First finished scene

[AlkemScaleModels]

After two years of benchwork, track and wiring, I finally got to do some scenery and now have a finished scene,


My blog also hit its 200th post.

[davefoxx]

Outstanding as usual, Bernie.  That ground cover looks incredible.  Just one problem; where are the trains?  ;D

[DKS]

Outstanding as usual, Bernie.  That ground cover looks incredible.  Just one problem; where are the trains?  ;D

+1

I imagine it feels really good. I always enjoy a major high when I get to complete a scene the way you did.

[John]

Nice .. needs some rifles stacked in a teepee

http://www.google.com/url?source=imgres&ct=img&q=http://pics4.city-data.com/cpicc/cfiles33136.jpg&sa=X&ei=YU9LTfudHI7QgAfhva3dDw&ved=0CAQQ8wc4NA&usg=AFQjCNGdZZHnX5y8wfFDuIu80YnkGaizZw

[AlkemScaleModels]

Nice .. needs some rifles stacked in a teepee

http://www.google.com/url?source=imgres&ct=img&q=http://pics4.city-data.com/cpicc/cfiles33136.jpg&sa=X&ei=YU9LTfudHI7QgAfhva3dDw&ved=0CAQQ8wc4NA&usg=AFQjCNGdZZHnX5y8wfFDuIu80YnkGaizZw

You're right. I need to find some loose rifles for such a stack. I don't want to scratch build them, though I have done that in the past.

[AlkemScaleModels]

Outstanding as usual, Bernie.  That ground cover looks incredible.  Just one problem; where are the trains?  ;D

Check the blog for the orientation of the scene to the tracks. It's what you would call trackside. I doubt tired soldiers make good rail fans though. Wooooo - wooooooo!

[GaryHinshaw]

Very nice Bernie.  Looks just like a museum diorama.

[AlkemScaleModels]

Outstanding as usual, Bernie.  That ground cover looks incredible.  Just one problem; where are the trains?  ;D

This one shows some tracks.... still no trains though. But it shows how guys cut a brownie.

[davefoxx]

Okay... um, this picture actually raises more questions than it answers.   ;D

On another issue, your trackwork is beautiful, but I think, in O scale, you really ought to consider a minimum of four spikes per tie.  The missing spikes are really noticeable to me in your scale.  Sorry.

[Bob Bufkin]

Dave

I would normally agree about the spikes but it is a Civil War era trackwork and they built them as fast as possible to get them running supplies and troops. 

Could add some Sherman  neckties (bent rails) laying around the scene.

[AlkemScaleModels]

I agree, I am adding 4 spikes per tie. In the finished sections you will see that. First the track goes in with a four spikes every couple inches. Once it is all tested and tuned, we go back and drive the remaining spikes. Several folks are helping with that, but you must be careful as it is easy to knock off the gauge. There are over 10,000 spikes in or going in the whole layout.

The brownie shot is an unfinished area. This photos shows a finished area:

[AlkemScaleModels]

Dave

I would normally agree about the spikes but it is a Civil War era trackwork and they built them as fast as possible to get them running supplies and troops.  

Could add some Sherman  neckties (bent rails) laying around the scene.

They had to spike 4 rails per tie even if laying the track fast. Where they took short cuts was in grading and ties. My prototype is built on the road bed of the RF&P, so it was well graded with stone abutments at the bridge sites. Also, in my prototype, the USMRR brought in new ties and they are actually quite good. Not the usual flatted logs that were sometimes used in hasty repairs etc.
For example, see this photo from my prototype. Note how regular the ties are;


In the prototype I am modeling, there are no Sherman neck ties around. My prototype RR was destroyed 4 times and rebuilt 3 times  during the war, but they pulled up the rails. The USMRR even disassembled the buildings the second time they pulled out.

One thing I do need to add to the scene is a telegraph line.

[Bob Bufkin]

Need to have Col. Mosby sneaking into some generals tent to steal his clothes

You ever think about doing the mortar on a flatcar I've seen so many photos of?

[AlkemScaleModels]

Need to have Col. Mosby sneaking into some generals tent to steal his clothes

You ever think about doing the mortar on a flatcar I've seen so many photos of?

So that's where my uniform went!  

I did build a model of the "Dictator" Mortar car in 1/32nd scale. BTS now sells HO and O scale verisions of the mortar. I don't plan to have one on my RR because I have no record of it's use. It was used in the Petersburg campaign for sure.

 This is a photo of my 1/32nd model on a small diorama. At one point I was going to build a 1/32nd scale ACW layout. But then the SMR O Scale engines came out and well....

[Dave Schneider]

Bernie,

Thanks for sharing this with us here and on your blog. This is a "Museum Quality" scene in my opinion, and it reminds me of the hours I spent as a kid examining the dioramas at the local museum.

Best wishes, Dave