Grain Elevator Diorama
- Thread starter TomPM
- Start date
Thanks for the compliments!
I added the roadbed. For the photo I temporarily placed the buildings. You can also see the decals I added.
I am having troubles with bubbles in the decals but I am slowly getting rid of them. Once the bubbles are gone I will seal the elevator and begin weathering.
Also next is adding track to the diorama base.
I added the roadbed. For the photo I temporarily placed the buildings. You can also see the decals I added.
I am having troubles with bubbles in the decals but I am slowly getting rid of them. Once the bubbles are gone I will seal the elevator and begin weathering.
Also next is adding track to the diorama base.
Next is the base for the grain elevator and shack. One again here is a screw up that turned out right. I wanted to use an India ink wash to weather the scale boards. First the ink was not diluted enough. Secondly I was a little sloppy with the brush and it got on the rest of the base. I quickly decided to wipe it off. Well I liked what I saw. So I did the whole base with wash and wipe.
Nice work Tom. One question though, where's a picture of your real workbench? I wish I could find that much clear surface!
Do you plan to add any grain bins like Walthers or Rix? This structure really crys out for the addition of additional storage and details to make an interesting scene.
CalFlash said:
Jerry
I plan on adding some things but I am not sure yet what and how many. Grain bins are a strong possibility and perhaps a dryer and s0ome kind of fuel tank.
Track is now down!
The track is Atlas code 100 Snap Track. The roadbed is Woodland Scenics foam road bed.
The track is Atlas code 100 Snap Track. The roadbed is Woodland Scenics foam road bed.
Next I weathered the track. I used Folk Art Asphaltum. I painted both the ties and the side of the rails with two coats.
TomPM said:
I committed to 2 Walthers bins and dryer along with a Rix grain leg (elevator) but noted that dryers weren't common until mid to late 50's. If I had to do it again, I'd scratchbuild a light leg and omit the dryer for my 50's era layout. I did scratch build a leg and used the Rix bins I originally bought but thought too small to use with the grain elevator and used them with Walthers Sunrise Feed instead:
There will be a 2nd Rix bin and hopefully a few small bins on stilts to complete the complex.
Jerry
Thanks for info. I was not sure when the dryers made an appearence. Since I am modeling the trnasition era up to the 70s I may add one. The bins are a definate.
Great looking struture and bin you have there. I hope we will see more of them.
Thanks for info. I was not sure when the dryers made an appearence. Since I am modeling the trnasition era up to the 70s I may add one. The bins are a definate.
Great looking struture and bin you have there. I hope we will see more of them.
Now I am ready to begin weathering the buildings. First I start with the roofs. I take a wash made from Folk Art Light Red Oxide and blue windshield washer fluid (1:6) and go over the roof one section at a time. After I paint each section I take a clean paper towel and wipe the wash off. I make sure I start at the top and wipe down just like any water would run off the roof.
Next I take a wash made from Raw Umber and blue windshield washer fluid and go over each roof section. And just like before I wipe it off with a paper towel.
Meanwhile back on the diorama I finished painting the base with Folk Art Acorn Brown. I used two coats to cover the base.
Next is ballasting.
Next is ballasting.
Great gain elavator Tom, I have to find some alternatives to some of the products you lot use as they are not available here, there is a maskit product here but it is vary hard to get, well that modleing in ausie land for you....have a good one..steve
That kit is sure looking less like a kit. Nice job.
If you want to add some authentic detail, add some cyclone seperators on top of the smaller shed/ sack building/warehouse. Four or five would work. WS had a small kit for a steam powered hammermill with a seperator. If that kit is still available, I'd take the hammermill part, rust it up and lean it outside (after the buildingings are set) in the weeds.
I've never done it before, but a convincing seperator(s) cones could be massed produced using dowels and a pencil sharpener.
If your mill makes feed pellets add a small boiler room. You could use the boiler from the WS kit set in a small lean-to type shed.
NOTE: grain is abrasive and will wear down the sheetmetal pipes used at driers, bins, elevators. So, toss a bunch of rusted pipes under the sack room's raised floor. Wood planks have a tendency to get piled up under there too.
Bundle up some dowels to represent bundles of fence posts for sale. If this a contemporary layout, make up some modular fence panels and stack them up.
A few toilet paper roll wooden silos would be a perfect addition.
My $.02.
If you want to add some authentic detail, add some cyclone seperators on top of the smaller shed/ sack building/warehouse. Four or five would work. WS had a small kit for a steam powered hammermill with a seperator. If that kit is still available, I'd take the hammermill part, rust it up and lean it outside (after the buildingings are set) in the weeds.
I've never done it before, but a convincing seperator(s) cones could be massed produced using dowels and a pencil sharpener.
If your mill makes feed pellets add a small boiler room. You could use the boiler from the WS kit set in a small lean-to type shed.
NOTE: grain is abrasive and will wear down the sheetmetal pipes used at driers, bins, elevators. So, toss a bunch of rusted pipes under the sack room's raised floor. Wood planks have a tendency to get piled up under there too.
Bundle up some dowels to represent bundles of fence posts for sale. If this a contemporary layout, make up some modular fence panels and stack them up.
A few toilet paper roll wooden silos would be a perfect addition.
My $.02.
Thanks guys!
Zedob, thanks for all the suggestions. When I get back from vacation I'll have to start adding some of them to the "to do" list for this diorama.
Zedob, thanks for all the suggestions. When I get back from vacation I'll have to start adding some of them to the "to do" list for this diorama.
Anyway I can help. I had a friend who's family owned a feed mill and he turned me on to some info that I figured would help someone, one day.
TomPM said:
Most dryers are propane fired so you might want to include some storage and unloading facilities. You might also consider adding propane or oil to the products sold by your facitily - here's what we added on my friend's layout:
after living near a co-op with the new concrete silos and such, the old wooden storage bin was covered over in sheet metal siding.
add a fork lift, older the better, rusty front end loaders, the lime is a killer on them, loading ramp made out of old ties. piles of dirt. pick up trucks, it was a cool place to take pics of trains
add a fork lift, older the better, rusty front end loaders, the lime is a killer on them, loading ramp made out of old ties. piles of dirt. pick up trucks, it was a cool place to take pics of trains