« previous next »
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Some scenery for Potomac Creek  (Read 492 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

AlkemScaleModels

  • Crew
  • *
  • Posts: 1116
  • Helps build strong models 8 ways
    • Alkem Scale Models
Some scenery for Potomac Creek
« on: January 19, 2010, 01:44:54 AM »


It's getting there. Should be running trains across in a few days.
Logged

Sokramiketes

  • Crew
  • *
  • Posts: 2383
  • Proactive advocate of truthiness
    • Modutrak
Re: Some scenery for Potomac Creek
« Reply #1 on: January 19, 2010, 08:22:28 AM »
Just a thought on the piers, did the stone come from very far away?  Looks like a completely different color rock than the surrounding scenery which I'm guessing is intentional.  I just have this mental image of railroaders from that time period scrounging for rock, timber, etc, from the surrounding area rather than shipping material... but I might just be thinking that way because the trees are clear cut in most photos. 
Logged
Mike Skibbe
www.modutrak.com
Better modeling through peer pressure...

John

  • Administrator
  • Crew
  • *****
  • Posts: 7640
  • Gender: Male
Re: Some scenery for Potomac Creek
« Reply #2 on: January 19, 2010, 09:43:10 AM »
Quote from: Skibbe on January 19, 2010, 08:22:28 AM
Just a thought on the piers, did the stone come from very far away?  Looks like a completely different color rock than the surrounding scenery which I'm guessing is intentional.  I just have this mental image of railroaders from that time period scrounging for rock, timber, etc, from the surrounding area rather than shipping material... but I might just be thinking that way because the trees are clear cut in most photos. 

Bridge piers around this area were built from granite .. there were several granite mines around washington ...
Logged
GO NAVY - BEAT ARMY

"If a man may be asked in this century, what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think he can reply with a great deal of pride and satisfaction: I served in the United States Navy" John F. Kennedy

AlkemScaleModels

  • Crew
  • *
  • Posts: 1116
  • Helps build strong models 8 ways
    • Alkem Scale Models
Re: Some scenery for Potomac Creek
« Reply #3 on: January 19, 2010, 09:56:25 AM »
Quote from: Skibbe on January 19, 2010, 08:22:28 AM
Just a thought on the piers, did the stone come from very far away?  Looks like a completely different color rock than the surrounding scenery which I'm guessing is intentional.  I just have this mental image of railroaders from that time period scrounging for rock, timber, etc, from the surrounding area rather than shipping material... but I might just be thinking that way because the trees are clear cut in most photos.  

Good question, as the same thought occurred to me as I was building it. The stone color is based on photos of the only surviving abutment on the south end of the bridge.  The rock outcrop in the area is heavily weathered with red clay.  The following video clip is from my visit to the bridge site last fall. It shows the remaining abutment and the surrounding cliffs. One concern I had was I didn't want this scene to look like Colorado, but the bridge site is an amazingly steep cliff on both ends.
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJSfMb3R418" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJSfMb3R418</a>
During the ACW the area was denuded of trees, and the surrounding soil fairly well trampled. Photos show what little grass to be matted and sparse. There are lots of small shrubs that in my season are just twigs.  I really pondered how to go about modeling the scenery. I wasn't sure if my normal N Scale techniques would work. In the end I went with my tried and true scenery techniques with just a few modifications to account for the bigger scale.  This is just a base coat of scenery, the detailing will help set the scale.
Logged

wm3798

  • Crew
  • *
  • Posts: 9971
  • Gender: Male
  • Have you ordered your hoppers yet?
    • Western Maryland Railway Western Lines
Re: Some scenery for Potomac Creek
« Reply #4 on: January 19, 2010, 10:18:11 AM »
Jaw droppingly amazing work on the bridge, Bernie.  Beautiful...
Lee
Logged
Route of the Alpha Jets

Lee Weldon www.wmrywesternlines.net

diezmon

  • Crew
  • *
  • Posts: 728
  • Gender: Male
  • Do they speak English in "What"?
Re: Some scenery for Potomac Creek
« Reply #5 on: January 19, 2010, 04:48:04 PM »
Tell us about your rock coloring?  :)

awesome work!
Logged

AlkemScaleModels

  • Crew
  • *
  • Posts: 1116
  • Helps build strong models 8 ways
    • Alkem Scale Models
Re: Some scenery for Potomac Creek
« Reply #6 on: January 19, 2010, 07:29:32 PM »
Quote from: diezmon on January 19, 2010, 04:48:04 PM
Tell us about your rock coloring?  :)

awesome work!


Thanks.

Since I got a lot of questions, I posted a blurb on my USMRR blog about the details of the scenery. http://usmrr.blogspot.com I have some step-by-step photos that I haven't had a chance to post yet, but I describe the scenery process. Basically it's what I do in N Scale, just de-emphasizing the ground foam and focusing more on static grass and twigs etc.
Logged

tom mann

  • Administrator
  • Crew
  • *****
  • Posts: 7350
    • http://www.chicagoswitching.com
Re: Some scenery for Potomac Creek
« Reply #7 on: January 19, 2010, 08:14:04 PM »
Amazing Bernie!  Love it!
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »