not the L&N in HO

[LIRR]

Changing the thread name.

I'm thinking a early-to-mid 1960s free-lanced, INTERSTATE-type, regional/large short-line railroad in coal country that interchanges with the LN, Southern, Clinchfield and/or NW.

I will rename the thread again, once I decide on the railroad's name.....

[basementcalling]

Changing the thread name.

I'm thinking a early-to-mid 1960s free-lanced, INTERSTATE-type, regional/large short-line railroad in coal country that interchanges with the LN, Southern, Clinchfield and/or NW.

I will rename the thread again, once I decide on the railroad's name.....

Not sure we can handle much more of this change and uncertainty. First the scale switch, and now a name change. 

I'll miss my L&N Somewhere in Kentucky line.

[3DTrains]

I'm thinking a early-to-mid 1960s free-lanced, INTERSTATE-type, regional/large short-line railroad in coal country that interchanges with the LN, Southern, Clinchfield and/or NW.

You will then have all the elements of a Norton-esque pike. 

Cheers!
Marc - Riverside

[LIRR]

Starting to disguise the opening thru the backdrop........

[LIRR]

Mocked up the next customer......








This will be the scene transition......an embankment and tall trees will screen this structure when switching the tipple in the rear...

[LIRR]

These are leftover N scale trees....new trees will be talller

[LIRR]

First attempt at a scratch-built pine tree. This was the test case to get an idea of the time and effort required. Drilling the holes in the trunk, tapering and painting the trunk took about 15 minutes. Gluing the individual branches took another 20 minutes or so. The time consuming part will be cutting, trimming and selecting the branches. I used caspia from Michael's craft store. It became apparent right away that the branches were wrong....not enough shoots off the main branches, that made me move faster attaching them as I didn't put as much thought into the placement of any of them as far as longer at the bottom, etc. I'll pay more attention to it with the next tree. This one may look better when the branches are painted and flocked....at the very least it can go in the rear of a scene as filler. I expect to need 8-12 of these trees for this area (plus deciduous trees).... so at one tree per evening that won't take that long. I intend to pre cut, drill, taper and paint a dozen or more trunks. I can probably do this in an evening....

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I can probably do this in an evening....

Oh no you didn't...

[OldEastRR]

Hmmmm.... you weren't trying to make the Charlie Brown's Christmas tree, were you? 
Seriously see if you can find asparagus fern, then dye and preserve it. It's a feathery branchlike plant that looks very much like pine tree boughs, even can droop like them. I had a Campbell's tree kit a long time ago and remember the braches used. They were way too big for N scale, but in HO or O they look good.

[LIRR]

definitely missed it this time, the branches are lame. I thought of fern, I need to get some and give it a try. it was a test case really. I don't have a few hours to invest in each tree. I can spend a few hours and make 2 or 3 dozen trunks. so if I can find suitable branches, I am looking at 1/2-hour per tree thereafter.

[wazzou]

Oh no you didn't...

[Cajonpassfan]

definitely missed it this time, the branches are lame. I thought of fern, I need to get some and give it a try. it was a test case really. I don't have a few hours to invest in each tree. I can spend a few hours and make 2 or 3 dozen trunks. so if I can find suitable branches, I am looking at 1/2-hour per tree thereafter.

The most common Asparagus fern is way too coarse for this. Try something called Plumosa fern, sometimes available as a miniature household plant. It has a flat, two dimensional structure and much finer foliage. Still, it's a lot of work, maybe okay for a few foreground trees....?
Otto K.

[LIRR]

I put the “Charlie Brown” tree out of its misery. It was my first attempt at a scratch-built tree. I saw it on one of Mike Confalone’s videos and thought I’d give it a try. I figured drilling holes in the trunk would be the hard part, but that’s not the case. I have a drill press and a V-block, so I can drill the holes in the trunk in under 10 minutes. I takes me about 5 minutes to taper the trunk, using the drill press & sand paper. The time consuming part is the branches. Not gluing them on, that’s about 20 to 30 minutes. The caspia turned out to be more trouble than its worth. Selecting an appropriate looking piece, cutting and trimming the buds off the tips, shaping it, etc., and trimming to length. And once it’s on the trunk, you really can’t trim the length of the branches and shape the tree without running the appearance of a given branch. 

I didn’t give up though. I saw a you-tube video (with English & German graphics), which I believe is by the author (grov-den/jos ??)   of a thread on TRW Scenery Techniques forum. I decided to give this method a try. I used floral wire, about 0.020” dia. But I couldn’t wrap it around the trunk tight enough, it would uncoil. So, I combined the 2 methods, kind-of. I tapered and drilled the trunk as before, drilling 0.040” thru holes.



pulled 2 lengths of wire thru each hole....



Then separated the wires, trimmed and shaped the tree. I can make one of these in 30 minutes.



Covered with fine sawdust as per the video.....



Static grass is next.....

[OldEastRR]

Might want to shape the branches into a general cone shape, proportional to the height, before you do the final treatment of grass.

[migalyto]

Just read through your thread this morning, fantastic job!