Killashandra - Irish Nn3

[VonRyan]

Maybe make the corner closes to the camera a cutting but putting in another hill on the close side of the curve.

That's kinda why I don't like the slope I have on the center hill.
The plan was for that corner to sorta be a cutting, but no exposed rock faces. Just a steeper slope on those two hills than on the others.

[Chris333]

Looks like you shape the foam before gluing it down. If you glue down bigger, fuller chunks and then start removing maybe you'll get closer to what you want?  Or you can just glue on more foam to what you have and blend it with sculptamold    Heck you could even make a stone bridge out of the stuff!

[VonRyan]

Looks like you shape the foam before gluing it down. If you glue down bigger, fuller chunks and then start removing maybe you'll get closer to what you want?  Or you can just glue on more foam to what you have and blend it with sculptamold    Heck you could even make a stone bridge out of the stuff!

I find it easiest to cut the general piece from a block of 2" foam off the layout, and just carve it with my utility knife as I go along.

The center hill was a bit daunting to carve with just the utility knife, which is why I went on the hunt in my basement for a Surform.

I'm starting to think that perhaps the center hill is ok as-is, and just make the final corner hill not as steep as I originally would have, but not as gentle as I made the center hill. I figure I can bulk up the one end of the center hill with sculptamold.

[VonRyan]

So I figured I would tape out my thoughts on how I see the dirt lane crossing the layout.

Here is what I've basically been thinking all along:




And here is another verison, which I think is a bit too cluttered since it requires the cattle dock to have it's own lane, but it does allow the dirt lane to follow some of the more natural contours per DKS's suggestion. Although the large space seen between the center hill and the river bank is/was intended to be one flowing contour.



The thing i like about this version is that it allows the road to follow the tracks for a short time, of which there were scenes of in one of the videos I posted in the opening post.


I'm thinking that elements of the two plans could be combined, but before I start playing with the tape again I figure I'll let those of you who are following along offer some suggestions.

-Cody Fisher

[packers#1]

Couldn't the lane to the cattle pens have a house or a small pub or some hint of a town along it?

[wazzou]

I'd have the road to the "cattle dock" come in from the bottom of version #2.

[Chris333]

My idea


Put a guard rail at the sharp bend or a short rock wall.

And now I wanna build another 

[VonRyan]

Couldn't the lane to the cattle pens have a house or a small pub or some hint of a town along it?

There will be a corrugated iron shed on the cattle dock, but that's about it.

I'd have the road to the "cattle dock" come in from the bottom of version #2.

It could be done that way, but that end of the layout is kinda just the necessity end. Since I don't want a physical backdrop, the idea is for that end of the layout to be nothing particularly special except closest to the corners.

My idea


Put a guard rail at the sharp bend or a short rock wall.

And now I wanna build another 

I'm trying to avoid a lane that is specifically for the cattle dock as it, at least to my eyes, makes the layout more "busy" and I'm going for a more relaxed look.
And I doubt there would be much of a guard-rail there (if at all) since I'm shooting for the 1940s-50s and not many folks in rural Ireland owned motor vehicles, but there more than likely would be a low stone wall.

And rather than build another, you could always lend a helping hand to the motive power department for this one 


-Cody Fisher

(Come to think of it, I really should come up with a name for the layout/railway...)

[DKS]

I'm trying to avoid a lane that is specifically for the cattle dock as it, at least to my eyes, makes the layout more "busy" and I'm going for a more relaxed look.

I like Cody's Version 2--it has a natural feel to it. If there's a tall, thick strip of trees between the road and the cattle dock lane, it will help visually expand the layout and reduce the visual clutter. Ironically, I'm not too keen on Chris' overpass suggestion. Ordinarily I would endorse an overpass to break up the loop, but I think the vertical features required to support it would be awkward-looking and create the kind of visual clutter you're trying to avoid. IMO, FWIW, etc.

[S Class]

Move the cattle dock into the middle of the siding and main line, remove the small hill or carve it out to fit, the laneway serving the cattle dock crosses the railway at grade heading straight down the photo and is independent of the 'road'. Two bits of sleeper between the line for the crossing and a cattle guard and she's done.

The road can go on the other side of the hill and cross the line however but goes off scene following the creek as the original roman/celtic path probably would have. both scenes are now independent of each other but keeps the layout from being cluttered while still interesting

(Come to think of it, I really should come up with a name for the layout/railway...)

Pity you're not doing Wales, just mash the keyboard and whatever comes out would be suitably gaelic.

guywiuujhniiuhrbwojunirbeiulyyyyn

See? 

[VonRyan]

Move the cattle dock into the middle of the siding and main line, remove the small hill or carve it out to fit, the laneway serving the cattle dock crosses the railway at grade heading straight down the photo and is independent of the 'road'. Two bits of sleeper between the line for the crossing and a cattle guard and she's done.

The road can go on the other side of the hill and cross the line however but goes off scene following the creek as the original roman/celtic path probably would have. both scenes are now independent of each other but keeps the layout from being cluttered while still interesting

Pity you're not doing Wales, just mash the keyboard and whatever comes out would be suitably gaelic.

guywiuujhniiuhrbwojunirbeiulyyyyn

See? 

I want to stick with a cattle dock that is built into the hill, since it won't have any cattle pens anyway.


And for my Welsh modeling, I went and asked some Welshmen for some translations of a couple name-ideas I came up with. 



-Cody Fisher

[VonRyan]

I like Cody's Version 2--it has a natural feel to it. If there's a tall, thick strip of trees between the road and the cattle dock lane, it will help visually expand the layout and reduce the visual clutter. Ironically, I'm not too keen on Chris' overpass suggestion. Ordinarily I would endorse an overpass to break up the loop, but I think the vertical features required to support it would be awkward-looking and create the kind of visual clutter you're trying to avoid. IMO, FWIW, etc.

I actually didn't even plan for an overpass in the second version.
I like some aspects of it, but I'm starting to feel like I could combine a couple aspects of my two versions for a best of both worlds.


-Cody Fisher

[VonRyan]

Ok, so I toyed with the tape a bit more to come up with a third version.
I think that I successfully blended the best aspects of my two earlier versions.



Thoughts?


-Cody Fisher

[eric220]

I like version 2. I think it looks the most natural, and as DKS pointed out, with careful but minimal scenicing you can all but eliminate any look of clutter. I know you don't like the driveway, but I think it helps reinforce the hilly scene. The transportation system is forced to work with the terrain to get where it wants to go. The last version looks forced and "model-ey" to me, going right over the crest of the hill like that and giving little to no space for trucks at the industry.

Edit: In looking at the plans again, I really think version 2 will wind up looking the least cluttered and most rural. It allows the dividing hill to exist unbroken for most of the length I the layout. The others break up the natural barrier and seem to emphasize the road as a featured part of the layout.

[DKS]

Edit: In looking at the plans again, I really think version 2 will wind up looking the least cluttered and most rural. It allows the dividing hill to exist unbroken for most of the length I the layout. The others break up the natural barrier and seem to emphasize the road as a featured part of the layout.

This.