Free-moNebraska

[chuck geiger]

http://www.kurumi.com/roads/signmaker/signmaker.html

[Mark W]

Continuing from the weekend update last week, I was able to 'plant' the removable overpass and get started on scenery!

I ended up digging post holes and used hot-glue to embed styrene tubes with internal diameter just larger than the overpass pilings diameter. I re-built the pilings to extend into the holes, rather than being cut to height from level ground.  Works and looks perfect!




With compression, I had to be selective on what to include, but you still get the general feel of the area.


These will eventually have proper grade crossing inserts.




Again being selective.  A few houses, the garden, and the junk lot across the tracks.






Will be adding the storage and utility buildings too.



Still a long way to go.  Aside from the selective parts, did I overlook anything?

[Philip H]

That looks really good Mark. Even down to the maintenance trucks under the overpass to get in the shade.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I really dig it.

My biggest question? How you're going to capture that blurry effect on the surrounding scenery.   

[btrain]

I really dig it.

My biggest question? How you're going to capture that blurry effect on the surrounding scenery.   

I thought it was the government that blurred out those photos showing where the ICBM missile silos are located. 

[wazzou]

Needs some pedestrian underpass.   

[Mark W]

I thought it was the government that blurred out those photos showing where the ICBM missile silos are located. 

I always wanted to animate a missile silo... opening doors, rising platform, and a blast of air to launch the nerf dart missile.

Needs some pedestrian underpass.   

I definitely wanted to include the bike path underpass!  I ran out of room much faster than anticipated. 

[Paradise275]

Silly question Mark but what are the switches and track that you use?
Do you use Frog Juicers?

Rick

[Mark W]

Silly question Mark but what are the switches and track that you use?
Do you use Frog Juicers?

Rick

Atlas C55 Flex and FastTracks turnouts.  Frogs are powered directly from the slide switch which is also used as the ground throw.

https://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/c-k/JS202011CQN/401-2001-ND/1640097

[railnerd]

looks like you replaced the points on the atlas turnouts, right?

[wazzou]

I think he said he used Atlas C55 flex and Fastracks TO's.

That's what I read anyway. 

[tefsom85]

That long overpass is killer.    Really brings the scene to life.   Fantastic job.

[nkalanaga]

Chuck:  I have the downloadable version of that SignMaker program.  It would be more useful if I had an Interstate on my layout!

But it does make nice signs, and I've had some fun creating funny as well as serious signs.  One minor issue is that it doesn't include ALL state highway markers.  In my case, Montana has two kinds, for primary and secondary state roads, and I had to steal the secondary sign from Wikipedia.  A little work in Paint pastes it into the SignMaker sign.

For those who haven't tried this site. or program, here are some edited samples.  The basic signs are from the site, all I did was change the Montana logos and combine two signs to get the green/brown WV sign.

The top two are from I-15 north of Helena, MT.  The one on the left is a recreation of the actual exit sign, based on Google Street View images, with the arrowhead logo replacing the square state highway marker in the program.  The one on the right has one of the towns on my railroad added.  Highway numbers are real.

The middle sign, exit 99 for Weston, is on I-79(?) north of Charleston, WV.  The lower left one includes the local tourist attraction.  That is a real place, but the actual exit sign doesn't show it.

The one on the right is totally fictional, but the towns are real - and in three different states.



The signs are relatively low resolution, but very suitable for N scale use.  Enlarging them to HO might work, but I haven't tried it.

Looks like this is one case where the Railwire watermark doesn't fit well!  I should have left some blank space at the bottom for it

[MVW]

Looks like this is one case where the Railwire watermark doesn't fit well!

Au contraire. 

Jim

[Mark W]

looks like you replaced the points on the atlas turnouts, right?

I think he said he used Atlas C55 flex and Fastracks TO's.

That's what I read anyway. 

Well, you're both right.  It's mostly FastTracks, but I did resort to Atlas turnouts for the yard, and one or two spots on the mainline.  Atlas turnouts on the mainline all have points and throwbars replaced.  One in the yard has also been replaced, the rest will be replaced if/when they fail.