CN Blackwater division
#61
When I used ME spikes for my hand laid track I used to snip the head of each spike with my rail nippers to deliberately make them smaller. Its tedious work for sure, however it made them look better once inserted into the tie and it also made laying the track easier. I could put the shank of the spike right up against the bottom of the rail and insert it without worrying that the larger head might force the rail out of gauge by pushing the rail inward slightly.
Reply
#62
Thanks, I was finding the same thing when I was trying to use the unmodified ME spikes. I have since found a couple packs of smaller head spikes on Ebay and I'll be using them going forward but I will keep your modification in mind in case I run out again and need to use the ME spikes.

I did manage some work on the layout this afternoon. 
   

I did glue and staple the scenery forms in by the future town of meadows. Since I was using 1/8" plywood (also know as door skin) I was able to form it around the curves of the upper decking. now you can see the dimensions that I can work with to plan the townsite.

   

And I got the hardshell down on my corner mountain. It was a bit of a stretch to lean over and lay down hydrocal-soaked paper towels without making a mess (I failed on the mess part) but I need to get this part done and sceniced before I can proceed with any other scenery. The brown 'goo' around the edges is some mocha colored caulking that I used to seal the gaps between the hardshell and the backdrop. When its all dried I'll paint it in the same base tan before adding adding rock castings and ground cover.  

   

While I was at it, I completed the hardshell on this slope as well. I'm learning these technics all over again since the last scenery of this type that I did was over 10 years ago.
Reply
#63
Looks like you have remembered well!
Mike

Sent from my pocket calculator using two tin cans and a string
Reply
#64
Looking good.

I am goin to be in the same boat as you with trying to do scenery again after 10 plus years. I hope I can remember and do as well as you did.
Tom
Silence is golden but Duct tape is silver
Ridley Keystone & Mountain Railroad
My Rail Images Gallery
Reply
#65
Thanks but I'm finding that I'm going through the same mistakes that I would have made back then, only remembering after I make them!
Case in point.
   
I started to add the rock castings when I found that I had made the mountainside too close to the track and had to pull half the mountain down to trim it back on one side. Then I re-hardshelled the area before I add the rock castings.
   

 During this time I ran out of Hydrocal so I went to a nearby building supply dealer and picked up a 50lb. bag. That should be enough for the entire layout, plus some. I did have a strange thing happen when the first hardshell use of the new bag turned a light gray instead of white, my next application was white.

   

And this morning I mixed up some more plaster and blended in the castings to the mountain. Tomorrow I hope to start staining/coloring the rockwork. Any holes/gaps between the casting are going to be filled with bushes and other vegetation.

     

And these are the rock molds that I used, sorry for the mess. A member of our club passed away about 6 months ago and we inherited his scenery supplies which included almost 20 WS rock molds.
Reply
#66
I colored the rockwork over the past two days. 

   

I used the Woodland scenics earth color kit and followed their online instructions on diluting the tints and applying them. What you see is their burnt umber and stone gray which was later given a stain of black to bring the shadows out.  I worked from a couple photos of a local abandoned RR line. 
I was a little concerned whether WS tints would work on comercial grade Hydrocal but they stained just as easily as plaster.  Next I'll start working on the color and ground cover of the rest of the mountain.

   

   

While I was using the hydrocal I made a few extra castings of surface rocks and outcroppings that I'll use in other places as I go along. I also cast a couple retaining walls.

   

I like the timber retaining wall casting. I've been casting a couple of them at a time so I can later cut them up to use them in future areas.

   

The one place I do plan to use them soon is the section between the town of Meadows and the stamp mill. I think the three should do it. I'll stain the rocks between the timbers like the rockwork I just completed and then stain the timbers with a stronger solution of raw umber.
Reply
#67
You're certainly making good progress, Glen.   Applause Applause Applause

That second photo looks like 5:00AM at the bakery...get 'em while they're hot, folks!

Wayne
Reply
#68
It's always great to watch a layout take shape and come alive.
Reply
#69
Thanks guys. I've since painted the mountainside and will be adding ground cover in the next couple days. In the meantime, I've started to look at the other end of the layout, where the retaining wall is going up.
   

I took some of the retaining wall castings to work and cut/trimmed them with our chop saw. I wasn't sure how the cast hydrocal would cut with an aluminum cutting blade. Either it would cut through like butter or the casting would explode. Fortunately it was the former, not the latter but it did create allot of fine dust when cut.

     

I've also been wondering what to do with the tunnel portal an it's surroundings. I don't want to make things square and awkward looking.


   

This is what I've come up with. A slope on either side of the portal, but not long enough to block the turnout. I was thinking of tunnel abutments on either side of the portal and the slope running into the retaining wall. Above, the slope would continue to form a hill that the upper track would have a 'cut' through it.
Reply
#70
Still playing around with the retaining wall castings and the tunnel portal.
   

I scratchbuilt an abutment for the tunnel out of some 1/8" plywood and 1/8" square stripwood. I painted it with some burnt umber to simulate treated timber. My current plan is to create a narrow slope between the abutment and the cast retaining wall.
Speaking of the retaining wall castings, I've noticed that the ends have a slight curve or bowing to them. I'm going to cast a couple more and then cut the ends flat and square using the saw at work for a better fit.
Reply
#71
You're making great progress Glen---keep up the good work.
Reply
#72
Thanks Ed.
Over the past couple weeks I've finished the scenery on the corner mountain.

   

I painted the plasterwork with some tan paint and then glued woodland scenics fine earth blend ground foam. When that dried I added some WS static grass in a number of patches. I like to use the light green static grass so I can later come back with my airbrush and recolor areas in either a darker green or a tan to give some variety.
When that was dry I glued some clump foliage and  trees done to complete the scene. Over time I may add more clump foliage to give it a bit more 'bushy' look in areas.

     

I also painted the tan on the slope between the stamp mill branch and Meadows' yard. 

   

My next addition will be to fill in the areas marked in the photo. The smaller section will simply be to fill the space between the oil dealer siding and the mainline roadbed. The larger will be the future sawmill complex,  which will run to the river's edge.

   

And I also squared up the retaining wall castings. They are now ready for staining the and painting before being glued in place.
Reply
#73
You're certainly motorin' right along, Glen, and things are lookin' good. Applause Applause Applause 

Wayne
Reply
#74
Thanks Wayne, I think the pace will be slowing down a bit now that spring has arrived, but I can see myself puttering around the layout room and the workshop in the summer as they are both in the basement and remain cool in the summer heat.

That being said, I worked on the terrain between the mainline and the branch over the past couple days.

   

I decided to use the old cardboard weave for roughing in the scenery. I like how it makes  nice undulating hills . I'll be covering it with the hydrocal towels shortly.

   

I also cut the plywood fillers that I mentioned in my previous post. The smaller pie-shaped piece is screwed down but the large one isn't yet. I want to finish the terrain just beyond before attaching it. I am starting to think of the trackwork for the sawmill. I plan to have two sidings, one for logs coming in, the other for loading cut lumber, just like the previous layout. The trick will be to fit everything in. I think I have about the same space as I had before (maybe a little more) but I now have to contend with the curved mainline on one side, the river on the other.
Reply
#75
Nice progress!
Mike

Sent from my pocket calculator using two tin cans and a string
Reply


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 2 Guest(s)