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RSCo
Section Hand
USA
76 Posts |
 Posted - 12/24/2009 : 12:36:56 AM
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Rick,
Finally got around to joining this forum so I could post a comment despite following it for some time. As always excellent work - roads look great. I'm always amazed at how much you get down in such a short amount of time - what's the trick? Lots of coffee? |
Jim Musser
Hainesport, NJ
blog - http://mussersteelmill.blogspot.com |
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Harsco
Fireman
USA
1107 Posts |
Posted - 12/24/2009 : 05:04:12 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by RSCo
Rick,
Finally got around to joining this forum so I could post a comment despite following it for some time. As always excellent work - roads look great. I'm always amazed at how much you get down in such a short amount of time - what's the trick? Lots of coffee?
Thanks for the comments and welcome to the forum...
While coffee is indeed an important component, my reasons are probably the same for many modelers: more time since the kids are grown up, a little more disposable income than in the past, and in my case, talented friends to help me get through the phases that I despise, like bench work and wiring. Without Mark and Steam's assistance (and general prodding), I'd still be trying to figure out where to locate the track.
Another catalyst that can't be overlooked is having scheduled operating sessions....they tend to spur me on knowing that nine guys will be here in a few weeks. A lot of good info and suggestions are exchanged...having a great bunch of operators to bounce ideas off is a distinct advantage. |
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Dutchman
Administrator
USA
23277 Posts |
Posted - 12/24/2009 : 09:22:42 AM
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Rick,
Nice tip on the illustration board roads. Sure looks good to me. |
Bruce
Modeling the railroads of the Jersey Highlands in HO and the logging railroads of Pennsylvania in HOn3 |
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Tim Kerkhoff
Fireman
USA
5869 Posts |
Posted - 12/24/2009 : 4:38:55 PM
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| Rick, Super jobs on the roads and I like the idea of using illustration board. |
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Harsco
Fireman
USA
1107 Posts |
Posted - 12/25/2009 : 07:01:25 AM
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Thanks Dutchman and Tim....I kind of wavered back and forth on the roads, experimenting a little before settling on the illustration board. I did some research on other methods but kept coming back to the cardboard, assuming that once glued down, it was really no different than any other medium...so far that's seems to have been a correct assumption. To me, the material isn't as important as the color, depending on whether you're representing asphalt or concrete. Texture is another factor; I tried using the grout like I had in a couple of parking areas but even its finer texture appears a bit too rough to my eye. As Mark pointed out, from our scale vantage point (100 feet up), an asphalt road will appear smooth...except of course for any patches. Having run out of the color (Folk Art Medium Gray craft paint), I have to wait till tomorrow to hopefully pick up some more; the illustration board needs two coats to be fully opaque.
A final thought....I think the illustration/mat board is also available in a pebbled finish...that might provide some of the missing texture.
Hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season...and thanks for your interest, comments and suggestions this year....I'm still in awe at the number of hits this thread of mine has managed to accumulate...not bad for a boring railroad, right Steam???? LOL |
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Harsco
Fireman
USA
1107 Posts |
Posted - 12/25/2009 : 07:04:09 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by RSCo
Rick,
Finally got around to joining this forum so I could post a comment despite following it for some time. As always excellent work - roads look great. I'm always amazed at how much you get down in such a short amount of time - what's the trick? Lots of coffee?
Jim..I just notice the signature on your post...a double welcome aboard. Folks, if you have any kind of interest in steel mill modeling, I would strongly recommend a visit to his excellent blog. Jim's modeling is in the "outstanding" category and was the inspiration for the bag house I recently slapped together. |
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dnhman
Fireman
USA
1049 Posts |
Posted - 12/25/2009 : 10:10:51 AM
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Merry Christmas Rick and team,, Rick I was impressed with the way the road worked for sure. The sample you shared the night of the ops session really looked good.
Can you share the type/size etc illustration board you use (Michaels)? I would give this a try also..
Joe |
Cheers!, Joe |
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Steam Nut
Fireman
USA
1291 Posts |
Posted - 12/25/2009 : 10:35:34 AM
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| Yeh! What a boring railroad, So when is the next session, I can't wait. |
Steam Lives! |
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nhguy
Fireman
USA
3689 Posts |
Posted - 12/25/2009 : 3:12:24 PM
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Rick,
Nice choice on the material for the roads. I will be stealing your idea as I was wavering whether to use illustration board or plastic. I like cheap! Did you seal them or was the paint good enough?
Jim,
If you use tea (without sugar) instead of coffee you can accidentally spill on your plaster or rock molds for easy coloring. It is, after all, tanic acid from leaves and a natural resource.
Bill |
Bill Shanaman
Superintendent, New Haven RR in the 1948 to 1952 era
PMRA President 2013-14, OpSIG Member
NCE User Since 1999
Sugar City, Colorado |
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akimmons
Fireman
USA
1354 Posts |
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Harsco
Fireman
USA
1107 Posts |
Posted - 12/26/2009 : 06:55:31 AM
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| Bill: I didn't seal them, figuring the paint would....AFTER they had been glued down. |
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Harsco
Fireman
USA
1107 Posts |
Posted - 12/26/2009 : 08:02:54 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by dnhman
Merry Christmas Rick and team,, Rick I was impressed with the way the road worked for sure. The sample you shared the night of the ops session really looked good.
Can you share the type/size etc illustration board you use (Michaels)? I would give this a try also..
Joe
Merry Christmas, Joe...hope you and your family had a great day.
The last time I bought illustration board, it was in the framing department of Michaels or A.C. Moore packaged as matting for pictures. Taking ye ole calipers to a sample, it measures out at just under .060 in thickness. If you look at a cut edge, it appears to have two layers laminated together.
There's an art supply place not far from where I live that could probably explain all the different types and variations of paper products available; I have heard of Bristol Board, chipboard, and Strathmere types but don't have an understanding of the differences in thickness and/or finishes between the products (possibly Diamond Bill would know). I would think that, properly sealed with a clear finish and reinforced with wood bracing (I but the 1/2 x 3/4 door trim material at Lowes or Depot), the material would be as durable as styrene....just not available in scribed form ( I need a LOT of scribed siding for steel mill buildings).
John R uses this stuff a lot, a reflection of his training to be an architect, when he was required to build lots of scale models of his designs. He showed me that one key to success with this material is using a sharp utility knife instead of the usual X-Acto version, which is smaller and will tend to wander off the straight edge. Following his advice, I always make the first slice very, very light and shallow, actually "scribing" the final cut line before going back and applying more pressure. The material cuts amazingly clean - no fuzz or annoying "feathers". Windows are relatively quick and easy, especially if you carefully cut the 90 degree corners first, then the sides and top. |
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Harsco
Fireman
USA
1107 Posts |
Posted - 12/30/2009 : 10:50:47 PM
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Having a bit of vacation time over the holidays, I began "futzing" around with the scenery in Lucknow. Wanting to model the typical underbrush seen along the roadway, I used Poly Fiber and three shades of ground foam to suggest early autumn foliage...a lighter shade of green with just a hint of brown. Here's the result...
This is the embankment with just a coating of WS Earth Blend, which was used since dummy me had run out of sifted dirt JUST as the latest nor-easter was pounding us on Christmas Eve....with the poly fiber stretched out over it:
And with a coating of light green blended turf, and earth blend:
I was trying to go for that airy/wispy/see-thru appearance of brambles and undergrowth.
An overall view of the still under construction Lucknow; bear in mind that some of the structures will probably be relocated as the whim hits me:
A shot up the hill; ignore the abrupt end of the backdrop; I'll either move it to the left behind the hill or disguise the edge with future trees:
Finally, the other end of the American Rag and Metal siding; that's AR&M on the right and as yet unnamed customer on the left; the building is only a placeholder until I get something cobbled up.
Whenever I need modeling inspiration for a end user, I usually send out an SOS to Hueber, who then goes through his extensive collection of pictures and sends along a few recommendations (that's how Lucknow Feed and Seed, which I still haven't finished, got started). Anyway, here's one of Joe's suggestions, which has caught my fancy for a small town, a small grain elevator located in Oxford, PA:
At first glance it looks like a pretty good scratch building/kitbashing possibility; will have to see what I can manage to squeeze into the allotted space.
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Edited by - Harsco on 12/30/2009 10:58:55 PM |
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MarkF
Engineer
USA
9328 Posts |
Posted - 12/30/2009 : 10:56:55 PM
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| Wow Rick, that is great progress! Lucknow is really coming together nicely. The road looks great. |
Mark
See my homepage at http://home.comcast.net/~prrndiv/
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crabster
Engine Wiper
USA
314 Posts |
Posted - 12/30/2009 : 11:22:56 PM
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| Wow Rick, your layout just keeps getting better and better! Keep posting pics! |
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Topic |
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Harrisburg Terminal Railroad (HTRR)
