Best Of UP's N Scale Canyon Division Layout Build....

[Tad_T]

Very nice, sir!

[Sumner]

Clouds Over Valley of the Gods...

This is the last backdrop that needs clouds. It has Valley of the Gods (Utah) on one end and the coal mine on the other end.

 

I had to darken the image above so that the image on the tablet was more visible. In order to mix up the shape and size of the clouds I use clouds from pictures I’ve taken or found on the internet. If I don’t do this I find that I start making the clouds to similar. I don’t try and recreate the cloud but I’m more interested in the shape. The rest of the cloud kind of forms once I have the outline I want and start filling it in.

 

A start but lots more clouds to go as this backdrop is about 15 feet long.  I wanted these two clouds over Valley of The Gods and will work off to the left and right from here.

A link to this whole build ( HERE ).

Sumner

[Sumner]

Day 2 of cloud painting, working from the clouds above off to the left and right of them.

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

A link to this whole build ( HERE ).

Sumner

[Sumner]

Day 3....clouds by the coal mine scene...



 Had to climb the ladder again but maybe close to being done with that.

 

Most all of the clouds to this point have been painted from pictures I’ve taken of local clouds. I really like how dramatic the cloud that I’m trying to paint looks in the book PAINTING BACKDROPS FOR YOUR MODEL RAILROAD. I think I can get it a little better than this but doubt I can make it look like the one in the book. Might get painted over at some point.

 

The large thundercloud sill needs quite a bit of work....not real happy with it as is. Not far to go now, a couple feet around the bend will do it.

A link to this whole build ( HERE ).

Sumner

[Sumner]

Day 4.....



Worked on the thunderhead some and finished the clouds to the end of the backdrop. Like the thunderhead better and it is a lot closer to the picture but the verdict is still out on if I should change it to a more conventional looking thunderhead off behind the mesa.



Time to decide on what is next, no shortage of things it could be.



Probably move on to getting the unfinished foam scenery to about the same stage as what is shown here. Then get all the track in on the upper level before moving to the lower level.



Need a lot of trees, mainly Juniper but some Aspen for the sawmill scene. Ed and I, mostly he made a test run and completed the ones above in about an hour. They still need to be cut to height but will do that when I know for sure where they are going. He might be back in a couple days so need to come up with a plan for the Juniper trees.

A link to this whole build ( HERE ).

Sumner

[Sumner]

With the backdrops over 90% done (might do small changes later) I put up a short video tour of the layout as it is at this point.

You can find the complete layout build to this point ( HERE ).  Have a good weekend.

Sumner

[Sumner]

Mountain and Mesa Trees....

Need lots of trees to put in place when the scenery is being finished and I’ve got help. My new co-worker is Ed, a local native, who lives a couple blocks from me and was a trucker for I believe 30 years, worked in a local machine shop and is now retired. Model railroading is new to him but he is excited about finding a new hobby. This is going to be a big help to me and we are forming a good friendship.

 

I made a couple Aspens following the instructions in Grant Eastman’s great video ( HERE ) . Then Ed came aboard and made over 60 more. Probably enough for the sawmill scene which is set higher in elevation at the base of the mountains.

 

The rest of the layout is a couple thousand feet lower with Junipers and Pinion Pine needed there for the mesa tops. I tried a couple different techniques using different peoples ideas on how to make trees and came up with some I can make in about 10 minutes each. I’m still perfecting it a little but the video on what I’m doing is above and ( HERE ) .

 

Above is a breakdown on how to strip, solder and work the 14 gauge stranded wire. Most of the Juniper’s in this area are 20 feet or less, so only about 1 ½” tall in N scale. They are scrubby and usually have broken and dead branches.



I also need some Ponderosa Pines for the sawmill scene as you will find the Aspen groves in those usually. I’ve found some videos on Ponderosa but not many and while I’ve seen some good ones the good ones take a lot of time to make. For now at least I’ll use the method I’ve come up with shown above and below. Later maybe I’ll revisit this and possibly remove and replace trees. I don’t need near as many of these as I do Junipers.



I tried a couple different techniques, for now at least, settled on what is shown in the images here. These are slower to make than the Junipers but not real bad time wise. Probably will end up at about a half hour per tree, start to finish.



.




.



.


 
Ponderosa are way more open between branches than most other pines. Also they don’t have that ‘cone’ shape. Straigher up and down on the sides of the tree with a rounded top. Also the branches appear to droop more, especially the lower ones. I’m still not real happy with what I’ve got here but will use it for at least a while and maybe come back in the future with another plan.



Going to continue building trees here and there but will move onto Spackling and painting the foam scenery to have a little variety work wise.

A link to this whole build ( HERE ).

Sumner

[Sumner]

Spackle, Spackle, Spackle – Pt. 1.....

With the foam board scenery all roughed in time to Spackle first and then paint before track laying begins.

 

I knew that the area that needed Spackle and paint just to the right of the finished rock wall was going to be the hardest area to work in on the layout and it was. I was able to remove the scenery over the hidden coal mine track which helped but still couldn’t see what I was doing without a mirror or walking to the other side of the layout to take a look. I had to step up and down on one of the platforms I use to reach in and after about an hour of that I was done for the day.

 

The next day things got easier as I moved down where I could look over the top. The Spackle goes on pink and dries white. I have mixed in color before but then it becomes harder to match colors when I get to the painting of it.

 

The scenery lifts off above the hidden coal mine track and that helps a lot.

When an empty train gets to and under the coal mine loading chutes it goes across a crossing, thru a building and into/under the curved mesa and back to the hidden staging yard. An identical loaded train comes out of staging under the far hill, upper left, and appears from the other end of the loading chutes giving the impression the train was loaded via the chutes. You can find our more about how all of that will work ( HERE ).

 

Spackle is more expensive than regular Sheetrock mud but works better for this application in my opinion. I bought a big box of Sculptamold but so far the Spackling has worked great. I do have an area coming up that the Sculptamold might work better and will give it a try.

I take what would be a ‘handful’ of Spackle and put it in a small plastic tub and add just a little water to it. Then mix it until it is a thick cream consistency. Then use a plastic putty knife to spread it around and push it into cracks. Next I’ve found that cheap 2 inch chip brushes work great to further spread it and work it into the terrain that was carved into the foam with a hot wire knife. Final step is to dip the brush into water and shake most off. Then smooth the Spackle out and put some brush marks into it if I want to show some strata lines.

This all goes pretty quick. Once I got the areas where I could see what I was doing I finished a fairly large area it a couple hours.

To be continued and a link to this whole build ( HERE ) .

Sumner

[Sumner]

Moved onto Spackling the removable mesa top the next day (took and hour or so).



Being able to take the mesa top to a work station helped speed putting the Spackle on it.

 

The arch is pretty similar to Wilson Arch right along Utah Highway 191 about 5 miles north of us and south of Moab, UT.

 

The mesa top slides in and out easily.

 

Time for some paint. A lot of the joint line between the Mesa top and the bottom will start to go away at that point.

To be continued and a link to this whole build ( HERE ).

Sumner

[Sumner]

Quick & Easy N Scale (other scale ??) Logs...

Since the layout has a large sawmill scene it is going to need lots of logs for the mill pond, logging trucks and logging train’s cars. I designed 3 types of log cars…..

 

…. as seen above (more info/print files starting HERE) so that is covered. I designed some 3D printed logs and they are OK but hard to get the ‘bark’ look on a 3D printed N scale log.

 

Been also making a lot of trees and on the Ponderosa above the trunk was stripped 14 gauge copper wire. Then that was wrapped with 20 gauge copper wire to make the trunk larger in diameter. Finally the trunk was covered with GOLDEN Fiber Paste. Learned about the Fiber Paste from one of Boomer’s Diorama videos .

 

I quit wrapping the 14 gauge on the next set of trees I made as it took too long. I left the insulation on for the added diameter and covered it with the fiber paste and liked it as well so continued using that method.

Then figured logs are no more that tree trunks minus their branches, maybe make the logs out of different diameter insulated wire covered with the Fiber Paste. That worked so now the logs are very simple to make and one can do a lot in a very short amount of time. The ones above and below were done by Ed the new Union Pacific Division crew member.

 

Most the logs I need will be in the 35-40 ft range (about 3 inches in N scale). Ed would cut the wire for the diameter we were working with to about 4 inches in length so that one end could be used as a handle for covering and painting the logs.

 

Don’t try and make the paste smooth and flat. Let the texture work for you. Knock any really high bumps off before painting but they look like where the branches were cut off.

 

The Fiber Paste was ordered online and the craft paint came from the Ace Hardware store a few blocks north of the house.

 

I’m really please with how they look and ….

 

….. the copper core will help add weight to the logging cars.

To be continued and a link to this whole build ( HERE ).

Sumner

[Jesse6669]

I don't model a logging RR but those look great!  Nice technique.   Maybe one day I'll model some Coos Bay stuff?

[Sumner]

Spackle, Spackle, Paint – Pt. 2...

Dragged my feet this week on getting to the following painting. Worked on designing a control panel for the upper level while I had some ideas in my head. The following didn’t take that long to paint, maybe 5 hours total.

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

Next I need to decide what I’m going to do about paint color above the caprock on the right. Then will probably finish the rock face on the other side of where the tracks will go to the right. Then would like to finish the rock faces at the top of the image that are behind the coal mine complex (not on the layout at this time).

 

If you have any questions on the above just ask.

To be continued and a link to this whole build ( HERE ) .

Sumner

[Lemosteam]

The mesa lift off arch "handle" is brilliant.  Knowing you its likely perfectly balanced at the point, lol.

[Sumner]

.....  Knowing you its likely perfectly balanced at the point, lol.

Not quite as I have a weight .....



... in the low side of the mesa to help with a snugger fit to hide the seam.

The arch does work as a handle but also support other areas as I slide it out and lift it off.  Wish I could say I put the arch on to be a handle but didn't it just worked out that way.  I'm trying to add features to the layout from this area, since I'm not modeling a 'real' location.  The arch is loosely modeled off Wilson Arch about 50 miles north of town along Hwy 191. 

Sumner

[Sumner]

Spackle, Spackle, Paint – Pt. 3...

Moving on to the section where the 'high trestle' is.

 

By carving the foam board into the final shape or close to it one doesn't need to use Sculptamold or build up thick layers of Spackle. This saves money and keeps the layout's weight down. The Spackling above and on other sections as been thinned just a touch with a light sprinkle of water. Then mixed so that it is creamy. Applied in clumps with a plastic putty knife.....pressed into seams and voids....and then brushed all over with a cheap chip brush. Then the brush is wetted a bit and run over the Spackle which makes it smooth but you can also add rock strata lines with the brush. Maybe 15 minutes to cover the above.

 

Above I'm about 2/3's of the way across this removable rock face. It is removeable as it would of been hard to work on while on the layout. I've been surprised how strong foam sections like this are. You can easily move them around and work on them without fear of breaking them.

 

The rock work in the center that is still pink since it hasn't dried will be painted on a following layout build page.

 

First painting step is to put on a base color for the section being worked on. Here the bottom rock strata to the right is a different color than the red sandstone above it. The sand color on the face to the left is red sandstone that had broken down into sandy dirt with vegetation on it . I'll be adding sand and vegetation (later) that would of ended up covering up the red sandstone to the point where one wouldn't see the red.

 

After the base color has dried, most cases, go back and add contrasting colors to break up the base color. At times I won't wait for the paint to dry if I wand more blending but usually and in most cases shown here use black and other very thinned down washes to build up the contrasting colors.

 

The same was done to the other side of the rock formations in this area. The geology is representing a dip in the formations shown. To the left where the coal mine will be there has been a fault and the formations there have been displaced from the ones to the right of the roadway to the mine (above the plywood).

 

Above the highlights are over 90% in. I'll later see places I might want to change a little and that is pretty easy to do by repainting an area.

 

.

 

.

 

I hadn't ever made or painted any scenery before starting the layout and stressed about it some but found out most anything you do can be changed. I'm actually really enjoying it.

To be continued and a link to this whole build ( HERE ).

Sumner