HOn3 Rio Grande Southern First District 1938-1945

[Dave V]

So did you use scenery to match the backdrop or did you tweak the backdrop to match the scenery?

The backdrop is ground truth so I worked the foreground scenery to match the backdrop.

[Dave V]

[Dave V]

Rico!  Suave?

[Dave V]

In the above photo the track is intentionally "wiggly."  The Dolores River flooded out the Rico yard on more than one occasion and repairs were always hasty with little thought given to alignment and only a little more thought to gauge.  After laying the track too straight at first, I started noticing in photos of the real thing that I needed to add a few kinks.

[Chris333]

I can just imagine how hard it was to make those crooked. 

[MVW]

In the above photo the track is intentionally "wiggly."  The Dolores River flooded out the Rico yard on more than one occasion and repairs were always hasty with little thought given to alignment and only a little more thought to gauge.  After laying the track too straight at first, I started noticing in photos of the real thing that I needed to add a few kinks.

Yeah, right. Sheesh, that Vollmer guy can't even lay track. 

Beautiful as always. 

Jim

[DKS]

 

[Dave V]

I can just imagine how hard it was to make those crooked. 

LOL, harder than you'd think, considering I'd used carpenter's glue to secure the track to the roadbed.  Since the sidings were soldered at both ends of the yard to the turnouts (no feedback required on that, thank you--that's what works for me!), I essentially had to pry the track up and carefully file the wood glue in spots and then put the track back without aligning it.

[Carolina Northern]

It was worth the work, Dave.

[Dave V]

February layout update:

[Chris333]

Monthly updates like Gerry Leone 

[Dave V]

Started making aspen trees using Super Trees.

[Cajonpassfan]

Dave, this is getting better and better.
Care sharing your Supertrees technique? They look marvelous...
I also like the way you backdrop and foreground blend; it's all about color and it's not an easy thing to do.
Otto K.

[Dave V]

Dave, this is getting better and better.
Care sharing your Supertrees technique? They look marvelous...
I also like the way you backdrop and foreground blend; it's all about color and it's not an easy thing to do.
Otto K.

Thanks!

Not sure I have a "technique."  I soak the trunks in a mixture of matte medium, water, alcohol, and white glue first to preserve them.  When they're dry I paint 'em.  Aspen get white and a little gray with black Sharpie marks to represent the old branching scars.  Other trees get Rustoleum Weathered Wood spray paint.  Then I hit them with spray adhesive (wear gloves!) and then sprinkle on Super Leaf material.  That's it!  No secret...I think that's pretty much what they tell you to do on the box (if I bothered to read).

[chuck geiger]

Otto Mears says many thumbs up!