Weekend Update 9/15/13

[milw12]

After scrapping my last Cannon Valley 24” x 48” layout and an even older 32” x 60” layout for various reasons, I decided to build a new 24” x 36” layout, based on a DKS plan floating around.

After starting Labor Day, here's where I am now:



This is a landmark, as this is the most progress I have made on any one layout! It is very, very much a work in progress.

The grass is a patched Woodland Scenics mat. Yes, it does look like the Office Park Express, but I wanted a quick base and to try something different, and it is hardly the finished product. After all, it's better than bare plywood, or ceiling tile in this case. Or so I hope 

A quick coat of hideous brown paint (the only shade on hand unfortunately) serves as a temporary placeholder for the industries and related dirt lots and roads. The black styrene road will be a one-on-one concrete highway. I'm missing one crossing, then I'll finish laying the styrene.

It's still the same in spirit as my Cannon Valley line, set in 1953 or so with both the Milwaukee Road and CGW. It's a small project for my spare time, and I'm not going to sweat the details too much, but still attempt a level of realism, as far off as that may be!

Great stuff as always this week!

Lucas

[dnhouston]

Nice work everyone, nothing for me again -3rd week in a row. 

Mark, your fast moving water is so realistic and is just screaming for a tutorial.  I'd love to know how you did that.

[DKS]

I managed to muster enough energy to tinker with some components for the el.



Much more detailed information here: http://www.jerseycityindustrial.net/track_c.htm

[delamaize]

I got bit by the HOn30 bug, I ordered a conversion kit for a spectrum 2-8-0 to NG from shapeways, and it came a few days ago, worked on it a little, basically got everything mocked up. Gotta "dip" the FUD parts, dunno about the white strong and flexible parts though.......
Pictures tomorrow, I'm at work......

Btw, I not leaving n scale, this is just a side thing.....

[R L Smith]

Wow, some really great work this week.

I've been working on finishing up basic ground cover on a 2' x 7' portion of my layout as there is an Open House next weekend.  Finished an N Scale Architect kit of the DL&W Branchville station.  As far as the N Arch kit goes, I give it a 8.5 or 9 out of 10.  As far as my assembly of it goes, I give it a 3 out of 10.  Someday when I complete the rest of the structures I need for this layout, I may buy another kit and try again and see if can apply the lessons learned.





Ron

[mark dance]

Nice work everyone, nothing for me again -3rd week in a row. 

Mark, your fast moving water is so realistic and is just screaming for a tutorial.  I'd love to know how you did that.

Many thx for the kind words...the techniques are nothing earth shattering...they just take me some time.

The water is potter's plaster thinned until it is very liquid (but it always still sets up).  I primed the riverbed with the latex rock colour I use.  To help the plaster flow I wet the primed river bed with water before the pour. While the plaster was still wet I placed rocks (from WS, ARM and aquarium gravel)  in the middle of the stream and built up the rocky river bed adjacent to the stream proper.  Lots of matte medium helps the loose rocks to set.  The I painted the river with acrylics and gloss medium - a mixture of Zinc white, Payne's grey and Hunter green starting with full strength Payne's grey at the lake and working in more green and white in the rapids and as it approached the backdrop.  I came back afterwards and drybushed and highlighted all the rocks with my base rock colour and white so they all blended in and picked out the rocks in the stream with more white and gloss medium.  Finally built up more rapids where needed with WS water effects and highlit these with white/gloss medium when the peaks were dry.  The river banks are Sculptamold mixed with real dirt and then dirt, decomposed granite, WS ground foam and static grasses bonded with dilute matte medium.  The trees are Super armatures with WS foam and Noche leaf material.

Hope that helps!

md

[chicken45]

I have had this Fine N X31 kit for a while and I finally got around to completing it.  I have done about a dozen Fine N kits and the are really superb.  They assemble very easily and the decals are excellent.

Doug Nelson

I love those kits. They go together very fast. Love the sheet metal detail on the sides.

[mark dance]

...and finally from me before I go to sleep for a few days, pictures from the three days of op sessions as part of the Vanrail 2013 invitational operating event that wrapped up today. 

Three 3-hour sessions for 18 visitors and a huge "thank you" to the home road crew: Gary Hinshaw, Len Thompson, Rene Gourley and Scott Calvert who shared the entertaining and training burden.  I have posted photos and comments from each day on Flikr.

Friday Session: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27907618@N02/sets/72157635552387336/
Saturday Session: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27907618@N02/sets/72157635553113966/
Sunday Session: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27907618@N02/sets/72157635553286566/

I unfortunately neglected to get a group shot for the record setting Saturday session when the Kraft switcher, the Boundary wayfreight East, and the combined Slocan/Kaslo wayfreight brought back a total of 75 cars between them!

For me this is really what Railroad Modelling is all about!

md

[GaryHinshaw]

Congrats md!  I believe the C&W sessions were thoroughly enjoyed by all.

As keeper of the Nelson sub for two days, I had the opportunity to run many trains through Troupe Junction, site of the above-mentioned running water, and it looks fantastic in person: even better than the photos convey.  A great spot to be a model railfan for a few days. 

-gfh

[mandealco]

Tim
That is one awesome set of MLWs.  Nice work.
Cheers
Steve

[w neal]

I went to see Kato's Original...

[mcjaco]

^ Planned on going yesterday, but the rain just kept coming.

[Flagler]

Bench work is underway for my new layout. More info and pics are in my blog http://jeffscpline.blogspot.ca/ and in the layout engineering section https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=27866.0

   


Hi Jeff, I was hoping you lived in the St Augustine area with that Gator flag.What mfg is the Passenger station train shed from in the first picture that shows the tables in the isle?

[mightypurdue22]

First time for me posting on the update.  My work this past week was on the layout of my urban side of my layout.  Most work is completed on my rural side of the layout which includes one of my grain elevators...

[Philip H]

Three 3-hour sessions for 18 visitors and a huge "thank you" to the home road crew: Gary Hinshaw, Len Thompson, Rene Gourley and Scott Calvert who shared the entertaining and training burden.  I have posted photos and comments from each day on Flikr.

Friday Session: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27907618@N02/sets/72157635552387336/
Saturday Session: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27907618@N02/sets/72157635553113966/
Sunday Session: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27907618@N02/sets/72157635553286566/

Mark,
How'd you make that neat little flagman in the Sunday set?