Author Topic: Weekend Update 1/10/21  (Read 7853 times)

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Angus Shops

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Re: Weekend Update 1/10/21
« Reply #60 on: January 12, 2021, 10:35:40 AM »
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BC Hydro Railway would be a very interesting railway to model.  I would love to see the "38s" done in yellow in N Scale.  I usually get a quick peek at those engines whenever i use the Queensborough Bridge en route to the ferries or the border (which of course hasn't been lately  :()

Tim

Now that I live in New Westminster I’ve found the whole New West rail scene very model worthy. CP, BNSF, CN and SRY, tight yards, big bridges, smaller (swing) bridges, urban scenery, interesting industry...

I was lucky enough to get a quick tour of the SRY shops not long ago; they have an interesting mix of projects on the go. Gondolas used in the scrap industry are ‘distressed’ beyond anything I’ve ever seen modelled.

craigolio1

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Re: Weekend Update 1/10/21
« Reply #61 on: January 12, 2021, 12:45:12 PM »
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Now that I live in New Westminster I’ve found the whole New West rail scene very model worthy. CP, BNSF, CN and SRY, tight yards, big bridges, smaller (swing) bridges, urban scenery, interesting industry...

I was lucky enough to get a quick tour of the SRY shops not long ago; they have an interesting mix of projects on the go. Gondolas used in the scrap industry are ‘distressed’ beyond anything I’ve ever seen modelled.
There are a few sections in new Westminster they have always fascinated me. One is the bridge across the Fraser with the Y on it. The other is along that same section of line closer to new Westminster Quay where there is one section of the right away that is on land, and a parallel track that was built next to it where there was no more land left so they built a pile trestle. I think That the right of way on land belonged to the BCER (later BC Hydro/SRY)  and that the section on the pile trestle was Great Northern.  The industries are interesting too. There used to be a brewery on Braid Street (I think) and it had a very steep grade from the mainline. Not to mention in other parts of the city like all of the switching and street running that would’ve occurred on Granville Island. The modern portion of the Railway has passenger through traffic as well. The Rocky Mountaineer. Via rail Canadian. I’m not sure if Amtrak still runs from Vancouver to Seattle. The scenic elements are awesome. Big river, log booms, water front industry plus modern recreational waterfront, parking garages built over the ROW, all crammed into a very narrow shoreline with the city on a steep hill up to the back drop. Begging to be modelled.

@BCR 570, what has been holding me back on starting my yellow BC Hydro locomotives is coming up with a way to paint all those tiny black stripes on the yellow handrails. This is a feature that I’ve always considered to be most noticeably missing on HO models I’ve seen yet it really is something unique to BCH. Each horizontal handrail section between the stanchions has three stripes. On the prototype they’re probably 4 inches wide.  I painted all of the white stripes on my blue models by first painting the handrails white, then individually masking each 1mm wide stripe, and painting the blue. This was tedious but not too bad as there is only one stripe per handrail section. On the yellow models I will have to paint over 100 stripes per model, all perfectly placed. In other discussions it has been suggested to use decals, but I tried using white decals on the blue models and I could not get them to lay down around the tiny handrails. Especially on the SW 900s where I used wire handrails. I suppose I could try to mask them all however it’s further complicated in that the stripes are black. Ideally I would paint the black after painting the yellow which means masking the entire handrail section and leaving the individual black parts unmasked. I don’t think I can pull that off. So much precision masking on something that is so small to handle. My latest thought is perhaps to paint them all yellow first. Then take a thin piece of thread and cover the centre of it in black paint. With the handrail held in a third hand I would carefully surround the handrail with the thread in a loop and pull it tight where I want to apply the paint. Then release it. The idea being that the thread with create a stripe completely around the handrail with a uniform with each time. Sort of like a stamp. Then I would just have to clean the thread, or get a new thread, so that paint doesn’t build up and change the size of a stripe, and repeat this 100 times on each of my four yellow locomotives. Easy Peezy, ha ha. Sounds like a way to kill 12 hours on a graveyard shift waiting for phones to ring.

Craig.

davefoxx

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Re: Weekend Update 1/10/21
« Reply #62 on: January 12, 2021, 04:27:27 PM »
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Agreed!   @davefoxx ,I would like to know how to make my roads look just like this. Would you mind sharing?

Craig.

@craigolio1,

Glad to help.  I used 0.060" black styrene sheet for the roads.  I was able to buy 2' x 4' sheets of styrene from a vendor on eBay.  After the road was cut to fit and sanded to provide a tooth for the paint to stick, I used Rustoleum Light Gray Automotive Primer (my go-to color for faded asphalt).  I used Woodland Scenics' paint pens for the yellow and white traffic lines.  They're my primary source of dissatisfaction with the road, but I had already started with them and couldn't change back to colored pencils.  I've had success with colored pencils in the past, but, for some reason, on this layout, the white just wasn't covering well enough, so I tried the paint pens.  I hid the worst mistakes, including puddles of yellow and white paint where the pens leaked, under the asphalt patches.  Weathering was just some ground-up black and brown (mostly black) chalk that I spread on the road with a soft brush and blended by rubbing it down with a paper towel.  On the bridge, I also used weathering mixes, which is just powdered chalk in an alcohol solution.  I still have to apply a clear flat spray to the roads and the bridge and then possibly do some final weathering with chalks, if necessary.

Hope this helps,
DFF

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craigolio1

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Re: Weekend Update 1/10/21
« Reply #63 on: January 12, 2021, 04:31:28 PM »
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@craigolio1,

Glad to help.  I used 0.060" black styrene sheet for the roads.  I was able to buy 2' x 4' sheets of styrene from a vendor on eBay.  After the road was cut to fit and sanded to provide a tooth for the paint to stick, I used Rustoleum Light Gray Automotive Primer (my go-to color for faded asphalt).  I used Woodland Scenics' paint pens for the yellow and white traffic lines.  They're my primary source of dissatisfaction with the road, but I had already started with them and couldn't change back to colored pencils.  I've had success with colored pencils in the past, but, for some reason, on this layout, the white just wasn't covering well enough, so I tried the paint pens.  I hid the worst mistakes, including puddles of yellow and white paint where the pens leaked, under the asphalt patches.  Weathering was just some ground-up black and brown (mostly black) chalk that I spread on the road with a soft brush and blended by rubbing it down with a paper towel.  On the bridge, I also used weathering mixes, which is just powdered chalk in an alcohol solution.  I still have to apply a clear flat spray to the roads and the bridge and then possibly do some final weathering with chalks, if necessary.

Hope this helps,
DFF

Thanks Dave. I have a bunch of roads that need to be painted to match a faded asphalt soon. This is really helpful.

mrhedley

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Re: Weekend Update 1/10/21
« Reply #64 on: January 12, 2021, 05:33:15 PM »
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Thanks for the info.  I dislike the paint pens also.  I prefer colored pencil, but I find that the paint has to leave a very rough surface to work well.  I've used the Krylon paint and primer blend, but it's not "rough" enough so I switched to the "chalkboard" finish which takes pencils and chalks very well, however the color just isn't right--it's way too flat black--so it takes more effort to weather than to paint it. I'll look for the Automotive Primer next visit to the big box store.  I'm also never satisfied with how the shoulders look.  Shoulders on state and federal highways in New York (which I model) back in the days were tar and rough pea gravel.  I've tried WS fine grey ballast but it's too large.  Grout works better but the color isn't quite right, and it doesn't take an ink wash at all.  Frustrating.  .  However yours look great!


@craigolio1,

Glad to help.  I used 0.060" black styrene sheet for the roads.  I was able to buy 2' x 4' sheets of styrene from a vendor on eBay.  After the road was cut to fit and sanded to provide a tooth for the paint to stick, I used Rustoleum Light Gray Automotive Primer (my go-to color for faded asphalt).  I used Woodland Scenics' paint pens for the yellow and white traffic lines.  They're my primary source of dissatisfaction with the road, but I had already started with them and couldn't change back to colored pencils.  I've had success with colored pencils in the past, but, for some reason, on this layout, the white just wasn't covering well enough, so I tried the paint pens.  I hid the worst mistakes, including puddles of yellow and white paint where the pens leaked, under the asphalt patches.  Weathering was just some ground-up black and brown (mostly black) chalk that I spread on the road with a soft brush and blended by rubbing it down with a paper towel.  On the bridge, I also used weathering mixes, which is just powdered chalk in an alcohol solution.  I still have to apply a clear flat spray to the roads and the bridge and then possibly do some final weathering with chalks, if necessary.

Hope this helps,
DFF

wazzou

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Re: Weekend Update 1/10/21
« Reply #65 on: January 12, 2021, 06:54:35 PM »
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I use "Watercolor" colored pencils.
Bryan

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BCR 570

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Re: Weekend Update 1/10/21
« Reply #66 on: January 12, 2021, 09:09:36 PM »
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Quote
I’m not sure if Amtrak still runs from Vancouver to Seattle.

Yes they do, or did until the current border closure.  I hadnt thought about the through passenger traffic which certainly ups the interest.


Tim
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BCR Dawson Creek Subdivision in N Scale
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craigolio1

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Re: Weekend Update 1/10/21
« Reply #67 on: January 12, 2021, 10:00:07 PM »
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Yes they do, or did until the current border closure.  I hadnt thought about the through passenger traffic which certainly ups the interest.


Tim

Yep. Heck you can even run a Royal Hudson through there, escorted by a couple of BCH SD38-2