Weekend Update - 9-21-2008

[DKS]

I think this is what it's gonna be when it's done.  ;D ;D

Man, I want one of these. Looks just big enough for me and my Z scale layout.

[Dave V]

I spent the weekend at UP's Railfest in North Platte, NE, home of Bailey Yard.  We even scored a guided tour of the yard.  I blogged about it here:

http://vollmertrainblog.blogspot.com/2008/09/larger-than-life-ups-bailey-yard.html

Here's a sample:

[diezmon]

Well, not weekend work.. but I played hookie Monday to finally get some hobby stuff done

I'm finally getting the scenery and rockwork finished up.. first coat of tan applied.. It's a bit too dark, so I have to work on getting the right shade here.. Any tips on lighting up?



I'm using a mix of plaster molds and just plain 'ol foam for the rocks.  I'm not sure I like the present outcropping.. still looks a little bit too much like foam layers.



I'm also getting a start on actually laying out the town..

[soo]

I noticed that Ian said " we" ,, I will lay odds that Ian catches himself on fire ,, or burns his hands. One word of advice,, if steel looks cool,, it probaly is'nt.

WEAR GLOVES!!!

  Adios Wyatt

[Ian MacMillan]

I noticed that Ian said " we" ,, I will lay odds that Ian catches himself on fire ,, or burns his hands. One word of advice,, if steel looks cool,, it probaly is'nt.

WEAR GLOVES!!!

  Adios Wyatt

Yeah there are 3 of us locally that have been rebuilding speeders for the last few years. I've arc welded before, but I'm doing all MIG on this one, a style I have not done before.

[up1950s]

I thought that was a working speeder . You even took a video from it . Is this a modification , or did it break ?

[Ian MacMillan]

I thought that was a working speeder . You even took a video from it . Is this a modification , or did it break ?

Modification. Its getting a sprung sub frame (something the A5's did not have but A6's and A8's had for a better ride on bad track) and a complete enclosed cab.

[MichaelT]

Ok, a quick update from tonight...decided to start working on the northeast corner where the branchline will run past the lumber facility. I've ended up with a nasty hump...not quite sure how I'll solve that, but I'll come up with something.


I started with ridge plates cut from foam to hold the newspaper somewhat in place, then wadded up and shoved newspaper in the holes.


I want this area to be a little rougher than the northwest section, so I made some tightly wadded pieces, and some rather loose wadded papers.


A little while later, I'm waiting for the plaster cloth to dry and harden. The ridge along the top of the foam is going to play to my advantage where I'll be able to glue some rock castings in different places, mound up some foliage and clumps of bushes, so that will work out pretty well I think.


I think the differences in the packing of the newspapers gives the different depths and texture to the hillside. It won't be just one sloping uniform area.


I've got about 1/2 of this area plastered. I'm going to let the loctite cure overnight before I start working on the rock face that the weights are holding.

Not a bad evening's work!!

Michael[/font=Georgia]

[soo]

All the progress that people make,, kind of makes me want to do something,,,,,,,, so I wait till that urge passes.

 Honestly,, after the A/C went out in the garage,, I really don't feel like sweating with model trains.

  Adios Wyatt

[MichaelT]

Another night of working on the branchline. We ran out of plaster cloth and the LHS is closed on Wednesdays. Hobby Lobby or Michaels was too far to drive to get some, so we went to Lowes and picked up a box of regular plaster paris and an industrial size roll of paper towels to make our own....


Ok, it's messier than the plaster cloth, and it sets quicker, but overall, I think it worked out quite well in a pinch!!

We got some plaster on the hillsides down the western end of the branchline.


Once painted and ground foams and trees/bushes, I don't think it will show that much of a difference.


I didn't like the straight vertical appearance of the rock cuts here, so I added some foam pieces. Once they dry (overnight), I'll rasp and mold them out to give the rock cut wall some depth.



Also painted some of the northeastern area that I plastered last night. First coat dark brown so I can work lighter shades, rock formations, debri, bushes, trees, etc into.


Continuing up the branchline, I decided to split the risers across the mainline, and will install a steel plate or steel trestle bridge here.


Which leads to the termination of the branchline (the first rough thought), and the town of Pruitt. A 40" diameter area that will end up with a reverse loop for incoming/outgoing trains that work the branchline.


Nothing is glued down here yet, just very rough so I can play with it and see how it's going to work. Pruitt will be home to a feed mill, a small coal depository, and the Arkansas River Valley Brewery.


Pruitt will sit 4 1/4" above the base of the layout, and will only have the one track entrance/exit.


There is some thought of adding one or three staging tracks underneath Pruitt, and connecting to the mainline but that is not a big thought right now, just something that came up in conversation.

So now I can play with the southeast area, the terminus of the branchline, and get a feel for how or if that will work with the rest of the layout.

Any thoughts, suggestions, concerns, I'd love to read about.

michael

[diezmon]

I usually try to hide from the mirrors in my shots

[tom mann]

lol...I'm glad I'm dressed.

[asciibaron]

lol...I'm glad I'm dressed.

so are we...

[Zox]

A bit late for the "Weekend Update," but I finally figured out how to fill in the spaces between the minor arches on my bridge. There's still a ton of work to do, but I think I'm on the right track.

Live:


Memorex:

[soo]

Tom has the strangest knack for showing up in weird places.  Some people have too much time on thier hands,,lol

  Adios Wyatt