Just finished scratch building & installing the Mt. Coffin Cannery Co. ("A taste to die for!"): Still needs a bunch of details here & there and some weathering. Not quite sure I'm liking the single-story: I might build a smaller second-story office off-set towards the rear. Also need to figure out some signs. Would be great to get the faded white "hand-painted" over the doors, but might be too late for that. (any/all suggestions welcome) Tomorrow's supposed to continue the sunny 60+ degree "winter" we're having here in the San Francisco Bay Area, so I'll try to lug the layout out into the sunlight for some better photos. Now I just need to figure out how to model some mounds of fish! Thanks for looking.
Once again your work is awsome. Your cannery is so realisitc I can almost smell it! Probably hard to make look realistic in N scale, but a bunch of seagulls would look good.
Thanks, John. Definitely need some seagulls! Model Tech Studios has some white birds, or maybe I'll try to carve some out of fimo bead clay. I'm also still debating on whether to add a small second-story office to the back 1/3rd or 1/2, or just keep it the 1 1/2 stories it is now and add some vents / stovepipes (though most photos I have of Columbia River canneries don't show a lot of roof clutter: you want to pack those fish fresh & cold!). The final decision will depend on how I feel the composition of the scene goes. Right now it's a wide, flattish area: So something towards the land-side doors might balance things out. Imagine a short upper structure on the left side of this photo: So, will let the structure sit for a second and see how it sits within the scene. Maybe all it needs is some seagulls and salmon? Thanks again for the feedback! Much appreciated!
Couple ideas for you, A faded company name or location painted on roof. On the back wall one or two, but not all of these together; small beam with block and tackle above door, company name over door, goose neck lamp over door, notices or posters next to door, old retired canning equipment beside door or in yard area.
All great suggestions, John! The scene definitely needs a lot more junk and signs of aging. Not sure if I can pull of the faded white lettering on the roof. Probably should have done that earlier Well, I finally made a video of the layout at it's current state, and with the boxcab running! (Only the rear truck has pickup right now: thank goodness for powered frogs!) But it's still able to do it's job! [video=youtube_share;-36A682vGXw]http://youtu.be/-36A682vGXw[/video] First video with the new camera, so pardon the lighting & focus issues. Hope to have some better ones soon. Thanks for watching!
Just followed this and all I can say is , wow! Exceptional workmanship. And fun with the daughter too!! Now time for that Big layout.....
Been adding little details around the engine shed and in the shop: I attached some decapitated T-pins in a hollow wall that poke into the foam so the whole shed can be lifted off for more detailing later. Would have loved to put an overhead belt drive in the shop, but I'm getting to the point where I just want to get this layout "done," and I still have the mining scene on the back side to finish! You can see that Hank, in a fit of nostalgia, left his anvil in the center of the shop, even though there's more modern metal-working machines in there. I don't want a large coal tower in front of the service track, so I'm thinking of using some of Randgust's V&T hoppers that accidentally got vacuumed up as the tarp-covered "temp" coal bins, and I'll build a hoist crane & bucket for loading. Haven't finalized that so I haven't glued the hoppers in yet. Will probably put in a water trough & tie post for horses on the right side of the shop, and there'll be some tools hanging on the wall as soon as I figure out how to remove those little flimsy brass things from the sticky pad they came on. On a whim I realized I could rest the camera on the water to get this funkey shot: It's nice to get something done on the layout, even if it's little details, here & there. Other detail suggestions appreciated. Thanks for looking.
Agree with all as said... truly great piece. Surely that shiny track in the video is on the to-do schedule. All other track is superb and runs sweetly. Thanks so much for showing your superb work.
Love this little layout M.C. I have been lurking for quite some time. I am not sure if this is a good or bad suggestion but you might try something unique on those coal cars to tone the trucks down a bit. You might try some fox trucks. http://home.comcast.net/~OhioRiverElectricRailway/fox.htm They are age appropriate for the cars there and they might give a cool look to them. It would make the whole car feel more solid and heavy. That may not be what you want however but just thought i'd offer my 2 cents. Thanks for the inspiration and keep up the great work, Tim Watson http://nscalerail.com
You could always have a wheelbarrow and a 2x10 for your coal loading facility... I saved that last picture as wallpaper too, lol.
Thanks for the kind words, my friends. Bill: not sure what I can do about the shiny rail tops (they do drive me nuts), as I didn't use "BlackenIt" before I laid the track, and even when you do use "BlackenIt" then regular trackcleaning shines the tops right back up. So I'm open for suggestions! Tim: thanks for the info and link for the fox trucks. Those do look cool, and would be great on the 20-ton coal cars. Not sure how I'd make them, though. I do want to get into resin casting at some point, though. Otherwise we could start a campaign to get Fine N Scale, Randgust or Chris333 to make them for us As every post should have a pict, here's a wider shot: [What oversized catapult groundthrow?? ] That right side really needs some details, like a water trough, hitching post and some horses, and/or a bunch of Hank's "works in progress." Thanks again for the feedback & tips.
Love the layout. Excellent work. Maybe it is only me, but aren't even prototypical rails shiny on top? Jim
