Newport & Rock Falls: Another Retro Micro-Layout

[DKS]

27 March 2021. Finally knocking some stuff off the to-do list whilst continuing with the police stop scene. First up is the gravel works: I'd always thought that Pola overdid it with the roof holes. After all, the building is there to protect machinery, which I'm certain cost money. Why leave that investment out in the elements? So I patched the holes with black Washi tape. I actually think the roof is more interesting-looking with patches instead of holes.



Next up is the flower bed at the Newport passenger station. It actually hides a rather awkward-looking joint between the paved parking lot and the kit base.



And finally, most of the non-illuminated vehicles have been installed. This took most of the day due to the detail painting required, which included chrome bumpers courtesy of a Molotov chrome paint pen.

[CRL]

Building the Pola gravel works kit years ago that led me to accidentally discovering a good technique for modeling heavily weathered galvanized roofing. Hit it with dullcote then accidentally spray it with some rubbing alcohol. This will turn the dullcote a chalky white and a panicked application of some weathering chalks will produce a perfect representation of heavily weathered galvanized roofing.

[peteski]

I'm working on several projects, including a "beautification program" for the Newport passenger station, which involves lighting the edge of the roofline—one of those "always wanted to" items. The first step was to install 0.040" square styrene strip stock near the edges of the three front-facing sides of the roof.



Finally, I wrestled 120 wires into eight bundled pairs, and soldered them to a PC board terminal plate. And then I painted all of the exposed strip stock.



The finished effect is quite striking. Interestingly, when the LEDs are off, they look like architectural details. Since the wires preculded any kind of bonding, the roof is held in place with miniature super-magnets.

That looks great!
Where did you hide 60 resistors? Or did you hook up multiple LEDs in series and used fewer resistors?

[DKS]

That looks great!
Where did you hide 60 resistors? Or did you hook up multiple LEDs in series and used fewer resistors?

Thanks! Hooked all 60 LEDs in parallel, and used one resistor.

[peteski]

Thanks! Hooked all 60 LEDs in parallel, and used one resistor.

Got it - thanks.

[DKS]

28 March 2021. Today was much like yesterday: hitting a few to-dos, while continuing with the police stop scene. The very last step in the station beautification project, refresh the platform gravel, was done today.



Below you'll see that the street in front of the houses under construction, as well as the terrain around them, have at long last been completed.



Then, not on the to-do list, the last two illuminated cars got installed and hooked up.







Stand by for a video of the police stop scene.

[DKS]

[wm3798]

You'll need a star or a shield for the door!  And can I say a word about that camper?  Interior lighting?  The attention to detail is excruciating.

Lee

[DKS]

You'll need a star or a shield for the door!  And can I say a word about that camper?  Interior lighting?  The attention to detail is excruciating.

Lee

Yes, I keep forgetting to put that decal on the police car door. As for the camper... not sure what you mean. It has no interior lighting, and theoretically it wouldn't have while it's on the road. What might look like lighting in some shots is just sunlight glinting through.

[wm3798]

I guess it's just ambient light being reflected through the window glazing.  It was more apparent in the video.  Probably picking up the glow from Barney Fife's high beams....

Lee

[DKS]

29 March 2021. The weather was very nice today, so I cut back on modeling time to get some outside work done. With the addition of the concrete road and lot for the freight depot, the scenery is now 99.9% finished—just a few more weeds and shrubs here and there will bring the scenery to 100%.



In other news, I added one more lighting effect—yes, I know I'm obsessed, but this is the very last one, I promise: I added a cool white flickering LED to the machine shop to simulate welding. (I'll have to make a video of it, since a still image is kind of useless.) With that, the wiring is now at 100%. Also, I've been working on the fascia, which is ⅛"-thick black sheet styrene. The fascia end parts are attached with the carrying handles. I just have the front part to do.



That is all for today.

[davefoxx]

Kudos and congratulations!  I have never finished a layout to 99.9% or 100% completion.  Ever. 

DFF

[DKS]

Kudos and congratulations!  I have never finished a layout to 99.9% or 100% completion.  Ever. 

DFF

Thanks. It's (relatively) easy when it's only 8 square feet...

[GimpLizard]

Exceptional. 👍👍👍👍👍

[DKS]

I am contemplating writing an article about this layout for N Scale magazine. But I'm undecided, particularly with respect to the theme of the article. What do folks here think?