Hey…it ain’t Halloween yet you know.
(But the layout’s looking better and better all the time.)
John Passaro said:
Hey…it ain’t Halloween yet you know.
(But the layout’s looking better and better all the time.)
I know it’s early, but the super market wants to put up their Christmas advertising ASAP.
Thanks for the mention. I’ve had this vision all along, I was sure all y’all saw it in the pics my Vision Camera’s offerings, but I guess only I can see it. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-undecided.gif)
Rocks on the move …
A little ballast changes how everything looks … the rocks must stop their advance until I get the bridges built and this is my last way out!
We’re finally getting down to the 60s at night and upper 90s (F) during the day. Moving stuff between rests got me through the heat, but soon my mental napkins will bear fruit. As recycling wood with needle nose and channel lock pliers breaks the glue bond and removes the pins, y’know the ones; if one is good, then a dozen is better! yeah those pins, that was a good hot weather chore, except being out in the open… plenty more for the next project!
I’m plucking the rocks from around the grounds for the pike. When the layout is ‘done’ I’ll move the rest back to lining the driveway.
The Highline needs tweaking some(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-undecided.gif); belly bends need refining and the level needs adjusting too. All have mental notes for cooler saner daze.
John
Track and rock work look great. The ballasted track really makes a difference and the rusted rail look is awesome.
Rocks on the move, upward bound!
Above I added ‘shore’ boards and larger rocks are lining the high line. The lake here may be done with the blue stained rocks … but the washes are going to dirt.
Above added more profile planks and a floor … The High Line rises a mighty .75 inches above the lowly Narrows line.
I mounted the back board on a 60* angle so there is plenty of room for my rocks… the dark area in the fore ground will be rocked in.
The grey board will get a dirt cover after I fill the cracks.
Looking great John. You’re really the visionary artist, wonderful work!
Very cool. Has a great Southwest feel. I need to get back that way one of these times out to CO.
Some nice progress, John. Your gonna need a loading dock next to that mailbox for the R.P.O. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-foot-in-mouth.gif)
-Kevin.
Thanks gents,
Now that the oven door is cracked open the temps are getting realistic for bridge building. I wanted to have a ‘style’ and had to go looking for some!
Our washes look tame, but are known as killers by fast moving water and debris … keeping bents out of harms way makes sense and this design lends to a larger bridge as well. The above trestle and bridge had sheet metal under the track which has led to it’s long life.
I doubt if our track walkers will get the pedestrian addition. I just noticed that they cannibalized the trestle for better timber than the twigs they substituted for it! Could be family! (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)I bet the long ‘rooster poles’ spaces the weight out on the bridges.
Cliffy; I think I’m building a stage, with just enough elements to keep the attention until the stars Come Round the Bend.
Jon; I tried a Bonsai pine one year and the woe it suffered, I have no choice but to go arid!
Mr. Fictitious; (I kid); No RPO, I see a barn, pop rivet some boards and glue it up, now if I only had a farm!
Thanks for looking
Where’s the Rattler? Off to hibernate for the Winter?
Bent Tail report, last seen basking beside my front deck. Looked fat and happy. (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)
Until I can build 16’ of bridge, I settled on a floating fill.
Mix; large dollops of TB III, water and fine skreeded dirty gravel. Slop on wet with trowels like tools…
The corners will be covered with recycled cribbing to make them look purpose built. Like platforms on trestles.
I told Cliffy that this layout is a stage …
The track was gussied up with ballast and the Boss watches for parts that fall off.
A stage it is John, and a very unique, fascinating and multi-faceted one.
You could give the local grammar school a great field trip opportunity to learn about railroads, mineralogy and desert flora & fauna, all in one visit. If the kids weren’t intrigued by one aspect, they’d be by another.
Kids? Let’s change the subject!(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-yell.gif) I’m thinking; Mine mine, all mine! Actually I’ve given my BinL a couple of good chimney rocks - cracks filled with minerals and re-fired solid. He’s been teaching a dozen of 'em.
I’ve not used an indoor technique outdoors before. Last night was a good test, it rained most of the night. Only the fill was glued with dilute TiteBond III, the ballast is loose. The mine donated the Shale for ballast, so the price was right, if the ‘rock’ wasn’t.
I built up lips of fill to contain the ballast.
I had a boss once that thought by buying better tools his work would be better, but he had to hire us to realize his visions!
I used the drywall knife as my shovel and the thin flex blade as my spreader oner. I worked from the top down while spreading from the bottom up. About 3 apps per. The base is slanted so each section stands on it’s own and the top is feathered into the above section. No sections sloughed off! (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)
After pictures I was tossing peanuts to my quail and there was a squawk and all but one dove took off. Off to my left I saw the dive and below my feet, so sleek this winged fury, set up as puff of downy feathers to my right. The menu perused, he’ll have squab.
I came inside as the plucking commenced.
Nice work John. That looks great.
Great looking roadbed / track. It’s really starting to come together nicely (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
John, I’ve heard of floating the track in the ballast, but this is the first time I’ve seen floating ballast holding up the track!!
Wow, too cool!!
Looks like I have some clean up to do…
I have a plank to add to the left of the passing siding area for a line of buildings and a short section for the ore bin. Bridges when the arthritis lets me. Then ballast all around and let’s run some trains!
See Ya,
The finish line is getting closer and it’s looking quite good! (https://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)
Finish? Never! But thanks for the encouragement.
I still have the original elevated portion to bring up to standards and the City needs it’s dirt too.
Here’s a compressed look at the whole enchilada:
Lots of clean up to do. Everything between the mailbox and old engine shed and from the driveway forward to the layout gets removed and my Saguaro cactus gets a ring of protective stones in the loop and … (3 dots wasn’t enuf)
Sheepish Update;
The swelling has gone down.
I found the projectile …
There’s a pile of rust … er rusted sheet and iron remnants inside the layout. As I’ve recycled my ‘goodies’ it’s gotten more ugly and in the way.
A solution was born when I used a crinkled piece to cover some structural wood and loved the look.
Which side of the tracks? That common thought helps place the railroad’s right of way in the industrial part of town. My rust becomes a suggestion of industry and will line the 2 roads’ tracks out of town. The junction was 10 miles east of town.
Oh dear! My new compressor is full size and holds the charge! After 3 shots through the metal, I used small pieces of wood, but the look was wrong. Tipping my brad nailer slightly resulted in the head on the right side. Oh boy off to the races!
Afterwards; I can still see the tumbling shine, even see the tip leaving the nailer and disappearing against the iron. Saw it coming and zing, the flash fell away to my left. About a quarter in size, my cheek had a mosquito bite-like lump and a bloody center. (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-sealed.gif)
In a cautious daze, I wheezed my way to the hydrogen peroxide and pressed a cap full to my owie. Went back out and found the bent brad, whew! Double whew, not embedded and still shocked by my lack of response! I have great reflexes, said Pooh modestly, except then. Just last week I saw an Xray of a nail in a guy’s head. Squeezing my owie probably wasn’t the best, but I had to know for sure …
It’s a nice sunny cool day, a shame not to be out in it.
Maybe after I finish my late lunch.
Hey! Let’s be safe out there!