The LIRR Industrial Service, Inc. shelf layout

[chicken45]

(By the end of the week, I hope, you'll know somebody with the ability to apply static grass.  Give me some time to learn, then I'll show you how, and rent out the grassinator for reasonable rates (beer) to fellow s.)

Noted for future reference! 
I enjoyed a fine Dogfish Head 75 minute IPA last night.
You know, I don't know if I never saw a keystone on any Pennsy tunnel.

Is that irony?

[Lemosteam]

Bob, looking forward to a little hep on what little grass I will need!

I Finished my bridge shoes on the Atlas dual-use through girder for the layout.



Used some 0.5mm Scale Hardware nut and bolt shanks for the pivot bolts and note the slider shoe under the clevis:



With the help of others' wisdom, I shortened two Atlas #10 turnout diverging routes to obtain a prototypical 13'-0" (0.975") PRR main track center up on the berm.  Almost time for some track.



Also got my airbrush water separator and pressure valve set up under the workbench.  The tee is for using the Badger hose or a Passche -style hose with my air eraser.  Going to air-brush the berm wall as soon as the air plumbing is complete.



Thanks for looking!

[Lemosteam]

First attempt at finishing the berm wall, comments PLEASE!!!  I used Dave Vollmer's paint color suggestions and tried sponging on various shades after layoung down the white mortar.   I'm trying to make it look filthier as it gets closer to the ground...  I think I need to thin the antique white a bit...

Started with a latex light gray flat as I can't get anything else to cover the yellow

A little too much mortar showing?



Also finished the single LIRR IS grade through girder bridge shoes:

[Dave V]

Well, just my opinion, but I think you nailed it.  The model railroading standard always seems to be to paint stone a monotone gray and then wash back into the cracks.  What that gives you is a wall that looks stacked with no mortar.  Pennsy stonework always seemed to have mortar exposed.

One thing you may want to add is some vertical streaking of white, representing lime stains from the lime leaching out of the mortar.

[PRRATSF]

Might as well jump in as well, cant just read forever. I agree with Dr. Dave on the lime streaks. However, and I'm looking at a photo of the tall stone arch bridge east of Ironsville while I'm typing this, You almost nail the color at the top of the paint but end up too dark toward the bottom. I cant speak for the stone in other areas, but in the photos I have taken between Spruce Creek and Tyrone they show the stones to be more the brownish tint you have achieved near the top, with some areas, maybe 10 to 15% being darker and some patches looking a washed out white. One final comment after looking through all my photos. I am usually able to see the mortar lines between the stones but not as pronounced as those in your photo. Posting photos is beyond my abilities, but I will consult with my Teenager and my Grandsons and see if they could help me. Any computer/internet knowledge I used to possess disappeared when I walked into a 50s era powerhouse 25 years ago. To anyone reading who would understand, the turbine-generators I operate still generate 25cy. power. Hope this was helpful.

Sam 

[Chris333]

Yeah give it a drybrush of a few earth colors and stick a fork in it  Looks good to me.

[chicken45]

The mortar is what makes this stand out. That wash of white I did on my bridge seemed to click for me. Dave articulates a false paradigm. The standard does seem to put a black wash to bring out the details when in reality we need white mortar.

[Ian MacMillan]

Love the mortar. Its what reminds me of some Pennsy and B&M walls.

[Lemosteam]

Dave, that is a high compliment indeed coming from the undisputed king of PRR Appalachia.  I like the white mortar, but I may try a very light gray or tan too.

PRRATSF, thanks for the tip on the lower coloring.   I agree I went a little overboard on the grimy black on bottom and will try to keep the bottom lighter.  I think in n scale one has to exaggerate a little and that is why I like the lighter mortar even though the proto is darker.  N scale tends to hide minutia like mortar.

Chris, another high compliment.  My heads going to splode.  Drybrush it is then.

Joshua, that's what I noticed on your bridge right off.

Ian, thanks!

Btw all of the colors except the base coat are badger colors applied with a piece of foam brush dabbed on.

[Dave V]

Noted for future reference! 
I enjoyed a fine Dogfish Head 75 minute IPA last night.
You know, I don't know if I never saw a keystone on any Pennsy tunnel.

Is that irony?

Had the Dogfish Head 120 on tap last weekend in Pensacola.  At a near 20% ABV, it's not for the faint of heart.

[peteski]

Love the mortar. Its what reminds me of some Pennsy and B&M walls.

+1

[chicken45]

Had the Dogfish Head 120 on tap last weekend in Pensacola.  At a near 20% ABV, it's not for the faint of heart.

+1!
It's a sipper for sure! I still have a bottle from 2007 that has been aging!

John, can you list the colors you used?

[Lemosteam]

Josh, the base coat is a 50 cent behr unwanted mix I picked up (at the very top of the painted section) to seal the casting, Recommended by Max Magliaro to get topcoats to stick. 

Next was antique white with the white quickly wiped off the brick face and left in the mortar joints. 

A chunk of foam was used to dab the topcoats on but I dabbed it on paper first to get the excess out so it would not run into the mortar jounts.

Next was Reefer Gray, just on the brickface of all bricks. 

Next was Rail Tie Brown dabbed on selective brick faces. 

Next was Grimy Black in places around and sometimes over the rail tie brown.  next was Roof Brown in selective areas but not over the grimy black. 

The shine was removed after the photo with dullcoat on top.

I would like to try a grayish-tan-white (dirty white?) for the mortar next...

[pwnj]

I'm really liking how the colors are coming out on the berm wall.  One thing though.  I was thinking maybe a coating of some medium gray chalk powder might help to tie it all together (darkening the mortar, lightening the stone, and making it look overall dirty, like the real thing).  Regardless, keep up the fantastic work!

[Lemosteam]

OK next try trying to get light dirt oversplash on the stone.  My layout environment will be very sandy and dirty close to the water.  My reference image by Chris333 that I am trying to emulate:

https://picasaweb.google.com/ErieChris333/ProtoPhotos#5065572602102782610

First try with off-white mortar.  I think I like this mortar color best.  It is the latex base I found.  I tried to get some of the black stone pronounced here.



Yesterday's try with added drybrushing.  Probably went a little overboard with it...



Really just practicing here.  I have a LOT of berm wall to do like this...