40" x 80" N Scale Unitrack Layout

Awesome job so far! Looks great, nice and clean build!

 

Quick update on the layout....and a few advice questions :teeth:

Finished ballasting the back half of the layout. There isn't much left to do now!


I've started experimenting with building abutments out of styrene and N-Scale Architect's used block sheets. I'm not crazy about them, but I have since weathered them to look better. For some reason I have little motivation regarding building the abutments/pier, not sure why. Any thoughts or tips?


I made this pier a few nights ago. It was originally meant to be made with styrene, but it was too big. So I filled the inside with hydrocal & various grey pigments. It needs rebar/weather/graffiti detail, but I kinda like it! I'm thinking of redoing my abutments with this method.


It's just wide enough to fit back-to-back bridge feet from the Kato Double Truss bridge. Thoughts?


I also received my Cripplebush Rubber Rocks (Limestone Bluff) which I will be working on this week. This thing is huge! The description says 25x9" but I think it's more like 30" x 14" ...not complaing!


Cheers
Noah

 

Have a link for the Bluffs??
Looks like you can cut to fit, as needed?
Could be quite interesting.
Layout coming along very nicely!!
Thanks.

 

Thanks! Yes, you can definitely cut the rubber rocks to fit.

Here's the link: http://www.cripplebush.net/limestones/limestones-category.htm

 

That is a great amount of real excellent progress since my last visit Noah, congrats.

Sent from my XT907 using Tapatalk

 

It's really looking great Noah.

I like the new abutment - it looks more realistic to my eyes

 

Thanks guys.

Last night I might have just figured out a solution to not having a wide enough tunnel portal: I fused two Woodland Scenics tunnel portals into one wide portal.





I also added some probably-way-out-of-scale rebar to the bridge pier.

 

That's a really nice detail - I love it!

 

Man that is some top notch modeling! Great track plan and awesome execution! Top five coolest idea ever on the rebar in the portal. Really enjoying your progress!

 

Great updates...keep up the great work. I love what you are doing especially the static grass.

 

Thanks for the compliments!

I got the bridge, pier, and abutments all glued down. Of course, I still have to do add some gravel and foliage to make the abutments look more permanent. But it feels good to finally get this monkey off my back. I also started ballasting the track to the right of the truss bridge.

Next stop: rubber rocks and the creek canyon.

 

That's a nice size bridge for such a small layout.

 

Very realistic all round so far - especially the static grass work. Just shows that plain old ground foam looks dull in comparision! That bridge pier is also well done with the cracks and the corroded rebar. The engineer in me wants to slap a slow order on that bridge and send a bridge inspection team in You could have a whole crew of hard-hatted figures in a boat next to that pier looking at it.

Peter

 

Thank you gentlemen!

Boxcab- I will try to get some for you after the Rubber Rocks are in.

PDX- Love the idea of the inspection crew! I am a project manager in California. Our biggest project is on the American River in the City of Sacramento. So you can imagine all of the regulatory agencies I deal with! I will be in Portland Feb 14-18. I deal a lot with urban, mixed-use projects and Light Rail. Since Portland is on the forefront of all that stuff, I'm going for some study work. And to get fat on food trucks.
Anything cool I should check out?

 

Take the opportunity to check out the Hobbysmith on Ne39th at the very least. There's 4449/700 accross from OMSI on the eastside for viewing and you can travel to most of these places by streetcar or light rail. While you're eating at the food booths downtown you should stop in at Voodoo Donuts for a sugary snack then go to Powell's books to catch up on your reading . If the weather is reasonable you can talk a stroll acroos the Steel Bridge at track level and down the east bank of the river. Good for viewing/photo taking too.

Peter

 

I haven't gotten much done these past two weeks. I've ballasted a bit more to the right of the bridge. I have to finish the rock walls of the creek, abutments, etc before I can permanently install the two girder bridges and ballast that corner of the layout.





And the wife bought me some new equipment for my bday, including this FVM Gevo. Pretty stoked about that

 

Great work. I also use the big box stores for making the long plywood cuts. I have a small table saw, but it doesn't compare to huge box store saw for cutting plywood.

 

Man, you were looking way back in the thread. I grew up with my father's shop full of amazing power tools. But now I live in a townhouse, with no table saw, drill press, etc. The big box stores work fine if you find the right guy to do your cuts. Thanks for the compliments