Wintery Wild Mary, a T-Trak Experiment

[basementcalling]

Nicely done, Piperguy. I like the show scene. I think DKS used the stuff inside his hair foam to add piles of snow on one of his layouts and help house the UniTrak look.

Your going to wind up at some show where you have to split layout time between TTrak and Freemo

[PiperguyUMD]

I’ve thought about that lol. There are two great shows near me, one in the spring and one in the fall. There’s also a T-Trak group, which I’ll probably connect with when work slows down. They usually have a layout at the shows, but I kinda want to take my FreemoN loop to show what can be done with the standard, and maybe stir up some interest. I’d be a one man show with the FreemoN setup, but I think once I plugged my T-Trak module it would be hands off.

[Philip H]

There’s a guy on Facebook who sells cheap manual signal control boards that might work to allow you to illuminate them and change them periodically.

https://www.facebook.com/share/ZkBAz9f2G11FiCqb/?mibextid=79PoIi

[PiperguyUMD]

There’s a guy on Facebook who sells cheap manual signal control boards that might work to allow you to illuminate them and change them periodically.

https://www.facebook.com/share/ZkBAz9f2G11FiCqb/?mibextid=79PoIi

Oh that’s cool! Looks like I could accomplish what I’m need with only one. Glad I took the time to thread those wires through that tiny tube 🤣

[John]

Let me see if I can find the article David Hughes did on Emory Grove -- track charts and all .. along with pictures -- It's in the BMX

[PiperguyUMD]

Let me see if I can find the article David Hughes did on Emory Grove -- track charts and all .. along with pictures -- It's in the BMX

Then I’ll have to start all over again 

[PiperguyUMD]

Thanks for the article @John! Very helpful!

Working in town this weekend so despite the bonkers schedule, I’m able to squeeze in a few minutes here and there. I know there are quite a few musicians around here, so a little dark humor from the pit this week!  Our hall is called Twitchell, but after a few dozen runs of The Nutcracker….



On to the trains! I’m trying to work back to front because I know I’ll absolutely destroy the signals and train order stands that will eventually go in the front.  I finished the second signal this earlier this week and it’s ready to go when the time comes.



Coming back from St. Louis this past Monday, I drew up the train order stands to 3d print. I think I’ll eventually replace them with something scratch built, but with a revision or two these will work in the meantime. The centers of the posts are hollow so I can add the gooseneck lamps on top, concealing the wires inside.



I had just enough super trees to finish the scene, and made a few evergreens to sprinkled in for variety. I have a large pile of super tree crumbs to add along the edges of the forest, which I think will help break up the bleak open look to the forest floor. These are pretty fragile, so I’ll come back and add these once the rest of the scene is complete. Once all the trees were planted, sprinkled everything with watered down modeling paste to simulate accumulating snow on the canopy. I need to repeat this process another time or two on the most recent batch (far left). This process isn’t perfect and I have some ideas how to improve it on the next go around, but I think it’s much better than bare trees!



Moving towards the front, I need to get something in place resembling the pneumatic gear that controls tue turnouts. I made the concrete stands from scale 4”x8” basswood painted with a chalkboard finish craft paint.



For the pneumatic lines themselves, I using a solid core 18 gauge wire striped of its insulation and painted “aluminum”.  Once the paint dries, I’ll CA them to the top of the supports.  When the east and west sides are finished I’ll be able to tie in the rest of the foreground scenery.



Next up, wiring the lighting in the station and connecting everything to the accessory bus. One thing I’m really coming to love about these small modules is simply being able to flip them on their side on the work bench to work on the undersides!

[PiperguyUMD]

Knocked out the pneumatic lines on the east side of the station this morning. I used a nail to punch a hole in the sculptamold and foam that was slightly larger than the ”concrete” posts so I’d have room for adjustment later. I used the modeling paste “snow” to secure them in place because it has a long dry time which allowed me to get them plumb and square without having to rush.

Before the pneumatic lines are in t he way, I added the first two layers of snow. The first is just modeling paste. I stipple it on with a short bristle brush, and then smooth it out a long bristle brush dipped in water. It has a nice icy look in this stage. If you could find a way to make it stay like this, it could be useful for replicating ice crusted snow.







The second layer is a dusting of Woodland Scenics snow. I don’t like the look of this stuff as a top coat, but it is useful to add accumulation with out having to slop on the modeling paste.



The third coat will be thinned modeling paste. This helps take away some of the granular look of the WS snow.

I put a dab of CA on top of the posts and set the wire in place. A little touch up to do, but happy with where this is headed!

[mu26aeh]

I think that looks like ice crusted snow just fine.  Excellent scene.  Hopefully mine looks half as good modeled in spring/summer

[PiperguyUMD]

If it were a larger scale I don’t think I’d give it a second thought but if feel like it’s too chunky for N scale. Then again I live in SC and haven’t seen snow in 2 years, so maybe I need a refresher . I’ve been enjoying your progress, I’m sure when you get to Emory Grove you’ll crush it! If I can help with anything let me know!

[PiperguyUMD]

Only one run of The Nutcracker today, and a matinee at that so a little more progress tonight.

Pneumatic lines and the first coat of snow are down on the west side of the module. I wasn’t as careful on this side, hopefully there won’t be too much touch up



Stuck concrete legs on the signal box and got it planted on the east side



Made a slight revision on the train order stands and printed those during the show. They’ll get a coat of black paint and for the yellow strip, I think I’ll try wrapping a decal around the beam. If that doesn’t work, I’m not really sure what else might work.





Little by little!

[Lemosteam]

...  If you could find a way to make it stay like this, it could be useful for replicating ice crusted snow.

Wondering if water or alcohol thinned gloss medium would work for this using the same application method.

[PiperguyUMD]

Wondering if water or alcohol thinned gloss medium would work for this using the same application method.

I have a stash of both! Going to test that out this evening!

[PiperguyUMD]

Quick question for the T-Trak gurus out there. Are there any rules for sky boards/backdrops on end cap modules? I put together an end cap module from Klawndyke last night and noticed 1) there are holes to mount a sky board, and 2) there are no holes for and Anderson Power Pole socket. Thought that was odd. I get why there might not be power,  but I don't want to break any rules by adding a back drop. I know I could add it, and use it only at home, but they way I'm envisioning the scene, I don't think it would work without at back drop. I'm really hoping I can cash in on this photo angle:

[dem34]

As is usual. It would fall under skyboard provisions which are loosey goosey as is. Its just teetering on giving a heads up to the organizer if you do want to bring it, because it may be hard to re-rail  things in there as some club members can be less dexterous. Should be fine.