Things are coming along nicely, everything looks very nice! Quite creative with the skeleton in the rocks too, that is a really good idea! Glad to see the crew is still active and interested as well, hope the supervisor is ok. Everyone having fun is the best part, I think, along with family participation too.
rtr12 posted:Things are coming along nicely, everything looks very nice! Quite creative with the skeleton in the rocks too, that is a really good idea! Glad to see the crew is still active and interested as well, hope the supervisor is ok. Everyone having fun is the best part, I think, along with family participation too.
Thanks, I appreciate the compliment. As for the supervisor, she is doing well, continues to make the layout her go-to hangout, and inspects our work whenever we are making progress. If we haven't seen her in a while, it's a fair bet she's racked out near the tunnel behind the train station.
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You are welcome! Glad the supervisor is also doing well and still doing inspections as required (thanks for the pic). I think I have said this before, but this is a great project for all and it's great the kids are still interested and having fun too (along with Dad and the supervisor, of course).
I've been working on some buildings, as there is quite a backlog of structure work to do! I have 30+ buildings on the layout tight now, and I'd say about half of them are in some way incomplete. Right now I'm working on 3 in parallel:
First is a K-line church. I've painted it inside and out, painted the roof, replaced the stained glass, and added a lamp out front. This one is now finished & awaiting final install on the layout:
Next is an Atlas train station, with a couple extra platforms. Here's some work in progress on wiring the lights:
The 3rd project is building a log cabin, from a kit I bought a few years ago. It's ready for me to stain the sides and install the roof now:
Here's the train station that the rooves go to. I'm also going to build a higher base for it (to get it to track level), and am experimenting with placement of some of the brick at the station:
I also finally installed the sign for the Dinoco service station:
...and here's where the bulk of the brick road/sidewalk material will go. It seems to go well in this area, as shown by the rough test fit below:
Gru for scale:
Here's how it comes packaged at Walmart:
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Dustin....this layout build is fantastic.....what a priceless memory for you and you children!
Peter
Dustin, you sure are busting this build out! Things are really looking wonderful! Also its nice that your sharing your finds at Wal-Mart with us. I show the wife your tree redo and she said next time we go we would have to pick some up and try it, she thought I might just be able to was she snow off! I am not sure but I have some old ones I can try it on!
Thanks again for the post and keep up the great work!
Thanks, Mike! If you can't wash the snow off (I honestly hadn't thought of trying that... def worth a shot), the paint method is pretty quick and easy (albeit with the added expense of buying spray paint). I used Hunter Green for an overall coating, then gave it all a light once-over with green camouflage to reduce the sheen and give it a more realistic dark green. Here's the most recent look at the trees:
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Dustin, that looks great! Plus I just happen to have both colors of paint in my paint locker in the garage! I will let you know how the washing method work or not! LOL
Thanks for all the information, and if you find anything else cheap at wallyworld please let me know!
Dustin, Excellent work!
A quick update, just since I thought this was neat. We thought it would be fun to add a mini version of our dog (Murray) to the layout. Here's a shot I took to make sure I has had a side profile reference for his color pattern:
...and here he is on the layout, chillin' patiently outside the office door of his trackside furniture company. For a quick mini-project, I'm pretty happy with the results:
"Murray" is, of course, a repurposed "Jack" the German Shepherd from one of our Menards buildings. All that we did to modify "Jack" was make his ears look a little floppier and repaint him.
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What a neat addition ! Nice work and I bet the kids love it! Good work Dustin!
Murray Jack looks great!!
Murray Jack has things secure just like Billy Jack from the movie! Whoops! I'm showing my age! 
Great idea! I bet the crew really likes that too (maybe all but the supervisor that is)! As Mike says, kids really love these types of things! 
Thanks guys! The supervisor is actively searching for her own miniature, now that the dog has one. ...Either that or she's just expressing her disdain for the unfinished rockwork near the harbor:
The other night the kids and I ran the trains for a bit, and I was able to get a couple good photos:
My daughter placed the Dr Who accessories near "her" house when we unpacked more of the "small" layout parts:
...and the boys made the mountain house look like a film set from "Them!" with the (temporary) addition of this grasshopper:
...and the kids and I are also working on their HO table, which they are thinking will be Harry Potter themed. My daughter is drawing where they want their lake & they have the track plan roughly laid out:
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Great family involvement in the layout!
frizzinbee posted:Thanks guys! The supervisor is actively searching for her own miniature, now that the dog has one. ...Either that or she's just expressing her disdain for the unfinished rockwork near the harbor:
The other night the kids and I ran the trains for a bit, and I was able to get a couple good photos:
My daughter placed the Dr Who accessories near "her" house when we unpacked more of the "small" layout parts:
...and the boys made the mountain house look like a film set from "Them!" with the (temporary) addition of this grasshopper:
...and the kids and I are also working on their HO table, which they are thinking will be Harry Potter themed. My daughter is drawing where they want their lake & they have the track plan roughly laid out:
You have cool kids and a cool cat.What type of breed is your cat?If you do not mind me asking.
seaboardm2 posted:frizzinbee posted:Thanks guys! The supervisor is actively searching for her own miniature, now that the dog has one. ...Either that or she's just expressing her disdain for the unfinished rockwork near the harbor:
You have cool kids and a cool cat.What type of breed is your cat?If you do not mind me asking.
Thanks, I think I do too The kids certainly make it worthwhile and less of a solo venture. The cat is just a regular gray domestic medium hair, so far as we & the vet can tell. Our niece found her as a kitten while hiking over 10 years ago, they couldn't keep her, so she's been hanging out with us ever since.
Hanging out ever since! Yes, that is the way with our dog Annie; short for Little Orphan Annie. Someone had evidently dropped her off by our house when according to the vet she was about 8 month old. She is 9 and has been a great dog.
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Good to see the crew running trains and working on another project as well. You have some fine young engineers there and they have good guidance in their on going training. I was wondering if the supervisor would be upset with no miniature of her on the layout after seeing Murray's? I think the engineers will someday soon want one of those too. I forgot to mention it was nice to put Murray's name on the building too. It's good to see everyone enjoying the layouts and trains!
Here's a quick update on layout work over the last couple weeks! I've gotten a little bit done, but not a ton on the layout itself as much of my effort has gone into the grist mill (a thread in and of itself) and other projects around the house.
One thing I did do is finally paint and install a PRR keystone on the bridge:
I also built some steps for the train station, since I decided to elevate it ~3/4" and bring it more in line with the track height:
Here are the steps installed, with the station on the completed 3/4" lift. I haven't weathered the station toon yet, but its on the to-do list:
The station and platforms are fully lit with LEDs... but not yet hooked-up as I focus on building key structures:
I also need a name for my city, thus the missing station nameplate:
Removed part of salt factory base (used a dremel with a cutting wheel) so I could place it over the tracks. I'm experimenting with locations:
...and we worked on the kids HO table too! They've finalized their track plan and we started screwing in the risers:
Here they are doing some sanding on their bridges (got them used - needed to glue them back together & there was excess glue to remove):
I also painted their table with a nice green basecoat, and painted in a lake per my daughter's specifications. I tried a new wet brush blending technique (with more stippling to simulate waves), and am pretty impressed with how the lake came out:
I finished a log cabin for the big layout too - just need to find a picture
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Very busy indeed!
The bridge with the logo and the station look great! So does the progress on the kids' layout! They look like an industrious lot!
Dustin, things are looking great at your place! The bridge looks wonderful! I like how you made your steps for the station, what a great idea!
But I would really have to say that what I like best is how your kids are really into getting there layout up to speed with yours! I just puts a smile on my face to see them hard at work! What a great family!
I've been working on some structures (more to come on that), and collecting trees (more to come on that, too), so I don't have a lot of progress on the layout itself... but I did finally get the rocks around the harbor area carved. I went with a steak knife and a heat gun for the work below:
Here's the area just after I started:
...and here's the harbor after the rocks have been cut and "heat-treated". For the areas that needed to be filed-in (such as around the dinosaur fossil on the far wall, or the tunnel portal), I used spackle to cover the gaps
Just a close-up of the same shot:
I also blended my "pre-fab" rock walls with the surface of the layout on either side of the gray bridge so that it looks more continuous:
Next-up is a base coat on the pink rocks, followed by blending in the colors...
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Just catching up on this thread. You have a very beautiful layout. It is cool that the kids are involved in both of the layouts. My first HO was when I was 3. I know they will love it..
frizzinbee posted:seaboardm2 posted:frizzinbee posted:Thanks guys! The supervisor is actively searching for her own miniature, now that the dog has one. ...Either that or she's just expressing her disdain for the unfinished rockwork near the harbor:
You have cool kids and a cool cat.What type of breed is your cat?If you do not mind me asking.
Thanks, I think I do too
I had a cat named chessie as in C&O he wasa long tailed tabby.Got him as a kitten had him for about 11 years.He has passed on now.But he was a good cat and friend to.He would set and watch the trains some times.
Dustin, the harbor is looking wonderful and the cliff area is just amazing! I look at this build and its hard to believe this is all going into a 8 x20 layout! It just looks so inviting and exciting! Love your work!
Dustin, is that auto molding on the side of your trestle piers in the harbor?
coach joe posted:Dustin, is that auto molding on the side of your trestle piers in the harbor?
Nope - All the rocks, hills, and cliffs around the layout are carved pink foam. I do have some 2x4s inside the foam supporting the bridges at the front of the harbor area itself.
frizzinbee posted:I've been working on some structures (more to come on that), and collecting trees (more to come on that, too), so I don't have a lot of progress on the layout itself... but I did finally get the rocks around the harbor area carved. I went with a steak knife and a heat gun for the work below:
Here's the area just after I started:
...and here's the harbor after the rocks have been cut and "heat-treated". For the areas that needed to be filed-in (such as around the dinosaur fossil on the far wall, or the tunnel portal), I used spackle to cover the gaps
Just a close-up of the same shot:
I also blended my "pre-fab" rock walls with the surface of the layout on either side of the gray bridge so that it looks more continuous:
Next-up is a base coat on the pink rocks, followed by blending in the colors...
Nice work ! I really like your art deco support pillars for the curved bridge.
frizzinbee posted:Here's a quick update on layout work over the last couple weeks! I've gotten a little bit done, but not a ton on the layout itself as much of my effort has gone into the grist mill (a thread in and of itself) and other projects around the house.
One thing I did do is finally paint and install a PRR keystone on the bridge:
Great work, a nice thread to follow! Is that Cardinals Train on the bridge?
BobbyD posted:frizzinbee posted:Here's a quick update on layout work over the last couple weeks! I've gotten a little bit done, but not a ton on the layout itself as much of my effort has gone into the grist mill (a thread in and of itself) and other projects around the house.
One thing I did do is finally paint and install a PRR keystone on the bridge:
Great work, a nice thread to follow! Is that Cardinals Train on the bridge?
It is! I have mostly scale stuff, but I really like these particular cars - the red really pops.
Dan Padova posted:frizzinbee posted:
Just a close-up of the same shot:
Nice work ! I really like your art deco support pillars for the curved bridge.
Thanks! That bridge is my favorite for its uniqueness, was relatively simple, and has inspired me to make more of the layout lean towards an art deco vibe. To that end, I have some buildings I'm planning the will further the deco feel. Aside from the design style aspect, I also like how the bridge pillars are reminiscent of launch vehicles with strap-on boosters.
Dustin, I really like the harbor and cliffs too. That Art Deco bridge looks great! It is really nice seeing what you and the kids are accomplishing.
Today the weather was pretty gray and gloomy, so we did some painting on the harbor area rocks. Made good progress, but lots of detail work left to do yet. Looking forward to getting this part done so we can permanently install some buildings, boats, and palm trees!
First, we masked off the bits I don't want splattered with paint (using ugly Christmas paper), then we applied black paint to some of the deeper and harder to paint areas:
After that dried, we painted most of the rest of it gray. We also wet brush blended a little brown. My daughter painted the area in the lower left quadrant:
Once that dries, we'll go back with a few more colors, do some of the highlights, and start adding vegetation. I also plan to re-paint much of the "water" and detail the waterfalls.
More to come...
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That looks like good progress, Dustin!! Your daughter did well!
Just came across this thread. Good reading on a wintery day where I don't feel like doing much of anything.
What wonderful stories! The layout room, the bridges, the scenery, the kids, that darn cat! 
Dustin - nice work and great pit crew!
I just reread your series from the beginning and I may borrow a few ideas from you. My favorite idea is using a heat gun to mold the foam after carving.
Mark, Bill, Sean - Thanks for the compliments!
Sean - Glad you could use some of the ideas! Heat gunning the foam is probably my favorite creative solution, too. I've used that one several times already & think it's saved me a ton of work.
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As this thread celebrates its first birthday, I've finally got the harbor rocks (and the ones around the gray bridge) fully painted... and can now move on to improving the water & detailing out the waterfalls. From there it'll be vegetation, then structures and boats.
I removed the big dock and added a beach area to harbor less "busy":
...and here the "beach" has been painted:
I also blended the existing surface with the rock walls by the gray bridge & added highlights:
Did some work blending the dinosaur fossil into the rest of the rocks as well:
touched-up around the piers:
...and an overhead view of the harbor, as it currently stands:
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WOW Dustin! Your work is just amazing! I am so glad I check what your up to when you post updates! So much great stuff to see! Thanks!
Why haven't the archeologists roped off the fossil?
Excellent display of your skills - and, they are improving! 
