Chugman posted:I have been working on my river valley and it is finally done. Every time I thought that I was done, I had to do one more thing before I could put the bridges back in place. First it was pouring the river, then it was deciding on and making the guardrails along the road, and lastly it was making highway signs.
Art:
That is stunning work. Really, really fine looking water. Ya done good.
Steven J. Serenska
Art,
Looking great! Wow you have done a lot since the last update. Love the river and road.
Keep all the updates coming. I learn so much from each one. Great work Jim, looks like dad has you doing all the "hard work" while he gets the "fun stuff" . 
Not only a great layout but wonderful time machine window.
Thanks for sharing.
Tom
Your river scene is great!! I have about the same idea on my layout....but waiting until all heavy work is done as I need it as a walkway right now. But I will use yours as inspiration for mine. Thanks for sharing.
Where my river will run...in the current gap..
Roll on Mississippi! Looks great, Art! I always liked that kind of guardrail even way back when they were common growing up!
Jim’s the man, Art!!
AMCDave posted:Your river scene is great!! I have about the same idea on my layout....but waiting until all heavy work is done as I need it as a walkway right now. But I will use yours as inspiration for mine. Thanks for sharing.
Where my river will run...in the current gap..
Looking good Dave! Make sure that engineer doesn’t back up! LOL
Art,
Fantastic work on the Mississippi River! Jim did great work on adding the green lights near each of your power switches. Great idea!
LOL, is that a cop car hiding behind the Hamms billboard? 
Love your layout
Art, that sure is some great work there! Your Highway with the guard rail looks wonderful! But what really stands out is the Mississippi river is the best! Love the boaters, Oh and cant forget about the police, thinking about sipping some Hamm's Beer! LOL All in all great work all around! I always look forward for your updates!
Art, Great looking scene along the river and I LOVE the billboard!
Wow! Your river section looks amazing. Glad to see you are making a ton of progress.
Art, first chance I had to see the finished river project. It really came out great. And good choice on the type of guardrail. That made for the scene.......................Paul
Art
that looks absolutely amazing
Alex
I think you mean U.S. Highway 52, which runs north of Sebula.
Art,
fantastic work!
Looks great Art. The river came out perfect.
Bob
Thanks for all the great comments guys, I really appreciate it.
I have been busy adding a forest canopy to the bluff behind my curved stone arch bridge. I want it to look like the bluffs along the Mississippi River near Savanna, IL by Palisades State Park. I stopped to count the trees that I have made and installed and it is 495 so far. These are mostly tree tops with the ready-made trees at the base.
I have had it with trees for a few days, so I started building an Atlas Suburban Station kit. I am painting it Milwaukee Road two-tone gray and will use it for my Savanna station. I had my wife help me select the paints at Home Depot by looking at a picture of a real station on my cell phone. After painting the station parts, I love the dark gray, but the light gray is too light. So I rubbed the walls with some medium gray chalk and it looks pretty good to me. It also gave it a moderately aged and highlighted the details look which I wanted.
I will post pictures of my tree canopy and hopefully my new station soon. It doesn't look like I am going to have much time to work on it over the weekend.
Art
Nice work keep the progress pics coming.
Over the weekend I have been working on the area behind my curved stone arch bridge. The scene is an amalgam of sorts in that the bridge was loosely patterned after the bridge of the same name that crosses the Mississippi River between Minneapolis and St. Paul. The rocky bluff behind my bridge I want to look like the bluffs on the Mississippi River at Palisades State Park just North of Savanna, IL.
After making and installing 495 tree tops, I think I am pretty close. I still have some areas to add some shrubs and tweak things a bit, but you can get general feel for it now.
Art
Art, that is a great scene. Think you capture what you wanted to do............Paul
Art that's some real... Art!!! Great work!
Jim
I have seen the bluffs on the Mississippi and it's nice place to see and great scene to mimic on your layout, Art! Wow, that is a lot of trees which looks great!
Chugman posted:
After making and installing 495 tree tops, I think I am pretty close.
Art
Very nice Art, looks great! Mind if I ask what you used to create the tree tops?
Beautiful scene and work. I am inspired to try making some rock out formations on some areas. What did you use to make the folliage on that neat face?
Art,
Great work, you have captured the river and bluffs. Love the rock outcroppings and all the trees.
Tom
I used black poly fiber from MicroMark for the tree tops. I was intimidated at first, but it is very easy. A little messy, but not hard at all. You just pull the poly fiber apart and roll small pieces into balls about half the size of a golf ball, spray it with diluted Elmer's Glue, roll in flocking, and glue it to the layout. Then repeat 495 times. I used grass or turf in different colors from Scenic Express and Woodland Scenics. They both are very good products.
Art
pennsynut posted:Beautiful scene and work. I am inspired to try making some rock out formations on some areas. What did you use to make the folliage on that neat face?
The rock formations are rock molds from Woodland Scenics. This to was very easy just time consuming and boring after a short time.
Art
One word stunning!
Alex
Hey Art, any chance we can visit the layout at the March Meet?
Matt Makens posted:Hey Art, any chance we can visit the layout at the March Meet?
Matt, that would be fine if we can find a time. We are all going to the meet and especially the layout tours and operating sessions. It gets a little hectic during the show as there is so much to see and do. Stay in touch and we should be able to work it out.
Art
Art, you are one special man! Your work is just amazing! I always look forward to your update post! Thanks for sharing with the rest of us!
Very nice rendition Art!
Thanks as always for your words of encouragement, guys.
My project for today is creating some two lane country roads that lead away from my river. They will be aged concrete and have seen better days. Yesterday I cut the Masonite and painted them with a coat of aged concrete paint. Today I need to add striping and weather the traffic lanes. I have decided to use white dashes for the center line as I think that is the way they were in the early 60's in that part of the country. Then I want to add the appropriate signs. Highway number, stop signs, speed limits, city name signs, and etc. I am hoping to get all that done today and evening so I can start adding guardrails, grass, sand, and trees tomorrow.
The grade crossing wood planks between the tracks will also need to be added soon. Since the tracks are curved in this area I think I will steal one of Paul's ideas and try balsa wood for it's flexibility.
Art
Yes, I remember the all white highway marking lines in Western Pennsylvania also. I'm sure the roads will look very good!
Hi Art
It has been a while for me. Excellent progress! You always work and leave everything so clean looking. Did you ever decide on what and when with the track ballast?
Ray
Ray Marion posted:Hi Art
It has been a while for me. Excellent progress! You always work and leave everything so clean looking. Did you ever decide on what and when with the track ballast?
Ray
Ray I was beginning to think that you were swallowed by a black hole or something? It has been quite awhile. I hate going back to work with a dirty, messy workplace so there only seems to be one solution.
Concerning ballast, I think I am going with what Menards calls their Traction Sand, but will strain it to remove the larger pieces. I like that look for my upper level Milwaukee Road branchline.
I haven't decided what to use for the lower level yet. I have ballast from Brennan and Scenic Express. While I like both they just aren't the right shade. I was out this afternoon and was studying the BNSF mainline and wish I could find something that was closer to their crushed granite that they use in this part of the country. It has a variegated brown/gray color with a tinge of a pink shade to it. Not very easy to match in my opinion.
Art
I’m speechless. Absolutely stunning!!
Art, very nice.
just a comment on the grade crossing, I have just started using the ones from Blair Line, the are cut for curves or straight, and work well with the atlas track. Here is a link to that page. I highly recommend these very quick and easy.
Rich883 posted:Art, very nice.
just a comment on the grade crossing, I have just started using the ones from Blair Line, the are cut for curves or straight, and work well with the atlas track. Here is a link to that page. I highly recommend these very quick and easy.
Thanks, Rich. I will have to give them a try. My crossings are across double-track with the radiuses of 072 and 081.
Art
You do good work Art !! Thanks for posting the photo's
Clem
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