Remaking of the Ridley Keystone & Mountain
#31
It was a struggle, but I was to get the Farmhouse free without too much damage. The road looks fine but it is not and will need to be removed or redone.

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Here the one board cleared of foam. I still have some dried glue spots to remove.

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After doing a measurement check on the board a problem arose. It is not 4x8 as thought. It is 4x6.5. This means there as currently situated there would be too much overhang on the near end of the table. Even adding the additional wood for bracing would not help. The solution is to move the table base which is an old drafting table I got from work when the office moved. I got four of them, all ones that were part of my squad area and used by me. Currently two serve as the base for the layout. One is my workbench. The last one is at the moment a junk collector. When the layout is fully realized it will the third table base.

In the meantime, I am going to bring in a piece of the pink foam and lay it down temporarily. I want to layout a couple of critical areas of the track plan to make sure they fit before cutting any wood or foam.

Another part of the project is to hang some new lights over the layout. They are in the box that keeps getting moved around.
Tom
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#32
This is where I would wish I was rich so I could just buy all new stuff and not have to to all that salvaging.
Mike

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#33
(02-10-2021, 09:57 AM)Tyson Rayles Wrote: This is where I would wish I was rich so I could just buy all new stuff and not have to to all that salvaging.

Tell me about it brother. All that pink will be reused in one way or another. I will have to buy some new 2 inch thick boards. I have five 1 inch boards my son purchased which helps.
Tom
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#34
New lights are up.

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I still have some work to with hiding cords and such.

After thinking and possibly overthinking installing the lights I am happy they are up ad working. Took me a little while to figure out how to place them. Then I pondered whether to mount them to the rafters directly or on something else. Once I stopped overthinking, I decided to try one on the rafter directly. It worked out nice and installed the other five. Took me about 2 hours to do. I did not do them all at once. I did two then took a break to let my shoulder relax, did 2 more rested, and then the last two. I want to thank Charlie for the recommendation on the lights.
Tom
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#35
Before I start cutting wood, I wanted to be sure of the width of the layout. When my son created the track plan, he used a width of 68 inches. He was not sure if that left enough room between the track and the edge of the layout. I built the largest curve on the track plan and measured 68 inches. The yardstick represents the other edge of the layout. 68 inches gives two inches from the track to the edge.

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I was not comfortable with the 2 inches. I moved the yardstick and adjusted the placement of the curve to represent 70 inches. This gave me 3 inches from the rail to the edge.

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I need to move the drafting table under the first board. As it is positioned now there will be too much overhang on the one end of the board. I would rather have the majority of the overhang between the two boards where I can build the frame.
Tom
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#36
Finally got to cutting the lumber and putting the pieces in place for the widening of the layout. They are not secure. That is tomorrow’s job. The two pieces on the near end are off the drafting table so they will be screwed to the bottom of the board. Next step will be building the frame work connecting the two boards.

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Tom
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#37
Had a good work session today. I got the foundation framework for connecting the two boards done. I will finish it once the foam is removed and the outside frame is completed.

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I finished the framework for the widening.

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I decided the corners need legs. I still have work to do on the legs but for now it will work.

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The widening framework is 95% done for this board. It is ready for pink foam. However, before I do that I will switch to removing the foam from the second board.
Tom
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#38
This was a very productive weekend. I worked on the second board. This is what it looked like when I started.

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In removing the foam, I had to take care and remove the Passenger Station and Island Cement and try to salvage some of the scene.

Pink foam removed. Passenger Station and Island Cement removed safely.

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Next step was to cut the lumber and place the cross members for the framework and secure them.

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Lastly was adding the connecting members and connecting the two boards. I added a leg on each side where the two boards connect.

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I need to do some final clean up and remove the salvaged foam from the first board. At the end of the second board, you can see another table with a pile of stuff on it. That stuff is scenery materials, detail parts, unbuilt building model kits, and probably a few surprises. Some day in the future this table will get cleaned off and become the third table for the layout.

After clean up the next step is to begin laying pink foam!
Tom
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#39
First pieces of foam are glued down and drying!

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Tom
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#40
There is a great to post as a lot got done this past weekend.

The foam is complete over the first board.

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The second board is ready for foam.

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First layer is down on the second board.

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All four layers done. The top two layers are being held in place temporarily because I am not sure how I am going to be reinserting the various scenes back into the layout. I want to be able to remove the foam easily to cut out for the scenes if needed.

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Next: Laying Track!
Tom
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#41
I finished laying down the outer loop of the track plan. I also did some test runs with a Atlas S-2 and a Bachmann Spectrum 4-8-2. I tested both with a Walthers Heavyweight car. Next will be laying down some of the inner loop. I am waiting for a track order to be delivered so I can finish the inner loop. I plan to tack down the track and outline the track zone. After that will be laying the roadbed.

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Video of a test run with NYO&W Bachmann Spectrum Light Mountain 4-8-2 alone.

https://youtu.be/xiFYRd_K3Tk

Video of a test run with NYO&W Bachmann Spectrum Light Mountain 4-8-2 with a Walthers B&O Heavyweight Diner.

https://youtu.be/wE1EqJM_nNY
Tom
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#42
Progress has slowed basically due to a lack of track. One order arrived but this included only half of the turnouts I need. The other switches have been sitting in Kansas City Postal Facility for a week now. I have used this time to make some carboard placers representing the footprint of some unbuilt or yet to be acquired structures. After placing several I realized the third loop aka the far inside loop will need to be redesigned in the area of the station.

I have some structure kits I can build in the meantime. I found an old International Hobby Corp Sand and Fuel Depot kit near the bottom of a pile of structure kits. I am about halfway done the kit after a few days. I had to airbrush the fuel tank as the color in the kit was brown. I have never seen a brown fuel tank. To me they are either black or grey. I forgot how much of pain airbrushing can be with clean up. I need to come up with a better way to change colors without having to breakdown and clean the airbrush.

Here is the Passenger Station Area and some of the middle loop.

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This is more of the middle loop and the possible engine facility with some building footprints.

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The Sand and Fuel Depot kit

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The kit parts

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Tom
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#43
(03-08-2021, 10:52 PM)tompm Wrote: I need to come up with a better way to change colors without having to breakdown and clean the airbrush.

Tom, I use a Paasche airbrush, but unlike many modellers, always spray paint from a jar, never from the colour cup.

Pollyscale, Polly S, and Floquil paint bottles are all a good fit for the siphon cap, so when I use-up all of the original paint from one of those bottles, I use lacquer thinner to thoroughly clean both the bottle and its cap, then put them in a drawer so that when I need to paint or mix a new colour, I always have clean bottles on hand.

When I'm painting a something like a steam locomotive, for example, it usually involves at least four or five colours (many similar to one another, but each more appropriate for particular areas).  When I've applied one colour, I then remove and cap that bottle.

To clean the airbrush in preparation for the next colour, all that's needed is to put some lacquer thinner into the colour cup, then spray until the cup is empty...maybe 20 seconds at most.  Remove the empty colour cup, then attach the next bottle of colour, and have at it.

Lacquer thinner will remove pretty-well any type of paint, especially if it's not yet had a chance to dry in the airbrush, whether it's lacquer-based, water-based, acrylic, or something else.

At the end of a painting session, I spray a colour cup of lacquer thinner through the airbrush, then disassemble it completely, putting the small parts into lacquer thinner in the colour cup.  I then take a pipe cleaner, dipping one end into the lacquer thinner in the colour cup, and shove it through the airbrush (both the air passageway and that for the paint).   Next, the small parts are removed from the cup and wiped dry with a clean cloth, and the airbrush reassembled, ready for the next painting session.

I used to do that operation in just over a minute, but I'm clumsier now, and not in much of a rush.

The first time I was able to airbrush Pollyscale paint (I saw lots of on-line how-tos, none of which worked for me) I decided to check Floquil's site (they made Polly S and Pollyscale, in addition to Floquil paints) and following their suggested procedure, painted four dozen undecorated Accurail boxcars, changing colours usually after every 2 or 3 cars.  In most cases, the colours were similar, but, as I was mixing colours on-the-go, definitely different.  In that session, the airbrush never once clogged and I never cleaned the airbrush at all until the final car was done - that was possible due to the colours being similar.
That experience convinced me that Pollyscale was my favourite paint, and I've not yet found a brand comparable.  I still have a fair amount of it left, but black and white are all gone.

Wayne
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#44
Wayne

Thanks for the information!

I have a Paasche airbrush also. It is nothing fancy. I got it about 8 months ago and I am still getting used to it.

I bought an airbrush cleaning fluid that I use in the way you described. I am just concerned about it getting all the color out of the brush between color changes. This last time I used only black, so the color change did not matter. I was going to use a tan and grey, but I decided against it. The gray was for the building which is gray and the tan for the bases. I painted the bases tan with a brush. I figure once there are placed on the layout they will be covered with cinders, coal, ballast, weeds, etc., therefore it only needs to look like soil. The building I did not paint. Weathering will take care of what needs to be done to make it look better.

I am currently using craft paints thinned with a thinner for acrylics. It seems to be working. I have not seen a “new” bottle of Pollyscale or Floquil in a decade in these parts.

In addition, I must be careful with what I use with my wife’s asthma. All sealing and any rattle can painting is done outside only. Things can be moved to the garage for drying provided the exhaust fan is turned on for a time to prevent any smells from leaking into the kitchen (next to the garage) or my son’s bedroom (above the garage) and eventually finding my wife.

With the craft paints I can airbrush in a dedicated spot in the basement since I can provide a makeshift booth and some ventilation. Since the craft paints have either no smell or a very mild one my wife is okay with it.
Tom
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#45
Finished the Sand and Fuel Depot structures.

Sand facility front

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Sand facility back

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Fuel Tank front

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Fuel Tank back

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A couple of notes. I am missing part of the wood walkway for the fuel tank. Thus I had to change the location of the ladder.

Next will be weathering the structures.

I am going to work on the bases some more. I plan to add cinders and some fine ballast. Also add some turf and perhaps a few other scenery items. I am not going to go too crazy since this will need to be blended into the layout. After the base is done I can add some of the detail items that came with the it such as drums, sacks, tools, wood piles, and boxes.
Tom
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