N Scale Hi Rail - Retro Hollow Core Door Layout

[wm3798]

Christmas project.

The Bachmann shorty cars are fun to run, but the series lacks a full baggage.  So after finding some bargains on combines, I set about the business of correcting that shortcoming.
I'm pretty happy that my cuts turned out to be reasonably clean. 
I modified the roof to allow all the doors to operate.  I still have to block up the windows in the ends of the car, and perhaps add some step rails at the baggage door... then its off to the paint shop!
Lee

[davefoxx]

I’ve never heard of Sanntral.  Is that a transcontinental route? 

DFF

[Dave V]

I’ve never heard of Sanntral.  Is that a transcontinental route? 

DFF

Short for the Sann Juann Sanntral.

[MK]

I’ve never heard of Sanntral.  Is that a transcontinental route? 

DFF

That's "Central" with a foreign accent.  Call me politically incorrect!      

[wm3798]

I was looking at the other side... New York CaFe...



She's taking her paint drying laps now.
BTW, Testers Model Master spray paint sucks.  Might as will use a roller.
It does flatten out eventually, but the orange peeling going on is startling.
Lee 

[wm3798]

A touch of gray, and some interior finishes...

Lee

[wm3798]

Next time, decals...

[OldEastRR]

I've arrived at a hybrid solution.

\
Wow! Somebody actually took my advice and used it! THAT doesn't happen very often. Kudos to Lee for recognizing a great idea even if it wasn't like anything he'd heard of before. You are so very welcome, sir, for the compliment.

OK -- you said you're looking for an urban vibe to the scene? Well, the RR better have had a damn good reason to build an expensive retaining wall on the outside of the curve instead of using a nice cheap dirt fill with minor retaining wing wall.  Since they built the tower, I'm pretty sure they'd have placed it somewhere without an expensive earthmoving  task. I was going to suggest you have a sloping dirt embankment where the tower is (keep a notch-out for the signal, tho) but you're mention about an urban scenery means keep the retaining wall, but give it a reason -- like some big old factory sitting right there. Actually just part of a big factory, most of which is just off the layout.  Not even much of structure- an L-shaped piece that roughly parallels the tracks. You already have a trackside industry with no service on the other end of the layout; you could duplicate that here. Then put a chain link fence separating the plant from the ROW and there you go: urban (plus lots of junk against the fence, for East Coast urban).
 
And to  add to the urban look I suggest making a vertical retaining wing wall for the tunnel on the inside of the curve -- symmetry for imagery. Doesn't have to go far -- about 4-5" or less would do the trick.

And yeah, you need some end cover for that open end to keep the inside of the tunnel dark.

[wm3798]

So I think I'll move my Merchants Row over to the new corner setting.

I think I'll straighten out the retaining wall to allow for a bit of a slope down to the tower, which should allow for the whole thing to become even more coherent.



So now I will have to rethink the streetscape in PawPaw...
Lee

[OldEastRR]

Why not put the camping scene there? A roadside park --- those things are pretty small in the east.

I really like the look of the buildings on the new real estate. Looking forward to see how you develop all that white space.

Have you come up a solution for the "cover over" of the upper level hidden track opening? Now that you've made this a more urban scene possibly a large factory false front? And a covered passageway between it and a building painted on the back wall to frame the track opening. Like Puddington did on his layout where the track disappeared between two buildings before going though the divider.  For a change of pace instead of a concrete tunnel entrance.  I realize that means eliminating the sawmill, but a freight house would fit in well with the urban look, so you don't lose a working spur. A dinky FH from the N scale of the '60s would fulfill the retro requirement.

[wm3798]

Retaining walls fabricated  and painted.


Pavement, weathering, lighting and details added to the to do list!
Lee

[davefoxx]

Nice!

DFF

[wazzou]

Nice Lee. 
I do think the Rix railing to the left of the bore, adjacent to the upper level track is unnecessary and looks out of place.
There are no vehicles or pedestrians and it won't stop a derailing train.
Just my opinion.

[CRL]

Lee - Very well executed. One suggestion... look at the shadow line in your tunnel... trace the line in pencil and then paint everything that falls behind the shadow line flat black, or a really dark charcoal gray. It will help hide the curve of the tunnel when there isn’t a train there.

Carl

[nkalanaga]

I agree with Bryan.  Back in the 60s, and earlier, if there was anything at the top of the bank, it would probably have been a wire fence.  The only reason for having anything there would be to keep people from falling, and the only people who should have been there would be railroaders.  At night, in the dark, a 3-strand wire, or wove-wire, fence would have been useful.

For a "retro" layout, a half-inch wide strip of window screen, with straight pins for fence posts, would be appropriate...