MODELING It's Monday 12/19/11, Weekend Modeling Accomplishments.

Jim Wiggin Dec 19, 2011

  1. Jim Wiggin

    Jim Wiggin Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Well another weekend is in the history books, hope you all did well.

    I was happy to get 90% of what I had set out to do Friday. I finished the spur, started adding ties to the areas where flex track had been added, then started work on Chilleyville Road. The roadbed for the road was glued down, then the top, then I worked on the crossing. I just need to paint the road and roadbed. I then worked on some land forming with a hot wire cutter and started the pond that is south of Potter Place.

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    Spur on the north end of Potter Place.

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    Chilleyville Road. After printing out a Google Maps image of the area, I was able to figure out the angle. Filler and paint come next.

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    Please don't judge, it's not done yet. The pond that is near the main line, south of the freight house. I still need to ad granite out croppings, weeds, fallen trees, forest floor debris and water.

    A good weekend but probably the last of this year, with Christmas and New Years, I wont be able to work on this for a few weeks.

    How about you? Was your weekend productive despite last minute shopping? Let us know how you did.

    Just a note: There will be no Weekend Modeling Plans/Accomplishments thread this week due to Christmas.

    Happy Hanukkah!
    December 22nd
    Merry Christmas!
    December 25th
     
  2. MisterBeasley

    MisterBeasley TrainBoard Supporter

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    I didn't do what I planned, but instead I got in the groove and worked on the mill building. The original plan was to take the wall sections I had and use them to locate and then "dig" the canal. Well, my daughter is home from college for the holidays, so she "occupies" the family room / train room much of the time. Since the mill buildings have to be done anyway, I just concentrated on that, so I've got all the wall segments painted and mortared, the windows are painted, and I've installed most of the interior supports for the roof and the floors. I'm going to try making the roofs out of thin foamboard this time, instead of styrene.

    The windows are all fairly large, so the interior will be visible unless I intentionally fog up the windows. I plan to do that in a couple of spots, but interiors are fun anyway.

    Not modeling, but I did have a "priority" emergency to fix the vacuum cleaner. When I took it apart, it was obvious that someone had applied way too much strength to the cord, and had dislodged the retracting mechanism and ripped out the power contacts. Well, at least it's easier to work on than all that little HO scale stuff.

    Today is my last day of work for the year. I didn't get sick, so I ended up with a few "paid time off" days that I have to use before the end of the year. We shut down for the holiday week, and then we'll likely spend the first week of January skiing, so it will be 3 weeks before I'm back at work. It should give me time to get a lot done.
     
  3. PW&NJ

    PW&NJ TrainBoard Member

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    That's looking really good, Jim. Can't wait to see more progress. :thumbs_up:

    Not much done here over the weekend (I'm supposed to still be studying for my exam right now... shhhhh!) but I did get a little bit more done on my diorama planning, as well as some research and experimentation related to making a little snow diorama for some wintry shots. I broke out the rest of my pullman cars for my son to use behind his 2-8-0, and I adjusted his coupler for better hold. Sure looks neat actually moving on the tracks. :)
     
  4. DragonFyreGT

    DragonFyreGT TrainBoard Member

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    Mine did a direct about face. I picked up a pack of Kadee 830 Body Mounts for one of my G-Scale 2 Bay Coal Hoppers. I put the screws in, put washers on to hold them, cut off the excess screw. The body mounts on the 2-bays work on 4 foot radii. This most likely being due to the fact that the coal hopper is a very small one.
     
  5. mr1967

    mr1967 TrainBoard Member

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    not all the weekend goals were met, but i did manage the following:

    70% of the backdrop is installed
    started installation of track lighting bar
    investigated mounting options for track lighting bar for a drop ceiling - struck out at the box stores
    cut some foam
    set the final level for some subroadbed

    i am planning on finishing the backdrop install this week and paint it next weekend. then i can reinstall all the subroadbed and glue down the foam. i want to have the main running 1 Jan - a tall order, but i think i can do it.
     
  6. Tompm

    Tompm TrainBoard Supporter

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    We did some Christmas shopping on Saturday. I was surprised that we actually found everything but one item we were looking for. We did a bunch of things around the house Sunday.

    The big news is I got the layout cleaned off enough that I could try to take some photos. While I was happy with that fact I was not overly thrilled with my success with the camera. I still am trying to figure out the Cannon Rebel. I get great pictures for everything but when I try photographing models. Sometimes they are good and sometimes they are not.

    Tonight I am hoping to try out a couple of suggestions that were given to me about the camera and taking modeling photos.
     
  7. MisterBeasley

    MisterBeasley TrainBoard Supporter

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    I use a rather old 5-megapixel Sony instant camera for my photos. My rules are no flash, support the camera, use the timer so your finger motion doesn't jiggle the camera, and use the macro setting when photographing models up close.
     
  8. GeorgeV

    GeorgeV TrainBoard Member

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    I now have a hole in my backdrop and a kink in my neck. The area I am working on is on the back side of a peninsula. It's to be a small industrial area but it only had one siding. Last week I had the brainstorm of putting in a turnout and running a short spur into the backdrop, with the idea that it would server a building flat with an interior loading or unloading area. There was a hollow space under the scenery on the other side. The kink in my neck came from getting the support piece for the track installed and supported working under the benchwork. Then after it was installed I realized I didn't paint it black first so I had to pull it and re-install it. Working under the benchwork is definitely a young man's game, but it's installed.

    Now I need to find a building to bash... or stuff to scratchbuild one. Fortunately there's a train show coming up on January 8th..

    George V.
     
  9. Steve Zink

    Steve Zink TrainBoard Member

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    Jim,

    Getting my Sand Patch plans together, trying to figure out what track to use. Are you using Atlas 55???? And if so, how do you like it???? Anything I need to know first???

    Thanks, you coming this way anytime soon????
     
  10. Wolfgang Dudler

    Wolfgang Dudler Passed away August 25, 2012 TrainBoard Supporter In Memoriam

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    I didn't built another turnout. But I managed to weather quite a few cars.

    Wolfgang
     
  11. logging loco

    logging loco TrainBoard Supporter

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    I started out cleaning up my shop so I could cut some ties and gather material to build a box cab.
    My work bench had the top half of an old hutch that I used for shelves. It always collected junk and made me feel a little claustraphobic with it right in front of my face. I decided to take it down and one thing lead to another. So to make a long story short, I wound up tearing out half my little shop. Now I'm reconfiguring it to make it more organized, more comfortable, and more user friendly.
    Even though I didn't work on any projects, it should turn out to be a good investment time wise.
     
  12. GP30

    GP30 TrainBoard Member

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    I sold 5 freight cars on that other auction site (I have a couple more listed on TrainStore!), laid more rail on the main through Ravenswood Yard and assembled some kits that had been in boxes for several years.
     
  13. mr1967

    mr1967 TrainBoard Member

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    put in a few hours tonight and have my lumber list for tomorrow. i am doing a half day tomorrow at the office and am planning on coming home and finishing up the last of the wood cutting so i can mud the backdrop and get that painted later this week. i need to get longer armature wire for my tortoise machines. ugh.
     
  14. Jim Wiggin

    Jim Wiggin Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Thank you! It feels good getting some progress done.

    Hey Zinker, yes, Atlas Code 55 and I love it. I'm using Woodland Scenics foam roadbed with Woodland Scenics Foam Tack Glue. It works great. I lay a small bead of glue on the track undersides, then run my finger over it to make a film. I let it set for a minute, then lay it on the roadbed and use T pins to hold it until it sets up. I get a nice level track with no bumps with track tools, no kinks. I have been doing this for years and never had a problem. All my cars have low profile wheels from Micro Trains.

    I'm coming home this Friday to spend Christmas with Angela and the Kids, hanging around until Monday. Short time but all I could do. Will be home for good March 1st. Contact me offline if you want to get together.
     
  15. retsignalmtr

    retsignalmtr TrainBoard Member

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    For the first time in a long time I did exactly what I planned for the weekend. Nothing. I have to work on my clubs DCC system today and tomorrow though.
     
  16. YoHo

    YoHo TrainBoard Supporter

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    Well, during the week last week I put in the decomposed granite and earth cut features of the small vineyard area I'm doing and painted it, so this last weekend I got started on the actual vineyard. It turned out that 3 6" pot toppers did not provide enough static grass for the entire corner. I'll need at least to more.

    Most Vineyards have a patter on grass strip, then grape vines, then grass strip. So I chose the pot toppers for the grass strip. Static grass on the cheap. Since I was a little over half way done, I decided to put the dirt down in between. This was a bunch of sifted dirt I picked up at a swap meet in Oregon. It's very very rich looking. With the alcohol and glue in it it was literally mud, but I checked sunday afternoon and it had dried a good rich but not muddy color. All in all I'm pleased with the progress.
     
  17. RBrodzinsky

    RBrodzinsky November 18, 2022 Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter In Memoriam

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    I got some stuff done this weekend (with a bit of carryover to Monday/Tues).

    First major accomplishment was getting the landscaping and ballasting in around my new depot

    [​IMG]

    and looking out of town

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    And, the second accomplishment (which is what is dragging on) was the installation of the crossing gates at my grade crossing. I've placed the buildings for the front part of town to give an idea, and the pavement which abuts up to the track is not yet attached

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    Lights work on the signals when the crossing area is occupied, and the gates do move properly (by hand, from underneath). Have the Circuitron RSA actuators hooked to the gate wires, but don't have the tortoise hooked up yet
     
  18. mikelhh

    mikelhh TrainBoard Member

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    That's lovely work, Rick.

    Mike
     

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