I'm pretty sure it was just a couple sheets of Evergreen styrene. If you want a thicker float (and easier cutting), you could use three sheets of 0.06" (or thicker ice cream and less root beer) As my float was 2.5" wide by 12" long, one sheet of 6"x12" 0.08" styrene was enough. I should have made it 14" long for the 40' & 50' cars, so next time I'll probably just use scraps of 0.06" I got in bulk from Tap Plastics for a backdrop project. Hope this helps.
Saw th earticle in N-Scale magazine! Very nice! Seeing the daughter soldering switches up was encouraging to those of us who think it might be too hard! And am I the only caveman still reading a paper magazine?? Here one of ours at TB gets published........ ....... and noone mentions it?? Anyway, very nicely done!!
I saw it too, great article. One thing I really like about N-scale magazine, they don't normally have "here's my layout, look at it" articles, they have lots of photos of great layouts, but the accompanying articles actually teach you something.
As I opened the new issue, it fell to the page with the photo of Uki cutting the ties with the Chopper. I immediately said "I know that photo and her father!"
The second part of the N-Scale Magazine article came out in the Jan / Feb 2013 issue! Other than that, the layout is enjoying a rest on it's shelf until I start playing with it before taking it as a display (along with all the Free-moN modules) for a clinic I'm giving at the PCR / NMRA Iron Horse Convention in April.
I find your layout a real inspiration, just been browsing your layout design site as I am in the process of designing my next layout here is a link to my new thread http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?144528-New-MoPac-layout-shelf-layout-end-to-end
Yes, check your email. And here's some new old cars I just built showing up on the switching layout for a photo op: The Mt. Coffin Cannery Co. car is a Fine N Scale 36' boxcar kit, and the ventilated boxcar is from Mark Watson / CG N Scale. Look for more turn-of-the-century & pre-1900's rolling stock soon!
Ok, since you insist: Added two more ventilated boxcars to the roster: Was about to finish them when I realized that I had run out of MT905 Z couplers ("D'oh!") So the cars will be fully operational next week. The wooden grabs are rather fragile and some popped off while brushing weathing powder on, so I replaced them with some brass wire. "Adds Character" as we call it. There's also some lead weights over the trucks in the darker ventboxcars. Ran out of Allen/California archbar trucks (mainly because I broke two ["D'oh!"]) so one ventboxcar has wooden beam trucks. More "character". On to the stagecoach loads and the conductor car!
dang mc looking at your modeling always reminds me of a scene in waynes world when they are on their knees saying were not worthy over and over lol. those cars are awesome.
Oh, there's always something left to shoot (though I prefer to use a camera). Some Great Old-Time Groundhog Day Goodness showed up on the shelf layout: Cases included the slim stacks as well, which I'll probably swap in. Running-wise, it seems that a wee bit o' weight in the tender and cab will help with the electrical conductivity. Very excited to play around with them more! Speaking of the 1800's: Go Niners
Sweet!!! I take the 'need a bit more weight' to mean that the ehgines run well? If they run as good as they look, wow!
Almost 2 years ago (late 2012): "When I put up the shelves / valence with fascia, it looked alright (though I still think I need to lower the valence a couple inches)." That's 14" of space. Well, finally got around to it a few weeks ago (4/2014). Just took out the layout, pulled out the styrene, scored-&-snapped it 4" shorter, placed the bottom shelf brackets 4" higher, and: For N scale, 10 inches is plenty of space for a 1'-deep shelf switching layout. (Heck, with this layout could have tightened another 2" or so into a nice frame) And the 4" gained underneath is double-plus good as well! The long and short of it: you don't need more than 16" of vertical space--if upper & lower valence is 3" each--to have a quality, well-lit layout! (and in reality the 14"+ of your IKEA shelves will do fine for everything!) No space excuses for a layout!