| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| masonamerican |
Posted - 12/10/2011 : 06:01:09 AM
Hi All,
below there are some pictures of my layout the freelanced California Railway & Navigation Company with its subsidiary Smith-Kingsley Logging Co. It is set in Northern California around 1890-1895. It connects the small sea harbor Innsmouth with the inland terminal Dunsmuir where it connects with the Southern Pacific. The main reason for its existence is transporting goods from Innsmouth Harbor to Dunsmuir for transport east. Connected to it is also a subsidiary logging company which operates its own equipment but uses the C.R.&.N.Co right of way.
This is my first layout since I was a teenager and I started the layout about 2 years ago. Before that we lived in an apartment so then it was only building of houses and rolling stock. It occupies roughly 4x4m (13´x13´) in my basement. The benchwork is L-girder and the track is ME flextrack code 55 and 70 which lies on plywood+cork roadbed. Turnouts are made with Fast Tracks jigs and their laser cut turnout ties. The trains are controlled by Roco’s DCC system. The maximum grade is 2% and the minimum radius 24´´. To get a long mainline I have separated the two end stations by about 12´´ vertically and let the mainline do a double turn via a helix before it reaches Dunsmuir. Much of the track will be hidden from view to avoid a spaghetti bowl kind of look.
Scenery which I just have started with is of the conventional kind with plaster cloth on a support skeleton. The plan is to finish the scenery in 4´ segments and gradually work my way from Dunsmuir to Innsmouth which will be finished last. Scenery has been hard to make and at the first part at Dunsmuir I have tested a lot. I hope the scenery gradually will be better and better as it comes along.
Trees are a combination of homemade and commercial. As the railroad is modeled at its peak and fairly new most of my buildings only have a light weathering to show the passage of time. My engine house for example is only about 5 years since it was built so it has not got that dilapidated worn look yet. The depression is many, many years ahead. Also the management is keeping everything in good working order.
My freight cars are a mix of for example Labelle, BTS, Alkem Scale models, Central Valley, Rio Grande Models, Silver Crash Car Works, Art Griffin and old IHC, AHM cars that I have modified.
The passenger fleet which I about to rework with better paintjobs and more elaborate decals consists for example of Westwood, reworked Model Power cars, and GEM (brass).
The locomotive fleet is just as diverse and consists of a lot of brass Balboa, PFM, Gem, Ken Kidder, NWSL (Shay). Some kits I have assembled from Arbour models kits a 2-6-0 and a 4-4-0. Also I have some commercial RTR locos from Bachmann and Roundhouse.
Please excuse the disorder on the photos as I’m using the part of the layout which I’m not building on as storage for the scenery stuff. I staged some of the buildings for the photos and the Engine house is not finished but it all hopefully gives a view how it will look when finished. There is also a lot of detail work to do but the scenery has to be somewhat complete first.
I hope you will find my description and photos of my layout of interest and that I haven’t bored you to death. Comments are always welcome. Thank you,
Best regards
Håkan
Dunsmuir on the right with the helix below
Dunsmuir on the left and on the storage mess that is to become Innsmouth
Spagetti bowl trackage for the time being
Yet more spagetti bowl but the 2 first tiers will be hidden behind the foredrop.
Dunsmuir
Dunsmuir again. Sorry some of the trees has not yet been planted.
The unfinished engine terminal at Dunsmuir with my Arbour 4-4-0, a Roundhouse 2-8-0 and the Arbour 2-6-0.
The turntable (Diamond scale) with my Arbour 4-4-0
The unfinished engine house with the Arbour 2-6-0.
The Dunsmuir station with my Ken Kidder 2-6-0 and a Balboa 4-4-0
Dunsmuir station again
My trackplan |
| 15 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Ensign |
Posted - 05/22/2013 : 5:21:15 PM
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| Ensign |
Posted - 05/22/2013 : 5:20:01 PM
quote:
Originally posted by masonamerican
Thanks Greg, and thanks for the suggestion with the benches. I sure also would have need of them as I’m no slim guy.
I have been looking for some delicate benches. Any suggestions where I can find some?
Thanks,
Håkan
Hi Håkan,I was thinking just a simple wooden bench built along the railing, using the railing as a back rest.
I know SSLtd. has a very nice park bench (part no.650-2282) with fancy cast metal ends, if your looking for something better.
Greg Shinnie
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| masonamerican |
Posted - 05/22/2013 : 3:50:16 PM
Thanks Greg, and thanks for the suggestion with the benches. I sure also would have need of them as I’m no slim guy.
I have been looking for some delicate benches. Any suggestions where I can find some?
Dave, there is quite a resemblance. He just should have some more beard. I wonder who Preiser used as a model doing the figure?
Thanks, George! It was the leaves that nearly led to the disaster with the matte medium.
Thanks Bob, the ground cover looks a little better but I must learn to use something in the bottom other than the local dirt I have collected. And adding LPs are great fun. Will be a nightmare though when it comes to vacuuming later
Thanks Dallas. I wish many times that they in the 19th century had invented color film. Especially when it comes to the colors on the equipment.
Thanks Frederic, much of the joy besides the modeling is to fantasize around the people and areas.
Hi Erik and thanks, you and Mia are always welcome to come and visit. I’ll give you a call. For you that haven’t seen it Erik has a fantastic American layout set in the Midwest. He has a thread here:
http://www.motessparet.se/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=1111
Thanks,
Håkan |
| ErikB |
Posted - 05/22/2013 : 01:20:25 AM
Just wonderful Håkan!
Looking forward to see all your new achievements IRL soon!
/Erik |
| Frederic Testard |
Posted - 05/22/2013 : 01:06:37 AM
What a great story and set of pictures, Håkan. Your painter definitely looks like someone I know...
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| dallas_m |
Posted - 05/22/2013 : 12:34:42 AM
Wow! These scenes are SO beautiful! Really nice to see all the tastefully done colors ... and remind ourselves that the world was never really black-n-white. |
| railman28 |
Posted - 05/21/2013 : 7:18:06 PM
Yes, just excellent Håkan.
The ground cover is looking a lot better too.
The LP really brings the scene alive.
The painter does look like Troels- down to the big brush!
Super job |
| George D |
Posted - 05/21/2013 : 6:55:33 PM
Excellent, Håkan. I like all the details down to the dead leaves on the platform.
George |
| deemery |
Posted - 05/21/2013 : 5:53:03 PM
The local artist looks a little bit like Troels Kirk...
dave |
| Ensign |
Posted - 05/21/2013 : 5:31:49 PM
Hi Håkan,your story is entertaining & your scenes are very believable!
Good to see you now using your head in the proper way.
The only thing I could think of adding to your already beautiful scene, are some benches maybe along the railings of your tree viewing platform.
I know I'd want to sit down after climbing all those steps up to it.
Greg Shinnie
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| masonamerican |
Posted - 05/21/2013 : 4:40:30 PM
“Yesterday our county was visited by the world famous actress Sarah Bernhardt who among the local attractions visited Cathedral Springs. The ensemble traveling together with Ms Bernhardt were the Daniel E Bandmanns Theater company whom for the occasion had chartered one of C.R.&.N.Co passenger cars. Sarah Bernhardt with them on tour from Europe can be seen on the left together with Mr Bandmann. After admiring the “largest tree in the world” they all took Champagne refreshments and then retired to the car for the journey back to San Francisco. During their stay they also visited the Spring itself where they tried the refreshing mineral water. Sarah Bernhardt exclaimed and stated that she never had tasted a water so invigorating.”
The Innsmouth Chronicle, 24 of July 1892
Hi all, the Tourist trap at Cathedral Springs is nearly finished and I thought to show some pictures of it and the people visiting it. As usual the local rag could not keep away and they found the morning headlines in the visit of the actress Sarah Bernhardt.
Overview of the area
The local artist painting the local vistas. Should get himself some thinner paint brushes as those he has can't be easy to wield
Hmm...has a little resemblance to a famous artist here on the forum. Perhaps an ancestor?
A little family drama. The actor T Flynns attempt to straighten things with his fiancé after a much too wet evening out failed miserably as the fiancé threw his flower reconciliation on the ground.
The local freight train arrives
The theater ensemble listen to the local guide while waiting to take refreshments
Ms Bernhardt and Mr Bandmann reads the sign on the tree.
The upper train platform
The light is scarce among the trees
The figures are mostly all from Preiser which I have modified with different postures. Some of them was also repainted to give a different look to them.
I hope you enjoyed my little fantasy!
Comments and suggestions are always welcome!
Happy modeling!
Håkan |
| masonamerican |
Posted - 05/19/2013 : 03:19:45 AM
Thanks George and Bob,
It runs quite good even that in the video looks like its jerking from time to time which is because of the recording quality. But it has a very small hesitation going forward which I could not get rid of. If one turned up the decoders fine tuning back-EMF values it actually got worse. It runs best on nearly pure DC.
Today it will be rolled into the paintshop.
Håkan |
| railman28 |
Posted - 05/18/2013 : 11:09:56 PM
Has to be the best Arbour built I've seen. |
| George D |
Posted - 05/18/2013 : 4:29:18 PM
Håkan, it looks like a nice smooth runner.[:-thumbu]
George |
| masonamerican |
Posted - 05/18/2013 : 3:01:53 PM
Hi All,
My wheel sets from NWSL arrived some days and I could continue with the Arbour 4-4-0 project. The status is that I have assembled everything mechanically and wired the ESU Select decoder in the tender. Today it took its first revolutions on the rails and after some tinkering with the decoder settings it ran quite good. The suspension with the first driver being able to move laterally worked well. Here is a Youtube video showing the locomotive running:
http://youtu.be/zkQdBi3iHyc
As you can see in the video the front of the locomotive doesn't swivel out as usually is the case with average HO 4-4-0 model.
Picture are merciless to detect things and one thing I noticed in the video is that the pilot sits to high. Hard to change now but I'll see if I can come up with something. Otherwise there are some details still left to add and then it is time for painting. I will try to paint everything mostly in pieces to avoid doing some extensive masking. The loco will be painted black in a freelance Pennsylvania livery theme with gold striping and gold letters on red background
Håkan |
