Sunday Scenic Showcase April 25, 2021

been busy putting brick on the smoke stacks for the cement plant. before and after pics. masonry is slow and tedious work lol.

Love "air rights" over the ROW! Great job, Al!

Peter

Alan, fabulous work as usual.

Stubby, brick paper over plastic?  How did you get it to follow the contours so smoothly?

As suggested last week, the fish cart has been moved to the front of a factory building on my 10’-by-5’ layout. Perhaps it looks better there but I’m convinced the kit has not been properly scaled for 1:48.

MELGAR

I have not contributed to this topic before because I have not had anything to contribute. In the last year I have been working on a coal breaker to disguise a roof support column for the 2 rail O scale NYSME layout.

It has barely fit into my home to work on but it is finally getting towards a presentable state. You can see it at the open house May 1,2, 8 &9th 1-6PM.

You can see it wraps the column and really fills the space with the smallest footprint I could make. It is about 3.5 feet tall.

The weigh bridge in the upper image is by another club member. We were sharing the work on the complex.

@MELGAR posted:

As suggested last week, the fish cart has been moved to the front of a factory building on my 10’-by-5’ layout. Perhaps it looks better there but I’m convinced the kit has not been properly scaled for 1:48.

MELGAR

Scale or not, it looks great.

My 10’-by-5’ layout is built on two 5’-by-5’ pieces of plywood covered by pink foam for the terrain. Each of the halves can simply be lifted off the layout if it should have to be moved, so there is a gap about 3/16-inch wide between the two sections that is mostly covered by two large factory buildings. To preserve the ability to lift off each section easily, there is no permanent ground cover concealing the gap. I’ve generally not paid attention to the exposed parts of the gap but recently decided that I should cover a visible 5-inch section at the front of the layout.

My first idea was to make a length of stone wall to cover the gap. I spent a few hours cutting and gluing pieces of urethane foam, blending them with foam paste, painting, and applying ground cover to the lower part of the stones. However, I was not satisfied with the match between the bottom edges of the stone wall and the ground, so I decided not to use the stone wall.

My next idea was to cover the gap with some track ties piled up against a length of wood fence next to some garbage cans on a concrete pad. The fence was designed to restrict access to the grass area near the trestle.

I felt this looked better than the stone wall but asked myself if something else could be added to make the scene more interesting. This came in the form of an old kit with a few parts to build an outhouse. I stained and painted the walls, assembled them, and then added a floor, foundation and roof.

The outhouse was placed on the far side of the fence where it would provide a degree of privacy for an occupant, as shown by the last two photos.

Is this an improvement from the original gap?

MELGAR

Thank you Peter and Coach.

Stubby, The brick work looks great.

Silver Lake, your structure is fantastic.

Mel,

I love the way you covered the gaps, especially with the section of wood fence.

Sawmill on the Tidewater & Oak Grove:

Thanks to the Brotherhood of Crappy Basement Railroads for this idea!

Mel, I like the fence and outhouse! Adds a bit more interest to the spot.

Artie

@Silver Lake posted:

I have not contributed to this topic before because I have not had anything to contribute. In the last year I have been working on a coal breaker to disguise a roof support column for the 2 rail O scale NYSME layout.

It has barely fit into my home to work on but it is finally getting towards a presentable state. You can see it at the open house May 1,2, 8 &9th 1-6PM.

You can see it wraps the column and really fills the space with the smallest footprint I could make. It is about 3.5 feet tall.

The weigh bridge in the upper image is by another club member. We were sharing the work on the complex.

NICE! Another coal breaker in that corner. At least this one looks a lot bigger and better than the previous ones. I love it!

I will see if I can make it next week!

coach joe

the contour is especially challenging because it is not only round but tapers. i am using the laser cut resin coated card stock lightly weathered brick sheets that rusty stumps use to sell now sold by rail scale. it is a great product for making life like brick (see pic below for use of it on a building).  the secret to work on contour is small strips. the column itself i am using a strip of only 3 brick layers so takes some time, the stacks are about 33” tall!  my wife thinks i’m crazy. i use a little walthers goo to give it extra hold.

customer sent me photos of the latest product on his layout. Take a look at the two figures in the farm scene - outstanding! I know the figures on the loading platform scene are Woodlandland Scenics but the two farm figures????

Getting ready to paint the propane tank farm below. I also included a pdf file showing valve position for allowing propane to flow from the tank car to the storage tanks and vice versa through a pump that is in the back under the stairway to the platform. The pipes in blue are gases generated during the transfer. They should be green but Plastruct does not make all the  fittings I need in green.

I am also thinking about lower the height of the gas piping coming out of the top of the tanks and connecting to the 'main' gas line at a lower height.

Joe,

The propane facility looks really nice. I think the piping height going to the rack is fine.

@stubbygda posted:

been busy putting brick on the smoke stacks for the cement plant. before and after pics. masonry is slow and tedious work lol.

Very impressive.  I like it.... LOT!

@stubbygda posted:

been busy putting brick on the smoke stacks for the cement plant. before and after pics. masonry is slow and tedious work lol.

May I ask where did you get that chimney?

prrhorseshoecurve,  i designed it using fusion360 and printed it on my 3d printer. i would be glad to put it in the 3d repository if anyone is interested.

@Alan Graziano posted:

Joe,

The propane facility looks really nice. I think the piping height going to the rack is fine.

Thanks Alan!

Some wonderful and clever stuff this week. Al… thanks for keeping the Showcase going.