Finally - some progress!

spitfire

Active Member
I've been thinking about my layout for some time now, wondering what it was I didn't like about it. Finally decided that there were too many turnouts, too close together making things look not very realistic.

I took out all the track, and rather than drawing out a new plan, I just positioned track and turnouts in what looked "right."

Here is a shot from about track level looking east at what will eventually be tall buildings in the corner. In the foreground to the left you can see the Massey Fergusson foundry building with a bit of the overhead crane showing an abandoned siding which which get a lot of weeds around and over it. To the right is Weston's Bakery.

Val
 

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spitfire

Active Member
Here we are looking north at the overhead crane in front of the foundry. I've just finished creating the pavement underneath it. The forground tracks are live, the back ones are not - they go into the building and are used for slag and sand cars.
 

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spitfire

Active Member
Probably should have posted this first - an overall view.
wideangle.jpg
 

spitfire

Active Member
Another close-up, showing the parking lot beside the Inglis Plant, which as you can see is missing its back wall. Still working on that.
 

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Arlaghan

Member
I love what you've got so far... great indicator of what's to come!

I especially like your technique for the cracks on the concrete! Keep those pictures coming! :D
 

CN1

Active Member
Val, this is great:thumb:

Do you give tutorial on "how to' make great models and weathering ?

If you do, sign me up:)
 

Ralph

Remember...it's for fun!
The overall arrangement looks great Val! Track plans that look right and serve your indsutries are "right". Beautiful work on the concrete flooring uder that overhead crane.
Ralph
 

Matthyro

Will always be re-membered
Excellent attention to detail Val. As Arl says, the concrete with cracks looks very real. Nicely done.:thumb: :thumb: :thumb:
 
Great looking "canyon" you have there with the tracks in it. It has the right look to it, and as you noted sometimes too much track doesn't look right in the situation. Really like your buildings as well, please keep posting more pics. :thumb:
 

spitfire

Active Member
Thanks a lot everyone!!! You guys make my day, everyday!

CN1, no weathering tutorial as such but here's one technique I use a lot. Paint really dirty buildings a mix of Daylight Red and Engine Black - basically a brown colour. No mortar lines - I assume they're too sooty to see.

Another one, use a light mix (or boxcar red, oxide red or similar). When fully dry rub spackle into the grooves between the bricks. I use a scrap piece of styrene as a spreader and scraper.

Eddie I was trying to get that canyon look but the tricky thing is you want to be able to reach the tracks from the front. I just put 2 buildings across from each other to set the tone and then there's a very large open space where the turnouts are.

Anyway, thanks again folks!!

Val
 
P

philip

what about

that great looking concrete slab. How ya do dat Val?.......please share.:D

philip
 

Jim T

New Member
Yes, that concrete looks great Val, as does the rest of the layout. It's an interesting process you went through to arrive at this design. More like real life where the tracks and buildings sort of grow together with the track work fullfilling the needs of the building owners.

Cheers, Jim
 

zeeglen

Member
Beautiful artwork, Val. I wish there was a smiley for 'drooling on the keyboard with awe'. For now DOTKWA will have to do.
 

spitfire

Active Member
Re: what about

Originally posted by philip
that great looking concrete slab. How ya do dat Val?.......please share.:D

philip

Okay Philip. Because I was fitting it around track I used styrene sheet (which was raised to track level with stripwood).

Painting technique was using 2 mixes of grey, one a little lighter and kind of blending them on the plastic. I didn't really intend to do it this way, just that the first application seemed too light so I added a little darker grey and liked the effect, so I repeated it for each strip.

Then I rubbed on a little artists black chalk and smeared it around with my fingers. (Note: do NOT rub your nose at this stage or you will get funny looks from your family members!!)

Finally, I used a fine-tip Pentel style pen to create the cracks. It helps to have some understanding of where the pavement is likely to stress and crack. Along the edges is one place - those cracks are mostly parallel to the road. Transverse cracks happen in response to changes in elevation that can happen over time, when the nice graded roadbed sinks here and there the pavement cracks as it sinks a little too.

I am constantly observing these things as I drive around. Local conditions probably produce slightly different effects. For example, where there are freezing winter conditions, there is more stress on pavement.

For the pothole, I took a match to the plastic sheet before painting. It doesn't take much heat at all. You could also cut it out. Then I filled it will a little very fine ballast as gravel.

Hope this helps.
Val
 
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