Weekend Update 1/4/15

[davefoxx]

I added 3 inches to the front of my lower level staging, and laid down two additional 12' tracks .. and ordered a UR92

Twenty-four feet of N scale track: That's as big as my entire mainline.   

DFF

[Lemosteam]

I made a 3D fire: more on my polar express build..

 

[Roger Holmes]

[Cajonpassfan]

Roger, I know tomato is a fruit, but what's that gorgeous model?
Otto K.

[Purrs]

Love the detail in the building Roger

[peteski]

Ok, is that church 3D printed?  Laser-cut acrylic?  Who makes the kit?  You're killin' us Roger!

[davefoxx]

More goddamned ballasting work:



DFF

[Dave V]

DFF, looking good!  However, if I may...

There are two schools of thought on ballast.  One is to do it after scenery so as to tie everything together.  That used to be me.  The other school is to treat it as part of tracklaying, and to do it as soon as the paint on the track is dry.  That's how I roll now.  I prefer this method because any stray ballast pieces don't get stuck in finished scenery; rather they're buried by it.  That's my biggest pet peeve after doing track maintenance...any new ballast seems to get stuck in the scenery.

[C855B]

...any new ballast seems to get stuck in the scenery.

But... but... but... ballast is scenery! I really like Dave's results... ballast spills are all part of 1:1 reality. The piles of it down the embankment and on the pond bank look like real-world to my eye.

[Dave V]

But... but... but... ballast is scenery! I really like Dave's results... ballast spills are all part of 1:1 reality. The piles of it down the embankment and on the pond bank look like real-world to my eye.

True enough, although for my 1956-era PRR was known for razor-sharp ballast edges with a deep cinder shoulder.  Stray ballast for me is unrealistic...   

[conrailthomas519]

For a modern era layout....Hhmmm? Dave is on the right track!  crap! They're both Dave's!!

[peteski]

Dave is on the right track!

 

[sirenwerks]

This is a quick and crappy cellphone pic from a few days ago, but I figured out how to install MTL couplers on the Bachmann USRA hoppers.

Care to share that secret? I just bought a dozen for a stone train.

[davefoxx]

But... but... but... ballast is scenery! I really like Dave's results... ballast spills are all part of 1:1 reality. The piles of it down the embankment and on the pond bank look like real-world to my eye.

Mike's got it.  I intentionally slid ballast down the embankment in a few spots.  I also went back in with some ground foam and neatened it up before the picture was taken.  I've always done ballast later, so it doesn't tend to get messed up by the application of other scenery.  That said, I don't use plaster anymore, so that's less of a concern these days.  Remember, I'm modeling 1980s railroading, not 1950s PRR where everything seemed perfect.

DFF

[Dave V]

Fair enough...  No offense was intended.  I just know how much you hate ballasting, and I've just found it's easier and neater before the rest of the scenery, that's all.