Over a year and two houses later, I finally got the modules down from the top of the closet and decided to do some fiddling around. I covered them with WS foam noise absorbent base so I could sink the Tomix track down into them, while also knocking down the amount of noise they make when it runs. 1/16th grey foam atop them will flush them out. I’ll have to put it away again in a few hours, but wanted to start getting something done and get a better idea of what we are looking at overall. The centers of the loops will be parks and all the DPM buildings my wife got will be the other side of Main Street, once they are assembled and the trolley and road will run right down main then veer off towards the backdrop at the station, and split at the small loop around the park and run off layout to the right. Leena is 3.5 now and still loves driving the trolley. Trying to figure out more animations I can do with all the servos.
Great to hear from you again. Glad you can now "play", although your work is not play but rather "top notch". Stay well, my friend, Carl
Thanks! The station is an old Pola I bought used, repainted the roofs to orange tile and stuccoed over the brick on the ends to make it more “California”... and cut the chimneys way down... then did some flourescent lighting in it. That and some el cheapo China palms give it the right look and feel. original. The reason not everything is lit is because offices wouldn’t be open at night.
Like the lit train station and it does have a California Hay Seed look to it. Not quite a mission style or SP style but Santa Fe had one or two that your station reminds me of. Nice Richard.
Took a few minutes with some green and yellow Tamiya weathering powders and some black grey and brown panel line to improve the look of the el cheapo China palms. They aren’t 30 dollar trees and never will be, but good enough for now. every one is different every frond is now slightly different and that helps a lot... bottom one is for comparison.
Built up some DPM kits. Still have the finishing details to go, but at least it gives me an idea of spacing. Also in the middle of redoing the clock tower to be illuminated.
Clock tower rebuild complete! Using a 3mm warm white. the paper dials are correctly installed INSIDE the tower this time, instead of being glued outside like whomever originally built this kit had done 20+ years ago. The inside of the tower is painted black for light control and I used Krystal Kleer to re-install them. No need for plastic glass over them anymore either. Also installed a canopy over the shop's entrances. Looks right and helps the store illumination be more visible. anyway, here are a few pics: And no, from any normal viewing angle you can’t see the light leaks under the roof eaves, only with the camera down at track level, on Main Street, aka the wrong side of the module so I’m not going to worry about it. I do really like the LCD backlight as fluorescent lights in the terminal, they are very even and when you catch a glimpse via camera they still look right.
Having things lit up so it shows off the interiors with people allegedly running around in the buildings. It adds something unique to any train layout. A lot of modelers cross over here into doll house interiors and add much to the interior of their real estate. When you look inside you'll see people at work, sitting around a table or looking out the window. Some take it to the next level with animated activity. A couple in bed doing what else. Kids playing with a miniature toy train layout. A mill worker, baker and I'm sure your imagination can fill in the blanks here. As a youngster I played around with this. However, my buildings were of the Plasticville, Revel, Tyco heritage and the walls were thin. Allowing the 12 volt light bulb I used to shine through it. Not quite what I was looking for back then. One way to eliminate light shining through the plastic or cracks in the plastic, is to paint the interior black. Then paint it the color you'd like to see when night falls on your layout. You may want to put dividers in to keep or hold the light to one level, for example on the first floor. Then have them shut off with lights coming on in the apartments or offices above. Light animation and or illusion. Then someone was kind enough to write an article in the wig wags (magazines) of the time and shared how a husband and wife team managed their real estate. They painted the interiors black and once that set-up and cured, they followed with the color they wanted to see. Worked very well. You've got your layout further along then I do. Enjoy it.
Thanks Rick... those are good tips for all... I had the same issue back in the day. It’s amazing how much more realistic the passenger car lighting became with painted interiors. I’ve also used cheapo non heavy duty aluminum foil (super thin) glued to walls then painted over. I think yours is more along though. I don’t even have enough length to run a loco more than 2-3 feet. Still need to buy assemble and lay track on at least another 2 triples and 4 corners to even make a loop. as I use different colors I am also slowly painting the items on the interior shelves to put into the buildings on Main Street and also my Pola seated passengers for the daylight, so they are all different color clothing. MK, two shops in the station are lit, the wine store isn’t because it is closed at night. The businesses and hotel etc will be once completed.
Checked platform clearances with GS4 then got a niggle to check with ac12. Glad I did bc it IS wider. Moved station back about 1/4 inch more. Also moved loop back out more to make a bigger park, and added a pond as per spousal request. gonna start a culvert under the lower trolley bridge and coming out the front of the module, as if it went under the tracks. Or I might splurge and get the SP one and make it visible.
The culvert is in. Dug it down into the plywood with a dremel, then drilled thru. Bendy part of soda straw painted aluminum and just before it fully dried dabbed on rust color inside and out. Also fitted the track on module two and am starting to glue it in, then will have to solder the leads underneath when I solder and file the joins. I don’t know which is worse. Waiting for paint to dry... or glue. I also raised the rear half of the trolley track up about 1/4” so the bridge + underneath it is just a little more visible from in front of the module . I nailed it near the edge on either side of the module join so it is stable when connecting and disconnecting the modules.
Reworked the trolley track plan and rusted the rails. It runs single line down middle of planned greet and will be much easier to scenic, but Now I need to purchase and install a DC auto reverser and sensors. Already have Tomix insulated joiners on the way to me. Looked at the Circuitron AR-1 but after reading about Massey’s issue with the photo sensors, and me liking to do night running that will be a no go. Also read about the diode bridge method but having to manually flip polarity on the main every time is also a no go, even though it is cheap and requires no external power. I found one on eBay a guy in France makes that uses reed switches instead. Will be easy enough to install reeds under the Tomix (I already have a few left over from monorail, where I used them to trigger onboard audio) and to install a Neo magnet in the PCC trolley. The extra weight will probably help it, lol. dang thing keeps evolving and getting more complex. next I need to install the electronics, like lighting hub , switch pilot, and such underneath module and the momentary buttons for servos on the backside. Also got the track on the double finished, soldered, and rusted and ran the AC12 across it to check it. I have the reworked Bachman animated water tower in position now as well. Don’t have any double stacks to check it but there is pretty good clearance above the ac12 I still need to install the Servo and linkage before I can ballast main track.
Richard, Looking good! If you want, let me know, I will bring you 2-3 double stacks to check it out or I will measure the above rail height for you. be well, Carl
