The Burbank Branch

[faraway]

I am watching your thread since some time and I must say like it very much! That is going to be a very good modern ISL

[JohnyBotto]

I am watching your thread since some time and I must say like it very much! That is going to be a very good modern ISL

Thank You Reinhard! I wish I had your speed of building you have with your layout. Your posts get me off my butt to get to work.

Yesterday I painted the base coat on the block walls for Zero Manufaturing. The real walls range in color from pink to yellowish-orange to a buff color. I'm hoping when I do the washes for the grout lines it will tone the color down a bit. Not sure on the process for that....
   

Today I cut and scribed the concrete pad for the unloading area for aluminum sheets and coils that arrive on flats and gons. A GHQ material handler will be parked in this area to handle the unloading. Also coils and sheets will be on pallets.
   

Some General Views:
   

   

[JohnyBotto]

I have been working a several projects for the layout of late, so I thought I would give you an update.
I have been playing with operating schemes using Switchlist for Mac(<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.vasonabranch.com/railroad/switchlist.html">http://www.vasonabranch.com/railroad/switchlist.html</a><!-- m -->).
In my dreams I would love to represent the line from Taylor yard through Glendale into Burbank just north of Burbank Junction. But as always space does not allow, not even for a small staging yard.
To represent Taylor yard and get the operation program running, I built 2 shelves to store cars that are supposed to be at Taylor Yard.
Each shelf is 2.5" wide with groves cut so cars sit as if on rails.

   


Next I completed the Zero Manufacturing sign wall. It is made up of 8" tiles front and back with cinderblock sidewalls per the prototype. I think it is a distinctive feature that clearly marks the industry as well as the main entrance. The sign still needs to be printed.

   

And lastly I have been struggling to get the right effect for the mortar lines in the Zero Manufacturing cinderblock perimeter wall. The mortar is represented by a gray or tan wash of acrylic paint Once it is semi dry, I wipe the excess off. But either the mortar lines don't stay or there is a film left over the base color with pools in the corners. Thinking about trying drywall compound. What are your techniques for this effect? Comments?

   

[Tyson Rayles]

I use plaster mixed to the thickness of mud, but usually I spray the walls the color of the mortar then brush the color for the walls on with chalk.

[sailormatlac]

John,

It's looking good so far! Very interesting work.

For your wall, there will always be some kind of residue once you wipe the mortar line. You best bet is to "recolor" the blocks using a dry medium to be sure it won't get into the crack. It may be drybrushing, using color pencils or chalks as Tyson stated. Use difference shades, it will bring the particular random look you are looking for.

If you look at this image, I used it to simulate terracotta blocks over a door.



Matt

[JohnyBotto]

Thank you Mike and Matt for your thoughts! I will have to experiment with those methods the next time I sit down and ply my masonry skills.
Keep up the good work everyone!

[JohnyBotto]

Quick update on small progress.
Today I installed the turnout indicators on the facia.
I drew these in Illustrator and had them laser cut in acrylic.
The red targets indicate a switch on the main and the yellow targets indicate a switch on a secondary line.
The numbers are SPINS (Southern Pacific Industrial Numbering System) and indicate the siding number. numbers are as close as possible for the real branch industries.
LEDs indicate switch position: Green for main line, Red for siding
The activation slide switches are located under the layout below the switch stands.

   

   

   

[shortliner]

Those work very well

[dgaken]

Nice work on the shelving for staging. I'm without space for a proper staging yard - but I might be able to work this into the plan. Good idea!

[Donovan L Furin]

My masonry and/or brick technique is as such:

THE MOST IMPORTANT STEP is to start with a color print of your brick color printed with the bricks as near to scale as you can get it. This reference IN SCALE will help you keep everything proportionate.

Then gather a few shades of your brick or cinder color (in your case, a few shades of grey or blacks and whites mixed) and paint on a "camouflage" pattern. The degree of colors changes depending on the look you want. In THIS case I would be fairly subtle, using a few grays that are close to the base color, and IN THIS CASE I would keep the "spots" fairly large so it will take on a sort of uniform look when done. (With old "brick" walls I might have the "spots" fairly small, but that is for a different look than you are going for.)

When step one is dry I would add mortar - a wash of a light color is usually best, but again, it depends on the look I want. Let set for a few minutes and wipe off the "top" of the bricks leaving most of the mortar in the cracks - a lot like what you have already done.

When that step has dried I come back with a light wash of the base color - gray in this case, because this helps set the mortar lines behind and under the bricks.

Sometimes I repeat this step if the mortar is still too bright, but often one wash is enough.

When that step is dry I get the variety of colors used in the camouflage step out and a '000' fine brush and paint individual bricks here and there - this creates the illusion that ALL the bricks are individuals without having to paint each one. In your case I would again use very subtle variations of gray, but with "traditional" brick work I might use extremes from a true red to black, to a yellow-ochre to create the look. be sure to group bricks in 2's, 3's and 4's with very few stand alone single bricks or you will end up with a salt and pepper look that is rarely the desired effect.

Weathering - such as washes of "black" under windows is the final step and I will use whatever I think will create the effect I want to achieve. Chalks, pencil, and oil paints all work well in their own way.

This is not as hard or "artistically talented" as it seems, so give it a shot, I think you will like the results.

* The gray is for the sign, for the brick red wall I would be using the red/orange and mix in a little black, white or RED-red to create variations.

~Donovan

[eje]

That branch was home while I lived in Canoga Park. I see where now the burning bridge has been converted to bus use. California apes itself. The track/trains running behind Rocketdyne were interesting at times; I suppose in some weird way it'd save a portion of a day to route a car thusly? Who can tell?

[JohnyBotto]

Hello everyone. Another long hiatus, but be assured the Burbank Branch has been running on a regular basis.
I had a little time to work on the Silos at the Oroweat bakery. While not 100% accurate and still a WIP, I think they will fill the bill.

Prototype Photo Terry Guy:

Bakery Curve by Terry Guy


Test Fit


Wrapping the Railings


Railings Complete


Mockup 1


Mockup 2


Mockup 3

[JohnyBotto]

I wanted to repost some images that were corrupted after the database went down a few months back.
Showing the progress of the Burbank Branch, however slow it may be. Thanks for looking.


Dead End Fence at the end of Lomita street


Mocking up Lomita Street at the Zero Manufacturing spur.


Mocking up East end of Zero Manufacturing


Mocking up wall and receiving pad for Zero Manufacturing


Turnout indicator lights with SPINS numbers


Overall layout with turnout indicators installed


Shelving to represent Taylor Yard

[sailormatlac]

Good to see some progress! The silos are really nicely done. Got to love that paint scheme.

Matt

[MountainMan]

Pictures didn't post and there are several surreal images of blurred and heavily pixelated colors?

I do like the way you have captured the look and feel of an industrial zone.