Sixth Annual International Spring Layout Party

okane Jan 24, 2008

  1. Cleggie

    Cleggie TrainBoard Member

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    Ok, at almost the half way stage of the layout party and I'm about 1/3rd of the way through what I set out to accomplish.

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    The cutting and the tunnel mouth are ready for casting plaster. This will be attempt #2 as the first time around I made the cutting to close to the track, high narrow walls that I could not get my hand down to clean the track.

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    This pic is taken from inside helix one looking down toward the bridges. Most of the area is ready for the next scenic layer. The blue styrene tunnel is in two parts so I can gain access to the track for cleaning or derailments.

    Over the next couple of weeks I will do the base scenic layer for helix two and the other side of the upper level up to the bridges. The sad part of all this is I can't run trains at the moment.
     
  2. Flash Blackman

    Flash Blackman TrainBoard Member

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    Cleggie: FWIW, I have always put masking tape lightly over the track while I was working on scenery to keep plaster, paint, foam, etc. away from the track. It makes cleaning easier after the scenery is done. Anyone else do that?
     
  3. okane

    okane TrainBoard Supporter

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    I found a little bit of time this weekend to sort out the wiring. For the first ime in a year trains are running on the layout. Worked out some short circuits. Already noticed I will need to make some plan changes, nothing serious so for a while I will just run some trains.
     
  4. Flash Blackman

    Flash Blackman TrainBoard Member

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    My project for the ware house today was to add a rear wooden loading dock. I decided to use strip styrene for this project. First, I built the outside support for the dock and glued it in place.
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    Next I used a razor saw to make scratches in the strip styrene. Each board was cut to length and glued in place. this photo shows the small styrene boards and the beginning of the dock. I placed the boards so there would be some small cracks in the deck.
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    All the boards in place.
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  5. Flash Blackman

    Flash Blackman TrainBoard Member

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    I painted the deck with diluted raw sienna paint. This allows the white styrene to give some color variation.
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    Finally I painted the deck with a black wash to bring out the scratches in the styrene. The intent is to make it appear like wood grain. I added a barrel in the corner as this is probably where they banish all the smokers for a smoke break during work hours. :D
    [​IMG]
    Slow weekend for the layout party. Hope all the projects are going okay.
     
  6. ppuinn

    ppuinn Staff Member

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    Well, I finally have a chance to get back to The Party.

    One of my goals was to install a bridge over and plant some trees and grass near the P&PU East Peoria Yard. Here's some trees and grass and a little building (almost hidden behind the loaded center panel car) that I've added to the south end of the yard. My MOW cars will go to the left, farther along the back track. I'm trying to set up an unloading area on my layout that sort of suggests the proto scene below that shows the Builders Cash and Carry supplies being unloaded on the P&PU's MOW track.
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  7. HemiAdda2d

    HemiAdda2d Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    I hate moving!
    Busy weekend--a buddy and I took 2 truckloads of scrap wood, and pallets (in case the basement leaked) out of the basement of the old house.. There's still a truckload more of boxes and junk that needs to disappear as well. The garage at the new place is stacked with boxes of stuff. We need to get rid of junk. Lots of it. Did I mention I hate moving?
     
  8. HemiAdda2d

    HemiAdda2d Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    I always do that. Sure keeps things clean that way!
     
  9. Ed M

    Ed M Passed away May 2012 In Memoriam

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    Well, after a lot of backsliding and procrastination, I finally took paintbrush in hand and completed painting the ties in the small section I’m working on for the party. After giving them an initial coat of brown, I went back and dry brushed them with a light grey. It may not look right to others, but I’m pretty satisfied that it approaches the weather beaten look that I’m trying for. They certainly look a lot “softer” than the harsh (to me) look that the black plastic of the Atlas flex track usually gives. We’ll see how well it combines with some ballast later this week. Here’s a look at the ties in the part section looking from above.

    [​IMG]


    Then I got excited and decided to press on with painting the rails. Did I mention before that if there ever is a "next time" that I’ll get some spray cans and do this before laying track? Trying to paint these in place is a real struggle, at least for these old eyes and (starting to get) shaky hands. I first tried using a brush but felt like that was too difficult to get any kind of even coverage. So I tried using extra fine “Microbrushes” ( http://www.microbrush.com/hobby/products/microbrush/index.asp ) and I felt that it gave me a lot more control. Still tough, and the camera shows up where the coating isn’t even, but it worked a lot better than I was doing with the brush. Heck, with my eyesight and the relatively low level of light on my layout, I really don’t notice these ‘holidays’ or gaps when I’m standing next to the layout. I think the 80/20 rule says that I ought to call this okay for me and move ahead. Here are a couple of shots down closer to ground level (and closer up than I normally view my trains) that show the ties and rails painted. Close enough for government work.

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    Forgot to add that I only painted the side of the rails that can be seen from the perimeter of the layout. painting the other side would require some weird contortions.

    I’m going to try to complete painting the rails in this layout party section tomorrow, then move on to ballasting this section. I’m anxious to see how the track will look with both the ties and rails painted, and with ballast in place.

    Onward,

    Ed
    .
     
  10. Flash Blackman

    Flash Blackman TrainBoard Member

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    Looks good, Ed. Painting the rails helps a lot.

    Hemmi: It is good to clean out that worthless garage and throw stuff out. waiit until you are in the same place for 15-20 years. It will take a dump truck to get it all out and then there will still be too much left. Voice of experience. "Why did I ever think I wanted to save that?"
     
  11. Another ATSF Admirer

    Another ATSF Admirer TrainBoard Member

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    Flash: ahh, so you've seen my garage? :)
    I have a pile dedicated to "scrap timber bits I might use on the layout somehow". It's not a small pile.

    Looking back at my todo list from last week:
    I found a way to stop the hardboard shattering - raise it off the workbench with scrap timber (42mm) and set the circular saw to cut less than 42mm deep (3mm hardboard x2 = 1/4inch cut only required).
    Thus I had supports under both sides of the saw cut, just like a table saw but upside down.

    Achieved last week:
    • cut fascia strips
    • cut backdrop strips
    • hung fascia (breaking a 2.4m long strip of hardboard in the process :( )
    • painted fascia black

    [​IMG]
    /\ Fascia in place
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    /\ Spot the staples (and the place where it snapped)
     
  12. Another ATSF Admirer

    Another ATSF Admirer TrainBoard Member

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    And after adding a little paint,
    [​IMG]
    /\ from the doorway
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    /\ from the closet

    For nostalgia, let's go back about a month:
    .. It must be progress, there's more timber and more clutter.

    I've got four weeks to go, but only two weekends free between here and there, but I might still be able to get at least one of the three done; my vote is for the Backdrop, as rushing the trackwork is something I would just regret at leisure.

    Goal for Tuesday 4 March:
    • Have at least one sheet of the backdrop up
    • Possibly more than one sheet
    But probably not painted.
     
  13. Flash Blackman

    Flash Blackman TrainBoard Member

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    Lots of party goers showing progress. :thumbs_up:

    I'm adding signs and details. It's my favorite part of kitbashing, as I probably already said.
    [​IMG]
     
  14. HemiAdda2d

    HemiAdda2d Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Ed, your painted rails look great! Also, painting and weathing them really helps tone down the annoying look of the C80 rail that is way too large for anything but the UP Wyoming racetrack, and the Powder River Basin. The weathering really hides the fact that it's too tall. Very nicely done. I have one caution, however. If you only paint the visible sides of the rails, that's fine, but also take into account that you may in the future want to shoot pictures from unconventional angles. If you do, you may wanna paint those areas too.
    :lightbulb:

    Flash, I feel bad for those folks who have been married for a decade or more, and have never moved. I feel that pain after only 2 years in this house. Dakotacowgirl & I have been married for 7 years, and we have accumulated a lot of junk.
    That truckload of junk in the basement? Try 3 truckloads. Granted, my truck is no fullsize, but it's not a tiny Mazda, either. I still have a few items left to take out of the old house, but it's nearly empty now. Whew!
     
  15. Ed M

    Ed M Passed away May 2012 In Memoriam

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    Yeah, I never paid too much attention to the shiny rail sides before, but now with part of the rail painted I can see the difference.

    You're right of course. But I've kind of painted myself into a corner. Or better said, I've built myself into a corner before I painted. As a compromise, I'm going back and painting those back sides where a) I can reach without being a contortionist, and b) where I think the back sides might be most easily seen.

    Thanks

    Ed
    .
     
  16. Flash Blackman

    Flash Blackman TrainBoard Member

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    Roof details added. Before:
    [​IMG]
    After:
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    Next to get the parking lot marked and weathered. Then overall chalk weathering for the structure as a whole. I think I will add some down spouts for roof water drainage; at least a token number. Also, maybe a big soft drink advertisement for the street side.
     
  17. Ed M

    Ed M Passed away May 2012 In Memoriam

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    There you go, paying close attention to a critical (and very obvious) part of the structure that often doesn't get it's share of modeling effort.
     
  18. Hytec

    Hytec TrainBoard Member

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    Sorry I haven't posted for the past few weeks, but I've been tending a sick wife and a sick me, though mine was much less, thankfully. However, I've made some progress with the Saucier Central.

    I formed the basis for one of the many planned hills that will separate scenes, or in this case separate the east branch from the west branch.

    [​IMG]


    I made it so the top can be removed to recover from any disasters that may occur within. Oh yeh, I also installed some backdrops along the wall which are visible in this photo.

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    I also made and installed this covered bridge.

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    My plan for next week is to coat the hill form with WS plaster gauze and smooth it with a thin layer of Hydrocal.....maybe even put on a couple of coats earth tone latex.
     
  19. riverotter1948

    riverotter1948 TrainBoard Member

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    There has sure been a lot of really good work going on here since my last post!

    In the meantime, the benchwork for my layout has been finished and I've managed to get some track laid -- the main line and the staging/interchange yards, plus a couple of passing tracks and a couple of industry sidings.

    The current track plan can bee seen at
    http://www.robertbrents.com/ModelRailroading/BigLayout/
    and pictures of the progress I've made overall are posted at
    http://www.robertbrents.com/ModelRailroading/BigLayout/Progress022808/
     
  20. Flash Blackman

    Flash Blackman TrainBoard Member

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    For the parking lot, I sanded the sloped entrances on each side and scribed the poured concrete slabs into the styrene using a hand tool and a straight edge.
    [​IMG]
    Then I pained the parking lot and added weathered acrylics. I used decals to mark the parking spaces.All done now except for airbrushing and chalks to tie everything together. Maybe I still need to add that sign.
    [​IMG]

    Notice that the scribed concrete slabs didn't show up with the weathering. I can scribe them deeper. I am thinking about how to improve on that mis-step. With weathering, you can recover from a very poor start.:happy19pb:
     

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