The Very Last White River and Northern Railroad

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Clearly a hangover from his days holed up in the mobile trailer.  9v batteries are indispensable for the model railroader surviving "off the grid".

I recall, before I had finished building out the WMRY using a 9v to run some trains during a power outage during Hurricane Isabel (2003?)  It was quite soothing!

Lee

Haha, yeah, at some point between layouts I was doing something similar. When asked in a thread about "what type of power do you use for your layout?" I replied "digital". I used my digits to hold the battery on the rails.

[DKS]

Not much to report that's photogenic. I've been wiring the control panel, and with 88+ wires to deal with, it's been a challenge. To help maintain my sanity, I break away once in a while to do other more creative little things. In this case, I extended the greenery around the field of fireflies so I could make the campground--all just so I could install the campfire.

[DKS]

For anyone wanting to see the whole layout, here you go--

[BOK]

That's a neat railroad, David. What minimum radius are your curves?

Thanks,

Barry

[DKS]

That's a neat railroad, David. What minimum radius are your curves?

Thanks,

Barry

Thanks! The curves get down to a very unreasonable 7 inches in spots. Grades are likewise nasty, up to 5% or more.

[wm3798]

It doesn't look like train length will be an issue...
Lee

[davefoxx]

It doesn't look like train length will be an issue...
Lee

I don't know, I might be able to get a forty-car train in there, connected head-to-tail, if you use the over-under route. 

DFF

[DKS]

Despite things being in flux (see http://davidksmith.com/modeling/layouts/LastWhiteRiver/last_layout/lastwr&n-14.htm ), I've still managed to get stuff done.

I made two of three planned tunnel access hatches. The tunnel along part of the outside loop needed access. However, I didn't want to compromise the Gatorfoam trim piece that surrounds the whole layout. So, I devised a series of "hatches" that could be removed from above. Here are two of them:



Above, closed; below, open. They'll be covered with Sculptamold terrain.



I added an extension on one of the two homes, which was an American Model Builders Yard Office, #609. I've extended the house in classic Colonial fashion using American Model Builders Two Story Section House, #628.



I bashed an office for Haber Coal from various laser kit scraps of unknown origin.



I began work on a little swamp. I enjoyed making the little swamp for the Newport & Rock Falls II so much that I decided to do it again. The only space I could find that seemed appropriate was behind the enginehouse (the seams and marks will all be covered over by a glossy film).



And I finally chose a kit for Spano's Service Station, American Model Builders Dill's Market, #622.

[BOK]

David, I admire your ability to scratchbuild turnouts especially N scale curved ones.

Very nice work.

Barry

[DKS]

Three tall tales.

The tale of Three Daves General Store/Phil's Barber Shop

The Mountain Vista Railroad had a heavily bashed hardware store that's been recruited for service on this layout as the Three Daves General Store and Phil's Barber Shop. Work started sometime in March 2020.

   

As of 4 June 2021, it looked like this:



Then, on 7 June it looked like this:



The addition on the left side is Phil's Barber Shop, complete with working barber pole. Below, the building is posed on the layout with Spano's Service Station to the left and Josh's house to the right.



By 11 June 2021 all it needed was the roof and some interior detailing.





The tale of Spano's Service Station

For the Mountain Vista Railroad, I recycled the recreation of a model I'd built for the White River & Northern IV, which featured a working car lift and a rotating sign.



Given the above station is too big and too modern for this layout, I'm building a new one starting with Blair Line Shotgun House, #079. I chose it over a few other options because it had the best proportions. The modifications I made were to shorten it substantially, and move the back door to the side.

   

A quick test-fit on the layout revealed the building was still too big for the space, so I shortened it even more.



Here the station is posed on the layout next to Three Daves General Store/Phil's Barber Shop.



By 11 June 20201 all it needed was the island and the signage.



Meanwhile, I'm mass-producing lamps using 0201 LEDs and Tichy lampshades.





The tale of Josh's House

This is the same as Josh's House on the Mountain Vista but without the B&W television and the rotating TV antenna. It's a gently-modded Branchline Laser-Art's Finley House, #825. The main modifications I did were to the foundation. I always disliked Branchline's choice of using peel-and-stick plastic stone applied over the siding—which is done on quite a number of their kits—so I shortened all of the walls and made a new foundation from strip styrene topped with their grossly-oversize plastic peel-and-stick roofing material. There wasn't enough room in its spot on the layout for the front porch, so I patched all of the holes and added "concrete" (styrene) steps. Finally, for the roof I used Slater's Plastikard brick embossed sheet.



Work on Josh's house began around 20 April 2020, and was completed on 11 June 2021. Here it is nearly done and posed next to Three Daves General Store/Phil's Barber Shop.



By 11 June 2021 all it needed was a chimney.




The end.

[OldEastRR]

I assume you wanted a certain look to the gas station, otherwise the ME/Alloy Forms/Wheel Works "40s Gas Station is a tiny version of one. Really it's more of a WW1-era looking station, basically a shed with outdoor hoist and a couple of pumps. It could easily fit into the space you had allowed.

[DKS]

I assume you wanted a certain look to the gas station...

Yes, I was after a particular look:

[glakedylan]

and what a grand look that is!
as with all things, your handmade and bashed buildings are remarkable
captures the era so well...very excellent work!




sincerely
Gary

[DKS]

Thanks, Gary.

This morning I experimented with track painting and ballasting techniques. Modeling the early 1930s, at least in a believable way, is new to me, so I did a fair bit of research to help me figure out what I should be doing. When it came to trackwork, I was met with some surprises. Had I gone about the trackwork in the usual way, it would have looked as if I was modeling a Class I railroad. By contrast, reference images of smaller-railroad track in the 1930s looked primitive and even sloppy.

For one thing, the ballast looked more like dirt, applied unevenly and inconsistently. For another, ties for the most part were pale in color, suggesting they were old, and tie spacing was all over the map. Also note the distinct lack of roadbed profile—everything is nearly dead flat.









To model the track, I start by painting it. Ordinarily I'd hit it with rattle-can spray paint, but my random modeling tendencies preclude that, and I'd sold my airbrush; thus the track had to be painted by brush. After considerable trial and error, I learned to use three coats of pant: first, Floquil; next, flat latex craft paint; finally, Floquil again. I tried all manner of variations, and this emerged as the only viable formula to get the track painted thoroughly and consistently (below left). I'll use any old generic dark browns.

   

Next, I apply grey washes (thinned latex paint) with a fan brush, liberally and unevenly (above right). I go extra-hard on the washes because ballasting tends to diminish them. Using an India ink wash, I stain random ties to create the effect of individuality (below left).

   

I paint the rails with a couple of custom-mixed rust colors (above right); my shaky hands aren't a big problem with this, since the tie plates need rusting up, too.

   

Ballasting is a tedious, gentle art. A soft brush is essential, but it can leave ridges and other marks (above left); I've found I can simply pat these down with my finger (above right). As a consequence of my research, I'm using a custom blend of ballast I'd made up many years ago, so I've long since forgotten what's in it. However, it's quite fine, albeit inconsistent in fineness, and is ideal for reproducing the effects seen in the reference images.

   

I bond the ballast in the usual manner, starting with rubbing alcohol. I apply it along the rails (above left); this creates the fewest disturbances in the ballast surface, and has the added benefit of washing stray grains off the rails. I'll keep dribbling on the alcohol until capillary action has drawn it into all of the ballast. I use white glue thinned a little more than normal—2:1 water to glue instead of the usual 50-50. And I apply it in the same manner as the alcohol (above right). Sometimes I wind up with puddles of excess glue, especially around turnouts, so I'll draw it off with the edge of a paper towel (below left). A small fan blowing gently across the wet ballast greatly accelerates drying (below right).

   

While the glue is still wet, I'll tease any excess ballast out of flangeways with a small brush (below left).

   

Once the ballast has set, I'll clean the rails by first scraping an X-Acto blade across the rail heads (above right), then scrubbing it with a rust eraser (a.k.a. a Brite Boy, below left).

   

The track is then ready for weathering. I apply tiny amounts of grey and rust-colored dry pigments with a soft brush (above right and below left). Restraint is required—a little goes a long way. The final step is to paint guard rails with a dark rust color (below right). Yes, you need to do this every time you clean the track!

   

The finished effect:



Since there are no close-up color reference images from the 1920s and 30s, it's all down to what's personally pleasing.

[amato1969]

Love it, looking great @DKS !  I too am thinking about using blackening solution on guard rails, in order to avoid repainting all the time...

  Frank