Sunday Scenic Showcase August 7, 2021

Your fabulous tanks never cease to amaze me Alan.
During July I began a redo of an existing MTH passenger depot. A revamp inspired by a Chris Ambrosini depot I saw on his layout via the OGR Forum a couple years back.  Currently I have added flooring and begun exterior lighting. Began yesterday to add the necessary wiring to power the lamps ordered from Locomotive Joe. Ordered are passenger benches from Altoona Models for the interior.  Office furniture will be added as well.

I continue enjoy your Sunday Morning Scenic Showcase each weekend Alan. A layout can become filled from all of the inspiring work we see in progress here.

Alan - another great industrial build! The care you take with adding valves and other details is really impressive.

Seth- is that the station from the for sale forum? Glad someone snatched that - seems like an awesome basis for a bash. Can’t wait to see what else you do with it.

This week I focused on a few small details for the REA freight house. Probably my last work here for a few weeks until I tackle the interiors and lighting.

I used ITLA details to add some electrical boxes and security bars to the lower window. The REA sign was an old Bar Mills kit I snagged from Trainz.

                       PUPS today...

Alan, JR and Bobby would be proud.

Seth, coming along nicely.

Alex you just keep piling on the details.  Nice work on the wire reinforced windows.

Looks like the MTH EL GP-35’s were painted incorrectly. Whoever signed off on this paint scheme should probably seek a different profession. It took me needless hours to correct.

Where have you ever seen any EL units with solid yellow handrails and all black stanchions?

I know everyone likes the people in passenger trains. I have a couple of sets that have the silhouettes in the windows. and I love them.

  I’ve been working on a structure off and on as well as some trees. Finally got everything in place as to how it will look. Just need to finish up detailing the building and scattering clutter and such around the structure. The tree to the left in the second photo is over 20 years old made with foliage net. They look okay in a group tightly together. Not so much out in the open. In the photo the trees built with sagebrush armatures and supertree material kind of raise the bar. I’ll replace it at some point.

Seth,

It looks like a nice structure to detail. Enjoy it.

Alex,

You made a masterpiece out of that building front.

Steve,

Your work is second to none.

Wood,

I haven’t seen you post in a while. The silouhettes look great.

Dave C,

I love the building and the scene you created around it.

@Seth Thomas posted:

Your fabulous tanks never cease to amaze me Alan.
During July I began a redo of an existing MTH passenger depot. A revamp inspired by a Chris Ambrosini depot I saw on his layout via the OGR Forum a couple years back.  Currently I have added flooring and begun exterior lighting. Began yesterday to add the necessary wiring to power the lamps ordered from Locomotive Joe. Ordered are passenger benches from Altoona Models for the interior.  Office furniture will be added as well.

I continue enjoy your Sunday Morning Scenic Showcase each weekend Alan. A layout can become filled from all of the inspiring work we see in progress here.

Seth......I love your pictures. Beautiful work! I am saving them as a reference for future projects!

Peter

Late start......dealing with 12" to the foot scenery issues....come to think of it, has anyone ever seen someone model a fallen tree with a tree service cutting it up? I can't remember.

4+ inches of rain in two days with thunder/lightning and wind gusts of 60 mph....

The pine tree trapped underneath the oak blocked the concrete culvert between the houses diverting water to my foundation (and the room in the basement where I keep trains, building supplies and do my indoor projects). Luckily, the grade is  pitched so as to divert the water down the hill. I cleaned out the culvert obstruction and the trains (and house) should be safe until the tree gets removed, even if it storms again.

The Oblong Box Company continues to move slowly forward.

Door frame built and added to the foundation.

Now, we go to an area that I previously have never done to any significant degree. You get strip wood in the kit. You have to paint it and cut it.

The pieces above, on the right, are NOT three inches, but two and thirty-one thirty-seconds inches.

The one and a quarter inch piece below has to have 45 degree cuts.

All this in uncharted territory for me. That's why I'm going REAL slow.

This is what it will look like, once I glue it.

Have a great weekend, folks!

Peter

Peter glad you mare out okay in the storm. We could use some rain up here. Just in small increments though.

For years I used that same mitre box. Finally invested in a chopper. You can duplicate parts pretty consistently and also set it up to make angle cuts. Practice on some scraps and once you get it set. It goes fast making multiple parts. Should have invested in one a lot sooner.

@Dave_C posted:

  I’ve been working on a structure off and on as well as some trees. Finally got everything in place as to how it will look. Just need to finish up detailing the building and scattering clutter and such around the structure. The tree to the left in the second photo is over 20 years old made with foliage net. They look okay in a group tightly together. Not so much out in the open. In the photo the trees built with sagebrush armatures and supertree material kind of raise the bar. I’ll replace it at some point.

Dave: The trees are beautifully done  - how did you make them?
Joe

Hi Alan: Question

The 'Ewing' oil label on the one tank - is that a decal or photo paper?
Joe

Joe,

I found it in images and printed on photo paper.

Peter,

Glad you avoided some house flooding. I had to take it slow with Oblong box company also.

So glad the tree missed your house.  

A fellow in Charleston WV has an HO layout with timber being harvested possibly with crosscut. The logs were loaded on horse drawn wagons.

I bought my mitre saw in 1989 while assembling daughter’s doll house. A most necessary tool for the job.

  Joe, The ones on the building side are the recently done ones. I purchased some Sagebrush armatures on eBay. I had a box of Supertrees that was pretty much gutted of usefull stand-alone trees. After adding a wire to plant the tree armature and trimming it up. I would find suitable branch material. I would grasp it with tweezers then  dip the end into a hot glue melting pot.

Then quickly place it on one of the branches. Just keep adding branches till it looks right. There is a temperature setting. To hot and the glue is runny and slow setting. Somewhere in the middle works. I usually place the branch and count to 10. This method makes a great looking tree. Especially if you are modeling the fall. I hit it with some mod podge spray. Let it dry then hit the buds and small branches with some dark gray primer. Followed by another spray of mod podge and traditional flocking and some final paint touch up on the branches. Let it dry then I give it a final coat of Krylon Matte Spray.

Trees on the other side of the tracks were made from weeds that grow down the street from me. You can harvest them in the late fall. You bundle 4 or 5 together in the shape of a tree. Wrap the trunk in floral tape and paint everything gray. Then spray the buds your color of choice. Now comes the hard part. The paint covers what resembles foliage as well as the branched. You need to take a small brush and go in and paint out the individual branches.
Both methods I learned watching Allen Keller VHS tapes.
I’ve taken Peter’s approach. Now that I’ve retired. I take these projects outside on a nice day and make an afternoon out of it while listening to the radio.

@Dave_C

The description of your tree processing is a great method and appear to have turned out well.  They actually created shade during as this photo was taken.  I also like the building structure with a siding.  You are a talented fellow.

Right now my layout looks like the “Day the Earth Stood Still”.
Streets are empty an not a branch nor leaf.  I’m so ashamed😂

@Alan Graziano . Thanks for missing me.

Love scenic threads so here is some rock scenery.

Alan and all, thanks for another great Sunday Scenic Showcase. So much variety and real learning experience.

Tom

Guys, just some outstanding work! Peter nice progress, SIRT excellent detail as always.  Wood, Alan David nice work!

i added some figures to my used car lot I am building and started a new structure that will be a small restaurant

@Rich883

your concrete pavement looks great. Lots of great selections at the OK car lot. Looks like things are hopping at the outdoor market as well.

Dad bough a new car in 1956 and the salesman handed me a model car and an OK sign.  I still have the car and I guess the OK was still on the bedroom wall when we moved from that house in 1960.

Enjoyed your work and photos Rich 😊

@Dave_C posted:

  Joe, The ones on the building side are the recently done ones. I purchased some Sagebrush armatures on eBay. I had a box of Supertrees that was pretty much gutted of usefull stand-alone trees. After adding a wire to plant the tree armature and trimming it up. I would find suitable branch material. I would grasp it with tweezers then  dip the end into a hot glue melting pot.

Then quickly place it on one of the branches. Just keep adding branches till it looks right. There is a temperature setting. To hot and the glue is runny and slow setting. Somewhere in the middle works. I usually place the branch and count to 10. This method makes a great looking tree. Especially if you are modeling the fall. I hit it with some mod podge spray. Let it dry then hit the buds and small branches with some dark gray primer. Followed by another spray of mod podge and traditional flocking and some final paint touch up on the branches. Let it dry then I give it a final coat of Krylon Matte Spray.

Trees on the other side of the tracks were made from weeds that grow down the street from me. You can harvest them in the late fall. You bundle 4 or 5 together in the shape of a tree. Wrap the trunk in floral tape and paint everything gray. Then spray the buds your color of choice. Now comes the hard part. The paint covers what resembles foliage as well as the branched. You need to take a small brush and go in and paint out the individual branches.
Both methods I learned watching Allen Keller VHS tapes.
I’ve taken Peter’s approach. Now that I’ve retired. I take these projects outside on a nice day and make an afternoon out of it while listening to the radio.

Dave - Excellent!

Rich,

I want to buy the Caddy or the T-Bird. The small building looks cool.

I bet you are too late Alan,

and your third choice is….🤣

I have just finished 2 jobs - both tank farms.

@Joe Fauty. You and Alan make so nicely detailed tank fields. Great job. Do you make these for customers?

@Wood posted:

@Joe Fauty. You and Alan make so nicely detailed tank fields. Great job. Do you make these for customers?

Yes sir

@Joe Fanara Thanks Joe I'll remember that.

Rich, your farmers need a truck to get their produce from farm to town.