Seaboard Central 2.0

[Chris333]

I barely had to score a line and then snapped it off. It is a road so I round off the edges with rough sandpaper. Once I get it to the shape I want I use finer paper. Then there is all the cracks to start cutting in...

[davefoxx]

I was wondering, how do you make long, accurate cuts in the styrene?  Using a sharp razor blade it seems like the blade would run off the mark; a saw might be too haphazard. It seems tricky with the thinner 0.030", but it'd be even trickier with 0.060"

Like, Philip and Chris, I use a straight edge and a utility knife or Xacto knife.  Score and snap.  I take a sanding block to clean up the edge, and, as Chris pointed out, I round off the top edge to represent the edge of the blacktop.

All this talks of roads gave me some inspiration to try to figure out how to layout Aberdeen.  Last night, I built one of the buildings for town and laid out the sidewalks.  The large section of pavement is not glued to the layout yet, so the buildings are not necessarily level.  But, you get the idea.





As you can see, in the first picture above, I've got to continue building the sidewalk across the tracks to the former SAL passenger station that I have yet to build.  There's also a few more buildings that I need to add.

DFF

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I'm digging it Dave. I like the juxtaposition of the brick and metal buildings.

[davefoxx]

Thanks, Ed!  I have plans for probably a few more DPM buildings and a brick station.  The station, though is painted, so that will add further variety to the brick buildings.  In fact, if I recall correctly, a lot of the buildings in the real Aberdeen resemble DPM buildings but are painted.  Google downtown Aberdeen and you'll see.

There's a row of three buildings directly across the street from the A&R Office that will probably fit perfectly across the tracks from my model but, unfortunately on the same side of the road. Oh well, I knew I would never be able to model Aberdeen with 100%  reproduction on a HCD.  But, I can get those buildings, the A&R Office and the SAL station in.  That counts for something!

DFF

[Ed Kapuscinski]

May I suggest trying to find some similar, but different alternatives to the cliche DPM buildings? Try looking at the Walthers merchants row, or some of the Bachman options.

[davefoxx]

A very good suggestion, Ed.  Thanks.

DFF

[wm3798]

As a point of reference, here's what Aberdeen looks like from the heavens...


The SAL station is straddled by the CSX main and a siding that passes on the west side of the building, and connects to the ACW wye.

Obviously, Dave doesn't have room to do "all that"...  but with a few judicious adjustments, he can get the feel of it.

First, he's got it sandwiched between the main and the A&R loop, so you get that effect, although on a curve instead of on the long straight of the prototype.  It's position relative to the A&R office building is also adequate, and once he has the actual building in place, and a depot with painted bricks, he'll be able to mess with photo angles to get a strong resemblance to the real thing.

As for the rest of the town, while the position of the main street is the reverse of the real town, if he uses some of the architectural hallmarks, people will have little question as to what they're looking at.  F'rinstance:


Instead of DPM buildings, or perhaps in addition to, he could easily whip up one of these post-Stalinist strip shopping buildings with a chunk of brick panel and some corrugated sheet to make the awning.


This little gem is across the street, and not only is a signature building on the street, but it was a former railroad office for the Aberdeen and Asheboro.


Right next door is this distinctive domed church building, which you can see by the pavement markings, is quite near the tracks.  While it would be test of Dave's modeling skills, it would be another signature building that would zero in on the location.


Up the street closer to the track is some basic DPM fodder, but the brick gabled building to the right would be another key identifier that would make the scene more recognizable.


The A&R office building is particularly distinctive.  While Dave is using my old yard commissary building as a stand in, it really has to go to make room for this gem.


And even if none of the above make the scene, nothing nails your location like a display caboose...


Here's the buildings across the street from the A&R Office.  Easily adaptable from readily available kits.  But there's some key details, such as the matching pilastered sign boards on the two single story buildings, and the black art glass facade on the 2 story one.


This sits right behind the A&R office, and based on the freshly scrubbed brick and trim colors, I have to guess it's part of the A&R complex.  It would be "must have" to set the stage, if you have room.



Finally, just south of the SAL station, we've got this outstanding entry level scratchbuild project.  Straight lines, right angles, and clean lines overall, no difficult ornamentation.



Not an important building whatsoever in terms of the railroad, but a total scene stealer and authenticator if it's teased out right.

Lee

[seusscaboose]

Oh My

Talk about a challenge!
EP

[MichaelWinicki]

Lee must be the Burgomaster of Aberdeen!

[wm3798]

No, just happened to be breezing through town last weekend!  My lady person friend's mom lives in Southern Pines just up the Seaboard line a piece...  Her brother used to work for the AC&W as a brakeman.

Lee

[Philip H]

No, just happened to be breezing through town last weekend!  My lady person friend's mom lives in Southern Pines just up the Seaboard line a piece...  Her brother used to work for the AC&W as a brakeman.

Lee

And she loves old house and antiques . . . nicely done.

Dave,
I'm liking your proposed street scene.  I think Lee has laid out some sensible buildings to include, but I disagree with Ed - if DPM meets your needs, then use DPM.  Sure, they show up on a lot of layouts, but the reason I don't and won't have any of them on my layout is they aren't really southern buildings.  Except in your part of the south, where you can use one or two of the low ones with some mods. 

Take these guys for instance:



They scream DPM with some attached bits of styrene (like DKS was doing for store fronts in the Jersey City layout).  This looks like a good start for the one on the left (minus the crown and the arched windows):


And get two of these



and either some Monster Models brick sheet or a set of these



and you have the other two stores.

But as I said, we don't have stores like this in my part of the south . . . .

[Ed Kapuscinski]

There are actually some Bachmann Plus buildings that might even be closer to that bigger one.

I've got one. I'll grab a picture tonight.

[Specter3]

Virginia is kinda South and here is downtown Emporia on the CSX main.











Pretty DPMish if you ask me.

[davefoxx]

Specter3,

I agree.  That's pretty DPMish to me, too.  Emporia's architecture has some similarities to Aberdeen's.

Thanks,
DFF

[davefoxx]

The Seaboard Central was fortunate enough today to host the Railwire's very own Eric220 and his wife, Diana, while they were here on the East Coast.  The layout (roundy-round that it is) ran fairly well all afternoon.  The only thing that acted up was one open hopper that decided to randomly pick the same wye turnout.  On the third derailment, we pulled the car out of the train.  Of course, it was one of Lee's special run Laurel Valley hoppers.  ("I'm looking at you, Weldon!")  So, the layout didn't totally embarrass me with major problems and electrical gremlins.  We even fired up JMRI and operated two trains simultaneously from our smartphones.  Eric's wife took a picture of us and the layout, so I hope he'll feel free to post it here for posterity.

Eric also brought his sample PRR signaling for the fascia of his layout.  It's going to be really fun to operate his layout with the signaling.  Eric even gave me a lesson on PRR signaling.  I'll never look at the position light signals on the Northeast Corridor the same ever again.

So glad to see you both today.  I really enjoyed hanging out with you.  You're welcome back anytime you're on the East Coast.  Thanks!

DFF