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hunter48820
Fireman
6024 Posts |
 Posted - 05/29/2008 : 11:29:20 PM
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Hi Rick,
Your fascia is looking very nice. I like the combination of the fascia and valance. It gives it a very nice finished look.
Did you glue your fascia to the decking? I only ask because I glued and screwed mine. When done, I removed most of the screws and left others countersunk. I then filled the holes and seams with patching spackle, sanded it, sealed it and then a finish topcoat. Here is a photo that shows the upper fascias painted and the lower ready for sealing. Thought it may interest you since you are working on your's.
Please excuse the mess!![:-boggled]
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Best, Andy Keeney
Look out for #1, but don't step in #2! |
Edited by - hunter48820 on 05/29/2008 11:34:03 PM |
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Harsco
Fireman
USA
1101 Posts |
Posted - 05/30/2008 : 06:58:12 AM
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Morning, Andy....that's some really impressive fascia work! And THREE levels on the right side? How long is your mainline?
As far as my fascia is concerned, I screwed mine into either the benchwork or a fabricated bracket using drywall screws in countersunk holes. Mark F and Steam will tell you that with my habit of constant mind-changing, I am very leery of "permanently" attaching anything, so I tend to shy away from gluing unless absolutely necessary (this extends to track, Homosote, and cork roadbed...it's all "removeable" so to speak).
After painting my earlier fascia greeen, I decided to go with flat black for several reasons: to minimize distraction from the layout and more importantly, to disguise/hide any imperfections. I still have to engineer and fabricate a short valance section over the latest Steam Nut extension on Capital Street before I dig out the small roller and give everything a coat of paint.
Looking at the pictures I've posted, the one thing that's increasingly annoying to me is the floor color (red); if I had it to do over again, and that might very well actually happen, I think I'd go with a much more muted color like gray...again, to minimize the distraction. The piant in the pictures is only two years old and it's already wearing out in spots, so a repaint might very well be in order someday soon.
As Mark will confirm, one of my early hobby heros was Irv Schultz, whose St Clair Northern was one of the early diorama layouts. That type of arrangement has always appealed to me, and although not directly related to a layout's functionality or reliability, a really nicely done layout room adds a lot (in my opinion) to the overall appeal of the railroad. Having spent twenty plus years putzing around with this project, I've gotten to the point that I want to make and keep the place looking clean and neat (just ask Steam about my incessant vacuuming!)
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hunter48820
Fireman
6024 Posts |
Posted - 05/31/2008 : 02:15:39 AM
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Hi Rick,
I feel your pain in several areas. I too have a habit of deciding to make changes once I've built something. I've ripped up a fair amount of track and framework including sections of fascia. But I still like to glue things such as the fascia since it makes it much more sturdy (in my mind!)
I also wanted the fascia to be painted a color that would not attact the eye. It is actually darker than it shows in the photo. I got a color as close as possible to Great Northern Empire Builder Green. It has a very slight touch of gray and I'm happy with the look. This is even more important when it comes to a multi-deck layout.
I painted most of my floor with the proper paint with a primer sealer under it but the paint has been chipping and coming up in chunks. I do have commercial carpet squares that were given to me, enough I believe for the whole visible floor.
The carpet is blue with flecks of gray in it. My wife is making black fabric skirting for the layout and I think the three colors, fascia/skirting/carpet are going to work out nicely. We will see!!
The lowest deck on the right in the photo is actually north staging. Not much fun to use as the body gets older![:-boggled] But it works good enough for what I need.
The layout will have three decks and the mainline will be close to 1000' long when done. I plan to have 50 staging tracks, 25 at each end of the railroad.
Should keep me going till the end, my end that is!! [:-eyebrows] |
Best, Andy Keeney
Look out for #1, but don't step in #2! |
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MarkF
Engineer
USA
9272 Posts |
Posted - 05/31/2008 : 12:25:27 PM
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Andy, it's good that you are willing to make changes as you go. You know what they say; 'the bast laid plans...'. I'm the same way. As much as you might plan, things always seem to change when you start to build and can better visualize what things will look like. Or better yet, new ideas surface that may require a change. Or, as I've been warning Rick, once we get operating, certain things may surface that we didn't anticipate that may require a change or modification. Whatever the reason, don't be afraid to change! Make it as close to perfect as possible so your happy with it.
I've really enjoyed watching your progress Andy. You have a HUGE layout and you've made great progress. Speaking of which, isn't it time you updated your thread with some pics? |
Mark
See my homepage at http://home.comcast.net/~prrndiv/
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hunter48820
Fireman
6024 Posts |
Posted - 05/31/2008 : 8:45:22 PM
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Hi Mark,
Thanks for your kind thoughts. I need to add photos but I have so many in the albums that I've run out of room. Will have to review and reduce the size of the albums and photos in them. I still hope to create my own website sometime in the not too distant future. But all in good time I guess.
Regarding the changes to the layout, I'm not real good at putting the finer design points to paper. The overall design is no problem but you are right, for individual scenes, I need to stand there and look at the area for awhile to get a feel for what works best.
I never worry about ripping out small or large sections of the layout if I know in the long run that it will make for a better operating layout.
I'm eyeing a few areas now for changes, some possibly major. Keep this up and the layout will never get done!![:-boggled][:-eyebrows] |
Best, Andy Keeney
Look out for #1, but don't step in #2! |
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Orionvp17
Fireman
USA
2806 Posts |
Posted - 05/31/2008 : 9:15:28 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by hunter48820
I also wanted the fascia to be painted a color that would not attact the eye. It is actually darker than it shows in the photo. I got a color as close as possible to Great Northern Empire Builder Green. It has a very slight touch of gray and I'm happy with the look. This is even more important when it comes to a multi-deck layout.
Andy,
Glad to know you're happy with the fascia color! [:-thumbu][:-thumbu]
Pete
in Michigan |
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hunter48820
Fireman
6024 Posts |
Posted - 05/31/2008 : 9:54:19 PM
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That's right Pete, you're the man that got me going in the right direction!! I'm very happy with it although it's a little off the GN color. |
Best, Andy Keeney
Look out for #1, but don't step in #2! |
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Harsco
Fireman
USA
1101 Posts |
Posted - 06/04/2008 : 06:48:27 AM
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It may appear that things have slowed down some, but that's not the case. Having finished the majority of the fascia (except for one area near Lucknow), I finally got around to painting it flat black to match the valence; although a seemingly simple task, I think it helps tie everything together:
Part of the fascia work included final installation of the Digitrax receptacles:
The last big hurdle is the branch line's skewed bridge over the main and into Commonwelath Coke. John R provided the expertise based on the the actual location and using two Walther's double-track truss kits, kitbashed a longer version to fit this area:
I didn't think to take a picture the other evening when we were working; Steam took John's handiwork home with him that evening for painting. Once the bride is installed, we can then complete the trackwork for the Commonwealth complex, which essentially will bring the layout up to "operational level".
Meanwhile, Mark F continues to diligently work on an operational schematic, no easy task considering that the steel mill inter and intra plant operations must be coordinated with a fairly active mainline which will feature (at this time at least, subject to a lot of changes) four through as well as several way freights AND a couple of unit trains for the Commonwealth Coke. One glaring ommission in my track plan is the lack of a classification yard....we have a lot of staging, but no way to sort cars once back in staging. While this may seem to be model railraoding blasphemy, it's our hope that most, if not all sorting will be handled by the harried Division Street operators who will send out blocked consists on the through freights headed back to staging.
If all this sounds confusing to anyone out there, you're not alone... ss Mark has commented on several occasions: we're dealing with a different kind of operational animal here!
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Edited by - Harsco on 06/04/2008 06:49:33 AM |
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Dutchman
Administrator
USA
23230 Posts |
Posted - 06/04/2008 : 07:39:25 AM
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| Rick, the fascia looks great, and I'm looking forward to seeing pictures of the bridge. |
Bruce
Modeling the railroads of the Jersey Highlands in HO and the logging railroads of Pennsylvania in HOn3 |
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Harsco
Fireman
USA
1101 Posts |
Posted - 06/04/2008 : 08:44:27 AM
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Thanks, Bruce...hopefully within the next week or two I'll have something to post. I had to get off-line before I had a chance to edit my last entry, but wanted to explain that the two pieces of cork road bed shown in the bridge area picture will be dummy tracks, depicting where the PRR passenger main reunites with the freight main (HTRR) just east (geographically south) of Rockville Bridge, which most definitely will NOT be modeled...LOL.
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Harsco
Fireman
USA
1101 Posts |
Posted - 06/13/2008 : 08:17:38 AM
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Another work session the other evening; having spent close to ten hours painting two bridges for me, Steam arrived with the Commonwealth skewed bridge built by John R and with Mark and myself, spent most of the evening installing it. Here's a few shots early on as we attempt to position and level it:
An earlier, incorrectly skewed version will be used as the Capital Street roadway bridge...here it is painted in a nice shade of 'municipal green:
Steam went all out in detailing this bridge, adding a walkway that will match up nicely with the sidewalk that it connects to. The end closest to the camera will end at the benchwork, suggesting the street continues.
Mark continues his mental wrestling match with the operating scheme; at this stage we're all still verbally walking through the movements, trying to identify the key elements that will dictate the operational tempo. At first we keyed on the blast furnace taps (3 per session or day) as an activity which will dictate a lot of movements, but after further thought, we may switch to identifying all the inbound mineral movements as the key factors. In a typical session, the small Harsco Herr Street yard will receive trainloads of coke, coal, ore, scrap, limestone, and dolomite...all of which has to be moved, unloaded, and the empties shipped out before the yard turns into an operational nightmare. This will require close coordination between the Harsco yard crews and a PRR hot crew to ensure that whatever needs to get off the property happens in a timely manner. Add to this "hot movements" of molten iron and steel between the blast furnance, open hearth, Basic Oxygen Furnace on Maclay Street, and off-line customers, and we have a receipe for an Excedrin Headache #45.
Now that the Commonwealth bridge has been installed, the last phase of track laying will shortly begin as we install the coke works trackage.
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Edited by - Harsco on 06/13/2008 08:28:19 AM |
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MarkF
Engineer
USA
9272 Posts |
Posted - 06/13/2008 : 08:43:12 AM
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| Bruce went all out on those bridges, especially that road bridge. Good picture Rick, but it doesn't do it justice! Maybe one more night of trackwork and we are finished the bulk of the trackwork, then we can start 'playing trains'! |
Mark
See my homepage at http://home.comcast.net/~prrndiv/
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Dutchman
Administrator
USA
23230 Posts |
Posted - 06/13/2008 : 08:54:00 AM
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Rick,
Those bridges sure look great. Nice work, Bruce! |
Bruce
Modeling the railroads of the Jersey Highlands in HO and the logging railroads of Pennsylvania in HOn3 |
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Miles
Engine Wiper
461 Posts |
Posted - 06/13/2008 : 3:15:57 PM
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WOW! If it were real, I'd love to stand out on that bridge everyday with my camera, watching the transition era roll by.. It's Fantastic.
What shade of paint do you mix to create muncipal green? Just Floquil Med. Green or what?
Beautiful work, very interesting skewing makes this scene 20 times more interesting. |
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lv4142003
Engine Wiper
USA
160 Posts |
Posted - 06/13/2008 : 4:27:34 PM
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| Rick, is that MuniciPAL or MUNIciple Green? Hueber |
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Harrisburg Terminal Railroad (HTRR)
