Cisco Bridges: a new layout concept

[Scottl]

Thanks Mike.  All the locomotives are kitbashed or come from Kaslo kits.

[Philip H]

ScottL,
That sir is pure N Scale porn right there.  I now have both confirmed bridge and loco envy.   Of course, the sulfur loads look like Twinkees in loaf pans . . . but I digress

[Scottl]

LOL, those sulphur loads are the biggest dupe I have in my collection.  I bought them sight unseen from NARC (who promised they "look really good")and they look worse in person than in photos. Don't ask what they cost... 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

That video is spanktacular.

Very nice stuff man.

[davefoxx]

That video is spanktacular.

Very nice stuff man.

. . . and spanktastic!

[Scottl]

Thanks, I think?   

[Bendtracker1]

Scott that scene looks fantastic!

[BCR 570]

Agreed the sulphur loads leave a lot to be desired, especially when the cars turned out so well.  One way to upgrade the loads is to grind up some yellow chalk and sprinkle it on top.  I filled one car with ground chalk and was very pleased with the results, but each car consumes a lot of chalk.  Using those loads as a base for the chalk would cut down on the amount required.

Otherwise the scene is looking great.

Tim

[Scottl]

That is a great idea Tim, that would be an excellent colour and tone for sulphur too.  I will get those fixed up and make a few to fill out the train.

[Jeff AKA St0rm]

Could you use foam and just paint it pastel yellow?

[Scottl]

I'll use foam for the basic shape, then cover it with chalk or some other aggregate, and then paint a nice dull yellow.

[Scottl]

A busy few weeks, not much done on the layout.  I have been decalling containers and today I installed decoders in a Fox Valley ES44DC and a Kato AC4400.  The Fox Valley unit is special as it is the only off the shelf CN unit I have.  The lighting of the TCS decoder is really not very impressive, but it runs well.  The Kato AC unit is a bit special too, CP Beaver...  I'll run them in a consist just because I can.

Anyway, the yard in Lytton is choked up with trains.  Should be good for train watching when it is complete.

[Scottl]

I was going to work on my Briggs Dash8 kit, but I decided to do some layout work instead.  Today I finished the track on the east end of the yard by adding three turnouts and completing the last of the staging tracks. This leaves me with room for six full length trains and some switching spots in the yard. 



While I was working on that, I decided to rough in the approach and the rest of the scenery for the layout.  I am going to try and reproduce some of the rock slides in the White Canyon, upstream of Lytton, BC.

Here is an example image of the canyon scene that I am going to do:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=476804

I have limited space but the vertical rocks in the real scene play into my limitations and the structures are very neat.  I will have a bit of a view block with the other bank of the river to fill in the space.  I think it will work quite well and I'll have near-vertical rock almost all the way up the back drop.



I also worked on the topography above Cisco Bridge.  It looks like a dogs breakfast and it is.  I like a more organic placement of foam substrate so that the rock work is irregular and the surfaces similarly rough and random.   Here is a view from the other side, giving a sense of what it will look like.  I need to figure out if I will try for a photo backdrop here or to paint it.



Now that I have packed the trains away safely, let the foam beads fly!  Time for some plaster. 

Thanks for following.

[LIRR]

Outstanding work on that bridge! Looking forward to the finished scene....

[Kevin C]

Well Done Scott. The bridge scene is going to look awesome when the scenery is complete. I can't wait.

Kevin