Well I'm back home in SF now after a gorgeous ride through the snow on the California Zephyr! First thing I did was put my lil 4-4-0 on my layout and made a video! Here is the Ultimate N Scale 4-4-0 American: In Action!
Todd, as I've said before, for a large mammal with no opposing thumb you do beautiful work! That is a great addition to the layout. Well done!
Todd, I acn't believe you just did a MAJOR rebuild on this section of your layout. That scene looks like it has been there all along. Great work blending the new into the old(er). Jamie
Nice work Todd. I have done very little on my layout but I did scrape off some of the scenery to prepare for something more to my liking. I was gifted a couple modules from a freeemo group and resenicked them. I am sure some have seen them but wanted to update this thread. The grass color rendering in the photos is a bit poor and is actually a bit more on the burnt/dry side. Some before photos attached. The idea was to try for the Cajon and Socal look. PS. Come to the Long Beach WGH show and see them under the bright lights along with the rest of the Nland Pacific freemo group.
That's looking really nice, John. I like the creek running at an angle to the track. As for my progress, more under the layout work last night with Coon Rapids wired for track and turnout power. Now to bridge the gap and increase the running length by 2!
Phase 2 is underway Thanks for all your kind words, folks. With the major work on Burt Road finished, I tackled phase 2 of my Layout Party plans. My sector table used to inhibit access to my water softener, barely visible at extreme right below. The rebuilt sector table now resides across the room at Burt. My intent has been to extend the layout at the old sector table site while leaving clear access to the water softener. Here's the concept drawing. So about 5 hours ago, it looked like this. Once I got moving, it progressed pretty quickly. The 3 layer OSB benchwork here is overkill for strength, but it was the path of least resistance to match the hollow core door thickness under the existing layout. The legs under the layout have adjusting nuts on 3/8" threaded rod that fits in holes bored in the bottom of the leg and in the concrete floor. These help level up the benchwork and keeps the legs from moving around when bumped. More after the jump...
Phase 2 is underway (continued) The 1/8" masonite backdrop curves readily and I spliced additional length in place using a masonite scrap and hot glue. The 1/4" thick end panel joins the 1/8" back panel with a chamfer strip ripped from a clear 2X4 and hot glued in place. Here's one reason I like styrofoam for road bed and scenery; it's fast. As soon as the foam was shaped and the gaps filled with latex painters caulk, I could start applying paint and sand. So I'm fairly pleased with my 5 hours of relaxing fun on a frozen Saturday. While the paint dries, I think I'll take a nap.
Heavy construcion on Phase 2 is done Took a nap while the paint dried and got right back to work. Soldered, painted, installed and ballasted the track then did a little ground cover work. Trimmed and repainted the fascia and I'm back in business. Everything should be dry enough tomorrow that I can clean the rails and run trains.
Terry, the road looks good. from the tar repair lines to the faded and broken yellow and white lins. This will be a great scene.
Terry, I agree with John; your road looks really good. 'Nuther installment here: glue is drying on ground cover. Trees are up next.
I am hoping my roads look as good as the ones on here. When it comes time to do mine, I am coming back to this thread to take a closer look. Jamie
This week I finished painting the distant hills and foreground trees on the backdrop. With this done, I can move on to the actual hard shell terrain using plaster cloth and Sculptamold. Here is a look at the completed backdrop at South Emerson: Completed backdrop at North Emerson. The backdrop behind the flat town area in the middle distance has been left blank because I am not sure at this point how the actual town scenery (structures, roads, etc.) will be laid out: A local freight led by a Conrail GP15-1 is holding the siding as a northbound vehicle train passes on the mainline. I-75 passes below both tracks in this scene: Jamie
This week was a lot more productive than the last 2 weekends. Adams Street is a little more level and wider now, and the sidewalks are in. I'll line the road lanes soon, paint the sidewalks,and put up the billboard between the auto dealer's lot and Stanley Steamer Carpet Cleaning. I also have some more trees and shrubs to put just south (to the right) of the auto dealer's. The cardboard mock-up buildings will stay for a while...(Some of the other "temporary" building mock-ups on my layout are old enough to shave).
And some shots of the auto dealership. I'll probably make some more flags and then some signs/price tags to put on the cars. I'd hoped to put up 8 electric light poles to light the dealer's lot, and then hang the flags from the light poles, but I need to figure out the correct size resistors to use so I don't fry the remaining Grain of Wheat size bulbs. The flags are temporarily mounted on black toothpicks (which I typically use as trunks for my lichen trees).
Adams Street was initially made out of foamboard, but once I had it in, the width didn't look right...so I used spackling to widen the road. When making roads in other sections of my layout, I've used all spackling or all foamboard. I prefer the foamboard for flat sections, and the spackling for roads or alleys where the elevation of the road needs to curve upward or downward. This portion of Adams Street is about five feet long and is about 5 or 6 inches wide where it passes off the front of the layout at an angle. Where it disappears into the distance, it is only about 1.5 inches wide. Since I haven't mastered using an airbrush, I'm going to put lane stripes on the road using fine pointed paint sticks or markers. Yellow and white art pencils are a lot easier for me to control, but they don't show up as well on the foamboard.
I should be more productive than I have been.. but life, y'know I've mainly been just trying to detail areas that look bland.. starting with signs.. and misc stuff...
