Using clump foliage, foliage, and fine leaf foliage I finished adding foliage and ground cover to the diorama. I also planted a few trees. Next is determining what other details need to be added and buying them or making them. I know I need barrels and various discarded things. Also I still need to add the spilled grains, weather the gravel roads, and add oil spills and things to the ties and ballast.
I've been following this but not posting. I have a thing for grain elevators of all kinds and this is looking great. I really like the undergrowth you added. I hope you don't take this the wrong way. Your diorama looks really good, but those woodland scenics plastic tree trunks are the weakest item. I think dried weeds make better trees. As I said before I do not mean to come off snobby at all.
Thanks! No offense taken. As a matter of fact I agree. I am not thrilled with them either but at the moment it is the best I have to work with. Some day I'll fix them.
I have seen the Woodland Scenics tree trunks painted more of a gray with darker gray and black dry brushed on - really makes them look good. Maybe just a little dry brush touch up would help - but from what I see in the pics they look pretty darn good.
Tom: You can paint the tree trucks a very dark gray. Then dry brush rail tie brown and black to bring out highlights. Stay cool and run steam.....
Tom, Just a few other items you might want to consider. I have been running a feed mill - elevator for a little over 20 years now for the local farmers co-op. Grain trucks, pickup trucks, grain carts, augers, feed bags- stacked or on trucks,power poles with big transformers, pallets,drums,a lot of advertiseing signs everywhere and off white dust over everything including the workers. That ought to keep ya going for awhile!! If you have any questions about the industry or operations feel free to contact me. My new layout is going to have 6 mill-elevators on it.
Looks amazing Tom. There's nothing like seeing the progression from plain plastic to something like what you've got there. A quick question for you. I'm currently in college, with no room for a layout, but would love to do a diorama like this to put on a small table or shelf. How much would you estimate the cost of this diorama as? I see that you've got some large canisters of turf/ballast etc in the background of your photos so the cost may be a bit higher than buying the small bags of those items. And I wouldn't necessarily need to be too detailed in the turf mixtures as this will be my first attempt at a detailed scene that I construct on my own. So it will be a sort of introduction to model railroading. Thanks for any kind of figure you could throw out. (With no need to be precise, just looking for a ballpark) And keep up the great work!
6 Bags of Turf $4.00 each $24.00 5 Bags of Ballast $4.00 each $20.00 3 Bags of Foliage $4.00 each $12.00 4 boxes Fine Leaf Foliage $10.00 each $40.00 4 bags Clump Foliage $6.00 each $24.00 1 bag Tree Armatures $11.00 each $11.00 1 bottle Scenic Cement $7.00 each $7.00 1 bottle Tacky glue $1.00 each $1.00 If you are starting from nothing just the scenery supplies for this diorama would have costs me about $150.00. Almost all of the scenery items are made by Woodland Scenics . Now I have several bags of turf and ballast listed. Remember each bag is a different type or color of turf or ballast that I used. You don’t have to use so many different ones. Check at my Rail Images Sub Album for a “listing” of supplies I used on another diorama. A 2 inch thick foam base would run you about $8.00. The track would cost about $7.00. The roadbed is about $9.00 for a roll. The kit that I used for this project list for $28.00. Paint costs would be another $5.00. The grand total would be around $207.00. Again remember that this is starting from nothing and there maybe a lot here you don’t need. When I buy supplies I buy them according to what I will need between paydays, that way I can afford to get them. Also they will last you through several projects and at that point you are only replacing what you used. I spent $60.00 on supplies last weekend to resupply. This was the biggest one time outlay I have had on scenery supplies in about 18 months. I let too many things run out. [ August 10, 2005, 01:04 PM: Message edited by: Tompm ]
Just to add to what Tom said... I always pride myself on having purchased scenery and detail parts over the years. I have lots of things that only cost maybe 4 to 5 bucks each, but if I had to buy it all at once would break the bank. As you say, you are in college so money is tight, but if you start with a five dollar a week budget and get the details instead of the must have engines and cars, you'll find yourself much better off down the road. Engines always seem like you gotta have em now, but they always get better. And there is always ebay if you miss buying one when it first comes out.
Tom and traingeek- Thanks for the advice and suggestions. Thankfully, I have already purchased a nice NS high hood GP38 and a few Intermountain hopper cars, so the really expensive part is over. I definately will be on the forums more often to learn the tricks of the trade as I just venture into it. Thanks again!
