Gidday, Well its that time again Gentlepersons. Was a cracker winters day to end the w**king week, 28F first thing, to a high of 55F, just thinking of Terry in Texas. [:D]
Work train on the AMG.
Looking forward as usual to the Good Stuff. [bow]
Have A Great One Folks,
Cheers, the Bear.
Bear,
Thanks for the weather report. Reading it helps some, given it’s to reach the mid-90s here today. The dew point last night around midnight here was 77 degrees, so yeah, we have a little humidity, too.[ip][st]
This week saw the benchwork go up for my new long-term project, the Cascade Branch. I’ll be tracking how things develop in this thread:
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/219241.aspx
Here’s the end of the line, the wye at Crater Lake:
Last night, the first train rolled into Purgatory:
I’m building the first bit of this project with odds and ends leftover from the main layout. Here’s a BK Enterprises HON3 #6 left turnout kit. I used some leftover FastTracks QuickSticks ties that my colleague Allen supplied. Given the layout height is fairly high, I pushed the standard gauge QuickSticks away from the viewer, then will trim them up later to look more HOn3-ish.[swg]. Once buried in ballast, it’ll look OK.
For those in Hotlanta,
Looking forward to reports from the NMRA Convention and the National Train Show.[:P]
Bear, thanks for opening up the weekend again!
No finished pictures this week, but I took in process pictures of my U23b that will be painted for the PC.
I followed an article by Jim Six on detailing a PC U23b, but Jim forgot that this class of U23b’s had sun shades an item that was not usually included on NYC/PRR/PC locomotives. This class was ordered by the new PC President who came from the Southern Railway and included sunshades and had dual controls with the long hood designated as the front. I used the metal A-line sunshades and since the model did not have the channel for the sunshade I added a length of .012 wire to represent the channel.
Rear end of the locomotive with grabs, cut lever, and plow installed, also drilled the class lights to provide base for the jewels to set in. Installed the grabs on this loco since the PC logo will fit without interferring with the grab, if it had been a different locomotive I would install the grabs later.
Side view showing the GE Lift Rings installed in place of the cast on Lift Rings and a Cab Signal Box behind the cab, as the usual location in front of the engineer on the nose did not have enough room.
Front view with gra
Thanks for sharing, guys. I continue to expand my own horizons through all the details and expert work I see posted on this thread. I have been working on the industrial area at the end of the branch line.
Looking forward to another great weekend of dynamite modeling.
Wilton.
Really nice finishing job on that Walthers coal conveyor, Wilton. [Y] That’s taking something simple to a whole new level.
Thanks for the kind words, Mike. I wanted it to look like it had been out in the weather for an extended period of time, exposed to the abrasive effects of sand handling. I rattle-can sprayed the sprues primer gray, followed by an uneven coat of pimento red then flat white. I was very pleased with the faded-paint look.
Wilton.
Bear: … Thanks for starting WPF, and that’s a nice photo. … Mike L: that is a big construction project you are working on. … Rick: Impressive modeling of the GE unit. … Wilton: Nice scene.
Here is a 5-unit set of F3’s pulling a train upgrade past Hinterland.
Wilton,
Sounds like an easy approach. Anything in a spray can usually works for me and the results speak for themselves.
Garry,
Great action pic. When you model a bridge route, you gotta love pics of one of your “main traffic connections.” [:)]
Yeah, It’s as big as many smaller layouts. About 50 feet of running track, plus sidings, spurs, etc and maybe 30 turnouts. But I can pursue it at leisure, knowing my mess is separate from the nice looking, fully operational layout in the next room.
Garry, Thanks for the compliment. As far as nice scenes go, I really like the convincing way you integrated the foreground into the backdrop. Is that backdrop art commercially available?
Mike, I bought an airbrush, but find I have too much fun with spray cans and pastel chalks, and haven’t taken the time to master the airbrush techniques.
Ja Bear, I keep forgetting to mention how much I enjoy your dramatic black and white photography.
Wilton.
Wilton … Thanks for commenting. … My layout is around the wall with a lot of backdrops. In this location, the backdrop is a collage of different images. I started with a Faller backdrop because I like the Faller sky. I retained some of the Faller hills in the distance. In the left side, I used a Walthers scene after cutting off its sky. Then I cut out pictures of buildings and other scenery from magazines and calendars, and I glued those buidings and scenes in place. I sprayed with dull clear matte spray over any pictures that were too glossy. I applied some scenic material to the backdrop as well as the surface below to blend in. I also used acrylic paints as needed to blend the scenes together.
Here is an Atlas caboose that I finished this week. It is pretty close to what the C&EI used, but the steps and a few other things were totally wrong. I ended up using narrowed steps from an Athearn bay window caboose frame. That also meant that had to cut apart the frame into 5 pieces to remount the truck bolsters toward the center of the car. I sanded the top of the cupola roof flat and added a wire grab and DA lift rings. The real #5 had the vertical brake staff with wheel, but I didn’t make that modification. If it starts to bug me, then…
A good start to WPF guys. Keep the ideas and the photos coming.
Speaking of cabooses (cabeese) here is the latest from the BRVRR:
BRV #1445 is an Athearn BB kit that started in NYC livery. It is now the only car in the house livery on the layout. Still a lot of detailing and weathering to do, but its a start.
Keep it rolling guys. You always make WPF the best thread of the week.
Finished detailing and painting this old Soho, SP Observation car. Cut off the skirts and added the underbody details, used D&G Models, Daylight trucks.
Gidday All, thanks for the kind remarks, as for the weather I personally find it easier to get warm , than to get cool. Though I am just taking advantage of living in the first time zone to see in a new day to kick off WFP, I still feel that it’s a privilege, especially in light of all the Great Stuff" that follows [bow][bow].
I some how feel that I would be “shooting a line” Wilton by explaining its all to do with composition, lighting, technique, and,being a modest sort of bloke, sheer brilliance, [:-^] BUT in reality its all to do with taking an excessive amount of photos on my digital camera, deleting the squillions that are either, out of focus, of the floor, the ceiling, half the subject not in shot, the wrong subject in shot, or a combination of the lot !!! and then having a play with Windows Pictures with the half decent ones left over. Glad you enjoy them any way.[swg]
Continue having a Great One Folks.
Cheers, the Bear.
Garry and JaBear,
Thanks for a “look behind the curtain” explanation of your respective creative techniques.
Wilton.
Ahhhhh… The Weekend! And for a change I have actually gotten something started again in the train room!
I finally got back doing the scenery on the hillside. A few months ago the area looked like this:
The left hand side got finished back then… I just never took any photos of it (It is now a cow pasture). I am now working on the right side of the photo above. This morning it looked like this. The shorter trees will become an Apple Orcharde.
By tonight it looks more like an orchard in late summer (I hope).
Still a lot to do, but it felt good to be back at it again… Here is an overview of the area:
73
Ray, that looks really good!
I also like the backdrop too, it’s subtle & not overpowering but gives a nice distance feel to it…
It works really well, the way i see it…
Nice Work!!!
Awesome!
Hi [8D]
I can’t help but comment on your tree technic, looks great.
Do you apply glue to the tree trunks and then apply a first layer of ground foam soaked in glue over that?
Just guessing, could you enlighten us?
Thanks
lee
