Still fascinated by your progress and techniques..... I am quite eager to see more! Let's hope the weather stays nice in the Bay this weekend.... or Wondercon will be a bust That little kitbashed loco of yours sure looks nice and smooth, yessir....
Thanks for all the kind words! Been going a bit tree-crazy lately (funny, as "wood" used to mean nuts in Willie Shakes' time), and experimenting with various coverage: Left to right (all on twine strands binded in floral wire twirled on drill): 1. WS coarse conifer only, 2. same conifer on top of WS dark green static grass, 3. WS dark green static grass only, 4. WS green blend on WS coarse conifer, & 5. WS green blend. Funny how they all look a lot better in picture than reality. The static grass only looks interesting, like some fuzzy firs I've seen, a bit too shaggy & bright. Might try to tone down with some india ink wash. Using the static grass on top of the twine is interesting: WS coarse conifer on top of static grass on left, coarse conifer only on right. Gives a much fuller tree, but also tends to clump up a bit. More experiments to come! I'm going to need some bright green diciduous soon, too, to sprinkle amongst the pines, especially trackside (as per my prototype picts). Also experimented with tinting some magic water with floquil grimy black and bnsf green on my test diorama, liked the color, so used the left over to apply an initial coat for my river / harbor: Magic water finds ALL the holes, including seepways through the tape dams, so I've found that pouring a very thin layer first helps both identify and plug up any holes in the water area. Supposed to be good weather here in the San Francisco Bay Area for the next week or so, so any curing issues will be due to dryer usage in the garage. Got about 15 more trees on, bringing the total up to about 60: Before I get too carried away with all the trees (go "bark"ing mad?), I need to play around with some more various types of ground cover & deadfall. The mt. looks a bit bald under the tree toupee: need some more textures. Also branching out with some experiments in building ferns. Anyone layer a hillside with ferns? Always open for suggestions!
wow for a small layout this sure gives me inspiration for my tiny layout! though im no where as skilled. this layout really looks larger than it is!
Simply wonderful work. Very nice and an inspiration, especially to the it doesn't have to be HUGE part of the brain that loses most arguments in my head.
Thanks for the compliments! It's amazing how much time a small layout can take up, and I'm really not putting in the time to detail as I should on such a mini. But so it goes. Been spending the past week pouring Magic Water: After the very thin first spread (see previous post), which I THOUGHT would plug any pinholes I missed, I poured another 1/8"ish layer (tinted again with floquil grimy black and bnsf green). During a late night inspection I took a leak: Luckily, it seeped down only a trickle onto the joist there on the left. I had put down aluminum foil under paper towels so I wasn't worried about my workbench, so I just left it. It cured like that, and then I poured another 1/8"ish layer, and it looked great! Very clear and still, but a lovely dark greenish deep color. The first coat of the modgepodge rolling river action paste is drying right now, then I'll have some better picts for you. Also been plugging along making trees: The mountain is getting less bald. Got some timberline scenery forest floor on the way for some added texture. At some point will take a break from the tree building to build the water tower, engine shed, etc. so as to get some structures on this thing. But am starting to spread the trees out over the rest of the layout: As soon as I figure out GIMP I'll cut in some Pacific Northwest mountains there in the background instead of a dull grey painted masonite board. Otherwise, it's more trees, and some 20-ton ore cars from RLW that I'm building. Happy Spring!
Bridge over troubled water? After pouring a couple of 1/8"ish layers of Magic Water tinted with floquil grimy black & bnsf green, I applied layers of modgepodge to simulate rolling river water action: After the first layer dried it was a dull "bleh": I was very confused until I realized I had grabbed the "matte" modgepodge instead of the "gloss". D'OH! Very heartbroken. But, since the Columbia River isn't limpidly transparent, I thought I might be able to salvage it by applying a couple layers of the gloss modgepodge over it. The result is above, and here's a closer look: Right now I feel a bit mixed about the results. Trying to go for this: It's pretty close, but I'm not sure what to do to get closer. Any suggestions appreciated! Also finished making the first two of six 20T coal cars from RLW kits: I added the handgrabs, nutboltwasher details, and coal loads. The cars are soooooper light, so I put about three layers of 1/16" lead weight sheet at the bottom, with the coal being about 1/8" on the top, fixed with diluted white glue. Now they're nice & weighted, and look pretty groovy. Needs a bit of weathering on the sides, methinks. Next might be a branchline water tower, or I'll start scratching the enginehouse / blacksmith shop or the mine structure on the opposite side. All the while cranking out some trees. Such a little layout - so much to do!
Thanks, b-16707, chris333. I was worried that the Nn3 cars would look a bit off with the standard gauge trucks, but they turned out looking like some prototype picts I have. I just had to ream out the holes for the truck pins a little, and use the washers that come with the archbar trucks to get to correct coupler height (here's an earlier pict showing the underside: I still used the z/Nn3 couplers (905). I'm pretty happy how these turned out, especially with the handgrabs, nutboltwasher details, and the coal loads. Fairly easy kits, and they look pretty groovy. 4 more to do!
Been a while since I had time to check in on your progress, and what progress it is! Those trees are sweet! What did you use to apply the modgepodge? maybe something a bit coarser (or maybe even smoother depending on the tool) is in order so you don't have those fine lines making it look choppier then you want. Overall though I am envious and wish I had time, $, and a hobby shop closer by so I could utilize your inspiration for my own.
I really like that water!! It may be a little choppier than you had hoped, but I think it looks very realistic, like a light breeze is coming off the water and funneling under the bridge. I have to say that when you started, I was really skeptical about your hills because they are so vertical. But now with the rocks and trees, it brings it together very nicely. Keep it up!
Thanks, Jeepy, Bevale. I applied the modgepodge with a regular brush: guess I stippled too much for the smooth slow flowing water, but it's growing on me and looks like other Columbia River picts I have, so go with the flow, I guess! Bevale: I, too, was worried about the verticalness of the mountains at the beginning. Check it out! That's five 2"-thick layers of foam on the left, six on the right. After I got it all caulked & great stuffed down and started shaping it, I realized that it was pretty darn vertical. And then I realized that the 2"-4" trees that will be covering it will take care of most of the visual blocking, so I think I took off at least one 2" layer on each side while rasping down the mountain. Then I got the shape down to this: Much lower, with a greater "dip" in the middle. I wasn't too worried about it not being a total view block: thought it might be groovy to see movement through the trees from the other side. And three weeks ago, when I started trees, it was like this: I think the darker colors and the depth of the trees (and undergrowth, when I get to it) will help mitigate some of the verticalness. A bit of trick perspective on each side. I'm planning on some cabins "tucked" into the forest on the rise above the bridge. The problem with such a small layout is that people can get so close to it and see every little detail, so I'm not sure how many forced perspective tricks I can get away with. But it is still pretty steep, and the area above the mine on the other side is darn near straight up, so I'm hoping that will blend well and not just have a fuzzy tree frame at the top. Need to get more white glue before I can do any more scenicing. Maybe tomorrow!
So I haven't been scenicing much (ran out of white glue) and also been busy with some kits: Another pair of 20T coal cars, and starting on a JV Models Branchline Water Tower. This pict shows the coal cars after I've glued the outer braces, and you can see how they're all joined with one tab. You really need to let the glue dry on those braces (overnight is good), as they pop off easily when cutting the tab off. But a very good kit and two-day project. I guess I could have built all 6 at once, but two is a good unit, and you can learn from each pair. For instance, I put three "sheets" of 1/16" lead in the bottom of each of the first pair, but after putting the coal in too, they're actually a bit on the heavy side. I also watered the paint too much on the first pair. For the second pair that I just finished, I went a little heavier on the paint (pollyscale boxcar red for sides, grimy black for under, hand grabs & brakewheel) and put only two layers of lead. A bit better feel. Here's some picts of a four-car string of the 20T ore cars (forgive the NW2 desiel power: all my steam is being serviced & overhauled right now!); Pulling up to the coal unloading dock: And here's a short video of the 20T coal cars in action. They were built for Nn3 trucks, so here you can see the proportions with N archbars a bit better. The first two were built first (lighter paint, heavier weight), with the second pair just finished tonight (darker paint, lighter weight). I'll be testing them in pairs to see which tracks / looks better. Water tower is on the way!
My how time flies. A week of being sick stretched into two, then three. Finally got my layout design website up & running. Lots of writing going on for my "real" job. And skiddoodles of 4-square, karate lessons, bike riding & Mario Smash Brawl with the kiddos. But did get some REAL work done (of course, not as much as I wished!). Added some more trees and some various ground textures: Chopped moss, ground moss, WS ground foam of different colors & sizes, etc. Still need about 200 more trees. Wheeeeeeee! Was working on the last two of the 20ton coal cars from RLW, and: [Moses: "Harken! I bring you Fifteen! Fifteen-- [CRASH!] TEN! TEN Commandments for all to obey!"] So that's what happens when you push too hard on the pin / don't bore out the hole enough when installing the trucks. The good news is that I have 5 already done, which is a nice cut, so I could use the oops to add to the scene: Add more dirt and dust & it could look kinda cool. Actually, the damage isn't that bad (just the base, not the sides or ends), so I'll try to glue it back together. Worse comes to worse: more "character" to the mine scene. And, in that picture, you can see the latest motive power addition to my roster: Atlas 2-6-0. Straight outta the box & zipping round & around to break in the motor & work lube through. Here's a video of the 2-6-0 giving a tour of the layout so far. That's DC: soon will slip a decoder in, hardwire the tender & weight it down to try to improve electrical contact. Also will add details & paint. Probably cut off the cowcatcher & add a front coupler & boards. Groovy little engine! Water Tower is taking longer than I thought, too, but should have it done soon. Big News is that I've decided to rip out my turnouts and rebuild them. After seeing Dr. Watson redo some of his trackwork to add powered frogs, I realized there really isn't any reason why my little layout shouldn't have impeccible trackwork. As of now, it's fine for the Kato NW2, but only "pretty good" for the smaller steam. Rebuilding will allow for powered frogs, smoother curves, and a chance to erase a couple little nicks & mis-cuts from round one. I got some ultra thin cutting disks on the way, too. I might redo the whole mine scene area, boarding up the tunnel as abandoned track, moving the main a smidge to the edge and adding a runaround/siding between the main and the two mine spurs. Will be 1" track centers, but that's fine, and a runaround will allow for either-direction ops on the mine side (as well as another storage track). If it's uber crowded I'll probably do the runaround & just one mine spur. Still debating. Sad to rip up track, but happy at the thought of fabulous trackwork with powered frogs! Ribbit! It's the Trackwork Two-Step! Two steps back, to two hops forward!
Here's the mine scene as it stands now: The spur off into the "storage tunnel" is kinda wasted. Especially with no runaround: to work both it & the mine the engine has to zoom all the way around the layout. Meh. So, since I'll be replacing the turnouts anyway, I'll probably turn it into this: Will add a runaround siding, which will allow trains to work the mine coming from either direction. Siding plus two mine tracks might be a tight squeeze (1"+smidge track centers), so might have only one long spur to the mine, but I'll test it out. I'm just excited to have sooper smooth trackwork & powered frogs.
For someone like me that is just getting into the hobby your layout is inspirational. I can't express enough how helpful it is to see the evolution. I'm overwhelmed at the moment.
