Weekend Update 3/17/13

[Coxy]

And here's the full construction photo album:  http://www.pbase.com/atsf_arizona/gp7b_construction

Very nice work John. Great build photos on pbase too. Thanks for sharing.
Coxy

[Coxy]

Fantastic work Brian.
Coxy

[RockGp40]

Here we see Rock Island GP40-2 #3000 (CRP) leading a local into a small Iowa town with a fresh cut of cars from an interchange point. I tried to upload this over at Trainboard because its showing their special run car, but they require you to be a member for three days before your first post.

[up1950s]

John Sing I'll join in with much envy on your GP-7b . UP had 150 9b's and I have yet to do one in N , mainly because color matching yellow never came out good enough on other models , and a total repaint is a PIA . If somebody sold UP 50's era shells they would sell well as UP used them with so many lash-ups and with the turbines as well .

[Jesse6669]

Finished BG tower with some stairs from a ship model detail kit (USS Arizona/Pennsylvania), a smokestack, and a repainted sailor.. he was in his dress whites.   Blue jeans more apppropriate I think..

Test run of some decals for a P&LE boxcar too.. in keeping with the Irish theme    Needs a little work yet.


All 1:450 scale. 


Jesse

[mmagliaro]

John, that Santa Fe Geep is wonderful - muted colors, weathering, and clean lines. 
Dave, as always, a very very nice, and very appropriate and believable Pennsy shot.

I have been beavering away on the ol' layout.   Trees, Silflor, power lines, ground cover, gravel, roads, ballast,
 just  all-around scenery.   
 

[M.C. Fujiwara]

Max: layout looking good & greener!

After a week of PITA fun with various materials, finally installed the Eggel River Mining Co. Freighthouse and Store:



That's also my first focus stacking attempt.
Good times ahead (at least photo-wise) 

More photos in the Engineering Reports.

Happy Weekend, and go UCLA Bruins 

[Hornwrecker]

(Aww, crap.  I guess someone has to post after another Fujiwara phenomenal photo)

Once again MC, if I didn't know what scale you're modeling, I couldn't hazard a guess.

Here's my latest experimentation with static grass; the weed choked, small EL yard on the upper level.  Trying for an early spring look with lots of dead grass.



Don't know if it's alright to try to apply the grass between the rails, or would it get taken up by the loco trucks.  Any advice?

[M.C. Fujiwara]

Don't know if it's alright to try to apply the grass between the rails, or would it get taken up by the loco trucks.  Any advice?

I'd dollop a little white glue here & there between the rails and then use my fingers to sprinkle (by rubbing a little between index & thumb) a little static grass onto it.
Vacuum immediately, and then, when dry, trim grass tops if they interfere with couplers or trucks.

Looks like, though, you've already piled enough textures around.
Personally, I'd go easy on the tea leaves / rough textures around the tracks (they look groovy away from them, though!) and maybe sift some grout to smooth out the rough textures around the rails.
Just my two cents.

Layout is looking very groovy and glad you're having fun adding all these nifty details!

[Lemosteam]

Max, the layout is looking spectacular!

MC, I love the rustic look of your structures, they are exactly as I would imagin them to be.

Bob I think the grass looks great for late winter.

I Finished my bridge shoes on the Atlas dual-use through girder for the LIRR I.S.



Used some 0.5mm Scale Hardware nut and bolt shanks for the pivot bolts and note the slider shoe under the clevis:



With the help of others' wisdom, I shortend two Atlas #10 turnout diverging routes to obtain a prototypical 13'-0" (0.975") PRR main track center.



Also got my airbrush water separator and pressure valve set up under the workbench.  The tee is for using the Badger hose or a Passche -style hose with my air eraser.

[Hornwrecker]

Thanks for the tips.  Using macro photography really shows what things look like, especially the flaws. I can see where this, along with peer pressure, can substantially improve my modeling.

 I'll have to pick up some grout to play around with.  I can see where having finer textures can help things.  I haven't cleaned up around the rails yet, so the flangeways are still gunked up.

Nice to see the rate of progress increasing, John.  Joey Uboats wanted to know why the hell you were using turnouts almost 25% the total length of your mainline.  I told him that it's a Pennsy thing, and that he wouldn't understand.

[Alwyn Cutmore]

John,

The bridge is looking good.

Regards

Al

[Dave Schneider]

I added the roof to the Milwaukee Journal newsprint dock. It took awhile to get all those beams aligned and plume. Still a ways to go but a bit of progress.



This is what I am aiming for.



I need some newsprint rolls for the dock. Any thoughts on a typical size? I guess something like 4 ft diameter and a 5 ft length.

Best wishes, Dave

[mmagliaro]

Max: layout looking good & greener!

After a week of PITA fun with various materials, finally installed the Eggel River Mining Co. Freighthouse and Store:



That's also my first focus stacking attempt.
Good times ahead (at least photo-wise) 

More photos in the Engineering Reports.

Happy Weekend, and go UCLA Bruins 

Thanks, M.C.  When I see your scenery, I feel like an utter fool posting any photos of my layout at all, but thank you all the same.   Your structures, weathering, trackwork, and just all-around scenic touch is some of the best I have ever seen anywhere.  That mining company building is amazing, and it's not the only great thing in that shot!

[Rowan]

Stunning as usual