I'll start us off with some photos of rough scenery I did yesterday.  The idea is there's a road that starts between the buildings in the background, passing underneath the tracks on a trestle bridge.


I mocked up the contours in cardboard.  One consideration with the topography is allowing for the bridge abutment.




Then I laid down a cardboard piece to represent the road, and worked on the other side, which has tighter clearances.


Then I went upstairs to watch TV.  Today I'll head down, look at what I mocked up yesterday.  If I still like it, first I have to move the track feeders.  Then I'll work out the cuts on the spline and how I'll support the scenery.  I'll use the cardboard for now, but later on replace that with a hardboard fascia.

dave

Quote from: cuse on April 10, 2024, 03:06:59 PM

wow, that's progress!

dave

Well, we're in the 96% zone for the eclipse this afternoon, with sunny/high thin clouds and warm.  I've checked my photo app to figure out where to look, between 2 neighbor houses with a big tree in the way.  

dave

I've been working on the building in the middle, mostly trim painting.  The side wall is just leaning in place.  I have a recessed doorway to add to this, but I need to finish the trim painting on its parts as well as the main wall.  

I might add a cornice to the sidewall to get it closer to the height of the front.  

There'll be some sort of flat/photo structure at the end of the street against the backdrop.

dave

Quote from: ReadingBob on April 05, 2024, 01:44:43 PM

Quote from: Vietnam Seabee on April 05, 2024, 10:56:22 AMBob...how many "days and a wake up?"

Terry

Three weeks from today is my final day! Not that I'm counting. 

T minus 500 hours, and counting. 

dave

Today's accomplishment was driving to a Volvo dealer to get a replacement rim.  Apparently a customer ordered 2, but only took 1, so that's why this dealer had the part in stock (not something they usually carry.)  Even the parts guy was surprised at the $820 cost (and I figure that's why the other customer only took 1.)  In a couple minutes, I'go "on-air" for my talk to the local retirees group (on Falaise Gap battle at the end of Normandy campaign, 1944.)  Then I'll probably have to take the wife to the tire place to pick up her car after they install the tire on the new rim.  Tomorrow's PT appointment was cancelled because of weather, that's A Good Thing -if- we don't lose power.  We'll see what we actually get, forecasts are for rain-some snow-rain, but one forecast says "it'll be all snow, expect 20" on the ground."  All-snow would be better than ice!  Plus winds up to 50mph...  A classic Nor'Easter.  

Current project... I added some window treatments, I need to find my package of City Classics curtains and add some more.  Then I'll work on the building to the left of this one.

dave

Well, another lost day on the train front.  I had a dr appt, then a quick trip to the store.  Wife told me "tire pressure light is on again."  So we took her car back to the tire dealer.  They called me a bit later, "We found the problem, there's damage to the rim so the tire isn't getting a consistent seal."  I called the dealer.  "We need the exact part number from the back of the rim."  I called the tire store, "Can you get your guy to note down the part number on the back of the rim?  It's an 8 digit number starting with '3'."  We picked up the car a half hour later with the part number noted on the invoice, and I started calling.  The dealer we got it from said "Huh, that part number isn't the current number.  But here's the number for your car."  "Do you have that in stock?"  He makes clicky noises, "No, and we don't have one in our warehouse, either."  So I called around and found another dealer who does have 2 of those rims in stock.  So off to there tomorrow, with a picture of the rim to make sure I get the right part.  I have a presentation tomorrow afternoon, so IF the weather cooperates, we'll take the car and new rim to the tire dealer late tomorrow.  Otherwise, that'll have to wait until Friday when the storm is over.... 

sigh....

dave

Jeff, none of the images from your last post showed up for me, and I get 'file not found' when trying to open the link. 

(Some forum applications have problems when the image is too big, or when the image name contains spaces or similar non-alphanumeric characters.) 

dave

It's a West Coast prototype, but the Dolley Varden is a great example of a railroad that ran from mines to the sea.  see http://dollyvardenrr.com

dave

Nice!  Shadowboxes are a great little project to tune up modeling skills, or do something that fits into a small living space.

dave

The NMRA meet I thought was today is -next week-.  (It's not April yet...)  So I did a bit more work on the Merchants Row II bash:

I had to shape and add a piece at the base of the bay, on top of the angled door, and then glue the door into position.  Since I changed the angle of the bay, there was some cut-and-fit to get this to work.  I used styrene strips behind these pieces as gluing and alignment surfaces.

Some paint touch-up and adding glazing, and this will be done.

dave

Well, I remember seeing a couple of those overhanging 2nd story on prototype structures, and saying to myself, "Yup, there IS a prototype for everything!"

dave

Yesterday was a bust, but today nothing's on the agenda and I'll do some work on the buildings I've been putzing with, after some time on the exercise machine (first time in a month...)

dave

There was a period where EVERY lasercut kit maker did a building with an overhanging 2nd story.  They always rubbed me the wrong way, because structurally those aren't very common.  

But you're certainly getting good results as you work through the kit.

dave

Back from a visit to the GI Doc, with a colonoscopy scheduled for May.  The joys of aging....  

No work in the train room today, should get back to it tomorrow.

dave