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nhguy
Fireman
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 Posted - 03/03/2010 : 12:28:14 AM
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I started playing with my Noch Grassmaster and some Noch and Silfor grasses.
Here's an area in Wethersfield near the station.
Here's the continuing construction of the culvert area
I'm still experimenting but so far it's pretty neat stuff. I've been going low grass to high grass and the effect is good. Anyone else have any tips for using this method or a better one?
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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 |
Country: USA
| Posts: 3666 |
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Orionvp17
Fireman
Premium Member
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Posted - 03/03/2010 : 10:10:25 AM
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Bill,
Good start!
The colors look pretty uniform to me in the picture.
You might try a mix of colors and sizes in the hopper all at once. This will produce an elegant mixture of colors and textures with very little effort. Throw 'em in the hopper, mix 'em up and have at it. Don't worry about the percentages of this and that, either; you want "random."
Pete
in Michigan
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Country: USA
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nhguy
Fireman
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Posted - 03/03/2010 : 2:06:02 PM
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That's what I am doing Pete. The camera doesn't do it justice. It looks better in person. I'm as random as you can get when it comes to this stuff. I figured that one out on my own a long time ago. Aren't you proud? LOL!
I tell you what though. I'm going to try my hand at my own 'prairie tufts' on the cookie sheet that I saw in an article one time. That way I can create irregular patterns for all kinds of things.
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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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Country: USA
| Posts: 3666 |
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Dutchman
Administrator
Premium Member
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Posted - 03/03/2010 : 4:19:24 PM
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Bill,
I particularly like the looks of the culvert area.
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Bruce
Modeling the railroads of the Jersey Highlands in HO and the logging railroads of Pennsylvania in HOn3 |
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Country: USA
| Posts: 23234 |
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Orionvp17
Fireman
Premium Member
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Posted - 03/03/2010 : 9:31:32 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by nhguy
I tell you what though. I'm going to try my hand at my own 'prairie tufts' on the cookie sheet that I saw in an article one time. That way I can create irregular patterns for all kinds of things.
I've found that a "chip brush," usually a hardware store item, but occasionally found in the basting section of a kitchen supplier (at higher cost, too!) makes a great brush for roughing in backdrops with craft acrylics. It's basically a cheap, soft-bristled, usually tan with a wood handle, brush used to clean metal chips off machine tools (or baste your turkey). When you're done, "sort of" clean the brush, but don't be fussy about it. You should then have a greenish brush, which you can then cut up as raw material for those "tufts."
Pete
in Michigan
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Country: USA
| Posts: 2808 |
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ak-milw
Engine Wiper
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Posted - 03/03/2010 : 9:42:59 PM
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Or if your near a farm store baleing twine works great too.
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| Andy Kramer -- Modeling the Milwaukee Road in Wisconsin |
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Country: USA
| Posts: 450 |
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Frederic Testard
Engineer
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Posted - 03/04/2010 : 03:15:20 AM
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The shape of the grass is really good, Bill.
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| Frederic Testard |
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Country: France
| Posts: 16456 |
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MarkF
Engineer
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Posted - 03/04/2010 : 09:20:39 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by nhguy
I'm as random as you can get when it comes to this stuff.
The grass looks great Bill! I can't wait until I get to that stage and can try that out myself.
As far as 'experimenting' and randomness goes, I've found that experimenting with different techniques over the layout and not settling on one approach is sometimes what yields the best results! Otherwise, things tend to being to look too uniform, and we all know nature is anything but uniform! Keep going. It looks great!
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Mark
See my homepage at http://home.comcast.net/~prrndiv/
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Country: USA
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Vagel Keller
Crew Chief
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Posted - 03/07/2010 : 6:24:52 PM
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Nicely done, Bill. I've always stayed away from static grass, but you're causing me to rethink my prejudice. I've enjoyed watching the culvert scene take shape, too.
Vagel
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Country: USA
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Grubes
Engine Wiper
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Posted - 03/07/2010 : 6:33:25 PM
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Bill,
I think the grass is very realistic looking. Your pictures and some of the others here are really pushing me to the static world.
Dave
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Country: USA
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nhguy
Fireman
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Posted - 02/12/2011 : 02:30:40 AM
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WOW! I guess it has been a while since I've done any construction. Almost a year!
I finally got off my duff and had some time today to actually build onto the layout. There was only six feet separating New Haven Yard to the rest of the layout. So here we go.
This is the area that I built up with the 1/2" plywood. This is the Thames River area near Tower S.S.80 or also known as New Haven Junction. To the left is New Haven Yard benchwork I salvaged from my previous layout.
A view looking south
And two of the four bridges going in over the river and a creek feeding it. Of course these are the temporary bridges. But it gives me access to the yard and a 'feel' for what it will look like.
I tend to work quickly when I get to the track laying part. Hom-a-bed down first then the track. Usually I paint the Home-a-bed to seal it. But I just wanted to get some track down and run a train into New Haven yard!
OK. Just for my own sanity I HAD to run the first train into New Haven Yard so I put down temporary track and did it. This is a train left over from the Feb ops session that happened to be in the next town. It has crossed the Thames River and onto where the yard throat for the freights will go.
The train makes it into the yard
And the whole train in New Haven! I should have done this a year ago.
The train is now on the freight main heading south on the northbound track. Good thing it's the only train there at present.
This is the correct direction for the main track 2. The inbound track to the main yard.
If you look at photo two and the crossover this is where the freight mains and the passenger mains, which will be in the rear, converge. Hence tower S.S.80 to control it all.
The curvature for the front track is 38". The two mains are 36" and 38" as will be the two passenger mains in the rear. I'll get to that tomorrow I think.
Now I have a problem. The plan calls for a curved turnout just after the bridge on the front track. The diverging route should be 38" and the through route 40" in a #8 or #10 frog size. And it has to be DCC ready or a dead frog that I will power with contacts.
I have to admit publicly that I've never built one from scratch before. I'm a little timid about doing it for my first one. Do I have a volunteer?
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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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Country: USA
| Posts: 3666 |
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hunter48820
Fireman
Premium Member
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Posted - 02/12/2011 : 02:59:31 AM
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Looks good Bill, nice to see updates with pics!! Looking forward to another group of session pics!!
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Best, Andy Keeney
Look out for #1, but don't step in #2! |
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Orionvp17
Fireman
Premium Member
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Posted - 02/12/2011 : 10:14:21 AM
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Looks good to me, Bill! I'm envious!
AFA the turnout is concerned, I'd (carefully) draw the switch on a large sheet of paper, make several "just in case" copies, tape the drawing to a sheet of pine or Homosote and have at it. It's not that difficult, and it will both solve your problems and give you a real sense of satisfaction. Go for it!
Pete
in Michigan
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Country: USA
| Posts: 2808 |
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MarkF
Engineer
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Posted - 02/13/2011 : 09:45:38 AM
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Looks great Bill! Isn't it amazing how we reach a certain point on a project, then maybe get distracted due to some obstacle, only to return later (maybe a year later), realize that the obstacle wasn't that big a deal and wish we had just completed the project way back when! Well, at least your into the yard. It will all come together for you!
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Mark
See my homepage at http://home.comcast.net/~prrndiv/
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Country: USA
| Posts: 9276 |
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jbvb
Fireman
Premium Member
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Posted - 02/16/2011 : 11:45:13 AM
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I'm way too far from you to help physically, but I agree with Pete. The one thing about 38/40 radii is that drawing them straight may not work; try it and see if the frog is an impossibly high number. Curved switches work best if the points-frog segment is laid out with the outer radius 3x the inner radius. Past the frog you can change radius, subject to your preferences for easements.
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Country: USA
| Posts: 1866 |
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George D
Moderator
Premium Member
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