An oft overlooked detail

[wm3798]

I think it was Tom and one of his experiments that got me paying attention to this, so I started looking at photos published in the hobby press to see what I thought.

Starting with GMR 2006, I noticed that of all the layouts featured, the only one that included this detail was Bill Darnaby's Maumee Route.  I then looked at the N scale Penn Central article, and noticed that if this detail had been included, it would have looked 2000 percent better (and it already looked pretty good!)

What is it of which I speak?







A bed of cinders under the ballast.  This makes such a huge difference to my eye, I intend to go back over the areas I've already finished and try to add this effect wherever appropriate.

Lee

PS I know, I know!  I have to weather the rail and add the guardrails... Give me a minute, willya??

[Chris333]

Yes I agree:

[SAH]

Cinders along with proper roadbed and sub-roadbed profiles, drainage ditches etc. all make a huge difference.  Darnaby's layout is an excellent example.  As is Lance Mindheim's Monon.  Al McClelland always did a great job with the entire track support structure too, both on the old and new V&O.

Steve

[Sokramiketes]

I agree.



Though I've been using AZ Rock's GN Basalt ballast.  It's dark gray rather than black, so it isn't quite as stark.  I think dirt and dust toned down the color of cinders over the years.

[SAH]

Great photo Mike.  That's what it's all about!

>  Though I've been using AZ Rock's GN Basalt ballast.  It's dark gray rather than black, so it isn't quite as
>  stark.  I think dirt and dust toned down the color of cinders over the years.

On Sat. I sprayed a weathered black wash on my siding cinders and limestone main for the same reason.  Tones it down and gives the scene some distance.

[Robbman]

Message deleted

[wm3798]

And you could put some paint on those line poles, too.  And would it kill you to paint the insulators?!?

Actually, the cars can be clean, but that truck should have some soot on the exhaust side of the trailer at the very least.

Lee

[John]

It is indeed a very nice photo .. (toned down response )

[3rdrail]

While nits are being picked, why are the switch machines and targets between the main lines? They should be on the outside, where they would be visible to the engineer, unless there is a good reason, and I don't see one here.   ;D

[Sokramiketes]

Tough crowd! 

Can't tell in this photo, but the vehicles have had some touch up painting.  The tires are no longer glossy and look like rubber again.  The mud flaps on the truck were painted and weathered.  The truck body was toned down.  People tend to wash their autos more often than railroads wash their freight cars, so I tend to leave them shiny. The green truck in the field is dulled down and dusty... but not rusty. Robbman's correct that the whole layout shouldn't have shiny cars though.

I don't know what Lee's problem is but the poles are painted and weathered, erring on the side of a dried out weathered gray look.  Some are darkened at the bottom to simulate leaking creosote.  The insulators are dark green.    

3rdRail's only the second person to call me out on the switch stands and is correct.  When I put the throw bars in with linkage, I deliberately kept it to the inside because this was planned to be a dispatcher controlled crossover, and would have power switch throws on it, to the inside of the mains.  Before the last show, I hadn't gotten around to carving some styrene to make the power throws, so I threw on the NJ hand mechanisms with targets.    Hey, atleast I put the low clearance ones there instead of full height targets that wouldn't have given proper clearance!  The switch off the top is to a branchline and has the proper location and type of hand throw.

Nobody mentioned it yet, but the biggest thing that sticks out to me in that photo is that the track wasn't weathered again after ballasting.  It's too clean between the rails. 

[tom mann]

how many bags of ground foam did you use for that scene?

[Sokramiketes]

how many bags of ground foam did you use for that scene?

Quantity of colors or volume? 

[Mark5]

I agree.

I like the road. Is it representing concrete? Divider lines are still to be done eh?

[Sokramiketes]

I like the road. Is it representing concrete? Divider lines are still to be done eh?

Yeah.  I wasn't going to bother with the lines.  1959, Rural road in Wisconsin... think it needs striping?

It's sorta the color of 2 year old asphalt, but has the control joints of a concrete road.  You'll have to bring that up with Bill D though, since I was just extending the road from his module.   

[The Donkey]

I may have to take another look at my proposed "Sterling roadbed" diorama after this
topic. (dio I have planned to replicate the trackwork at Sterling Ohio on the CSX)

As an old car nut, it seems people -did- keep their cars cleaned up & waxed a lot more
back in the 50's-actually from my experience in original photos of such from the day. Not
"car show" quality or anything, but still kept up more than they seem to be now (IMO)

Now if this was a winter scene, that would be another story-get out the AIM powders for
crusted on salt! (at least in Ohio, it's always been that way)

Mike, this may be a neophyte question, but who makes that B&O wagontop in HO? I
forgot to ask when you posted awhile back on MTW. Anyways, your work impresses the
snot out of me, & I'm going to keep an eye on your pics for details I may miss, since my
future little layout is planned on being early 60's.