Andy- How about casting your own? I've made many portals out of hydrocal. Works very easily. Boxcab E50
Ken, I did give that a thought but its just that the Woodland Scenics matches the real poratal almost exactly! I have found one though and it is ordered. Also ordered the brick portal for the Milw. line, it to is just about perfect,just some minor detailing. Tonite I have the roadbed gluing as I type, be ready for track tomorrow! Stay tuned!!!!
No commercials, just have to watch out for the censors!!!!!! Roadbed is glued and the C&NW track is glued. Also stared scaling the station plans,gluing the Milw. track tommorow.More pics when I get something interesting to look at!
UPDATE! Well, we have the roadbed in, the tracks glued and the ground painted, didn't even let the paint dry to take the pic! To Be Continued!!!!
the paint not even dry before you took the pic! now thats what i call motivation Andy! (brings a tear of joy to my eye. ) GREAT JOB Andy! now i bet your chomping at the bit for the tunnel portals. -Deano
Ken, According to union rules: NO MODEL BUILDER IS REQUIRED TO WORK ON HIS LAYOUT WITH WET PAINT IN THE VICINITY! I think OSHA has something to that effect also. I will be right back in there as soon as the paint dries!!!!! GOSH!(slave driver) Deano, I am on a tight schedual so I didn't have time to waste. I have to put the power drops in next then start on the mountains. Also will be starting on the scratchbuilt stations. GOT TO GET BUSY!
Well, Not a whole lot changing right now, I have to wait for at least one tunnel portal to get here so I can start on the mountain.I did get the track weathered and the drops are soldered in. More pic's as soon as I got something to show.
Well it's Sunday, I had to go into Tomah this morning so I went the 5 extra miles to Tunnel City. I got a feel for the buildings in town close to the tracks that look old enough to be included in my scene. Found a couple that I think will fit in nicely. They have metal gates across the side road along the track and a lot of KEEP OUT signs so I didn't try to get down by the tunnel. On the layout I started the base foam for the mountain and found some parts for a kitbash building that will work for one I seen there. Will keep ya posted!!
ANDY!!, you have started the mountain...any pics of this? being an old plaster guy, i really wanted to see how doing a mountain out of foam is done. PLEASE post some pics of the mountain going up. thanks, -Deano
Ken, They put all that stuff up right after the terrorist attacks, I think they are afraid someone will blow the tunnel! Deano, Not really starting the mountain yet but starting on starting it! I will post all movments in the mountain building process, if not here, to you personaly! But I did try this!!!! The first time in the history of me, my first painted backdrop I don't think it came out too bad!
Looks like forested, rolling hills. Must be what that countryside appears around the tunnel? Boxcab E50
The whole town sits in a cut on either side of the tracks. The tracks go down to the tunnel and the town goes up the mountain. The area around the town is all hills and woods.
WOW ANDY! looks GREAT!, for the first backdrop you have painted! BTW, i am sill DROOLING over your clouds. ...yes, PLEASE, let me know one way or another how you do a foam mountain. if its easier then doing plaster, like i have done for years, i want to check it out. keep up the GREAT WORK Andy! THANKS, -Deano
The foam building of a mountain should be interesting. The closest I've built to mountain using foam would be a hilltop of some short. Although it would take a lot of foam but it would yield nice results is taking and stacking the foam boards on top of each other. Then taking a grading/sanding tool and rounding/shaping the mountain. Think of this process as if you were building a cake with layers and then just shaping it. Like I said can get expensive depending on how big you need your mountain to be and how much foam you use as compared to building a box type shape and then building the outside to create the shape of the mountain (this last technique would enable you to have a hollow center more or less). But by the looks of your pictures that hollow shape maybe pointless for you as your building directly against the wall… I hope that makes sense and maybe it will be of some thoughtful help if you need it. just my experience.
Greg, You basicly got it, you can lay whole sheets in and carve them in place, which would be expensive and waistfull as far as the foam board. The way I do it is the second way leaving it hollow in the middle. I am using anywhere from 3/4" thick foam to 3" thick foam, all pieces were picked up at building sites out of the dumpsters (I asked permission first) so the board is all free, I have loads of it!! I cut it up into about 4" wide strips however long I want, I do most of my cuttin and forming on my bandsaw so all dust and paticals are sucked up in the vacumn. I rough cut in the shapes then take a small wire brush to put in lines like in srata rock which we have a lot of here. I laso use a razor knife, screw driver, hacksaw blade, even my fingers, whatever I have handy to gouge and form the foam into rock formations. I build this up different layers thickness's at a time and then crown it off at the top with a full piece.I leave most of the seams show to represent the different layers of rock or just take a little chaulk on your finger and blend them in. I then use a base color for the rock, for here it is a medium brown,paint the whole mountain, then come back with craft paints and highlight the colors I want. It sounds like a drawn out process but it moves right along when you get started, and with no plaster mess. Mind you though, I know some folks who do all this then cover it with plaster cloth. This will work too but for me it is not needed. There you have it incapsulated, I will post pic's with each step as I go, if it is alright with Ken, you know he is the BOSS!!!!!!
JACKPOT!!! Both tunnel portals turned up in the mail today, they are both really nice. The brick one from Depots By John looked a bit small to me but in scaling the photo I have I guess it's pretty close to size. Start mountain building tomorrow, pic's to follow!
