What I Been Up To Lately:Passenger Station Diorama

[TomPM]

I have several inquiries into what I have used for my woods so here goes

All materials are from Woodland Scenics

Fine Leaf Foliage
Olive Green F1133
Dead F1134

Fine Leaf Foliage
Dark Green F1130
Medium Green F1131

 

[TomPM]

Tree Kit 2 ½” to 4” Pines TR1104

Tree Kit ¾ “ to 3” Trees TR1101

Tree Armatures Deciduous ¾ “ to 2” TR1120
I used left over clump foliage from the other tree kits.

 

[TomPM]

Flowering Foliage
Yellow F176
Purple F177

Foliage
Light Green F51
Medium Green F52

Foliage
Conifer Green F54

 

[TomPM]

Clump Foliage
Medium Green FC683
Not pictured (leftover from Tree Kits)
Light Green FC682
Dark Green FC684
Conifer Green FC185

 

[TomPM]

Now here are some photos of my trying to figure out how the bridges will look and what I need to do.

Some things I discovered from this is that I am going to need to do a cap for the abutment. Also I can’t paint the highway bridge pier until I have the abutment finished because I will have to adjust it’s height.

 

[TomPM]

I finally am getting around to some progress photos on the Passenger Station Diorama.

Using some light weight spackle and some wood I made a cap for the abutment. I need the cap to provide a flat even area for the bridges to rest on. Also the beams on the highway require a stepped abutment.

 

[TomPM]

Next I painted the cap with Folk Art Linen.

Now I need to set the highway bridge pier height and paint the highway bridge. I also can begin the other creek bank and the island for the trolley bridge pier. After looking at the trolley bridge pier I think I need to paint it some.

 

[TomPM]

I have now painted and assembled the highway bridge.

The bridge was airbrushed with Folk Art Linen thinned 1:1 with blue windshield washer fluid. The beams were airbrushed with Folk Art Amish Blue thinned 1:1 with blue windshield washer fluid.

 

[TomPM]

Next I weathered the bridge and added the double yellow lines.

I weathered the pavement by:
Painting it with Folk Art Licorice thinned 1:1 with blue windshield wiper fluid.
Wiping off the paint with a paper towel.
Painting it with Folk Art Linen thinned 1:1 with blue windshield wiper fluid.
Wiping off the paint with a paper towel.
I then added the yellow lines with a yellow paint pen that I traced along a beveled ruler.
Next using Folk Art Light Gray I added some concrete patches.
With Folk Art Licorice I added some oil droppings.

The beams were weathered by dry brushing Americana Burnt Sienna for Rust and Folk Art Charcoal Gray.

The parapets were weathered by dry brushing Folk Art Charcoal Gray.

Folk Art Licorice was dry brushed on the beams and parapet over the track area to simulate smoke and exhaust stains.

Lastly the entire structure was painted with a wash of Folk Art Charcoal Gray thinned 4:1 with blue windshield washer fluid.

 

[Ray Marinaccio]

Looking good Tom.
I really like the bridge. Nice job.

 

[RailRon]

Tom, this is a great weathering job!
Doing a good street surface is not so easy to do - but yours looks VERY realistic! :thumb:

Ron

 

[TomPM]

Thanks guys!

The diorama has now officially moved into another stage of construction. Work has begun on the outside creek bank. I took a bunch of pink foam and glued it in place.

 

[TomPM]

I also began painting the trolley bridge pier. Here it is covered in Folk Art Clay Bisque which will be the mortar color. Next color the stones.

The pink foam is now cover with plaster coated paper towels. Pictures coming soon. Next will be smoothing out the ground with a layer of plaster of Paris.

 

[interurban]

:thumb: That is looking really great Tom I liked your March 30 2001 newspaper too
I am not the only one who saves stuff :thumb:

What sort of trolly are you going to have on that there bridge?

 

[TomPM]

Thanks Chris.

Right now the only trolley I have is a Bachmann PCC in Philadelphia Rapid Transit scheme. I would like to get a Brill trolley, more specifically an Electroliner. The area I am modeling is in what would have been Philadelphia & West Chester Traction Company, later Philadelphia Suburban Transit (Red Arrow) territory and they had primarily Brill manufactured trolleys.

 

[interurban]

Tom would you like me to post some pictures of the equipment they ran, I won`t interfere with your great how to thread, but will post them in Photo and scenery.
Let me know friend. :thumb:

 

[TomPM]

Chris, thanks, I’ll never turn down a good picture! So if you got them post them.

I have Ron DeGraw’s book on Red Arrow which has a lot of great pictures also. I have a special spot for the Electroliners because as a kid and through high school I used to ride them on the Sharon Hill Line. They had character unlike the boxy, plastic-looking Kawasksis they run now.

I'll look for your post over in Photo and Scenery. BTW do you have any of the milk trolley or the hearse?

 

[TomPM]

I have placed paper towels that were dipped in a “wet” plaster of Paris mix over the foam pieces in order to start shaping the ground.

 

[TomPM]

Next with a normal mix of plaster of Paris I went over the plastered paper towels and smoothed out the ground shape.

 

[TomPM]

Now I began coloring the stones on the trolley bridge pier. First I dabbed on some Folk Art Red Oxide with a cosmetic sponge.