A Peek at the NEW Lay out .

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
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Hello My friends, this is a sneak peak of the 2nd section of my new layout, In one or two of the pics you can catch a glimps of the first section, I’m keeping this one under top secret security until it is complete and I can really show off the new layout after the old one got flattened.

It all started with a 56"X56" X 4" thick chunk of styrofoam and a rough draft of my Island home.

This is one corner of a 9 block lay out, these are being built to be able to disassemble when I buy my next home, I want to be able to transplant the whole layout without destroying it to move.

Next I wanted a big boulder with a tunnel cut through it, like the boulder was too big to move so the rail crew blasted a hole through it for the train.

This is before counter sinking the bridge over the moat and too the Island house.

I then sunk the bridge and got some back ground colors on the ground before adding the grass and laid on the first coat of colors for tunnel etc…

Close up of my moat with color but no water yet.

This is a shot of the moat anbd river bed without color on bottom, I have painted small viens of gold at the bottom of each for divers later on.

I used chemicals to melt the river and moat beds into the landscape.

One section finished without water or bushes installed:

[IMG]http://i272.photobucket.com

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Looking good Jesse.

Hope you are not hating working with that beaded foam too much. The pink or blue extruded foam is much nicer for cutting & carving.

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Looks like you have been busy that’s for sure. Havein’ fun and runnin’ trains is what it is all about. I do like you have mountains and some deep canyons. Helps to break up the “flat look”.

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Jesse, I have to agree with BlueHills on the foam. Do you have a Home Depote close to you? Reason I ask, they will sell broken foam for 75% off! My new section is 9.5’ X 5’ with an 1.75 inch base foam. Few PIC maybe? Depends on the Keyboard Thingie Gods.

Keyboard Thingie Gods where kind, I think?[;)]

I at this point counting the base foam I am up to 12" and still have 2 4’ X 8’ X 1.25" sections in the living room. (wife is being kind) and total cost is around $22.00. When if done the hill will be 24" tall.

Other tip, get some drywall compound in a 4.5 gallon bucket. Cost is $14.00 max and will last for years. Delute with water and latex paint close to the color you are looking for and paint the foam then paint the color’s you want. You can add details while it drys, helps fill in the white spots and makes it easyer to cover with ground foam.

I am 90% sure the skilled people here are giggling the cabooses off at my work.

Cuda Ken, using drywall and foam again.

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Dang Jesse! You work quick![tup]

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Well I should have menthioned that all the foam was given to me by a native brother who didn’t want me to loose interest…LOL, yah like that was going too happen, at least he will see that I tried to use it!

I will be almost filling my river and moat bottoms with plaster so that I can get a more uniformed bottom look, as I stood there looking at it last night after posting I knew the foam that you guys were using didn’t have the problems I was having, the white stuff is a nightmare I agree.

I will have some insulation (the blue and pink board stuff) left over after my darn Brother in law finishes my Porch wall and then I shall try my hand at that, I can see by pics that it cuts a lot smoother.

That is going to be the only corner of my layout that has the water ways, they take up a lot of room that I need for buildings also.

I just couldn’t sit there with all that free foam and not use some, that would have taken way too much will power…LOL!

If worse comes to worse it can always be kept and used as an elborate Train or die cast display table.

I like the comment about you being sure that someone is laughing their cabooses off at your work, I do enough of that myself when I look at my final product so who cares and besides I’m sure the only guy not giggeling is the top builder here and they probably don’t know there is someone above them also…LOL!

You guys are great, and as far as working fast, hey, after all I did have the Dogs help!

I pinned the tracks in place so that I don’t waste the whole section if I trear them up so if I don’t use it for trains I can paint the track bed black and use it for roads in some recreation diorama, always thinking ahead.

Well back too work in my real world for a 24 hour shift and then back to my layout!

Happy Rails.

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Cudakin,

Nice pics , Thanks!I’ll have to post a close up of the finished tunnel through the boulder, I added more color and gray cement for effect and a few more layers of color to hide all the white dots.

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I did catch that the foam was a gift. That’s the best kind of foam, FREE FOAM! I just wanted to be sure, knowing you were relatively “new” to the hobby that you were aware of the other foam and the differences between the two. From your comments I can tell you have it all figured out already. [tup]

Yes, I liked Kens comment too, although I see nothing laughable about the work either of you guys are doing. I can appreciate the skills of all modellers from the beginner to the X-spurt and everything in between. If I want a laugh I just remember the first mountain I made…I wish I had pictures, LOL! Then there was the time I used a paste of flour, salt, and water in place of plaster…hey once it hardened and I had about 500 layers of paper on, it actually got pretty hard. Then the bugs moved in…[banghead] Back to the drawing board. Thankfully both of these laughable moments were in the early years. I hope I’ve gotten better since then! [:D]

Keep up the good work Jess! [tup]

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Jesse, it is easy to be humble when you get to see the works of the masters on this site. More than likely you have seen the 7, foot tall waterfall of Mr. Arthill. There are many others here that do a great job, but that waterfall! I save a lot of pictures of rock, work that other more skilled people have posted.

On the foam I am using, it not that easy to cut with the knife I have. But, it is easy to shape with a sanding block and 36 grit sand paper. It does make a heck of a mess.

All my foam work is a lift off design, even the section where K-10 mining is sitting. Only the grade is glued down. Will make it much easier to cut the stone facing and add details when the time comes.

If you have not all ready done it in the past, try the drywall compound Jesse.

Bluehill, thanks for being kind.

Time to cut the grass. Have fun and keep posting pictures, I like to look.

Cuda Ken

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Jess, if you seal up the foam with some Sculptamold or plaster you’ll save yourself from those dastardly little white beads that never seem to go away.

Glad to see you’re back in the saddle.

Lee

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I think it looks good, Ken.

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Greetings my MRRing Friends & Brothers,

Jess Red Horse here with the latest update on my layout, I did get 8 lbs of plaster of Parris and put a smooth river and moat bed down.

I could not beleive that it took the whole 8 pounds WOW!

I added some polished rocks that my wife once had in a bamboo planter, they look real nice as river boulders, I shall try my hand at painting the water in Tonight and when it all dries tomorrow I shall post a few new picks.

I also have the rest of my stuff to build a whole motel & Motor court using many cabooses for the rental cabins, that is my plan for tomorrows.

Happy Rails My Friends.