Work on the Get Out and Push RR has been continuing, albeit at a snails pace.  I am working on creating the landforms for the site of my waterfall.  I am finding that it is taking a large number of rock castings and batches of plaster to create the desired effect.  I am also in the process of building the trestle that will support my reversing loop.

As usual I am in the middle of a couple of different projects at the same time. Currently I am working on a Campbell model, Bret’s Brewery.  This kit has been a pleasure to build and is nearing completion with all of the major components assembled with the exception of the roofs.  I tried an interesting technique for creating the mortar lines on model stone.  I watered down a couple of drops of grey paint and used a large brush to apply it to one side of the building at a time.  Leaving this side up, I placed it in front of my heater and waited until it had dried.  Gravity held the paint into lines and using the heater allowed me to quickly paint all three sides.  In hindsight I probably should have painted them before assembling the walls, but I still would have had an issue on the corner joints.  The technique worked quite well.

The other major project I am working on is a freelanced building for the San Leandro Historical Railway Society .  It is the second building that I am using to represent the Del Monte fruit packing plant which used to be in San Leandro.  It will be placed across the tracks from the first building, connected by a bridge for pipes and electrical wires.  These structures will help to hide a spot where the tracks disappear through a hole in the backdrop.  Test fits of the building show that this will work very well.  I have the structure assembled, with the doors and windows in place.  I am currently working on painting the structure, I need a little touch-up and the exterior will be done.  The next step will be to paint the interior and install desks and people to represent an office scene.

I hope to post pictures soon.

Merry Christmas

I have spent quite a bit of time lately working on a module, building the backdrop.  I used luan plywood for it, though in hindsight I think I should have used masonite instead.  The major reason is how flexible the tempered hard board (Masonite) is compared to the plywood.  I primed it and then painted it blue.

I hot glued the two tunnel portals to the backdrop and the roadbed.  The circuit board in the middle of the picture is the reversing unit.

I have been really busy lately, working on several different projects at once.  Most of the work has been on my home layout, the GOP (Get Out n’ Push).

I have completed most of the track, with only two switches left to install and the siding they support.  Wiring has been coming along slowly, in part through waiting for my NCE Power Cab, which showed up the other day.  I am also waiting for a reversing unit and a circuit breaker to complete the wiring.  So far I have installed three of the nine Tortoise switch machines.

I have also installed part of the fascia across the front of the module, unfortunately I was unable to get more tempered hardboard and instead used luan plywood.  I don’t think that this will work as well especially as it does not bend as far.

I ran a small switcher engine on DC power the other day, it was great to finally be able to run something, only if it was a couple of feet.

I have been really busy lately so I haven’t had that much time for modeling.

I have been working on this section a little bit at a time.

This picture shows how I have mounted the sub-roadbed (1/4″ plywood) and used risers coming up from the cross-members.  The major difference in this from the standard L-girder construction is that they usually use crosspieces at the top.  Hopefully omitting these do not hurt me in the long run.

I started to install the roadbed on the top of the plywood.  I used standard white caulking  to fasten the material into place, using pins to hold it until it set.  As you can see from the picture I have the switches setting nearby to check the angles for the roadbed.

After laying the roadbed the next step will be to start adding track.  I will wait until it is all into place before adding the top most layer of track, coming out over the reverse loop.

Here is a video that was recently posted by one of the people I follow on twitter and YouTube.  He does some awesome work and does all of his own music for the background.  One of his video’s was the inspiration for my static grass applicator.
Building the Excursion Train and Coal Mine