# Sergio Leone Movie Set Diorama



## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

This diorama is dedicated to the great director Sergio Leone and his film masterpiece "Once Upon A Time In The West."


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

I like to build my dioramas using the modular idea.Module #1 will be the basic movie set.Other modules may follow and will be added to the basic module depending on how things go.(at 70 you don't plan too far ahead)
This diorama will be in 1/24 scale which will allow for lots of detail and weathering fun.The dimensions of this first module will be about 33"X54".If I stop after building after finishing the first module I will probably put it on an oval base to get rid of all the squareness involved in building on a rectangle.
The first rule of diorama making is not to put anything square to the base so I will build this first module on an angle.
In the movie there a two tracks,one with the train on it and the other with half a passenger car with a shack built over it.Normally these two tracks would probably be parallel to one another which only adds to the squareness of the scene but with proper composition I should be able to minimize most of this.
In addition to the train and shack their will be a water tower and windmill.
I also plan to put an empty directors chair with Sergio's name on the back.
I also have a nice group of 6 figures in 1/24 scale that could be added as spectators or crew but for this first module I will leave them out and use them only if I decide upon adding more modules.As it stands now this is a tribute piece to the director so I will just leave it this way.


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## tooter

Hi John, 

That's a beautiful movie to model!  :thumbsup:
Ennio Morriconi's sound track is positively haunting, and each character has a musical theme. Are you going to try to model any of the actors? If you do make sure Charles Bronson has his harmonica... 

Greg


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## JohnReid

Hi Greg ! I love everything about this film.The coming together of two geniuses to truly create something wonderful.The actors ,cinematography,set design the list goes on and on .No figures on this one just the empty directors chair.Imagine what he might have created had he not died so young? Cheers! John.


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## tjcruiser

Alright ... now I'm feeling guilty ... 

I've never seen the movie ...


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## JohnReid

I think that 1/24 scale is perfect for this diorama.Sergio was a stickler for detail, so lots of detail there will be.Perfect composition was what he strived for, so arranging all the detail is critical to this piece.He has taught me a lot already but there is still lots to learn and what better way to learn than from the master.
I may make this module in two pieces and then screw them together which will make it more convenient to work on as well as save my poor old back.
I really like this modular idea for two reasons,the above plus an even more important reason.I have seen so much great 3D artwork,yes art work,go in the garbage pail over the years especially the large layouts of the RR guys.The family hasn't room,the interest or whatever.Maybe it is because I am reaching a certain age that I think about things like this but it really is a tragedy in my mind.In some cases they would probably like to keep something in the family from uncle Joe or Grandpa Fred and can't because it would be all or nothing at all.
My solution would be to pick an area of your layout that is the main story or what you are most proud off and build it from the beginning with preservation in mind.Make it in a separate module that can be detached when the time comes.
You say, why should I give a sh't i will be dead.Well I think we should give a s'it for two reasons.One as a legacy for our future family and the other as a history of our artform.If this is truly the golden age of modeling then we owe it to the artform that has given us so much pleasure over the years.Wouldn't you love to have all those trading cards and comic books that you or your dad threw out ? and not for just the material value ? but for the history that they represent and your own enjoyment?Think about it.


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## JohnReid

tjcruiser said:


> Alright ... now I'm feeling guilty ...
> 
> I've never seen the movie ...


I would rent it for the train stuff alone.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

I kind of like this composition for a rectangular type base.Nothing is parallel or 90deg to one another.The two black objects are the volume taken up by the water tower and the windmill.They will have to do for now until I can find the proper dimensions.
Where you see the boxcar in this mock-up it will be replaced by a combo passenger/baggage car which will save me a whole car length in the composition.The caboose will be replaced by a passenger car cut in two with a shack built around one end like in the film.It is supposed to depict a early cattle/passenger station with railway ties for the platform.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Why bother doing a mock-up in small scale? because it makes it so much easier to build the real thing.You have a constant reference in 3D to help.If you build it to scale you can simply scale it up to the scale you are working with.
In the pic of the diorama that I am building now it is in 1/16th scale, the mock-up is 1/48.


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## tjcruiser

Clever, actually, to do a smaller-scale mock up. Easy to fiddle with, no fuss if mistakes or changes are made. I like the skewed orientation, too ... sort of adds some extra depth-perception to the scene.

TJ


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## JohnReid

Glad you like it TJ !


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

This could be considered my layout for the diorama that I am working on right now.It is made up of five different modules.
2 backyard modules screwed together,surrounded by a building facade module and two lane way modules and attached the same way.The whole thing can be taken apart in minutes.With a little planning the joints can run along fence lines etc.. and never show.


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## JohnReid

Hi guys! I am new here but have been doing dioramas for a long time.This will be my first RR diorama and will be dedicated to the film and its director Sergio Leone.

This diorama will be for me! Long before other models came into my life their was my American Flyer train ,that I played with for years just on the floor, more than 60 years ago now.
Sergio gave an interview once and told of how his interest in the old west was developed in his childhood probably about 10 years before mine.Like he did I went to the movies and sucked in all that old west mythology,then came home and played out the scenes with my buds or my model train.
As I reach my 70's it seems that I want to re-connect with my long gone childhood and play with my trains again.


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## JohnReid

.You know it is funny how these creative seeds are planted in your brain.When I walked out of the movie theater 40 years ago after seeing this movie for the first time,I knew something had changed,that I had experienced something that really hit home.I couldn't quite figure it out at the time but I new that I had just witnessed a great piece of Art.I have seen the movie many times since but it was only when I got into storyboard dioramas that I really began to appreciate it .The genre I had always loved since I was a kid, "The Old West", but this film was different from anything I had seen before.
I bought the special collector's edition DVD of the film and began to really study it this time.
This edition not only has the movie itself but you can program it for a running commentary on every scene by knowledgeable film people.
There is also 3 documentaries included.
Maybe its because I am an old fart now but for me this is a wonderful tool that I would of never dreamed of years ago.A university course on film making in a box. "WOW"
When studying this film I sometimes just run it with sound,sometimes without sound and sometimes just the sound alone.I freeze frame compositions that I like and note lighting ,composition etc...I take pics with my digital camera right from my computer screen for research purposes.Never before have artists had all these wonderful tools at hand whenever they need them.It kinda blows me away!Home based artists have never had it so good!Now we too can learn from the masters in an exciting new way.


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## JohnReid

Well I have changed my plans again,I will build a sound stage.This will give me the freedom to really do what I want.
The story is that for one reason or another a sound stage had to be built. this may or may not have have happened but....in my world it did.Maybe Sergio wasn't happy with a scene involving the locomotive and the station.Rather than go back and re-shoot it it would be much simpler to create a sound stage with a fake train and station.He was a perfectionist so this may have happened in this or another movie of his but it does show the lengths that he would go to to make it right.It makes a statement about his personality which I happen to share.
This will be a story of artistic license in the extreme and how movies are really made.
I plan to cut down the scale of the diorama to just the locomotive and the half passenger car /shack.I think that this is quite enough to tell the story but with the option of adding more modules later on,although this may not be at all necessary.
My locomotive will be a complete fake actually probably only half a locomotive made from wood and tin of whatever.Basically all I need from the kit is the shape and something to weather.
This is definitely a work in progress !


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

The first pic has just two subjects on a square.The second pic is three subjects on a circle.I think that I will go with the circle.
Why? the circle idea gets rid of all the boring squareness.It also allows me to add other element to the story that of the robber baron Morton's private car, which I can finished inside and out if I want.It also makes the whole piece viewable from just about any angle.It means that I can eliminate the windmill and water tank and concentrate more on the real elements of the story.I can add things like painted scenery out of Morton's car windows etc...
I can see this whole piece going on a turntable moving a 1 RPM.


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## tooter

JohnReid said:


> .You know it is funny how these creative seeds are planted in your brain.When I walked out of the movie theater 40 years ago after seeing this movie for the first time,I knew something had changed,that I had experienced something that really hit home.I couldn't quite figure it out at the time but I new that I had just witnessed a great piece of Art.I have seen the movie many times since but it was only when I got into storyboard dioramas that I really began to appreciate it .The genre I had always loved since I was a kid, "The Old West", but this film was different from anything I had seen before.
> I bought the special collector's edition DVD of the film and began to really study it this time.
> This edition not only has the movie itself but you can program it for a running commentary on every scene by knowledgeable film people.
> There is also 3 documentaries included.
> Maybe its because I am an old fart now but for me this is a wonderful tool that I would of never dreamed of years ago.A university course on film making in a box. "WOW"
> When studying this film I sometimes just run it with sound,sometimes without sound and sometimes just the sound alone.I freeze frame compositions that I like and note lighting ,composition etc...I take pics with my digital camera right from my computer screen for research purposes.Never before have artists had all these wonderful tools at hand whenever they need them.It kinda blows me away!Home based artists have never had it so good!Now we too can learn from the masters in an exciting new way.


I agree, John.
We humans create the most amazing technological devices and then they immediately become toys for us to play with for our own enjoyment. 

Once Upon a Time truly is a work of art. I really like the closeups. :thumbsup:

Greg


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

In the first of the 2 pics above, the first one gives you an idea of the closest I come with this piece to a front or primary viewing angle.The second pic of the locomotives side will actually will actually be a fake locomotive built for the sound stage.I plan to built only half of the locomotive with the half facing outwards showing the built up structure with all the wooden braces and scaffolding etc...Where you see the piece of tape will be approximately where the empty directors chair will be placed.
The boxcar will actually be the luxury coach belonging to the robber baron Morton, where a lot of the action takes place.On the outside of this car I plan to put a screen about half the cars length long with a phony backdrop of monument valley.
The caboose will actually be where the opening scene takes place and will consist of a passenger car cut in two with a shack built on one end.I also plan cutaways facing outwards, of the insides of the passenger cars.From the inside view everything will look normal as in a real sound stage.
There will be no tender as I want to maintain a good view of the cab with all that interesting stuff in there.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

The tender is back in ! Like I said this is still an evolving piece.
I figure that it will fit nicely within the 3 foot circle and I can expose the locomotives cab by simply leaving the outside sidewall off.
Remember that this piece is a model of a sound stage with everything on the perimeter showing a behind the scenes look at these models as representations of props used in the making of a film.From the inside where the directors chair is everything appears normal and ready for the actors to walk on stage.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

This is the instruction booklet from the 30 year old used kit that I will be building in G or 1/24 scale (officially 1/25).I will be using only one side of the model and improvising the rest to look like a movie set sound stage prop.The previous owner had it hanging around and offered it to me for the postage plus a small handling free.An offer I couldn't refuse! It looks like an early version of this kit ,so the detail is strong.As far as I know all the parts are there but I don't mind scratch building if I have to.At least it is a good starting point.The G scale passenger cars I should have by the end of the week ,they to are kits by Bachmann.I plan to do a lot of modifying on the cars and finish them inside and out.Like the locomotive they also will be props,with one side open to viewing.Here is where access to doll house parts and pieces will come in real handy for furniture and a Victorian type setting.I will be taking lots of pics from my DVD of the movie for reference,it can't get any better than that.
The 3 foot circular design is a nice size to work with and my wife is very happy to hear that once the four aircraft museum pieces are gone she can have a lot of our house back again.This old back of mine will also be relived to know that it is the end of the really big ones !


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

For the HO scale mock-up I like this arrangement the best so far,the white circle represents 3 feet in G scale.The plywood circle is the max base width which would bring the whole thing to over 4 ft in diameter,somewhere between these two circles will be the finished product including base.What looks OK in HO scale may not look so good in G,so I will put off the final decision for now.The loco will go on curved track and the other two on straight track.The final placement of the last element, the empty directors chair ,I will decided upon later.
The nice thing about this arrangement is as the diorama slowly turns you will constantly see a prop, as well as a finished image ,constantly changing.
__________________
"Once upon a time......." Storyboard dioramas by JohnReid.
My photobucket:
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/JohnReid/


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

This is the locomotives cab.Lots of good detail to work with here. Although I don't recall any film scenes involving the cab I will build it anyway for interest sake. A lot of what you see here will be replaced with wood and brass fittings.What these models provide for me is a good starting point and reference .The model manufacturer went to a lot of trouble to research all this stuff so it saves me a lot of time.Any inaccuracies I chalk up to artistic license and let it go at that.In my world all things are possible !


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## Big Ed

Who's that guy, Ronald Reagan in his acting years?


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## JohnReid

This is the Bachmann 1/22 scale old west passenger coach.The figure is 1/24 scale.The interior will be completely removed and replaced with wood,only the shell will be used. The exterior will also be replaced with wood.
I think that I will first build the opening scene from the movie which consists of half a passenger car with a shack built on the end.It is very run down and heavily weathered.The other passenger car will be turned into a luxury coach with all the Victorian trimmings.


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## JohnReid




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## Big Ed

JohnReid said:


>



I guess it's not him?

Great to ask a question and get no answers?

Edit....it must be *Sergio Leone?*


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## JohnReid

Patience my man ! Please don't remind me.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

The first step was to take it all apart and remove all the lighting fixtures.I have been very glad to find that this passenger car is built to 1/22.5 scale which is close enough for me to work with without having to change too much of the overall size.When I am finished very little of the plastic will be visible as I plan to use a lot of strip wood ,coffee stir stiks,tongue depressors and veneer and whatever else I can think off.I will next have to decide on just how much of this shell I will have to cut away.From one side it will look completely normal but from the movie set side it will be fake.
1/24scale also opens up a whole new world of furniture ,parts and fitting supplies that are adaptable from other genres of modeling.My motto when making dioramas is "buy what I can and built what I must".I like to put lots of detail in my stuff so this may take years to complete the whole diorama.In the ten years that I have been building dioramas for the Canada Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa in 1/16th scale,I have so far completed only three and a half dioramas(the half is the one that I am completing now) and I work at this stuff just about every day.
I am really looking forward to learning about railroading as it is completely new to me.


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## tooter

JohnReid said:


> Any inaccuracies I chalk up to artistic license and let it go at that.In my world all things are possible !


That's the right approach John... :thumbsup:. 

You only need to convey the *impression* of reality... *not* reality itself.

Greg


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## JohnReid

choo choo said:


> That's the right approach John... :thumbsup:.
> 
> You only need to convey the *impression* of reality... *not* reality itself.
> 
> Greg


Hi Greg ! Years ago I build an HMS Victory in 1/72 scale,took me 15 years and 6,000 hours shop time to do it.I used all the old shipwrights rules and regulations when building it.After that experience I now take a lot more liberty in my work.That is why I am doing this as a movie set diorama so I have lots to play with.I am not at all experienced with railroading, so while learning I think that this is the best approach. Cheers! John.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

As you know this diorama has two completely different sides to it. One side will be for outdoor shots of what looks like a real passenger car.The other side will be a movie set.
In this pic you can see the beginnings of the set side.The smaller of the two openings is the door used in the opening scene, but film was taken from inside of the car or on another set altogether.The other larger opening may only be temporary until I figure out how much of the passenger car(if any)was here.In the movie I cant recollect anything here at all just the shack built over top.The shack seems to take up about half of the scene.It is supposed to be a real early station that is for cattle and passengers,long before a more permanent structure could be built and it consists of anything that happened to be handy while they were pushing the railroad through the area.
I have never seen a real film set so I will be using my imagination on how the various shots were taken.
This sure is a lot of fun to do as all the reference I need(except the set itself) is right there in the movie which I can view frame by frame whenever I want to


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

The plastic in these Bachmann cars is perfect for bashing.It carves well with both hand and power tools and does not clog up your burrs at low speed.It is flexible enough to stand some pretty rough handling and doesn't scratch easily.It sands well with not to much airborne dust around.There is a warning on the box however so a good mask and other safety stuff would be advised ,especially when working indoors.I should have no problem working with this stuff at all.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

This door on the set is open so I cut it out with the Xacto knife and plastic cutter thingy.In this era did the doors open inward or outward ? I wonder....maybe I can find a frame from the movie that will tell me.....


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

The fellow who owned "The General" kit many years ago had already painted up the base so I am using it here to sit the old coach on with the railway tracks running through the middle.Judging by the distance between the old coach's original floor and the rail ,there are no wheels at all on it but it is only resting on the track.Cool idea because right away you know that this flick is about a railway.
I opened up another hole on prop side because there was a little room built off to the side next to a brick wall which is part of the shack.
On the set side I will have to open another large hole and move the car's wall outward to become part of the shack's wall.Clear as mud right ! Well I hope to get this done tomorrow and a pic posted when finished.I temporarily put in the WC and wood stove to see how it looks.


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## JohnReid

Some of my buds online have expressed an interest in seeing this Movie.If you do be sure to get the original 3 hour letterbox edition.Hollywood made a two hour version and hacked it to death.Better still see it on the wide screen to get the full impact of the cinematography.
Don't even bother wasting time on the 2 hour Hollywood version,it is like viewing half a painting and then trying to understand whats going on.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

The mock up in HO scale is three feet. in G scale (1/24) the outer plywood circle is four feet .Somewhere between the two will be the final diameter.The G scale cars on the40" table looks about right to me.
I have added the shack to the HO mock-up. In G scale it will be lower than shown here as the car will not be on its wheels.
The logging car represents the yet to be built locomotive with tender and the box car will be Morton's private luxury car,also yet to be built. If somewhere down the line I decide to add more of the sound stage, modules could be added around the perimeter.
The last pic is a mod I have made to the station by cutting out a portion of the cars wall ,pushing it outward to create a door, and adding a ticket wicket as in the film.The shack will be built over this portion of the car for now and changed later if required.
The passenger car has been completely gutted to get it ready for its new(old) interior.I think that I will start with the cars curved ceiling in plywood for now,later I can add individual boards if I want. I am assuming here that the passenger car was not cut completely in two and the ceiling of the car extended the full length of the shack as well.
There are over head drapes that roll down to presumably cut down on dust entering the passenger car half in a wind storm( in real life.)The shack was required to provide air and shade from the desert sun,rain of course would only be an occasional problem.The whole thing is heavily covered in dust,should be loads of fun weathering this.All that rough cut lumber will be quite a challenge to simulate in scale as well.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

I thought that I would start with the ceiling and do something new for a change to see how it works out.Instead of plywood I used cardboard to cover the ceiling.I took an old box and measurements from the model and cut it to fit.An xacto knife with a #11 blade is best for this as it leaves a nice clean edge.I sealed the card using my standard 2/3 lacquer ,1/3 lacquer thinner mix and applied it with a soft brush.When dry I then used some burnt umber gesso as an undercoat.For those not familiar with gesso it is a medium that artist have used for centuries as a sealer for canvas,wood etc..and can be picked up in any art store usually in white, gray,burnt umber and black.I thin mine down with about 25% distilled water (although most tap water will do) I then apply this with a soft brush over the dried lacquer on the side to be painted.Usually about two coats will do and let air dry.Drying can be hastened up by using a hair dryer but don't hold it too close to the surface or you will fry your paint.Normally, gesso because it tends to be applied a little thicker, is best air dried as little cracks can form on the surface if dried too quickly.The great thing about gesso is that it sticks to about anything and anything sticks to it acrylics,oils whatever.It also dries flat with no shine,if you want a little shine you can add a little varnish medium.The trouble with most paints is that they dry too shiny,especially for figures but we will get into that later.
I then glued it to the ceiling using two part epoxy.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Because this diorama could be years in the making,rather than me posting a bunch of pictures which just takes you to my photobucket anyway ,I will post my photobucket site address only ,the occasional pic I will post direct to the thread.In the text of my posts I will identify the picture number that I am talking about.This should make it easier for everybody including me.I plan to add a lot of "How to's......" to this thread as my way of doing things maybe a little different than most, which you may(or may not) find interesting.Thanks. Cheers! John.


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## JohnReid

Weathering wood,everybody seems to have a different method here is mine.
The woods I generally use for model making are basswood,pine , birch tongue depressors and various sizes of coffee stir stiks.In pic 024 in my G scale album you can see the different types that I have collected till now.They are very strong. The raw wood has only been highly polished.
I like the barnsiding look and this is the way I do it.
Mix up a thin wash of paint using flat acrylics. Why flat acrylics ? because there is no varnish in them, to make the paint shine and who wants shiny barnsiding.For this wash I use Nimbus Grey with a touch of Raw Umber added plus lots of water.I brush this on the wood letting it soak into the raw wood.Do not use a sealer at any time during this process.After 2 or 3 thin coats you should have a nice gray with some of the wood grain showing through.You want to take advantage of the transparency of acrylics for this technique.When happy let the wood dry or use a hair dryer to speed up the process.This wood is now ready for use and should have an aged look about it. To be cont....


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## JohnReid

......because of its transparency it is necessary to hand select each piece of wood used for color,grain,unwanted out of scale imperfections etc.....
With this station /passenger car I have lots of leeway with the wood but remember that at one time this was a functioning RR car, so I will build it aged but some of the original car will still be there.When I get to building Morton's luxury car when using various hardwoods ,I will have to be much more careful with both the miniature carpentry and wood finishes.
OK so now we have a lot of stained wood of various wood tones and grays.Now we will have to decide whether or not to take the weathering process a little farther at this point or not.If you will always have easy access to the wood like on the outside of a shack wall ,go ahead and use it as is, but if it is inside in a confined area you can take it a few steps further at this time.
(With this method no airbrushing is required and the methodology is very forgiving of mistakes.)
Get an old toothbrush with stiff fine bristles,then mix up a very thin wash of raw umber and water.Raw umber is best for this step as it makes for a nice representation of mud flecks,fly sh.t etc...Dunk your toothbrush in the mix and flick off most of the contents onto a sheet of paper with your thumb.When you get down to a very fine spray then flick it on your work ,either board by board or section by section that you are working on.If you have prepared your boards properly it with instantly sink into the wood and dry very quickly.Keep doing this until you are satisfied ,and remember some boards that are close to the ground may require a gradual change in intensity top to bottom.Later some may even require a little mossy green were they come in contact with the ground.
to be cont.......


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## JohnReid

......On the areas where you may only have restricted access to later on, you may want to do some of the detail now such as dents, nicks, scratches,putting up old of new signs,making rusty nails and nail holes and pre-shading with chalk pastels.
With the use of pastels on dry unfinished rough wood, this is where my method is a little different than most.On most surfaces chalk pastels will easily rub off but on rough wood surfaces they are quite permanent as is, with no fixative required.Remember I am doing a diorama here, so it is just to look at.If I was using the same method on shiny plastic that is meant to be handled,I would roughen up the surface to get a little tooth in it before applying the pastels and then use a pastel spray fixative over that.I will mark that on my list for further experimentation.

For now lets just deal with the barn siding look.OK so now we have this gray transparent surface with a little wood color and grain showing through.Perfect! Lets add some nail holes and rusty nails which is common with most old wood.Find a pattern that you like or just put a few here and there but remember you are probably( in real life )nailing into joists or studs which will create its own pattern.Rather than have a whole bunch of old boards with a straight line of nails running across them which is boring,you may want to create a different pattern.I often use a kind of zig-zag pattern to avoid this.......to be continued(the doorbell is ringing!)


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

For the area between the side of the ceiling and the cars wall,I decided to use some paper backed wood veneer,in this case maple.Rather than use glue I used florists wire to secure it to the plastic.I try to stay away from toxic glues as much as possible.Once I get the basic wooden frame up I can go back to using the regular carpenters glue on the rest.
Paperbacked Veneer is great to work with as you can cut it cleanly with a pair of scissors or Xacto blade.The glue between the paper and the wood acts like a vapor barrier so their isn't much warping when using water based carpenters glues.The glue when dry is also waterproof.
Over this I have stared to apply the aged tongue depressors using pegs to secure it down while drying.Once I get the basic framing finished I will feel much better again getting back into woodworking territory.These plastic cars are great as a starting point and have saved me a lot of time getting to this point.The basic framework for Morton's luxury car will be a lot the same except it will be finished in polished hardwoods and brass.

For step by step photo's see my photobucket album "G scale trains"


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Using the smallest coffee stir stiks in my arsenal ,the movie side sheathing has begun.First I cut out some veneer and glued it over the plastic, over that I glued the vertical sheathing which is slightly larger that that depicted on the model.The outward side has been aged a bit and will be finished later as in the film.
I really don't know how this set was built for the movie and of course you don't see any of it in the film.I don't know of any pics that have survived of the actual set so I will just have to use my imagination here.
I am assuming that a real old railway car was used and a set built around it.I am probably wrong about this but using an old car makes it more interesting for my purposes and I think for my RR buds following this thread and gives me a great place to start.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## Big Ed

Don't panic John. :laugh:
Just giving you a :thumbsup:.
Continue please.........


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## JohnReid

I came across this pic just today.Wow ! great timing as I had just started to sheath the movie side of this car with wood.Although it is not exactly like the car in the movie it sure is loaded with research info.
Like Sergio I love detail,attention to detail was one of his great strengths.
The trick here is to maintain enough of the original passenger car while aging it.Some of the original carpentry on the car was of high quality and must be retained while a lot of the added stuff looks like it was just slapped up there any old way but you and I know that everything there was precisely planned to be there.My diorama is not meant to be an exact copy of his film sets but something similar.
The wood siding that I put on the model today was treated with a couple of washes of the gray mix.Some edges were left broken on the ends. Remember old breaks can be aged too but new breaks should show a change in color back to the original wood.
I left enough of the windows outline to identify this as an old passenger car which is an important consideration as you want your viewer not to question what it is.
I then took a sharp needle and added some nail holes not in a pattern but not just randomly either. Then I took a sharp HB pencil and added a little graphite to each hole to make it look like a nailhead.Later when finishing the weathering I will add a drop of water to each hole which will swell the hole back level again but leaving behind something that looks like nails.I will then add some rust and have it running into and down the wood.The whole thing will be softened using pastels which are put on last after all the handing is over but that is still a long way down the road.


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## JohnReid

big ed said:


> Don't panic John. :laugh:
> Just giving you a :thumbsup:.
> Continue please.........


Don't worry I am planning to be around for awhile.Man plans,God laughs!


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

This is the interior of the same wall.I placed the rough cut boards horizontally because if I decide to light the car from above it will have a more dramatic effect.I covered over all the windows except one which will have shutters.(mostly for my picture taking purposes) These boards in real life would have been put up there in an attempt to make this area livable.The interior will be weathered but not to the extent of the outer side.How this car got there is not really explained in the movie.It looks like it got there in pretty rough shape to begin with.Why ? because if the railway was just pushing through this area, where did an old weathered rail car come from? It could be that its present resting place ,is just its final resting place , at the end of a long hard trail across the country.(maybe on a flat car)Anyway that is my story and I am stickin' to it !


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

I almost finished the interior ceiling ,the only thing left will be to do some shading with pastels after the sides are finished.I used some long thin coffee stir stiks and painted on some very thin nimbus gray /raw umber mix (95% gray,5% raw umber).I then glued them on with carpenters glue to the underlying cardboard roof that was pre-painted burnt umber .I left the boards really rough and warped for the aged look.When dry I took a pin and created holes in the wood in a random fashion, as though somebody had quickly nailed them up there at some point in the cars history ,for insulation purposes.I then used a ordinary HB pencil and twisted some graphite into each hole to represent a nail head.With a small brush I then took some very thin raw umber and put a small drop on each pin hole to swell the wood level again and add a little color.Next I mixed up a very thin wash of raw umber and with a stiff bristle tooth brush I flicked on some of this onto the ceiling.You could also have handy a thin wash of the gray and flick this on if things get too brownish.The trick here is knowing when to quit and not cover all of the underlying wood grain.
The next couple of steps require that you be subtle in your work and don't over do it.Take a thin burnt sienna wash and with a very small round brush randomly put drops onto the nails to represent varying degrees of rust.Rust you say!! in the desert? Well like I said earlier this car only ended up here.
Let it dry ,and then you can come back with another small brush and soften the rusty edges using a little burnt sienna chalk pastel.Also the ends of the boards tend to soak up a little color too.Now stand back a take a look If your not happy with the look you can always come back and flick on some more gray or raw umber if you want more color or to slightly change a shade.Here again you can play with this all day if you want.Have fun! The pics in my photobucket covers each of the steps involved.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Here we are getting close to the finished product.I added a little shading using black pastel applied very lightly with a small soft brush(kind of a miniature make up brush).Try to be very subtle about this ,try not to overdo it.
If you blow up the picture(all my pics are 2 megs at least) you will see that the underlying wood grain is still there which is most important for this technique.Each piece of wood retains its individual pattern and color ,no two are alike.
When I come to doing the luxury hardwood stuff on the other car, I will use no paint or stain just the natural colored wood, hand selected for grain,pattern and color.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

This is the opening scene from the movie and is from the film set that I am constructing now.It looks old and chaotic but everything here has been purposely selected for maximum impact on the viewer.Nothing is square or at right angles to the other.The colors,the lighting,the textures,even the old clothes line wheel, all have a role in creating the scene.The drama is created by the anticipation of who is behind the door ?What better way to open a film than the opening of a door ?


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

This is about the most you ever see of the other side of the set,taken from a camera high angle near the water tower.The wicket /WC (every station needs one)was created with original parts of the model.On the inside of the window was the old telegraph machine that got on everybodys nerves and was ripped out by a baddy.On a old railway car bench on the outside was where the now famous "fly on the face" scene took place.Next up will be the shed to be built over top of the old car.This should be fun!


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

I have a choice for set #2 ,Morton's car.I can use another passenger car like the one I am doing now or use this Bachmann passenger/baggage car.I am assuming here that they adapted an already built car for movie making purposes.It probably never happened this way but I like the idea ! This car will be on its wheels and a set built around it.
If I use the baggage car I will use one side of the already built car and adapt it to my purposes.It will not be the exact car from the movie but my interpretation of it.The passenger car section and part of the baggage area will be movie set.The rest of the baggage area will be a staging area.
I like the paint job as is ,except I will be modifying it .Most of the green I will keep but will matte spray it with acrylic sealer and then finish it using pastels.The roof area will be matte black including the area with the RR letters,I will replace them with something more appropriate. The car will be broken down and gutted so only the shell remains.The interior will be in Victorian luxury style with elements from the movie and the Disneyland train.I will install the unique brass tubing near the ceiling that Morton used to move around the car.On the prop side I will put a backdrop of Monument Valley to add to the atmosphere.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

I have doubled the set side of the train station /shacks width to be more like it is in the film.At first I thought it maybe was too wide but I set everything back up on the 40 inch circular table I use for reference at it looks fine.A mock-up cardboard roof has been added to work out the dimensions and angles.Because the cars roof is blocking any view of the shacks roof interior I can fake the roof and use well lacquered cardboard.I want to build it with a slight curve in it and then sheath the exterior with wood tongue depressors.The set side of the roof will be faked with only the ends built to a point where max camera angle would reveal it as such.


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## JohnReid

You know the modern dioramist (word?) is soo lucky ! I am surprised that more of us haven't really used all the tools available to us for research and especially for visual playin' around.Sitting here at my computer I have available to me, in my own home,all the possible visual reference I could ever want.I can scan for the minutest detail and teach myself things that only a few short years ago you would have to go to film school for and even then it would be filtered through a teacher who has his own biases.
This is really the golden age for visual artists who want to take advantage of all the tools now available to them.
I never in my wildest dreams thought that this level of research was possible until just recently.When I was a kid going to the Saturday movies, my buds and I would come home and act out what we saw in the movies.Endless hours of childhood arguments over who did what or how, can now be solved instantly.
This may or may not be a good thing for our childhood imaginations but now at least we can get on with playing the game.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Moving on to the shack portion of this RR diorama I am starting to put up the roof rafters and boards.I want to make both the cars roof and shack roof detachable for ease of working on and any future maintenance that may be required.
I want this roof to look old so I put a little sway back in the beams.The wood was bent by simply steaming it a while over a stove top pan,then I took an old curling iron ,heated it up and hand bent it over the round tip.The center beam and rafters were then cut to length and installed right on the model.For this I used extra thick crazy glue to tack it all in place.Generally I don't use a lot of CA but for this tacking operation it really is the best way to go,from here on I will use the yellow carpenters glue as I am sensitive to the CA's fumes.
This shack is a lot of fun to do,it is easy in one aspect as exact standards are not required due to the nature of what I am building but then again you really have to study your references to make it look right.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Making a little progress on the station/shack area.That hanging board fascinates me,you can be sure that it was not put there accidentally by Sergio.If you look closely at the pic you can see the top of a cowboy hat on the L/H side of the pic.That is where the famous" fly on the face" scene happened.I have not yet weathered this area until it is finished,both sides of these boards will require finishing as both areas are in the film.One of my modeling buds actually went out and took some pics for me of old desert railway cars near Carson City Nevada.That was very kind of him to do so! It always amazes me that the vast majority of modelers can be so kind to their buds.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

These Bachmann kits are super for kit bashing.The way that they have been designed to go together makes them very easy to work with.They could be broken down even further by cutting the walls in four separate pieces.This wasn't necessary for my purposes here as I am not doing a lot of fancy detailing on the car/shack.When it comes to the luxury car though it will be necessary in order to do all the carpentry that will be required.The car/shack piece has turned out to be the best place to have started to become familiar with the construction methods as the work here is fairly loose in the tolerances required.

For the luxury Victorian car I plan to buy a lot of the furniture in 1/24 scale from the miniatures world (dollhouses).They seem to love Victorian furniture and have loads to chose from.Building fancy furniture is another hobby itself so I might as well take advantage of what is out there already.My principal is "buy what you can and built what you must."Up until now this has meant just about everything as what is available is very limited in 1/16th scale but in 1/24 the sky is the limit. (or should I say my hobby budget)I should have lots of time to build it back up again as after this car/shack I plan on doing the locomotive which will be mostly out of the box.I will be doing a lot of bashing on it however, as it will be depicted as a fake locomotive built for film purposes, not like the other two pieces that were adaptations of real cars.(in my world).I am sure that the way it was really done in the film studios would have been much different than I am depicting here.What I am trying to create here is an art piece using lots of artistic license,just like they do in Hollywood ! This will be an empty sound stage with no figures at all just the empty directors chair which is what the story is all about anyway.Sergio left us much too soon just when he was getting it all together as a director,who knows what other great stuff he had planned.I wonder though could he have ever have topped "Once upon at time..........? a recognized masterpiece of film making.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

You know it is funny how it goes with art. I started off wanting to do and learn about everything.Take figures for example,I wanted to learn how to do them as I thought at the time, that they really completed a diorama.Normally this is true ,they add a sense of scale and life to the scene.In my work I only used them in relaxed positions,standing talking in groups for example.No action not even walking as I felt that it broke the illusion of "a moment in time."My first diorama had three figures,the next five,after that too many for the fourth diorama, then it was back to one, and now none.
A lot of artists are the same from what I see around me.In the beginning they want to prove that they can master the techniques,then having done that they want to experiment with their own ideas and a lot of the time it is about minimizing things to the point where you can get say what you have to say as simply as possible.
Some artists minimize a whole aspect of their art and tell an even more powerful story by letting the viewers imagination fill in the blanks. Making a film with 15 pages of dialogue in a 3 hour piece is a wonderful example of this.When you do it right it can become a masterpiece !


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## JohnReid

Changed my mind again . I won't be doing the interior of the luxury car after all.I reviewed the film again today and it just contains too much stuff.Fine scale furniture building is not something that I really want to do and buying that stuff costs a fortune.It really would not add a lot to the diorama and actually it might be distracting.The primary purpose for the car is to have a Morton Railway logo which is on the outside anyway.I can just make up some wooden blinds ,light the interior through the blinds to add atmosphere and put a sign on the stage door side saying something like "Movie Set,please keep door closed."
The car/shack plus the fake locomotive should get the sub-story line of movies being mostly about illusion, across to the viewer without going to all the trouble involved with building the interior of the Morton car.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Next up will be the locomotive "The General".I have gathered most of the reference I need.I plan to make this locomotive a complete fake and build only about half of it so that it looks real only when viewed from the directors chair on stage ,as if he would be waiting for the actors to come on the set.(or maybe it was the other way around,they were waiting for him)I am sure that you have seen this kind of thing many times in the movies and never even realized it.Movies are all about altered reality and deception,were not doing History here.A lot of so-called history is illusion anyway but that is another story.
I really like this kit and I am really looking forward to bashing it into something completely different than what you usually see in scale modeling.In full scale 1:1 modeling it has been a long established tradition to fake it.Even for the"Titanic" movie they built a 3/4 scale fake of the real thing.How many models life size or scale model have I seen blown up and destroyed in the movies ,especially before the modern era of animation.


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## JohnReid

Hi guys ! I wouldn't be posting as often(some will say thank goodness) or working on the train diorama for a couple of weeks. The aviation museum called and they will be picking up their stuff within the next month. I am not expecting a lot to do to finish their first three dioramas.The fourth aircraft and the train diorama will be worked on over the winter.I will however still be doing research on the train diorama and will post anything interesting in the meantime.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

This is pretty much the final composition of the major components of the diorama in HO scale, in G scale that is a diameter of almost four feet.The space between the locomotive and the station/shack, as represented here by the red car, is as close to a front of the diorama that this design gets.The empty directors chair will be in the center.The green boxcar will be Morton's luxury car, which will be a closed set, with a sign on the rear sliding door saying" closed set ,do not enter".From the directors point of view everything will look normal and lifelike but from the viewers point of view it will be a movie set.This diorama will be my idea about how movies were made in the past before all the animation we see today.
It is essentially an artistic license piece about artistic license.A behind the scenes look at how I think the magic was made.


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## tooter

Hey John, 

Your concept is as fascinating as the modelling exercise. How do you think up stuff like that?

Greg


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## JohnReid

*You made my day!!!!!!*



choo choo said:


> Hey John,
> 
> Your concept is as fascinating as the modelling exercise. How do you think up stuff like that?
> 
> Greg


Well thank you Greg that is the biggest compliment you could ever give my work!
I have been doing different art forms for many years saying to myself "why didn't I think of that?"It is the originality that always alluded me until now,I found myself saying the same thing " how do they think up stuff like that?"
With ordinary modeling it is still that way with me but with dioramas I seem to have found my niche late in my life.I think that it is the storytelling I like most and taking pictures of the project underway and when it is completed and "in the can" so to speak.After that the fun for me is over and I just enjoy putting the stuff in museums and such for others to see and hopefully have a few of the young ones catch the bug of making dioramas too.
I find that most modelers are "History "minded and stuck on replicating reality ,I just want to bring some fun back into it like when we were kids with unbounded imaginations.Just the mention of "artistic license" drives some modelers crazy,Why? I don't know because anything fun to do requires a certain suspension of belief and modeling like other entertainments is no different.
Because of this fact I thought that it would be fun to kind of play a little trick on Hollywood and the like and switch things around a little by having the director from his point of view think everything looks normal while the viewer is really in on the magic.
Anyway,thanks again ! you have really made this old guy happy.One last thing and really what I am most happy about is that I was lucky enough to have the time and good health to accomplish this in the decade of my 60's.With art it is never too late to work on your dreams.Cheers! John.


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## Big Ed

JohnReid said:


>



Is the guy..... Sergio Leone? Looking over the work?

I saw that figure for sale along with a few others on e bay.


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## JohnReid

nice figure but this dio will have no figures in it.Here I am using it only to check scale!


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## Big Ed

JohnReid said:


> nice figure but this dio will have no figures in it.Here I am using it only to check scale!


The mysterious man is no longer a mystery.

Sort of looked like Charlie Bronson.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Gap & Seam Repairs
When I was building this base for a diorama I made, somehow (but I can't remember why ),there was this gap in the plywood that now needs to be filled.This is a common modeling problem so I thought that you guys might like to follow along as I try to fix it.The gap shown in the pic is similar to the one I am working on now maybe a little smaller.
It is now crunch time so I can't put it off any longer ! Normally this would be an easy job,just fill the gap and blend the terrain.My dioramas are different though ,as they were designed to come apart and be broken down into modules.This was done for maintenance purposes and ease of moving or storage if required.
Well anyway now I have to find a solution for this problem.My usual method of doing basic landscaping is the glue,water and sand over plywood kind, as described by Ken Hamilton in his book "How to do creative car dioramas".It is now out of print but is available on line.This repair will be using the same basic methods .


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## JohnReid

See my Albatros Dv album in photobucket for the following pics:

08-2 The gap.Double check that the plywood edge has been well sealed as this fix requires the use of water.I use lacquer for this.

06-1 2 sided carpet tape.

07-1 cut the tape in strips.

05-1 tape is applied along plywood edge.A second layer of tape was applied over the first beause of the width of the gap to be filled.

01-1 all materials are soaked in achohol before applying

02-1 apply your earth or fine sand'

03-1 apply your thin glue/water mix.

04-1 add turf then more of the thinned glue mix.

05-1 remove tape backing and de-stick the surface using dry earth or fine sand as you want the panel to be removable from the other panel edge.If this is a permanent fix carefully line up both edges and stick the panels together. to be cont........


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## JohnReid

11-1 put wax paper under both panels.

12-1 add more wax paper between the edges of the two panels and begin laying down your soil or sand.

13-1 continue filling until gap is filled and level,then spray with alcohol.

14-1 apply glue/water mix drop by drop.

15-1 fold over wax paper and fill the other side .

16-1 both sides should now be level,let dry overnight.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Meanwhile back at the rail car build,I have put in the floor.The movie set shows a very damaged area as though the floor had been ripped off at this point.I used my usual method to weather the wood but with no rusty nail heads as it would be subject to more recent wear.The pic was taken from the outside, through the car door window, using an ordinary light bulb.


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## tooter

JohnReid said:


>


Hi John, 

The way that guy is standing reminds me of what the steel industrialist Hank Rearden might have looked like in the novel "Atlas Shrugged".

Man, I wish someone would make *THAT* into a movie. The story is chock *FULL* of trains!

Greg


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## tooter

JohnReid said:


>


Great shot, John! 
The detail is exquisite!

Greg


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## JohnReid

Thanks Greg! This is so much fun to take your favorite movie and try to re-create the set as you would imagine it to have been.Empty movie sets are kind of lonely places without all the players,the very lack of figures plays into the storyline of the central figure, Sergio being gone from the scene.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

This is the outside of the rail car from the movie prop side.In my storyline they took an already old car and made it older.The original car would been more carefully put together and some of that carpentry is shown here.I assumed that the window casings were removed along with the glass therefore only the basic frame remains.
All the wood was carefully selected for grain pattern,color and texture.I am assuming that the original color was red but is now aged to orange.I removed the sashes from the windows and build the frames with strip wood that had been tinted orange.The large boards above the windows are part of the carpentry put up by the film crew for their purposes.
The pics in my photobucket show the various steps and the tools used for this operation.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

For those who may be a little confused as to what I am building here don't feel alone as I feel like that sometimes myself.
The above pic shows the area of the set I am working on now.I don't plan on building all of the lighting grid as this is basically an abandoned set but I do plan to show where some of it was attached to the rail car prop.This will be confined to the prop side only and will not be visible from the directors chair.


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## Big Ed

JohnReid said:


> For those who may be a little confused as to what I am building here don't feel alone as I feel like that sometimes myself.
> The above pic shows the area of the set I am working on now.I don't plan on building all of the lighting grid as this is basically an abandoned set but I do plan to show where some of it was attached to the rail car prop.This will be confined to the prop side only and will not be visible from the directors chair.


It's not as confusing as the T man electrical threads are to an electrical illiterate.:laugh:

Keep working...some of us are following.:thumbsup:


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## JohnReid

Quite a few actually according to my photobucket!


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

This side of the open set is where I imagine the interior shots of the opening scene would have been taken.The opening on the left is where there is a little jog in the interior wall which I presume was a sleeping area for the station master.I am only building that part that can be seen in the film.After the jog is a badly built brick wall with the doorway at the end where the movie begins.The large opening will be from where the interior scenes would have been taken in my little scenario.HO scale track makes a perfect dolly for the camera and really tells the story here without even having to show a camera which would be out of place on an abandoned set.The figure is there to check the scale.
I am presently building the sleeping area/camera platform but on a reduced scale due to space requirements at the edge of the round base.In the film the shot through the door to the outside(where the first nations lady is running away)opens on to the desert and in my scenario would have to have been shot in other open set.The wall where the figure is standing actually extends for a long way and is held down with ropes and stakes in the ground.Nice scene but I can't show it here.


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## JohnReid

Some of you guys must be wondering why does he keep posting this stuff when hardly anyone ever responds ? Well in the beginning ten years ago I wondered the same thing myself and almost gave up.I build every day so I don't have a lot of time to socialize on the net, other than sharing my work and techniques with you guys, which I find extremely rewarding.So why is it I don't quit ? well my photobucket tells me a different story.Sometimes over a five month period I can get up to a million hits ! Recently it has been running around 600,000.I post my stuff on about 35 websites; aircraft ,RR,cars and ships, some more than others depending upon what I am working on at the time.It is very time consuming but I love the opportunity to do it.You see I am almost 70 years old and I remember how it used to be years ago when most modelers built in isolation from one another, except for the occasional phone call or snail mail.Now I can instant communicate with other modelers, on a day to day basis, and show my stuff in real time.Until now this was never possible, before the era of computers, digital cameras and photobucket etc....I show it, if you like it fine, if you don't that is fine too ,but at least the majority of the official gatekeepers, as I new them,are pretty much irrelevant today and thank goodness for that. Cheers! John.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

This small closet looking area is actually a prop set up for the camera.You never see this room in the movie only the suggestion of it being there.The near wall will be fake brick made from previously cut artists watercolor board.Attached to the brick wall will be the door from the opening scene of the film and then finally the actual set.The exterior of these walls will be almost new wood ,while the interior will be painted and weathered to look old.Most of the camera shots from the opening scene were taken from this end of the rail car.
There is one area that had me stumped for a long time and it took my wife's fresh eyes to spot it.The brick area was curved I thought but why would anyone build such a crooked brick wall? Sergio did everything for a purpose and I couldn't figure it out.A closer look actually reveals that there is another wooden wall behind the brick one and it is this wood that has warped to create this odd form.The brick actually starts at the wood post and ends at the rear door and is fairly straight but heavily weathered.


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## Big Ed

It is very time consuming but I love the opportunity to do it.You see I am almost 70 years old and I remember how it used to be years ago when most modelers built in isolation from one another, except for the occasional phone call or snail mail.Now I can instant communicate with other modelers, on a day to day basis, and show my stuff in real time.Until now this was never possible, before the era of computers, digital cameras and photobucket etc....I show it, if you like it fine, if you don't that is fine too ,but at least the majority of the official gatekeepers, as I new them,are pretty much irrelevant today and thank goodness for that. Cheers! John.

Imagine what the world of technology will be like in another 100 or 200 years John!


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## JohnReid




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## Big Ed

Man that's a long coffee break you took John.


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## JohnReid

Finishing seams,gaps and screw heads.

The pics in photobucket are almost self explanatory on the final cosmetic stuff.
The screw heads are covered using round felt pads the tops of which were covered with white glue and then dipped in the original earth soil,glued on using contact cement and blended into its environment with the materials shown in the pics.You just have to play around with this until it looks right to your eye.
__________________


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

I have mentioned this book before and it is now out of print but my good modeling bud Ken Hamilton has given his permission to put it on the internet.
Ken encouraged me to get into doing landscaping,making good looking junk and super weathering when I needed a lot of encouragement.Ken's work along with Shep Paine are the two rocks that my stuff is built upon. Thanks guys!

See Ken's book here:

http://s8.photobucket.com/albums/a2/mercman51/DIO Book/

Enjoy!
__________________
"Once upon a time......." Storyboard dioramas by JohnReid.
My photobucket:
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/JohnReid/


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## JohnReid

Hi guys ! I have had to put the Sergio piece aside temporarily as the museum will be picking up their aircraft dioramas soon .I still have the finishing touches to do and take the final pictures with the lighting as I intended it to be.I did these dioramas mostly for taking pictures but museums have other priorities for display.Example ,I used real bulbs for the lighting fixtures but they can't remove a huge glass case every time they have to change a bulb,so these pics I am taking now will probably be the last where I can control the lighting.
Cheers! John.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

I hope that you guys don't mind me just posting pictures of my recent progress on this diorama.I am doing this in the spirit of "a picture is worth a thousand words".Most of this is plain old woodworking and there isn't really much to add.All of the building techniques I use I have covered before and will add again in my upcoming online book.If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask.Your input is very important to me.
Recently I was given a great idea for the old west diorama that I am working on now, that will add a whole new dimension to the piece.Old west = ghost town right ? Old movie sets have much the same feeling about them,and this diorama will be no exception,it will have its resident ghost too. Everything is there except the actors.Imagine the feeling of being alone on a set such as this after everyone has gone home !
The figure will be set in the shadows painted an iridescent white .The figure is already in a nice pose just quietly standing there and fits right in with the fantasy nature of this piece.This is where the art of storytelling really comes into the picture.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

This is the basic composition.The open set that I am working on now.Then a closed set as represented here by the passenger/baggage car and finally where you see a flat car the" General "locomotive and tender.In the center will be the empty directors chair and of course the ghostly figure will be inside the station.The locomotive will be constructed as a fake made of metal and plywood, probably cut in half but with a full cab and front portion.
The closed set will be identified as such by a sign posted on the sliding door."Keep door closed", filming in progress "or something of that nature.I may add to the outer perimeter a prop with a backdrop picture of Monument Valley depicted on it.Other than that the car will be completely closed with only some interior lighting filtering through some closed blinds.Anyway ,that is the plan for now!


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Here is a better pic of the rail car/passenger station with the shack built over the top.This is the station from "Cattle Corner" depicted in the opening gunfight scene in the movie.I presume that it was built as a temporary station, as the railway was being pushed through the area, or it was just a cattle station that happened to sell tickets and pickup and drop off passengers until a real station could be built.The railway tie platform was obviously built for cattle and not human traffic.
The" Sweetwater Station" is just newly built and would handle the regular passenger traffic for the area although cattle were also loaded and unloaded there as well.
The whole Cattle Corner thing is special and very unique to this film ,I believe that it was built to symbolize the new ways taking over the old.A station in transition and soon to be replaced by something completely new.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## tooter

JohnReid said:


>


Oooh... you could almost make a pizza layout out of that. 





 

Pizzas are a really neat concept because they can be viewed from 360 degrees. 

Greg


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

And it is simple to use,just brush or sponge it on the surface to be painted and the cracks just appear.The thicker the application of paint the smaller the cracks.For the barnsiding look use Silverwood stain as an undercoat.Individual flakes can be picked off using an xacto knife,tape or gentle knife scrapping .The jury is still out in regard to using this technique on plastic but I will keep you guys informed after further experimentation.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

The look that I am trying to achieve here is a bleached, sun baked surface that may have seen some rain sometime in the past.The nail or screw holes were made with a sharp needle in a pattern that indicates some kind of framing structure beneath.I deliberately did not line them up in rows like rivets.I want it to look like it was done by a human hand not machines.
After punching in the holes I came back with a sharp HB graphite pencil and twisted a little graphite into each hole to create a nail or screw head.The graphite works well as it has a slight shine to it like it was metal.
I then took some very watery raw umber and with a bristle toothbrush I flicked on a spray of paint to look like crud ,mud or fly sh.t etc...Then with a small round brush and some very watery burnt sienna I touched every nail head and the wood swelled back to level again and soaked up a little rust staining.Try to be subtle when using this technique.Now I will do a little shading with chalk pastels in all the nooks and crannys.I do all my old barnsiding the same way using birch coffee sticks or tongue depressors.Do not seal the wood prior to painting.
This is a long tedious process but I think that it is worth the effort in the end.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

A lot of work to make what looks like an old chicken coop ! Undecided This section has yet to be treated with the burnt sienna rusty nail heads look.Although they are hardly noticeable they do add a lot to the finished product.When weathering try to treat each area as a artist would do when painting.Make it interesting for the eye and try not to line things up in rows and right angles etc....or use monotone colors. Treat each piece as an individual part of the whole and put your best effort into it no matter how insignificant it may seem at the time.Avoid trying to rush through the things you don't particularly like doing.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Here is a cool old wood study pic ! The paint looks like it was once a red color that has now faded to orange.The surface looks like it is beyond the cracked paint stage and only a little of the paint stain remains.In this damp environment and a little greenish moss has developed where the wood nears the earths surface.Not a worry in the desert.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Does this bench frame look about right to you guys? The width is only about 3 feet, with about 18 inches for the aisle .Were people really that much smaller in those days?


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## JohnReid

Courtesy of the Sharlot Museum.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Here is one of those circumstances in modeling where a compromise of some kind has to be made.The bench is to scale but the wall of the car is a little too thick which moves the bench seat a little too far into the aisle.(no conductor is that slim) Lucky for me that all the benches are not required to be side by side
as in a normal railway car.I can cheat a bit in the arrangement of the benches and it won't be noticeable.This is one of the difficulties you run into when scatchbuilding by eye alone.


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## JohnReid

You know in reviewing my pics of Sergio's set I came to realize that he cheated a bit in this same area.The door is not in the center of the car and the seating is creatively arranged to suit the scene.The master himself was not above making some compromises too!
While on the subject of scale I was wondering how high that braking wheel that is located on the platform should be in relation to the height of the man?I think mine looks overscale in height.I am not too concerned about the diameter of the tubing or the diameter of the wheel itself as that could vary a bit I guess but the height must have been standard.


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## JohnReid




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## tooter

Hey John, 

It looks about elbow height. That doesn't seem totally out of line to me, but I'm certainly no expert on railroad prototypes.  Is there a standard height?

Greg


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

I would say that Claudia's rear end is perfect but big Marshall Dillon out of Dodge city might have to pay for an extra seat.This is Economy class for sure.
Like everything else about this station the bench legs need straightening.
I grouped the seating arrangement around the wood stove which seems like a natural to me for those cold nights in the desert.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

For picture taking purposes I am sure that Sergio widened this set and adjusted the rails to suit the scale.I am not sure exactly how he did it but the left wall seems to have been moved outward with the rail was still placed in the middle.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

I have been trying to figure out what is the black thing hanging on the wall ,you can be sure that it is there for a reason,something that prominent would be planned. Also what the piece of furniture is below it?It looks like it could be a bench or bench and table together.Victorian furniture is very dark so I stained it burnt umber.I think that is a wooden pail hanging from the rafter and there also seems to be a rolled up black curtain to be able to close off this section.Probably for privacy or to keep out drafts and dust.
I would say that passengers would use the door at the end of the car to gain access to this area.


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## Big Ed

JohnReid said:


> I have been trying to figure out what is the black thing hanging on the wall ,you can be sure that it is there for a reason,something that prominent would be planned. Also what the piece of furniture is below it?It looks like it could be a bench or bench and table together.Victorian furniture is very dark so I stained it burnt umber.I think that is a wooden pail hanging from the rafter and there also seems to be a rolled up black curtain to be able to close off this section.Probably for privacy or to keep out drafts and dust.
> I would say that passengers would use the door at the end of the car to gain access to this area.



It looks like there was a fire at one time?
Could the "black thing" be a charred mirror?
Underneath it, a dry sink? 
That would account for the bucket and curtain near it.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

These little creamers from the coffee shop make excellent tin garbage pails or forms for building wooden ones.I first cut out the bottom disc and then glue on the side pieces,trim the top level and add a band around the top.I painted it burnt umber and then sanded most of it off.
I spent way too much time making this but because a lot of the storyline revolves around the symbolism of water I felt it was worth it.However it looks a little large in this scale.I will live with it for a few days and see if I have to make another one and keep this one as a wood bucket.


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## JohnReid

I decided to give myself an early Christmas present this year and start working on my first locomotive as a movie prop.I have never built one before and am really excited about getting started.The station prop has very little creative stuff left to do except some of the finishing.Every year in Montreal the miniatures people have a show in April and I will wait to see if I can pick up some nice 1/24 scale Victorian furniture for the old stationmasters desk and chairs etc..
My background is aviation so I am out of my area right now.I find this exciting but also a little intimidating.Just learning all the new terminology itself will be a challenge .
If you see something that is obviously wrong or I am headed in the wrong direction please feel free to jump in at anytime with constructive criticism.
Thanks ! Cheers. John. Should be fun !


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

OK, so step one will be the overall composition and in which direction the train will be heading . This will determine which side of the loco that I will build.I think that clockwise would probably be the best as that is the way most viewers would feel comfortable reading the storyline.Therefore I will be building mostly the R/H side as the prop facing inwards.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

I have started to build up the interior framing using bent formers and have cut out a viewing hole in the other side.I keep the little loco handy to check out the viewing angles.I will probably build everything above the running boards on both halves and play around creating new stuff below on the prop side.


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## Big Ed

big ed said:


> It looks like there was a fire at one time?
> Could the "black thing" be a charred mirror?
> Underneath it, a dry sink?
> That would account for Ibucket and curtain near it.




I guess not.


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## Smokestack Lightning

big ed said:


> I guess not.


John Reid is having his own conversation dude.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Smokestack Lightning said:


> John Reid is having his own conversation dude.


Sorry I can't always reply ,I am a very busy man these days.

For more info on this build please see:

http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/JohnReid/

Look under the Album " The General "


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## JohnReid

This is where I am so far.The kit has been modified for use as a movie prop.Everything that looks like metal I assume would be made from tin or fibreglass or whatever would look good on camera.
After washing and sealing the seams with some thin super glue,and some light sanding of the fake metal ,I used some watered down black gesso (about 50/50) and a couple of drops of flow medium and painted on a couple of coats with a brush.Keep your coats thin as there is some pretty fine detail here that you don't want to cover up.
I added a dowel handle for convenience.

I plan to build all the wooden parts from real wood or wood veneer and just paint the fake metal parts.


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## JohnReid

On some of the newer websites that I post to there seems to be a misunderstanding about what my posts are about.

About ten years ago when I first started posting it was my intention to promote the building of dioramas on the web.The armor guys had been well into this for a long time but there is little communication between the two groups.I wanted to help change that situation at a time when a lot of modelers thought that a diorama was a nice wooden base to put your model on.
I post to about 30 different websites.RR,auto,ship,figure and aircraft as well as some other art and photo sites and I am also writing an online book about storyboard dioramas.I have always been a teacher and I love to share whatever knowledge that I may have with others.This is more of a How to..... thread than anything else.I am also an active builder of dioramas for museums and at 70 years old this keeps me very busy.I just don't have time to socialize on the net.If you are expecting feedback on every post , you won't find it on this thread.Please try to understand.I know that there is a lot of interest out there as my photobucket averages thousands of hits a day and that is reward enough for me.Cheers! John.


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## Big Ed

JohnReid said:


> I have been trying to figure out what is the black thing hanging on the wall ,you can be sure that it is there for a reason,something that prominent would be planned. Also what the piece of furniture is below it?It looks like it could be a bench or bench and table together.Victorian furniture is very dark so I stained it burnt umber.I think that is a wooden pail hanging from the rafter and there also seems to be a rolled up black curtain to be able to close off this section.Probably for privacy or to keep out drafts and dust.
> I would say that passengers would use the door at the end of the car to gain access to this area.





big ed said:


> It looks like there was a fire at one time?
> Could the "black thing" be a charred mirror?
> Underneath it, a dry sink?
> That would account for the bucket and curtain near it.





Smokestack Lightning said:


> John Reid is having his own conversation dude.





JohnReid said:


> Sorry I can't always reply ,I am a very busy man these days.
> 
> For more info on this build please see:
> 
> http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y250/JohnReid/
> 
> Look under the Album " The General "



But I replied to a question you asked.

But I guess you asked it to yourself?hwell:


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## JohnReid

Lets just drop the whole thing Big Ed !


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## Big Ed

JohnReid said:


> Lets just drop the whole thing Big Ed !


Sure lets.

Please continue with your conversational narcissism post.

Sorry I bothered you!

You won't hear from me again.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

The smokebox backhead required a lot of fitting to get it right but finally it looks OK I think.There still is a small seam visible in some areas which I could re-do but I will leave it as is for now as it may not even be visible when finished.I can see that this is going to be quite a long process to really do justice to this fine old locomotive.When building in wood the replacement piece must fit exactly like the plastic it is replacing.Wood veneer also has its problems because when you veneer the plastic part it ends up just a little bigger than the original.I will have to shave down every plastic piece I use so things will fit properly.Luckily I have two kits so that will make it a lot easier to replicate any plastic part.I think that I will start with the running boards,I have two choices here,make them from solid cheery wood or shave down and veneer the plastic.Maybe I will do one of each as an experiment and use the best one on the model side.
I have discovered a great set of reference pictures of the inside of the cab of the Lilly Belle ,Walt Disneys train.I will try to get permission to use these pics as reference here from the photographer .Cheers!


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Permission granted ! Smiley
I will have to start making decisions about color almost right away and I kind of like Lilly Belle's cab.It is very colorful which appeals to me a lot but I will be weathering it down somewhat and my painting won't be so shiny.Any suggestions ?


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## JohnReid

For a complete tutorial on cracking paint please see:

http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/models/16792-how-build-aircraft-dioramas-266.html

Cheers! John.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## tjcruiser

Beatiful build, John ... I especially like the shingled roof. Very nice!

TJ


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## JohnReid

Thank you for your kind words TJ.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

For a complete " How to....."on building a stone wall,my style,please see the above website.

Please note:
Because I contribute to 32 modeling websites of all kinds I have had to pick one to post detailed "how to's...." to.This site happens to be the first site that I happened to contribute to back in 03 .It also has all of my content in one place which will be of great value to me someday when I hope to do an online (free) book about my methods which I will then post to all the websites that have so kindly supported me and my work up in the past.
Because of the type of work I do a lot of my stuff crosses over between different genres. I would ask that if on occasion that I make a mistake and post something on airplanes in a car or RR or ship site( or visa versa ) please be patient and I will try to correct it ASAP. But most of the time I am dealing with" modeling in general "that crosses all boundaries."

I am by no means an expert in anything I do, in fact a lot of the time this is a real time learning experience for me too.A good example of this is what I am posting right now,this is my very first stone wall in paperboard,so you get it direct mistakes and all. I think that the guys that follow my stuff appreciate it more like this .It would be impossible for me to do it like this and post very detail to 32 websites everyday.

Thank you for your patience and understanding ! Cheers! John.


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## gunrunnerjohn

JohnReid said:


> For a complete " How to....."on building a stone wall,my style,please see the above website.


Where exactly is the "above website"?


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## JohnReid

http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/models/16792-how-build-aircraft-dioramas-274.html

Opps,sorry bout that ! Here ya go.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

I build two types of dioramas ones that physically exist in museums and ones that exist in pictures only.The second type is a lot like a film or stage play where you build and bring all the components together and record the images as they once existed in the composition.You still get to make all the parts ,scratch or otherwise ,which is really the most fun in model making,but it is really the composition of these parts that tell the story.In fact when finished I often like the pictures of the piece more than the actual model.It is a lot of fun playing with the lighting,camera angles etc...doing all the things that movie directors get to do but on a small scale.An added bonus is that you still get to keep your models and display them the way you want.One nice idea would be to display your model with pictures of it in its original diorama setting.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Nice idea for a diorama ! Gravity feed all the way.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

I have made up a series of pics on how to repair a crack when landscaping a vignette or diorama.They are pretty much self explanatory and can be found by clicking on the thumbnail.
If at any time you feel that there is something that you don't understand or the pics are not clear enough please feel free to stop me and ask any questions on the" how to..s" of diorama building.If I don't have the answer I will try to find it for you.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Just for fun I put all 5 modules together to take a few forced perspective pics of various subjects. I enjoy playing around with the camera using the facade as a backdrop.None of the models depicted are finished they are here for composition purposes only.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

The following is a great free online book for novice diorama builders.The author Ken Hamilton has kindly OK'd it to be published here.This book is now out of print.Thanks Ken.Cheers! John.


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## JohnReid

http://s8.photobucket.com/albums/a2/mercman51/DIO Book/


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Meanwhile the leaf arrangement continues as it is still raining a lot here in my area of the GWN.

I originally thought that this would be a Spring scene but with all the leaves it looks more like Fall.Leaves that have spent the Winter under snow are more compacted come Springtime.I have noticed that just before the first snowfall gardeners tend to dig up the old flowers and vegy gardens so that would explain the bare ground.Some small bushes and the grass can stay quite green right up until the first snowfall.The only thing that I really need to change are the sprouting tulip bulbs.
This change of seasons will also give me much more room for decorating and weathering the whole scene with leaves on the roof and gutters etc.....

As far as the storyline is concerned,Spring was a nice statement about the renewal of life but Fall would work just as well as a story of the end of something.Those last few days before the first snowfall in Canada can be quite dramatic as it seems that nature just stands still for a moment in time waiting for the onslaught.
A walk in the forest at this time of year is an unforgettable experience here in the GWN.


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## JohnReid

I recently read in the local newspaper that a large RR diorama (layout) here in Montreal is being forced to find a new home.The problem is there never was any plans made for this eventuality and there is no way to take it apart.
So another huge piece of modeling history will now end up in the garbage due to poor planning.
I see this often too on an individual level.Guys take a lifetime to build layouts that can't be moved and are just too big for most homes.Some of these are really little works of art that deserve a better fate. Someday they will probably be highly sought after by collectors ,hobbyists and museums ( after most have already been tossed in the garbage) as examples of our brief historical era of modeling will then be quite rare.
If you care about the fate of your stuff and I think most of us do,give a little thought about the future and do your stuff in modular sections or even a series of mini-dioramas that can easily be taken apart.I don't know how many times I have overheard the RR guys at the local hobby store talking about this very subject in very sad tones of too bad about this guys layout and what a shame about that guys layout when a little pre-planning may have made all the difference.Modules are really the modern way to go now if you care about the future of your stuff.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Sticking leaves to a flat surface where you don't want to use spray alcohol because of its effect on the acrylic paint has to be approached a little differently.
I use straight white glue put on with a small brush,sprinkle the leaves on and blow off any excess.Subsequent areas that require more leaves can be built up using an eyedropper for the alcohol and then the usual water/glue mix .
Take a look at the normal patterns in nature created by the wind and rain and vary your leaf patterns accordingly.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

More on modules.
A few posts ago I mentioned something about building layouts and large dioramas using modules.
I was back in the same hobby store yesterday and made some more inquiries .Evidently,they had two scales on display there "N" (very small scale) and "H" (larger).Someone had the foresight to do the "N" scale in modules and they moved it out in a single morning.Unfortunately the "H" scale will have to be busted up.They are going to try to preserve portions of it if they can.
With all the modern electrical fixtures ,quick dis-connects etc... there should be no excuse for this in the future.With a little planning in the beginning this hassle could have been avoided .
On a more personal level I am sure that a lot of families would love to be spared the agony of putting Uncle Joe's or Grandpa Jim's layout in the garbage because it is just too big and difficult to move.A lot of these decisions have to be made quickly at a very bad time in people's lives and some very fine work and in some cases real artwork is lost forever.
Modules could be built as separate dioramas each with its own little story and complete scene that when put together makes for an even bigger story.
Take nice overall pics of the huge layout as it once was and then create a picture book for your each modular section that could go with it to its new home.Even museums could make a very nice display of your work and put it in context for the viewer without have to find space for the whole thing.
Maybe it is because I am going on 71 now and these things have become more important to me.We all get old some day and faster than you think,believe me.This may not be important to you now but maybe someday it will.Do your family a favor and plan ahead.
Someday layouts will be as rare as old baseball cards are today and probably just as valuable.Lets face it we are in the golden age of modeling when old farts like me are realizing their boyhood dreams and have the money to do so.What I could buy with my allowance as a kid is history now.Times change rapidly today and a lot of stuff competes for our attention and money.

Personally I don't do large layouts but I do large aircraft dioramas in modular form and donate them to Canada Aviation Museum.Even if there comes a time that that they no longer want them chances are the airplane models themselves will survive as historical examples or maybe in a future collectors home.I feel good to at least have given my stuff a survival plan.
Nothing is forever but humans have since ancient times loved models of all kinds and probably will continue to do so.Kids never change and future imaginations will thank you for it and so will the memories of future older folk too .


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## JohnReid




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## MacDaddy55

*Well done John!!*



JohnReid said:


> More on modules.
> A few posts ago I mentioned something about building layouts and large dioramas using modules.
> I was back in the same hobby store yesterday and made some more inquiries .Evidently,they had two scales on display there "N" (very small scale) and "H" (larger).Someone had the foresight to do the "N" scale in modules and they moved it out in a single morning.Unfortunately the "H" scale will have to be busted up.They are going to try to preserve portions of it if they can.
> With all the modern electrical fixtures ,quick dis-connects etc... there should be no excuse for this in the future.With a little planning in the beginning this hassle could have been avoided .
> On a more personal level I am sure that a lot of families would love to be spared the agony of putting Uncle Joe's or Grandpa Jim's layout in the garbage because it is just too big and difficult to move.A lot of these decisions have to be made quickly at a very bad time in people's lives and some very fine work and in some cases real artwork is lost forever.
> Modules could be built as separate dioramas each with its own little story and complete scene that when put together makes for an even bigger story.
> Take nice overall pics of the huge layout as it once was and then create a picture book for your each modular section that could go with it to its new home.Even museums could make a very nice display of your work and put it in context for the viewer without have to find space for the whole thing.
> Maybe it is because I am going on 71 now and these things have become more important to me.We all get old some day and faster than you think,believe me.This may not be important to you now but maybe someday it will.Do your family a favor and plan ahead.
> Someday layouts will be as rare as old baseball cards are today and probably just as valuable.Lets face it we are in the golden age of modeling when old farts like me are realizing their boyhood dreams and have the money to do so.What I could buy with my allowance as a kid is history now.Times change rapidly today and a lot of stuff competes for our attention and money.
> 
> Personally I don't do large layouts but I do large aircraft dioramas in modular form and donate them to Canada Aviation Museum.Even if there comes a time that that they no longer want them chances are the airplane models themselves will survive as historical examples or maybe in a future collectors home.I feel good to at least have given my stuff a survival plan.
> Nothing is forever but humans have since ancient times loved models of all kinds and probably will continue to do so.Kids never change and future imaginations will thank you for it and so will the memories of future older folk too .


Hey John, first off your detail and artistry are of a superiority that comes with experience and love for this hobby...very impressive! I will turn 56 this year and have agree with you about preserving the Layout that we(my son and daughter) started 17 years ago( great analogy about baseball cards by the way)! We will eventually have grandkids and I want them to enjoy the bond that this great hobby(or any other hobby ) to them down the road after I'm long gone!! So keep up the great work and Sergio Leone would smile from above with the work you have done!!!:thumbsup:


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## JohnReid

Thank you for your very kind words .Cheers! John.


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## JohnReid

I have started a new thread over on theaerodrome.com on building basic wood structures for dioramas.It is intended to be for modelers of all kinds who are not familiar with working with wood.
I will in the future also put it up here as well ,when I get all the bugs worked out.


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## JohnReid

http://www.theaerodrome.com/forum/models/53240-basic-wood-structures-dioramas.html


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## JohnReid




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## gc53dfgc

is that one part of your actual set john or a real life prototype picture to give you an idea of what the grass should look like?


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## gunrunnerjohn

gc53dfgc said:


> is that one part of your actual set john or a real life prototype picture to give you an idea of what the grass should look like?


It's pretty good if you can't tell!


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## JohnReid




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## tjcruiser

Whoa!!! What have we here? Early flight, of course. Do tell ... details .. details ???


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## JohnReid

The following excerpt is from "The Road Not Taken" a poem by Robert Frost

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood,and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost.
Courtesy of WSP.


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## haphall

John, What scale is the small 'garden plot' and fence? I love those 'bleeding' nail heads.


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## tjcruiser

John,

You entice us with mystery and deep thought. If Frost is involved, though, it's worth the mindgame.

A favorite of mine ...

"The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep."

TJ


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## JohnReid

haphall said:


> John, What scale is the small 'garden plot' and fence? I love those 'bleeding' nail heads.


Hi ! it is all 1/16th scale.


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## JohnReid

Please note:

For anyone who was following my day by day posts over on theaerodrome.com please see the following site for a continuation of that thread.

http://aeroscale.kitmaker.net/modul...le=index&req=viewtopic&topic_id=179956&page=2


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## JohnReid

When chipping away at the landscaping trying to dig a hole for the wheel/grass areas ,I came to realize just how strong this sand/glue or earth/ glue mix really is.
Anything that you would want to build for strength or that you would want to look like real cement ,such as sidewalks,cement blocks etc..this technique would be worthwhile experimenting with.
For example ,when making a cement block you would make a simple form,it could be wood or something else and then insulate the form and the cement from one another using wax paper or other water impervious material so the two will not be glued together and the block could later easily be removed.The properties and color etc..of your materials can be chosen to represent real thing.(Landscaping suppliers have lots of choices)Fancier molds could also be made for miniature statues etc..
Check your piece that you want to represent for color ,texture etc..(sand and real earth are available in different textures and colors) and then mix up a batch as follows.
It is a good idea to sterilize anything that you take from nature so heat it up in the oven or BBQ until hot to kill any possible critters laying about.The longer you heat it in a BBQ and depending on the temperature you heat it to, the sand/earth can be made to vary in color from natural to black.
Cool and then take your baked earth/sand and mix it with alcohol (75%) until it is the consistency that you require or you could pour the dry material into the mold and then use an eye dropper to apply the alcohol until it is thoroughly damp.Take another dispenser,(I use a small plastic squeeze bottle for this) and then drip by drip thoroughly wet down your sand/earth/alcohol mix until it is wet with another mix of 75% water and 25% white carpenters glue.This mix could also be colored using water based acrylics.Let dry,remove it from the form and you will have imitation cement.Have fun!


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## JohnReid

pic courtesy of Achime Engels
100 years later,some things never change.:thumbsup:


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## JohnReid

At the end of one of his choices of roads to take, sits his homes garage.The sign could of been put up by his kids or his mom or even his dad.I wanted the sign to be really subtle as if someone took some glue and cardboard or paper and just pasted it there.I don't want it to be too obvious, more to catch the views eye on maybe the second pass over the scene.A kind of " Oh Look " moment.

Please note: the unusual shape of this garage door is because it used to have an arched doorway to a stable for horses.The addition of the later siding squared it off to unusual proportions.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

At the end of the other "Road Taken" lies a "Dead End" quite literally one of loss and destruction, represented here by the old burned out car and all the dead leaves.The sign represents the folly of misplaced patriotism by the public and the pressure that was put on the young to get involved in giving up their lives for nothing.
On a personal note : My view is that WW1 and most other wars are a waste of good lives on both sides. WW2 on the other hand was unfortunately necessary to rid humanity of a great evil.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## Massey

Poor ol model T

Massey


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## jreid

A very interesting thread, really enjoying this one and if the modeler is named John Reid, well it has to be good


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## JohnReid

Why Keep Posting ?
You may be asking yourself,why does he keep posting this stuff when there is so little active response to his posts?

Number one is, to fulfill a promise that I made to myself 12 years ago to spread the word about dioramas as far and as wide as I possibly could,simply because I love dioramas.

Number two is, how do I know anybody is tuning in ? well in only one year I have got almost a million hits on my photobucket site. Yes,I can't believe it either.Most are repeats but still a million hits is very encouraging to keep on going with this stuff.
On occasion someone will tell me how they have been following my stuff for a long time ,sometimes on another site.

Number three is the amount of hits that I get on some websites that I post to.You guys may not always respond but I know that you are following along.

I want to thank all you guys and gals who have supported me now and in the past.You will never know how much your support means to this old guy. Cheers ! John.


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## JohnReid

A large scale diorama can be built for taking pictures of all types of models.They can be built expressly for that purpose or as in my case as a temporary backdrop before I ship it off.This backdrop was originally made for my airplane diorama "The Road Taken".The airplane has been temporary stored in my home and can be re-installed back in the diorama in as little as five minutes.Actually I have more fun taking pictures than the actual modeling and in some cases I like the pictures better than the model or diorama.Storyboarding using your own pictures is also a lot of fun too when using them in a picture book or album.In my case the storyboard albums will be for members of my family and friends because the real thing will be gone to a better home.


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## gc53dfgc

JohnReid said:


>


That is amazing John, It looks so real. I belive you had said what scale it was somewhere in this long thread but could you post it again to clarify? It looks like its fairly close to life size with the amazing amount of detail on it.


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## JohnReid

Hi ! it is in 1/16th scale. Cheers! John


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

A large scale diorama can be built for taking pictures of all types of models.They can be built expressly for that purpose or as in my case as a temporary backdrop before I ship it off.This backdrop was originally made for my airplane diorama "The Road Taken".The airplane has been temporary stored in my home and can be re-installed back in the diorama in as little as five minutes.Actually I have more fun taking pictures than the actual modeling and in some cases I like the pictures better than the model or diorama.Storyboarding using your own pictures is also a lot of fun too when using them in a picture book or album.In my case the storyboard albums will be for members of my family and friends because the real thing will be gone to a better home.
This thread is about ideas not a specific type or genre of modeling.Website owners please feel free to move it or delete it at your own discretion if you feel that it does not meet the standards of your site.I don't mind,honest !


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## JohnReid

Warning!! the next picture that you see may be disturbing to some viewers, yes it is a car. I used it here only for information purposes.Airplane,RR,figure guys etc...will just have to try to avoid looking at it ! Please let me explain.

The pic below depicts a car of course but it really could be anything.The point here is the backdrop and how it was used to create a little vignette within the larger diorama.
Here I have taken a 1/18th scale car and put it in a 1/16th scale diorama.By using camera angles,lighting,focus,forced perspective etc... I was able to create the illusion that it is all the same scale.
I deliberately selected a very shiny new car right out of the showroom for this example. Using proper lighting I was able to control any excessive shine which would otherwise only serve to make it look toy like.This is especially true of figures.You have to learn how to control the shine.Even in this picture it is still quite shiny but you should see it if I didn't play around with it a bit.
My technique is very simple, I just experiment and shoot lots of pics using different kinds of lighting.I have no professional equipment and I use a point and shoot camera.(In the old film days ,I wound be broke by now.)If you get 1 in 20 that looks good you will be lucky.Don't spend a lot of time and money on fancy equipment,you just don't need it.Most of my pics that I am taking now of an outdoor scene I just bounce the light off a white ceiling and use a hand held clip on light with a 60W bulb to produce shadows.Don't be afraid to keep moving the light around by hand until you get what your looking for.Sometimes an accidental shot will be the best of the bunch.
For my indoor shots in hangars etc.. I usually set up overhead lighting controlled by a rheostat especially when I am using figures to take advantage of the shadows that this produces, which is usually better than anything that I can paint on by hand.Simply underpaint only and play with the light to bring out the detail.In a controlled light setting this works very well.My figures for example look best indoors and in artificial light.Outdoors I have got to work a little harder but either way I am no Shep Paine with painting figures,that's for sure.

To make the scene look like it is all one scale there are a few things that can be played with.Camera angle is one.Low angle shots worked best in this case as it distorts the scale.Out of focus background also helps.Take shots that don't give it away.For example anything that is of readily known proportions like figures in the foreground or windows in the background must be used very carefully.In the above pic for example the fence can come in various sizes in real life but everyone knows the approximate size of a standard door or window from that era.

to be continued.......


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## Massey

Love the figures sitting in the doorway talking.

Massey


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## tjcruiser

John,

Per your comments above, we do appreciate your excellent craftsmanship, and your taking the time to share with us forum members here.

However, a new request ...

Just once, I'd like you to break away from the fabricated reality and story telling, and post a photo of one of your detailed diorama scenes with the camera lens backed away to show "reality" outside of the diorama. I think doing so will highlight the incredible scope of small detail that you add to your work. As it is, your photos (and model work) are so lifelike, that it's easy for one to forget that they are looking at a model. But, if you back away with the camera, and put the small modeling sized into perspective with something like a Coke can in the field of view, I think it will really highlight the overall scope of the modeling work.

Just a thought / suggestion on my part.

TJ


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## Massey

I have in the past used different scales to represent distance in a compressed scene. I have a R/C containership that is 1:200 scale (close enough to N scale the pass), and I put it in an HO scale module of a intermodal Container dock.the ship was against the backdrop which was about 40" from the rails, there were a few N scale forklifts and containers near the ship, the backdrop had a crane picture that served as the loading crane and then some blank space and then HO scale stuff with a Mi-Jack and semis loading the rail cars. It looked quite real viewed from eye level and it looked like the ship was far away and not only a few inches from the rails. I wish I had kept that module but I sold it when I was in need of some money. I kept the ship so I can always rebuild the module later. The ship was a model from Graupner called the Sidney Star.

Massey


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## JohnReid

tjcruiser said:


> John,
> 
> Per your comments above, we do appreciate your excellent craftsmanship, and your taking the time to share with us forum members here.
> 
> However, a new request ...
> 
> Just once, I'd like you to break away from the fabricated reality and story telling, and post a photo of one of your detailed diorama scenes with the camera lens backed away to show "reality" outside of the diorama. I think doing so will highlight the incredible scope of small detail that you add to your work. As it is, your photos (and model work) are so lifelike, that it's easy for one to forget that they are looking at a model. But, if you back away with the camera, and put the small modeling sized into perspective with something like a Coke can in the field of view, I think it will really highlight the overall scope of the modeling work.
> 
> Just a thought / suggestion on my part.
> 
> TJ


Thanks TJ ! next time I take pics I will use a can.Would you mind if it was Pepsi?


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## JohnReid

Massey said:


> I have in the past used different scales to represent distance in a compressed scene. I have a R/C containership that is 1:200 scale (close enough to N scale the pass), and I put it in an HO scale module of a intermodal Container dock.the ship was against the backdrop which was about 40" from the rails, there were a few N scale forklifts and containers near the ship, the backdrop had a crane picture that served as the loading crane and then some blank space and then HO scale stuff with a Mi-Jack and semis loading the rail cars. It looked quite real viewed from eye level and it looked like the ship was far away and not only a few inches from the rails. I wish I had kept that module but I sold it when I was in need of some money. I kept the ship so I can always rebuild the module later. The ship was a model from Graupner called the Sidney Star.
> 
> Massey


Wow ! that sounds cool Massey. Great idea !


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

pics above
Pic 1
-two guys standing in the door is an example of indoor overhead controlled lighting.Of course the painting could be better,especially the faces,but when viewed at a natural viewer distance in its protective case it looks just fine for my purposes.
Pic 2
-special lighting effects for photography can easily be set up.Here for example,the overhead hangar lights have been shut off and I simply shone a hand held light through the door and windows and moved it around to create interesting shadows.


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## JohnReid

Please note;
I will be returning to my Sergio Leone RR piece today .My last aviation diorama is now, for all intents and purposes, finished.I want to thank you guys for bearing with me while I was posting things not directly related to RR's.I hope that you got something out of it.
I would however like to continue using other genres of modeling as examples for picture taking purposes, lighting ,camera angles etc.. All of my finished references are not RR subjects,in fact this is my first RR adventure since I was a child playing with my electric trains in the 1940's.I guess that you could call it going back to my roots.Most of my pics from now on will be RR. Thank you ! Cheers. John.


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## tjcruiser

John,

That airplane hangar photo / scene is ... well ... surreal ... incredibly realistic. I can almost hear the conversation those guys are having. Wonderful craftsmanship, lighting and all.

TJ


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

The facade lighting is from the empty space in the back of the diorama that is normally covered with plywood.Here I am just just a 60w bulb to see if any light is still shining through the bricks after I painted the other side black.
The rooms with closed drapes or blinds with be painted various colors on the board in back.This should give each room a different color glow when lighted.The open windows will either be covered with wallpaper or painted ,with maybe a picture or clock hanging on the wall for added interest.I will have to experiment a bit here with the colors and the intensity of the light.
Would my dollhouse friends who follow my posts have some good ideas on this ?
Maybe using LED's ?


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## Massey

That hangar scene makes me think of early mornings at the base waiting for the crew to show up and start working on stuff. Brings back memories of the Navy. Looks great!

Massey


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## JohnReid

Glad I was able to help bring back those memories for you !


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

My next diorama is called "Once Upon A Time In The Movies" .It is my idea of how a movie set may have looked like back in the 1960's and is pure fantasy .It is a piece that I have dedicated to the great Italian film director Sergio Leone.The theme is old Western movie making based upon my favorite movie "Once Upon A Time In The West."
This diorama will be in 1/24 scale.I plan to have lots of fun with this one !I am presently building a locomotive as a movie prop based upon the old General model kit.Well here goes !


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Here is a brief review of what I have done on this diorama prior to now.

The above illustration is of a typical movie set.

Of course everything starts with a little research on the subject that you are interested in.Pick a subject that is really personal to you,something that you love and not what others think you should love.If your heart is really in it that will see you through the rough periods and there always are a few of those along the way in any creative project.
Once you have a subject in mind the next step is the most important you will take.Research,research,research,get to know your subject really well.
The web ,libraries,museums books,magazines,films etc.. are good places to start. In my case with this project I have a huge advantage, I have the movie itself which I can stop and study frame by frame.
Other than for me personally, this diorama will be more instructive than emotional for the viewer.The last two dioramas that I have done were designed to involve the viewer emotional in the piece and send a message of some kind.This time it will be a more descriptive piece,how they used to make movies.
It is however emotional for me personally as I am a great fan of Sergio and have guided myself in the making of my dioramas the way he made movies,except mine are only one frame long.


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## JohnReid

First I made a 3D mockup of what I am planning.I like to use this for reference purposes as I find that it really helps to put everything in context.It is not written in stone though, nothing is with my style of modeling as I want the freedom to change things right up until the end of the project.This helps keep me interested too as I never know where it will end up.

Anything that I measure on the HO mockup I simply multiply by 3.625 for 1/24 scale.Speaking about scales I sometimes cheat a little and call it Artistic License.A good example of this is the locomotive kit I am using which is actually 1/25 scale in a 1/24 scale diorama but unless I told you ,you probably would not have noticed and you guys are much more familiar with scale than the general public would ever be.
My goal here is eventually find a good museum as a home for this diorama, because of its descriptive nature I want it to be seen by the public.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Sergio is the fellow with the hat and white shirt standing by the rear door next to the light.I don't know from which of his movies this pic comes from but it looks like one of his westerns that he was so famous for.
My closed set will be quite different as the diorama will depict an old abandoned movie set with no figures except for maybe a ghost or two.(every old western set needs one).

The HO train cars on the piece of round plywood is the basic design so far.The caboose with the cardboard roof will be the station from the opening scene of the movie.The locomotive will be pretty much as you see here except it will be a prop.
The green boxcar will actually be a closed set passenger car in the diorama.Somewhere in the scene I plan to put an old directors chair with Sergio written on the back.

Originally I was going to do this piece as a set from the film.I have since changed my mind actually I now plan to make it a long abandoned set from that era.I really enjoy making things look old and weathered (like me) and I think that it will add some emotion to the piece.Sergio died at 60 at the height of his artistic abilities and I want to honor that sense of loss of a man that still had so much more to give.


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## JohnReid

Well I guess that I might as pick up where I left off building the locomotive as a prop to be used in the movie set.You will remember that I am using "The General" kit as my starting point and I am now adapting it to look like a movie prop.There is lots of nice detail to work with here and it is an eye-saving 1/25 scale.
This is my first RR diorama and my first attempt at building a scale model locomotive so please if you see that I am going down a wrong path I would appreciate it if you more experienced builders would advise me.I have run electric(yes we had electricity way back then, LOL) trains on and off for 65 years now but never had this building opportunity before.
I can't remember exactly what my first train was but it was back in Toronto just after dad returned from overseas about 1945 .I do remember him saying though before one of his flights "Don't leave it plugged in too long you will burn out the transformer"Well he wasn't gone long and I proceeded to do just that.It became a push train after that.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

I have mixed opinions about this kit.The accuracy I cannot vouch for one way or another because I simply do not know enough about locomotives of this era.
The quality however shows its age.The main problems are the type of plastic used and the molds.The plastic is of a type that makes it very difficult to remove the all too present flash.Normally I like to do this with a sharp Xacto or some gentle sanding.This is a type of plastic that does not sand well as it is too soft.The larger parts are OK but the small parts are very difficult to work with and break very easily.I have spent a lot of time on repairs.The brass parts all require that the paint be removed, the flash removed ,and then repainted with acrylics.Nothing looks worse than seem lines on shiny brass.The acrylics do not stick to the surface very well and must be lightly sanded,then washed and undercoated with gesso before the final finish is applied.
If I was doing this as a stand alone model as a new shiny example of a new locomotive of this era I would have to do a lot of scratch building.For what I am using it for as an old rusty and weathered piece it is adequate for my purposes and should look pretty good when finished properly.
The plastic kit making industry has come a long way since this kit was manufactured especially in aircraft modeling in 1/32 scale.The new kits have perfect fits and almost build themselves but as an old time modeler I find that just painting someone else work can be a little boring.I enjoy a challenge and have the time to spend rebuilding stuff whereas most modelers today don't want to invest that much of their free time scratchbuilding.
In todays fast paced world it is quite understandable.
We are living in the golden era of the kit but it wouldn't last long as they are too expensive for kids now and the old now have the money but are just getting older.In the end our hobby will survive as man has always been fascinated by model making throughout the ages. Maybe scratchbuilding will make a comeback but with a lot fewer modelers doing it though.


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## JohnReid




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## tjcruiser

John,

Your reservations and concerns about the quality of the plastic model aside, you certainly are producing a fine looking boiler. Nice weathering touches so far.

TJ


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## gunrunnerjohn

The detail on some of this stuff is pretty amazing, and the pictures could easily be mistaken for live shots of real locations.


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## JohnReid

thanks guys your comments are appreciated. Cheers! John


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Here is a pic of the great director himself in action on the set of Once upon a time......It is taken near the cab of a Spanish locomotive in Spain, by Angelo Novi Sergio's personal stills photographer.
My locomotive will be a little different and is actually closer to the real thing in design.I have chosen to build a fake locomotive and use it as a prop as was commonly done back in earlier times.My General will be a shell built of wood and tin and depicted sitting on a track waiting for the actors return which never came.
Although I don't believe it ever happened in this case, props were often built after the main movie was shot and used in re-takes.It was a lot less expensive this way.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

I am just starting the interior sheathing of the forward cab wall using coffee stir stiks.This is a long procedure of cut and fit,cut and fit,filing around windows etc....These boards will be painted a weathered green .
I have continued to dull the brass using a very thin wash of raw umber either brushed on or sprayed using the old toothbrush method.
The exterior of the cab will be painted a weathered orange to look like a well faded red color and then worked over with pastels.This diorama represents a long abandoned movie set.


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## tjcruiser

JohnReid said:


> I have continued to dull the brass using a very thin wash of raw umber either brushed on or sprayed using the old toothbrush method.


I agree with your thinking here. For an abandoned set, I'd expect the brass to be much more brown, with some whisps of greenish streaked patina in way of part-to-part joints. My thinking, anyway ...

TJ


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## JohnReid

tjcruiser said:


> I agree with your thinking here. For an abandoned set, I'd expect the brass to be much more brown, with some whisps of greenish streaked patina in way of part-to-part joints. My thinking, anyway ...
> 
> TJ


I like the greenish patina idea at the joints thanks for the heads up!


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

I have temporarily taped the cab together to make sure that it all fits together before doing the finishing.Now I will break it down again and finish each panel individually.What looks like green barnsiding in the next picture is my standard method of aging wood stir stiks that I have discussed many times before when building old hangars.The important thing to remember is not be too neat and tidy as you want to retain the human randomness element in this type of work for it to look natural.On the other hand,remember only man plants trees in rows.Play with it and above all have fun,don't be in a rush to finish .Treat each object you do as a individual model in itself.Every piece that you do deserves the same attention whether it is that board behind the toilet or the cab instruments or cockpit panel.The key here is consistency and pride in your work !
If you make a mistake, so what, 99% of your viewers will overlook any small errors if the story is good.


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## JohnReid




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## tjcruiser

Glad to see the bright red cab get painted. The realism of the weathered / aged character is starting to jump out nicely.

Cheers,

TJ


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## JohnReid

Hi TJ ! the black that you see on there now is a gesso undercoat that I use over the sanded plastic eventually it will be a weathered red (orange) color.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

I took a brass washer and worked it to the size of the pressure instrument face,blackened it and installed it with glue.I then installed the windows and their frames.
For the side windows I may just install windows on the real side only and leave the other prop side open for picture taking purposes.Sergio loved to frame his shots using doors and windows,I like to do the same so a clear open window option is a necessity.
As you can see working with extreme closeups has its limitations when using some of the lower quality models of yesteryear.Some of today's hi quality models, like Wing nut Wings for example,have much crisper detail and hold their realism well even in 1/32 scale.
Anyway it is what it is and I don't really have any choice right now and at a normal viewing distance it will look OK.If I had more experience building locomotives I would scratch build a lot of these details but for now this will have to do.I have a second General kit that I could use as a reference for scratchbuilding somewhere down the road.
Once the window frames are completely dry I will come back with some pastels to finish them.I am not completely happy with these frames right now so I think that I will add a small strip of wood inside for more realism.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Almost there ! The window frames could use a few rusty nails and maybe a little greenish patina for the brass.
The bottom left where the wall meets the plastic floor already has a nice wood grain effect so I will leave it as is and weather the floor with pastels.A small piece of wood trim should complete this area.It is a good idea to complete everything even things that you figure will not be seen in the finished diorama which is mostly the case at normal viewing distance but the camera has a way of picking up everything good and bad.I take a lot of closeups to check for errors or improvements that could be made to improve" the look " of the piece.My favorite look is old and weathered(like me)Stuff that has some history to it.

These kits are wonderful things for the modern diorama maker if you look at them as a good place to start your modeling of any subject.A lot of the hard stuff like research has already been done by the manufacturer so why re-invent the wheel? I check a few measurements in the beginning stages of any build just to see if they are within the ballpark to satisfy myself that it is a good subject for modification.Remember that I am not looking for 100% accuracy here but a good representation of a model to be used as a prop for my diorama.I look at all my work as props to help me tell an interesting story, which in turn gives me a lot of artistic freedom to do as I please.Once it is finished I lose complete interest and go on to the next thing,in fact I usually like the pics more than the diorama itself.
Well now back to the subject at hand.I will include a pic here of the kit built out of the box by the manufacturer for comparison purposes.There is nothing wrong with new and shiny or building out of the box it really all depends upon what satisfies you, all of us begin there and some just prefer to develop our own personal style of modeling later on down the road.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

This is slow going because when you add wood sheathing to the cab it changes all the measurements slightly which has to be anticipated and planned for otherwise you wouldn't get a nice tight fit when the cab walls are put together.
In this kit there are no windows provided for the large openings in the side of the cab which is really ok with me for picture taking purposes.I would like to make some removable ones however,does anyone have any good pics of these windows that I could use for reference ? I would like to do this before installing the seat backs.
If anyone sees any obvious mistakes in the cab please let me know before I close it up.Thanks ! if possible I will try to make the cab assembly completely removable.


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## JohnReid




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## tjcruiser

Jumping to life. You cut the roof away? (Or is that a separate piece?) Would a movie set would have been done like that for better lighting?

TJ


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## JohnReid

Actually the roof is almost finished .Right now I am trying to figure out if I can leave the whole cab removable.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## tjcruiser

Looking very nice, John.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Chassis Assembly.
Well this looks like a nightmare to put together.Poor instructions,bad fitting of the parts etc..etc..I will have to build a jig to put it all together and keep it all square if there is any hope of having it fit properly to the body of the engine.
This kit was from an era when it was expected that modelers would find a way how to do it, far from the "fall together "kits of today.This will be a real challenge but lots of fun nonetheless.
First up will be to find a way to stabilize the main frames so that they can be joined together with the other components in between and then install the cross members to tie it all together.Glue alone will not do the trick here so metal pins will be required.
You know it makes me wonder how many of these kits actually got finished....


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## tjcruiser

John,

The new issue of the MicroMark catalog features an incredible live-steam 2"-scale loco reasonably similar to yours, built by Paul Kurtz. I thought you might enjoy a look ...















TJ


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## JohnReid

KISS ! ah yes the old Kiss principal was in front of me the whole time.Keeping it simple stupid, has always been the way to go when your in doubt.
This present diorama( which may be my swan song) will be much more focused than I originally intended.There is just something about an old steam train idling outside a RR station ,period.
This diorama will be just that,nothing fancy,no bells and whistles.The steam engine alone will bring it all to life,no need for figures and a lot of animation.What I may do however is add sound to the piece.
I got the idea from watching Sergio's "Once upon a time in the west" Actually it is from the special features section of the Collector's Edition.Just an engine idling at a RR station ,now how simple is that ! The thing is I could look and listen to it all day.
My diorama will be titled "Once upon a time a long,long time ago...." the way my grandmother always started her stories when she told them to me as a child.

But I do want this diorama to have something more about it.Yes,I will leave it as a movie prop as a testament to how illusion can be made to mimic reality for good or for bad.


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## JohnReid

Thank you so much TJ !


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## JohnReid

This layout will be contained in a box,yes a locked cedar box and will be displayed only at Christmas or other special family occasions.It will be my gift to my family past,present and future.

Why so special ? Well it has been my experience that no matter how nice a layout/diorama is after a while it just becomes part of the furniture.Nobody really sees it anymore except guests or visitors.However, on the other hand ,only seeing something every once in a while will help bring fresh( if not new eyes) to an old piece.Also I don't want to encase it in a tomb like structure, even of glass, but I wish to have it open to natural light, but without the dust, for those who may want to take pictures.

As public as my other stuff will be this will be only for private family or personal viewing.Why do it this way ? Simply I would like something that I made survive for a while after I am gone to the "Happy Hunting Ground" as a gift to my children and the young at heart.I have heard to many stories about how Grandpa Fred's or Uncle Phil's layout ended up in the garbage shortly after his death.Too big,no room,tired of looking at it sit there gathering dust etc..etc..

I know you say nothing survives forever ! No one knows that better than I and besides when I am gone who really gives a *** ? I surely won't ! but you know somehow I do and I don't mind admitting it.Ego you say ?well artists usually do have some of that it is true,Why else would we do what we do ?


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## JohnReid




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## tjcruiser

Love it!


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## JohnReid

Here is what I am planning so far.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Such a simple solution I don't know why I never thought of it before.A RR station has been built over a coach sitting on a sideline track (spur line?)using whatever materials happened to be at hand.Why ? who knows !, but that is not what is important to our story.
To say the least the station is very crudely built of old weathered siding with RR ties for a platform.It could have been built on one of Hollywood's backlots expressly for this purpose or it could have been just a found location.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

I was wondering has anyone here had a problem with allergies and super glue ? I have had some problems in the past with the fumes but lately it seems to be getting worse.I am very careful about exiting the fumes outdoors but just handling the stuff now seems to be a problem and of course there is always some fume residue lurking around.I have been using it for years but lately the symptoms seem to be getting more troublesome with even some skin reactions involved.Filters and masks don't work either.

I love my hobby but I don't want to croak because of it.

Is there a good substitute for ca ? something that sets up quickly but is not too toxic ?


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## tjcruiser

Some adhesive threads here:

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=8805

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=7864


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## JohnReid

Thank you !


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## JohnReid

You know this is actually a great little kit but it did test my patience at times.Most of the problems are with the instructions and the hard to read identification #'s of the parts on their sprues.In a kit of this size and complexity I wonder how many ever actually got finished.I know mine had been started years ago by someone else and I picked it up for the price of the postage.If the manufacturers had put a little more money into the actual kit and less in marketing a nice box ,it would have been money well spent.It makes me wonder how many potential modelers have lost their interest in building due to this problem.I know that if I hadn't of had lots of prior experience mine would probably be still in the box in the cupboard too.


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## JohnReid




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## tjcruiser

John,

You're teasing us with that pic icon above. I went to the 'bucket link. The loco looks SUPERB! Not as weathered as I thought you were going for, or is that still in the works?

Cheers,

TJ


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## JohnReid

Hi TJ haven't started the weathering yet but I am getting anxious to start.It is my favorite part of the build.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

I have been fooling around a bit with the camera trying to find interesting angles for future shots.This layout/diorama has a lot of possibilities for telling various stories about the old west.I would especially like to see how close I can come to re-creating scenes from the movie "Once upon a time in the west".I have the movie and I am able to review it frame by frame and thereby learn first hand how Sergio created some of his work.He had a wonderful eye for composition and detail and was a perfectionist in his work.I can feel his influence there with me whenever I am looking through the eye of the camera.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Sergio Leone was famous for framing his shots using doors and windows either from the outside looking in or like in this shot, the inside looking out.It is a great technique for compositional purposes and one that I use often in my own work.


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## JohnReid

I build this locomotive as a movie prop and I am now faced with making it
look more like one.I really over built one side and am now faced with removing some stuff in order to have it better fit in with the storyline.It is time to call in the guys with the blowtorches.
The original idea was that it was to be a half model made of tin on a wood frame and set up as it would be on a movie lot.
In many ways it is hard to do this to such a beautiful design but the story must come first in my view.I have another General kit waiting to be built anyway and of course I will always have the pics.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

The third part of my layout /diorama will be to build the luxury passenger car.(Morton's car in the movie) I plan to use finer hardwoods and leave in a few remnants of furniture and memorabilia from the era.It will be weathered as though it has sat in the backlot for some time.I will build it like a sound stage and probably not even put it on tracks except maybe near one of the car stairs where Claudia Cardinale first steps off the train to make her unforgettable grand entrance in the movie.This was the one and only Western movie ever written for a woman and I would like to recognize that fact in the diorama.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

In the opening scene the train is going in the other direction but I had to compromise a bit if I want to show the locomotives best (realistic) side.From this view all will look normal but from the other side it will all be movie set.The work that I am doing now on the mock up side of the locomotive will hardly be seen at all in the final version as it will be mostly in front of the station. In the area between the front of the locomotive and the front right hand side of the station will sit Sergio's empty directors chair with his name on the back.Morton's deluxe car in the back will be modified into another movie set somewhat like the station was but will look normal from this viewpoint.On the backside of the station wall I will put up a double sided screen of a view of Monument Valley that will be viewable from both the single front window of the station and Morton's car.Claudia's arrival set will be on the backside end of Morton's car.
I never like to put anything square to the base so the final setup will be at an angle yet to be determined.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

From this angle it will be all movie set.The unfinished Bachmann car will be gutted in the mid section.The last two windows and stairs will be retained as will the last 3-4 windows between the cars as that will be where the double sided Monument Valley screen will go.As I noted before the gutted locomotive will hardly even be seen at all but the tender will be another story.This is an abandoned lot so an old poster from the movie could go on the side and of course wood will be piled on top.
I prefer this staggered look rather than the round idea for a layout/diorama at this scale and yet it remains interesting for the viewer when viewed from any angle.The whole purpose of this layout/diorama is educational for kids to know how old movies were made before the modern era of animation etc...When finished I will probably offer it to a museum of science and technology for display purposes.


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## JohnReid

The train sequence starts at 1:50

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bW-jSa9_k3M


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## tjcruiser

"You brought two too many!"

Love it!


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## Massey

Looks good but the tender is backwards!!

Love the details on the wood slats for the converted passenger car.

Massey


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## JohnReid

Yeah ! good eye.I know I just placed it on the table incorrectly.
Thank you for your kind comments. Cheers!


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

You know I think that this would make a great model either as a entertainment park scene or a dummy locomotive.Model trains pass many structures on their journeys ,a movie set is just one of those structures that can be depicted in scale.

I have heard that this kit is subject to warping.This is probably true if left out in the sun on hot tracks,sand,pavement etc....I have tested the plastic myself and it is no more subject to this problem than any other plastic that I have worked with.And yes there are options,one of those being to support the structure before assembly.I think that I would try coating the interior of the larger pieces with exopy,fiberglass or some other warp resistant material.Where the plastic touches hot metal like tracks make a section of the wheels in wood which is a great insulator.

For indoor setting I don't see a problem at all unless you were to put it next to a wood stove or other high heat generating source.When I do my 2nd General I will experiment with this a little further.

As far as availability is concerned just do some networking.I am sure that there are lots of Generals sitting in closets waiting to be built.I got the one that I am working on now for the price of the postage.It was partially started (a small bit of the tender) but no harm was done and the parts were still all there.I have also seen many sell on ebay for less than 50 bucks,new and in the plastic packages.

Personally if I was to do a G scale layout I would do it with a movie making theme of which the General would be just one of the structures that I pass along the way.I would do it as a "out of season" amusement park thus avoiding anything that would move other than the train .Having to make or modify all those figures would also be quite unnecessary.

Sounds like fun doesn't it ?

Once Upon a time.........dioramas by JohnReid


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## tjcruiser

John,

Excellent diorama pics with the "new" loco. That said, I'm a bit confused ...

In some of your pics, the drive wheels on one side of the loco are cut in half, with the top half missing. What gives???

TJ


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## JohnReid

Ok sorry I thought that I explained that.This is a static layout of an old "Far West" movie lot based upon the movie "Once upon a time in the west".It is a module that could be added to a larger G scale layout if desired.It is simply just another structure.
The drive wheels for this movie set locomotive are made of wood like the rest of the locomotive which is wood and tin dressed up to look like the real thing.It is a movie set where one side looks real and is ready for the actors while the other side shows that it is just a mockup.
In the movie they used a real train but that was not always the case in movie making.Mock ups were often used especially airplanes when things were supposed to blow up.In some of the real old timers you can tell that they are models.


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## tjcruiser

I get the "movie prop" aspect, but ...

In some of your photos, I see the left drive wheels chopped off on their top. In other shots, the left drive wheels are whole. So, I guess that means you ...

Built the wheels whole, assemble the model, and took some photos. Then ...

Chopped the wheels, and then took other photos?

Just curious,

TJ


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## JohnReid

You are right TJ,I built the whole thing ,then took some pics ,then took the blowtorch to it.I wanted some pics of the finished model.I really enjoy the building aspect more than anything else I guess.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Morton's Car

The choice I have here is between a straight passenger car or a combo.
The first choice would be to pretty much scratchbuild the whole thing beginning with the shell.The lower combo car has some of the work already done for me.Having already built a wood version I think it may be fun to do the plastic version and make it look like wood.
Luckily for me the plastic itself is colored and not just painted which will make my job a lot easier.It is also more interesting as it is already broken down into two sections passengers and baggage. The baggage side could be set up for movie making purposes while the passenger side could contain a portion of Morton's car as seen in the movie.
This is an abandoned movie set so a lot of stuff would have been removed and the set will be depicted as having fallen into some disrepair.
The steps at the far right I can use for Jill's arrival scene and the view through the windows will be of Monument Valley.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

This is all way too crowded together but it gives you guys an idea about how the final composition will look.


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## JohnReid

After gutting the car,removing the seats and wiring,I laid a sub-floor in basswood on the passenger side of the car.I haven't yet decided whether to leave the sky lights as is of remove them and put up clear glass.The detail on the glass looks a little overscale to me.
I strengthened up the roof line a bit by adding 1/4 x 1/4 lumber in anticipation of cutting out the cars side.This is necessary to keep the cars structural integrity while working on it.The hole in the side is for movie making purposes.


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## JohnReid

The next step will be to lay the finished floor in Morton's car.Hardwood floors on his side while the rest will be pine.I try to hand select each board for color and contrast.Using a darker one right up next to a light one will help to achieve what I am looking for.


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## tjcruiser

John,

You are the Mr. Coffee Stirrer Stick man! Nice reuse ... it's going to look great.

I agree with your earlier comment about the "glass" in the clerestory windows ... the texture is not quite appopriate scaled. Maybe clear or fogged, instead?

Cheers,

TJ


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## JohnReid

Even though it is separated into two compartments there still is lots of space to work with.The baggage side will eventually become a storage area for old props etc..
I have removed the orange windows even though they made for a nice warm glow inside as they were overscale plus I like to have complete control of the lighting including color.The ceiling has been finished with cherry wood veneer and I am now boxing in the beams in walnut veneer.
In Mortons car there was a lot of brass tubing hanging from the ceiling above to be used as handrails to steady himself as he moved about his private car.He was disabled and slowly dying from bone disease.


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## JohnReid

I have decided to have a bit of fun laying the floor in Morton's compartment.I have gone one size larger on the planks(stir stiks)which gives me a nice edge to work with when doing the following technique.Wood floors can be quite beautiful when laid properly.I want to try a technique that I haven't used since my old ship building days of HMS Victory.Morton must have hired a couple of unemployed shipbuilders to do the floors and cabinetry for his rail car.There will be no visible nails or wood trunnels holding the floor in place.There will however be a black waterproof caulking material between each board which will make the floor more interesting to the eye.The wood is birch.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Ya know when aging and weathering hardwoods I found found that the best way to do it is too weather it as it would do naturally,in other words from a polished finish to a dull.In this way you can retain the beauty of the grain as it seemingly ages.The birch floor for example was originally a gloss finish that was dulled using very fine sandpaper for the wear and tear, then chalk pastels representing the build up of crud over the years ,followed by a spray of matte acrylic fixative to hold it all in place.Later more crud can be built up in all the cracks and crevasses

and to create shadows.


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## JohnReid




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## tjcruiser

John,

Woodwork is coming along quite nicely. I like that mahogany color.

TJ


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## JohnReid

Hi TJ ! the piece that I used was very old and has been hanging around my shop for years .
it developed its own patina over the years so I left it a natural color with little finish other than a little lacquer.


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## tjcruiser

Is it actual mahogany? (Our a somewhat-similar luan, etc.?) The grain sure looks right.


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## JohnReid

yeah,it sure is TJ.I think it comes from Midwest woods.


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## JohnReid




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## JohnReid

Well I have decided to add a few more months work to the project.I was originally planning to save a little time by just weathering the exterior of this car but because nothing looks as good as the real thing,wood, I now plan to board it up instead.I have also opened up all the doors both interior and exterior for better camera angle shots of the interior.I will retain the red framed windows and stain the siding about the same green.
On the roof it is presently what looks like a fine sandpaper type surface.Does anyone here know what may have been used on the real thing ? A tar paper or canvas material ?
I could use a cloth backed sandpaper of appropriate grit and just paint it .Any ideas ?


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## JohnReid

From previous research I was able to determine what the boards look like under the finishing material.I have also seen tin used in a kind of sheet and batten arrangement.What I am confused about is what would have been used when this car was built around 1860 ?


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## tjcruiser

John,

I know more about wooden boats than I do about wooden trains. That said, it was qutie common on wooden boats to cover the wood-planked deck in a layer of canvas painted with a paint/sand mix. The canvas/paint would act as a water barrier (before the days of fiberglass), and the sand would add some texture for non-skid purposes.

TJ


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## JohnReid

Old weather beaten ceiling from inside with a wood frame underneath and another layer of boards on top to create the roof.


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## JohnReid

tjcruiser said:


> John,
> 
> I know more about wooden boats than I do about wooden trains. That said, it was qutie common on wooden boats to cover the wood-planked deck in a layer of canvas painted with a paint/sand mix. The canvas/paint would act as a water barrier (before the days of fiberglass), and the sand would add some texture for non-skid purposes.
> 
> TJ


Thanks TJ !


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## JohnReid

Here is a little example that I did on the movie making side of the old station car.There just is no comparison between the plastic and real wood and it really isn't hard to do on the outside of the car.Morton's car will be dark green however.


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## JohnReid

Please note:

I have moved all the pictures in my photobucket taken up until now ,from the General Album to the G Scale Trains Album.Moving pics will cause them to delete in the General thread but they are still available on my G scale album for those who may be interested.

Bending stripwood:

Bending wood is simple for a rectangular roof such as this,shipbuilding is another story.I just use plain old warm tap water and soak the area that I want to bend for a few minutes in this case.(The thicker the wood ,the longer the soak) .I then take an old stick type hair curler and put it in a holding devise,I use a clamp. I then let it warm up to hair curling temperature which seems to be just perfect for bending thin strip wood like this.I hold the dry end in one hand and with the other wet end I use a pencil with an eraser on the end and apply increasing amounts of pressure with the eraser until I get what I am looking for.

Why the eraser end ,well it helps as a tool for bending instead of your fingers and tends not to slip on the wet surface.Keep checking that you are getting the proper bend and re-soak and do it again if necessary.You will want to slightly over bend it as there is a certain amount of spring back when the pressure is remove.If the piece of wood you are working with keeps breaking turn it over and try to bend it the other way.Use only straight grained wood running lengthwise on the strip as cross grain simply won't work without breaking.Most hobby woods bend without any problems.I used the thin long type coffee stir stiks used to stir the extra large double doubles.Your local coffee shop manager may sell you a box for a few bucks especially when you tell him what your using them for.He probably built models too in his younger days !

Most stiks and tongue depressors are birch wood ,which is in the hardwood category. So depending on the thickness they will require more soaking time in hotter water than say basswood , popular or pine.Have fun and good luck !

The above is in answer to a question I got from a another modeler.


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