My Miami Layout

Nazgul

Active Member
Kurt...
Great job! thanks for sharing how you did it!:thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb:

Keep up the outstanding work!:winker:
 

cnw1961

Member
Thank you all for your very kind comments :wave:. To tell the truth, every time I am aiming at one of my engines with my airbrush, I have a very big lump in my throat :eek:ops::mrgreen: and it is always a great relief when it is done and I did not ruin the engine :cool:.

Colton, thanks, good to know that I got it right.

Seeing Josh (Trucklover) having so much fun planning his MET modules, I thought to add another extension to my layout might be a good idea. So here is a look into the future of my layout. I love to build prototypical scenes, so most of the scene on this module will be as you find it down in Maimi.

m_trackplan2.jpg
 

TruckLover

Mack CH613 & 53' Trailer
kurt, i like the expansion, it looks great and will give you a little more switching with still more room for future expansion after you get them built :thumb: :mrgreen:
 

cnw1961

Member
kurt, i like the expansion, it looks great and will give you a little more switching with still more room for future expansion after you get them built :thumb: :mrgreen:

… and I have the chance to build some more structures and it will take longer to finish the layout. Although I did not really think of an expansion when I drew the trackplan, these two tracks ending at the front of the layout really ask for being extended :mrgreen::cool:. But unfortunately with this expansion all the room avilable for the layout will be used up.
 

EastRail

New Member
Hi Kurt,
I stumbled on your thread and want to compliment you on the great job you've done with this theme. I really like the way you've stretched it out and gone to the larger structure sizes. It really does look great. Feel free to copy anything from my layout as you see fit if it results in a better result on your end. I posted the site specifically as a resource. If you need any prototype data or photos I'll help where I can.
Lance Mindheim
 

cnw1961

Member
Lance, thank you very much for your very kind compliments. Coming from you, it really means a lot to me. I was actually thinking of getting in touch with you once I would have something good enough to be presented and thank you for the inspiration and help to get started your site gave me. But that you found my thread and thought it worth to comment on is even better. You can be sure that I will make use of your very generous offer to help me with data and pictures. Thank you!
 

EastRail

New Member
One of the more critical parts of your project in terms of visual appearance will be the ballast and soils. Try to use use natural rock and soil products to the extent you can. I prefer the Arizona Rock and Mineral brand. Smith and Sons (via Scenic Express) is also good. Highball (Walthers) is decent although I don't know if you'll get the color match you need.

I suggest Arizona Rock and Mineral part no. 138 which is their CSX blend. I usually get some HO and N scale and mix them together and then use a mix of 2.5 parts water to 1 part medium as an adhesive. The AZ Rock web is www.rrscenery.com For that dirty sand look try a mix of N scale CSX ballast, their concrete mix, and a touch of their asphalt mix.

Finally, I think you are really on to something with your hydrocal structure castings and encourage you to continue in that direction.

Lance
 

cnw1961

Member
Lance, thank you very much for your advice. You are right, the ballast and the soils will be very important. Unfortunately most of the materials you mentioned are not easily available for me here in Germany. If you can’t order it from Walthers, it is getting difficult. So I am trying to get the right visual appearance with the materials I can get here. I already have HO and N scale light gray granite ballast that, judging by the prototype pictures, seems to come close and fine, very lightly colored sand that will give me a good starting point for the ground cover. I still need something like the concrete mix or asphalt mix you mentioned to give it a more dirty look.

Thank you for your kind words about my hydrocal structures. For the structures on my two removable extensions I wanted to use styrene, because I wanted to fix them permanently to make attaching and removing of the extensions as simple as possible. Another reason to use styrene, is to keep the weight of the extensions low. But you are right, the hydrocal structures look more real than most styrene structures. I haven’t started to build any of the structures for the extensions yet, so it is still time to think about it again.
 
One thing I might consider adding to the module is working in some water - canals run everywhere in Miami. As for soil color, the makeup of the local geology is basically coral and lime rock, and there's a lot of powdery white sand around. I'll snap a few pics & upload them.
 

Nazgul

Active Member
Lance
I first encountered your website http://www.lancemindheim.com/ when I was directed there by Kurt over a year ago. Beautiful artistry and just a "plain old love of what you are doing" is in clear evidence in all your work! Your use of colors and textures is amazing (that is also one of Kurt's strong suits). It is a great place to pick up ideas or to just "walk" around in. I will be starting a new shelf layout myself soon, and although I model Northern Pacific, I will still use your work, as well as others, as a bench-mark for realism and quaility.

I am looking forward to seeing more of your excellent work in the future.

Steve
 
I agree.


Here are a few pics I snapped this morning, that you may find helpful - unfortunately, no trains out. :rolleyes:
 

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cnw1961

Member
Steve, like Colton I agree with every word you said about Lance’s fantastic modeling – very inspirational and a benchmark for all of us.

Colton, thank you very much for your help :thumb:. The pictures show that I am on the right track with the materials I already have. I only need some very fine, light gray sand to tune down the white sand I have, but then I think I will be ready to start.
 

cnw1961

Member
A few days ago I mentioned that I had the idea of a probable future extension for my layout .........Well.... it is no longer "future" or "probable", here it is :mrgreen:. The mock-up at the front represents almost exactly the structure I want to build (Sentry Industries), but for the back I still have to do a decent mock-up.

m30.jpg


m31.jpg


m32.jpg


To keep the weight low, I used 1/2" plywood and layed the track directly on to it. Noise of running trains will not be a problem, because on the extension I will only be switching at very slow speed. An elevated roadbed is not necessary and most of the extension will be covered by buildings and streets.

Again I had to find a way to easyly and quickly hook up the extension to the layout. As for the first extension, I use metal plates to connect the layout and the extension. Having two joint connections allowed me to attach wires for the track power to them, so that the extension is automatically powered when I plug it in.

m24.jpg



m25.jpg


m26.jpg


I did not intend to build this extension when I started to build the layout and layed track. So I removed a few inches of track on the layout side to get a nicely flowing curve on to the extension. Before I cut the track at the joint, I secured the ends on the extension by soldering them to small brass screws. Because of the soft wood fiber board I use on the main layout, I couldn’t use these small screws here. I removed some ties and replaced them with PC board that I glued to the fiber board.

m28.jpg


m29.jpg
 

jesso

Member
Really like how you are connecting the extension. Looks like it makes a good solid connection that will match up everytime. Your mock up building looks really nice, I can't wait to see your building, interested in seeing that curved back to match up the tracks. As always, can't wait to see your progress!
 

EastRail

New Member
Very nice job on the extension Kurt. Is that Sentry Industries in the foreground? It sure looks like it. You've really nailed the colors of the warehouses.
Lance
 

TruckLover

Mack CH613 & 53' Trailer
Kurt, TRULY FANTASTIC WORK!!!! :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

Thanks for posting the pics of the module joint, these, along with the other pics you posted earlier will surly help a BUNCH if and when i need to do some joints like these :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Those buildings are looking AMAZING!!! Would you be willing to share your secret on how you get such realistic looks? It looks like in your pics, the ones of the mock ups look like they have outlines of where doors, windows.... will be? Will you be cutting them out? Im curious, because im going to need to model the buildings like you are for my M&ET modules and i wanna go the way you are with the buildings. Are you making them out of sheets of styrene?

It looks like you have made some more progress then what i member seeing before on the main layout, have you made any more progress and been holding out on us for pics? :eek: sign1

BTW, I LOVE that rig you got parked in front of that building :mrgreen:
 
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