Looking great, Tommy.

What colour topic markers did you use?

Cheers, Mark.

Fabulous, Greg!

Cheers, Mark.

You're making great progress, Jeff.

Coming on very nicely.  You're great thread is sure to entice many more to join the next challenge!

Cheers, Mark.

I'll be following along with great interest, Larry.

There are not many threads on the twin mills kit with a blow by blow look.  I'll also be interested to see the changes you make.  I've just started thinking about my own mill as I have been laying track into the mountain town where it is situated.  I managed to pick up an O-scale kit for a very cheap price a while back which came with 150 lengths of 1x10".  I've been ripping these in half to make 2x10's in HO scale.  It should be enough for all the cladding and decking. 

Cheers, Mark.

This is looking superb, Jeff!

I really like the stepping stones - a lovely little detail.

Cheers, Mark.

Quote from: deemery on July 25, 2025, 10:22:19 AMThose owls will keep the pigeons off the roof!

dave

Unfortunately, Dave, the birds soon cotton on the the fact they aren't real.  I put an owl on a stand attached to a post under the large eve of our barn to stop the birds nesting in the rafters.  It didn't make the slightest difference!

Cheers, Mark.

Quote from: Philip on July 19, 2025, 09:44:13 AMI only see a fine Camelback locomotive! Nice work!

Thanks, Philip.

She's a little cutie!  I do have to point out that there is also a Rivarossi heisler on the stone viaduct below in that photo!

Cheers, Mark.

Quote from: Jerry on July 19, 2025, 08:53:51 AMWell done and like Rick said very creative!!

Jerry

Thank you, Jerry.

The tunnels which are up against the fascia are easy.  It will be the installation of scenery that can split apart easily but with seams that are invisible that will be tricky.

Cheers, Mark.

Quote from: Rick on July 19, 2025, 08:43:58 AMVery creative and well executed.

Thanks, Rick.

Its good to have worked out a technique that should work for all my tunnels.  Using the black polystyrene should work well, as unless you can view the tunnel from very close, nothing more needs to be done to the tunnel interior.

Cheers, Mark.

Quote from: friscomike on July 18, 2025, 09:37:29 PMHowdy Mark,

As always, I am amazed at your benchwork and resulting layout.  First class it is!

Have fun,
mike

Thanks, Mike!

There is very little benchwork left to build.  I have scenery props and support/ fixing for the fascia left to do, along with splicing for support for my tunnels.  Also the rebuilding of the baseboard in Tellynott.  As my layout is all curved, the support/ fixing for the fascia is a bit more time consuming, as most of the jack studs need to be ripped at an angle - and every one is different.

Cheers, Mark.

Hi guys.

Photo 1 - Shows the front of the 'drawer' as I wait for the glue to cure.


Photo 2 - Shows the inside of the drawer.  I actually used white polystyrene for this section, but have used black for the other tunnel sections I have done so far.  I find it much easier cutting the tunnel portions out using two 50mm pieces, spliced together after cutting.


Photo 3 - The drawer front fitted and screwed to the fascia.  Once it is all painted matt black it should be barely noticeable.  I can also add screw caps in black if desired.  You can see the two layers of black polystyrene on the summit line above, here.  I added small cleats to the underside of the trackbed and then marked, cut and glued more 16mm MDF to the outside of the trackbed to support the tunnel pieces.  I will glue further polystyrene scenery formers to the top and front of the tunnel pieces, and the whole piece will then be removable, giving access to the track behind/ below.  It will likely be cut into two removable sections.


More soon, cheers, Mark.

Quote from: GPdemayo on July 18, 2025, 02:06:57 PMMost excellent Mark.....

Thank you for your kind words, Gregory.

Cheers, Mark.

Quote from: Jerry on July 17, 2025, 11:48:01 PMMark beautiful trestle!!!!

Jerry

Thanks, Jerry.

Almost 1500 nbw's in that one!

Cheers, Mark.

Looking great, Tom.

Loving the flowering vine.

Cheers, Mark.

Hi guys.

Next, I moved over to module 5.  This is the end module where I showed the 'group lift' into position a few pages back - with the exploding sawhorse!

This module will display a small logging camp and tall trestle.  The summit track goes into tunnels at each end of the tall trestle.  The Spoon river logging spur curves through a tunnel, then crosses a stone viaduct before arriving at the logging camp.  The lower main line curves around in front of these scenes.  I tried various track arrangements for the logging camp.  Space is very limited, so I needed to keep things forward to make room for some very steep scenery behind.     

 

Photo 1 - The curved turnout looked OK, but it had to start just past the point where the grade started, and I was worried that that would cause operation problems (kind of half on the slope and half on the flat).


Photo 2 - I tried multitudes of other track arrangements.  The small straight turnout looked wrong to me.  Anything following the curve around towards the back of the scene looked OK, but allowed no room for scenic elements. So, in the end, I decided to go without a turnout.  This means a longer shunt during operation, or the loco waiting while logs are loaded.  NZ prototype photos seem to show loading skids without a turnout fairly regularly, anyway.  We'll call it operational fun.


Photo 3 - Here is a view looking straight down.  Cork and track now laid.  You can see the main line in the front curving into the tunnel.  Of course, I'll need access to this tunnel.


Photo 4 - You can see I have added the fascia.  I made a tunnel out of two pieces of 50mm black polystyrene, put this in position, and then glued and nailed the 3mm MDF fascia in position.  I added glue to the polystyrene tunnel side which was cut to the curve of the fascia.  Once the glue was set, I carefully marked and used my skill saw to plunge cut the tunnel out.  I then made up a larger facing to glue to the front of this (clamped up and gluing currently).  This will create a kind of drawer in the fascia that will remove the front side of the tunnel for access.  I did something similar for the large tunnel to the right of the tall viaduct on the summit.  My intention is to make the top piece of scenery above this tunnel a lift out section, again, to give access to this tunnel.  I'm presently honing my tunnel cutting technique, but things are going pretty well.  I'll show my technique when it is refined.


Photo 5 - I have now laid the track on each side to join the tall viaduct.  The tracks are connected here, and the tallest bents shimmed to the correct height.  Two of the track jointers can be pulled to one side to remove the bridge.  I had to shunt things 5mm to the right to give sufficient clearance for the track below to pass the bent, which involved trimming the right end of the bridge and splicing a ripping to the left end riser.


More soon, cheers, Mark.