I forgot about the WHR. The Corris is the same way, except being rebuild after a longer abandonment IIRC. Anyhow, in regards to the layout, the bridge is going to be an deck girder bridge so that I can simplify installation. Only think is that I might just decide to add the railings, but I have yet to decide. Personally I think including them would detract from the overall quality of the layout unless I get a miracle and pull them off well enough.
Ok, so the girders are cut. What started as these: Are now these: Just some quick trimming is needed before an official test-fit can be done. I'm also working on cutting the notches in the abutments to accept the girders. The girders are going to be going into the abutments like so: Oh, and no handrails for the bridge. I got talked out of that idea by another Nn3 modeler who, like me, models Irish narrow gauge.
Nope. They're the sides to an ESM G26. one of the sides came unglued in transit between trainshows and since it was out of my era after the sale of my only modern engine, it languished on my workbench. It may have cost me $20, but it's better than it going to waste.
Ok, so I might have neglected to update this thread here... But fear not! Progress continued despite my not posting about it here. So now comes blast-posting progress photos to get this thread up to date: When last I posted I was preparing to build the girder bridge... Then some rolling stock arrived in the mail: Then in late December I attended the Amherst show is Massachusetts where I picked these up: In May (2015) I picked up some lightweight spackle and fleshed out the land contours: From there (after painting all the spackle) I decided that it was time to build the cattle dock. I used Peco stone-pattern styrene sheet and painted it Duncan-brand "Slate Gray" and highlighted individual stones with two other shades of grey paint. Then I backfilled the cattle dock, and even got some more ballasting done: And toss in a bit of whimsy... Round 2 is next!
Round 2! More ballasting on June 19th (2015): And with the aid of a couple custom castings from a friend, the small stone bridge materialized: And with some paint: A bit more ballast and it came time for an overhead photo: Then some fiddly bits. Two etched-brass point levers painted and assembled: Stone ballast over the stone bridge: Even more ballast: With an overhead photo for good measure: And that's how the layout looked up until a week ago when I ballasted the last inch of trackage. And just this past weekend some big changes took place...
Warning! The photos you are about to see are incredibly shocking. Viewer discretion is advised. Over the weekend the layout got "Grassinated" and as a result it hardly looks like the same layout as before... The outside of the layout was painted a dark brown to get rid of the messy pink-foam look. Still to do is the dirt road, the riverbed, build the cattle pens on the dock, finish building an etched-brass horse-cart kit, and get a horse for said cart. Cheers! -Cody F.
Wow. Hardly. Progress had been obvious until this point, but what leap ahead in perceiving what we've been following.
Very nice! Did you sometimes feel like your vision would never happen? It's looking good! Even outstanding!
I'd say the case was more that rather than it not happening (because the layout was always going to get finished to some extent) it was more that I was concerned that it wouldn't be done correctly or rather as my mind's eye saw it. There is still a fair amount of work to be done. The dirt road need to be done, as well as the riverbed. Plus I still need to build the cattle pens on the cattle dock. The biggest hurdle will be motive power. I have a Märklin 0-6-0 and someone is designing an Irish-style Shapeways shell for the mechanism, but the issue there will be replacing the lost weight of the stock metal shell. I'd like to make a freelanced wood-bodied steam tram, but the only mechanism is the Searails chassis, which needs a fair amount of weight on it for to run reliably. At least with rolling stock I have a few of the Peco N6.5 kits to get running while I see if I can't learn drawing etching artwork to make some Irish cattle wagons.
"That's all she wrote." My little Märklin 0-6-0 bit the dust today. I tried every trick I've learned and nothing will get it going. I got it for an incredible deal of only $50 second hand from a Z-scale modeler, so there's no chance I'll find another one for that price. So no running trains on this layout. Now that it's dead, the layout is now just a scenic diorama. Oh well
Maybe you should try a Z-scale 2-axle chassis from Z-thek and to scratchbuild a handmade steam loco chassis around ?...
Their website doesn't exist as far as I've seen. And I'm sure I couldn't afford it anyhow. And I couldn't scratchbuild anything more than a box around it. Anything more would be too complex for my mind to translate to my hands.
While I strip some Romex, I was wondering if there would happen to be anyone out there who would be able to loan me a small Nn3 locomotive (capable of negotiating tight radii) just for this coming weekend? I'd really prefer to have something running on it if I'm going to be taking it to its first train-show this weekend. I can pay you in Railcraft code 70 rail or ME code 40 rail, or I can pay you with an assortment of original Camden & Amboy Models factory-seconds castings (various vehicles and building details). If not, no big deal. I'll just leave the layout home in its cardboard box. Cheers -Cody F.
Even so, I very much appreciate the fact that you would have lent it to me. That alone means a lot to me.
So I have been fiddling with the dirt road. I have created what I am calling the "oil and chips" method. I paint on full-strength white glue, fall some soil over top of the glue, then tamp with the flat of a pair of vintage Swiss watchmakers tweezers. Only problem is that only a rough layer sticks down. And the glue gives some slight discoloration to the fine soil. Trying to figure out how to get all the soil that is applied to stay down and to stay the same color and smooth-ish texture. I'll try to take some photos and get them posted.
