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Hey Gang,

 

Layout Change #: Lost track and quit counting...

 

Soooooooo, I've redesigned the layout once again. This time to incorporate a second mainline to run more than one train. (The nieces and nephews will be happy about that.) The layout is a little simpler and I will be focused on mastering scenery techniques to use on a future endeavor. The vignettes will be based on photos that I've saved up over the years.

 

cswvoh

 

 

I'm waiting for the last pieces of track to arrive. Once here, the electrical work will begin. I'll get some pictures posted when that's all done. For now, the layout is a mess with all the little projects I'm working on.

 

Speaking of projects, I sat down tonight and weathered one of the turnouts that will be on the layout. I used grimy black to paint the rails, and then weathered with AIM brown rust. I'm mixed about the results. Under the train room lighting, the rust looks a little dark. I have a lighter shade of rust I might try.

 

IMG_0168

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Last edited by ChessieFan72
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It looks real nice in application. Maybe a touch heavy, but I'm guessing dark grimy weathering colors are still ahead to break the heavy look.

It looks, or (will look) "damp" or like a base for "very greasy". Like its been very humid, and/or the track spends a lot of time in the shade.

Would the terrain near it justify darker colors? 

 

I'm wanting to see some weather grime, grease, terrain etc too. That would make it even darker, but would I would add some lighter edge highlights (drier areas) both before, and during wreathing/grime.

The older roadbeds and track,  I encountered  growing up, had tons of black steaks. The very center was often tar black between the rail less so moving to the edges but very dark again near each side of the rails, and again the outside of the rails. They had very heavy rust, and close to the above look in the shade, but no grease & oil on yours.  

 

 

Originally Posted by Adriatic:

It looks, or (will look) "damp" or like a base for "very greasy". Like its been very humid, and/or the track spends a lot of time in the shade.

Would the terrain near it justify darker colors? 

 

Adriatic,

 

Thanks for the input! This particular turnout will be near a mountain, so I could get away with the look as you suggested. Also, the lighting in the train room makes things look a little darker. The turnout will be close to the Great Bend Tunnel area, and as I can recall, is on a grade. From the pictures I have, the grimy black is a good base. I need to work on the rust in compilation with the room lighting to get nice looking track.

I liked it better dark personally. Its a bit too bright orange on camera. But the splotchy color bleeds, are giving it life, and this looks like a good highlight/layer color.

 Once grime is on it, you may be in business. Some "bleeding rust achieves this tone too, where lots of water exists, and puddles, then dries slow & no grease, or oil exists. Best examples would be neglected ship/barge hulls. Also around, and bleeding from the cracks, of heavily flaking, high iron metal. Look at the base connection bolts on a very old pole mounted business signs. I think you'll see it too.

Originally Posted by Adriatic:

I liked it better dark personally. Its a bit too bright orange on camera. But the splotchy color bleeds, are giving it life...

 

As soon as I began applying the powder, I pulled out my sunglasses. Rarely have I seen track with rust this bright, but I continued with this weathering session to get the splotchy nuance you commented on. Nothing a little water and plastic bristle brush won't fix  . I'll be making a trip to buy a couple more shades of weathering powder Saturday and will be experimenting with straight and mixed shades.

On to the meat and bones to provide some insight into what's happening on the layout (And to provide a break from weathering at the moment.) It's a figure 8 inside of a loop. The two mainlines are connected via an interchange track, which will alternate as a storage for trains. On the figure 8, there is a stretch of track that will serve for reversing train direction and train storage. The picture below is labeled to represent where certain items or vignettes will go.

 

 

layout

 

 

This is a picture of the B.T.S. MD Cabin I will be building. This will be overlooking the interchange track.

 

btsrr_md_cabin

 

Here is a picture of Great Bend tunnel.

 

great_bend_tunnel_photographer_nutmeggins_panoramio_com

 

 

I need to look into this tunnel in Gladys, WV. It looks like a P.R.R. tunnel, which would rule it out for this layout, but makes a great subject for future consideration.

 

glady_wv_waymarking_com

 

I need to get out and take some pictures before the trees and underbrush sprout and obscure the tracks and rock facing, but this is from Veterans Park here in my hometown. This is probably the earliest that I can recall of real trains rolling through this town.

 

ioryspringfield

 

 

This will be the greatest test of my budding modeling skill: Merchants Row in Thurmond, WV. The tracks are literally feet from the front doors. I'll be attempting a false front scene on my layout that will stretch from the bank (red brick building on the left) to the post office (out of picture to the right.) All three of these pictures are great for studying.

 

 

thurmond_wv_shredworldfiles_wordpress

 

This is a look down Merchants Row. I like the advertising on the side of the building

 

thurmond_wv_brucetrainaday_blogspot

 

The little grey building by the grade crossing is/was the Thurmond post office. I've only been able to find the C&O cantilever signal bridge in HO. Looks like it'll be a scratch build. The coaling tower in the background would make another nice addition to the layout, but there is not enough room for it.

 

thurmond_wv_railpictures_net_postoffice_gradecrossing

 

The last of the track arrived last night. I'll do the final assembly of the track and post some pictures. Wait until you guys see how I widened the layout to make room for the new track plan, lol!

 

I'm still working on my wiring schematic. At this point, I'm on the fence on whether to add block control for the conventional side. My side, TMCC, is simple, lol. The only time conventional will be used is when little visitors come to play on the layout.

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  • thurmond_wv_brucetrainaday_blogspot
  • thurmond_wv_railpictures_net_postoffice_gradecrossing
  • thurmond_wv_shredworldfiles_wordpress

How big is the layout above?

I think a small text graphic of the measurements along the baseboards would be a nice addition to the 3D view in SCARM. Even just the max length/width in the far corner would quickly answer the math problem we do haphazardly in our heads each time, guessing at the size of the curve-to-base with visual estimates...after zooming to read the curves sizes...if we bother to, or can see them.

 

PS- Did you see the Wheather to weather thread? A girder bridge in it, had some very large patches, of very orangey, orange rust "growing" on it that you may want to look at. 

Originally Posted by Adriatic:

How big is the layout above?

 

PS- Did you see the Wheather to weather thread? A girder bridge in it, had some very large patches, of very orangey, orange rust "growing" on it that you may want to look at. 

 

The layout is 4 1/2 ft. by 11 ft. The track I am using is AtlasO. The inner mainline uses O-36 exclusively. The outer mainline uses O-45 in the exposed area of the layout. Underneath the tunnel, I use O-36. This allows me some extra room to build around the tunnel area that I wouldn't have if I used O-45. I sliced out the middle of the layout for more clarity. 

 

layoutslice

 

I did see the bridge you mentioned. As I'm not settled on the rust color yet, I'm heading out to the local railroad tracks to get some pictures this weekend.

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  • layoutslice

Sometimes its best to give it a day, or two, to grow on you! Time away gives a fresher perspective to notice what you do, and don't like about things.

Why not throw a black wash on to see how it looks toned down some? It may only be missing black on top.

 I've seen that photo with the hillside drive before. I want to turn right, and climb it want too fast. It reminds me of the approach to a favorite hill in the Grand Theft Auto-V game...hey there are commuter and freight trains in it.   

 Beautiful country.    

      

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