Weekend Update 4/27/14

[conrail98]

What the heck is this thing?



Find out here: https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=32547.0

Absolutely awesome work DKS,

Phil

[JanesCustomTrain]

Absolutely awesome work DKS

+1

Jane

[Dave V]

Weathered a G scale tenwheeler...



I also removed that unprototypical striping around the cab window:



Primarily done with airbrush.

[Pennsy]

"roadbed ballasted where it leaves the brick roadways. Please forward any comments or suggestions to help me complete this project...I truly value the constructive criticism that Railwire members provide. "

Phil, great modules. As a T-Traker myself I can appreciate the work so far. I especially like the use of multiple levels on the modules. too many times you see plywood planes with little thought to the ups and downs of landscape.
As for criticism. I really can't think of any, since your modules are unfinished. I do think you could use lots of signage. The road crossing and street track age both could use a lot, depending on your time period. And advertisements also help to set you time and local. For those modules you might want to check out some of the in color trolley books for your area.

Jim

[Pennsy]

" Please forward any comments or suggestions to help me complete this project...I truly value the constructive criticism that Railwire members provide. "
Oops. forgot to mention street lights too

Jim

[Iain]

[160pennsy]

very nice set of modules .. like the roads coming in at an angle .. and the backdrop is fantastic .. thats an area where modelers can do a lot .. putting photo's into the backdrop as low relief structures as well ..

John,

Thank you for the compliment regarding the road angles & backdrop. Since the 1990's, I've been involved with three N-TRAK clubs and seen way too many modules with most roadways laid out parallel to the community tracks. Without the clever photo backdrop editing I kept sweating the one major hurdle...how to handle the transition between the main brick street climbing up a hill & ending into the skyboard? I first wanted to try pasting cutout photos of houses onto the backdrop with spray bomb blue fading to white sky. I really want to express my thanks to the talented club members of http://www.trainweb.org/nrmrc/ that are willing to help out a brother in need.

[160pennsy]

+1

Mark in Oregon

Thank you Mark

[BCR 570]

I have been working on this scenic test section .. the 'scenery slab' as I have named it.

Great idea - have been contemplating something similar myself to try ballasting, scenery, roads, etc.

Tim

[160pennsy]

Well, I'm actually from Johnstown!
I don't know if your intent is in modeling Johnstown in this picture. If it is, your module looks more like Westmont, which overlooks Johnstown. Westmont was more of a wealthy area and residential. The houses sat along the ridge edge. I can't say for sure about tracks up there. Johnstown and Westmont were linked via the world's steepest inclined plane:


Johnstown proper sat in the bottom of the valley between these mountains. What's why we got flooded thrice in a century. So if you are modeling Johnstown, you need mountains for backdrops.
Since you mentioned Johnstown, it's all I can think about when I look at your photos, and I can't shake the feeling that you need a different backdrop. But if you aren't modeling Johnstown or Westmont, it looks great!

In this picture you can see Bethlehem Steel in the top left and the old PRR main along the river.

Chicken 45 (John)

Thank you for your insight to Johnstown, PA & the surrounding communities. I have taken considerable artistic license with trying to get some of the look & feel of the area (hilly terrain w/brick streets & imbedded dual trolley lines) and did not really try to match any particular prototype structures or scenes - maybe on the next modules? IMHO the backdrop works pretty good as is and I am focusing my energy on blending the colors of foreground trees & ground scenery into the backdrop colors, adding static grass, finishing the structures with signs, interior detailing, electric meters, downspouts/gutters, weathering. All of the various sight lines/scenes will include street signs, mailboxes, people, animals, autos, telephone poles, wiring....etc,etc.

[160pennsy]

"roadbed ballasted where it leaves the brick roadways. Please forward any comments or suggestions to help me complete this project...I truly value the constructive criticism that Railwire members provide. "

Phil, great modules. As a T-Traker myself I can appreciate the work so far. I especially like the use of multiple levels on the modules. too many times you see plywood planes with little thought to the ups and downs of landscape.
As for criticism. I really can't think of any, since your modules are unfinished. I do think you could use lots of signage. The road crossing and street track age both could use a lot, depending on your time period. And advertisements also help to set you time and local. For those modules you might want to check out some of the in color trolley books for your area.

Jim

Hello Pennsy (Jim),

My name is Paul Ohegyi and thank you for pointing out the multiple levels. Signs, advertisements will be added and I've been using this Pennsy color trolley book as inspiration for these modules:

Pennsylvania Trolleys In Color
Volume 3: The Pittsburgh Region
William D. Volkmer

Currently working on adding LED lighting to the tan & green houses. Hope to work my way down each street 

[BCR 570]

Our PGE-BCR Modellers Group displayed at the Nanaimo Train Show today.  Jeff Briggs stopped by our tables late in the afternoon with his chassis for the forthcoming Dash 8-40CM kit.  This is a Kato SD40-2 now running on Dofasco trucks:

Tim

[Baronjutter]

Hand carved a whole load of cobbles and concrete roads.

[chicken45]

Chicken 45 (John) Josh

Thank you for your insight to Johnstown, PA & the surrounding communities. I have taken considerable artistic license with trying to get some of the look & feel of the area (hilly terrain w/brick streets & imbedded dual trolley lines) and did not really try to match any particular prototype structures or scenes - maybe on the next modules? IMHO the backdrop works pretty good as is and I am focusing my energy on blending the colors of foreground trees & ground scenery into the backdrop colors, adding static grass, finishing the structures with signs, interior detailing, electric meters, downspouts/gutters, weathering. All of the various sight lines/scenes will include street signs, mailboxes, people, animals, autos, telephone poles, wiring....etc,etc.

It really does look great. It also reminds me a little bit of Pittsburgh as viewed from the South Side Slopes.
I rarely get to promote this because I don't know many people actually interested in the subject matter, but there the Jackson Township Historical Preservation Facebook page is a great source for pictures. It's got tons of pictures from southwest PA.

https://www.facebook.com/jacksontownship.historicalpreservation

Trolleys passing at the intersection of Franklin Street and Valley Pike in the 8th Ward of Johnstown on May 23, 1959.
(Photo from Donald M. Williams via https://www.facebook.com/groups/2227082563/)

[rickb773]

.....   btw .. I don't know if they used spacer cars in the 50s on tank trains ..

You are probably right. I just watched a DVD of PRR & Reading steam engines in the early 1950s and viewed a freight train with a tank car right behind the steam engine.

Another reason to model the early 50s - fewer safety rules!