Layout Progress...Never too late!!! "Steel Mill Painted and Weathered" 6/25/24

Hi Everyone,

Here are some photos of DAY TWO progress. I'm a bit late posting this. Today was a slow due to having to make a run for more materials and family obligations.  It's not pretty but I will share as promised.

Thanks,

Dave

Mock-up of tenement row and warehouse area.

Another view.

All buildings have to be removed to start ground and rock work.

Carved rock entering the switching area.

Beginning process of painting/weathering track.

More tenements laying where there was space. Still waiting on the ground work to dry on the top of the hillside.

I took this pic outside of the hobby store today. This is Georgia in late fall and it was about 77 degrees today. I will use this image to make my next batch of trees.

Looks like good progress to me!  Your late fall photograph looks like September in Western Pennsylvania.

Thanks Mark. I guess any step forward constitutes progress. If things go well the "transformation" will happen tomorrow. Yes, we're a bit behind down this way with the fall transformation. However, we will probably be completely green as the leaves just start to appear up your way.

Dave

I really like how you do your buildings. I'm taking notes!

@luvindemtrains posted:

Thanks Mark. I guess any step forward constitutes progress. If things go well the "transformation" will happen tomorrow. Yes, we're a bit behind down this way with the fall transformation. However, we will probably be completely green as the leaves just start to appear up your way.

Dave

I’m looking forward to seeing the transformation!!!  

Probably be completely green?  I guarantee they will be completely green.  👍🏻  

Mark-You are right. We're the last to catch up to fall and winter but the first back to spring and summer.

Bill-I just start putting buildings together until I see combinations I like.

Dave,

It's awesome work, but I am confused.     Have you gone to 2-rail?  The first 9 pages of this thread distinctly show 3-rail track, but towards the bottom of 9 and here, it's 2-rail.  Or am I losing it? 

George

Dave,

Caught up now. Where do I begin? You’re filling out the layout with unique and interesting structures and formations, and doing so with amazing skill. Well done. I like the fact that you’re willing to redo something if it doesn’t look right to you. I subscribed to your YouTube channel. Can’t wait to go through the videos. Keep up the great work! I look forward to the future works.

Andy

George,

Let me first assure you that you ARE NOT going crazy. My main train room is 3-rail. However, I have a second room that has a small 2-rail set up. There are some entries in this thread that show the 2-rail room but most of my postings here, are of the 3-rail section.

Andy,

I appreciate your positive feedback. It's not easy to go back after I have done something because sometimes I just want to move on. However, I don't want to look at any part of the layout and say, "I wish I would have". Especially if there is something I could've done about it. Thanks for the sub!

Dave

Good Afternoon,

I didn't get a chance to post yesterday's progress so everything will be a day behind. Though I didn't get to everything I wanted to yesterday, progress is progress.  Today is Peter's last day with me but, together, we were able to accomplish a lot. I think with some much needed time off from work, I will be able to get a bit more progress done before the open house. It will be nothing "major" but transforming.

Dave

More dirt/ground cover around and in the pond. It's now ready for water.

This is the park pop out. Added more dirt/rocks to stream bed. It too, is now ready for water.

Cut down the hillside on top of the natural rock cut. Added more plaster to top of tunnel and re-cut rock.

Put some sculptamold down on each side of the grade crossing and uphill along tenements. Created a road on other side of grade crossing using spackle. I won't do the road on the other side until I have the small town in place. Also put planking between tracks at grade crossing.

Painted dock first coat of "concrete". Also spackled between the tracks so the trucks have access to the loading dock.

Retaining wall installed.

Dave, you and Peter accomplished a lot!!  It all looks great!  The rock surfaces look fantastic!

Thank you Mark! We put together a task list so that there were things he and I both could do to make it happen. Hopefully I can keep a schedule going to get a few more things done.

Dave

Dave, that is truly a work art. Like so many other postings on the forum; it’s intimidating! Congratulations, outstanding job.

Jay Francis,

I really appreciate your very kind words.

Dave

Outstanding Dave! The transformation is great. You have a nice eye for the various scenes. Do you have a video showing the rock work from start to finish? What are you planning to use for water?

Andy

Andy,

Thanks you kindly.  I will have a video with everything I have been doing on the layout recently. The video will show the various phases of the rock work but because it's not a how-to video I don't actually show how the rock is carved. I may need to make a how-to video.

I will use Envirotex Light and Woodland Scenics Deep Pour Water for the water. I will be building a harbor and I'm not quite sure what I will use there.

Dave

The scene in the first picture blows my mind. It looks like I've been there.

Thank you Bill! I have been to all of the places on the layout. Mostly in person all others in my imagination.

Dave

  Luvindemtrains

  Great work. You manage to fit a lot of scenery in without it looking to be on top of itself or compressed.

fast freight,

Thank you much.

Thanks Dave. I’m curious (and I’m sure others are too) how you achieve such amazing results.

Andy

How did the open house go?

Andy

@luvindemtrains posted:

George,

Let me first assure you that you ARE NOT going crazy. My main train room is 3-rail. However, I have a second room that has a small 2-rail set up. There are some entries in this thread that show the 2-rail room but most of my postings here, are of the 3-rail section.

Really?     

Where did you get your medical degree? 

They BOTH look great! 

George

@luvindemtrains posted:

Andy,

Thanks you kindly.  I will have a video with everything I have been doing on the layout recently. The video will show the various phases of the rock work but because it's not a how-to video I don't actually show how the rock is carved. I may need to make a how-to video.

I will use Envirotex Light and Woodland Scenics Deep Pour Water for the water. I will be building a harbor and I'm not quite sure what I will use there.

Dave

Dave, before you purchase Woodland Scenics Deep Pour Water, check out his manufacturer. FGCI Super Epoxy Systems SuperClear Super Epoxy Systems. You can purchase much larger quantities than WS Deep Pour for less. I used this for my lake, worked great with WS water systems paints and tints.

https://www.superepoxysystems....mp;mc_eid=ce3884b92a

Check it out and let me know what you think. below is at online purchase code for current sale prices.

Code: lgdp30

Scott

Dave,

I enjoy following your progress. I noticed that you paint your track a brown color first and ,if I am correct, you then go back over it to darken the ties. Am I correct?  It looks great and seems like a great way to do it.

Great work Dave. Beautiful scenes!

Bob

Andy,

Again, you are too kind. I'm not ashamed to say I learn by asking questions, watching a lot of videos, studying photos, and from right here on this forum. I also have worked with some people over the years because I saw their work and said hmmmm. There is too much information out there that I don't have to reinvent the wheel. Sometimes along the way I may figure out a way to do it "my way" but it's just a variation of something I've learned. One thing I don't do is say I can't do it. If I can't, at first, I will learn using everything I stated earlier.

BTW, the open house is next Saturday November 20. I'm doing a few more small projects and running trains to make sure there are no hiccups.

George,

Thank you much! No medical degree here but my assurance is based on your observation of this thread. What you have seen is accurate. I certainly don't have the magic to make the middle rail disappear.

Scott,

I will look into your suggestion. Would you mind showing some photos of where you have used the product on your layout?

Dave

Thank you Bob!

Hey Dave,

Yes I do paint most of the track brown(Rustoleum Camo Brown).  Then I paint the some of the ties for variation. I only paint the ties that are within viewing range. I experimented with an oxide color and I think it looks ok. I will see what I think of it once I add ballast.

Dave

Thanks Dave.  I've already experimented with the same color and plan to play with the tie color. I like your choice of oxide. I have seen a video or two of folks using a light gray to show age (after roughing up the tie surface) and some using almost black colors randomly suggesting new tie replacement.  I'm going to start with your choice and go from there.

Earl     

@luvindemtrains posted:

Andy,

Again, you are too kind. I'm not ashamed to say I learn by asking questions, watching a lot of videos, studying photos, and from right here on this forum. I also have worked with some people over the years because I saw their work and said hmmmm. There is too much information out there that I don't have to reinvent the wheel. Sometimes along the way I may figure out a way to do it "my way" but it's just a variation of something I've learned. One thing I don't do is say I can't do it. If I can't, at first, I will learn using everything I stated earlier.

BTW, the open house is next Saturday November 20. I'm doing a few more small projects and running trains to make sure there are no hiccups.

George,

Thank you much! No medical degree here but my assurance is based on your observation of this thread. What you have seen is accurate. I certainly don't have the magic to make the middle rail disappear.

Scott,

I will look into your suggestion. Would you mind showing some photos of where you have used the product on your layout?

Dave

Hi Dave,

I just took some new photos of the lake, waterfall, and pond leading into the lake. I used the SuperClear Liquid Glass 2.0. The lake is about 3/8" deep. The lake is modeled after a couple of my favorite lakes in Plumas County California. I wish I had put more WS tint into the resin, but live and learn.

Here's the product.

I left it glassy like a mirror for the early morning Sierra Nevada lake look.

I used WS water waves to chop up the surface of the water in the pond and the water coming out of the culvert into the lake.

Hope this helps,

Scott

Dave,

Sounds good! Let me know how it works out.

Scott,

Thanks for the photos. I may have to try this product out.

Dave,

in that case, good luck this Saturday.

Andy

Thank you Andy! It should be lots of fun.

Dave

Good Morning Forumites,

I, again, wanted to share some progress on the layout. I think I'll work today and tomorrow to finish this up. Friday will be running trains ALL DAY and preparing for visitors on Saturday.

Dave

First layer is real dirt...

Next fine ground foam then coarse(darker) ground foam...

The next morning, I gave the foreground(drainage) the same treatment.

This is the insert on the workbench to start planting trees.

Insert back on the layout to start blending the trees with two outer sections.

Believe it or not this is over 60 trees!

Re-install of the girder bridge with a new coat of paint/weathering.

Started the ground work around tenements. NO, those are not clouds but patch work for the screw holes that were in the walls.

Dirt added to hillside, steps added way in the corner and the second house from right, and gravel added to parking area.

Fascia also patched. Needs sanding then it will be ready for painting.

WOW Dave, That looks Outstanding! Have fun running trains on Friday, I sure hope the gremlins dont show up this weekend!

Thanks Mike! After all of this work it will be nice just to run the trains. Gremlins?

Dave

@luvindemtrains posted:

Thanks Mike! After all of this work it will be nice just to run the trains. Gremlins?

Dave

Gremlins, I spent last Friday running trains as I had friends coming over to see the trains and visit. The trains made 2 loops and stopped!

I checked the next morning as in one place on 2 different loops I had a power feed come loose! My bad, it just sucked as they ran perfect the day before!

OK, I gotcha! I hope that doesn't happen. I always give the trains a pep talk before we have company. It works...most of the time, lol.

Dave

Lots of eye candy Dave. Nice work, the insert looks great. I wish I could see this in person. I hope the folks that come through on Saturday appreciate the level of work involved. Outstanding…

Andy