The JACALAR RR

RBrodzinsky Aug 26, 2009

  1. RBrodzinsky

    RBrodzinsky November 18, 2022 Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter In Memoriam

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    For the back, I've put a piece of plain styrene against the foam, and then created this little section that has the visible face, and the back wall. It is offset a 1/4 inch, so that I can place to LEDs in. One LED will be mounted to the ceiling of the tunnel, the other behind the section. The first will be on for "night running", illuminating the tunnel; the second is on for "day running". Being behind the styrene, it will give the appearance of daylight coming down from the other end of the tunnel.

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    On the last photo, you can see the extension of road going "up the back", and then grey walls and opening

    Here's the roadbed for the bottom of the tunnel

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  2. RBrodzinsky

    RBrodzinsky November 18, 2022 Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter In Memoriam

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    Here are three pictures of how this will all fit together. Not ready to start gluing, as I still need to wire up the lights.

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    There will be a road parallel to the tracks at the area where the top of my little tunnel is. And the wide road will have lanes on each side those coming out of the ground, with the hotel on the left. I will paint the opposite end of the tunnel on the backdrop, coming up to the street seen.

    I'll also put some hand/guard rails along the top of the concrete, so pedestrians don't fall in!
     
  3. Jim Wiggin

    Jim Wiggin Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Very nice, something I have not seen on a lot of layouts. It looks just like the one in Galesburg IL near the station.
     
  4. Vaccam

    Vaccam TrainBoard Member

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    Rick,

    I really like your backdrop and how you blend it in to your layout. Very inspirational. I will have to see if I can use something similar eventually.

    Your work is very nice!

    Michael
     
  5. RBrodzinsky

    RBrodzinsky November 18, 2022 Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter In Memoriam

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    Thanks, Jim! In a way, it is also similar to the underpass in Niles, except not an angle. I can remember many like these from when I was a kid, but I think many have been replaced as roads needed to be widened, tracks abandoned, etc. I'm sure there are also plenty still in existence.

    This will be a challenge to see if I can pull it off effectively. And, it won't be "right" until I get the rest of the street built around it, and the buildings set. There are a lot of details planned for this space. One item I want is to make a "Downtown / Local" sign a the head of the tunnel, with appropriate arrows.
     
  6. RBrodzinsky

    RBrodzinsky November 18, 2022 Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter In Memoriam

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    Thanks Michael. The painting under the backdrop here is my best, ever. I still jump for joy when I look at how well it came out. I'm actually not all that great with drawing/painting, but the results so far show that all it takes is a little effort and time. And, always remember, if you don't like how something you paint comes out, paint over it! :we2-jimlad:
     
  7. thefullgonzo

    thefullgonzo TrainBoard Supporter

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    Did you make the roadbed for the tunnel? It looks great!!
     
  8. TwinDad

    TwinDad TrainBoard Member

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    Good work!

    I like the idea of having two LEDs - that's just brilliant!

    < drum riff >
     
  9. RBrodzinsky

    RBrodzinsky November 18, 2022 Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter In Memoriam

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    It is a piece of .020" styrene, cut to size. I used that thin, so that it would conform to the curve easily. I then spray painted with Testors Spray Enamel #1233 Flat Light Aircraft Gray. After it dried, I brushed on a diluted wash of PollyScale Grimy Black acrylic (about 60% blue windshield washer fluid; 40% acrylic), and let dry. DON'T try to be even with the grimy wash, let it puddle if it wants to. After drying, I used Deco Color fine opaque marker pen, 200-S yellow, to paint the lines. Mask, paint, dry, peel tape. Repeat for second line.
     
  10. RBrodzinsky

    RBrodzinsky November 18, 2022 Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter In Memoriam

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    :tb-embarrassed: (I'll take a bow). I kept debating how to do it, and then it dawned, like a light going on :)pwink:) just use two!
     
  11. RBrodzinsky

    RBrodzinsky November 18, 2022 Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter In Memoriam

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    Progress - pulling the town intersection together

    Realized it had been a few weeks, since before my trip, that I had posted any progress. First, thought I would share a couple non-train photos, since Kings Canyon / Sequoia National Parks are simply fantastic!

    Waking up to this is great (and we got snowed on on June 6!)
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    We made a couple friends

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    and enjoyed roaring waterfalls

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    After the parks, went to San Diego to pick up youngest daughter from UCSD to bring her home, and then got pretty busy with "life" - new carpeting for the house, and visiting venues for eldest daughter's wedding! Have to get all my train spending done quickly - LOL.

    So, just finally got back to working on the scenery. I did get all the feeders finally dropped from the unitrack, and wired under the bench, for all portions of the layout except the yard. This includes block detection around the town area for future signals. Of course, unless someone took a photo of me under the bench, that work was not photo-worthy.

    <continued...>
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 1, 2011
  12. RBrodzinsky

    RBrodzinsky November 18, 2022 Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter In Memoriam

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    After my prior posts about building the street tunnel/underpass, I had to figure out the best way to get the streets of the town built. I decided to build everything up on styrene, so that I could make a clean transition to the tunnel as well as to the grade crossing.

    I cut the hole for the tunnel, and first started with an grimy black road... didn't really like the look. It was an interesting effect if I was going for a "just after rainstorm" look, but not what I wanted.

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    Staring at the roads in the backdrop, and the tunnel road, I decided to go with a lighter color pavement. But, VERY dirty. After spraying the styrene with Light Aircraft Grey (to my eyes, very close to poured concrete), I brushed on a wash of grimy black and windshield washer solution. Just before it dried, I blotted the surface with a tissue, to get the mottled effect

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    The large brownish blob in the right foreground is the remaining evidence of the spilled bottle of paint disaster, which resulted in new switches being bought and installed.

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  13. RBrodzinsky

    RBrodzinsky November 18, 2022 Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter In Memoriam

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    Still lots of details and work to be done, of course. The sidewalks were made out of 1/16" x 1/2" balsa. The curbs are 0.030" x 0.060" styrene strips. I still have a lot of these to add to finish the streets, and then some shrubs, etc., for full effect

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    Here's a closer up of the far side of the grade crossing. The transition strip still needs to be weathered with the grimy black wash. That section of styrene is separate, so that I can install the NJ Int grade crossing signals and gates, with servo motor directly under the styrene, in a hollowed out pocket in the foam base
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    You can also see that I put in a gold-trimmed red carpet on the sidewalk for the hotel's main entrance (will also have an awning)

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    The little track-side parking area will serve not only the stores, but also, possibly, a small depot that will go to the right. I still have to build up the tunnel structure around the hole, but won't do that until fully finished with the detailing of the streets. This way, I can pick up the whole section, and work on it off the layout!
     
  14. MC Fujiwara

    MC Fujiwara TrainBoard Member

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    Glad you could "bear" your vacation, Rick!

    I dig the final street color & weather effect: I wonder if dragging a brush with powders or (?) would help create the more streakish motion that follows vehicle traffic.

    The red carpet & taxis remind me of the Sir Francis Drake off Union Square: need some red-coated taxi wranglers hailing the cabs!

    Lookin' good, and fun to know it'll just get better!
     
  15. RBrodzinsky

    RBrodzinsky November 18, 2022 Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter In Memoriam

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    Yeah - I still have overall weathering to do, and usually use chalk for that. I was thinking about a SFD Beefeater doorman, just don't know if I could do him justice! LOL

    On the bears (of which there are some on the layout in the mountains, as well), we were about 50 feet from those two. This was in the meadow across from the Big Trees Museum in Sequoia. One of the rangers said that last year, he was in the museum at the info desk, and a bear just walked in and checked out all the exhibits, then walked out!
     
  16. Packers#1

    Packers#1 TrainBoard Member

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    Rick, your layout is looking SWEET man, glad to see something from back when I came to this forum regularly lol
     
  17. Mark Watson

    Mark Watson TrainBoard Member

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    Ha, that's exactly what I thought when I saw the gold carpet! I walk by the Drake every other day or so on my way to class.



    Rick, your work continues to show amazing skill! If you can only add a little tire weathering, that road will look perfect!
     
  18. MC Fujiwara

    MC Fujiwara TrainBoard Member

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    Careful: if you get too "tired" you'll be in a rut! ;)
     
  19. Jerry Tarvid

    Jerry Tarvid TrainBoard Member

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    The street tunnel, streets, buildings and appointments are looking great Rick!:thumbs_up::thumbs_up: Everything blends well with your background / back drop buildings. I really like how this scene is progressing.[​IMG]

    Jerry
     
  20. RBrodzinsky

    RBrodzinsky November 18, 2022 Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter In Memoriam

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    Thanks, all! With all the wiring / ballasting / switch replacement / scenery work I've been doing, I actually hadn't run any major op sessions for quite a while (just section tests), so this morning I ran the cleaner car around the entire layout then started up. Had one small spot right next to the new street tunnel that needed a minor tweak, and then ran for about 90 minutes -- 3 trains (El Cap pulled by SF ABBA F7s; SP Morning Daylight with GS4 # 4453; and an SP/PFE freight pulled by SP AC-12 #4285) all running with no derailments or issues. All I had to do was tweak speeds, and control horns, etc. It was great! Will get CofLA and CZ some run time tomorrow.

    Now, though (11am) the heat is already building (85F), so that's it for the day. (what happens when you have no ac in train shed - suppose to be near 100 later)
     

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