12-12-21 Update: The Kiski Division - New Hillside Started

The backdrops are .060 sheet styrene painted with two shades of blue flat latex paint from Home Depot that I blend together. I use a typical sky blue on the upper two-thirds. I no longer know which Glidden color I used originally, but Glidden's "Wild Blue Yonder" is close, though a shade lighter. On the bottom third, I use a very light blue (almost white) from Glidden called "Ice Age." I apply both to 4 or 5 foot section of backdrop with rollers and then I blend them together with a wide brush while they are still wet to create that hazy transition.

The Glidden website is great for comparing shades.

Wow! That is a neat track plan that is easy to understand in your video. The double track main with long straights and sweeping curves really shows your trains well. Your 21 inch passenger cars will feel at home.

Very nice run.  The layout looks great!  Don't worry about it being messy (I didn't think it was).  A layout under construction is going to have tools, materials, drawings, etc out of place.

@Nick's Tracks posted:

Here's a quick video of one lap around the mainline. I apologize for the messy layout and rather amateur video, but hopefully it gives a good general view of the track plan.

Awesome video and awesome layout! Nothing worse than waiting for someone to quit yabbering on for 5 minutes when you just want to see the layout.

Could you/did you go into detail about the mountains you did along the basement wall? I'm more or less trying to accomplish the same exact thing on my layout. It looks like cardboard lattice and plaster cloth?

Wonderful start with a lot accomplished!

Couldn't quite make out the locomotive ahead of the PRR passenger train - MTH Premier T1?

@BillYo414 posted:

Awesome video and awesome layout! Nothing worse than waiting for someone to quit yabbering on for 5 minutes when you just want to see the layout.

Could you/did you go into detail about the mountains you did along the basement wall? I'm more or less trying to accomplish the same exact thing on my layout. It looks like cardboard lattice and plaster cloth?

Yep, that's exactly what I did. The below image shows basically every step from beginning to end. Starts with simple cardboard strip lattice. I then covered the entire thing with plaster cloth and on top of the plaster cloth I smoothed on joint compound; sculptamold or plaster would work just as well. Once it dries I decide where I want to add and carve some rocks made of plaster. I throw on some brown paint and add various colors of turfs, bushes, and trees. I still have to go back and add some more coloring to the rocks, add more trees and small details and such.

@c.sam posted:

Wonderful start with a lot accomplished!

Couldn't quite make out the locomotive ahead of the PRR passenger train - MTH Premier T1?

Thank you for the kind words!

And yep it's an MTH Premier T-1. It's a fantastic engine, especially for the price when it was released.

@Nick's Tracks posted:

Yep, that's exactly what I did. The below image shows basically every step from beginning to end. Starts with simple cardboard strip lattice. I then covered the entire thing with plaster cloth and on top of the plaster cloth I smoothed on joint compound; sculptamold or plaster would work just as well. Once it dries I decide where I want to add and carve some rocks made of plaster. I throw on some brown paint and add various colors of turfs, bushes, and trees. I still have to go back and add some more coloring to the rocks, add more trees and small details and such.

Nick, Perfect !

I need to begin in my layout but I don't know the first step !!

Leandro

"I need to begin in my layout but I don't know the first step !!"

Benchwork!

@CurtisH posted:

Leandro

"I need to begin in my layout but I don't know the first step !!"

Benchwork!

Leandro has that step covered, Curtis.  He has some great looking and well constructed benchwork and track!

2/8/21 Update

I have been making slow but steady progress on this corner of the layout. The painted hillside is ready for scenery and the rocks are almost complete. The bridge scene is also starting to come along with the basic hard-shell almost done. Hope to make more progress soon.

Nick, I like the steep rocky hills both above and below track level.  The scene with the bridges will be exceptionally impressive!

@Mark Boyce posted:

Nick, I like the steep rocky hills both above and below track level.  The scene with the bridges will be exceptionally impressive!

Thank you for the kind words!

Very nice layout!  And the fact that you did all that in five months just bogles my mind.

@Lehigh74 posted:

Very nice layout!  And the fact that you did all that in five months just bogles my mind.

Thank you, Bob! I guess I was really motivated to get the trains running haha

Nick,

I just discovered your layout build.  I am super impressed!  You have made a ton of progress in a short amount of time.  I love your theme and your scenery is already making the PRR  come alive and feel real.  Your horseshoe curve section reminded me of the real thing as I have been there several times. Western PA is my old stomping ground.  My layout build, the Allegheny Crossing is along the same lines as yours, loosely modeling the look and feel of the PRR and Western Maryland RR in the 40's to 50's with a few other things mixed in there.  Although, I am nowhere near as far along as you are.  I will be following your build closely and if you don't mind, I'm sure I will be grabbing some inspiration for my layout.  Keep up the great work!  Looking forward to seeing your progress.

Michael

Since I last saw your updates you have really done a lot of work. I like the height of the mountain back drop. The trains look at home with your scenery.

2/9/21

I was really anxious to start putting together my Horseshoe Curve inspired scene. So, today I put the base layer of scenery down around the tracks and hillside. I also added in a sidewalk that will eventually have a fence on the track side (I don't believe the fence was present in the steam era, but I like the look if it) and will have a staircase leading down to the small flat area below. Many more layers of details will be added in the coming days along with a good vacuuming of the track.

From what I see, you have nice viewing angles of trains approaching, traveling through and exiting your horseshoe curve. I especially like your view of the train on a curve exiting the main curve area. The elongated "s" adds a lot of interesting drama to train traffic. 

@pennsynut posted:

From what I see, you have nice viewing angles of trains approaching, traveling through and exiting your horseshoe curve. I especially like your view of the train on a curve exiting the main curve area. The elongated "s" adds a lot of interesting drama to train traffic.

That was something I was really trying to incorporate on this layout wherever I could. There are some areas where I was forced to have the tracks run parallel to the edge of the table but in places I had more space, I tried to create as interesting yet realistic trackage as I could.

@Nick's Tracks posted:

2/9/21

I was really anxious to start putting together my Horseshoe Curve inspired scene. So, today I put the base layer of scenery down around the tracks and hillside. I also added in a sidewalk that will eventually have a fence on the track side (I don't believe the fence was present in the steam era, but I like the look if it) and will have a staircase leading down to the small flat area below. Many more layers of details will be added in the coming days along with a good vacuuming of the track.

The fence was installed in 1952.

@Bob posted:

The fence was installed in 1952.

Thank you!

Nick, The latest work on The Curve area looks really nice!!  I agree you have very ncie viewing angles and the wide S curve looks great!

You must be working 24/7 on this, you're really smoking along with the work!

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

You must be working 24/7 on this, you're really smoking along with the work!

Haha I wish! Usually a few hours a day if I get the chance

@Michael Cimba 040217 posted:

Nick,

I just discovered your layout build.  I am super impressed!  You have made a ton of progress in a short amount of time.  I love your theme and your scenery is already making the PRR  come alive and feel real.  Your horseshoe curve section reminded me of the real thing as I have been there several times. Western PA is my old stomping ground.  My layout build, the Allegheny Crossing is along the same lines as yours, loosely modeling the look and feel of the PRR and Western Maryland RR in the 40's to 50's with a few other things mixed in there.  Although, I am nowhere near as far along as you are.  I will be following your build closely and if you don't mind, I'm sure I will be grabbing some inspiration for my layout.  Keep up the great work!  Looking forward to seeing your progress.

Michael

Thank you for the kind words, Michael! I finally had a chance to look at your layout thread and I really like what you're creating. I really wish I went with Gargraves track like you did, but sadly I had too much Fastrack to justify getting rid of it. 40s and 50s era is exactly what I am modeling, too; perfect choice haha. I'd really like to get some backdrops in similar to yours.

@Nick's Tracks posted:

Thank you for the kind words, Michael! I finally had a chance to look at your layout thread and I really like what you're creating. I really wish I went with Gargraves track like you did, but sadly I had too much Fastrack to justify getting rid of it. 40s and 50s era is exactly what I am modeling, too; perfect choice haha. I'd really like to get some backdrops in similar to yours.

Nick, thank you!  When I was starting to plan the Allegheny Crossing layout along with my dad, we both decided that we wanted to lay a good foundation, which is why we decided to go with Gargraves and Ross switches.  All I had from previous layouts was a lot of Lionel tubular track and Lionel 031 switches.  So, that made the decision a little easier for us.  I'm sure if I had a stockpile of "better" track and switches I would have considered using what I had.  I have never used fastrack, but I'm sure it is great to work with and it looks great on your layout.  The Gargraves track, Ross switches and Midwest cork roadbed is all new to me, so I'm definitely going to be learning as I go with the trackwork.  The good folks here have already given me lot's of good tips, tricks and advice.

For my backdrops I used Backdropwarehouse.com.  They make a nice product that looks super realistic.  The only downside is their website is a little clunky and it takes a bit of planning and effort to get what you want, but the end result is very nice.  Mine is actually 4 different sections.  2 bottoms half's and 2 upper sky extension half's.  I rubber cemented it to a Masonite backing wall that was built on top of a grid of furing strips attached to the block wall.  You can see some of the construction on my thread.  It is not perfect, (especially if you look at it close up, haha) but overall I'm happy with how it turned out for our first time.  With all your beautiful mountain scenery you might just need some sky backdrops to finish it off.

I was going to tell you, a neat project for your layout at some point, would be to build an operational incline plane (funicular) at your horseshoe curve scene like the one they have there.  But then after thinking about it, I don't think that was there in the 50's.  I believe they built that later on.

Michael                   

Horseshoe curve looks great.  I was going to suggest adding a K4s and funicular, but I suspect the funicular went in well after the transition era and the 1361 was placed there in 1957.

@Michael Cimba 040217 posted:

Nick, thank you!  When I was starting to plan the Allegheny Crossing layout along with my dad, we both decided that we wanted to lay a good foundation, which is why we decided to go with Gargraves and Ross switches.  All I had from previous layouts was a lot of Lionel tubular track and Lionel 031 switches.  So, that made the decision a little easier for us.  I'm sure if I had a stockpile of "better" track and switches I would have considered using what I had.  I have never used fastrack, but I'm sure it is great to work with and it looks great on your layout.  The Gargraves track, Ross switches and Midwest cork roadbed is all new to me, so I'm definitely going to be learning as I go with the trackwork.  The good folks here have already given me lot's of good tips, tricks and advice.

For my backdrops I used Backdropwarehouse.com.  They make a nice product that looks super realistic.  The only downside is their website is a little clunky and it takes a bit of planning and effort to get what you want, but the end result is very nice.  Mine is actually 4 different sections.  2 bottoms half's and 2 upper sky extension half's.  I rubber cemented it to a Masonite backing wall that was built on top of a grid of furing strips attached to the block wall.  You can see some of the construction on my thread.  It is not perfect, (especially if you look at it close up, haha) but overall I'm happy with how it turned out for our first time.  With all your beautiful mountain scenery you might just need some sky backdrops to finish it off.

I was going to tell you, a neat project for your layout at some point, would be to build an operational incline plane (funicular) at your horseshoe curve scene like the one they have there.  But then after thinking about it, I don't think that was there in the 50's.  I believe they built that later on.

Michael                   

The next layout I build, whenever that may be, will definitely use Gargraves track and Ross switches. They have such a superior look to other track systems in my opinion. Fastrack is decent, but not really the best for a larger layout. It can be a real pain. One thing I that I do with my Fastrack that helps with the look is putting my own ballast on, which I have yet to do on this layout. I've also decided to start painting the rails a nice dull brown to make it look more realistic; much more tedious to paint compared to other track systems. Oh well. Your photo realistic backdrops are really incredible. Had I had the foresight, I would have done similar, but I'll have to stick to hand painting them for this layout haha.

2/10/21

Been a really good week for layout progress. Today consisted of more ground foam along the tracks. Need to make a trip to the hobby shop to restock on supplies.

Also shot a short video of a train running through the new scenery. Hope you all enjoy

Holy wow! Looking great Nick. Really got a full head of steam.

Your video reminds me of the steam era Horse shoe you tube videos I enjoy watching occasionally. Nice long train.

I am blown away with how fast you put up great swaths of great looking scenery, I have to get you over to my place!

That's some gorgeous scenery!  It is also inspiring to see a relatively narrow stretch turned into such a grand feature!  Just absolutely WOW.

Thank you everyone!

That train looks great running through your scenery, Nick!  Bravo!

2/18/21

Today saw the addition of bushes, trees and other shrubbery along the top of the rockface. Still need to go back a few more times and add more, and some greenery on the rocks themselves in some areas. The Curve scene got some new train watchers added to the sidewalk, and a parking lot down below. Need to start making the staircase connecting the parking lot to the viewing area soon.

Nick, The Horseshoe Curve area looks great!  Your photographs make me want to get in the car and drive on down US 422 to US 22 to the Curve!  Excellent work.

@Mark Boyce posted:

Nick, The Horseshoe Curve area looks great!  Your photographs make me want to get in the car and drive on down US 422 to US 22 to the Curve!  Excellent work.

Thanks Mark!

Looking at the new pics, I was wondering if you are going to put a fence up to keep the railfans separated from the tracks.  Not sure if they had fencing back in the transition era, but there is wrought iron fence there now.  Looks a lot like the fence that originally came with an old Lionel passenger station and is currently manufactured by Hennings.

Henning's Parts 156-5 2 Section Black Fence, 2 pieces - HENNING'S TRAINS (shoplightspeed.com)