it’s not really a layout… layout. More like a ‘scene’ on a layout. I’ve been looking at blue foam for so long I dream blue foam, so I decided that since I’ve never carved foam, or glued down roadbed or track or really any of it… I’d do a mini-scene with what I do have. And what I have is a tan colored paint, a bit of track, a piece of cork, ballast and other scenery making materials. I know now that ballasting the track is not going to be a favorite of mine.
Anyway here it is…
Nothing fancy, just simple stuff but I like it pretty much. I see I need trees and I’m not real happy with that one foreground ‘bush’ that reminds me of brocolli. I think the trunck of it needs to look a little more wood like. Maybe a culvert or something.
Anyway, there it is. It was a good learning experience for me.
JaRRell
JaRRell,
Love it! You are to be congratulated on your success!! I do like the way you’ve varied the size, shape and color of the brush, does definately add to the realism. I also like the way you’ve broken up the turf with some ballast. Excellent job - keep it up!!
Great. Now I have to do one.
(Actually it has been on my to do list for a while.)
I appreciate it! That gives me a bit more confidence. I liked doing it, except for the getting the ballast off where it wasn’t supposed to be and into where it was. I can’t imagine ballasting over 500 feet of track!
Jarrell
I’m sure you’ll find that it gets faster and easier as you go along. The last foot of track will be a snap. Heck, you even might miss ballasting forcing you to lay even more track!
Lol… I dunno, Dave. It would have to get a lot easier
Jarrell
Jarrell!! [tup][tup][^] You HAVE been paying attention!! You are truly well on your way with that little diorama.
Congratulations.
P.S. -see? Ballasting wasn’t that tough.
LOL !!!
me too , there are a few scenery and construction techniques i want to try out , like mounting tortoises and controlling them by computer and pushbutton , also track occupancy detection
jarrel … your test section looks great !
But I needa TRACK plan!! Since doing away with the first one I haven’t been able to come up with anything I like! What I need is more space, more benchwork, more track. No, that means more ballasting and I hate that…[:(]
Jarrell
I can’t keep up with the Mouse anymore. I never know what he’s up to next.
I wish I were at the stage I could mount tortoises (learn how is more like it), but I’m not even sure my switches are in their final positions.
Good luck with it!
Jarrell
Jarrell, ballasting is no worse than taking out the trash or dealing with a car salesman. It is the price you pay for what you want, and what you want is worth it. Believe me, once you have spent about one hour on it, the rest will be a mind-numbing blurr until you spray your last spritz or squeeze your last bulb. Truthfully, as I became more confident, I actually found myself sort-of semi-enjoying it…if you know what I mean [:D]. Fortunately, I had exactly 20 feet to ballast because the rest was inside my large mountain (did you get that?..INSIDE your…uh, my mountain?)
Yep, I got that! One thing I need to devise is some sort of funnel thing or bottle to keep the ballast in that will let out the right amount in exactly the right spot. Hmmmm… I wonder if a Coke ‘bottle’ would work. Anyway, I’ve got to get back to working on a track design, I’m still just wandering around on the Great Blue Plains right now.
Jarrell
We haven’t had anyone attacking Brocolli since George H.W. was in the White House. The good news is I don’t “see” the brocolli, just a good job on a mini scene, and the brocolli will blend in. Remember one of the lessons about details, a little bit of detail makes the viewer assume that the rest of the RR is as highly detailed, by just a “hint” of scenery, and detail parts. Which leads to the good news about ballasting, there is a lot of rail hidden behind other scenes, or at a distance that only requires the hint of detail not the full blown effort at the front of the “stage”. Excellent work on your scene, and all that “work” on the rest of the layout is just a little bite at a time of more mini scenes.
Just an additional thought with the design of the layout, you might want to create mini scenes, a yard, an industry, a small rural town etc. and then take these mini scenes or “design elements” and work them into an overall plan by connecting them with a transition area.
HTH and hang in there you are doing very well and have a lot of support out here!
Will
Jarrell
Outstanding work,I can now see what your compleate lay will look likeHUMMMM??
It helps to have a keen eye.Where did that engine come from???I throught you said you were working on an smaller steam engine a while back,WOW!!I would guess it has sound and DCC.I want one some day!Anyway vary nice work.I’ve been pitting in Tortises switchs the past couple of days,Three in! Seven to go.
JIM
Nice work. Now do another 18" and then another and pretty soon you will have 500’. It really looks nice.
Jarrell–
MLR Manufacturing makes a HO ballast spreader.
I had one back in grade school, but I have not used it since as college, work & family has taken up quite a bit of time. My oldest son loves trains, so hopefully I can dig it back out and put it to use.
I don’t remember how well it worked. Maybe someone else has used it…
Brad
Oh man, what is the black beauty in the two pictures?
Broadway Limited Imports Class A 2-6-6-4, nice. I really want one too!!
Must pay the credit card bill…
Ken.
Here is an mini scene I’ve been missing with
Like they say one scene at a time[^][8D][2c]
JIM
There was a thread the other day (Wednesday?) about the ballast spreaders, and several experienced modelers responded saying that they tried to use theirs, and finally gave up in favour of ye goode olde spoon (recall that Randy R. was one of them). In fact, unless I really needed to use the spoon for fine ballasting, say near turnouts, I used a aluminum foil pie plate, the ones that pies come in that you get at the grocery store. Just lower the edge near the rails, and start to pour, bowl facing the side of the rails. Then, bru***o finish.