Large Scale Central

Sutro Tunnel Model

Modeling
#362

Thanks David for your insightful humor.

This year-long project came about after the following:

  • Crazy idea by me, in July '22, relating to a huge museum and model filling it, depicting the Comstock and Sutro underground works, submitting the quite massive PowerPoint (including elaborate 3d models of the 3d museum) to the Nevada folks.
  • Sutro history folks saying, You bet! Can you limit that to a small model of the site around the tunnel opening, for starters?
  • Me saying: You bet!
  • Me saying: And I think I can build that!

Nine months later, I’m hoofing it hard to make the October completion date. And can I complain? No! I started this thing, and am super honored to be a part of the discovery team there.

Yeah David, this is jut a mockup, in the sense that I would like much funding thrown at this 3d storytelling, and know for certain that there is an enormous model-based story to tell here.

But, that probably won’t happen. But just imagine, if everyone wanted history to be told through models…

OK, I’m wandering…

#363

So basically you are saying this is “All YOUR FAULT” !

#364

Not sure how to respond Rooster, so take your pick:

  • So what else is new? Start reading the memos!
  • Seems like you’re channeling my wife again, what’s going on?!
  • Perhaps denial was a better plan after all…
  • I might own the land it passes through, but I didn’t start the earthquake.

:stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

#365

Cliff ,
If we are playing Jeopardy I would like to take …

“Channeling my wife again” for $200

If I sweep that category …Then I would like to follow up with …

“Perhaps denial was a better plan” for $1,000 and hopefully double Jeopardy will pop up !

#366

Denial gives you Double Jeapardy, and you win!

Prize: babysitting my three loud granddaughters for one weekend, so I can proceed in peace with the model! :laughing:

After seeing your post, I binged Herb Albert on YouTube and felt like a younger man, thanks David.

#367

This weekend I’ve been doing scenery layers: base textures of grass & dirt, rocks & brush, and some static grass.

The base textures were glued by spaying Woodland Scenic cement. But that didn’t work for the larger rocks and brush, which needed more help to hold down. So I scattered them dry, fussed with it, and when it seemed ok I flooded it with diluted Mod Podge.

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I really like this glue. Dries flat, and basically disappears. It can be used as a glue and a topcoat / sealer.

I did the track ballast the same way, but used an eyedropper to put down the MP. It’s still a little wet in this photo; it’ll darken some.

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For the reservoir area I used static grass and finer foam greenery.

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Lots more to add (trees, details, etc.) but the basis scenic layers are down, yay.

4 Likes
#368

Wow. VERY impressive!
Is there really that much green out there? :innocent:

#369

did you plant all these tiny bushes and trees alone?

if yes, you deserve the “gardener of the year” award!

#370

Times 2. Very nice indeed!

#371

Bruce, now you’re echoing Linda… :smiley: :roll_eyes:

Two answers to that, both of which I told her about half an our ago.

Answer #1: Not exactly. I tried bleaching the Woodland Scenic foam balls, to no avail. They use really good dye. I tried finding a light buff scenic powder to shake on maybe, but no dice. Spray paint to make things look dryer is out of the question at this point. However, I told Linda I’d look into a light dusting of buff pastel scrapings, maybe that’ll lighten it up.

Answer #2: It’s springtime. Imagine this looking a bit greener:

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You asked…
:innocent:

1 Like
#372

OMGram …Ho Lee Fuk …I quit !

1 Like
#373

Done !

How old are they?

We can do… The Rosemary House Fairy Festival
then the boy will take them to the park to hit baseballs and after that we go to the pool and take a ride in our vintage VOLVO wagons to the local dog shelter and hang with the doggies for a bit.
Then we come home I make them a meal (whether they like it or not it’s dinner or you go to bed hungry) .

However we load them back into the vintage VOLVO wagon and take the for ice cream as the boy wants it and we even have the flip down 3rd middle (hump) seat in the back .
Then we come back home and the girls are exhausted and passing out like me and if not there is always benadryl

Then we can drink a case of Mountain Dew and snort some pixie sticks while I am (probably the boy) driving them home in the VOLVO wagon and none of them brushed their teeth

#374

Screw the model I wanna come too!!

1 Like
#375

As of this evening I’m done with the track.

The ballast granules are as tall as the rail (from the top surface of the ties), so it’s been a challenge keeping said ballast below the railheads (which are about .12" apart). Even more so, since the diluted glue wants to float the granules away from the track entirely! But after repeated whacks, the ballast is finally covering what it’s supposed to.

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Still a little wet (and white-looking) in this shot, but the goal has been to let hints of the ties to show through, while hiding the trapezoidal base of the track profiles.

2 Likes
#376

What else can be said? I’ve got to agree with Rooster on this. But I am very curious on the process and outcome . I have studied you photos and have done Google searches of the area to compare and in all seriousness have you contacted Mother Nature to show her how it should be done???
And I’m challenging one and all to come up with a three word descriptive phrase that hasn’t been used to compliment this masterpiece

1 Like
#377

According to Neil …Rooster has already done that !
:rooster:

Both are Killer builds on opposite polars

#378

“Liu fly Low” , “Nun ting Missed” , “Hun in Limbo”, “Shi dong Guo”,

I just wanna know “Wen Liu Dong” Cliff?

Translation …“When will it be done” ?

#379

Hollywood, thanks so much for your generous compliments!!

[edit] Off work now, and see that my remark was kinda too brief!

So I want to thank you again for your encouragements along the way Hollywood, and thank all you folks for yours as well.

I’m starting to see some daylight on this project. It’s been a long haul, and I truly appreciate having had friends to take the journey with me.

Lots to do still, but some tough things are getting wrapped up. And just in the last few days I’ve had confirmation that other Friends of the Sutro Tunnel will be helping hugely in building the table, sewing the skirt that goes around it, and photographing & printing the backdrop.

Cliff

1 Like
#380

This has been my last scenery weekend, working on building foundation unmasking & cleanup, structure installation, pond & its foliage, a few trees, mansion hold-down cables, and lots of touchup. Nothing’s perfect but it’ll have to do.

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I’ve got a long list of detail parts to make and add, but I might send them later, like in the fall. Cuz I need to get to the enclosure build, and then crating.

Cheers,
Cliff

5 Likes
#381

Welp that’s it all my stuff is up forsale … I QUIT!
You have issues Cliff!!

1 Like