L&N somewhere in Eastern Kentucky

[Specter3]

More pics please! This looks great!

[Dave Schneider]

LIRR,

As I recall from the Atlas forum, you paint these units with a brush, correct? Don't worry, I am not trying to change your mind on how you "should have done" it. These look great. Just curious if that is still your technique.

Best wishes, Dave

[LIRR]

Good memory. I paint by hand. First I spray with Rustoleum light gray primer, than I brush on Polly Scale L&N gray. It's been working very well so far, I've been able to get undecorated shells. The primer covers the shell nicely and leaves a wee bit of texture for the Polly. The L&N gray is a bit darker than the primer and covers very nicely. I've gotten good results with an airbrush....but set up and cleaning takes 10x longer than the actual painting, so this is much more convenient. The gray-on-gray-on-gray is easy tho, may not get such good results with decorated shells. I painted an ABA set on LifeLike Alco cab units....started out as L&NE. results were OK, but I needed a few coats to cover the black/white stripes so the primer was a bit thicker than I'd like. And if you look closely, you can see shadows of the L&NE scheme. Which is justifiable as the L&N did buy FAs and FBs from the L&NE (although I don't  think they weren't repainted gray)

[LIRR]

If you look,closely, you can see a horizontal edge (about in the middle of the road numbers) running from front to back....it's a trace of the original L&NE striping

[LIRR]

Finally getting started on a large paper mill. The area had looked like this for years….





A few months back I finally filled in around the tracks and ballasted…





Now I am starting to build…started with my mock-ups and plywood sub-structure…





Where I am now…started to reconfigure the Walthers paper mill kit…







Stay tuned….

[Jguess733]

When you cut your windows, do they go all the way through the plywood or do you stop at the styrene?  I'll have to keep this in mind for my layout when I start.  I'm thinking your plywood building + PVC pipe would make a nice grain elevator. 

J

[LIRR]

Windows are cut in the siding only, the plywood supports the windows in the openings, no need for bracing or any support from behind. I use a black sharpie to darken the plywood in the window area. I install the louvers the same way.

[mcjaco]

I install the lovers the same way.

Oh my......

[MVW]

And keep your black sharpie to yourself. 

Jim

[LIRR]

Progress on the paper mill…..a convincing brick color is always a challenge but I’m pretty happy with this, got it on the second try


 
Unrelated to any progress, but a little coal-drag action

[Philip H]

That Coal Drag is a great shot.  and I love Alco's in L&N grey . . . . wish KCS had bought some.

[MVW]

LIRR -- Two big "thumbs up" on those last two shots. Can you tell us a bit more on the materials and methods you used in painting the brick?

Jim

[LIRR]

First I sprayed the bare walls with Rustoleum red primer, but it was much to dark. Then I sprayed again with Rustolem Sandstone. I then dry bushed on Floquil rust, covering the bricks but leaving that sandstone on the mortar seams. The only negative was the foundation. After the first sandstone spray, it had the perfect weathered look as it didn't completely cover the red primer. But I was not careful (wasn't even worrying about it actually)with the brush when I applied he rust and got quite a bit on the foundations. Then I masked the brick and resprayed the foundations. Small price to pay tho.....the bricks turned out better than I expected.

[LIRR]

[LIRR]

I always liked street running scenes, so i thought I'd try one....