Soumodeler - How about if I make it a working link for you… http://www.trainweb.org/mgr/dirtroad.jpg
Don Z.
It might be a browser problem (esp. if you’re using IE7) - Here, allow me:
C&O Fan said:
I got to visit Tom Cobb’s layout today on the Houston Layout Tour
I nicknamed it the Lone Tree Pacific since it has so little scenery
I felt sorry for him so i gave him a tree i made
It’s an industrial switching layout depicting the SP here in Houston
the building represents the Kroger Warehouse There are some other really neat buildings
on the layout
========================================================Actually Terry a lot of industry areas are tree lees.
Mr.Cobb has a good start on a very nice looking industrial switching layout.
Update on new construction. Yesterday, Don Z and myself completed all three new modules for my garage. Here are some pics of the first one.
This is where the town of Smithville will reside. That one curved 1x4 is a single piece !
This side took a full 8 ft + 1x4 to get the radius needed for the bend. This is where the Smithville TT and RH will go.
Overall dimensions are 63 inches wide by 128 inches long. This portion is sitting on two 1x4’s with one 1x4 dado’d and the other 1x4 glued and fitted into it like a “T” - a modified L girder if you will.
All three pieces are now sitting in place on my garage floor. Next will be to get the legs built and all three platforms raised to proper height to match the existing RR.
Again, thanks to Don Z for the excellent craftmanship.
Regards
tom,
that is some smooth looking construction. very nice!
Must be nice to have a friend that is a very talented craftsman
I’ve seen diningroom tables that didn’t look that nice
Great Work
Tom, you didn’t tell me you wanted legs for your new benchwork!! [:O] Thanks for the compliments regarding the carpentry work.
Don Z.
Some trees I started making from plants and weeds,
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many are unfinished
Great pics everyone!
Bob, I love that tugboat and water scene. That water certainly looks real.
Art, GREAT work on that trestle!! Can’t wait to see a pic of it in place.
[quote user=“Tom Bryant_MR”]
Well, this will be different.
I took most of Oct off from work and really poured myself into getting my lower level staging yard completed as shown in this first shot.
Note the hills in the background and I did say lower level staging.
Because I had started scenicing (is that a word) several had made comment that it was a shame to cover it up with a deck above it.
Here, my friend and partner in crime, Don Z, are tearing out some track to make way for a business on this lower level staging yard only. If I’m going to use it in operations, it has to have some businesses!
Okay, now for the punch. As can be seen in this next photo, the upper deck, temporarily positioned, looks like … well, you know. I was not pleased. In it’s original position, just below the brown line on the wall, it was too low and just absolutely hid too much of the lower level staging and the scenery work I had done. Poor planning on my part.
Yesterday morning I tore out all of the existing scenery.
I’ve spent the last week or so on converting what was to be a lower level staging only yard and turn-a-round to a new single decked plan. This time I planned all the businesses, down to their footprint, and have purchased all of them with exception of the new Walther’s creamery in Elgin. This time I was able to put in the diamond in Elgin (rather than as an after thought) and a week ago I met an ex-Katy engineer who remembered the TT and roundhouse in
Heres a pic of the only foreign Power loco i own.
These are pics of some roadnames i painted on the wall the NS logo i painted 2 years ago the conrail i did 2 days ago.
And heres a video, i kno its weekend photo fun not video fun but oh well.
HERE
Better Nate than Lever, I guess.[:D] I have gotten to work on some more scenery this week. The photos are of a hand carved stone wall. I poured the wall using Plaster of Paris, carved and then stained it. The rocks coming out of the wall were added yesterday and stained tonight. You may not be able to see it, but the wall is curved at one end.
A close up:
Looking down the wall to the overpass over the road (the white plaster). The road will be a dirt road as it is still 1925 there…
Ray,
That’s a great looking wall! [tup] Did you use some sort of form to pour the wall in place? Care to share some of your secrets with us? Once again, great work!
Don Z.
Thank You Don! The wall was poured into a form made of some scrap 1/8" masonite I had. Styrene will work as well. Make sure the form is well supported and will stay in place as you pour the plaster. After the palster sets, remove the form(s) and let the plaster dry a day or two. I then scribed the grid for the rocks with a fine pen (pencil will work) onto the wall measuring with a scale ruler. Using a #11 exacto knife, I carved the morter lines into the face. The technique is not hard but I would suggest some practice first. All kinds of detail including cracked or broken cut stone can be done. Then I covered the wall with a wash (30 or 40 to 1 water to stain) of WS Stone Gray paint. Several washes may be needed to achieve the texture you want. The protruding rocks are cast from molds using hydrocal and added to the face of the wall with Drywall mud. They are then stained using various washes of the woodland Scenics paints.
Dynamite
For the rolling hillside it only took a putty knife working my way under the edge all around. Sections of it I could then pull away. It was only foam, newspaper and paper towels soaked in plaster. There was only a very thin layer of scenery. I salvaged all of the rock work and most of the trees. And I am salvaging all of the TO’s and some of the flex.
As far as “going along so good”. Yes I agree I was making good progress for the nine months I had in it. But, as I indicated, I started deviating from my plan of having this as a lower level staging only track and started scenery work and was working on some buildings/businesses. Once I had put the first module of the upper deck in place I realized that the distance between the two decks was way too small to enjoy either the scenery or the new operations I was anticipating on this “no-longer-a-staging-only-deck”. So, rather than continue on and in the end be saying if I had it over to do again, I bit the bullet and took the axe to it.
I also realized from Don Z that my track work could be much better. I made the mistake of using the rolls of cork one can get from Hobby Lobby and other places. It was a little too thin and each piece had to be custom cut and fitted … a real PITA for curves.
I am much, much happier with my new plan. It still retains the Taylor yard and I have gained a TT and RH for Smithville which really existed anyway.
This will be better.
Spent some time this evening clearing the ROW for the new track plan. The track you see is all that will remain. And for those w