Newcomer-Layout

Steffen B Jan 14, 2016

  1. Steffen B

    Steffen B TrainBoard Member

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    Well, I looked at wikipedia, grass height for prairie ranges from 2,40 m down to 0,5 m. I have chosen 1,40 m for location of my layout in Middle-East Kansas (red line).

    upload_2017-2-1_13-55-8.png

    For the white ground: You are right, this is wet white glue. If it dries you can see dark ground - fine sand with different brown colours and green turf (for low grass applied first before I tested my "fly catcher" and changed to electrostatic grass).
    Thank you for your "mix method". I will test this in areas, where is still nothing done in landscaping. Here two nice examples for that what I try to reach:

    upload_2017-2-1_13-33-46.png
    (westernrailimages.com)


    upload_2017-2-1_13-43-6.png
    (https://hiveminer.com/Tags/mlw,saskatchewan/Recent)
     

    Attached Files:

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  2. zdrada69

    zdrada69 TrainBoard Member

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    Steffen,
    As far as heigh of the grass is concerned I was thinking in European way (50 cm grass) not American (250 cm grass possible) ;)

    Your photos are perfect to illustrate the need to apply "mixing colours" technique. Upper one shows mix of green and dry grass the lower one add some brown shadows as well. I think that it is also good not to mix together big portion of grass and get "average colour". I rather prefer to add smaller quantities of different grass colours to electrostatic machine one by one. As the result you get not "average colour" everywhere but areas of different shadows next to each other. Areas with just some turf or sand also add to realistic look.
     
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  3. Steffen B

    Steffen B TrainBoard Member

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    Pawel, I think you are exactly right. I was wondering how many versions of "Prairie" are possible while searching the www (region, season...). The problem is to make a wide open landscape ("green desert") but on restricted place without this average colour / average grass you mentioned. I think, there has to be a balance depending on layout size. Details yes, but not overloading. Hope you know what I mean.... Wide field for try and error...
     
    Last edited: Feb 1, 2017
  4. zdrada69

    zdrada69 TrainBoard Member

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    Steffen,
    Got your point. Have fun with the project. Waiting for next photos.
     
  5. Steffen B

    Steffen B TrainBoard Member

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    Now I managed to finish my retaining wall and bridge supports. While smoothing plaster surface I got these fine concrete textures.

    Stand 2017-02-17_01.jpg


    Meanwhile there came another vehicle "on lease from Western Pacific" to my Rio Grande subsidary Arkansas & Western ('til I can get A&W decals :)) This is a really nice thing for branchline passenger duties.
    Stand 2017-02-17_02.jpg
    Stand 2017-02-17_03.jpg
     
  6. Loren

    Loren TrainBoard Supporter

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    Steffen,

    I really like the texture of the middle of your retaining wall. It struck me as looking very 'real like'. Funny thing is I've noticed that when we attempt to model certain details into our scenery, the casual, novice, unlearned eye will label a certain feature as not realistic, when in fact it often does look like that in real life. I'm enjoying following your creation, keep up the good work.
     
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  7. Steffen B

    Steffen B TrainBoard Member

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    Thanks Loren, sometimes it's funny to get a certain result without knowing how.
    At weekend I reworked the cut with some static grass and turf (avoiding average colour - Pawel ;)) Regarding tree planting on "freight house hill" I plan to use a mix of ready-built and selfmade ones, the latter on special places.
    So landscaping on the left (show-) side comes to end slowly. Time to build some structures.

    Stand 2017-02-19_01.jpg

    Overall view of show side:
    Stand 2017-02-19_03.jpg
     
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  8. zdrada69

    zdrada69 TrainBoard Member

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    Steffen,
    I really like the scenery. Especially in the corner. Well done. Congratulations !
    I will place the photo on my thread done outside in sunshine. I hope you will be able to see my grass effects.
     
  9. Steffen B

    Steffen B TrainBoard Member

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    Thank very much, Pawel. Your pics are my templates (y)

    I was searching for ready-built trees and found some nice trees made by "JTT", but VERY small.
    1 inch would be the right height for T-scale!!! :D
    Does someone have experiences with these trees?
    upload_2017-2-20_13-40-22.png
     
  10. zdrada69

    zdrada69 TrainBoard Member

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    I do not have experiance with JTT. In case you are looking for realistic trains please contact me on PRV. We have some very nice suppliers in Poland. I am waiting for this delivery on photo attached. Price: 1-1,5 Euro per piece (Freon). The problem is that one have to wait some time - up to 1 month I belive.

    drzewa.jpg

    Another high quality (higher prices) company is MBR: https://mbrmodel.eu/
     
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  11. Loren

    Loren TrainBoard Supporter

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    014.jpg
    I have some of the JTT trees and yes they are nice, but small and pricey. I make evergreen trees and sell them for 50 cents apiece up to about 4 inches or 100 mm. Here's a sample in a display case of some of the trees I make. I am beginning to make trees again for sale after a busy past year doing other mundane projects around the house..........grrrr....
     
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  12. zdrada69

    zdrada69 TrainBoard Member

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    Loren,
    Your trees are very nice. The showcase looks like real forrest. I was also inspired by the film showing how you produce them. I used this technique on the other side of Atlantic.
     
  13. Loren

    Loren TrainBoard Supporter

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    Isn't it amazing how fir trees will grow just about any place!:rolleyes:
     
  14. Steffen B

    Steffen B TrainBoard Member

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    Hi all,

    after a summer of small activities in model railroading I can continue now work on my z-scale project.
    While playing with trains I felt, it would be nice to have a possibility for adding a modul with a bigger stage yard.
    The original plan was to hide two stubtracks for train storage behind a kind of backdrop. Now I plan to integrate these tracks into the designed area and to extend one stub track to layout edge, crossing the creek and creating another branch line.
    Luetke Modellbahn provides a nice bridge, which is ready for test arrangement now.

    Stand 2017-11-08_01_1.jpg Stand 2017-11-08_02_2.jpg
     
  15. ztrack

    ztrack TrainBoard Supporter Advertiser

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    Stefan the layout is looking great!

    Staging yards are one feature I feel that folks under estimate. Having space to store a few trains really increased the operational potential of your layout. Plus cars in a yard look amazing!

    Rob
     
  16. Steffen B

    Steffen B TrainBoard Member

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    Hi all,

    on 4th / 5th of november I went with this layout to the annual train show at Emleben / Thuringia.
    Interestingly, there were many questions on z-scale in general as well as on my layout theme "America".
    Here is a short sequence at minute 6:13.



    Steffen, Germany
     
    Last edited: Nov 17, 2017
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  17. strummer

    strummer TrainBoard Member

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    Great video.

    I had to go back a second time to look at your layout again; the first time through I thought it was N scale! Very well done, and smooth running.

    The only way I could guess what scale(s) I was looking at was to look at the couplers; all very nice. Thanks for posting it.

    Mark in Oregon
     
  18. Steffen B

    Steffen B TrainBoard Member

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    Hi all,
    today I began work on my little plate girder bridge.
    Search in www revealed two options for track arrangement: with full ballasted track and the classic arrangement with ties only. Option 1 would be very easy to build but would have a very massive look leaving the underframe of bridge unvisible:
    Stand 2018-02-16_03.jpg

    Option 2 would be the nicer one, but would require some ideas for track construction.
    While I am using Rokuhan track I decided to convert a piece of Marklin track because of similar tie dimensions. I shortened distances between ties by removing the connecting strips. But what to do with this very short ties regarding to the guard timbers? For the best look I finally decided to apply 1x1 mm wood strips beside the ties instead on top of them. That was the test:
    Stand 2018-02-16_05.jpg
    Guard timber on top of ties:
    Stand 2018-02-16_06.jpg
    Guard timber besides the ties. Wood strip is slightly higher then ties:
    Stand 2018-02-16_07.jpg
    So I cut all the needed ties and glued them on the rails. Next steps are color for track and bridge and assembling.
    Stand 2018-02-16_02.jpg
    Stand 2018-02-16_08.jpg
     
    Last edited: Feb 16, 2018
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  19. Steffen B

    Steffen B TrainBoard Member

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    Now it is assembled and ready for bridge abutments:

    Stand 2018-02-18_01.jpg Stand 2018-02-18_03.jpg Stand 2018-02-18_05.jpg
     
  20. Steffen B

    Steffen B TrainBoard Member

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    Today I began work on bridge abutments. And now all visible tracks are ballasted, the bridge extension still needs paint.
    Stand 2018-03-20_02.jpg
    Stand 2018-03-20_01.jpg

    Stand 2018-03-20_03.jpg
    Stand 2018-03-20_04.jpg
     
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