My dream/nightmare layout... July Update 7/31/19 Big Boy month!

Mill City posted:

Am I the only one that can't see Elliot's latest two images?

Nah Jon, it wasn't you. Happens once in a while if I take too long to complete the post.

Fixed

mike g. posted:

Mill City, I think so ! I can see them plain as day!

I use my wife to verify if pics can be seen by everyone. This time she said no, so I just edited them back in. At least there were only two. I had this same thing happen on one of my year end reports a couple years ago. Talk about a pain!

Big_Boy_4005 posted:

mike g. posted:

Mill City, I think so ! I can see them plain as day!

I use my wife to verify if pics can be seen by everyone. This time she said no, so I just edited them back in. At least there were only two. I had this same thing happen on one of my year end reports a couple years ago. Talk about a pain!

I can imagine. Your bluff makes me want to shop at Dayton's....

Woah!!!  the lost and found photographs look GREAT, Elliot!!!  Excellent work!!  

I’m waiting patiently, but with much anticipation, for when you work your way around to Hastings. Now I know your not dating your layout back to the days of the Spiral Bridge, but that river crossing at the Mississippi or even a modest rendering of that lovely little depot would dutifully define Hastings.

Jim, you're in luck, because the Milwaukee Road lift bridge and the depot are really the only elements that I'll be including. Well, the Con Agra Mill too. That's all the room I have.

Hastings is very simple compared to Red Wing. Note the uneven fascia on the left end of the west face. There's a bit of a clearance problem with that track, so they shaved the roof.

Cool picture. That wasn't even on my radar. I moved to Colorado in 1979, and returned in 1986. By the time I discovered Hoffman, I think it was gone. You can still kind of go railfanning there by parking on the grassy triangle between Warner Road and Childs, because that land belongs to the city. Just jump the curb. The camera angles aren't quite as good, but you might be able to move a little to the east if on foot, and not be bothered.

Elliot, things are really taking shape and getting exciting.  Scenery is the stage that we all work towards and it seems sometimes like it will never arrive.  I'm torn between which is the bigger reward, the scenery or operations?  Either one is hollow without the other in my opinion.  When you are able to achieve both, it is the best of all.  

There is just something about green things that makes a layout.  Grass, weeds, and ground vegetation make a big impact, but the trees and bushes are what makes the greatest impact.  Then when you add the working signals, people, vehicles, and all, it becomes magical.  The layout starts breathing and takes on a life of its own.  The effects of all this mesmerizing to me and worth all the work and planning required to make it happen.

I doubt that you ever get tired of compliments so here are a few more.  I wasn't sure when you started this journey that you would ever be able to see it to the finish line based on your health, limitations, and with such an aggressive master plan.  I am happy to see that you have been able to make believers of all of us doubting Thomases.  I'm not sure what is most impressive: your vision, your abilities, or your persistence?  In any rate, they have all worked together to get you to where you are at.  It has been a fun ride from my perspective and I'm glad that you have made it possible for me to tag along.  

Great job on your scenery so far.  Can't wait to see more.

Art

WOW, very well said Art! Next time I want to comment I will shoot you an E- mail and tell you what I want to convey and you can write it up for me! I am always at a loss for words when I see Elliot's updates! He is such a masterful builder in every aspect! Thanks for writing such a great response that most of us wish we could!

I love the color of the Rails, Ties and Ballast they all go really well together. The Rock work and Color is very good. Your hard work is paying off, now the real fun begins bringing the Layout to life.

Thanks Art. Because of this convention stuff, I've had to focus all my attention toward scenery. All of the operations stuff has gone to the back burner.

Here are some of the latest pics, after yesterday's work session. There's still more greenery to be added, but it's getting close.

Thanks Mike, I know you're a man of few words. Just be yourself. It's the thought that counts.

Tyler, I don't recall seeing you here before. Welcome aboard. The rail and ties are actually the same color because I air brush them after they are in place. The color was taken from a batch of four cases of GarGraves that I bought from a forum member who had painted them. He said he had a piece of rail color matched. I just walked into Menards, and picked a color from memory. It was about a half a shade off. Close enough. I had to do a lot of touch up on the stuff he painted, but you really can't tell where it was blended.

Art, Very well said!  I agree I like great scenery and operations.  They do go hand in hand for me too!  Something has been missing for me not getting to the point of building scenery again for so long.

Elliot, Of course the convention has dictated what you do in these last months.  I agree with Art that I am so happy you have been able to get so much done on the layout with your health issues.  I think the layout is great medicine!!

                 really like how it's turning out Elliot !       looking  GREAT !! 

mike g. posted:

WOW, very well said Art! Next time I want to comment I will shoot you an E- mail and tell you what I want to convey and you can write it up for me! I am always at a loss for words when I see Elliot's updates! He is such a masterful builder in every aspect! Thanks for writing such a great response that most of us wish we could!

I agree Mike! I have the same problem. I was either sleeping or thinking about my girlfriend during most of my English and Composition classes and it shows!! Obviously, Art was wide awake and paying attention! 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Elliot, you really make the scenery projects look quick and easy. And with excellent results when finished I might add!! I have been wondering all along how all those open areas and gaps and things would be filled in and thought that would be a really difficult part of the layout build. You have really made it look easy, at least to me!! (Of course I wasn't there watching what all you had to go through to complete these things, but still it was done very quickly and looks very nice, IMO.)

I eased off just a bit this month only working on a small handful of things. All of my hard work has paid off. I just got the email today, I'm officially on the National Narrow Gauge Convention layout tour. My listing is up on the website. You can view it HERE. I hope you'll take the time to check out the other layouts, and maybe even consider making the trip to the Twin Cities. We have some excellent modelers up here, even though 3 railers are very rare. I'm the only one on this tour.

Let's take a look at what got done this month.

At this point most of the trees were in at Hoffman, but it still needed a lot more greenery.

This is the clump foliage I use to make trees.

These are Woodland Scenics. The armatures come totally flat, and have to be bent and formed into a 3D tree.

I've learned that the best looking trees look full when viewed from the top. The branches should be positioned to get the greatest exposure to the sun. I cover the branches with contact cement (the smelly stuff) and dunk them in the foliage bucket.

All of this material is recycled from enterTRAINment. I took the time to sort it all out, so I could just grab what I needed.

This area still needs more.

I've been working to hide the horizontal seam here. I'm still not totally done with that. Note the grass between the base of the rock and the track.

This is some neat stuff.

Just grab a pinch, making sure that the tops are uneven.

Then cut the bottoms off straight.

Then plant it in a blob of hot glue.

I did some ballast touch ups.

I have all the pieces for for the girder viaduct over in aisle one. I gave them a quick coat of black spray paint.

I made up some support blocks that sit on the piers and hold up the under frame sections.

The under frame sections are glued to the bottom of the ties.

Then I glued the girders to the side of the frames, and rested them on the feet.

I used this auto rack to check clearance.

I took a break from the bridge to work on my fascia lettering. The vinyl letters don't like to stick to the semi gloss paint, so I applied a coat of Mod Podge to seal them.

I finished all the lettering in aisle two. That just leaves aisle one, which still needs its final coat of paint.

The finished bridge.

I weathered it using just two colors, a rusty red-orange and black.

I went back to my signals, and started soldering the plugs on. Each LED needs one of these.

Over the weekend, I did more than 30 of these plugs. These are the ones from the bridge at Hoffman East.

Then I screwed it down to the layout. I shouldn't need to remove it again.

Red Wing West is also screwed down with its plugs complete.

I took a couple more 450's and cut one in half to make another triple track bridge.

Here's a Plasticville bridge at Prescott West.

This 450 still needs its wires routed along the superstructure.

This one is ready to go back to Red Wing East.

These two Plasticvilles will go over by the Amtrak depot.

Finally, last Tuesday, my guy from the convention came over and took pictures for the website.

Elliot, Great job. Congratulations on making the layout tour. I know that was important to you. They would have to be blind to not pick you. The work you have done is fantastic as can be seen by that last picture. 

For an "off" month, you still got a lot done, looking great!

Love the realistic look with lots of track and just "plain scenery" behind. Most of us don't have the room or discipline to achieve such a realistic look.

Elliot = WOW. Your multi-deck masterpiece is coming together. I can say your Gargraves track looks better every time I look at it. Are those Ross switches? Your weathering and ballasting are outstanding I am impressed! Are those trees Woodland scenic armatures.

First, let me just echo the comments of others by congratulating you on how well this massive project is coming along. Thanks also for sharing your progress here on OGR. It inspires me to keep working on mine.

As for these recent photos, your right of way is looking great. Who's ballast do you use? What color?

Congratulations Elliot! With all the hard work and hours you have put in! Along with how great everything is looking they would have been CRAZY no to add you to the tour! Great work done by all, you should take your wife and Patrick out for drinks and dinner! LOL

Congratulations Elliot being put on the tour. The layout is coming to life. It has been a long journey but the rewards you are going to get out of it makes it all the worth while...................Paul

Congratulations on the tour, Elliot!!  You did accomplish a lot this month!  The scenery looks great as do the signals you have installed!

Absolutely tremendous work!

-Greg

As everyone before has said- Congratulations!

Bob

Hey Elliot  Congrats on the layout tour approval eh.  I did notice one thing they say its a Dbl deck layout but if I remember right you have 3 levels right?   

I always enjoy and look forward to your layout updates.

Hi Elliot

     Wonderful progress. Thanks for sharing as you are a motivation probably to a lot of us. I am hoping to be your way this summer and would love to say hi if you are up to it. Even my non-train(ed) wife asks about your progress. Stay healthy

Ray

Elliot, that is awesome!!

Fantastic!

I like your ballast, among other things.  What brand, size and color did you use?

Thanks,

Ed

Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart! If it weren't for support, I doubt I would have gotten as far as I have. This has been quite the journey, over three years since they announced that we had won the bid for the convention.

It was the Twin Cities Division NMRA first annual Modelers Retreat back in 2015, we just completed our fourth. I had brought my laptop with pictures of the layout, when the committee asked me if I would be on the tour. Of course I said yes! I have updated my signature to to reflect this.

I should also thank all of my helpers, Patrick, Matt, Jon, Joe, Scott, and my wife, without whom, all this wouldn't have been possible.

Just for fun, here's the picture of Hoffman that the committee saw in 2015. I'm just glad they could see the potential.

Scotte - Because I'm modelling the prototype, all of the scenes are long and narrow, following the track, and little more. I think that's what you are seeing. It's kind of rare for 3 rail, much more common in 2 rail.

George - Most of the switches on the layout are Ross, about 2/3. There are about 100 Right of Way. Even the 2 rail guys are impressed with look of the GarGraves once it's painted and ballasted. Yes, those are Woodland Scenics trees. I have more of them, but I also have some other more realistic trees to use where they will stand out more. Those make a pretty good forest though.

Rich & Ed - Unfortunately, the ballast I'm using is not commercially available. It comes from a local quarry, and is what the industry calls "headlap" AKA roofing granules, used on asphalt shingles. This particular quarry also happens to supply the real railroads in the area with a lot of their ballast. It doesn't get more prototypical than that.

Dave - That snow was crazy. I'm sorry you had to be out in it at all. Glad you were able to get home safely. If you want to come up this month, I think the blizzards are behind us now, for a few months, at least. The convention dates are September 5 - 8.

Chad - Yeah, there are three levels, but I can live with that. I just wish they would spell my name  right. E-L-L-I-O-T (two L's one T) I've been living with that all my life.

Ray - In addition to the convention in September, there is also a train show in Eau Claire sponsored by Menards, July 7 - 8. I'll be hosting a picnic /open house for forum members at 6:30 Saturday evening.  You can pick any time you want, just email me, but that weekend is a 2 for 1.

Great Progress Elliot.

Elliot - Congratulations on achieving your goal of being accepted for the upcoming convention tours.  I know in my case I always get more done if I have some time pressure to get it done.  It was that way when I was working too.  If the big boss announced that he was coming on an inspection tour, we would get busy and do everything we could to get ready and be proud of our operation.  Its the same with my layout.  If I am expecting company it is a great motivator to get things done.

Anyway, your layout is looking great!  I love simple scenes that are not "overdone".  By that I am talking about not having so many cars and trucks on your layout that it looks like a California expressway at the heighth of rush hour.  Not having so many trains on the layout that nothing can move.  Yards so full of cars that you can't switch and etc.  

You have the eye and it is refreshing to see.  I always look forward to seeing your latest pictures.

Art

Elliot,

Thank you once again for taking the time to share the beautiful and detailed pictures of your excellent work and craftsmanship.

You are truly an inspiration for all of us.!

Alex

Another update and more progress made. Getting closer each month. Congratulations on officially making the tour too!! I am sure all visitors will be quite overwhelmed once they see what you have accomplished! Good Luck!

I’ve had to zoom in on your scenery photos just make sure they were your layout and not the real thing!!! Always impressive. And now you are honored with being an official tour stop for the convention!!!!

Thanks guys!

Art - You're right, there's nothing quite like being under the gun to make good progress. This will continue throughout the summer to about mid August, when I'll have to clean up everything. Everyone enjoys this hobby differently. My focus will be on the trains, the scenery is just the setting, and not the focus. I didn't really leave room to do a whole lot.

Alex - It always makes me smile when people find my work inspirational. I'll just keep doing my thing and sharing it for all to enjoy.

Pete - I've been working from photos for all of this, some of which are seared into my brain. Back on one of the early pages of this topic, I posted one of those pictures to show Lee Willis what I had in mind for Hoffman. Here's a link to that post from page 3.

This photo happens to be my desktop wallpaper.

Looking good!  I continue to enjoy the updates! Thanks!

May was an interesting month. Things were cruising along on the layout, and then I did something stupid. On Saturday the 19th, I stepped on a nail. A normal person would have been in serious pain from such an injury, me not so much. Actually, not at all, because I suffer from a really bad case of diabetic neuropathy. It was 48 hours before I discovered that I had a problem, which means that I had taken the shoe with the nail off, and put it back on Sunday morning, and kept it on all day, OBLIVIOUS!

That has slowed me down slightly for the second half of the month, but I'm still working.

The month started out with me doing a little work on signals. This Plasticville bridge is going to be in a very visible spot, so I painted and weathered it.

I took two Lionel 450's and cut one in half to make this triple track bridge. You can read the details of how I did it HERE.

This is where it goes.

My layout tour guy said it would be nice if the signals were lit. Not sure if this will happen in time for the convention, but if it does, this panel will be how it gets done. I have to hang it under the layout, get 12VDC to it, then run wires from the circuits to the signals. We'll see.

I added those little jumpers, but I still need a terminal block to distribute the 12V.

I set a goal of getting the entire Newport scene ballasted, but first I put a coat of basic brown over the plaster cloth.

The ballasting is under way.

Working both ends to the middle.

Newport ballasting is 100% done!

Once the ballast glue is dry, it's time to clean the rails. Big job!

I built a static grass applicator from an electric fly swatter and a strainer basket. Still needs a little tweaking. I accidentally glued the activation switch.

I hung a piece of pegboard and a shelf, to organize my scenic supplies.

The pegboard reminded me of my younger days, working in hobby stores.

I went back over to Hiawatha, and started to get serious about my grain facilities. I glued the silos together into blocks.

This single row of 6" pipes needed to have supports glued to the back side. I ripped some 3" scraps into strips for this.

More silos getting glued.

Starting to get the overall effect.

Because this is prototype based, I went to Google Earth and started printing pictures.

This is my workshop where I keep my large power tools. Unfortunately the "cleaning lady died" 18 years ago. I spent a day just trying to clear a table for the next project.

Not much has gotten thrown away since I started the layout. Scraps have to be pretty small to not be useful for something. Every once in a while I have a fire to get rid of pieces that have no value.

Covered in dust, my wife took this one.

Grain elevators and mills aren't all round silos. There are structures that have flat walls. This is the beginning of that process.

Following the picture from Google, I started this mill wall using 1/8" Masonite. I posted a topic giving the full description of this process. You can read the full story HERE.

Here's the finished wall. Well, maybe not finished, there's still a lot left to do, but hopefully you get the idea.

I took advantage of Menard's 11% off sale, and ordered a bunch of materials and had them delivered. While I was waiting...

I decided to have one of my fires. This would be my downfall. I think I went to stomp out some flaming debris. Best I can figure, that's How I acquired the nail.

I got my tetanus shot on that Tuesday, and the doc cleaned it up. It's my left big toe. One small spot it was down to the bone. It's doing as well as can be expected.

My delivery showed up...

and my wife helped me put it away.

Took a little field trip up to the quarry to pick up another batch of ballast. Six 50 pound bags. These will partially replace some stuff I got that was just too dark.

The newly dubbed ballast barrel. Let the sifting begin!!!

I had it up to just below those shoulders, but it's going down pretty fast, as I'm working on spreading my second 3 gallon bucket.

The little green sieve on the left is what I have been using to sift all of this. The stuff in the white bin is too large to use.

The ballast from the quarry is really wet when I get it. I took my kids' old snow saucers which had been gathering dust in the garage, and put them to good use drying the ballast in the sun.

After completing the Newport scene, I moved to the upper deck in aisle two. Coming around the corner from 44th Ave to 35th Ave. Those bumpers are the engine service area at Northtown.

I also started working the other side of the aisle at Shoreham. I plan to meet up at the far end of the aisle at University Jct.

One last thing, Menards is sponsoring a train show in Eau Claire, Wisconsin on July 7-8. The show is an hour from my house. I'll be having an open house for forum members Saturday the 7th at 6:30. The plan is for a picnic dinner and lots of trains.