Baby steps. I bought some adhesive backed wire management clips online and they showed up today. After clearing everything off the top, I tipped the layout up on its side and installed a few as needed. I'm hoping the adhesive holds, otherwise I'll get out the epoxy and do something a tad more permanent. Here's the before shot: Wiring, before clips by Rocket Jones posted Sep 21, 2016 at 6:10 PM ...and the after. Wiring, after clips by Rocket Jones posted Sep 21, 2016 at 6:10 PM It doesn't look much different, but the wires are now held well up under the plywood top. Less worries about snagging something if and when I have to reach underneath, especially since I've decided to add lighting this time around, so there will be more wires rattling around down there. My wife pointed out that my "Train Room" decor needs some focus. Train Room Decor by Rocket Jones posted Sep 21, 2016 at 6:10 PM
Got the backdrop fastened to the back frame and hit it with another coat of "sky blue". I went a little lighter this time because I wanted it to recede farther into the background. I also remembered to add just a touch of brown to the mix to keep it from looking too "baby blue". TrainMasters TV has a four-part video series on painting backdrops, so I watched it again before getting started on the clouds and hills. I bought a couple of cheap chip brushes at Wally World (about a buck total for a 1" and 2") and got ready to sling paint. And here's what I ended up with after about an hour's work. 20160924_160519 by Rocket Jones posted Sep 24, 2016 at 6:14 PM I'm happy with it, but I think I could've gone a shade or two lighter overall. 20160924_173051 by Rocket Jones posted Sep 24, 2016 at 6:14 PM These next two closeups show just how abstract it really is. The greens were all mixed on the backdrop itself from yellow and black. 20160924_160547 by Rocket Jones posted Sep 24, 2016 at 6:14 PM 20160924_160532 by Rocket Jones posted Sep 24, 2016 at 6:14 PM And a shot with the buildings and printed flats put back in place. 20160924_173651 by Rocket Jones posted Sep 24, 2016 at 6:14 PM I'm going to give it a few days, then I may decide to touch up a few things that kind of bug me about it right now. Nothing major, like I said, I'm pretty happy with it.
That came out nice! The shots from a distance made me initially think that the sky was what you had painted and then overlayed a photo for the trees! I guess that means that your overall effect has been achieved!
Good looking layout Mr. Jones! I especially liked the backdrop. Will definitely watch for more photos in the future and your description of your layout. Joe
Thanks for the kind words. I paint landscapes in watercolor, but that's a very different beast to deal with. I'm familiar with a lot of the basics, and the videos I mentioned are really clear about how and what to do. I've done a few practice sky backdrops using watercolors, but nothing that I liked well enough to permanently use.
Rocket, I have to say following your progress has been really cool from planning to where you are. You've come up with a solid plan and have lots going on that can keep your interest from quite as while. I'm also working on a small agricultural layout haven't gotten gotten past full size mock up yet. You're doing an outstanding job, and please keep us posted as you progress. Ron
If you will please post a photo of one of your switch list. I'm trying to make one for my layout and could use an example to go by. Joe
Here's a photo of a pair of switchlists, designed to be folded vertically down the middle. No fancy automation here, I typed everything in myself and used the spreadsheet to format it. Weaver Junction - Switchlists by Rocket Jones posted Jul 23, 2016 at 4:11 PM As you can see, the destinations are located down the leftmost column, the middle column has the number of spots for each industry, and the right column has the bare minimum needed to identify which car needs to go there. B=boxcar, CH=covered hopper, etc, plus the road name. For this testing, I made sure only one type/road name combination was on the track, so I didn't have to include car numbers. This idea is that the list shows the final results after a session. If cars are listed at two out of five spots, the other three should be empty. For extra interest, one of the spots at the food processor is for tank cars only. On the first page of this thread, I linked to the .pdf that describes the process and use in more detail. Hope this helps.
Little bits of progress! First up is a shot of the dirt area that will become my scrap yard. I painted diluted white glue over the area, then sifted two colors of grout over it. Misted it slightly to fix, then added another layer or two until I was satisfied with the results. 20170122_142839 by Rocket Jones posted Jan 26, 2017 at 7:26 AM My warehouse, bashed from a Gripp's Luggage kit. Still needs some detail painting, windows, and maybe a rooftop sign. The doo-dads on the roof have not been glued down yet, I also want to add roof access hatches. 20170122_142823 by Rocket Jones posted Jan 26, 2017 at 7:26 AM These next two show the area available for the "town" at the front of the layout. I played with various road configurations, and finally decided that having it run along the front of the layout looks best. The buildings are just to get an idea of the space, I'm going to have to keep things small, low and spaced out to leave room for access to the caboose throws on the tracks behind. 20170122_142858 by Rocket Jones posted Jan 26, 2017 at 7:26 AM 20170122_142736 by Rocket Jones posted Jan 26, 2017 at 7:26 AM I've also been looking for building photo flats for the background, something to add a bit more depth between the industry structures and backdrop. You've seen some of it earlier in this thread, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to do an entire "street" layer across the entire length.
Got quite a bit done over the last week and weekend, including watching three hockey games. The Capitals are on a serious roll, which makes things even more fun. First up is a mobile home made from cardstock. I got the templates from ScaleModelPlans.com, with designs for five different types in a couple of colors each. I still need to add awnings and steps, but did add the front "hitch" part from Plastruct I-beam. Not bad for a first try. 20170205_185405 by Rocket Jones posted Feb 6, 2017 at 6:34 AM Here's the mobile home on the layout, in the general vicinity of where it will permanently reside. 20170205_185824 by Rocket Jones posted Feb 6, 2017 at 6:34 AM Because of the reach and needing clear access to the caboose throws directly behind, I've got to build small and low along the front. Gary has provided a lot of wonderful plans in the Resources section, and this "Pizza Joint" is one of them. I lopped about 10 scale feet off of the original depth. In this shot, the two sides are glued to the base, but everything else is just set into place. I still have windows and doors to add, along with some trim and roof details. 20170205_185336 by Rocket Jones posted Feb 6, 2017 at 6:34 AM Here's the Pizza Joint (tentatively "Kenny's") in place, next to my auto parts dealer. 20170205_185834 by Rocket Jones posted Feb 6, 2017 at 6:34 AM Finally got around to gluing up the food processing plant. It's been sitting around being held together with blue tape for a while. Still needs roofs. 20170205_185315 by Rocket Jones posted Feb 6, 2017 at 6:34 AM Food processing plant in place on the layout. 20170205_185930 by Rocket Jones posted Feb 6, 2017 at 6:34 AM Another angle. 20170205_185918 by Rocket Jones posted Feb 6, 2017 at 6:34 AM Workbench shot showing my gluing jig. Basically it's just a couple of electrical junction box covers and some magnetic lego that I bought on that auction site. I'd like to get a larger metal plate for bigger projects, but these small ones are great because I can set up something to glue, then move on to the next cover and project while the first one dries. 20170204_195739 by Rocket Jones posted Feb 6, 2017 at 6:34 AM Thanks for looking.
Nice work Rocket, here is a link to 125 free scratch building plans.... http://www.trainboard.com/highball/index.php?resources/
Here's the Pizza Joint (link to the Resources section), about 90% done. Still need to add the front soffit, sliding window shelf, roof details and signs. 20170220_162304 by Rocket Jones posted Feb 20, 2017 at 5:06 PM Here are a couple of shots of the street that will run along the front of the layout. I grabbed a few random cars and trucks to put along the "road". 20170220_163951 by Rocket Jones posted Feb 20, 2017 at 5:06 PM 20170220_163901 by Rocket Jones posted Feb 20, 2017 at 5:06 PM Got some steps for the mobile home, I'll add a porch/deck and awning too. 20170220_163940 by Rocket Jones posted Feb 20, 2017 at 5:06 PM With these structures more or less where they'll be located, I'll be able to put down some ground cover. But first, I've got some background flats to finish and place.
Spent some time resizing and printing building flats to add some depth to the background. I'd played around with the idea a while back, but this time I'm looking to mount them to sheet styrene before permanently attaching them. Here, they're just leaned up against the back to get an idea of what might look good where. 20170222_201954 by Rocket Jones posted Feb 23, 2017 at 6:20 AM I think I need to go up higher in a couple of places, and leave some gaps in others. 20170222_201926 by Rocket Jones posted Feb 23, 2017 at 6:20 AM Textures.com has some nice facades for this. Next up is going to be a rooftop billboard for the warehouse in front, and maybe a second printed one for one of the background buildings. 20170222_201854 by Rocket Jones posted Feb 23, 2017 at 6:20 AM
This weekend was mostly devoted to signs and billboards. I spent an enjoyable afternoon going through Tomkat's awesome thread, looking for just the right things to use, as well as knocking up some custom signage. In these photos, nothing is permanent yet, most everything is stuck on with snips of blue tape just to get an idea of how it's going to look. Here's a shot of the warehouse, with the future flats in the back. I'm probably going to build a wooden framework and supports for the front billboard. 20170226_180342 by Rocket Jones posted Feb 27, 2017 at 7:03 AM Here's a close up of the burger joint along the front of the layout. I'm not happy with the roof sign at all, so that will definitely change. 20170226_180627 by Rocket Jones posted Feb 27, 2017 at 7:03 AM Thanks for looking.
This ain't Disney World, despite all the Mickey Mouse. My LED strip lights arrived the other day, and I've got a good design for the lighting and valance over Weaver Junction. Unfortunately I realized that some of my tools are lent out, and I won't be able to build it until next weekend. Here's a shot you've seen before, under the natural lighting from the window. It's ok for parts of the day, but the room is very dim most of the time. 20170303_131640 by Rocket Jones posted Mar 3, 2017 at 2:08 PM Time to improvise. I found a scrap piece of 1"x3" and temporarily tacked the lights to it, then lay it across the shelf supports overhead. This shot has the lights on, but they're quite a bit higher than they will be when permanently attached. 20170303_131707 by Rocket Jones posted Mar 3, 2017 at 2:08 PM Here's a shot of the warehouse before the lights. 20170303_131754 by Rocket Jones posted Mar 3, 2017 at 2:08 PM And the warehouse with the lights on. I really like the way the loading dock is lit up. 20170303_131807 by Rocket Jones posted Mar 3, 2017 at 2:08 PM And behold my Rube Goldberging in all its glory! Masking tape to the rescue, and with the 5 meter strip I was able to get 3 lengths along the entire layout. 20170303_131827 by Rocket Jones posted Mar 3, 2017 at 2:08 PM I should probably be embarrassed by this, but I'm not. LOL
