The Little Rock Line

[Bendtracker1]

@Philip H, @MDW, @Chris333, @mark dance, @Specter3, @davefoxx, @CRL, @Ed Kapuscinski, @peteski
Holy smokes guys!
Thank you very much for the kind words, much appreciated!

MDW, this is why I decided to model the Rock, an underdog that was trying to hang on.  I used to hang out in their yard in Fairbury, NE when I was kid and it looked just like this.  I just wish I had a camera back then.

Chris, I'd be happy for a TRW banner of the shot spotting the tank car!   

Pete, your right there's not a lot of details........yet, but I have a box full of items and a long list of ideas, but I've spent the last 5 or 6 months working on the yard and the facility and I'd like to move to another location and cover up more of the ceiling tile.  I've got several of the Showcase Miniature MOW trucks that I'm itching to get built and placed in the scene still.  I'm also thinking about getting some of the Mini Print crews to add as well.

[OldEastRR]

A beautiful little scene.... A run-down, dirty, rusty, "fix only what's needed", worn-out,  beautiful scene. You only need to make the lighting look like a gray cloudy day, with rain coming soon, to complete the mood.

[Bendtracker1]

After sticking a fork in the Biddle shops, I decided to go back and work on an area called Fordyce, AR.
I originally planned to place a building (Flappers Chicken) on the north end, but it sat so close to Haskell and the Gavilon complex, it literally was a stone's throw away. 



I finally decided to nix the idea of placing the building here, so I moved it out into the isle and left only one of three spurs in place, the one used to load the chicken guts in tank cars.  With this building gone it left me with a large amount of negative space.   I'm planning to add a small rise in the scenery and a creek between the Gavilon track and all the new space to hopefully act as a view block with a line of trees.

I did a little doodling to get an idea for the area.



With the creek running through there, I planned to add a culvert since the track was in place and ballasted already, but a bridge just sounded better.
I started looking at bridges and ran across this one.

   
(Peter Smykla photo, Russell Tedder Collection)

This bridge is located just north of Tinsman, AR on the line I'm modeling and thought it would be right at home here?



So I grabbed some paper, made a template and got started on it.
Instead of using wood I chose to use styrene.  With the help of MEK I got the all the parts assembled in one night and painted.  Then I got the bridge assembled the second night.



It's taller than I need but I'll trim it once I get the area dug out and prepared.
 
I couldn't resist to see what it would look like.

[Frank Amato]

Love these updates, and your willingness to adjust "on the fly"!  That low trestle scene will look great.

  Frank

[wm3798]

Top drawer stuff happening here.  Absolutely top drawer!

Now if you'll excuse me, I'll go back to building my layout with only a hatchet and a paint roller...

Lee

[Bendtracker1]

Love these updates, and your willingness to adjust "on the fly"!  That low trestle scene will look great.

  Frank

Thank you Frank!
From the start I knew there would be things that I'd want or need to change, so all of the cork and track was just tacked in place.  After the first few Ops sessions I began making several changes, and have been making changes pretty much constantly since I started.  Having the cork and track just tacked into place has been a saving grace.
In this case, this just happened to be the first area that I decided to make changes after it was ballasted.

The reason for this change is that as I've progressed with the layout, I've come to realize that I've packed in too much stuff in certain areas and I didn't have near enough negative space.  Which is the case here.  I've got a few more areas that I plan to remove more track to make things less congested.

I'm beginning to think that the first rule of MRR'ing should be changed to "Less is More".

[wm3798]

You've been reading the Gospel according to St. @Ed Kapuscinski

[Pomperaugrr]

That is some outstanding work Allen.  I also concur with your thoughts on negative space.

[Bendtracker1]

One step forward, two steps back....
That's about how I feel right now.

Originally I had somewhat planned to carve things out but I was just having a hard time trying to see a clear path going that route.
So after several restless nights I decided to start with a clean slate, well kind of.

I did manage to get a section removed but this is where I stalled out at.



So this is what I decided to do.  Remove everything within the blue boundaries. 





Laid in a layer of cardboard and 1/2" foam



The bridge is taller than I need and I still need to add another layer of foam under 2/3rds of the bridge, so I'll be doing some trimming as move forward.
The creek will be painted on this layer of foam and I can build up the creek banks easier than I could have carved them out. 

[OldEastRR]

Good decision. The "wedding cake" foam layer construction technique is perfect for this scene. You'll also be able to vary the height of the land slightly above or below the ROW so it doesn't look completely flat.
Is that parallel track on the RH side of the "creek" part of a former double-track main? If so, putting in an abandoned trestle (or the cut down remains of one) that once carried it would help with that forlorn RI look.
As a comment, it looks like your trestle is too high. Looking at the proto photo I'd gauge the real one is only the height of a Geep.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Oh man, I'm loving that sketched terrain profile.

It looks very natural and like something not frequently modeled

[CRL]

This is a reason I prefer using cheap white beadboard styrofoam instead of the the blue or pink variety. It’s much easier to carve for scenery and is stable enough to use as roadbed for model trains of any scale.

[nuno81291]

I would just add to be careful of any off gassing from the foam base and any water treatment/2 part epoxy sort of stuff can be an issue I think. Scene looks like it will be very nice

[davefoxx]

If all else fails, this harbor scene looks great!    Seriously, I like the meandering creek and agree with Ed K.

Kudos,
DFF

[Bendtracker1]

Oh man, I'm loving that sketched terrain profile.
It looks very natural and like something not frequently modeled

I can't say that I've seen much like it either Ed.  I just hope that I can do it justice.
I have it my head, but to get it down on the layout...... we'll see.

This is a reason I prefer using cheap white beadboard styrofoam instead of the the blue or pink variety. It’s much easier to carve for scenery and is stable enough to use as roadbed for model trains of any scale.

Not sure how you figure the white foam is easier to carve?  The times I've carved it, it was like it snowed all over the layout after a few swipes?
Now if you melt it with a hot wire or hot pen it would leave less of a mess?  Then come back with plaster or sculptamold and cover it and it works OK.

I would just add to be careful of any off gassing from the foam base and any water treatment/2 part epoxy sort of stuff can be an issue I think. Scene looks like it will be very nice

Thanks!
The foam is old enough I'm not worried about it, plus once it's painted....
I don't plan to pour the water, so that's not a worry either.  But thanks for the warning.

If all else fails, this harbor scene looks great!    Seriously, I like the meandering creek and agree with Ed K.

Kudos,
DFF

Thanks Dave.
Well I could always turn it into shrimping harbor if the creek scene doesn't pan out?