The Carolina Sandhills Lines in HO Scale

[davefoxx]

More terraforming to try to bring the rough shape of the hills and dales on the layout into form.  I let last week’s efforts dry for almost a week, because I really slapped that lightweight spackling on thick.  This morning, I cleaned that up a little by sanding the foam and spackling and then applying another coat where needed. The big accomplishment is finally forming the ridge between this side of the layout and the other, to divide the layout in half and to camouflage that the Seaboard Central is built on a ramp.  Very visible is the roadbed for the street to be installed that will head north out of Aberdeen and cross the Seaboard System on a bridge.



This next photo shows how the ridge will disguise the ramp that the SC is built on.  It adds just enough height to also screen the other side of the layout.  Where the A&R is just visible over the ridge will be better hidden by trees and foliage.  This worked well on the Seaboard Central 2.0, so I don’t expect any serious issues.



And, as is obvious in the last photo, we’re JFRTM, too!

DFF

[Steveruger45]

Looking good Dave.  This layout is proving you dont need to have an entire basement empire to have a good JTFRM operations. BTW, im assuming the new road will be styrene sheet too?

[davefoxx]

Thanks, Steve,  Yes, the road will be styrene.  I’ve got a decent supply of 0.060” and 0.080” black styrene to work with.

DFF

[glakedylan]

great work, Dave...i like the contours of topography
and the creating of individual scenes in the landscaping
your additions are always a wonderful improvement
to what was already pretty wonderful!


sincerely
Gary

[davefoxx]

Thank you, Gary.  I always appreciate your posts, which are always positive and complimentary.  It’s so refreshing to see so much optimism in today’s climate.  Never change.

DFF

[Dave V]

Thank you, Gary.  I always appreciate your posts, which are always positive and complimentary.  It’s so refreshing to see so much optimism in today’s climate.  Never change.

DFF

+1.

[wm3798]

I would add some color to the wet plaster to prevent white chips later, but otherwise, your efforts are wholly adequate. 
Good to see you accumulating a following of fawning admirers.
I have a few myself, but frankly, the payroll is really getting to be a bit much.

Lee

[Dave V]

I would add some color to the wet plaster to prevent white chips later, but otherwise, your efforts are wholly adequate. 
Good to see you accumulating a following of fawning admirers.
I have a few myself, but frankly, the payroll is really getting to be a bit much.

Lee

Let me echo that...  Since I've started mixing earth-colored latex paint into my ground "goop" (usually a plaster/Sculptamold mix) or spackle, I've never looked back.  As Lee says, if/when it chips, you'll never notice.

[DKS]

Let me echo that...  Since I've started mixing earth-colored latex paint into my ground "goop" (usually a plaster/Sculptamold mix) or spackle, I've never looked back.  As Lee says, if/when it chips, you'll never notice.

I'll add to the echo. There's one other issue I've found besides chipping: any tiny bits of white plaster that have been missed with ground covering stick out like sore thumbs, and it seemed I could never find/fix them all. They show up worst when taking photographs.

[davefoxx]

I don’t use plaster.  Too heavy.  My base is foam and lightweight spackling, which dries to the consistency of foam.  The spackling doesn’t get brittle and chip like plaster does.  The next step, when I finish the terraforming, will be a sloppy coat of my sandy soil color.  I’ll apply a layer of ground foam over the wet paint as a base layer.  If I ever got a gouge in the foam, it would be an easy patch and fix.

DFF

[davefoxx]

I’ve had this Walthers GP9 decorated for NS for quite some time.  I don’t run it much with the conversion of the former Southern branch to the Seaboard Central.  But, I’ve found that it pairs well with the SC’s (former BN) GP9, and, being former N&W with a chopped nose, it has some distinctiveness, too.  I remapped it today, to consist it with No. 1700.  This required reversing direction and messing with lighting functions, since the NS considered the long hood forward.  The short hood, to take advantage of that low nose, will be the front on the SC.  Okay, the truth is there’s no need for multiple units, since I can only have four-car trains on the SC, including the caboose!  But, I like it, and, occasionally, I stretch the legs of the A&R and SC motive power on the roundy-round SBD line.



If and when I can get around to it, No. 2003 will retain its number and be fully painted in the SC’s red and blue scheme.  I need to locate the detail kit (e.g., grab irons) for this GP9 and get it ordered.  Unfortunately, my Scalecoat II paint order three months ago never shipped.    I got my money back from PayPal this weekend.  I have a second PayPal dispute for another order of HO scale street signs that was also placed about three months ago that never went past “processing” and also never shipped.

DFF

[Dave V]

I don’t use plaster.  Too heavy.  My base is foam and lightweight spackling, which dries to the consistency of foam.  The spackling doesn’t get brittle and chip like plaster does.  The next step, when I finish the terraforming, will be a sloppy coat of my sandy soil color.  I’ll apply a layer of ground foam over the wet paint as a base layer.  If I ever got a gouge in the foam, it would be an easy patch and fix.

DFF

FWIW I have mixed paint into lightweight spackle too.  Maybe chipping is less of a problem but it also tends to make the scenery base color that much easier in case you don't get complete coverage.  But of course if this works well for you, press ahead!

[davefoxx]

And there’s a little less bare foam visible on the layout today:



Hopefully, this is the last time that I need to remove the trestle.  Once the diluted white glue begins to dry and I can vacuum loose ground foam off of the track, I’ll finish the ballasting under the trestle.

DFF

[davefoxx]

One year ago today.  “You’ve come a long way, baby!”

DFF

[davefoxx]

A major milestone on the Seaboard Central 3.0 today: the basic scenery around the trestle has been roughed in, ground covering and ballasting applied, and the trestle has been permanently installed.  I’m just this much closer to a completed scene. 



The push pins and T-pins are holding the trestle and the five-foot piece of track that it’s attached to in alignment until the glue dries.

DFF