Started work on the 4th ranch module. Looking at the small equipment shed I decided I needed a bit more capacity and so took some of the scrap wood from this and previous projects and added a larger open fronted shed. Since this is one of the front facing modules, and near the edge, I will put a bit more detail into it by raiding my parts boxes again. Some stuff for inside and a lot for outside in the pile on my workbench.
I doubt if anyone except a few farmers would recognize a conveyor in the folded configuration. I think we all try to model scenes in their working, i.e. interesting environment. You certainly do, and quite well I might add.
Managed the interior details for both and have the first sub roof on. Time for the 2nd sub roof and tarpaper for both. Then it is on to mounting on the module base and some scenic material before I apply the outside details. For whatever reason my camera is been a little fuzzy lately. Either I have to back off a little further, get a new camera, or get a new photographer.
That's nice, looks like a narrower version of our tractor shed. BTW, I doubt if your camera has gotten "fuzzy", I believe it's our memories...LOL
Either that or I have had one cup too much coffee. On those conveyors I probably have about two more than I need so unless you find your own source for them give me a PM and I'll thin out my parts box a little more.
"Either I have to back off a little further, get a new camera, or get a new photographer. " There are only two kinds of cameras; cheap cameras with which I can take really crappy photographs and expensive cameras with which I can take really crappy photographs. Your photographic skills might indeed leave much to be desired but the same cannot be said for your modeling skills.
The blacksmith shop will be part of the, shall I say ranch motor pool. Welding and blacksmithing are part of any large working ranch at least back in my era. And with the presence of horses shoeing and blacksmithing go hand in hand.
On our farm, the blacksmith shop was used to make and repair equipment parts. Plus other assorted maintenances. Any horses were just pasture rentals, and they brought their own tools or had a farrier come. Aside from small crops, berries and a few fruit trees, we sold hay. At one time, when I was quite small, there were also 15,000 white Leghorns. Ugh. Dumb. Flighty, and very dumb clucks.
The 4th module in the ranch series is the vehicle service/repair/blacksmith shop. I added a 2nd bldg. made from left over wood from this and previous projects. Had a nice little overhead crane that I dug out for this. One of the molasses tankers is in for some welding and the boss's WWII Jeep is getting some service in the small shop. Tucked in the weeds to the side of the large shop is an old relic sitting with a collection of barrels and other scrap. Scenic glue still drying below the tree. And a last shot from another angle. The whole scene is 5 inches wide by 6 inches deep.
I started this project one month ago and had a pretty clear idea what I wanted although like all projects it has grown a bit. The feed grinding operation was not in the original idea but then the memories came flooding back. The excellence of the fitted parts of the laser kits plus the use of some fast drying thick ACC plus some fast drying paint sped the operation up some. Add to the fact that I have been slowly collecting the various parts over the years made it easy to simply dip into the parts boxes for the details. So it may seem like it is going fast but it is not. Plus slowed up and at home by the danged stroke, when I could be fishing, has left me with a lot of time on my hands. So when I am not in the domestic diva mode of cooking or washing clothes for the Wife I am in my workroom. Two more modules remain for this little complex, a 2nd barn and the bunkhouses. Then I may pick up with my small fishing/intercoastal fleet for the port facility, or build my 2nd engine house. I have a small fleet of 40 and 60 foot vessels that have been sitting over a year now with no activity.
From a perspective of folks looking at this thread it would seem that this is a large or even huge section of layout when in reality it is a series of small modules that make one scene, that can be arranged in any configuration, and occupies a very small footprint. The layout will only have the port area as one terminus and the log camp and sawmill as the other. In between about 34 to 40 feet of running there will be some small spurs that serve a mine, and quarry. Somewhere along that route will be the ranch. A small village will be near the sawmill end. The port will be the only congested area on the layout which will be point to point and feature mostly geared steam and short trains. I recently thinned out a fairly large collection of structures in favor of smaller structures and far less in number. Long gone are the days of the mega layout in favor of a smaller and less congested layout with a narrow gauge flavor winding its way upgrade. Getting away from the idea of continuous running opened up a plethora of possibilities. When I have this series completed I will pose them all together so a size and model perspective can be seen.
Started on the feeder barn which is the last barn bldg. Installed a tarpaper roof and still have to dull it down some, Added a foundation and floor to the barn and some ramps at the doors. Now laying out the corral lines and the needed gates. Then I will total up the feet of fencing and check it against my pack of fence material to see if there is enough. If not back to the drawing board. As usual not enough gates so I will have to create a couple from the fence sections. Again using brass fencing that I will chemically blacken then add my styrene posts to get the right fence post thickness. I simply laminate the styrene over the etched thin post. One more stock loading chute to build also for this one. This will take me into the first week of July to finish.
Corrected a design mistake I had made in the first barns feed troughs and am using two manufactures of fence to cobble together my corrals. The brass fencing I have would not accommodate the feed trough on the outside of the fence like the Kestrel product does. Having now some extra fence the one corral grew some. And I am now assembling the stock loading chute, a laser cut wood kit by GC Laser.
Got the stock chute assembled and stained then installed, and finished all of the corral fencing but one gate design to be able to route animals from one enclosure without going back through the barn. Next up is to install the earth texture covering which I hope to do this evening.
Finished the feeder barn which is being used to house the small herd of swine that supplies the bacon, sausage, and ham for the ranch. Also I divided the right side corral into two pens to house some diary cattle. The big pen or corral is empty and only used for sheep shearing and to hold and fatten spring lambs for market. With my small fleet of ranch and farm vehicles completed this is the first module that I have added vehicles to. The blue and white truck has a GC Laser stock body kit installed on the truck. Conveyor had to have an extension added to be the right height to reach the barn loft. One of the bucket equipped Fordsons is parked on the front left between the two pickups. And one of the manure spreaders is out back almost loaded. I have an HO scale Grandt Line baggage cart that made a very decent old style hay wagon for N scale and just have yet figure out where to tuck it. The GC Laser kit stock chute can be modeled with the end ramp in the up position which is how I did this one to conserve space to get the truck in front. Feed is in the troughs for the occupied pens and once again the half circle water tanks are installed with Water Effects water still drying. At each tank is a free standing water spigot. Next up is my last module which will be the bunkhouses and facilities for the hired hands. Still have to get my larger tractors and the haybaler plus some more sheep. Have about 72 of the little critters so far and I found a bulk pack on Amazon.
Working on the last module for the ranch, the bunkhouses. I have an over abundance of log camp cars of different styles so I will tap into those for a couple of bunkhouses, kitchen and dining hall, and a shower bath bldg. I have been sorting through the structures to get the smallest ones to keep the foot print down. And I placed my last order today for a couple of larger tractors and a haybaler and some more sheep so that I can have a nice sized flock spread out in the hills.
