Building the West Hickory bridge

[Chris333]

In that second photo:
http://www.randgust.com/Hickory%20Bridge%20east%20span.jpg
Looks like a cold day with the wind blowing like crazy.

It would be easy to dab on some texture if you want it, but after getting this far I'd do a test off site to see how it looks. With one thin coat of WS realistic water you should still be able to see the bottom details.

Maybe test the texture on a piece of glass and hold it under a bridge to see what the reflection looks like. Would be a shame to loose that reflection.

[seusscaboose]

thanks for the update

I am digging the bridge!

[randgust]

In that second photo:
http://www.randgust.com/Hickory%20Bridge%20east%20span.jpg
Looks like a cold day with the wind blowing like crazy.

You ought to see the picture I saw at the Historical Society with 3-foot thick chunks of ice piled up against it higher than the rail deck, and it held.   The Allegheny used to have epic ice jams before the Kinzua Dam was built.  This is a 1970's one:  https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/e8/Allegheny_River_Ice_Jam.jpg/800px-Allegheny_River_Ice_Jam.jpg
Now THAT is texture.   Maybe a Lance Mindheim scenery project.

I'll get to test the water texturing on a smaller scale on my other modules and looking forward to it.  But after the complete unmitigated DISASTER I had on this thing the first time I poured it, I'm more than happy to quit while I'm ahead on this one.  I came within 15 minutes of destroying the entire module if that other stuff had fully hardened.

  I tested the backdrop, and the reflections of the backdrop back on the surface are something really even better and I didn't anticipate that.  Stand by for more photos....

[randgust]

OK, here you go.   I hauled it outside today for photos.   In all fairness, NOTHING does more for N scale than photographing outdoors in sunlight.

This is the deep pour water and the final laser-printed backdrop sheets, in place.   Now, I can do more, particularly for vegetation, but this is 'done enough' that I probably won't do much more on it until after the Altoona show.

[Chris333]

That blends in prefectly!

[unittrain]

Everything about that is perfect, excellent work , that water is perfect.

[casmmr]

Randgust, that looks GREAT!.  Wish I could make it to Altoona this year to see it in person.  later, Craig

[amato1969]

Really nice work!

[GaryHinshaw]

It's hard to imagine this turning out any better.  Well done!

It makes me wish the Tehachapi mountains had water in mid summer, but alas.

[svedblen]

Truly spectacular!

[narrowminded]

That is great Randy!  And for others, I live not far from Warren and travel that neck of the woods on occasion and it not only looks good but it also captures the real flavor of that river and countryside wonderfully!  That really is pretty outstanding!

[randgust]

Well, it debuted at Altoona in Dave Ferrari's monster T-trak 'pickup layout', and everybody seemed to enjoy it.

What I liked was 'no operational issues', because other than running an Atlas GP38 over it light, this is the first time it ever had any trains on it.  I used to yell at my one friend because he'd finish a layout section without ever once powering it up and testing it... hmmm.    Anyway....

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I had to chuckle on some of the consists.  I'm not sure if a passenger car ever crossed this bridge even once, let alone a full length Super Chief.

The weathered Conrail local, however, yeah.... just for a moment, you wonder, if the line had survived into USRA, and the mill was still there...

[Cajonpassfan]

Randy, that bridge is truly fabulous, great work!
As to the video, this is all I get when I click on it
Otto

[randgust]

Huh.... Hmmm..... try again.