The Carolina Sandhills Lines in HO Scale

[davefoxx]

You? Hardly. Now as for me... I have a PHD in lazy. 

Ha!  I'm three years in on this layout, and it's sloooooooooow going.  Meanwhile, guys like @Dave V, @wm3798, and @DKS build entire layouts and/or scratchbuilt masterpieces.  There's a reason why I know that this size layout is as large of a layout as I'm ever going to build.  It's really funny how we are each good at our own different aspects of the hobby.  I'm like the rough framing carpenter, in that I can build the benchwork, install the track, and wire it up in a reasonable amount of time.  However, get me to the detail and scenery phase, and you should probably call in the finish carpenter. 

DFF

[Point353]

I'm three years in on this layout, and it's sloooooooooow going.

As the tag line in the old Paul Masson wine ads said, "nothing good happens fast."

[davefoxx]

I installed the strapping that the Masonite backdrop will be screwed to, using only Loctite Power Grab to glue the strips to the block wall.  No fasteners.  I’ll give the Power Grab at least a day to cure, but at least the strips seem to be sticking to the wall without sagging or falling off until then.  The foam wedge and the scrap Masonite are just giving me a tiny bit of clamping where space gets tight behind the sewer pipe.



Back to the home center for more Masonite this weekend.

DFF

[Steveruger45]

Looking good Dave.  I’ve had good results with power grab and also the PL construction adhesive sticking wood to concrete.  Both “Sticks like s@#t to a blanket”.   Are you going to paint the sewer pipe?

[davefoxx]

Looking good Dave.  I’ve had good results with power grab and also the PL construction adhesive sticking wood to concrete.  Both “Sticks like s@#t to a blanket”.   Are you going to paint the sewer pipe?

You ever lose a post just seconds before you hit the “post” button?  Yeah, we just lost power, so I’m trying again from my cell phone. This, of course, takes out the refrigerator and the central air.  Ugh.

Anyhow, thanks, Steve!  I’ve used Power Grab on three layouts now, but this is the first time that I’ve asked it to defy gravity.  Worked well.

It’s been suggested to paint the sewer pipe, and, now that the backdrop is partially installed, I think it’s obvious that I’m going to have to.



DFF

[Vince P]

Looking Great Dave.

[davefoxx]

Our power was out for over five hours this evening, but it was finally restored before 11:30 p.m.  I got the last piece of Masonite installed and applied a rough coat of spackling over drywall mesh tape.  The first coat isn’t much to look at, but, after some sanding and an additional coat or two of spackling, it’ll be sufficient.



DFF

[basementcalling]

Our power was out for over five hours this evening, but it was finally restored before 11:30 p.m.  I got the last piece of Masonite installed and applied a rough coat of spackling over drywall mesh tape.  The first coat isn’t much to look at, but, after some sanding and an additional coat or two of spackling, it’ll be sufficient.



DFF

Not bad for working in the dark. 

[DKS]

Looking great, Dave. Even the dark brown looks better than the concrete.

A thought: a friend of mine has pipes and such he couldn't hide behind backdrops, so he got a bunch of fish tank filter material (a white fiber similar to loose cotton) and made clouds around the pipes. To make it less obvious, he made some clouds in other random areas. He also used it to disguise the joint along the top of the backdrop where it meets the ceiling. It might look hokey, it might not, dunno. Maybe something to ponder, anyway.

[LIRR]

I recommend a ceiling.... every step someone takes upstairs over the layout sends dust down upon it....

[Point353]

I found a scrap of Masonite and plopped it onto the layout.  I probably can get six or seven inches of backdrop below the angled sewer pipe.  So, to borrow from the ideas to hide the pipe/corner with trees and scenery, I could make a small six- or seven-inch tall viewblock with perhaps a photo backdrop or 2D trees on it.  The sky color on the Masonite applied to each wall would provide the sky above the small viewblock, and this viewblock would hide the pipe down at the layout's level.



Thanks again for the ideas, guys!
DFF

Place a section of the masonite, perpendicular to the wall in front of the pipe, as a backdrop with a "portal" cut into it for the track to pass through.
Then place a Rix rural timber overpass bridge just in front of of that perpendicular backdrop section.
https://rixproducts.com/product/rural-timber-overpass/





It's like the bridge seen in the final scene of the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?

[jpec]

What did the Rolling Stones say? Paint it black. Flat black. It doesn't make the pipes and such go away but it does make it less attractive to the eye.

Jeff

[Dave V]

What did the Rolling Stones say? Paint it black. Flat black. It doesn't make the pipes and such go away but it does make it less attractive to the eye.

Jeff

Are you suggesting he paint the backdrop and the pipe black, or just the pipe?   

[davefoxx]

Sorry, guys, for not responding yet.  Our power has been out again all morning, and it’s estimated to be out until this afternoon.  Cell phone battery is dwindling, so I’ll probably have to go plug that into the car.  Thanks for the responses.  I’ll hopefully be back soon.

DFF

[Point353]

Sorry, guys, for not responding yet.  Our power has been out again all morning, and it’s estimated to be out until this afternoon.  Cell phone battery is dwindling, so I’ll probably have to go plug that into the car.  Thanks for the responses.  I’ll hopefully be back soon.

DFF

Last year, my neighbor had solar panels installed on the roof and now he's getting a Tesla powerwall battery unit.