After reading the replies here and seeing what others are doing, I am going to start cutting the gaps instead of pulling up the tracks. It just makes better sense. Also, I think I will use solder-on terminal strips instead of screw-down barrier strips. I prefer the security of soldered connections.
So all your kind replies and ideas changed a LOT for me--thanks very much for contributing to the forum--and to my layout!
Don Merz
Didn’t head into my shop tonight. Figured what better to do then after a “fun Friday” working on the railroad. PTC problems, a broken frog point and then some quick bad orders. Let’s work on my own railroad now. Got my order in from scenic express. Filled up some more on my ground cover. Added another track worker to the truck. Still want to add some stuff in the bed. Only a couple more things to do and this section will be completely done. Still need to weather and add detail to the brewery. Weather the rails, wasn’t going to but figured why not at this point. 
Bob, I really like the back drops. You did a great job of keeping the color hues and blends consistent between the layout and the backdrop which makes the transition much less noticeable. Bob you should consider some long (1/2") static grass weeds up against the backdrop. You don't have to purchase the super expensive static grass and applicator, I have cut the bristles off the cheap disposable "chip" brushes that have blonde brush bristles. I don't have the link handy but there was a guy on YouTube that bought the inexpensive long grass loose in a bag, then spread it out, clamped it between two strips of wood, applied a thin bead of white glue to one end, then after it dried, he just cut off small short clumps, drilled a small shallow pilot hole and planted them upright with glue.
Mike G, I loved your comment about cheap dirt !.... The dirt where I reside is too light, so I bought a bag of potting soil, sifted out the debris, large clumps, and small stones, microwaved it and presto, nice dark brown earth. I got a lifetime supply for like $6.00
Well my Wedding Cake decorator columns arrived today, and I think I have finally found the "mock up" that I like for the Station Kit Bash project. Pretty sure I am going back to the wide version.. (4 windows on each wing)... Now I can start making the parts I need and finish assembly... Here's some photos of tonight's mock up.
Leapin Larry. You asked about what was going to be behind my dry gulch I was working on. It's behind my small town I'm working on. 
The platform continues, now to hook up some lights an add some people and see what has been missed
@chris a posted:Bob, I really like the back drops. You did a great job of keeping the color hues and blends consistent between the layout and the backdrop which makes the transition much less noticeable. Bob you should consider some long (1/2") static grass weeds up against the backdrop. You don't have to purchase the super expensive static grass and applicator, I have cut the bristles off the cheap disposable "chip" brushes that have blonde brush bristles. I don't have the link handy but there was a guy on YouTube that bought the inexpensive long grass loose in a bag, then spread it out, clamped it between two strips of wood, applied a thin bead of white glue to one end, then after it dried, he just cut off small short clumps, drilled a small shallow pilot hole and planted them upright with glue.
Well my Wedding Cake decorator columns arrived today, and I think I have finally found the "mock up" that I like for the Station Kit Bash project. Pretty sure I am going back to the wide version.. (4 windows on each wing)... Now I can start making the parts I need and finish assembly... Here's some photos of tonight's mock up.
The station looks good with the columns in front Chris. The 4 windows match the scale of the center section too.
Thanks for the info on the grass. I actually just bought some loose grass for this project. The glue method sounds like it will work. I was considering sticking small clumps in a drop of hot glue. I may try both and see how it goes. I have a couple of throw away brushes too. As to the blending of the ground cover to the backdrop, that was totally planned (yea..right 
). I just used a mix of what I had and didn't realize how well it matched till I saw the photos.
Bob
@ScoutingDad posted:I do have a question - what do you all use for filling the narrow spaces between rails? Some kind of dirt with a little bit of grass or something seems right. Was looking at Brennan's dirt ???
Jeff
Jeff, regarding your question:
Our daughter lives in northern MN near the big lake, so I had good access to Lake Superior beach wash. I collected a large bucket of that plus a bucket of drill waist when they put in the well for their new home. It was a deep well and much of it was through rock so I had a good source of suitable material. I model the DM&IRR so I wanted to use native rock material from the area. I made sieves using metal window screen (1/16) and two sizes of hardware cloth (1/8 & 1/4 inch). River gravel/wash would also be a good source of material in your area. All material was washed after separation and the price was right!
The fine (1/16) material was use as my base before I added commercial products, static grass, ground foam, larger rocks, etc. I also used it to ballast my trolley line and for the ground cover of my HO scale taconite plant that sits on the summit of Mt Iron. I used Brennen’s Better Ballast for yard and mainline track. I would stay away from organic products such as dirt unless you oven bake it first.
Cheers, Dave
J.constible, using the word “platform” really brings back the memories. As a child first came the platform then set up the Christmas Garden.
Thanks Darlander - nice modeling. That's pretty much the look I was considering. I did bake out a gallon of paver sand to see how that would work. It looks like it may be a bit too fine.
Calling Superior the big lake is a bit of a mis-statement. That is one big body of water. On one trip we got up close to a 1000 foot freighter on its way to Duluth. That beast did not even leave a wake.
I'll have to walk into the creek near me when the weather warms a bit and check for sand/fine gravel. We have very few clear streams around here due to the rich soil, most run muddy.
@romiller49 posted:J.constible, using the word “platform” really brings back the memories. As a child first came the platform then set up the Christmas Garden.
It must have been some garden to eave an impression
The south end of my spur is starting to take shape.
Chris - Wedding cake columns look good. Did you have to buy the bride & groom figures as well? LOL
@RSJB18 posted:The station looks good with the columns in front Chris. The 4 windows match the scale of the center section too.
Thanks for the info on the grass. I actually just bought some loose grass for this project. The glue method sounds like it will work. I was considering sticking small clumps in a drop of hot glue. I may try both and see how it goes. I have a couple of throw away brushes too. As to the blending of the ground cover to the backdrop, that was totally planned (yea..right
Bob
Hey Bob, last grass I bought and fertilized required mowing one a week. I’d say avoid St Augustine..... :-)
Today I cleaned on the layout and test fitted a piece of spur track and cleaned and move some vehicles
After trying the hot glue idea for the grass......a spectacular failure BTW....😁
I tried Chris' method. Looks to be a winner so far. I took a small bunch of grass fibers and folded them in half, cut them in two and glued them to the cardboard strips. Two sets down, more to go.
Darlander, Great write up on the using native beach wash rock. I am envious. I finally found a yard that sells crushed granite which I sift, and it's the best thing I have found for ballast, but I end up tinting the glue and coming back with an air brush to blend the roadbed color as it tends to be too blue/gray. The color of that beach wash and the material from the drill hole looks really good.
TrainWreckNate: Nice looking trees and fall foliage !
Randy Harrison: Nice job on the scratch built Union Station. Yes the wedding cake pillars were the best $6 I have spent in a while. Randy did you make the front doors for the that station or buy them. I saw one door open, it looks pretty interesting ??? One other question did you purchase windows from Tichy or Grandt Line, or make your own ?
So doesn't look like much progress today from the photos, but I actually got quite a bit done. Finished the right and left "bump out walls to the ground, shortened the arch wall 9/16" to get all the dental molding lines to align properly. Almost abandoned the out board columns, but then decided if I narrowed the top and bottom of the columns on the table saw, I could tuck them closer to the walls and reduced the size of the beam above the column which was a problem. Blinded all the holes, added reinforcing and mounting tabs for final assembly. Decided I would laminate all the cross members over the top of the columns with left over dental trim/cove molding from leftover scrap parts figuring it would result in a more uniform appearance.
Farmerjohn, thanks for the beautiful pictures answering my question in exceptionally Scenic style. Your scenery looks great, the city backs look great, It’s very realistic. 
@Miggy posted:Hey Bob, last grass I bought and fertilized required mowing one a week. I’d say avoid St Augustine..... :-)
Tall fescue and rye grow well here in the north east. Mowing is a right of passage......😁
farmerjohn,
Any time you post photos of your layout it is truly a treat. Thanks for showing us what is surrounding that wonderful gulch you created.
Dave
@M. Mitchell Marmel posted:
Looks like a great show Mitch. Great turn out and lots of smiling faces (at least when masks were down)
Bob
Good Sunday Morning everyone, first off I want to see what amazing work everyone is doing! I got on the computer this morning and there were 150 emails and I would say 95% were from the OGR Forum. I am a slow reader and soar eyes so it took me extra time to read everything all you fine folks on here have posted!
I love coming here and seeing the progress that everyone is making on there projects!
Farmer John, what a great job on your gulch! Looks perfect along your winding road!
Bob, keep going with the grass its looking good and come this spring it will give you a reason to work on the layout. You can tell the CEO you have to mow the grass before it over takes everything!
Chris a. What an outstanding job! Things are really coming along great and its going to look wonderful on your layout. But not to be a downer, but from the photos your going to need a bigger board platform for the building, road and parking lot! LOL Kidding aside I think its really looking great!
Oh, Jeff forget the sand, if your going to bake it you really want to try real dirt, you know like from your back yard or the wife's garden area! LOL
As for me I haven't been in the train room for a week as the CEO has had different plans for this free labor kind of guy! LOL But today is my free day and I don't think I will do anything but run trains and watch NASCAR! heck I might just run trains! LOL
I hope you all are having a nice weekend and finding time for fun with your layout and trains!
I got the lights wired and ballasted the main line. I sprayed a couple of pine trees with a rattle can to cover up the fake snow. Once they are dry I can place them and put the high line back together. almost there.....
@chris a posted:Randy Harrison: Nice job on the scratch built Union Station. Yes the wedding cake pillars were the best $6 I have spent in a while. Randy did you make the front doors for the that station or buy them. I saw one door open, it looks pretty interesting ??? One other question did you purchase windows from Tichy or Grandt Line, or make your own ?
Chris:
A humble "Thank you" from me to you for your kind compliment. Coming from a craftsman of your level it is really special.
I LOVE your station!!!!! I am envious because I don't have the space on my layout or the vision to create such a great structure as you have from the MTH Bank buildings plus your own additions. Bravo!
As to your questions about the parts on my station, the doors are extra parts that I bought at a previous York TCA show for the Plasticville Union Station. They are 2 doors molded together. I cut them apart for the opened doors by scoring the plastic until it was thin enough to snap along the scored line. I have always admired those doors. The windows are from Tichy Train Group. I had gotten very similar windows from Grandt Line for a previous project, but, Grandt Line is out of business and the company that supposedly bought Grandt Line has never gotten their web site updated to sell the Grandt Line products.
Randy H - I agree with the Plasticville doors - I really like the styling. Its quite common in Chicago public buildings and I think they refer all the way back to "ancient" Rome. I am looking forward to my next layout where I should be able to build a "massive" station over my terminal Tracks. ie: three MTH bank buildings kitbashed of course.
Nice job.
Today I worked Lionel Union Pacific piggyback flat ready to be added to the layout roster and put the rest of the details on my Weaver RS-3 and painted the hand rails.
Bob, wow, wow , wow and the spot light is a unique touch . It all works .
well the wife wanted to clean up the basement a little today. Was really hard not to work or do anything train related. Even tho half of the box’s are filled with train stuff. We are in limbo with the place we have now. We are going to be buying my great grandmother house when the time comes. Once that happens I will be back full size layout. I was trying to only work on one section at a time, seeing how we don’t have a time frame. But today the wife asked me something I did not expect.
“When are you going to finish these sections and make some more. I’d like to put these box’s under the table and not in the open.”
So I guess that on my list of things to do? Was able to get the brewery weathered up. Need to do some looking around for some more details. Want to give it a little bit of some interior detail. Shelving or something nothing to crazy. Added a piece of wood to the edge of the platform. With that back on the layout now just need to wire it all up. 
The pins and throw bars arrived from Ross yesterday and today I repaired 2 of the problematic switches. Amazing how much better they operate when there is no slop in the points. Also painted and installed a backdrop for a side wall over the weekend. Once again funny how adding a little detail just makes things come together. Meanwhile tore up a bit more track - had to do it anyway to repair the turnouts - and am laying out an additional siding for the tank farm. Now I really am at the point of having way too much track and not enough room for more scenery and buildings. HMMM - I do have an area in the middle of the layout which is nothing but open space for access ... deck that over ... and build, build, build.
Trainwreck Nate - that is a cool brewery.
@Tranquil Hollow RR posted:Bob, wow, wow , wow and the spot light is a unique touch . It all works .
Thanks Jay. It's been a fun project. Climbing up onto the layout has not but still fun none the less.
Bob
@RSJB18 posted:I got the lights wired and ballasted the main line. I sprayed a couple of pine trees with a rattle can to cover up the fake snow. Once they are dry I can place them and put the high line back together. almost there.....
Bob, the flag poll turned out great and the flags look wonderful. But I am thinking that you might want to bring the background sky up a little higher on the wall in the corner. Just thinking out loud
@Trainwreck nate posted:well the wife wanted to clean up the basement a little today. Was really hard not to work or do anything train related. Even tho half of the box’s are filled with train stuff. We are in limbo with the place we have now. We are going to be buying my great grandmother house when the time comes. Once that happens I will be back full size layout. I was trying to only work on one section at a time, seeing how we don’t have a time frame. But today the wife asked me something I did not expect.
“When are you going to finish these sections and make some more. I’d like to put these box’s under the table and not in the open.”
So I guess that on my list of things to do? Was able to get the brewery weathered up. Need to do some looking around for some more details. Want to give it a little bit of some interior detail. Shelving or something nothing to crazy. Added a piece of wood to the edge of the platform. With that back on the layout now just need to wire it all up.
Sure sounds like the green light! I cant wait to see your progress! The Brewery is really looking good!
Semper FI!
@ScoutingDad posted:The pins and throw bars arrived from Ross yesterday and today I repaired 2 of the problematic switches. Amazing how much better they operate when there is no slop in the points. Also painted and installed a backdrop for a side wall over the weekend. Once again funny how adding a little detail just makes things come together. Meanwhile tore up a bit more track - had to do it anyway to repair the turnouts - and am laying out an additional siding for the tank farm. Now I really am at the point of having way too much track and not enough room for more scenery and buildings. HMMM - I do have an area in the middle of the layout which is nothing but open space for access ... deck that over ... and build, build, build.
Trainwreck Nate - that is a cool brewery.
Jeff think alot about building in the space for access. I did that and now when things go wrong and we all know they will I am climbing on the layout. It really sucks sometimes I have to take buildings off, but most of all you always have to be careful not to break anything on the layout your yourself getting back down! LOL
If I were to build in that space, it would be such that I could slide it over (or pick it up) to gain access to that area. Its doable with the masonite ledges, so I could have the extra scene span the gap resting on the masonite sides. I'd have to be creative at the interface, but it think that's manageable. I've already placed a pop out section directly on a semaphore signal, it was not happy when I snapped the mast. I was able to raise it, but the semaphore flag is messed up. Another repair job due to another OOPS!
Jeff, do you have a photo of the semaphore signal? I may have one you can have for parts if needed.
Bought the OGR/Ameritowne grab bag and assembled three pieces for a flat to fill a bare wall spot on my layout.
Sanded the mating surfaces smooth and even and glued them together with CA glue and an accelerator. Then spray painted it with dark brown and applied some Roberts Brick & Mortar. I then hand painted some details - cornice, base, window tops, door and transom and applied some weathering and some extra decals I had. Finally shot everything with dullcoat (Tamiya TS-80 flat clear). The window backing was made from a large section cut out of a clear, frosted sticker sheet that I spray painted the back side with a light blue and sealed with white and just peeled it off and stuck it on the back.
I also picked up the Ameritowne loading dock and painted the base and legs a dark brown and the top a lighter brown. Added black lines between the boards with a fine tip ballpoint pen. I painted the stairs a dark concrete color and added red to simulate brick risers. Finished with some weathering and dullcoat. I'll add some people and crates later.
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