Newport & Rock Falls: Another Retro Micro-Layout

[DKS]

19 February 2021. I've started illuminating certain buildings, including the yard office, switch tower, machine shop, freight depot and the passenger station, with more on the way. It does a nice job of keeping me distracted from the abysmal weather and my health problems. Plus I retrofitted the yard light with LEDs. It was easier to do than I thought, principally because 3mm LEDs exactly fit the shades. Before, left; after, right.

   

I've started on the quasi-retro scenery, laying down a layer of pre-colored, pre-mixed sanded grout for terrain.







I also started work on the factory. I couldn't finish it today because the lighting wasn't complete.

[Bob]

Hey David - really enjoying your progress.  How do you lay your grout down?  Are you using sanded grout?  Also, nice job on the bricks; what did you use for the mortar lines?

[DKS]

Hey David - really enjoying your progress.  How do you lay your grout down?  Are you using sanded grout?

I just smear it on with a small plastic spatula. Yes, it's pre-colored, pre-mixed sanded grout.

Also, nice job on the bricks; what did you use for the mortar lines?

I start with white gauche paint, plus a tiny bit of yellow ocher, thinned roughly 1:4 with water. I brush it on the walls, let it fully dry, then gently wipe off the haze with a barely damp paper towel. If the lines need to be stronger, I just repeat the above. If they're too strong, I wipe it again with the barely damp paper towel. If I'm dissatisfied with the results, I just wash the wall off, dry it thoroughly, and start again. Gauche remains water soluble even after it's dry.

[DKS]

20 February 2021. Nothing photo-worthy today. Spent most of the day fishing wires all around and through the layout for lighting. It didn't help doing it after the fact, and having to deal with all sorts of random obstacles like wooden braces. And this was just building lights; I still have streetlights and signals to go. In other news, after having finished the switch tower and even lighting it, I decided not to use it, and switched back to the odd-looking Arnold kit.

[DKS]

21 February 2021. Continuing with the lighting wiring, I installed PC board connection pads in most of the buildings, and began the business of actually wiring them. An example is the yard office:



There are over sixty LEDs slated for installation on the layout—16 are in the factory alone:



The building light wiring was not straightforward. There were too many obstacles—such as support framing members—to simply daisy-chain them together, so the wiring wound up as a serious rats nest. The numerals indicate the number of LEDs in each building:



The control panel will be located at the bottom left corner.



In other news, I finished building the replacement coal tower—a minor challenge given it's one of the worst-tooled kits I've had the displeasure of assembling (above). And, just to round out the day, I also finished the odd little Arnold Rapido switch tower (below).



Edit: Oh, and that gap between the grey window parts and the wall? The kit was assembled correctly; that's what 1960s tooling gets you. I'll be filling that in with some strip styrene.

[DKS]

22 February 2021. Except for weathering and exterior detailing, the factory is done:



Same for the yard powerhouse:



Also added some miscellaneous details, like the grade crossings at the gravel works:

[DKS]

23 February 2021. Major progress with the bay area. After installing the water surface (black sheet styrene), I finished all of the retaining walls—they are outlined with a green line:

[DKS]

24 February 2021. Continued working on the "bay" and got all of the pilings in. You'll also notice I have the proper maritime navigation lights in place...



Meanwhile, I needed to see some green on the layout, so I started to work on the area around the factory. I confess I cheated and used Martin Welberg sheet material.

[OldEastRR]

Love the venting on the factory. Especially the downdrafts along the sides. Any sooting or discoloration slated for around them?

[DKS]

Love the venting on the factory. Especially the downdrafts along the sides. Any sooting or discoloration slated for around them?

Yes. I have not done any weathering on the building yet.

[CRL]

Your bay is smaller than Depoe Bay in Oregon.

[Dave V]

24 February 2021. Continued working on the "bay" and got all of the pilings in. You'll also notice I have the proper maritime navigation lights in place...

Shouldn't the ones on the left be green?  That way when you're coming into the bay, the old adage "red, right, return" holds.  I grew up sailing.

[DKS]

Shouldn't the ones on the left be green?  That way when you're coming into the bay, the old adage "red, right, return" holds.  I grew up sailing.

Red and green lights are used on ships and boats. Lights on objects like piers and such are all red. A green light appears on the highest clearance point of a bridge; on movable bridges, green lights indicate the bridge is open. (I plan on putting a green light on the lift bridge as per USCG rules.)

[DKS]

25 February 2021. Because I was expecting company this afternoon, I had to put the layout away. But I also made good use of the free time to assemble a couple of little models, including the water tower, diesel fuel station and the rolling lift bridge control cabin, and good a good start with the houses under construction.

[Dave V]

Red and green lights are used on ships and boats. Lights on objects like piers and such are all red. A green light appears on the highest clearance point of a bridge; on movable bridges, green lights indicate the bridge is open. (I plan on putting a green light on the lift bridge as per USCG rules.)

I was thinking channel marker buoys.  Channel marker buoys and their lights are, in fact, red and green with green to starboard departing a harbor.