Weekend Update 3/22/15

[bnsfdash8]

Now that you guys say something I think their might be a message in there somewhere. 

I'll look into trying to add some dents and bulges to the sides, that would complete the look. The car was factory painted by Atlas, they've done a few in MCWX.

[C855B]

Now that you guys say something I think their might be a message in there somewhere. 
...

I'm reading "THE CHIPPER".

[Ntrainz1]

I installed a couple of pieces of backdrop. I considered vinyl/aluminum flashing but was concerned with the vinyl staying flat and getting stitches using aluminum, so I went with 1/4" masonite.



Bob.

[mark dance]

In this installment: Backdrop angst...

When I drew the track plan for Valican BC over a dozen years ago I knew I was sowing the seeds of a problem.  Valican exists in reality and on the layout as a small hamlet in the Slocan valley.  The focus of the CP's  Slocan branch up the valley was the large sawmill and barge operations at the terminus at Slocan City however I wanted to squeeze in a small siding along the valley so chose Valican, the location where my brother in law lives.  However because it is far from the focus of operations I allocate next to no real estate to Valican...it is shoved against the backdrop which separates it from the recess where the swing gate leading  up the valley resides.  Valican would have to exist solely on the backdrop.

Now the rest of the C&W backdrop is done in an impressionistic style ...it is a fast painting style which gives the impression of something beyond but doesn't detract from the foreground.  I experimented with photos of wood frame structures from the valley but just wasn't happy with their perspective and the way they did not blend in with the balance of the hand painted backdrop.  I knew I was going to have to try hand painting the town and I did not relish it...turns out for good reason.  I am not going to put hand painted backdrop structures in my plans again!  I tried to paint them in a "folk art" style but to me they look mostly like pencil crayon sketches you would find in an elementary class room. 

Oh well...they are done, fill the space and, in the spirit of full disclosure, are my weekly update for this week. 





and the overall alcove



The backdrop does look somewhat better in person I think ...the camera lens distortion is causing the impression of the buildings tilting from vertical in the photos.

Have a great weekend!

md

[chicken45]

Weathered MCWX gondola, with custom scrap load:

Did you use a soldering iron on that?

[Scottl]

Mark, that is a tough scene to paint.   You have my sympathies, as I also spend a lot of time agonizing over these things.   The light coloured conifer trees stand out to me as a bit odd in terms of color mix and contrast. 

[milw156]

Other than some small stuff I finished a scratch built feed mill.

Love how that mill has all of the corners and roof angles, AWESOME!
Rick

[GN63]

In this installment: Backdrop angst...
 




I think it looks very good - great - in the words of the late great Bob Ross "it's a happy little town"

Byron

[hegstad1]

I just got back from a ski trip out west and had to stop at Reed Point, Montana.  I took the opportunity to take a few photos of the inspiration for the small town I'm construction on my layout

[mark dance]

Mark, that is a tough scene to paint.   You have my sympathies, as I also spend a lot of time agonizing over these things.   The light coloured conifer trees stand out to me as a bit odd in terms of color mix and contrast.

Valican..."the happy little town".  I like it!

thx for your sympathy Scott...the yellow conifers are intended to be Tamaracks which turn gold in the fall.  My modeled time period is supposed to be late Fall 1970 in order to support plow ops at snow-covered Farron summit 2500' higher.  However, in reality, the whole Kootenay area is gold from the Tamracks not a few patches in the valleys.  I have a few other golden patches scattered around the layout and backdrop but a full layout in gold was beyond me! 

I chose the groves behind Valican to put more Tamracks as, when it was just dark green trees as it was until 07:30 this morning, the contrast between the impressionist dark green trees and the rectilinear buildings seemed great.  I wanted to blend between the styles a bit with a few more detailed Tamracks between them to draw the eye.

...probably more info then anyone wanted but there you go.  The compromises we make!

md

[up1950s]

I can't find logic in the placement of those scratches and the lack of scratches on the edges of the painted right angles and ribs . Otherwise the scratches are nice . Do you have a prototype that shows that scratch design , or did you envision it from scratch ?

[lashedup]

Installed grain elevator and piping:





Also continue to keep working on planting weeds and details on the siding...



More photos in the Layout Reports topic https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=17191.375.

[BCOL 747]

Mark, I think you are being too hard on yourself. Maybe from up close the perspective may be a bit off, but from your third photo the backdrop looks just fine. Throw in a few trees in the foreground and no one will ever notice. Having seen your layout in person a few times the painted on structures do not detract from the overall master quality at all.

As for me no work on the layout this week but I did find some time to build a few woodchip and skeleton log cars.



PGE 9857 was built from the now defunct Sidney Model Works resin kit. PGE 9778 was built from the CS Models styrene kit. Both were decaled with Highball Graphic sets.




The log cars were built from the Kaslo resin kits and decaled with Highball Graphics sets.


Happy modeling

Chris Dittmar
BC Rail Chetwynd Sub.

[chrismears]

https://princestreet.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/dsc01591.jpg?w=700&h=
I had some time to work on the third, and final, turnout for my layout this week. I always really enjoy checking in on this weekly thread and thought I'd ad a post to it myself for a change.

I still need to add a throwbar to this turnout. I also need to trim the ties, to length, along the "main" side of the turnout.

Cheers


Chris

[Scottl]

@mark dance, now I get the trees.  I agree with Chris' comment that it will come together well with the rest of the scenery.