The Halfbit was in for her last shots and spay. At home recovering now. About another 18 inches of flex track and I could be running the lower main but in no hurry until I finish the upper meadow and the small lower sidings. The majority of the small layout has Peco ST-5 and 6 turnouts and a few small radius turnouts. I only have one Atlas #6 up on the upper level main. In keeping things simple all except the Atlas are thrown by the brakeman Hans. What I like, and is working to my advantage, is the power routing of the particular Peco turnouts I am using. Until I line the turnout to the main the siding is dead an since I am running DC that becomes an advantage for me. So I will end up having only two or three switches at the control panel to route power to sections of the incline and the main.
Almost finished the stable except for a bit of work around the horse doors and weathering. The two small buildings on either side go with the stable. Corral fencing is an etched brass product. Nice product except for the fence posts being a little on the thin side. So I used some .030 X .030 styrene to beef up the fence posts. Color is again a light brown with blue trim and I am debating on whether to leave the fence in white or to apply the same blue to it. I ended up using the same shingle material I used on the main resort building. So hopefully tomorrow I will put the stable up in the meadow and install the fence. I still have a feed trough or two from the stockyard project that were extras I can place in the pasture. Other than the aforementioned trimming up around the doors and weathering just about done. Maybe by this weekend I can start replanting trees and brush.
How do you attach that type of fencing to your scenery? I have some etched brass which looks quite similar. I was thinking of cutting the "T" off the top of some "T" or upholstery pins. They are fairly stout. My thought was to have the fencing all painted and attached, the pins pushed into some pre-drilled holes, then nip off the pin tops.
I cut the fencing from the brass sprue leaving the thin sharp point on the bottom. That sharp point projects below the fence posts that I added. Depending on the base material it can either be pushed into the material or I carefully drill small holes with a pin vise. A very small dab of glue using a sharp pointed dental pick fixes it in place and when I apply my scenic mix and glue it further locks it in place and looks like the fence post is set in the soil. I used the same technique on the ranch modules when I installed the corrals at the barns. A P.I.T.A. but it works to give a solid fence. The meadow has a grass mat installed over a plaster cloth which is over the foam. Fairly easy to just push the ends in like push pins and lock in with some ACC.
This morning I installed the stable and corral fencing along with a feed and water trough, and also both out buildings. Then I installed the road. I managed to get every tree that I uprooted relocated and planted. Dirt road comes in on the lower left and then runs to a parking area defined by logs next to the hotel. Hide the burnt out cabin some more behind some small foliage trees. Kept both dead trees. Also managed to hide the spring a little more but still not enough for me. Relocated the sitting hog to more in the middle and in this shot all the feral Hogs at the spring can be seen. The sow nursing her piglets is at the base of the big dead tree while both Boars are at the spring with one sitting in the water and the other standing at the right side near the rock. For what ever reason I still am not completely happy with the meadow. I added some visual interest up there while still managing to keep it somewhat open. I think it may be the lack of the former big trees on the left upper corner that is giving me some concern but maybe with the backdrop and when it connects to the next section which will be also forested it will look better.
John, your creativity bubbles with artistic whimsy. You obviously are having just too much fun, and it shows.
Practice for when and if ever I get to the port and harbor area, plus some speech therapy uttering all the new words I have come up with whilst I fight with a shaky fence that doesn't want to stay aligned or trying to find the new hole I just drilled for the tree trunk. I also need to check my supplier for grade crossings for the track since I need them for both upper and lower levels. I have seen straight but nothing curved like I have up at the meadow or I have just overlooked it.
I fully understand the verbage, John. My old sailor side pops off at times. sharp, disapproving looks from the CFO, and four legged supers, keep that in check lol
John, consider carving crossing timbers from leftover laser kit stuff. I have a similar challenge for a wooden station platform and pedestrian crossing to an across the tracks artist's colony/tourist trap.
I have a bit of very thin laser scribed wood that could be used. However I went searching again last night and found my grade crossings in N scale and also curved to a minimum radius of 9.75. I just did not look far enough the first time. The curvature where the road crosses is 8 inch radius but I should be able to sand down the one to fit. And since I will eventually need some more I will most likely order both straight and curved for later use and also on the lower level grade crossings. Decided to get that danged meadow finished as much as I can so today I dug out a small batch of vehicles to be painted up for use at the resort. The blue bus and blue pick-up will be resort vehicles. The bus used for tours to vineyards, the brewery and hop fields. High lite of the tour is a visit to George's cousin Bubba's still where upon visitors get to sample some Damsen in Distress. Very few cars up at the resort which is normal. Most bookings are from folks coming in from the mainland by seaplane or ferry and then riding the open platform wood coaches up to Hog Wallow Junction. There they transfer to the rail bus for the short trip up the incline to the resort. The island road system is bad in good weather so rail is the prime means of transport. Therefore I can be stingy on both roads and vehicles.
Added the vehicles to the resort, and some hay and straw. Put a hay bale load in the pick-up and I added a bit more underbrush to further separate the spring and the Hogs from the resort.Hopefully I will get around to ordering the grade crossing kits tonight and then hold off anymore work on the layout until they arrive. And from HO scale rats come N scale Beavers. Brass colored one is unaltered still in Rat form. Dark one have had a nose job and a tail flattened and bobbed. I used chemical blackening on the brass figures and a touch of black enamel on the tail to beef it up a bit. I don't know if the folks who made thee rats are still in business or not. They are now in the pond with some Mod Podge waiting to set up and lock them in.
Spent most of the day doing nothing for a change except for giving some thought toward powering the layout. Finally this afternoon late I decided to install the last 15 inches of track on the lower main and the last of the track on the small layout. I now have a continuous oval on the lower main and all the track finally installed. Held the appropriate Rusty Spike ceremony with two Shays nose to nose. The rusty spike is courtesy of the former RF&P and is from mile one southbound main and was once used to spike open or closed a turnout, thus the shape. Not much else will happen this week until my order of grade crossing kits arrive. Once they are in place then I can finish the scenic work in the area. Some mourning among the feline pride in that Halfbit succumbed to complications from the surgery this AM. Something I half expected in that she was my feline with disabilities.
Awesome looking Rust Spike Joh ^5 Sorry to hear about Halfbit. We had to put our 18 year old hound mix down May 2nd. Still havent gotten over that :-(
The Halfbit, so named for her very small size, enjoyed a short 8 months of luxury. She probably would not have made it that far if we had not taken her in as a feral rescue. Basically it appears that the vet botched the surgery. And that rusty spike has some history now since the RF&P is unfortunately gone. I have that and a short section of rail, used as an occasional doorstop, also from mile one southbound. I would have loved to have had a small chunk of rail from mile one northbound to add to it.
Man, John.... My prayers and condolences on halfbit. I know the feeling as well... kind of like losing a kid. I also lost a great feral rescue to vets inattentiveness... Im lovin the rusty spike ceremony though
