As always I am always looking for the small and compact structures to be able to fit more in a scene. For instance the stone works was a wood kit that I cut down by about a third and together with the mine and the brewery make up about the largest structures that will be on my layout. So from years past I came up with this old kit to act as my power station. 000_0478-6 by John Moore posted Dec 1, 2018 at 9:13 PM I decided that since it would be set on an island that it would be oil fired. I have an oil barge and a small fleet of tank cars so oil comes in to the port and gets delivered to the power plant. For the power plant oil storage I elected to go with two Walthers storage tank kits so I could use the parts from one kit to slightly enlarge the tanks from the other kit. Again these horizontal tanks take less space than the big round vertical tanks. Next I needed an electrical substation and after a lot of searching I went to Japan again for my kit. And once again TomyTec provided what I was looking for, compact, well detailed, and even had a fence around it. Ttc4223 by John Moore posted Dec 1, 2018 at 11:32 PM It is a kit so from the reviews I know I have some little parts to deal with but its footprint is only about 140 mm by 70 mm, or using N scale feet about 38 feet by 75 feet. So the old factory building houses the steam boilers and turbines and this facility houses the control station and transformers. So the power plant is on hold until the kits arrive and today I will work on developing a small town commercial section in this area with a number of small structures by DPM and some others. Currently assembling my last DPM building which will be the ACME Power and Light Building and also housing the law firm of Dewee, Cheatum & Howe. The structure has had a single coat of Poly Scale special oxide red my go to for brick color. Once the paint has dried I will finish the chimneys and install sewer vent pipes and check in my parts box for an AC unit and glaze the windows. After signs are applied I will give it a light weathering with Bragdon light sand powder, which with the single coat of paint and that give a mottled weathered aged brick. 000_0479-1 by John Moore posted Dec 2, 2018 at 11:04 AM
Chose my commercial buildings for Roche Harbor. A saloon and five more structures that have a variety of businesses for a bakery, barbershop, beauty parlor, clothes shop, bank and several dining spots, and a small gas station, and a church. 000_0480-1 by John Moore posted Dec 3, 2018 at 12:49 PM Some of the structures have window AC units while others have rooftop HVAC. Went into my parts box and used now surplus winterization hatches for diesels as roof access hatches. One of the HVAC units is a left over fuel tank from a SW unit with a FA fan housing glued on it. 000_0482-2 by John Moore posted Dec 3, 2018 at 12:49 PM 000_0485-5 by John Moore posted Dec 3, 2018 at 12:49 PM A 10 by 18 inch thin cork was applied and painted black. Later when it dries the buildings will be placed and sidewalk added. The black cork gives me a ready asphalt street of any width I choose without the fuss of going back to it later. I just have to define the streets and parking with curbing. The single family houses are in the rear along with the church. 000_0486-6 by John Moore posted Dec 3, 2018 at 12:49 PM
The village of Roche Harbor is slowly coming together. Working on some more sidewalks and a few more structures. 000_0488-1 by John Moore posted Dec 4, 2018 at 10:51 AM Next up will be completing the continuous running loop and the port entry trackage. Also figuring out what to do about a scenic divide between Roche Harbor and the port of Friday Harbor. I have a 2 inch thick section of heavy blue dense foam that I can build a low rise flat topped area cover with pines and some houses so I may go that route. I can run the front and rear tracks through shallow cuts and stay away from tunnels. The electrical substation may be here by this weekend along with the fuel tank kits. I am now thinking seriously about locating the power plant in the harbor area and maybe have it served by oil barge rather than a rail spur. I already have one oil barge I built and can build another. My fuel lighter is pictured in the group shot below. I may do something similar except in a straight barge format. Fuel lighter, dredge and two barges. by John Moore posted Nov 29, 2014 at 2:46 PM
In between bouts of decorating the Christmas tree I have done some work on the layout mainly the village area. Added some more sidewalk and some residential structures and developed a greenhouse and plant nursery plus the church and parking lot. I also installed the road crossings going to the station on the lower left. They are made out of real wood. 000_0489-2 by John Moore posted Dec 4, 2018 at 4:32 PM This shot is looking over the garden center at Ebeneezer Pratt's Grocery Store. The rear contains the greenhouses, a shed, a garage, and Mr. Pratt's house. Lot more work left in this little 3 by 3 foot section. 000_0490-3 by John Moore posted Dec 4, 2018 at 4:32 PM
Was looking for some yellow pinstripe tape for highway marking but all I found was too wide. Went to my decal box and pulled out some ancient yellow striping then gloss coat the road with high gloss lacquer. I think this is going to work out for me. 000_0493-5 by John Moore posted Dec 4, 2018 at 7:24 PM The bright specks are the flash reflecting off the high gloss.
Having used up all of my commercially available street lamps and not sure if I can even find any again I decided to build my own for the village. I settled on about 12 N scale feet tall and dug into my stock of styrene tubes, rods and shapes. From an old craft box came some white beads about 3 N scale feet in diameter. For the project I am using 3/32 hollow tube cut to 12 foot sections, .035 rod to hold the beads and slip in the tube, and .030 by .125 strip cut into squares as the base. Beacon 527 glue to attach the beads to the rods and Ambroid Pro Weld for the rest. 000_0496-1 by John Moore posted Dec 5, 2018 at 11:28 AM And the first one out of about 22 I am going to make. 000_0497-2 by John Moore posted Dec 5, 2018 at 11:28 AM And since I have no desire for having a bunch of lit ones except maybe in the port area and on the dock these will do me fine. My prototype sitting on some ones by Model Power. 000_0498-3 by John Moore posted Dec 5, 2018 at 11:57 AM
Thanks trying to stay in the era right after WW2 and 1950. Spent the day watching the memorial for 41 and building parts or improving them. Finished the batch of street lamps then took some MP power poles and repainted them then added transformers in the right location which is on the poles below the crossbucks. Some poles got three transformers other two or one. Then went to my parts box and dug out some trashcans and some mailboxes. Last thing was to make some fire hydrants to set about every block and some in the industrial area. 000_0500-5 by John Moore posted Dec 5, 2018 at 9:58 PM
Today I am just applying ballast to the siding and ground cover. Reduced the size of the middle opening on my ballast spreader to discharge less ballast but full on the sides in an effort to keep the ballast at a minimum between the rails and it is working out better for me. I am getting a full load on the sides but less in the middle and that suits me for not having any built up ballast issues. I simply filled the middle discharge port with Elmers glue and then drilled out a smaller opening when it dried hard. Later if I want I can restore that opening by simply soaking it in water and cleaning out the Elmers. 000_0501-1 by John Moore posted Dec 6, 2018 at 3:42 PM 000_0502-2 by John Moore posted Dec 6, 2018 at 3:42 PM Later I will go over some areas with an old toothbrush and use my mini vacuum to pick up the excess. I will move on to the lower portion to apply more scenic material later this evening. The station area will be done last including placing the speeder shed and its track in including the pump house. Once I get more of the main line installed and tested then I will turn to ballasting it.
Celebrated the last spike on the mainline late this afternoon. Installation of two wye turnouts gives me the continuous running loop plus dual access lines to the port area. I will figure the best location for the third wye turnout and that will eliminate the need for the turntable. Installation of a Peco ST 6 at the head of each wye made this finally come altogether. Their short length, about half the space of a normal turnout, and short 9 inch radius turnout worked out just fine. 000_0503-1 by John Moore posted Dec 7, 2018 at 3:37 PM Now that is done I can set down and figure out my scenic divide placement. In a late post one of my orders came in so I can start on the power plant. 000_0505-2 by John Moore posted Dec 7, 2018 at 5:44 PM And the $100 toward a purchase of a case of wine was with it. Gave that to the Wife.
Installed the first structure in the port area, my ancient 2 stall engine house. It is on a piece of Masonite and has inspection pits under each track inside. I have to look for the doors or make some more for the stalls. I can tuck away at least 6 of my small locos inside and at least 2 more on the side. I have to install 4 tracks to this area and will have some tight curvature. I may run a Atlas wye off another Atlas wye since they have a sharper curvature than my Peco wyes. Three track will feed the engine house and one will feed the fuel, water, and sand facility. Directly to the right beside it will go my power plant complex. 000_0515-2 by John Moore posted Dec 9, 2018 at 11:21 AM Last night I worked on painting some sheets of stonework. The piers will be concrete and stone since the island has a quarry and stone works. Gets me out of doing a lot of timber work and bracing. The sheets were first painted gray, then a white wash applied so that the mortar lines showed. The shades of green and brown were applied for the marine growth. They will be cut into strips and then glued to the pink foam base of the piers. The piers are going to be capped with thin cork which when painted will give an asphalt top. Bollards will be small finish nails which have the right shape for steel bollards. The edges will be capped with thin strips to keep from rolling of the edge into the water. 000_0513-5 by John Moore posted Dec 8, 2018 at 7:54 PM Smaller docks will come off the main dock in the fishing fleet area. I recently went through my rolling stock and eliminated all flatcars over 40 foot. I removed the trucks and couplers and other small parts and then saved to body to use as wood docks. Gives me a nice wood dock about 10 feet wide to tie up the fishing boats to.
Applied a coat of base paint to the raw plaster area at the engine house and added the pad for the power plant and fuel tanks. 000_0518-1 by John Moore posted Dec 10, 2018 at 1:58 PM I have two Walthers fuel tank kits so I am able to combine parts to make some tanks in the size I want. They are going to be on a concrete pad with spill containment walls around them. One again I have also got into that surplus Walthers Cornerstone trestle kit for parts and this time some of the sprues will be pipe manifolds. 000_0520-2 by John Moore posted Dec 10, 2018 at 1:58 PM
Some slight mods done on the power plant, tank farm completed, and now working on the substation with tiny little parts taxing these old hands and eyes. 000_0522-1 by John Moore posted Dec 11, 2018 at 10:23 AM The first pad is for the power plant and tank farm plus the dock for the fuel barge. The 2nd pad being added is for the substation. 000_0523-2 by John Moore posted Dec 11, 2018 at 10:23 AM
The port area has grown slightly with the addition of the power plant, electrical sub station fuel tank farm for the power plant, and a watchmans shanty at the end of the fuel tanks. There are also bollards there along the piers edge but because of the dark color of them they disappear so maybe going to paint them gray. 000_0524-4 by John Moore posted Dec 11, 2018 at 7:02 PM
Went back to the first section of the layout and restored scenic materials and added about 20 more trees. 000_0525-1 by John Moore posted Dec 13, 2018 at 12:49 PM Then the area of the cliffs behind the village received some vegetation and trees. 000_0526-2 by John Moore posted Dec 13, 2018 at 12:49 PM I then built a fence around what is the be the church graveyard. Tomorrow the gravestones go in and a funeral service. Woodland Scenics graveside services scene. 000_0531-6 by John Moore posted Dec 13, 2018 at 10:41 PM Haven't decided yet where to put my statue of the general yet. I took a figure and mounted him on a horse and then made a hat out of styrene for him and painted it all bronze about ten years ago. 000_0532-7 by John Moore posted Dec 13, 2018 at 10:41 PM Have to do some serious vacuuming when I am done. Also I applied ballast to most of the track except for the area to the right of the village. This is a Google Earth shot of San Juan Island where the TCC is located. Washington mainland is to the right and Vancouver is to the left. The island used to have a active fishing fleet and a cannery, along with a quarry the had a small rail line from the quarry to the coast. The ferry is modeled off of a 1900s type ferry in use then and air service is by Beaver float planes and I have an N scale model of one that was a wood kit. Several other model planes have been cut down to scale and made into float planes. In addition there is a PBY for the Coast Guard and a three motor German float plane for NUMA. There is actually a marine research station on the island, I just chose to make it a NUMA station. Friday Harbor by John Moore posted Dec 13, 2018 at 12:49 PM
Slowly working my way through the village toward the port area. Today and yesterday I worked on the graveyard scene and used some of the Woodland Scenics figures. I also painted up one of my resin cast vehicles into a hearse. Some of the gravestones in the rear are my doing and the more ornate ones are Woodland Scenics The back and side fence are a wood Bar Mills product. The front fence is from a Model Power set. 000_0535-1 by John Moore posted Dec 14, 2018 at 6:31 PM Since I developed a bum knee I can't stand much so I decided on a workbench project for this rainy day that takes me off the knee. I need a large fuel barge to place at the power plant tank farm. Looking around for something suitable for a hull I noticed the plastic Bar Mills fencing container that was in front of me. A quick measurement with the N scale ruler showed it to be 25 feet wide and 75 feet long and it fits nicely to the dock at the tank farm. The edges are rounded so I sanded the plastic with a sanding drum on a Dremel to rough up the slick plastic to take paint. Tonight I will laminate a deck onto it and then go to the parts box for other items. 000_0536-2 by John Moore posted Dec 14, 2018 at 6:31 PM This should give me a day or two project that will keep me off the knee.
And an update to the last post and the last picture the Bar Mills fence container is on its way to becoming a barge. Have to paint the hull yet and add piping. The structure on the rear is there to hold a diesel generator and a pump for transfer of the fuel oil. That structure was once a small plastic container that held N scale figures and I cut it down with a razor saw and gave it a new end of styrene. I am going to create a 2nd one to haul Moly ore to the mainland which will use the other half of the Bar Mills plastic box. Ambroid Pro Weld is allowing me to work this fast with its excellent capillary action and fast dry time. 000_0537-3 by John Moore posted Dec 14, 2018 at 10:55 PM
The fuel oil transport barge is about at the halfway point and now working on the piping, and using the other half of the Bar Mills plastic case I am starting the 2nd barge, this one for ore carrying. 000_0538-1 by John Moore posted Dec 15, 2018 at 10:33 AM
I really enjoy your compact scenes motif. I used to do this, and got away from it. T-Trak and HOn30 are bringing me back there again.
Thanks. It has been my opinion for some time now that a lot of the kits are a little to large of a footprint for a lot of layouts. Keeping it smaller means more room and more space for other things. The stone works kit was originally almost twice its current size until I cut it down. Now it fits better on the smaller layout. The same with my maritime models. I chose to keep them under 300 N scale feet and the bigger ones are around 200 N scale feet. These two barges will be the biggest barges in the port area at 75 feet long by 25 feet wide. The others are at 50 feet and under. My train stations are about the smallest made.
