Italian HO scale modular layout - WIP

minesweeper Feb 27, 2018

  1. minesweeper

    minesweeper TrainBoard Member

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    Yes, also since the windows are small and the box is a little under scale, it will look better (and bigger).
    Also I have a batch of these people I bought on ebay and need to use them anyway. Since these are better inside than outside, I will use them in the buildings and in the passenger cars.
     
  2. traingeekboy

    traingeekboy TrainBoard Member

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    Sounds like you bought a bunch of those cheap Chinese figures. I have the HO scale street lamps. They make good filler material.
     
  3. minesweeper

    minesweeper TrainBoard Member

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    I also got the Chinese lamps, some are already installed.
     
  4. minesweeper

    minesweeper TrainBoard Member

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    All the lamps on page 3 except the ones in the platfoms are the chinese type you get on ebay for 1$ apiece.
     
    traingeekboy likes this.
  5. minesweeper

    minesweeper TrainBoard Member

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    After a lot of working here and there, some progress:
    The "new" house
    004.jpg

    The bike shop with the apartment above (still to be painted)
    002.jpg

    A general view of the village

    006.jpg

    And a closeup of the bridge area

    005.jpg

    Still quite some work to do on the buildings and details, but at least the pieces start to come together.
    Thanks for all the comments.
     
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  6. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member

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    Thats some really great modeling Ciao!
     
  7. minesweeper

    minesweeper TrainBoard Member

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    Ciao, and thank you again.
    This weekend I focused on weathering a locomotive, just to change subject for a while, but was also able to get one of the buildings to progress.
    That's the one in the backdrop corner (the bike shop)
    ciclo.jpg

    The door is a simple printout on cardboard.

    Happy monday
     
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  8. minesweeper

    minesweeper TrainBoard Member

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    Further update on the buildings

    Bike shop almost complete with additional details
    bici2.jpg

    In its place
    bici1.jpg

    Also started working on the roofs, some will be plastic (bike shop), some will be redutex (left house) for variety.

    Speaking of the "new" house here it is...
    casa2.jpg

    Doing the entrance steps on the grade will be tricky.....
     
  9. Helitac

    Helitac TrainBoard Member

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    minesweeper, it's looking great.
     
  10. minesweeper

    minesweeper TrainBoard Member

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    Nothing much really to be seen, but sowed the seeds for further progress.
    Experimented with the rain gutters on the roofs, and got the steps almost done.
    casa3.jpg

    Thinking of the handrail on the steps I will finally put some nice profiled toothpicks I had in stock since forever to use
    bala.jpg

    More next week.
     
  11. minesweeper

    minesweeper TrainBoard Member

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    something more visible today
    just got the sidewall weathered, and added the cable guides.
    rampa.jpg
    and start putting the final details in the house
    casa balaustra.jpg

    also got the roofs in the row houses, but will post next week, when these will be finished.
     
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  12. minesweeper

    minesweeper TrainBoard Member

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    This weekend nothing special, but the handrail is complete.
    bala finita.jpg
     
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  13. minesweeper

    minesweeper TrainBoard Member

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    This time i am almost finished with the village....
    PANORAMA.jpg

    next will be building the lighting kits and wiring.....
     
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  14. Philip H

    Philip H TrainBoard Member

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    Yep - nailed it. Italian. north central villages I'm guessing . . .
     
  15. minesweeper

    minesweeper TrainBoard Member

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    Actually very central. The location I am proto freelancing is in Abruzzo, on the maps locator in the picture.
    Italia.jpg

    There is no real railway there, but it had been proposed in the early 1900s as the location Pescasseroli was (and still somewhat is) a touristic hotspot in the middle of one of the largest national parks in Italy. So it would have made sense to facilitate access to the area (and today still would make sense as a environmentally friendly way, but this is another story).

    I draw a similar story to a single track railway line in a very touristic area in the very north of Italy that had been thoroughly upgraded (and electrified) to support a passenger train every 30 minutes in order to relieve road congestion and pollution. In winter you could also directly connect to cableways that bring you to the ski slopes.
    "Between 2008 and 2010, Südtiroler Transportstrukturen (South Tyrol transport infrastructure; STA), which coordinates transport in the province of South Tyrol, financed the total renovation of the Puster Valley Railway. The route was initially prepared by adapting the stations and the interlockings to support a half-hour cycle, which was introduced gradually up to December 2009. All stations were equipped with 55 cm high platforms and underpasses, enabling the time-saving, simultaneous entry of crossing trains. The remote-control signalling and passenger information systems were also brought up to date with the latest technology. Waiting rooms were also renewed, lifts built, station areas rearranged, eight new trains purchased, car and bicycle parking spaces were installed and two new stations were built: St. Lorenzen station was opened in December 2008 and Percha-Kronplatz station, which is directly connected to the Kronplatz ski resort by cable car, on 12 December 2010. As a result of these measures, the number of passengers tripled within five years (January–November 2006: 312,000 passengers; January–November 2011: 980,000 passengers).
    The new Vierschach station, which was connected by cable car to Helm and the associated ski resort, was opened in December 2014."
    Bike & Train - Val Pusteria Train Flirt Fortezza-San Candido - Bicycle transport - PusterBike Cycle Path (pustertal.org)

    My family goes there since almost 20 years in summer and winter, even if it is a full day drive from Roma; we had been in Pescasseroli area, but unanimously decided Val Pusteria is worth the longer trip.
    Just wished the Pescasseroli area was developed like the Val Pusteria to get the same economic and environmental benefits.
    but in my layout it is....
     
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  16. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member

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    Your build techniques are very good and look very plausible and convincing.
     
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  17. minesweeper

    minesweeper TrainBoard Member

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    Hi,
    probably the update for a long time.
    Basically module 3 is built (some details left, and wiring of the streetlights still to be completed).
    Will take and post here some pictures of the three modules with some trains on it, and then it will be packing to Italy.

    Some views
    Modulo 3D 1.jpg

    Modulo 3D 3.jpg

    The ramp to the village
    Modulo 3D 4.jpg

    Modulo 3D 6.jpg

    The village's arch

    Modulo 3D 5.jpg

    and the newsstand
    Modulo 3D 2.jpg

    Backdrop is still temporary, but I could not see the brown MDF board.
     
  18. Philip H

    Philip H TrainBoard Member

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    just needs a few scooters and people and maybe a donkey cart but otherwise it looks great. Well done!
     
  19. minesweeper

    minesweeper TrainBoard Member

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    Yeah you are right, I did not want to do that before the moving to avoid all details flying loose. Will do when I will re-start in Rome.
     
  20. minesweeper

    minesweeper TrainBoard Member

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    Here the first batch of pictures of the (almost) finished layout.

    Time to fill up the big tank, the MOW tank car had arrived and is ready for unload.
    IMG_0439.JPG

    The ALn 668 railcar (back ground) is just getting into the station on track 1 where another connecting train is waiting on track 3 (foreground of the tail end heating car).

    IMG_0445.JPG

    After arrival of the ALn 668 is time to go.....

    IMG_0440.JPG

    The enclosed water tower (we are 4000ft here in winter).
    IMG_0441.JPG

    The small old freight shed is always busy this time of the day.
    IMG_0443.JPG

    Very badly lit picture, and I hate constantly repositioning the lamps, but gives an idea of the whole 9 ft of the layout.
    IMG_0444.JPG

    The tripod tilted, however this is the team tracks area where some loading and unloading is taking place.
    IMG_0446.JPG

    Hope to get less hot weather, and the famous german grey sky to make better pictures in the next week.
    Aflter that is building time for the boxes. And the movers are due at the end of the month.

    See you soon
     
    fordy744, BoxcabE50 and gmorider like this.

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