L&N somewhere in Eastern Kentucky

[LIRR]

Sand down the high spots and fill the low spots. Repeat.....

Current status.....

[Jesse6669]

Looks good!  I'm using foam and drywall compound for a slightly more ornate underpass of my own.   

Diff subject, but what paint do you use for your blacktop?

[LIRR]

I use cheap acrylic from michael's to paint the roads, the label is Craft Smart....under $1 a tube

[LIRR]

Bench work pushes east.....

[LIRR]

I'm anticipating good results with this method, but it is time consuming. Calender time as opposed to real time. It only takes a few minutes to apply each coat of compound, and only a few minutes to sand the high spots to prep for the next coat. But it's the between-coats overnight curing time that adds up......progress:

Ready for carving....




Scribed the horizontal mortar lines and trimmed the top stones on the one on the left...

[Jesse6669]

Nice-!!! Looks like we're on a similar program (foam and drywall compound). 

[LIRR]

I've seen your photos......it's coming along nicely...

[basementcalling]

Now I like how those florist foam abutments look. I wasn't too sure at first.

[LIRR]

I have the roadbed installed on both sides of the bridge.....still working on the abutments. I'll use the same method to make a pier for the center......




This is the view coming down the basement stairs.....

[High Hood]

Those abutments turned out very nice!  I wonder what all could be modeled using this method? 

[Jesse6669]

Anything made of concrete (in theory).. portals, underpass, culvert, ..  station platform? 

How about Mt. Rushmore 

[LIRR]

Finished scribing the mortar lines on the first abutment....

[LIRR]

Not much visible progress lately.....the newly paved street reminded me that I never turned the flanges down on about a third of my locomotives. So I've been tending to that lately.  I can disassemble a loco, remove the individual wheels, file the flanges down to 0.020, clean everything, lube, reassemble and have it back on the rails in under 30 minutes.

Also working on the new operating sequences to accommodate three new customers on the new branch...

And running trains as well.....

[craigolio1]

I just read your thread.

Very inspiring.  Your abutments, which lead me here from the weekend update, turned out beautifully.  But what really impressed me was your street trackage.  I have that planned on my layout in the future.  I experimented a few years ago building a module using Proto87 Stores' street track for street cars.  I did get it to work but it was very finicky, especially actuating the turnouts.  I figured I would try it again using standard flex track and hand built turnouts.  Seeing what you accomplished here has me sold.  Reliable and it looks spectacular.

Craig

[LIRR]

Bench work pushes east on the new Smackwater Branch.....