Superior & Seattle Railroad Build

[postalkarl]

Hi John:

Looks great so far.

Karl

[S&S RR]

You're probably already aware of this, but the bigger the kit, the harder it is to make it look right on sloping ground (unless it was designed for a slope, like some SRMW kits).  I've committed to a number of sloping, urban or town streets.  So far I've built one using kits and kitbashed structures.  The foundations and entrances took significant effort to get right.  At the moment, I find myself doing structures on the flat parts of my layout first, because it's easier.

James


Thanks for stopping by the thread and for your input. You are correct that the slopping streets are a challenge, especially with larger structures.  The key to making the structures look right is the foundations. This an area that is often overlooked by structure manufactures. One of the reasons SRMW kits work so well is Bob included a foundation for most if not all of his kits.  It is amazing how many structures you see on layouts that are built right on the ground with no visible foundation. All of the structures on my layout will have some type of foundation either provided by the kit manufacture or scratch built. We need to discuss this again when the structures start going in.

[S&S RR]

Hi John:

Looks great so far.

Karl

Karl


Thanks for stopping by and the kind words.  I can't wait to get to the point where I can start planting more structures.

[S&S RR]

Today, I spent most of the day under the layout installing the hidden yard that I posted pictures of a few pages back.  I also spent a couple hours working on the Jacob's Coal build and putting the top deck on the first trestle. This was a lesson learned from building my Mt. Aiden trestle. You need that sturdy top plate keeping everything square while you add the cross-bracing.  All the bents are squared up and ready for the 100's of cross-braces that I need to add.

[Powersteamguy1790]

Looking good John. 

Stay cool and run steam........

[Mark Dalrymple]

Hi John.

Looking good!

I've been pretty busy with sick dogs and house insurance stuff of late, so have missed a bit of the action online.  As a consequence I'm a bit late to the party - however...  I did a model of a model of my future shadowlands mountain part of my Tellynott layout.  This part of the layout is a bit of a bowl of spaghetti with lots of changes in height.  I drew a couple of plans - one on paper and one on thin card and cut out the track with a knife from the card plan.  I glued the paper plan to a piece of polystyrene.  I worked out the different track heights above the polystyrene base and marked 90mm flat head nails with a marker.  I poked the nails down into the paper track plan (and into the poly base) until their marks were flush with the base.  I then glued the cut out card plan to the top of the nails (in sections - I actually printed two card versions because there was so many up and overs).  I built up the scenery using my expandable foam gun - carving as necessary.  I also stained about 250 toothpicks brown, cut them in half, and poked them through some ground foam clumps to make trees (I wanted to estimate how many trees I would need), and planted these on the mountain.  Anyway - it was all fairly quick and easy and made it easy to see whether it would work or not - and what might need changing.  Very much worth the effort.

Hope the picture below explains better than my words!!!

Cheers, Mark.

[S&S RR]

Looking good John. 

Stay cool and run steam........

Bob


Thanks for stopping by. It's coming along - slow but sure.

[S&S RR]

Hi John.

Looking good!

I've been pretty busy with sick dogs and house insurance stuff of late, so have missed a bit of the action online.  As a consequence I'm a bit late to the party - however...  I did a model of a model of my future shadowlands mountain part of my Tellynott layout.  This part of the layout is a bit of a bowl of spaghetti with lots of changes in height.  I drew a couple of plans - one on paper and one on thin card and cut out the track with a knife from the card plan.  I glued the paper plan to a piece of polystyrene.  I worked out the different track heights above the polystyrene base and marked 90mm flat head nails with a marker.  I poked the nails down into the paper track plan (and into the poly base) until their marks were flush with the base.  I then glued the cut out card plan to the top of the nails (in sections - I actually printed two card versions because there was so many up and overs).  I built up the scenery using my expandable foam gun - carving as necessary.  I also stained about 250 toothpicks brown, cut them in half, and poked them through some ground foam clumps to make trees (I wanted to estimate how many trees I would need), and planted these on the mountain.  Anyway - it was all fairly quick and easy and made it easy to see whether it would work or not - and what might need changing.  Very much worth the effort.

Hope the picture below explains better than my words!!!

Cheers, Mark.

Mark


Thanks for posting the picture of your model of a model.  Looks like great minds think alike.  I have a few hours into the model that Im building and it's already sold me on the concept.  It really helps to visualize the types of structures I want, where I want sidings, and where I need to bring in the little bulldozer. I will post pictures as I go through the process if you care to come along for the ride.  I already know that this will be the first of many mack-ups that I will make of different areas of the layout.  I think they will also be helpful in showing visitors my plans.

[Jerry]

John the trestle is looking good.

I'll be watching for the next step.

Jerry

[S&S RR]

John the trestle is looking good.

I'll be watching for the next step.

Jerry

Jerry


Thanks for following along.  I made some more progress today - I got a good start on the cross-bracing.  I'll take some pictures and post them tomorrow.

[Jerry]

John the trestle is looking good.

I'll be watching for the next step.

Jerry

Jerry


Thanks for following along.  I made some more progress today - I got a good start on the cross-bracing.  I'll take some pictures and post them tomorrow.

John glad the drinking and flickering lights are not holding you back!!!!    Just kidding abou the drinking or is the party with Bob still on???

Jerry

[S&S RR]

John the trestle is looking good.

I'll be watching for the next step.

Jerry

Jerry


Thanks for following along.  I made some more progress today - I got a good start on the cross-bracing.  I'll take some pictures and post them tomorrow.

John glad the drinking and flickering lights are not holding you back!!!!    Just kidding abou the drinking or is the party with Bob still on???

Jerry

Jerry


I got my diagonal cutters out and ready to cut the wires to that light this morning and it has not flickered since.  Bob is welcome to come over for a drink anytime but there is some tough sledding between Idaho and Michigan this time of the year. I have a plan to eliminate the problem light fixture - if it starts flickering again.

[S&S RR]

I got started on the cross-braces for the trestle today.  I keep gluing until I run out of the long soldiering clamps that allow me to reach in and hold the pieces in place while the glue dries. Then it's back under the layout to work on the helix. The helix is coming along - lots of cutting and fitting in a cramped space. I will try to take a picture when it's complete.

[bparrish]

John...

That trestle is going to way too cool.  You need to consider entering it for judging.  I have been working at a distance with Jack Hamilton here in the west on a distance judging rubric.

Regarding that light.   Just leave that cutter close by and threaten it with non existence. 

About that drink.   That will have to wait.   

See ya
Bob

[S&S RR]

John...

That trestle is going to way too cool.  You need to consider entering it for judging.  I have been working at a distance with Jack Hamilton here in the west on a distance judging rubric.

Regarding that light.   Just leave that cutter close by and threaten it with non existence. 

About that drink.   That will have to wait.   

See ya
Bob

Bob


The drink will always be here waiting for you.  The cutters will be ready and waiting if that light acts up.  You bring up an interesting point out judging of models.  I have never participated in model contests because my models are for my layout and the idea of having them bounce along in a box half way across the country is just unacceptable to me.  Is there a check sheet for judging a model?  My judge is - I like the results.  And hopefully every model I build is a little better than the last. It would be interesting to me to get expert eyes to judge a model and offer ways of improving.