Here is a quick vid of my modules in action. The Centram on the inside tack got stuck, it was going too slow to get over a slight imperfection at a rail joiner.
since returning from Kansas City, I've had a little more time to do a little modeling... adding a few new modules to the Southwest portion of the "Mother Road" series of modules... starting with this 14" deep single; done for a module kit review. This was my first time using hydrocal rock molds in an actual modeling situation...
I also finished a single to display the excellent Showcase Miniatures 'Indian Trading Post' structure I built...
...and I just finished this double, another in the Southwest portion of the 'Mother Road' series of modules...this time to display the Showcase Miniatures 'Two Guns Gas-N-Go' and the Blair Line Ltd 'Yard/Hi-Way Cafe'...I opted to try something different (for me) on this one. I found a photo that I liked; had it enlarged and printed on thin vinyl, and attached it to the skyboard with Gorilla brand spray adhesive.
I just received the Nov/Dec issue of the N-TRAK newsletter and the last photo is of a John Wegner's t-trak module. If John is a member of the site can he post more pictures of the modules? Anyone know John and can post if he is not a member? The picture is great and shows a really nice module. Bruce, I will take this time to say I really like to see your progress on the Mother Road Modules. Beautiful. later, Craig
That's just some outstanding modelling right there. Scene is very well thought out. Love the old boxcar and windmill. Excellent work. Really like to see the fine scale modelling in the T-Trak standards. Great work.
I'm, slowly, in the process of improving my skyboards, painting a more 'blended' horizon. My 'go to' Blue sky color is matched to a crystal clear desert sky (azure) in the dead of winter in Kingman Canyon. And while it photographs well, it really only represents the upper sky/atmosphere part of the sky on any given clear day. What I ended up doing is to mix a separate batch of paint, with some white into my blue color, in order to better match my 'Two Guns' desert photo backdrop/skyboard. I then applied the light blue, with a small roller, full strength toward the bottom half of the visible skyboard, then, with the roller and a soft brush, blended the light blue into the darker desert azure blue as it gets higher above the horizon, leaving more of the azure blue visible at the top... this better matched the photo backdrop (although the photo has a little green in the light blue), and more closely resembles normal 'sky' (light, light 'blue' closer to the horizon, blending and trending darker as the eye is drawn up to directly overhead). I applied this technique to the existing 'desert' modules, including Arbo Canyon, that I will be displaying at the Pensacola Railfest T-TRAK layout. I'll eventually apply it to all of my modules. The technique isn't difficult to master, but does require both colors of blue to look right. The new painted skyboards will also allow me to use photo backgrounds, cut off at the top of the landforms, and glued into place at the horizon/vanishing point.
I usually feather down to a whitish/gray at the horizon or a nebulous fuzzy tree line off in the distance. Something to look natural but not draw any attention away from the module up front.
That’s a reasonable approach if modeling higher humidity locations with lots of ground haze, but modeling desert areas reduces low level haze to a minimum.
Well, at least a much lighter blue for sure. This shows a quite dramatic shift in color tone from top to bottom in the Chihuahua desert in West Texas.
You can see the same affect on my horizons behind mountains. Also the real thing on the left of this photo I took. The begining of a forest fire on the right does NOT affect the horizon on the left.
Agree, but short skyboards, IMHO, don’t have enough room to much of an effect, whereas an entire wall comes closer. A much lighter of pale (blue) might work. Nature always shows up even the best modelers.
I just wanted to let my fellow T-trakers know that I have to cut down the amount of time I spend on the computer due to health reasons and will not be posting as I used to. Bruce, still love what you are doing with your Route66 modules and look forward to seeing more in the future. All others please keep spreading the t-trak modules. The BEAR almost ate me this time. later, Craig