# Finally! Trains are running



## LateStarter

*178 feet of ballasted track*_
Including a 3-track terminal._

_[No photos -- my utility icons are muted.]_

Most of mainline & industrial ballast is fine gray gravel, local stone, talus, and scrabble. Terminal ballast is mostly black cinder.

Much of the landscape replicates the desert southwest, with rock formations, dry gulches, weeds, and cactus. I've started adding some forestry in another section, mostly with several dozen western pines that I purchased at a show... majestic and beautiful, but way too expensive online to continue. I'll have to mix-in some cheaper stuff, or make my own.

Seven structures are in place, plus 3 functional signal bridges (Alkem brass kit-builds). I'm not sure if they're accurately lit & sequenced, but they do function, and I'm impressed.
One structure is a lengthy trackside (lighted) warehouse that I bashed from DPM and Evergreen parts. Took me a full year to detail and weather. Others I've shown in past threads, including a Cornerstone rail/truck warehouse.

About 18 square feet of landscape & scenery is in progress, including a narrow rocky river bed, spanned by two Walthers #4521 single trusses. They're very nice bridge kits, and I've weathered them nicely, which makes them look really good.

Miraculously, all the trackwork and turnouts are functional, and DCC control is working nicely. After several hours of running, there haven't been any stutters or derails (knock on wood).
One Walthers turnout needed tweaking. None are currently powered, and one is in a very p.i.t.a. location.

All uncoupling is currently manual with a Kadee DualTool (eeesh!). I must've derailed a dozen cars that way... shaky senior hands.

Since my early days with my Alameda & South Coast RR, this is the first time in over 30 years I've had a running train in my house, or anything at all that resembles scenery.


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## LateStarter

BTW, I can't take credit for good wiring. I needed (and got) a lot of help.


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## Severn

I got single loop of Kato working only in the same time, so great work! (I had trouble with an incline decline and experimented, finally caving and buying the wood land scenics offerings which helped a lot. I also had to flatten some bumpy areas it all rests on and I decided it wasn't a good to premake bumps with no route. Which is kinda obvious ...)


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## LateStarter

Today I assembled a freight with a speed-matched (hybrid) 3-diesel consist... SD7, SD9, and an 'Alligator' on point.

Only 30 cars plus caboose, but on this size layout it looks pretty cool. When the landscape is filled-in, it should look even better.
A friend added a switch motor to that p.i.t.a. turnout, so now I don't need the tricked-out coat hanger anymore.

_Started at 9 a.m._
I played with the Gator's sound volume a lot. All my BLI horn & bell volumes are defaulted too loud.
I stopped for intermittent warehouse switching cutouts, (manual uncoupling) but kept on running all day. Had too much fun really... I lost all track of time, and before I knew it, dinner was calling.


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## LateStarter

Only one mainline track is currently a complete (outer) loop.
I need more rail and three turnouts to complete the inner loop.
And of course, very little industrial and maintenance trackage, spurs, etc, are in place... only a run-in to the warehouse tracks.

I put four background structures and a large storage tank in place, all featured in previous threads.
No roads, streets, or parking lots have yet been completed, but some of their surfaces (both asphalt & concrete) are ready for the airbrush. I can't wait to fill them with all my CMW, Oxford, MotorMax, and Sylvan vehicles. Sidewalks are being fashioned with styrene and/or basswood. I have very few figures to adorn them with. I concentrated mostly on rail and dock workers... short sighted on my part.

One superelevated curve has developed an annoying wave... not catastrophic, but a pain nonetheless.


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## Aard D'Vaark

it's good to hear that trains are running !


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## LateStarter

Beginning to look like my posts are toxic.


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## LateStarter

I should probably not bother.


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## MichaelE

It's great that you have trains running, but without photos there's not much to comment on.

What do you mean by this and why is it so; _[No photos -- my utility icons are muted.]_

Photos links can be pasted into the body of the post without needing any icons. They can also be typed manually if the link does not already include the tags.


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## flyboy2610

One of the things I did manage to get accomplished before my recent trip to the hospital was to get enough feeders hooked up so I could run a locomotive around half of the outer loop. Gonna be a week or so before I can get back under there to do the rest. But it is always a nice feeling of accomplishment to finally see a locomotive run on your layout, even if it is only for a few feet! Nice job, LateStarter!


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## Stumpy

MichaelE said:


> It's great that you have trains running, but without photos there's not much to comment on.


Sooo now that you can post pics again...


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## LateStarter

Stumpy said:


> Sooo now that you can post pics again...


So far I only have closeup glamor pics with manipulated local lighting (the room still has only one pitiful overhead light). I'll shoot the benchwork when good room-light gets installed.
_I'd love to install remote overhead LED's like the club has, but it'd cost about two grand._

It looks good to the eye, but these pics were just to see if the scenery and ground cover were photogenic. It's part of a small 4-foot section where trees are planted.
The backdrop is just airbrushed paper artboard.

The Dash 2's are for running at the club, (they're out of my era) but I'd recently weathered them, so they were railed-up for the photos.
The 44 ton is on a small urban diorama that'll be placed-in later. It reflects what I prefer on 'off-mainline' tracks for ballast... local talus and scrabble instead of gray gravel.
Then too, there's weedy bare ground (my favorite) and black cinder for spurs, industrial, and terminal tracks.


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## LateStarter

Trees are mostly Woodland Scenics, JTT, and Grand Central Gems which I purchased (cheap) by the hundreds at shows. Others are handmade.

Bare ground cover and dirt was done with earth-powders mixed with plaster of Paris, and dropped with a baker's sifter... then water sprayed to fix.
It's a technique I've employed since I was a teenager. These days I add airbrush touchups.
In most cases, the underlying base is just ol' fashion paper mache on wire mesh.


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## MichaelE

Truly outstanding work. I'm amazed at the realism.


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## LateStarter

MichaelE said:


> Truly outstanding work. I'm amazed at the realism.


Thanks, Michael.
Coming from you, I consider that a supreme compliment. Your work is exemplary!


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## Severn

I like the airbrush idea for ground cover ... hadn't thought of that.


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## LateStarter

BTW, the F7 is an old (no longer available) plain vanilla Athearn RTR...
It's not been altered in any way.
It's an example of what Athearn was headed toward some years ago just before the Genesis line.
It's as good as (if not better than) a typical Genesis model is today.


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## Stumpy

Very nice!

Loco weathering is superb.


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## Mark VerMurlen

The photos look great! Well done!


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## LateStarter

I used to subscribe to a conviction that I shouldn't weather premium cars and locomotives... too squeamish.
But since I started doing Kadee cars, I got a groove on, and never looked back.
These two RivetCounter Dash 2's were done to match photos of their prototypes.


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## LateStarter

Woodland Scenics talus comes in coarse, medium, and fine, in 3 or 4 shades of 'buff'.
It's also great to use as bottom scrabble for cliffs or rocky ledges, and in river beds.


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## LateStarter

*Lighting matters!*
_Bashed cheap little shop._

Placing structures on an urban corner, before trees are planted.
This one looks okay in regular lighting I guess, but when hit with a 6500K flood lamp, it jumps to life.


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## LateStarter

_Small section:_
This is part of the trackage through _Pine's Nest._ Lots more to do here.
It leads out of _El Barranco Canyon,_ which because of space limitations, will have only one wall.
This track leads into a flagstop station and grade crossing at _Redemption._

There's a matching 'hookup' section in the form of a 3-foot diorama, which will be added next.
This is a low speed zone, and it's the only broad curve on the layout that wouldn't look right if it were superelevated.


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## LateStarter

*A peek through Pine's Nest*_:_
Looking east, toward _Redemption._

Most of the trees are JTT, Woodland Scenics, and Grand Central Gems.
Some are handmade.
But some of them are made by a quality European manufacturer. I won't even attempt to spell it correctly.
Something like "Guntesliederdamen". Got them cheap at a show. Can't find it online. Some of the boxes said "O scale", but they're not oversize for HO.


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## LateStarter

_Small portion (diorama):_
This is a small piece of El Barranco ("the canyon").
It'll go where a superelevated curve developed a nasty wave that needs fixing.

Rock strata is plaster over carved construction foam. Airbrushed for effect.


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## Mark VerMurlen

Wow! Wow! Outstanding landscaping!


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## LateStarter

*Fred's*_
First full-sized structure placed._

Bashed 2 years ago, from FOS, Rix, DPM, and Tichy parts. I forget where the pumps, clutter, etc came from.


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## Stumpy

Nice work LS.

Love the peek through Pines Nest.


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## Shdwdrgn

Man even your simple dowel trees look outstanding. I'm so jealous!


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## LateStarter

Planting trees along the access to _Shapiro's Salvage Yard._..
I replicated some track-waves and wiggles the prototype had, and they worked out as planed... it's a hoot.
I also finally have places to put some overgrown decrepit shacks that I bashed some years ago.
There's a narrow/shallow dry creek bed here, with a short timber bridge. Nuts, but it looks cool.
Pics later...


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## Magic

Some outstanding scenery work LS.
You have way more talent than I do, it all looks super to
go along with your excellent rolling stock.
Gas prices a bit high though.

Magic


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## LateStarter

Another view of the track to Pine's Nest out of El Barranco...

It's near a layout corner, so I added a rock-berm rise to the empty triangle.
The pine in the foreground is one of those nice European jobs.


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## LateStarter

*Intentional wavies and wiggles*_
... although moderate.

[I goofed! Too many handmade trees here. Not as good a mix as I'd planned (I have several dozen excellent GCG and JTT from shows). Fortunately, it's not noticeable from outside the canopy]._

These rails switch off the mainline, and connect to _Shapiro's Salvage Yard_, providing the steel mill with gondolas full of scrap metal.
This view is looking back toward the mainline, to which there's a slight grade downward.

This is of course a low-speed zone, but whether a 44 tonner or a Geep rolls through these wavy spots, (with outgoing loads or returning empties) the locomotive and train will 'hip' into a moderate side-to-side wig-wag. It doesn't look like much, but it doesn't take much.
I'm not sure, but I actually think nearby tree growth can move ties and rails out of shape. Slow motion tectonics on a smaller scale... and a true form of rail 'weathering'.
Mossy ties are just about mandatory in the woods.
The decrepit overgrown shack was built when most of these trees were just 15-foot saplings.

The actual prototype for this track was laid in the 1920's, but due to some lightning-fires most of these taller trees were gone by the mid '60's.
This is exactly where my grandfather started his career with the New Haven Railroad as a brakeman (back then it was the NYNH&H). He retired as a conductor.


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## flyboy2610

Nice work!


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## MichaelE

That makes me want to take a walk right down those tracks in the woods.

That is some excellent scenery work. Very real.


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## LateStarter

*We called it "Death Valley"*_
No place for the squeamish!_

This is a view in the other direction, toward the salvage yard.
There's a slight grade upward from here... more wavy rails.

_A favorite activity on my layout._
This track saw a lot of various switcher locomotives... 44 tonners, RS3's and even Geeps, moving strings of gondolas laden with scrap-metal down from the busy salvage yard, and then returning with empties.
The NYNH&H was involved until the late '50's, when it relinquished the duty to a private road.
These tracks are old, and were poorly maintained for decades.

_A tough place for kids to explore._
The shallow timber bridge spanned a municipal drainage swale, which was a collector of standing water. In the summertime, the dratted mosquitoes here were horrendous.
Also, the bridge was the haunt of a wolf spider the size of a saucer. Us kids were half determined to kill it, but we were too freaked out, and it was too elusive.

Even worse, the bridge was upgraded to a steel girder type in the early '60's. The old weather-weary ties were left nearby in a haphazard pile.
Lots of copperhead snakes made it their home.
Eeesh.


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## LateStarter

_*Sacrifices*:_
I sacrificed a reedy swamp and an oil field for a rock ledge near the canyon. It was a hard choice, but it somehow made more sense.
Mixed emotions though, since I spent weeks painting and weathering all those 'nodding donkey' pump jacks.

I'll see if I can sneak-in one or two here and there, and elsewhere on the layout.
It won't be easy to be logical about it.


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## LateStarter

*A municipal swale*
_(added-in small diorama)._

An MW shunt over _"The Tombs"_ at Worlee.
The piers & abutments (and final airbrushing) aren't complete.

The cam lens added depth-of-field... things are much more condensed than they look.


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## LateStarter

*Dash-2's, leaving Birdstone and entering El Barranco*
_(Athearn RTR)._


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## LateStarter

*West entrance to Pine's Nest*


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## Old_Hobo

Now you’re bragging.....of course, your work is indeed something to brag about......very nice!


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## LateStarter

Thanks, Hobo.


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## LateStarter

*Fallen trees*_
(snapshot)._

When a tree falls across the tracks, an MW crew saws it in half, and hoists it aside.


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## LateStarter

*Some derailments now*
Points are drifting open on one turnout...
Funny, but it doesn't always result in a derail -- more often it's just surprise or panic.
Just picturing ripping out a switch to replace it is killing me.
I hate doing stuff over.


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## LateStarter

*Dash-9 at the Transfer Authority*
Way out of my era, but I'd just weathered it for a friend, so I railed it up.


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## flyboy2610

Nice weathering job! Not too light, not too heavy. Just right!


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## MichaelE

LateStarter said:


> *Some derailments now*
> Points are drifting open on one turnout...
> Funny, but it doesn't always result in a derail -- more often it's just surprise or panic.
> Just picturing ripping out a switch to replace it is killing me.
> I hate doing stuff over.


You might try some carefully applied thick grease like Red and Tacky from Lucas on the pivot point. That might keep them from drifting open. I know grease is a dirt attractor but if you monitor it after application it might work well.


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## LateStarter

*Birdstone Heat & Petroleum*
_A resurrected old diorama (very tight fit)._

This was a facility near the neighborhood where I grew up. Back then it was served by a New Haven 44 ton.

Bashed many years ago, with building materials from half a dozen different manufacturers. Better pieces came available years later, (e.g., delivery stands and the roof vent house) but that's how it goes.
To give you an idea of how old it is, the rail bumper is a lost wax brass piece by _Kemtron_, before any good plastic ones were available.
In the interest of photographic justice, the car is an old vintage Atlas trainset model.
The chain link fence was recently added.

The asphalt road (unfinished plaster) on this side of the fence terminates at Shapiro's Salvage Yard.


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## LateStarter

BTW, (ref. above diorama)...
I hadn't left a big enough opening to fit it in.
Had to run half an inch off one edge with a bandsaw, and slice an inch out of the layout with a cordless circ-saw.
Eeesh.


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## LateStarter

*Mildly weathered hopper for a friend*_:_
Way out of my era, but railed-up for pics.
This track leads to the west side of Worlee.
Local 6500K lighting.


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## LateStarter

*I hate tunnels!*_
They're harbingers of Murphy's Law --
(even short ones)._

But elevating the landscape toward this corner of the layout was necessary to place important structures above, that otherwise wouldn't have room (they need only be serviced and accessed by road).


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## Old_Hobo

LateStarter said:


> *Mildly weathered hopper for a friend*_:_
> Way out of my era, but railed-up for pics.
> This track leads to the west side of Worlee.
> Local 6500K lighting.
> View attachment 549810
> View attachment 549811


You really gotta stop trying to pass off pics of real rail cars as your models.....  

Very nice work!


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## Stumpy

Outstanding work LS. 

I'd love to see some "drone pics".


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## LateStarter

*Temporary uglies*
_(warts on a pretty face)._

This train is headed out of _Redemption._
One of six bridges on the layout. Two are scheduled for replacement. This is one.

Before the landscape, trees, etc went in, my friend 'Drex' brought me two cheap truss bridges that he thought I'd like. I appreciated his effort, but he buys a lot of Bachmann rolling stock, so I shouldn't be surprised at his choice in bridges.
_(FWIW, I'm not knocking the budget minded. Drex can afford better... he owns a lucrative landscaping business)._

In addition to the fact that it's a low quality piece, there's something about short stubby trusses in general (even artful brass ones) that don't look right to me.
I'll be replacing both with girder types like the one over the Tombs at Worlee.


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## BigGRacing

It looks a lot like the bridge down by where I go hunting, tucked back in the woods


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## Severn

and how did you build the cement abutments for the bridge?


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## LateStarter

Severn said:


> and how did you build the cement abutments for the bridge?


1.) Shaped/sanded 2x4 lumber.
2.) Chooch overlays.
3.) Paint fill (to cut definition).
4.) Airbrush dressed & weathered.


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## LateStarter

*Bunker mentality*

We all know that the best plans don't survive contact with the enemy.
In my case the 'enemy' was me.

My original track plan called for a 3-track diesel facility as an adjunct to _Birdstone Terminal_ with a 2-stall corrugated diesel house (an old Suydam kit).
But that intention soon began to give way in the face of grandiose ambitions. My greed to pack five pounds into a one pound bag soon succumbed to reality...
I'd built hills and rock ledges, which pushed things off the edge of the layout.

A wise old acquaintance came to the rescue.
He suggested that I build the 2-stall diesel house into a hillside. Voila!

So I might 'attempt' building a 2-stall _(faux)_ diesel house into a reinforced concrete bunker in a hillside. With sliding glazier-pane doors.
It only needs to be a false-front affair, with concrete-embedded rails extending out of it.


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## LateStarter

I'll mix-in a Cotton Belt diesel once in a while, even though it was likely never done in real life.
I know they co-opted their caboose roster now and then, (with Frisco also) but I doubt they ever mingled their motive power.


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## LateStarter

There are three important sections still not started.
With the exception of powered rails, they're still just bare plaster and underlament... not even ballasted.

1. Birdstone Terminal.
2. Holman steel mill.
3. Shapiro's salvage yard.

They likely won't be ready to call "operational" until late next summer at the earliest.


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## LateStarter

Top & bottom of a narrow mini escarpment, between _El Barranco_ and _Pine's Nest._
The back side is a canyon cliff, which represents a very short segment of El Barranco's inner wall... best I could do with the room available. Important stuff needs to reside there.


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## LateStarter

Jeez, I just noticed!
My autocorrect has been changing the spelling of "El Barranca" by putting an "o" at the end instead of "a".
I'm embarrassed, but at least I caught it.

It's important because El Barranca in English is "The Canyon".


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## Magic

You sure do some fantastic stuff LS.  
Really enjoying this thread and all your great work.
Super nice trains running on a super nice RR.

Magic


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## LateStarter

Wow, thankyou, Magic.


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## LateStarter

*This...*
_ain't gonna be easy.
Holman Steel, dba Holman Coil & Casting_

Walthers Blast Furnace kit.
It's the main attraction, on a 2.25 x 1.25 diorama. _It's not as big as it looks._

But everything hinges on whether it can be installed at a precise location and angle.
Lead-in tracks haven't been laid yet, but a minimum radius will be required for 'run-through' operation, and it could become an issue.
Also, there's ancillaries involved, like weigh scales, a shipping-dock track, etc.

This of course is not a complete steel mill. Steel mills are huge complexes. It's merely to _represent_ the _appearance_ of one.


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## LateStarter

I get a lot of my foliage and ground cover from here:








2CM LOW LIGHT GREEN BUSHES / 10 PCS.-Scenic Express


2CM - 3CM LOW LIGHT GREEN BUSHES - Approximately 3/4 - 1 tall green tone bushes enhanced with green foliage and speckled with light green leaves. 10 light green bushes per package.. Martin Welberg Studios has revolutionized the genre of Model Scenery. His creations of scale scenic...



www.sceneryexpress.com





Our 'train pimp' gets it to us at a discount.


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## LateStarter

Snapshot...
_The Camel_ runs through here.


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## LateStarter

Empty northwestern corner...
A stone wall crumbled away.


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## Stumpy

Looks great. 

I know it's hard to do, but you don't have to have a structure, a road, or track crammed into every square inch of a layout. I think open, natural, "green" spaces enhance a layout.


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## rsv1ho

Ok, I'll buy the last four, but that first picture has to be the real thing. I expect to see the engineer appear in the side window any moment with a cup of coffee.


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## LateStarter

I gave up on the Central Valley truss bridge... only 10% assembled.
At this point in life, it's just too far beyond my ability. I gave it to my grandson.

I'll substitute Walthers truss kits, and ExactRail 72, 50, & 30-foot plate girders (which are superb, and RTR).


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## LateStarter

ExactRail 72' plate girder (RTR)...


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## LateStarter

*The Filthy Creek to Nowhere.*
_Snapshot..._

Because I didn't have a plan, it starts out of thin air, goes into a culvert under the berm, and disappears off the edge of the layout.
But it's the only water I've managed to replicate successfully, so it stays.


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## Severn

I bought an exact rail girder bridge. But I have no immediate use for it.


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## LateStarter

Wait, what?
Nevermind.


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## Severn

I saw it in a shop. Nabbed it for a possible spot I had in mind but that spot turned out to be too small -- like a premade atlas girder would be a better size (or I dunno popsicle sticks painted brown). So now it's waiting some expansion to finish up enough for more options.

I also have one of the central valley truss bridges in box. It looks involved. I bought it on a whim also. If I'd looked more closely I'd likely have put it back on the shelf.

Anyway maybe over the winter here. Right now I'm experimenting creating water... Not real happy with the results to date.


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## BigGRacing

I hope that you don’t replace the old girder bridge with that plate style girder bridge.


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## LateStarter

Dirt/gravel road (unfinished) off Rte 6, to the rear entrance-gate of Shapiro's Salvage.
Eventually I want to add a few rain-filled mud-puddles... my first attempt was awful.

Shots like this add perspective, and make my layout look huge.


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## Stumpy

LateStarter said:


> Eventually I want to add a few rain-filled mud-puddles... my first attempt was awful.


I used Gorilla brand clear epoxy. It turned out ok enough that I left it.









Second HO Layout


Poker .




www.modeltrainforum.com













Second HO Layout


:::::




www.modeltrainforum.com


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## Lemonhawk

There are some youtube videos of building the CV truss bridge, and yes it looks complex, but probably very satisfying once completed. I think good methods of cutting angles in the structural beams seems to be the key.


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## Severn

im going to have to try to remind myself to buy only pre-cut kits. ideally snap together, no glue (or glue optional). i can't recall now what kit it was but there was a seemingly complex laser cut kit on that marklin of sweden you tube channel -- that was snap together and it looked good. it wasn't a bridge though.

(i found it -- this round house -- 



)


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## LateStarter

_Snapshot_
Tracks to the steel mill hopper dumps.


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## LateStarter

*El Muro Palacia*_
"The Palace Wall".
(entry to El Barranca).

Falling rock zone for sure!_
So far, this is taking the greater part of two months.

Basically a "stack-puzzle"... adding separate sculpted pieces over cured plaster cloth.
The pieces are chunks of razor-carved balsa, (sealed with polyurethane) individually 'painted' with _3M Patch-Plus-Primer_, then 3M'd into place after sanding.
Some of my blood is in there, from self inflicted wounds.

It's literally a vertical diorama...
It can't be set in place until the wavy issue with the superelevated curve is addressed.


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## Stumpy

That looks really good.

As soon as I saw it my mind went to Pilot Mountain, NC, which I've driven by hundreds of times. That probably wasn't your "prototype", but you certainly could claim it was.


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## LateStarter

Stumpy said:


> That looks really good.
> As soon as I saw it my mind went to Pilot Mountain, NC...


I've run by there on Rte 52 on my Harley a few times. A really cool sight.


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## LateStarter

This is the only strata I tried to replicate...
Part of me is regretting that.


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## Lemonhawk

Why? You could try an ink wash to darken the crevices, but I'd leave it alone. You also could collect some pictures of real rocks and duplicate that.


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## Stumpy

Lemonhawk said:


> I'd leave it alone


Agreed. Leave it alone.

I see what you're trying to draw our attention to. However...



> In geology and related fields, a stratum (plural: *strata*) is a layer of sedimentary rock or soil, or igneous rock that was formed at the Earth's surface, with internally consistent characteristics that distinguish it from other layers.


.. layers. It looks good. Leave it alone.


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## LateStarter

*Shady lane*_
Gravel/dirt rear entrance to Shapiro's.
6500k lighting._


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## LateStarter

_Snapshot_
A shallow bluff near Pines Nest.


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## LateStarter

*Finally connected*
_Salvage yard junction to the mainline.
(lots of 'mind-changing' delays in this area)._

Looking back toward the mainline from the rail access to Shapiro's.
I originally had a grove of tall sycamores and a shack here, but it looked too busy... not desolate and 'lonely' enough.
Against the dreary pale backdrop, it now looks more like the misty or foggy "wood's end" I was thinking of.

I used code 100 rail here... for a more prominent track-appearance.

The stone wall in the shadows on the right is the remnants of a Civil War rampart.


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## LateStarter

*Housing and population shortage*_
So far, Worlee is a ghost town._

I don't have many residential houses to place...
Not that much room left, after all the commercial structures. A planning flaw I guess.

"Housing" consists of a couple each of scratch-builds, bashes, AMB, Walthers, LaserArt, BTS, and a couple of Rix Quanset huts... sounds like a lot, but it's only a dozen or so. Mostly all (as yet) are unplaced in their assigned location.
One of the few houses that have been placed is a bashed FOS kit, which combines it with a gas station.

I guess my population is mostly incoming commuters... rail workers, steel mill workers, office workers, etc.
Plus, even 99% of the residents and workers are unpainted Preisers, waiting to be dressed and characterized. Only six have been painted, and only three of those are placed.
Other than those, only the crews inside some of the diesel cabs are the sole signs of humanity.


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## LateStarter

*Rapido RDC*_
SP #10._

The SP had just one RDC motor coach, and some Budd cars, sometimes running MU'd in commuter consist.

My original plan (way back) was to include an elevated transit system like the Chicago South Shore Line.
It would run on piered & girdered elevated trackwork, from hill-to-hill, and station to station.

It all changed when Rapido came out with their RDC series, and blew up my South Shore theme... I had to have one.

Complete with "mouse ear" number boards, the SP edition is top drawer detail.
The Proto RPO looks good with it.


----------



## LateStarter

*The swales of Worlee*
_Unfinished groundwork._

Track is laid here, but ballasting and groundwork are barely started.

Culverts and swales abound in Worlee, to drain away flood waters from northern plains.
Many go under tracks that are either deck-bridged or earthed over. Here, one runs mostly parallel.
The gravel/ballast crossover in the foreground is one of many. Some will be paved asphalt.


----------



## LateStarter

BTW, some of my culvert faces are N scale tunnel potrals.


----------



## Stumpy

LateStarter said:


> some of my culvert faces are N scale tunnel potrals


Just the idea I needed. TY


----------



## LateStarter

*Snapshots*_:_
1.) Inside "Woods End".
2.) The rear "scenic" route to Shapiro's.


----------



## Stumpy

Good looking woods.

Static grass or tufts?


----------



## LateStarter

TY, sir...
Both, plus some dyed & teased faux fur.


----------



## BigGRacing

It is just like walking down a hauling road during hunting season


----------



## LateStarter

*Collect 'deadfall'*_
(for forest realism)._

Your backyard is full of tiny treasures for woods and forest scenery.
The more time you spend in the woods, the more deadfall you'll see... or notice.
The forest floor can be covered with branches, either fallen out of brittle age, or broken in the wind.

Twigs have the same characteristics as branches.
Use them to your advantage.


----------



## Stumpy

Leaves too. Grind them up in the food processor to create forest floor litter - as in the second pic in post #97.

An alternative is sawdust from a dark wood such as walnut.


----------



## LateStarter

BTW, deadfall twigs should be preserved, either with a thorough DullCote spray, or a coat of paint.
If you're paranoid about insect larvae, vacuum seal them, and freeze for a week.


----------



## Stumpy

LateStarter said:


> If you're paranoid about insect larvae, vacuum seal them, and freeze for a week.


Good tip. 

When I brought the bucket of good ol' NC red dirt in the house to use on my layout... ants.


----------



## Chaostrain

LateStarter said:


> BTW, deadfall twigs should be preserved, either with a thorough DullCote spray, or a coat of paint.
> If you're paranoid about insect larvae, vacuum seal them, and freeze for a week.


Good tips. I'll have to remember those. Another one I read in a Model Railroader magazine is to microwave for 30 seconds to kill anything that's living then seal with cheap hair spray.


----------



## LateStarter

*Concrete pavement*
The best commercial rendering of concrete pavement is by _Monster Model Works._ But they've either sold the business, or they've discontinued the product... I can no longer find it.

However, this product from Busch is very good.
Two 8"x6" segmented cardstock (precolored) sheets for about $2.75 on LHS shelves.

You can add washes to heighten the effect (clear coat first!).
Razor-cut a few potholes, put in some Mod Podge & weeds, and you'll have a pretty realistic parking lot or truck paddock.


----------



## LateStarter

Snapshot...
_The Redemption Gate_


----------



## Stumpy

Nice.

Whence cometh the name?


----------



## LateStarter

Stumpy said:


> Whence cometh the name?


_Redemption Hill_ is a town in northwest Montana.
Army buddy lives there.
Took a bike ride there with him in the '80's after Sturgis.
The name just stuck in my head ever since.


----------



## LateStarter

*Tried running my coal drag*
Such a long train, behind a BLI 'Gator' and two Proto SD9's, plus all those cars on a 5x10 platform just isn't as much fun as on a club layout.
The gator approaches Pines Nest, while the last 20 cars haven't cleared Worlee yet.
Plus, there were a couple of derailments on the faulty superelevation near El Barranca. It happens about twice every 10 passes, but it's fairly typical of too long a train through 28" curves... especially wavy ones.

Too bad...
I love the look of that consist, and the train behind it.
It sounds and runs so smooth on a big wide-open layout. Must be what a 'high' feels like.


----------



## Magic

LS you do some beautiful work both on your trains and the scenery.
But I don't ever remember seeing any pics of the entire layout with some trains.
You got any you could post? It would help to put everything in perspective.
Would also like to see that gator on the point.

Magic


----------



## LateStarter

Magic said:


> LS you do some beautiful work both on your trains and the scenery.
> But I don't ever remember seeing any pics of the entire layout with some trains.
> You got any you could post? It would help to put everything in perspective.
> Would also like to see that gator on the point.
> 
> Magic


Yessir, I'll post wide shots when there's more topography, and less benchwork & raw plaster.
Right now, things are patchy, and only about 40% landscaped, or even have a substrate layer... lots of risers and open benchwork with track on ungraveled cork.
The photos so far, have been closeups, or had the naked areas cropped out.
My grandson might help me with a video if he ever gets time.

The locomotives and hoppers are put away, but here's a facsimile:
_At club opportunities, when a dispatcher lets me, I'll sometimes run a 4-diesel consist (and an even longer train)..._


----------



## Magic

That "Gator" looks so cool, unfortunately too new for my layout.
Guess I could fudge a bit.
Of course my SD70ACe fits right in.  

Magic


----------



## mopac

LS you certainly have a talent. I don't. I found this thread for the first time and really enjoyed it all.
Great pics. I started following you doing your locomotives and rolling stock a few years ago. Glad to see
your layout coming together. I was wondering if you would get running. Too many things to list but all
looks great. I was HO but have gone to S scale 3 or 4 years ago. S scale is nowhere near as detailed as HO
but takes less talent. I love messing with my almost 70 year old locomotives. I do have a talent working on them.
Congrats on your layout. Have fun.


----------



## LateStarter

_Snapshot:_
*Old Redemption depot*
_Now a rarely used passing track._

Passenger service ceased years ago, so folks have to bus or taxi to Worlee to catch a train.


----------



## LateStarter

Gotta do some tidying up underneath...
Re-did some stuff... got lazy, and left wires hanging. Looks like crap.
But my back is killing me. It'll have to wait.


----------



## LateStarter

*Weedy & grungy*_:_


----------



## LateStarter




----------



## ecmdrw5

Stop taking pictures of real life and passing it off as your layout. J/K!

Fantastic work! I hope I will have skills like this at some point.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## LateStarter

One of my minor regrets, is that I didn't make the run through _El Barranca_ a 2-track mainline... double track runs through a canyon is more common in my imagination.

It was actually because I wanted only one track through _Pines Nest_ and _Woods End_ to render sort of an isolated and lonely ambience.
Plus, it gave me a chance to stick in a few abandoned shacks and crumbling Civil War ramparts.

So the inside track jogs away, and shortcuts to a 24" radius, (to Pines Nest) and then swings back out to run parallel again beyond the abandoned _Redemption_ station.


----------



## LateStarter

*Re/Civil War ramparts*_:_

In the late '80's, on a bike run to Sturgis, I camped overnight in Clay County, Mo., (birthplace of Jesse James).
At the edge of the campgrounds were the disintegrating remains of a long Civil War rampart that ran a mile into dense woods, which I imagine back then was an open prairie.
It stuck in my head for years, so I rendered a few examples in Pines Nest.
In this view of _Woods End_, (at about 4 & 6 o'clock within the trees) one such example is visible. Silly I guess, but I couldn't resist.
You might need to expand the photo.


----------



## Stumpy

Great scene.

Most people don't think Missouri when they think Civil War, but it was one of the most hotly contested states.



> Counting minor actions and skirmishes, Missouri saw more than 1,200 distinct engagements within its boundaries; only Virginia and Tennessee exceeded this total.


----------



## riogrande

Ohhh... love SP, especially tunnel motors. Got any SD45's? Back when I was only 13/14 years old, the SP SD45's were what I saw the most of and have always been a favorite. I got an Athearn SP SD45 for Christmas at age 14.


----------



## LateStarter

SSW, Athearn RTR, 45T-2...
Overworked road helper.


----------



## LateStarter

*Birdstone diesel pits*_
(layout overhang)._

A separately attached diorama, with the Rix/PikeStuff diesel house removed.
Nothing fancy.
The surrounding area is so cramped, that it overhangs the layout about 6 inches (poor planning). A full 1x3 facia is cantilevered around the base.


----------



## LateStarter

*Weed burner*_
Throw-together bash._

A monstrosity, but it works...
There's no weeds on the mainline.


----------



## Lemonhawk

But that weed burner has really rusted the rails!


----------



## LateStarter

riogrande said:


> Ohhh... love SP, especially tunnel motors. Got any SD45's? Back when I was only 13/14 years old, the SP SD45's were what I saw the most of and have always been a favorite. I got an Athearn SP SD45 for Christmas at age 14.


RivetCounter SD45:


----------



## LateStarter

_Campbell tapered dowel pines..._
Back in the 1970's this was state of the art.
Trees nowadays, particularly those from Scenic Express, GCG, JTT, and European makers, are phenomenally realistic.

I still had a few dozen of these Campbell's in storage, so I placed them mixed within the others in Pines Nest.
The dowel trunks are easy to spot in close-in photos, but they're invisible overall.


----------



## MichaelE

Those are nice pines. You might be able to get in there with a paintbrush are darken parts of the dowel.

If I could find some of that branch material I'd make my own. I need a bunch.


----------



## LateStarter

MichaelE said:


> If I could find some of that branch material I'd make my own. I need a bunch.


Cant find them on Campbell's own website or even eBay.
Walthers lists them O.O.S., but at an 800% price jump... $29 for 5 trees. Eeesh.


----------



## LateStarter

*Getting there*_
RR worker figures._

Yard rats.
Good figures are not cheap. I'm gathering 6 or 7 at a time on sale... some here, some there.
Between Preiser, Walthers, and Bachmann I now have about 2 dozen posed yard workers (or what would logically pass for them)... climbing, step-hanging, flagging, shoveling, etc.
I also want to place a horde of them walking the crewhouse concrete access path for a shift change.


----------



## LateStarter

_*100-car coal drag *(triples & quads)._
This was a lengthy and expensive proposition.
It took me many years to save-up and gather together. If Rapido made a triple open hopper, I would've tried to include a few of those also.

Fortunately, I got all the Accurails assembled before my steadiness and eyesight went south (hopper end-details are no longer possible).
I 'fleeted' some with decal number sets... e.g., the 20 Accurail SP's and six of the (unnumbered) Tangent UTAH's. The other 18 UTAH's are a complete numbered set.

All cars that weren't supplied with a coal load were fitted with JWD resin loads, which added to the expense. The 'grayish' plastic loads included with some cars were painted with flat black & grime.
The 3-diesel consist is capable of pulling nearly twice as many cars.

... _*Consist*:_
BLI RSD15 (gator).
Proto SD9
Proto SD7

... _*Hoppers*:_
32 Accurail (CB&Q, NYC, SOU, D&RGW, Frisco, SP).
30 Tangent (2-GN, 4-UP, 24-UTAH).
12 BLI (N&W).
9 Proto (3-PRR, 3-MILW, 3-Frisco).
6 Arrowhead (2-SOU, 2-D&RGW, 2-PRR).
4 Athearn-RTR (SP, MILW, Reading).
4 ExactRail (CB&Q).
3 Bowser/Stewart (SP, D&RGW, CB&Q).
3 AccuReady (SP, ATSF).
2 Train Miniature (SP, C&S).
2 MTH (NYC).
1 Athearn BB (Peabody).
... + Proto SP C-30 caboose = 109 cars.

The train is way too long for my layout... for club meets exclusively. I only run 2-diesel, 15 to 18-car trains at home (if that many).


----------



## LateStarter

These gorgeous Tangents are long gone... Extinct.
The UP quads disappeared in a few months, but I managed to get four at the right opportunity (just in time).
The UTAH set of 18 is complete, along with six unnumbered cars decaled with a numbering set.


----------



## LateStarter

The six Arrowhead 'hybrids' in the drag were expensive.
However, even though their superb detail is wasted on most folks, they're as good as brass... but at less than half the price.


----------



## LateStarter

BTW, if car-railing, terminal dispatching, train control, and statistically normal distribution work hand-in-hand, some cars get paired and tripled-up within the drag at train make-up, as others get shuffled-in along the train.
Some of the cars in strings make a realistic visual.

One 'combo' however, looks awful when close together... e.g., the Peabody and the two vermilion GN's in the same vicinity are cringe-worthy.
I got them to add a visual 'splash' to the drag, but it has a downside if they're near each other. We do our best to keep the two colors widely separated.
Silly I know, but it can look hideous.
I may decide to weather the snot out of the Peabody... it's the least-detailed (and the cheapest) car in the train, so it should be an improvement.

I find it strange (and disappointing) that there's been no _premium_ issue of a Peabody triple or quad in the entire hobby... ever.
Bachmann, Walthers TrainLine, Model Power, AHM, IHC, Life-Like, Rivarossi, and Athearn BB are the only ones I've seen.
Accurail did make a 55-ton twin, (#2513) but... no cigar.


----------



## LateStarter

*BLI H2a* triples are (were) available in 6-packs. They're getting scarce.
I got two sets of the N&W's, mostly because I'm a big fan of heap shields.
However (as with Kadee) I'm NOT a fan of the boxes they come in... Eeesh!

I've weathered one set of them in varying degrees of severity.


----------



## LateStarter

*ExactRail Burlington/CB&Q quads*
Four of these are in the drag, in 3 different scheme & letter fonts.
Excellent detail. Great rollers. Kadee couplers. Both heap and flood-type coal loads are included.
I actually had a fifth -- a D&RGW, that I gave to my grandson on his 15th birthday.


----------



## LateStarter

*Proto/Life-Like 100 ton triples*
Not quite extinct, but getting scarce.
MSRP was $13. Most evilBay prices are at $25/$30 plus shipping.

There are 9 of these in the drag.
Detail is very decent... on par with Mainline and Accurail. Paint & lettering are superb and very sharp.

Good rollers... a TruckTune makes them great. Pre-ProtoMax, so Kadees are necessary. No included coal load, so they got JWD resin loads, (#1510) which gives them perfect weight.
Like Accurail, light bottom-weathering makes them pop.


----------



## LateStarter

*AccuReady triples*
There are 3 of these in the drag.
AccuReady was Accurail's RTR line, but is no longer produced.
They're nicely detailed, (scale corner steps) and are great rollers with metal wheels... albeit unblackened.
Load not included. AccuMate couplers need to be replaced with 148's.
Since this photo, the wheelsets were exchanged for blackened InterMountain's. One set was tediously weather-rusted, and reinstalled on the ATSF car.


----------



## LateStarter

*Your guess*_
A total enigma (I'm stumped).
It's in the drag, listed as 'Accurail'._

This HO model was obtained at a closeout sale, (assembled) in an Accurail box with no instruction sheet. They had no record of the original owner.
It came with Accurail trucks and Accumate couplers, and exhibits Accurail characteristics, so I tried to find it within Accurail's inventory (no dice). It even accepts JWD #1310 coal loads as all Accurail triples do.
It's just about an exact copy of a Weaver O scale model, and an Atlas N scale version.
I can find no evidence of decals... it's definitely factory lettered.
I can only find it in O or N scale on the internet. I don't even know if it's close to any prototype... I've never seen that dash-barred number/letter font.


----------



## LateStarter

*BLI H2a*_:







_


----------



## LateStarter

*Fishplates (rail bars)*_._
You might've noticed that I'm a fan of fishplates. You may know them by a different name, but that's what my grandfather called them.
They aren't easy to work with, and they're kinda fiddly to attach, plus some refuse to stay put, but they do add a visual pop, especially in photos.
They don't however, look right unless they're very rusty, and used on weathered track.
Details West and Shapeways are two sources I know of. There may be others.

I asked Don Tichy to look into making them. He was receptive and cordial, but I won't get my hopes up.


----------



## Stumpy

Prototypes.


----------



## LateStarter

*Athearn RTR Frisco GP50*_
An error in the marketing plan._

Athearn RTR diesels are well detailed, and generally accurate.
But this diesel is a production anomaly.

Frisco ordered 10 GP50's, numbered 3100 to 3109.
However, before delivery, the BN merger occurred, and nine of these diesels were delivered in Burlington Northern paint... 3100 was delivered in Frisco paint, but was numbered 709.

I got it at a great price, and it's a great runner. As a switcher it'll cut 20 cars out of a drag, and haul them around all day without overheating.
I run it at club sessions because it's way out of my era.
Anomaly or not, it's one of my favorites.


----------



## LateStarter

*MTH quads*
MTH (entry level) _"Ready2RailT"_ line. About $12.50 LHS price.
There are 2 of these in the drag (NYC).
Very nice detail. Crisp lettering. Includes coal load.
Superb rollers... about as good as their passenger cars, which are the gold standard for rollability.
Included coal loads aren't black enough... they need a shot of flat black, and a drybrushing with grime paint.
_NOTE: Light-bounce makes the wheel webs look raw nickel silver in the photo... but they're quite suitably blackened._


----------



## LateStarter

_*Grass too green*?
Well that's just 'tufts'!_

I don't like green grass in certain areas.
Woodland Scenics tufts laid out and sprayed to a more gray/brownish hue.


----------



## LateStarter

*Two spots on the edge of town*









*6500K lighting*:


----------



## LateStarter

*Fire!*_
(but no hurry)._

This AMB switchtower kit was doomed from the start...
It lies at the interchange between Redemption and Worlee.
It was closed and abandoned years ago, along with the Redemption train station.


----------



## Stumpy

Well done.


----------



## Magic

LS you sure do some fantastic work.

Magic


----------



## LateStarter

*Gas station kitbuild*_
Banta Modelworks.
('30's/'40's)._

In addition to the larger _Fred's_ bash, I have two other (small) gas stations to squeeze in. This is one of them.

Nice quality kit... easy build. Very good parts.
Signage and pumps are _JL Inovative Design._

There was a Mobil station almost exactly like this, directly across the street from _Shapiro's Salvage_ main entrance.
And that's precisely where it's going.


----------



## vette-kid

Gas station looks great! I'd love to do a 30s station like that in Richfield livery. 

Sent from my SM-G781U using Tapatalk


----------



## LateStarter

_*About 6 months ago*
(time flies)._

Running feeder wires...
Tracks near _Birdstone Terminal_ at Worlee.


----------



## LateStarter

*"The Sweep"*_
East & West._

East is near the terminal at Worlee.
West is outbound from the abandoned station at Redemption.


----------



## repman66

This threat is motivating and amazing---- THANK YOU!


----------



## LateStarter

*Trees laid out for planting*
Mostly birches.
Some are ScenicExpress, some are Reynauld'sMBR.


----------



## LateStarter

*A freight drag near Worlee*


----------



## LateStarter

_*Reefer haul*
I love hauling reefers... it's pure color on parade._

Santa Fe and PFE...
Old & newer Accurail, and an InterMountain/Red Caboose.

_The annoying vertical stripe in the background sky is a tape-seam on a temporary backdrop._


----------



## LateStarter

_*A brass 2-6-6-2 on my rails*
A rare model of a rare prototype.

As far as I know, Mantua was the only non esoteric maker of a 2-6-6-2._

One of the guys who does my static grass-work (another SP fan) had me weather his steamer, and when he came to retrieve it we ran it for awhile.
It's a good runner, and it was kind of a kick in the pants to see it run through Pines Nest. I wondered about the 24" lead-in curve, but it slid right through.
He took a slew of photos with his cellphone, and texted this one to me.


----------



## LateStarter

_*A 4-6-2 'diamond' on the layout*
A brass beauty in DCC.
Glacier Park Models (BooRim).
Factory painted & sealed, w/Tsunami sound._

Jerry wants me to letter and weather this Pacific for him.
I love putting steamers on my layout... it brings back memories of my _Alameda South Coast._

He wants it numbered and lettered to match SP's #2472, and he ordered decals drop-shipped to me.

Complete cab interior, including gauges and firebox details. Engineer and fireman are nicer than LaBelle's.
It's a sweet runner, that crawls smoothly at a scale walking speed. Tracks flawlessly, even through all the turnouts in Birdstone Terminal (I didn't try it on the "wigglies" to Shapiro's though).
And it's a true brute of a puller.


----------



## Chops124

Museum grade. 👏


----------



## LateStarter

*Another abandoned structure*...
_(In the works)_.

I'm working on a Bar Mills kit-bash, as another _"Abandoned Structures" _piece for the town of Redemption.

It's the _Hart's Transfer Co_. kit... not the huge $350 Limited Edition set, but the small single structure 'cheap' version.
Been working on it (on and off) for about a year.
It'll be a decrepit looking place.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Summit's La Grange Depot*
Soon to be Worlee's train station._

I've searched around for a suitable train station for Worlee... but most of the nicer ones are too big for the limited space I have.

Summit's _La Grange Depot_ fits the bill. Although the prototype is on MKT tracks in Texas, I'm sure it'll look fine in Worlee.

It'll be painted in the same colors that I did Jerry's Northridge station... Colonial Yellow, Brown trim, and a Gray or Moss Green roof.


----------



## Stumpy

DPM makes a small footprint station as a part of their Coal River station/freight depot kit. Comes with a bag of white metal castings ("over 40"). Of course the station & depot don't have to be together.

DPM Gold 405 Coal River Passenger & Freight Depots HO 1:87 Scale Kit | eBay


----------



## Gramps

Great stuff, all of it.


----------



## Chops

Perfect ballast and weathering. Museum grade. WTH, is that real or Memorex??? 😲


----------



## LateStarter

LateStarter said:


> _*Summit's La Grange Depot*
> Soon to be Worlee's train station._
> ... Colonial Yellow, Brown trim, and a Gray or Moss Green roof.


_TruColor _has SP Colonial Yellow, SP Trim Brown, and SP Moss Green... 'acrylic' enamel (an oxymoron).


----------



## LateStarter

_*"Skewtility" poles*_
Wood skewers, with Durango Press & Rix parts.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Cardi's Warehouse*
A Transfer Authority spur.
(photographed in outdoor light)._

A shaped-to-fit diorama.
Lots of Pikestuff... um... stuff.
Somebody needs to clean that dumpster.


----------



## LateStarter

_*More skewtility poles*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*Gayle's Crossing*
Where a dirt/gravel road meets the rails._

This scene is only about 9-inches deep.
The pines in the background are a printed backdrop.
The cattle car is an old _Rail Line_ kit from many years ago.


----------



## Andreash

Excellent scene..cheers🍻


----------



## LateStarter

_*The Redemption flagstop*
A railroad rush job._

Hurried together when the station was shut down and abandoned -- For shelter and stowage only (no perishables).
They just gave it a quick coat of paint. One small restroom, but no heat. One part-time attendant.
Served almost exclusively by RDC commuter runs.


----------



## LateStarter

Re/the flagstop...
A combination of FOS and Tichy parts, plus Northeastern basswood pieces, e.g., the wainscotting.
The plank siding was drag-scored with a razor saw.
The clerestory roof is from a drawer of random Ambroid parts (I only had to round and trim one end).
The wood deck is glued onto a veneer sheet.
It still has to be mounted on a piling-piered platform.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Two projects in the works*
For the Abandoned Structures series._

1.) A JV Models kit.
2.) A Rix kit.

_Rix website photo:_


----------



## Stumpy

Golden Gate Hobby's Quonset huts look interesting.









Modular Quonset Building / Hut, HO Scale Structure Kit — GoldenGateHobby


HO Scale Modular Quonset Building / Hut Structure Kit. White.




goldengatehobby.com


----------



## LateStarter

Yep...
But I already started on the Rix, and I got it for $9.79.


----------



## Stumpy

I see. Wasn't sure if "in the works" was planning or building.


----------



## LateStarter

Stumpy said:


> I see. Wasn't sure if "in the works" was planning or building.


Yeah, that phrase _is_ kinda hazy.


----------



## LateStarter

_*A squatter in Pines Nest*
By the rails to and from Shapiro's._

A 'touched-up' leftover shed from a _JV Models_ structure kit.


----------



## LateStarter

_*You can never have enough pallets*_...
especially on warehouse docks, and for 'scatter' just about anywhere.
With a simple miter-jig, you can cut basswood or styrene for a dozen pallets in a few minutes.
The key is to spray them the right shade of weathering, for a tenured look.
Oil-soaked pallets are a fire hazard, so the ones pictured here are more for scatter.
I don't ever remember seeing a freshly new pallet in real life, but I'll slip one in now and then.
I spray them in groups, changing shades of weathering between each group, and then they get 'shuffled', for a random mix.
On some busy warehouse docks they'd get (temporarily) stacked as high as the forklift could reach.


----------



## LateStarter

Some tracks aren't fit to even _walk_ on...
Oily, crappy, rusty, and weedy... the worse the better.


----------



## LateStarter

A friend's layout...
Photo from quite awhile ago. Just now noticed it.
I helped him with streets and pavements.


----------



## Big Ed

I used to load my tankers from a certain RR tanker transfer yard in Kearny NJ, and the whole track looked like the second picture.
Needless to say it got added to the Superfund site list.
After the Feds raided it twice.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Brass Geep*
Bottom weathered for a friend._


----------



## LateStarter

_*Double Xover*
It's gotta work, or... Elm Street?_

The heartbeat of _Birdstone Terminal_.
Jerry's been tricking this up for two months, getting all the bugs out.

If it develops the yips, (which we figure it will) we'll have to go with a consecutive switch arrangement, which will lengthen things uncomfortably.
For that reason, nothing in the terminal is permanent or even ballasted yet.
I have faith in Jerry, but not in 2XO's.


----------



## LateStarter

_*"The Washboard"*
To the salvage yard.

Affectionately so-called._
A stretch of (intentional) wiggly, wavy, tippy rails to Shapiro's.
It's a hoot!


----------



## vette-kid

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3085171955093838&id=1673693016241746&anchor_reactions=true#!/comment/replies/?ctoken=3085171955093838_1488404318020660&count=54&curr&pc=1&isinline&initcomp&ft_ent_identifier=3085171955093838&eav=AfZQCzHHPceXisSgCDOH4J6h8KxOUvUW65UEK438UsSHcYSvgJNS3ni1UB73M-Dkj6A&av=697079691&gfid=AQAcNk2RJ4XFrGe1t2M&refid=52&__tn__=R



Not sure if that's allowed, but seems to fit with your section of rail!

Sent from my SM-G781U using Tapatalk


----------



## LateStarter

Approaching _St Helen's Bridge_ at _Sienna_ _Basin_.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Shapiro Boulevard*_


----------



## LateStarter

FROM THE FILTHY TRACK FILE:
_*Aftermath*...
Downstream wreckage residue._

Leftovers from a grade crossing collision.
A freight-'xtra' has struck a stake-bed trailer loaded with fuel-oil drums at _Gayles Crossing_ (dirt road; no gate).
It's a "low speed zone", but this is where the lead SD managed to stop plowing the flaming heap.


----------



## vette-kid

LateStarter said:


> _*Shapiro Boulevard*_
> View attachment 557861
> View attachment 557862


I'd love to know how you did the dirt road! It's a ways off yet, but I'm planning something like that for our layout I'm just not sure the best way to pull it off. 

Sent from my SM-G781U using Tapatalk


----------



## LateStarter

vette-kid said:


> I'd love to know how you did the dirt road!


I use _3M Patch+Primer_ as a base.
It dries with minimal shrinkage, and sands & sculpts easily...

_*Dirt roads*:_
1.) Lay down the 3M base.
2.) Sand & sculpt to shape, including ruts.
3.) "Paint" on a few (thin) dabs of soupy 3M here and there, and place a few stones of Woodland Scenics fine Talus... don't overdo it!
4.) Paint or airbrush for color... browns, tans, grays, etc.
5.) Seal thoroughly with clear, e.g., DullCote.
6.) If you want potholes, you should dig them now, and re-paint & re-seal with clear. You can partly fill them with fake water.
7.) Apply Woodland Scenics _Static Grass_ or _Flock_ as a center strip. Tufts are optional.


----------



## vette-kid

Thanks! Looks fantastic. I may have to consider static grass

Sent from my SM-G781U using Tapatalk


----------



## repman66

LateStarter said:


> _*Shapiro Boulevard*_
> View attachment 557861
> View attachment 557862


I need to LEARN how to do this----my god its beautiful!!! This thread is the best


----------



## LateStarter

_*Weathered SD39*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*SD45T-2*
V-20 power._


----------



## LateStarter

_*#9173 again*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*My SD40 & SD40R*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*Abandoned machine shop*..._
... at the edge of Redemption (a diorama).
It'll be a tight squeeze... it may end up overhanging a couple inches.
I haven't finished the roof yet.


----------



## Gramps

It all looks great, nice touch with the old bath tub.


----------



## LateStarter

_*About a year ago*:_


----------



## LateStarter

_*Cotton Belt Geep*
(Athearn RTR).
Shuttle duty._


----------



## LateStarter

*"A pause on Rte 375"*
_(posed outdoor diorama)._

Proto GP35R.
I stuck a ScaleTrains coupler in for the photo.


----------



## LateStarter

_*HO sunrise*
A section of Rte 375._


----------



## LateStarter

_*Snapshot*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*The Transit Authority*
In the early a.m._


----------



## LateStarter




----------



## Lemonhawk

Nice action shot! High shutter speed to stop any motion blur!


----------



## LateStarter

HaHaHa!


----------



## LateStarter

_*A siding in Worlee*
Weathered rails with fishplates, on 'aged' basswood ties._

Jerry did the tedious work, and laid the ties and rails.
As with many of my sidings, this is N scale ballast mixed with sanded grout.


----------



## LateStarter

Forgot to turn on track power...
Oh well!


----------



## LateStarter

_*Athearn BB DD35A*
8-axle power.
Really CHEAP!_

I'd never seen these before. Never knew about them.
Got it from the 'Bargain Bin' for $35. It runs great, and it's one heavy mutha!
It does have an issue with some #6 turnouts, (some of the time) but we might be able to work that out.

Bernie is converting it to ESU LokSound for me (the photo was taken on his layout).
Athearn got the cab numbers way wrong on the SP units, but that's no biggie.


----------



## LateStarter

LateStarter said:


> Athearn got the cab numbers way wrong on the SP units, but that's no biggie.


The correct numbers were 8400/8401/02.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Athearn SD45's*
Near El Muro Palacia
("The Palace Wall" at El Barranca)._


----------



## jackpresley

Love those Cotton Belt GPs, brings back memories.


----------



## LateStarter




----------



## LateStarter




----------



## LateStarter

_*Added some handsome brass*
Cheap!_

Brass isn't going for the prices it once did.
Got these (pre-owned) Harriman coaches, and two Overland GP38's (D.C.).


----------



## LateStarter




----------



## LateStarter

_*Bowser U25B... has LokSound*
Used, and in poor condition... in progress.
I've only fixed one numberboard._

Bernie fixed the GyraLight (it's working in the photos).
I added MU hoses and wipers.
The blue structure was set there to block a distracting window in the background.
'Cutsie' zoom-in shots 'fish-eyed' everything.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Shalestone Bridge*...
In progress.
That's just urethane brushed into the swale._


----------



## LateStarter

_*CNR*_
Turns out I've got more Canadian stuff than I thought.
These are AthearnBB and InterMountain.
I have a slew of Accurail, and one Moloco.
Rapido would be proud.


----------



## BigGRacing

Nice cars for sure !


----------



## LateStarter

_*Pine Junction*
A short segment at the edge of Woods End._

Just-completed.
Track laying here was a major p.i.t.a.
I hadn't allowed for an elevation change down to the mainline.
Took several re-do's to get it right.
On the other side of the trees is raw benchwork.


----------



## LateStarter

_*IMWX kits*
AKA (eventually) Red Caboose.

I got these at a show some time ago for a couple dollars each. They were unboxed, but clearly labeled, and packaged in cellophane bags._

Twenty years ago or so, IMWX (Innovative Model Works) were some of the finest kits available. Today they're just another obscure brand relegated to the trivia pile.
Instructions are replete with pertinent info, history, and photos (albeit poorly printed b&w's).
I've only seen boxcars offered, although there could be others(?).
Their tooling was bought by Red Caboose, who were in turn scooped up by InterMountain.

This one is being fitted with a Tichy roofwalk (the original was missing from the bag).
Others are in various stages of assembly.
And yes, the plastic truckframes came in oxide red.


----------



## LateStarter

_*'Moonlight' snapshots*
"Slitbox" lighting._


----------



## LateStarter

FRISCO... EQUAL TIME
_*In-and-around Worlee*
Browser VO-660
(cabooses are Roundhouse and AMB)._

I've had this diesel for quite awhile. It runs like a dream. Bernie recently fitted it with LokSound.
I'm a big fan of the Frisco black & yellow motif.
The last pic shows how it currently looks, dressed out in more weathering.
Except for the cabooses, all the rolling stock in these photos are Athearn RTR or BB.

The trestle was made with Campbell parts.
The water in Widow's Creek was done with _Parks Super Glaze. _Not a ripple anywhere.
I may regret that.
You gotta love the AMB 'side-door'.


----------



## LateStarter

[Note]:
The Browser VO-660 has been somewhat modified...
Wire grabs; Wipers; MU hoses; Rerailer under the port-side sill; cut bars, etc.


----------



## LateStarter

ATHEARN BOXCAR... INSIDE & OUT
_*Montana RailLink*
(out of my era, but...).
A few mods, and some bottom weathering.
_
Under fluorescent lighting, the 'primered' doors come out pink in photos.
_RailStuff_ palleted sacks were a dime each at a show.
It'll be a static model at the _Transfer Authority_ dock's end. McHenry couplers will remain. One wheelset is plastic, and is locked with CA.
I might put some chalk-scribble graffiti on it... no "art" stuff though.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Shinohara double crossover*
Second try._

The first one was crap.
I can't believe I got a refund-replacement.
The ties look different on this one.

Jerry is working on hand-making one.
No confidence in commercial types.
I hear the UniTrack version works well, and can be made almost bulletproof... but it's only available in N scale.


----------



## LateStarter




----------



## LateStarter




----------



## LateStarter

_*Athearn GP9*
"Which wheel?"_

A (newly painted) crewman listens for a brakeline 'blowby chuff'.
A 2-man maintenance unit will be summoned to reseal it.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Modified/Detailed Bachmann 4-6-0*
At Widow's Creek.

Lettered and numbered for Frisco._
(Frisco lettered the cabs, and numbered the tenders).

I don't have many working (or DCC) steamers, but this one gets occasional run-time.
No sound yet.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Walthers TrainLine*
Near El Barranca._

I don't have a lot of TrainLine stuff, but it doesn't look bad if it's weathered a bit.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Another Walthers TrainLine*
Modified 2420 gon._

To carry steel coils.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Judge Finster's house*_


----------



## Big Ed

LateStarter said:


> ATHEARN BOXCAR... INSIDE & OUT
> _*Montana RailLink*
> (out of my era, but...).
> A few mods, and some bottom weathering._
> 
> Under fluorescent lighting, the 'primered' doors come out pink in photos.
> _RailStuff_ palleted sacks were a dime each at a show.
> It'll be a static model at the _Transfer Authority_ dock's end. McHenry couplers will remain. One wheelset is plastic, and is locked with CA.
> I might put some chalk-scribble graffiti on it... no "art" stuff though.
> View attachment 560052
> View attachment 560053
> View attachment 560054
> View attachment 560055
> View attachment 560056
> View attachment 560057


Nice work as normal. 
What would be in those bags? Maybe some seepage/dust on the floor would look good? Out of all those bags some would leak in transit.
When I was a teen I sometimes used to unload freight cars loaded with bags of kitty litter or Carbon black.
They were loaded packed tight together, like sardines on cardboard, they were not on pallets.
Even then there were a few stacks that were leaned over on the others from the ride and humping yards.
And whatever was in the bags was all over the place. Carbon black was banned way back in the late sixties.
We would get a car in about one every 2 weeks, they would get palletized and put into our warehouse.
75 lbs bags, it would take the 2 of us (bosses son and me) all day to offload it.
Carbon black was the worst, we would wear overalls taped at the wrists and ankles. Bandanas over our face and a hat. All in 90* weather, it didn't bother me back then.
Makes me tired just thinking about it today.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Atlas, before & after*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*I'm still in the habit of manual uncoupling*_...
Either via Rix, DualTool, MicroMark, or notched skewer.
Except of course where I can't reach without detriment to scenery, utility poles, signal bridges, or 1:87 life & limb.
I'm stuck in my ways.


----------



## LateStarter

_*MW boss*
Climbs off, and walks ahead to survey a disabled Geep._


----------



## Stumpy

Lloyd !

He gets around.









Second HO Layout


:::::




www.modeltrainforum.com


----------



## Gramps

And it looks like whatever work he has to do, he always makes sure to keep his lunch box with him.


----------



## LateStarter

*Sliding dock door*
_Story board.










































_


----------



## LateStarter

BTW, in pic #4 I screwed up, and overdrilled a size.
Had to use epoxy to set the hanger-pins.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Steam over Widow's Creek*
Frisco #1216._

A PFM/United 2-8-0 pulls a coal string into Worlee.
One of two DCC steamers I own that actually work. The other's a Bachmann 4-6-0. Both are mutes.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Successful experiment*
AK Concrete Paste over cork.














_


----------



## LateStarter




----------



## LateStarter

_*Snapshot... a just-completed section*
A wooded gateway called "Hylo"
(at the edge of Pines Nest)._

My grandson gave me the Preiser. We named it _"Ethan"_... he's always wanted to camp-out in my woods.
Lots of expensive GCG and European model trees and shrubs here (bought at shows for cheap). They're more visible and appreciated outside the thick canopy.
Check out the 8-foot pine sapling behind 'Ethan', and the branches of a 90-footer left-foreground.
6500k lighting.


----------



## LateStarter

SNAPSHOT
_*Bashed BlueBox GP40







*_


----------



## LateStarter

SNAPSHOT
_*Track section in progress*
Near Gales Crossing._

Fine ballast, (for N scale) mixed with sanded grout.
6500k lighting.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Logs, scrub, a fence, and a path*_


----------



## vette-kid

LateStarter said:


> SNAPSHOT
> _*Track section in progress*
> Near Gales Crossing._
> 
> Fine ballast, (for N scale) mixed with sanded grout.
> 6500k lighting.
> View attachment 561081


Tell me about the grout. Are you just adding it dry to the ballast before spreading it for looks? Or are you using it to actually hold it together? 

I'm about to do my gravel road using fine ballast (anything smaller in n scale is just dust!). 

Sent from my SM-G781U using Tapatalk


----------



## LateStarter

vette-kid said:


> Tell me about the grout. Are you just adding it dry to the ballast before spreading it for looks? Or are you using it to actually hold it together?


I use sanded grout with N scale ballast on spurs, sidings, ground-level track, terminal tracks, etc.
Sanded grout is powder-like stuff you can get at HomeDepot, Lowes, etc. It has a binder in it that keeps it in place instead of floating.
It comes in various colors, so you can mix to get one you like. I generally disregard the color, and tint with dry-earth colors.
If you Google "sanded grout for ballast" you'll get a lot of hits.
Here's a start:
(touch all the links in the first response).
Grout as ballast? (Grout for dirt roads & parking lots) | Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine


----------



## LateStarter

_*A Georgia Pine lightning victim*
A dowel fitted with foliage pieces.
Lightning doesn't usually kill a tree...
... it just shortens it.

Most of the 200 or so healthy coniferous trees inside the perimeter of Pines Nest are made this way.
_
This 90-foot pine (and a few others) has lost the top third of its height to a lightning strike (several months ago).

A dowel scraped with a razorsaw, painted, drilled, and fitted with JTT or WS branches.
A recent strike would be top-scorched, with burnt upper branches (new growth conceals the damage).


----------



## LateStarter

This 70-footer (for the edge of Woods End) took a 200 million volt hit.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Waiting for a taxi*
On a short section of Grove Street._

At the rear edge of the layout...
_(Semi-permanent... partly staged for the photo).
_
So far, this is all I've done to dress up this road. It's extremely easy to access, so I've been saving it for a rainy day, or for when my back gives me problems.
The bashed lift-door 'condo' is a background flat. I saw a lot of these in California... some near Bel Air.

This Preiser figure seems to show up in various unpainted 'Pedestrian', 'Passenger', and 'Passersby' sets... fortunately I have acrylics mixed for different color jackets & pants.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Two doors up the street*
Another background flat._

Made with FOS parts.


----------



## vette-kid

LateStarter said:


> I use sanded grout with N scale ballast on spurs, sidings, ground-level track, terminal tracks, etc.
> Sanded grout is powder-like stuff you can get at HomeDepot, Lowes, etc. It has a binder in it that keeps it in place instead of floating.
> It comes in various colors, so you can mix to get one you like. I generally disregard the color, and tint with dry-earth colors.
> If you Google "sanded grout for ballast" you'll get a lot of hits.
> Here's a start:
> (touch all the links in the first response).
> Grout as ballast? (Grout for dirt roads & parking lots) | Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine


Thank you fit the reading material. Looks like is the way to go. I'm going to put off doing my roads until I can test this out. 

Any issues with cracking? As a former tile layer, I know thin grout can crack easily. 

Sent from my SM-G781U using Tapatalk


----------



## LateStarter

vette-kid said:


> Any issues with cracking? As a former tile layer, I know thin grout can crack easily.


Not that I can see, but I've only had it place for a few months at the longest.
Besides, I haven't heard of any cracking issues from others.


----------



## LateStarter

_*A cherished possession*
Rapido RDC (SP #10)._

This one's impossible to find now.


----------



## Magic

I think I remember something about this RDC being restored somewhere.
Good looking unit there LS.

Magic


----------



## LateStarter

_*Balboa Cab Forward*
DCC converted._

A real frog hopper!
(does not play well with turnouts).
Superbly detailed.


----------



## LateStarter

_*A Frisco mixed freight*
Headed toward Worlee on the Birdstone Balcony._


----------



## LateStarter

_*The "Birdstone Gap"*
Just west of the "Birdstone Balcony".

(a prehistorically tectonic area, where abundant limestone, granite, and shale were heaved to the surface)._

Expanded perspective...
The backdrop is only about 18 inches from the camera.
Lots of ground cover (e.g., pulled-apart JTT _Boxwood shrubs_) that I bought at shows where I could hand-pick specific shades of green.
Eventually, a Rte 6 overpass will be added here (lots of Greyhound & Trailways bus traffic).


----------



## LateStarter

_*Bachmann 2-8-0*
(with sound).
Long wait!

[Bachmann makes pretty nice steam locomotives... much better than their rolling stock]._

Been hunting this for quite a while...
The SP issue has been M.I.A. in these parts.
Saw it at an online dealer, but they hadn't updated their inventory list, so I got an apology and a refund.
Finally found it at an LHS.
It wasn't cheap, but it was $50 less than the BLI, which doesn't generally get discounted around here.
At least it runs good, and the decoder works... knock on wood.
I love the Vandy tender.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Scenes from HyLo*
6500k lighting._


----------



## LateStarter

_*Sanossa Paper dock*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*Genesis GP9*_
I could never bring myself to weather a Widow.


----------



## Magic

Nice, got the full SP light package.

Magic


----------



## LateStarter

_*Snapshots*_


----------



## Stumpy

LateStarter said:


> I could never bring myself to weather a Widow.


Just out from an overhaul and re-paint.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Down from "Yonder Hill"*_


----------



## Magic

LateStarter, I sure wish you would do something bad looking sometime.
It would make my puny attempts look a bit better.  

Magic


----------



## LateStarter

_*Genesis F7-A/B*
On the test & programming track._

The only power I have in Gothic lettering.


----------



## LateStarter

_*"The Washboard" today*
(June, 2021)._

This is what's left of the tracks to Shapiro's Salvage.
Not much left these days.
The wavy "washboard" part is completely gone and overgrown.
The entire Shapiro's complex is now a shopping mall and a little league park.
The bottom photo is along an asphalt road by a condo neighborhood.


----------



## LateStarter

_*My tribute to the 4th of July*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*Snapshot*
Worlee Track-B._

Preiser made a bundle on me here...
Only two of these were un-painted.
This entire scene is a train without a station... only a foot and a half of ballasted track, and nothing else.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Decal'd & poster'd up*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*Rapido Fishbowl*_
With decals & posters by "Frenchy".


----------



## LateStarter

_*Snapshots*
Rare open country._

A foot or so of uncrowded open territory...
The truck & hopper are Athearn.
The boxcar is Kadee.
The orange tree is an out-of-place anomaly... gotta change it.


----------



## LateStarter

BTW, beautiful fall foliage at ground level looks very bland from a helicopter at altitude.
You can take that for what it's worth.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Brekina*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*Snapshots from beyond the fence*
Staged photos.
(may not be permanent)._
1.) Brekina Capri.
2.) Modified Shapeways flatcar load
..... Wiking forklift
..... Artitec tractor.


----------



## LateStarter

BTW, the large "oversize" steel drums are prototype...
They come in larger than 55 gallon, e.g., 70, 85, etc, all the way up to 110 gallon.
These are ShapeWays. I also get them by Herpa.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Background test*
Things that can make or break a scene._

I've been setting up shots to test a new Photo-Mylar background, and I'm very pleased with the results so far.
Jerry's static grasswork is always superb, and I sometimes tend to take it for granted. But the right background can exude ambiance, and literally bring a scene to life.

_Artitec tractor
Oxford Diecast '59 Pontiac_


----------



## Stumpy

Be careful around that Pontiac. There's bees nests in there.


----------



## LateStarter




----------



## LateStarter

_*Camping out*
The FUN way!_


----------



## LateStarter

_*Contract job*
I generally run 'em before I weather 'em._

A really nice Athearn GP39-2... superb detail.
It's in for _soot_, _bottom weathering_ and a '_spot_-_rust' _treatment_._


----------



## LateStarter

*Artitec*


----------



## LateStarter

_*Roco/Artitec*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*Break time at Stonewich*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*On a hike*
6500k lighting._


----------



## LocoChris

LateStarter said:


> _*Contract job*
> I generally run 'em before I weather 'em._
> 
> A really nice Athearn GP39-2... superb detail.
> It's in for _soot_, _bottom weathering_ and a '_spot_-_rust' _treatment_._
> View attachment 562931


Who makes that centerbeam car? I've been looking for one with that design and no one seems to be making them right now.

Your layout must be giant, would love to see how it all looks together.


----------



## LateStarter

LocoChris said:


> Who makes that centerbeam car? I've been looking for one with that design and no one seems to be making them right now.


That one's from ExactRail (IIRC)...
Others are available by Walthers, Atlas, and McKean (kit).


----------



## LateStarter

_*Stonewich siding*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*Ready for dispatch*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*The outer southern edge of Woods End*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*'El Muro Palacia'*
("The Palace Wall").
In progress._

The east-end lead-in to _'El Barranca' _(The Canyon).
A granite/limestone wall that's only about 40% complete.
This is at one end of the wavy superelevated curve that still needs repair.


----------



## LateStarter

_*A freight Xtra, running on schedule*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*TOFC unit train*
Mostly Accurails._


----------



## LateStarter

_*Monday morning drudgery*_
The truck is a modified Sylvan kit.
The wire tree behind it is the last one I made using lichen.


----------



## LateStarter

_*"Rte 375 Gas"*
Worlee._


----------



## LateStarter

_*SD9's*
I'm a loyal fan._

These are heavily weathered.
#4320 was a salvaged model. It's now a free-rolling dummy used only in consist.
Here it's a deadheaded helper at the end of a pulpwood unit train.
I modified the paneling, and put in a visible Walthers EMD-567 prime mover.


----------



## LateStarter

_*A chilly March morning in Worlee*_


----------



## 65steam

I love the barren trees!


----------



## LateStarter

_*Deadheading tail-wagger*
(with highballer wig-wags).
In the El Barranca shute._


----------



## LateStarter

_*La Guardia de Pino*
Pines Nest Ranger office._

Poor excuse for an American Flag...
I'm looking for a good one.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Telltales*
Mostly for steam era.
(Gold Medal etched stainless)._


----------



## LateStarter

_*Dockwork*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*Simulate coke hopper-heaps*
Use WS coarse cinder ballast.
_
It's best to install a foam base in the cars, and glueing the heaps in place, or in a separate mold.


----------



## LateStarter

_*P2K GP30's and a BB GP35*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*Genesis GP9*
ATSF 2240._

Part of my collection.
Lightly weathered.


----------



## LateStarter

_*CMW '73 Chevy*
6500K lighting._


----------



## LateStarter

_*Snapshots*
Stone walls.

*New England Brownstone














*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*Slashing frenzy*
Equals strata._

Needs more airbrushing.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Latching onto a shunt at Birdstone*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*Proto MSCX*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*Redemption snapshots*
Around the old silver mine.





















_


----------



## LateStarter

_*Modified Atlas tanker*
From an old 1950's trainset.
Done back in the 1980's._

It was UN-decaled from Gulf, (IIRC) repainted, and RE-decaled with Herald King UTLX. Some added details.
Didn't bother to attempt straightening the walks -- a common malady with tankers of the day.
The Tichy version of this car is superb, but a chore to assemble. I've built two out of a 6-pack, and the others are still unopened.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Gradley's Garage on Rte 375*
'32 Ford is a Micro Engineering diecast kit._


----------



## 65steam

Wow! That's an impressive scene.


----------



## Murv2

LateStarter said:


> _*Modified Atlas tanker*
> From an old 1950's trainset.
> Done back in the 1980's._
> 
> It was UN-decaled from Gulf, (IIRC) repainted, and RE-decaled with Herald King UTLX. Some added details.
> Didn't bother to attempt straightening the walks -- a common malady with tankers of the day.
> The Tichy version of this car is superb, but a chore to assemble. I've built two out of a 6-pack, and the others are still unopened.
> View attachment 564885


You are lucky. Both tank car kits of that vintage I was able to get ahold of had zamac cancer.


----------



## LateStarter

Murv2 said:


> You are lucky. Both tank car kits of that vintage I was able to get ahold of had zamac cancer.


This is an all-plastic pre-assembled car from a trainset.


----------



## Gramps

Murv2 said:


> You are lucky. Both tank car kits of that vintage I was able to get ahold of had zamac cancer.


I have to ask, "zamac cancer"?


----------



## LateStarter

Gramps said:


> I have to ask, "zamac cancer"?


Zamac rots eventually.


----------



## Gramps

I have never heard of zamac and I didn't find anything online, so what is it?.


----------



## Stumpy

Zinc alloy used for diecasting.









Zamak - Wikipedia







en.wikipedia.org


----------



## JeffHurl

The "cancer" referred to is from lead impurities in the zinc. It was a bigger issue until the zinc part of the amalgamation was pure enough... Probably in the 1960s it started to get better.


----------



## JeffHurl

Zink, aluminium, magnesium and copper


----------



## Gramps

Stumpy said:


> Zinc alloy used for diecasting.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Zamak - Wikipedia
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> en.wikipedia.org


Thanks for the link.


----------



## Gramps

JeffHurl said:


> The "cancer" referred to is from lead impurities in the zinc. It was a bigger issue until the zinc part of the amalgamation was pure enough... Probably in the 1960s it started to get better.


Thanks.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Snapshots














*_


----------



## Murv2

I've had a tank car practically ruined with Zamac cancer, ended up building a (crude) new frame out of plastic. Another one the tank cradles were both rotted but not badly enough to be unusable. I also had a couple Silver Streak cabooses with cast parts that weren't unusable but had to be 'fixed' to use. Worst, an AHM Berkshire in like-new condition except the weight/frame rotted out and ruined the engine. It's waiting for me to work out a substitute out of sheet brass.
As mentioned, it depends on how pure the Zinc was that was put into the mixture. It's a crap shoot whether the cars are good or not. Fortunately, if a car has cancer it would have shown up by now.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Athearn COE*
Ulrich diecast trailer._


----------



## LateStarter

_*At the reefer dock*
Bowser Baldwin S12.
ESU LokSound._

This diesel was pulled from terminal service, and pressed into _BTA_ dockside duty.
But it's since been relieved by _two_ Kato NW2's, and is back with the Geeps, making up trains again.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Life in Worlee*
On a frosty January morning._


----------



## LateStarter

_*Tichy reefer*_


----------



## 65steam

I like the scene with the garbage truck. I am planning something similar for my own layout. 

The pigeons on the track bumper are an interesting addition, too. 

How often do you change your scenes?


----------



## LateStarter

65steam said:


> How often do you change your scenes?


Mostly about weekly. Some not at all.
But I like photographing stuff, so almost nothing's permanent.


----------



## Lemonhawk

LateStarter, have you tried focus stacking to get more depth of field?


----------



## LateStarter

Lemonhawk said:


> LateStarter, have you tried focus stacking to get more depth of field?


No. I'm not tech savvy.
Sometimes, when I want depth, I'll stop down the aperture, but then I have to play with the lighting, which I usually forget to do.
Maybe I'm missing out on better photos, but for the time being I'm satisfied with what I've got.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Worlee tool & paint shed*
(at Birdstone Terminal).
*Coal dump South*
(at Holman Steel -- 6500K lighting)._


----------



## LateStarter

*RivetCounter BNSF GEVo*
_ET44C4_

Since I've stepped into the 2K era for some of my diesel roster, I've acquired some _NS_ and _CSX_ GEVo's and SD70's.
However, I've neglected _BNSF_, which has a serious presence in Missouri, along with the ghosts of _Frisco_ and _Cotton Belt._
Our 'train pimp' has them for $198, (with sound) which beats any of the online prices I'm seeing. MSRP is $224.
No photos yet, until I do a successful test-run, and actually make the purchase.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Morning stroll*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*Part of a freight Xtra*...
... being shuttled through the terminal shute._


----------



## LateStarter

_*Chess with grandpa under the oak*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*BB SW8*
Now w/ESU LokSound.














_


----------



## LateStarter

_*Two Genesis F7's*
(and a Proto FP7)._

In an unforseen snafu, the FP7 came with the same cab number as the Widow F7.
The Proto is actually the accurate one (SP F7's weren't numbered that high).


----------



## LateStarter

_*FP7*..._
BTW, FP7's (P = 'Passenger') were distinctly longer by 4 feet or so... to allow for more steam generator room.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Re/Bloody Nose F7 pictured*_
The Genesis A-B set shown is rendered in rare _Gothic_ lettering... of which I'm a huge fan.
Diesels and rolling stock were both adorned with this font for a brief period in the 1950's before (to my dismay) being rejected.
I personally _much_ prefer the original SP Roman and this Gothic lettering over the 'Speed' Lettering motif.
The Gothic lettering appeared on Cotton Belt and T&NO equipment as well.


----------



## LateStarter

_*January 3:30 pm drop off*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*IHC Vista Dome*
Low quality but available.

Con-Cor also produced this car._
Any other view wouldn't be any more satisfying.
Sadly, most of the good manufacturers didn't offer the _Sunset Limited_ cars in this short-lived silver & red version, which was rapidly changed to the _Golden State_ scheme... Yeck.
Rapido's domed _Budd Car_ is superb, but (a.f.a.i.k.) not offered in SP paint.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Snapshots on a cold winter morning*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*My first "Whiskers"*_
(2 or 3 yrs ago).

RivetCounter GEVo.
Genesis SD75M.


----------



## Stumpy

__





NS Diesel Locomotive Roster - GE ET44AC Nos. 3600-3680






www.nsdash9.com


----------



## Akoustic

Thanks LateStarter and Stumpy. I model quite a few different road names but all in the 1950's - mid 1960's. That GE ET44AC is an absolute beauty and I'll post a picture of mine when I get it this Christmas. It'll only run solo on my layout and I will think of you guys when it does.


----------



## LateStarter

_*A mixed freight rolls through town*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*Spruce log shuttle*
From a recent HiLo harvest._

Wiseman kits, just assembled, and placed on the test track.
They come with Tichy archbars, which can be a miserable p.i.t.a. to assemble, but (knock on wood) they're rolling okay.
When one fails I'll replace them all with Accurail Andrews.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Athearn BB*
My favorite herald._


----------



## 65steam

Nice work! I've been working on adding some more rust to my freight cars, so this is both inspiration and guidance to me.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Old Walthers 'brown box'*
TrainLine equivalent?_

Modified...


----------



## LateStarter

_*More of my favorite herald*_
Accurails, (in two different motifs) ExactRail, and Tangent.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Two Sylvan kits*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*Sylvan '37 Hudson Terraplane*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*Morning mist in 'The Narrows' at HiLo*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*Scratching a timber bridge*_
Actually a copy of a Campbell kit.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Walthers Mainline*
With Walthers detail kit._

Grab-rails, underbody parts, etc.
A gift for my grandson.


----------



## LateStarter

In the train room by myself.
Tryin to keep occupied, to keep my mind off the significance of today's date.


----------



## Old_Hobo

LateStarter said:


> _*More of my favorite herald*_
> Accurails, (in two different motifs) ExactRail, and Tangent.
> View attachment 566146
> View attachment 566147
> View attachment 566148
> View attachment 566149
> View attachment 566150


LS, do you ever have an issue with the green of some NP cars? There must have been a “correct” colour for the green, but I have seen many shades on many cars from many manufacturers….


----------



## LateStarter

Old_Hobo said:


> LS, do you ever have an issue with the green of some NP cars? There must have been a “correct” colour for the green, but I have seen many shades on many cars from many manufacturers….


Yeah, there are a few greens like that.
_Pullman Green_ is another.
Some variations are enough to even be apparent in photographs.

But historically, 'NP Green' was substituted for brown in the mid 1960's, and changed a few times before the BN-like Cascade Green became standard.
Older and newer cars were on the rails together, and model manufacturers tried to copy the 'shade-of-the-month' as well as possible.
So depending on the build date, the prototype green cars could likely vary quite a bit. Thus the difference in the models as well.
I have two Accurail versions, (large & small herald) and they're different shades of green. I also have two large heralds that are slightly different shades... and sure enough -- the printed build dates are years apart.


----------



## Old_Hobo

And I imagine the sun had a play in the colour fading….although I don’t know if green fades as much as, say, red….


----------



## LateStarter

_*A stark example*_
In post #366, the ExactRail 50-footer and the Tangent Hi-Cube appear to be completely different greens... that's not merely a photographic nuance.


----------



## Stumpy

LateStarter said:


> In the train room by myself.
> Tryin to keep occupied, to keep my mind off the significance of today's date.


Spent a lot of the day out in the yard trying to do the same. At some point I realized it was better to think about it... and it's significance.


----------



## LateStarter

Stumpy said:


> At some point I realized it was better to think about it... and it's significance.


I spend most of the other 364 days doing that.


----------



## LateStarter

PARTLY BASHED TRUCK MODELS
_*Various manufacturers*_...
_CMW, Woodland Scenics, Sylvan, and Athearn._

Some pics taken a while back with the old cellphone... kinda dark and out of focus.

The CMW dump truck bed was removed, and remade of styrene with a tilt-out gate.
The green flatbed is a Sylvan kit with A-Line wheels.
The red flatbed and yellow/white stakebed are bashed CMW's.
The school bus is an old resin shell of uncertain origin... I just added a chassis and A-Line wheels.
The tan panel truck is a very old Athearn.
The City Trailways bus is an old Athearn treasure.
The red box-bed is WS.
The rig is a CMW trailer with a Sylvan Canonball cab.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Strata Palacio*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*Snapshots*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*Snapshots*
HiLo, near East Junction_


----------



## LateStarter

_*More chain link fence*_


----------



## LateStarter




----------



## LateStarter

_*12mm grass, and scrub on a slope*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*Staged diorama photos*
(in front of a backdrop).
Bachmann GG1... Rapido buses._

Train room lighting.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Weathered Accurail*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*Walthers #6 dbl crossover*
"Jerry-rigged"._

This essential part of _Birdstone Terminal_ was a constant source of trouble, until Jerry worked his magic with some modifications.
So far, after six days of more-or-less constant repeated use, it's been 100% reliable.
Happy days.






















As far as I know, the only commercial dbl xover that gets really good reviews is the Kato UniTrack... but it's only available in N scale.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Ancient history*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*Diesel sand tower*
Scratch/guess freelance.

Not all that great, but I couldn't find a nice kit I liked with a small enough footprint._
Razor-cut cardstock superstructure, soldered ladder, guards, & railing, and 'spagett-gumi' (rubber string).
The top 'vaccuum house' and storage bunker is part of a discarded plastic toy.
Don't ask me how it all works... I just took a guess on accuracy.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Graffiti on a wall*
A visual diversion._

Sentinel Street.
Something was needed to break up a 'blank look' space, which was irritatingly conspicuous.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Sheet metal fence*
Sections of Shapiro's 'security'.

Cardstock, basswood, and corrugated-formed tinfoil glued to cardstock._
Shapiro's had a few short sections like this... all rusty and dilapidated.
The tall vertical piece in the second photo isn't attached yet.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Cart before the horse*_
Just finished weathering these rails in Worlee.
I usually do it before ballasting, but I had a senior moment, and got priorities backwards.


----------



## LateStarter

_*SW's in tandem out of 'The Shute'*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*European vehicles*_
I have many European vehicles (both cars and trucks) on my layout (dozens)... Saab, Peugeot, Citroen, Mercedes, VW, Porsche, etc.
With all the superb models from companies like 87RPM, Norev, Brekina, NEO, and Schuco, there's no excuse (or reason) _NOT TO._
They blend just fine (era-for-era) with American vehicles, especially on crowded streets, and their use here by the mid 1950's was fairly common and widespread.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Motor brushes*_
I've had to replace several of these, especially in old Athearns.
The first sign of bad brushes is, IMO, a noticeable slowdown, or general poor run performance.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Staged photo*
P2K FA._


----------



## LateStarter

_*'Lampshade effect'*
Balsa vs basswood.

A lesson in interior lighting._
In post #397 above, exterior light can be seen bleeding through the balsa exterior wall, despite having been painted on the outside and 'washed' on the inside.
Balsa will absorb only 60% of light that basswood can, even if painted.
Keep that in mind when building structures you intend to illuminate from the _inside_.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Zoom Zoom*_
I visited some club freind's layouts in the past few months, and always ended up watching things roll.
At least 80% of the time, trains were running at break-neck toy-train speeds, and the mood was seriously soured for me.
I grew out of hyperspeed running when I was 13 or so... my dad was actually the one who tipped me off on it.
_"Scale speed, son... scale speed."_

Yet even in videos, I still see grown adults running trains at 80 mph around tight curves and through tunnels.
I always hit the back button immediately.


----------



## Gramps

Your post made me curious. If my numbers are correct (big if) a mile, 5,280 feet, in HO is almost 61 feet long. An HO train travelling at a scale 60mph would take a full minute to travel that distance. I think because of the selective compression needed for layouts that minute would make it seem like the train was crawling through the layout. Just my thoughts. .


----------



## LateStarter

Gramps said:


> Your post made me curious. If my numbers are correct (big if) a mile, 5,280 feet, in HO is almost 61 feet long. An HO train travelling at a scale 60mph would take a full minute to travel that distance. I think because of the selective compression needed for layouts that minute would make it seem like the train was crawling through the layout. Just my thoughts. .


No need to overthink it...
We're involved in a hobby that (as much as practical) represents a fairly high degree of _"realism"._
Running trains at department store toy-train speeds vs what looks like prototype, isn't usually debatable in veteran model railroad circles.
Given a choice between the two, I'm quite sure that the latter would be acceptable and desirable... while the former definitely wouldn't.
Personally I much prefer what looks _'real'_ over what looks obviously fake.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Unfinished trackwork*
Weathered & ballasted._

Pay no attention to the snaptrack section laying on the upper line.


----------



## Gramps

LateStarter said:


> No need to overthink it...
> We're involved in a hobby that (as much as practical) represents a fairly high degree of _"realism"._
> Running trains at department store toy-train speeds vs what looks like prototype, isn't usually debatable in veteran model railroad circles.
> Given a choice between the two, I'm quite sure that the latter would be acceptable and desirable... while the former definitely wouldn't.
> Personally I much prefer what looks _'real'_ over what looks obviously fake.


I'm not disagreeing with you. My point is simply a model railroad with continuous running of 60 feet is not going to be perceived as only one mile long. Again, selective compression is going to factor in to the level of "realism".


----------



## LateStarter

FWIW, I've had various electric issues with some Genesis and BLI locomotives.
Fortunately, Bernie is able to isolate and solve them.
MTH's DCS on the other hand, have been unsolvable for us. One would not even address no matter what we tried. All were returned for refund.
The most reliable and trouble-free to date have been Atlas and ScaleTrains.


----------



## Stumpy

Interesting. If you're standing beside the tracks and it takes a 40' box car one second to pass you then it's going 27 MPH (+/-).

Looking at some videos I've posted it appears I usually run trains about 25-35 scale MPH.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Maybe I'm just gettin lazy*_
I've decided that ballasting and track-weathering are no longer as much fun as they used to be. My back is growing weary of it.
Lots of ibuprofen lately.
This would be a good time in my life for a magic wand.


----------



## LateStarter

_*A Worlee swale bridge*
For a fueling spur._


----------



## LateStarter

_*Ancient history*
The early days._

I had invaluable help from club member _Spencer_.
Spencer is (except for a few recent college grads) the youngest club member -- in his mid 30's.
He's a former engineer for Stephen Lamb Associates... a layout design & building company in Massachusetts.
He helped design and build a few modular sections of my terrain.
Much of it wouldn't exist without his help. His modular framing skills saved the day.
He also trained Jerry to be an expert with static grass.


----------



## LateStarter

_*The last grade crossing on Rte 375*
Extending pavement to the edge of the World._


----------



## LateStarter

_*Bachmann EOTD*
Got washers?_


----------



## LateStarter

_*A Missou Bayou bridge*
(a drain-basin span)._

Spanning an overgrown swale trench, this scratchbuilt bridge was a lengthy project... actually still ongoing.
Rather than building up an elevation, the basin was carved out of several layers of sub-level foam... the trackwork is at ground level.


----------



## LateStarter

_*I like detailing stuff*
But I know my limitations._

I usually buy parts by Detail Associates, BLMA, or Cannon, but rarely from Details West.
I picked up this set for an SD45 I'm working on, because I couldn't find them by the other brands.
I was impressed because there's quite a few parts included.
The problem is, the instructions aren't clear or inclusive at all, and the dark photos aren't much help. Many of these parts are esoteric stuff, like air connections, valves, etc.
Gotta know your dieselology to use sets like this.


----------



## LateStarter




----------



## LateStarter

TRACK WEATHERING
_*A word to the wise*
(multi-thread post).

I prefer weathering track & ties before ballasting._
For those considering using an _isopropyl_ mix to glue-soak your ballast, consider this...
The isopropyl will likely ruin any track & tie weathering you've done beforehand.
Either do weathering AFTERWORDS, or use plain water with the customary drop or two of dish soap.
The downside of weathering after ballast, (as I've mistakenly done a few times) is you need to be extra fine with applying it... either by handbrush, marker, or airbrush. Unnecessary tedium.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Mud hog*
Log skidder._


----------



## LateStarter

_*Beech tree through a derelict*_
I've seen this a few times in real life... twice in the woods, and once behind an old factory.
I wanted to feature a sumac tree, but they're very difficult to replicate.
Beech trees usually grow slow, slight, and spindly, so I gave it my best impersonation.
It'll sit next to a shack in Worlee.
I suppose the car could be rotted mess, but I chose to let it resemble a car.















[Edit]:
The above title was inspired by the 1989 David Hayes album, "Logos Through a Sideman".


----------



## LateStarter

_*Concrete chunk*_
Foam; wire; paint.


----------



## LateStarter

Tested positive for C19... 2nd time.
Some discomfort, but built-in immunity is keeping me afloat.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Lookin' down the mainline*
Kinked and 'twerked' track never hurt anybody.
_
'Curmudgeon' Jerry hates when I do that.
But when he sees long trains running through them at regulated speed, he changes his attitude... very realistic.
6500k lighting.


----------



## LateStarter

There's a concrete phone booth in the above photo.
I don't have many, but they're very cool to place around the layout.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Door for a scratchbuilt shack*_








_[EDIT]:
*Weathered peeled paint method*:_
1.) Dab on rubber cement (randomly).
2.) Let cure.
3.) Paint... let dry.
4.) Peel or scratch off rubber cement.
5.) Seal with DullCote.
... white glue can also be used, but IMO takes longer to cure.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Unpainted Preisers*
Mostly 'drybrushed'._

Seated folks.


----------



## LateStarter

_*The Parkenhurst Complex*
There are five separate companies here, all squished into a very small footprint.

[Photo-illusion]... The rails in the foreground appear to be on a ground level paddock. They're actually embedded in an elevated concrete dock, under which run two drainage culverts._

This is the industrial complex we're short-cutting to with the curved compound crossover.
A tiny 'pre-fit' diorama for a corner of the layout, and it's _crammed_.
I've been working on it (on-and-off) for over a year, using mostly cheap leftover stuff.
Not much invested... maybe $45, plus the CMW cab & trailer.

A conglomeration of alley-way truck-docks. This is where side-door box-trailers come in handy.
The curved 15" radius dock-spur terminates on a short I-beam trestle-pier.

It's made with accumulated Walthers, Blair Line, and Rix parts, plus DPM-Modulars, and an _'unidentified'_ (*) wood kit.
The long brick structure on the right is merely a background flat... all DPM Modular pieces. Looks okay in photos, but the other side is an edge of the layout.

(*) _The foreground structure was built largely with the unidentified contents of a cellophane bagful of parts without the original box, and without instructions or signage... (Banta? B.T.S.? Bar Mills? JV?). No clues -- none stamped on parts or sprues. It took almost two months to assemble, and it's full of unavoidable errors._

The photo was taken before I remembered to attach A-Line mirrors to the CMW cab.

Not included here is foreground clutter... e.g., a static flatcar, stacked pallets & crates, shipping-receiving crew, Shapeways power-conveyors, and Wilking & Walthers forklifts.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Workin' on a "waterfall"*
(a Worlee swale terminus)._

As swales reach lower ground, they dump into open southern flats and the Missouri River... protecting northern city and urban areas from flooding.
During the heavy rain season, this would be a raging waterfall, but 95% of the time it'd be dry.
I applied some 'wet-look' medium to it, to serve as a visual witness.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Athearn Yellow Box*
Unassembled 'back in the day' stuff._

These kits have survived almost 45 years of ownership, three layouts, and six different houses, without being assembled.

Most of us are familiar with the Blue Box edition, but the _Yellow Box_ not so much... circa early 1950's.
The MSRP was printed on the box-ends, and back then it was in the $1.29/$1.49 range. Some were under a dollar.
But they were a curse...
#1, Yellow Box rolling stock came with metal (mostly brass) wheels, and sprung metal trucks.
#2, they literally rolled like a brick.
#3, they often 'cramp-lifted' and cocked, causing short circuits upon derailing, even when rolling along on perfect track.
... Wheels and axles weren't isolated, but the wheels were coated with a thin lacquer that quickly wore, causing shorts.
_But they were affordable!_

Of course all Blue or Yellow Box Athearns I assemble these days get TruckTuned Accurails and good metal wheelsets.


----------



## Murv2

My dad had that Pacemaker car.


----------



## LateStarter

My dad _BOUGHT_ me that car... and a few of the others.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Staged photo*
On a blank unfinished trackside area._

Parking lot is a square of plywood veneer.
Took many attempts to get it right.


----------



## Murv2

How did the road end up that color? Is it brick?


----------



## LateStarter

_*Shiny new*... *and grimy*
Athearn cab, Walthers can._


----------



## LateStarter

_*Genesis GP38-2*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*Truck pics*_


----------



## LateStarter

_*Table saw lashup*
Jarmac_.

I've made a mountain of sawdust with this setup.
I got it real cheap at a yard sale 2 years ago, and it's been in fairly constant use ever since.
It's a newer version, with a miter guide and adjustable rip fence... the old version was useless junk.
Uses _Dremel_ 4" blades.
It's evacuated by a 12-gallon _Rigid_ shop vac with a _Lowe's_ adaptor hose.
It's currently busy ripping corn-crate wood for future projects.
_(The teacher's desk was 'swiped' just before a local school demolition)._


----------



## vette-kid

A mini table saw?

Sent from my SM-G781U using Tapatalk


----------



## LateStarter

_*Fire train water tankers*
Bashed from BlueBox kits._


----------



## LateStarter

_*Double track bridgework*
For an unfinished section called "The Race".
Marklin, Walthers, Atlas.
_
Primed, painted, ready to weather.
These are for a river, a swampy flood wash, and a 'swale jump' (Atlas plate).


----------



## LateStarter

_*Russell plow*
SPMW-4049

Made this back in the day, when I tended to settle for mediocre..._
But I still like it, and it's still part of my MW train.
This was bashed with kit-parts from various manufacturers, basswood & styrene parts, a caboose section, and some commercial plastic detail parts.
I'm admittedly ignorant about plow nomenclature... all I did was go with what I observed now and then (in other words, it's pretty much totally freelanced).
All I knew for sure, was that I wanted it to replicate a Russell type, and not a wedge or Bucker.
The number 4049 has no significance, other than it was one of several consecutive number sequences on a decal sheet (made it easy to apply).
It's painted and weathered to more or less replicate what the Shasta Division's Daylight MW-Orange cars all looked like after a few weeks of use... almost a filthy tan.
I never did mount a front coupler, but then again, I've seen a few museum pieces with locomotive-type 'fold-backs' or 'crank-ins'.
And yes I know, the rear cab ladder looks horrendous.


----------



## LateStarter

_*The Birdstone queue*
Some of the usual suspects._


----------



## LateStarter

_*BlueBox fantasy issues... College sports*_
IIRC, there were 23 of these issued over the years.
I only have nine.


----------



## LateStarter

_*Facebook post*
Not sure if it's legit._


----------



## LateStarter

_*Building a long Howe deck-truss*
(scratch)._

Random (haphazard) spacing.
It'll be piered at 30% from each end.
It's long, because it'll go diagonally over a swale.


----------



## Stumpy

LateStarter said:


> _*Facebook post*
> Not sure if it's legit._
> View attachment 570441


I'm guessing it is given the lack of effort/attention they give to their web presence & FB page.


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## LateStarter

_*There seems to be a trend*
Toward 'modern' equipment._

Steam and Transition-era items seem to be fading from the shelves, and from advertisements and promos.
Maybe it's me, but I haven't seen many new '50's era Alcos hit the market in four or five years.
Tons of modern covered hoppers, auroracks, coil cars, diesels, and passenger cars though.
I realize that it all runs in cycles, and that late 19th Century and '40's & '50's stuff will make a comeback, but I hope it hurries.


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## LateStarter

_*Club update*
All but disbanded, due to the following:_

From 10/20 to date...
1.) Riots, burning, looting, shootings.
2.) Police walkoffs.
3.) Covid.
4.) Rampant lawlessness.
5.) Vandalism to member's cars.
6.) Covid regulations & mandates.
7.) 30% insurance premium increase.
8.) Waning member enthusiasm.

All-in-all, the reason I've had so much free time to get my layout functioning and do models, is that I haven't been as involved in club activities since October 2020.
I've cleared my stuff out of my vault-space there, and brought it all home.
There hasn't been a session or even a meeting in several months.


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## MichaelE

I could never belong to a club as an active participating member. I like to work on my own layout and run my own trains too much to devote time to a 'community' layout. As a bonus, I make all of the decisions and there isn't any consensus on a decision.

I would sooner have and run a smaller layout than have to share a warehouse size layout with a group of people.


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## OilValleyRy

Sounds like maybe the round-robin arrangement will be better until those “peaceful” protesters go back to being employed. That’s not Portland OR is it? I might know a feller in that club if so.


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## LateStarter

No... N.C.


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## LateStarter

Now we're hearing of more riots, after the Kenosha verdict.


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## LateStarter

_*Abandoned coal tipple scatter*_


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## LateStarter

_*The Jack Bryce Memorial Bridge*
Walthers kit._


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## LateStarter

_*Pipe dreams*_
Truth be told, my dream layout as a teenager was to have a colossal 1920's era four-industry theme, with a John Allen flair...
1.) Timber/Logging/Sawmill.
2.) Coal mine.
3.) Iron ore mine.
4.) Steel mill.

Locomotives would be 0-4-0T's, ('Lil' Joes) a couple Consolidations, plus Heislers, Climax, and Shays.
Several Campbell trestles would adorn a mountainous countryside, and rivers & streams would be everywhere... Very ambitious.

It all fell apart when I got a PFM/United Shay and Climax, and for one reason or another neither would run very well.
Warrantees back then were either non-existent or impossible to process, so they were traded away.

Fast-forward 15 years, and my still undaunted affinity for Southwestern terrain settled me on Southern Pacific liveries, in co-op with Cotton Belt and Frisco.
Eventually, my issues and misunderstandings with driver quartering (after disassembly & repair) led me into the diesel era.
So here I am, with a 6'x11' transition era layout, and a _steel mill_.
One out of four ain't bad I guess.


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## LateStarter

_*Retaining wall at Falcon's Nest*_


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