Sputtering along, 10 x 3 layout scenery

Stephane Savard Jun 4, 2022

  1. MK

    MK TrainBoard Member

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    Look at Jacksonville Terminal containers. Most are low $20 for two for the 40 footers. The older ones that don't move well often go on sale for around $16 for two.
     
  2. Stephane Savard

    Stephane Savard TrainBoard Member

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    The problem is that you end up with all of the same branding. But those white CSX containers should be super easy to make decals using any inkjet printer.

    I saw on eBay there's a guy that sells container decals. The best part is it's all "roadnames" I see in Quebec, including Maritime-Ontario, Armour and TransX. A bit pricy for decals, where one sheet plus one generic "data sheet" is about 40$ CAD, but this can make what looks to be a dozen containers. Before I buy any decals though, I'll see how far I can go with my inkjet printer. I can do pretty much anything that doesn't involve white text.
     
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  3. MK

    MK TrainBoard Member

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    I find other club members who are into intermodals and we trade. Also with members of other clubs that I often see at train shows where we run.

    "Hey, wanna swap?" :)
     
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  4. Stephane Savard

    Stephane Savard TrainBoard Member

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    I finished installing the rail for the new Logistics company I wanted on my layout...

    IMG_20220805_211705633_HDR.JPG

    I can fit exactly two five-unit cars into the stub-ended track, so I'm pretty happy about that. I would have liked it if I could have fit two locomotives at the head of this train, but I can't complain, two weeks ago I didn't think it possible to put any intermodal on my layout!

    Bonus too, the ES44AC is able to pull the 10 units up the hill! I suppose it helps that there are fewer trucks to cause friction. If I try to run 10 boxcars up that hill, there's usually lots of wheel slip and then a stall.

    Anyway, I'll need to change the road and parking lot leading up to the yard, I'm going to fill in the patches of bare styrofoam with cork to pave the entire area. It's gonna be real tight, but I'll make it work.

    I also made my first ever order to Plaza Japan store...

    IMG_20220809_082335883_HDR.JPG

    Got some of these Kato forklifts and the Container top lifter. Wow is that top lifter big! I dunno, but I was expecting a much smaller vehicle. same with the forklifts, for some reason I expected these to be so much smaller, but I think they represent a one of those really big forklift models, not the tiny ones we see in Home Depot.

    And I couldn't resist, I got one of these...

    IMG_20220809_082401331.JPG

    So this is 1/150 scale, but no one's ever going to notice. The trucks and backhoes all have the little rail wheels that MOW vehicles have. And yeah, I think these can pass for North American. I just really like the look of these little trucks and will have to place them somewhere in a track repair scene.

    And finally, what am I doing now?

    Containers!

    container_40_standard.png

    I just finished modeling the first container, a 40 foot standard height container. Well, almost finished. The exterior of the box is done, now I have to hollow the model and model the floor plate and magnet pockets (I bought some 5mm x 1.5mm magnets). I'll do the test prints until it all works, and then look to remodel this to 20', 40' high-cube and 48' high cube.
     
  5. in2tech

    in2tech TrainBoard Member

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    @Stephane Savard really nice, and it is amazing how organized and clean you keep your layout :) I know when you are working on it probably doesn't look that way, but you clean it up nicely :) They also sell keychains that are about 1/150 too for about 3-5 bucks a piece. They work really well and cheap too. Looking forward to another update in the future?
     
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  6. Stephane Savard

    Stephane Savard TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks in2tech! I've not seen these keychains, would be curious to know more though! On another note, turns out the Kato forklifts and high lift are also both 1/150 scale. I used Google translate with my mobile phone to translate the Japanese to English. It's amazing what this can do, you look at the packaging through the mobile phone camera, and it replaces the Japanese text with English labels, super convenient!

    Screenshot_20220809-131343.png

    As for the layout organization, well, I hate working through messes. I tend to clean up constantly :)
     
  7. Stephane Savard

    Stephane Savard TrainBoard Member

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    I'm back at working on the layout! Took quite a few side projects, ran trains, etc. You know, the usual that meant I was getting absolutely nothing done on the layout.

    One of my favourite side projects was adding a LokSound decoder to an undecorated Kato RDC I bought well over a year ago on ebay, then painted it in VIA rail colours. So I'm fairly sure VIA never had any phase 1 RDCs, but I don't care, I like it, and it's one of my favourite engines in my collection now!

    IMG_20230101_104209519_HDR.JPG

    I also finished all of my containers for my intermodal siding I shoehorned right into the layout, honestly that took way much longer than I thought it would, and by the end I was sick of containers. Just too many decals and stuff, but in the end, I'm very happy with the results...

    IMG_20221213_184732084_HDR.JPG



    So, that out of the way, what am I doing? well, I really want to finish the whole "sculptamolding" process of the layout! So that's where I am, just covering all that foam with sculptamold!

    IMG_20230122_110417892_HDR.JPG
    But wait! why is the new sculptamold grey!? Ah-ha! that's because it's not Sculptamold (tm and whatever :D)

    I came across a recipe for making homemade sculptamold, easily and cheaply! None of that hard work of ripping toilet paper into tiny bits either, it's actually made of only two ingredients that will produce an awful lot of this compound, cellulose insulation and drywall compound.

    IMG_20230121_210001605_HDR.JPG

    Yeah, I've got "sculptamold" forever now, I don't know how I'm ever going to go through that entire bag :eek:

    So first things first, I didn't come up with the recipe, I found it on the facebook page of Jason Shron (president of Rapido trains I think), and he called it "Ronamold" since he bought the ingredients from Rona, a chain of hardware stores in Canada. I have trouble linking directly to the facebook post, because facebook is just that annoying, but if you google "Jason ronamold" it'll get you right there.

    So the Cellulose insulation is basically recycled paper (newsprint?) that's been shredded to an inch of it's life...

    IMG_20230121_210015954_HDR.JPG

    And I mix it about five parts cellulose to two parts Durabond 90 by volume.

    IMG_20230121_210048617.JPG

    I have an big bucket, and I just started by taking a measuring cup, and dumped ten measures of the fluffy stuff into the bucket, then went outside and with my hands I shredded it at much as I could (it's compressed in the bag). Then four measures of the Durabond, put the lid on, and shook it up real good...

    IMG_20230121_210122245.JPG

    And finally, I add a good handful to a silicone dog bowl I use for mixing plaster and add water. Hmm, actually I add a bit more Durabond here, about 1/4 cup more to the dogbowl, because it looked too "papery". Maybe 5:2 is the wrong ratio, but you know, it's real easy to adjust once wet by adding more Durabond. The ratio may also just get different as I reach the bottom of the bucket.

    IMG_20230122_101229189.JPG
    So is it like Sculptmold? Not quite. The real stuff has much finer fibers, and dries quicker too. You have a reaaaally long working time with this stuff. It's also much harder to the touch after (you know how plaster of paris always feels soft? That's sort of the feeling of sculptamod, and this feels more like cement). The colour is very much different. I was going to stain the sculptamold with diluted paints, but now I think I'll have to go opaque and drybrush, I'll see when I get there. But in terms of application, it works almost the same, I apply it with the tongue depressor, and my fingers, just shaping it to how I want it.

    IMG_20230122_105628556.JPG
    Up above is a close-up, the white stuff in genuine Sculptamold, and bottom is dried "Ronamold" on the right, and wet on the right.

    Anyway, I was really tired of the cost of Sculptamold, so you know, this it really super cheap, in Canadian prices, 30$ for 15 kg on Durabind 90, and 15$ for the 24 lbs (!!!) bag of insulation. So for 45$, I have enough to several layouts!
     
  8. OC Engineer JD

    OC Engineer JD Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Looking awesome!
     
  9. sidney

    sidney TrainBoard Member

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    so basicaly put some news paper in a blender and turn that suker on . Then get some plaster and mix it up good.... :D
     
  10. HemiAdda2d

    HemiAdda2d Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Great progress so far! Love the scenery forms.

    One note: consider not hemming yourself into equipment restrictions. If a double hi-cube stack will not clear, consider raising the portals some more. Alternatively, you could notch the portals to clear, just like the prototype does. In the future, you may want to be able to run different equipment that may not interest you now. By accommodating those extra clearances now, even visiting equipment can run. Just food for thought.
     
  11. Stephane Savard

    Stephane Savard TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks all! I'm enjoying the messy build-up of terrain, and slowly making the foam disappear!

    I'm not sure how that would work, maybe it would? But then... where would I get the newspapers? Do those still exist?! :LOL:

    Well, currently, the portals are raised just enough that I can run a double-stack of a standard container with a high-cube. If I stack two high cubes, only one tunnel fails to clear, and I was looking at it, thinking that a little notch in the portal would just allow it to pass (raising the portal is out of the question, it's embedded in sculptmold already). What I didn't know is that prototype railroads did that! That's rather cool, I'll have to try and find a picture and replicate it on my layout for that one tunnel portal. Thanks for that tidbit, learn something every day!
     
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  12. NtheBasement

    NtheBasement TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks for the info on the home-made Sculptamold. Some comments.

    The 90 in Durabond 90 is how long it takes to start setting up. The 45 or 20 might better match the characteristics of sculptamold.

    Having gone thru most of a 50 lb bag ($65 back in the day from Dick Blick, $111 today) I've always thought there might be an additional ingredient, some kind of powdered PVA glue (Elmer's is PVA) that keeps it together after it reaches the modeling clay stage when the plaster starts to set up. If you work it at this point, does it stick together or crumble? The PVA may also create a kind of impervious skin when it finally dries. I don't like the skin, it prevents washes from soaking in like they do so beautifully with plain Durabond.

    I like @sidney's suggestion about the blender.
     
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  13. HemiAdda2d

    HemiAdda2d Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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  14. Stephane Savard

    Stephane Savard TrainBoard Member

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    A rather repetitive post for today... more hills and cliffs and whatever... just covering the foam!

    Seems I'm spending a lot of my time taxi'ing daughters around to sports training, school stuff and to friends, so it was a bit more difficult to find time to continue the build. Plus, lots of waiting for the stuff to dry, so I guess this is just a few progress pictures.

    First is from the right end of the table looking left (west? sure, why not :) ). I really do think I like the coarser texture of the fake sculptamold over the real stuff. I don't know yet how it will look painted, I didn't bother testing, just winging it really!

    IMG_20230205_111942222_HDR.JPG


    Then a closeup of the two tunnel portals behind the curved bridge. Actually I did end up adding a tiny bit more track, just at the end of the yard lead. I had noticed that when I pulled a string of cars out of my top yard track, it was a really tight fit for the switcher, the two or so inches of track I added is going to help with that.

    IMG_20230205_111822820.JPG

    And the bank of the river on the outside. I'm not going to do the inside bank and the industrial area just yet. The reason being is that I don't know how it's going to look in there yet. I mean I'm going to have three industries up there, but I only have a rough idea of the arrangement. In the picture below, this is the track leading to the mine. For this I have a Walther's Diamond Coal kit that I'm going to kit bash into some sort of Nickel mine (don't go looking for realism, you won't find it except accidentally :) ). Then a scratch built chemical plant and some other factory to the right of the below picture. The tracks are laid, but I only have a general idea of building footprints, roads and parking lots. I want to create placeholder buildings and stuff, and once happy with that, then I'll mold the area and cover that foam up.

    IMG_20230205_111801584_HDR.JPG

    I'm also a bit unsure how to deal with the bottom of the river. I suppose I should try to make it flat? Maybe I make some really soupy plaster and let it settle on the bottom? Or should I just apply fine sand/dirt/pebbles/rocks, let it be lumpy, and then pour clear resin over it all for the water?
     
  15. HemiAdda2d

    HemiAdda2d Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Nice works so far! As for the river, how rough do you want the water to be? A gentle stream or class V rapids? A resin pour will yield a smooth river, pond or gentle creek, while other products, such as Woodland Scenics Easy Water and Water Effects will give a rougher river. It all depends on what you want to do. Think about the prototype/real world. If your water course is dropping appreciably over short distances, the water will be faster, and swift water is rougher. If it is dropping very little in elevation, water will be smoother in appearance.
     
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  16. Stephane Savard

    Stephane Savard TrainBoard Member

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    Well, there's a waterfall from upper level to lower, so it's got to be fast moving. But I don't think there's going to be much white river rafting. The question was more about how to prepare the river bottom before adding resin and ripples/water effects on top.
     
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  17. Sumner

    Sumner TrainBoard Member

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    No actual water experience myself but really like how....



    .... Luke explains what he is doing and you can go to his videos ( HERE ) and see more options. You've come a long ways and it looks good to me,

    Sumner
     
  18. Stephane Savard

    Stephane Savard TrainBoard Member

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    Heh, I've seen every Luke Towan video, some of them more than once!
     
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  19. Stephane Savard

    Stephane Savard TrainBoard Member

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    10 months later... I'm not really any good at this update thing huh? Well, turns out that I'm a really slow builder, everything takes me absolutely forever to complete (the mine was probably three months!)

    So let's see, what have I been doing?

    Well, there was all of summer, so summer things happened. I built myself a whole new workshop desk, and then a laser cutter box, and had some fun with that...

    IMG_20230605_183242143.JPG

    Then I painted all of my track!

    IMG_20231014_115212176_HDR.JPG

    I did it in two days, and man, the basement smelled of rattle can paint for a few days after that. I initially tried to use old newspapers to protect the track, but from the hardware store I bought really thin plastic for covering stuff while painting, drop sheets I think these are called? wow, super easy to cut up in long strips and then protect everything except track!

    I was also a bit sick of scenery work after all the sculptamold, so I decided to build the mine!

    The base kit is the Walther's Diamond River Mine or some such, I can't quite remember the name or feel like googling. But I wanted to make some additions for my Zinc mine. Experts in zinc mining please look away now, realism has taken a vacation and fun is leading the team with a little input from barely plausible!

    IMG_20230826_182450844_HDR.JPG

    IMG_20230826_182430041_HDR.JPG

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    So what I wanted is the base mine, and then add some concentrator tanks and a big hoist tower or something. Oh, and a little office building. The original mine kit had a little tower for a slack bin? Whatever it was, it turned into part of the concentrators. I also updated the doors on the building to make them more modern. There's a lot more detailing to do, but that will be for later, much later. For now, it's glued onto the table.

    I do have a lot more pictures of the building process, let me know if you're really interested in seeing a lot of the build pictures!

    IMG_20231208_130301374_HDR.JPG

    Here's where I'm at now! The mine is in place, and you can see why the concentrator tanks are weirdly spaced LOL. I just couldn't part with the rail for the office building (it's where I park the switcher), so I made the track go between the tanks. There's no berms around those tanks, and the river runs RIGHT by it. ha, I'm going to lean into that and maybe put some leakage into the river :D

    I also had fun making very quick temporary buildings with my laser cutter. Those are the correct footprints for the buildings, so I could unfreeze myself and start working on the parking lots and roads. The chemical plant is loosely based on the Walther's HO chemical dealer kit, and the heavy construction equipment manufacturer on a Pikestuff kit. Eventually I will 3D print the buildings myself.

    The roads on the upper level are done, now I need to pave the yard in the background, and finish the sculptamold. Now that the roads/lots are in place, the final sculptamold can be done.
     
  20. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    At least you didn't have to butcher the portal with notches like NS did on the former N&W main. :(

    [​IMG]
     

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