First layout finally

EugeneS Feb 8, 2020

  1. EugeneS

    EugeneS TrainBoard Member

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    I did a little more the past couple evenings when I had a chance. I'm happy with how the ground goop is working out. It is thick in a couple spots but it is drying well with no shrinking or cracking.
    Logging loco, Your welcome:) Never to old to learn something new. I'm still not sure how to do that on my phone. I still have to use the computer.
    After some more thinking and looking at your ideas I think I'll go this route. I'll reroute the road the add a small gravel service road at the end. The stream will come off the mountain out of a fissure in the rocks. We have a place like that near where I live, It's called the lost river. It's a very strong spring that come right out of the rocks, it's pretty impressive, no one knows where the water is coming from. I'm going to attempt to model that. We'll see how that goes.
    You guys are being helpful! (y) My brain doesn't work as well as I wish. I've suffered with CFS for a couple years. I'm better than I was and this hobby has been good for that. I have to take life at a slower pace while I work on recovery. DSCN9569.JPG DSCN9510.JPG
     
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  2. BigJake

    BigJake TrainBoard Member

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    That could be a good look. The split hills on the extended mountain would have been formed as rivers/creeks change course as a result of one or more abnormal, torrential floods in the distant past. The creek later settled into the (now) lowlands it carved as it moved back and forth across the land over time.

    My grandparents, and later my parents, retired on an old farm in the Ozarks in NW Arkansas. My parents' house stood on top of a bluff that overlooked War Eagle creek. On the other side of the creek was bottom land/pasture, including a low swale across the middle of it that was normally dry. When the creek floods, it jumps into that swale and creates a temporary island until the creek subsides back into its banks (usually not more than a day). If it floods high enough, the whole island is submerged, and my parents had temporary lakeside property! Once upon a time in the distant past, a major flood carved that swale, and then eventually settled back into the main creek bed that cut the 40' bluff upon which their house stood.

    Further downstream, the same creek cut a 90' bluff out of the opposite bank. My grandparents' house stood on the brow a gentle hill facing the latter bluff, back a couple hundred yards from the creek. In between the bluffs on opposite sides, is an old low-water crossing with gently sloping approaches from either side.

    Remember, bluffs or steep banks are on the outside of river/creek bends, while bottoms and gentle slopes are on the inside of bends. In an S-bend of a river or creek, bluffs and bottoms will swap sides in the middle of the S.

    For more land area for a farm, you could have the creek bend toward the mountain, up against the base of a steep bluff (the edge of the mountain) overlooking the farm.
     
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  3. EugeneS

    EugeneS TrainBoard Member

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    I finished with the top of the mountain with the ground goop and I started casting some outcropping rocks to put on after it dries. I found some good info on hiding the line with a combo of rock tress I also got the rough direction of the creek going, then comes rocks and fine detail. I also tried my hand and made my own bridge abutments. Don't look too hard, they aren't perfect, the design and construction crews were a little green. DSCN9628.JPG DSCN9641.JPG
     
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  4. logging loco

    logging loco TrainBoard Supporter

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    That's looking great. The goop makes the hill contours flow.. Much more realistic.
     
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  5. BigJake

    BigJake TrainBoard Member

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    Lookin' good!
     
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  6. EugeneS

    EugeneS TrainBoard Member

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    More fun and goodness on the layout. Cast and painted the rock faces. I still want to put some boulders on the mountain yet. There are a couple spots and gaps that are driving me nuts. I'll have to figure out how to blend or fill it in. And it just occurred to me that those gaps can have some shrubs that like to grow out of rocks, at least that's one option. I am having a terrible time now with the hydrocal. My first two batches turned out well, they dried quickly and were nice and hard. The rest of the batches I made turned out terrible. I'd let them in overnight and the next day they were firm but felt damp to the touch and were fairly weak. I also for they were very porous, Like a lot of air trapped it the castings. I'm not sure what has gone wrong, and now I'm tempted to try plan ol' plaster of paris. Some of these pics the flash kinda whitened things out a bit. Next up I think I'll be working on the creek. :unsure: Wish me luck! DSCN9700.JPG DSCN9704.JPG DSCN9705.JPG DSCN9706.JPG
     
  7. EugeneS

    EugeneS TrainBoard Member

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    Well after a lot of experimenting with consistency, researching, and trying to get it right, I'm pretty sure my hydrocal has gone bad, too much moisture in the powder. After I mix it no matter what I do it never seems to "go off" and get warm. I even took the castings and put them in the oven at 350 for an hour, they dried out well but were still crumbly and broke easily. I left it in the carton container the hydrocal came in. I'm going to order more and this time I'm going to put it in an airtight container. What your experience with it?
     
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  8. EugeneS

    EugeneS TrainBoard Member

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    Success today. Instead of hydrocal I ordered some utralcal-30 to try. That worked. It got nice and hot when it set and after an hour or so I popped them out nice and hard like they should be. Point being any moisture that gets into hydrocal its pretty much done for. Ultracal-30 has a kinda brownish grey color when cured, I'm going to need to nee to try some colors to help blend them in so they don't look too out of place. DSCN9796.JPG DSCN9798.JPG
     
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  9. logging loco

    logging loco TrainBoard Supporter

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    Thanks for the update. Looking forward to more.

    Ive done the following with other types of plaster but not Hydracal

    Use non zip lock bags. Twist bag down tight to powder to get out as much air as possible. Fold over into a gooseneck and tie tight.

    place in second bag and repeat. Put in box or container to protect bag.
     
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  10. Chops

    Chops TrainBoard Member

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    Pretty fancy foot work, there. Keep it coming!
     
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  11. EugeneS

    EugeneS TrainBoard Member

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    I charged right in and started on the cascade part of the mountain. It's a jigsaw puzzle of getting rocks in there. I have to study pictures and other folks work then it finally clicks in my head once I get started. The weather has gotten really nice here and the outdoor projects tend to call my name for the next couple months. I'll usually get 1 or 2 hours worth of time working on it here and there till the weather gets cold. DSCN9862.JPG DSCN9863.JPG
     
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  12. logging loco

    logging loco TrainBoard Supporter

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    Looking good. That will all blend in nicely.
    The area you are modeling this after being wet, I bet it is nice and green.
     
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  13. sidney

    sidney TrainBoard Member

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    nice thanks for update .
     
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  14. EugeneS

    EugeneS TrainBoard Member

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    I haven't over the past week to work on it much. My second dcc locomotive arrived and my son and I were enjoying running trains and working out any bugs that are in the track and running all possible scenarios. The trains ran well for the most parts some stuttering in a couple places. A couple dead spots showed up when the turnouts were switched. I then found out that I made a big booboo in My wiring idea. I used a dozen or so kato three way splitters to connect the track feeders, I figured it would be easy and fool proof. HAH! Nope! I found out that it was leaving me some dead spots and weak areas. I guess my project for this week is to rewire the whole thing and do it right. Lesson learned:rolleyes: I bought those splitters for nothing. I'll post some pics when I'm finished.
     
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  15. logging loco

    logging loco TrainBoard Supporter

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    That's what it's all about!
    Involving you're son in the hobby must make it even more enjoyable for you.

    Welcome to the club!!
    We've all done that in one way or another!
     
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  16. Martin Station

    Martin Station TrainBoard Member

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    Really look good! I'm enjoying following along.
    Ralph
     
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  17. EugeneS

    EugeneS TrainBoard Member

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    I got my wiring much better now. Here is the mess that I had to start with. It honestly, probably didn't work so well. DSCN0045.JPG
    A much more neat and organized wiring. I used 14 gauge wiring for the bus and the soldered the feeders into the bus line. I started out with using the suitcase connectors but changed my mind and solder them in instead, the best connection.
    DSCN0101.JPG
    DSCN0001.JPG
    This was a much simpler way of doing this. Why I didn't do this to begin with I don't know. I'll chalk that up to brainfog. The layout runs well now except for one of my locos, namely the broadway limited sd40-2 that doesn't like turnouts too well. Its back to scenery now.
     
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  18. Ezequiel

    Ezequiel TrainBoard Member

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    I've been following this build for a while. It is looking really good. Looking forward to seeing more of it.
     
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  19. sams

    sams TrainBoard Member

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    Just noticed this thread!! Looking good and very surprised and impressed with the material to make the mountains and terrain. Can't wait to see what it looks like all put together. and ya ... wires... Don't feel bad hahaa I still have a mess I need to clean up myself. I think god just intended them to be messy so that's why we hide them lol

    Best thing on soldering. I would solder the wood if I could Cheers from Afar !!
     
  20. EugeneS

    EugeneS TrainBoard Member

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