Hello everybody. Time for an update on my little layout. Let me know if you think these pics are too large or take too long to download. Here's my skatepark scene, getting close to being finished. I need to make a concrete base for all the ramps (to replace the current cardboard piece), and I am going to weather the ramps slightly, though not as much as the halfpipe. I also want to add a fence around the park. The ramps are close together for prototype standards, but with limited space, it works. Oh yeah, I need a little landscaping, don't you think? Here's my retaining wall for the west tunnel entrance. I have yet to paint it and shape the hillside it retains to fit it more naturally. I also haven't decided on what type of tunnel portal to use. This is my newest engine, a SW9 from Lifelike. This hillside has always been the part of the layout that is more finished than the other parts, and it's getting closer to being done. I still have to add some trees and a few more weeds though. Also the stream bed is not finished. This shot shows what I spent 4 hours making- an EOT flasher. Doesn't look like much, but in operation it's really nice. I didn't make it from scratch, but there was a lot of work that went into it. It runs off of batteries inside the car, and there's a micro switch on the bottom of the car to turn it on and off. It's more red than it looks in this photo. The coupler still functions, so I can run it like a regular car when the flasher is not in use. I added a small staging yard over my workbench. It can be detached and reattached to the tracks on the table because I slide the table out sometimes to work on the backside. Sometimes my desk is more clean than this, but I hate to say it's usually about like this. Where the white styrene sheets are- that's usually the only clear square foot of workspace. A current overview. Since last posting I have applied sculptamold to the hill, I have made the field in the near half of the layout (soon there will be buildings here), and I've made a more realistic bed for the corner lake (top right). Well that's it! I hope you enjoyed the pics. I took about 100 shots of things last night and narrowed it down to these seven pics. If you want to see anything in more detail, believe me, I can post more Dave [ 30. January 2003, 16:06: Message edited by: daveheinzel333 ]
Dave, it's looking great! I'm amazed at how great it's looking in such a short time, seems like no time at all since you were talking through your trackplan on here! Is that the final location for the skatepark? Looks kinda close to the tracks, wouldn't want any of them HO scale skateboarders wiped out by a train if they came off a ramp wrong!!! I'm looking forward to your next update now! (I figure you might have the entire layout finished by, say Monday? ) Seriously though, i'm looking forward to seeing what comes next. Nice work.
Great work dave, its coming along very nicely. I like your skate park, it will be good to see when its finnished, its a bit close to the track tho hope no one falls uner a train that SW9 looks really nice too, good weathering, i like the bent hand rails. keep up the good work
As said above... Sure does look good! Keep the pictures comming! We all like to look as you'll notice rather quickly.... The skatepark is a nice real life touch! sure does want to make me do more on my layout but my bench is a total cyclone mess with plenty to do their all on its own so... The layout of mine can wait!
Dave an excellent looking layout you have. My son especially like the skateboard park you have made. I also like the culvert makes the layout look much more realistic. Keep up the great work I look forward to seeing more pics as your layout progresses.
Thanks for the responses guys Yeah, the skatepark is a little close to the tracks. I took another look at it, and there's plenty of room to rotate it back towards the hill. Those guys who were hanging around (and in) the culvert must have been scared away by a m.o.w. crew or something, I haven't seen them in weeks! friscobob - here are some pictures of the EOT flasher and inside the car. I bought the led, flashing circuit, and switch at a hobby store, and I made the battery holder out of styrene (although these can be bought also). The only thing I would change is to put the batteries in the center of the car so that it would be better balanced. It rides fine though because the trucks don't sway at all, but it would be better to be on the safe side. The entire gray box is the actual LED. I filed it down to a flat circle, painted it all, then sanded away the paint from the face. You have to use a few coats of paint to make sure the light doesn't show through. The box is mounted to the coupler box, not the coupler itself. This allows the coupler to turn normally. What a mess! The batteries can be removed and replaced without removing the entire arrangement. I have no idea how long they'll last, but I imagine it'll be awhile. Here's the mini-switch. It looks like it projects down farther than it does. It's level with the bottom edge of the side of the boxcar. You can see that I had made a hole for the switch closer to the trucks. I had everything installed, then I went to put the trucks on and I immediately saw my error. No harm done. I'll keep posting pics whenever I have enough to post. Thanks for the feedback guys Dave
The whole layout is looking very good, especially in such a short time! I really like those tall weeds and other vegetation. Good work The EOT device also really looks the part, I bet it looks good "in the flesh", and those batteries should last quite a long time driving the LED. I also look forward to seeing pictures of the continuing progress.
WOW! I "flipped" when I saw the skateboard park! Then I kept on scrolling down and I'm blown away by your layout and photos! Very nice!!!!!!!!!!
Been quietly following your layout construction and pictures. Great work. Your pix are the best of all. Carl
Dave, a little off topic, but what kind of camera are you using for those great photos? Very nice work, all around.
fitz- Thanks for the compliment I use an Olympus Camedia C-5050zoom (digital camera). It's been the best purchase I've ever made in terms of photo equiptment. I no longer use film at all. It takes 5 megapixel images, and although that doesn't matter for the web (because pictures get reduced so much), it makes for great prints that beat out any 35mm scans I've seen. As far as lights, I usually aim my work lights at the ceiling to bounce the light around the room. That makes for soft lighting, and when I need to, I'll aim a regular desk lamp at something to highlight certain areas. The exposure times are usually around a second or two.
dave where you noramlly shop? castle trains or hammer's? i frequent both of them and am usually there on thursadys, i have found several hard to find things with castle.
