys!
I managed to start making some sycamore trees over the weekend. I build these and other foreground trees out of Woodland Scenic plastic armatures with super tree bits CA glued to them. I'm modeling September, which is just when the Sycamores start to turn yellow in this region. I'll be making a bunch more of these to line the creek.
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4741/39492059495_a344f7e9ea_c.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4714/39492059625_590bc43c94_c.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4764/40388887531_c03ef0141b_c.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4706/39492059665_0063cca338_c.jpg)
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4665/40388887371_c8dc921fcf_b.jpg)
Thanks for looking,
Caleb.
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Wow! Just Wow!
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Heck of a tree! 8)
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Excellent work, Caleb!
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OK trying to figure out how you painted the trunk, the armatures and the leaves?
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I'll take 10. Ring me up.