SSW Shelf Layout - You comments

[SSWUPinSA]

Thanks Justin, thats a good fix....!!!

It keeps the origional feel and adds a little ops in the top right... I could have a situation like in Jack Hills Virtual Switching on his NCIR. He had origionally planned the 2 nad 4 dock possitions on one spur meaning one would have to pull the first 2 to get passed and switch and spot the other 4... I like that, although Jack opted for seperate spurs...??

[SSWUPinSA]

Hi Justin.... Maybe like this then....



I like the "cut" (angle style) of building that I have seen Lance Mindheim use, I know they are not prevalent in prototypes but the feeling of the Loco moving between the buildings, like on his Miami Layout, really looks awesome to me. Moving the Team Track allows for a better size industry where the old one was...

[FCIN]

This is shaping up nicely. Looks like this plan would work pretty well as long as you make sure you have enough room to be able to pull all the cars from the food processor and still be able to switch the inbound cars. As long as your inbound cars and outbound cars from that industry are usually fewer than the capacity of the industry, you should be fine. Realistically, at most industries, you would rarely have every car spot full and be re-spotting an equal number.

I had thrown together this little sketch of one idea I had mentioned, but your latest revision looks darn good!.
    Just remember, you are the only person that has to be pleased with your layout. Just be sure to test track arrangements out so you don't end up with something unworkable.

As for your idea of putting a runaround or even small two or three track yard in the staging area, yes it could be quite prototypical. It could be treated as an interchange with your locomotive kept on the spur, or it could still be considered the main line, but once again, you'd have to make sure you had room to block your cars before entering the spur.

For a prototype example of putting a runaround track on the staging portion and treating it like an interchange, take a look at the interchange end of the Kendallville Terminal Railway: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s...7&t=k&z=18 You have a runaround, and two spurs for car storage here. the locomotive is kept at the end of the line and must shove their cars down to work the Kraft Foods plant. But this might give you some other ideas for your layout plan.

[SSWUPinSA]

Hey Guys, Had a thought.... I have an ADm Grain facility that WONT gell with this Industrial spur...BUT... What if I made provision for it off the Main/Interchange? I can make the shelf up to 250mm deep...It might add some switching seperately to the ISL... Can you draw up some options? would a runaround and a few stroage tracks work there... I have 2.80m along the left wall.... OR should I just stop here lol...

[SSWUPinSA]

SCRATCH that!!!!! Bad Idea, throws the whole ISL out... I'll keep that for my "why did I buy that" Layout!

[SSWUPinSA]

[FCIN]

You're certainly on to something with this latest revision! Look's pretty darn good!

I'll keep that for my "why did I buy that" Layout!

Got one of those ADM elevators myself, along with numerous other structures, that have no place on the proposed layout! Goes to show that it's best to plan first THEN buy structures if you don't want to scratch build all of them!

[SSWUPinSA]

Very keen to scratch build and add in a few bought bits... I'm liking the MEMPHIS vegitation... I want this to have a "green" industrial feel... where does one get good IS images in a particular area...?? I don't like the arid Maimi style...

[jonte]

And this is what I will e running on it...one of 2...

Hi SSWUPinSA

If I pop my little 'Chessie' in the post, will you work your magic on it too?

Luv to know how you did it.

Good luck with the layout.

Jonte .

[FCIN]

Very keen to scratch build and add in a few bought bits... I'm liking the MEMPHIS vegitation... I want this to have a "green" industrial feel... where does one get good IS images in a particular area...?? I don't like the arid Maimi style...

Here's a Bing Maps link to an industrial spur in southeast Memphis, TN: http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=pv2qcw7...ORM=LMLTCC Take a look around and you'll get a good idea of the terrain in the Memphis area.

[SSWUPinSA]

If I pop my little 'Chessie' in the post, will you work your magic on it too?

Hi Jonte,

I would gladly do one for you! Just the postage might be expensive all the way to South Africa... I must say the Atlas Gold Series GP40-2's do help with all their super detail out the box and they run so so smooth!

[SSWUPinSA]

Enough designing...time to build!!

[jonte]

If I pop my little 'Chessie' in the post, will you work your magic on it too?

Hi Jonte,

I would gladly do one for you! Just the postage might be expensive all the way to South Africa... I must say the Atlas Gold Series GP40-2's do help with all their super detail out the box and they run so so smooth!

Most kind

Out of interest, did you use acrylics or enamel paints, airbrushed or hand painted or perhaps a bit of both? I'll wager there's some powders in there too. I have to concur with an earlier post; I too thought it was a prototype ; this is the standard I shall aim for.

Thanks for the recommendation re Atlas - saves me asking another daft question :oops:

Jonte

[SSWUPinSA]

Jonte: I basically use the process in Pelle Soeborgs book "Done in a Day"...

Its really easy...did a few loco's all at the same time...

I start by masking all the glass and numbers. Then I spray the whole loco with a diluted acrylic called Deck Tan by Tamiya(thinned with proper tamiya acryilc thinner almost 1:1). I airbrush in light coats not too much and do more from above to emulate the sun weathering more from above. I then spray the trucks with German Grey Tamiya followed by a grimey colour I custom mixed from Hull Red, Brown and German grey. This colour was swatched from a pic of a truck I zoomed up on till it was just a blur then I mixed and matched... The Grey SSW body was dusted with black powders but not evenly, concentrating on the areas the would stay dark.. The latches and details were given a dab of dilutes Flat Black and then swobbed dry to leave a litte shaddow effect in the depressions etc.

I also scratched some of the lettering and numbers to get a worn effect with a 3M scotch pad, be carefull here and they can do damage!!! This was done before painting.

The tanks are done last with a series or light Dust colours and browny earth tones followed by brushed on oil/diesel spills that are airbrushed ove witha diluted Black to fade the edges. If you look at prototypes you will see that after a spill there is a dark definite line but spills frm befor almost catch dust and fade to a grimey colour. Look at Prototypes and study each individual section...Trucks, Tank, Sides, Lettering and Top... These can be done each in their own way... Next time I do one I will take step by steps and publish them here...could be a while though as I have weathered most of my stock..

One ting I must say is don't over do it... My light Deck Tan base is so faint that only once the powders and other colours are on can you see the effect...and you can always add more once its dry but you can't unpaint!!!

Oh, The rust... Take a fine brush, spot rust near panel edges/corners and wear n tear areas with a red/brown acrylic or oil...then while it is still wet drop earth or dark rust powder on to it...allow to dry the lightly brush the excess off in a downward motion, this leaves a great texture.

NOTE brush EVEYTHING down towards the bottom, Never sideways!!...Dirt does not climb up the loco it washes down> the only dirt that does go up is from the wheel sets and this is airbrushed from a low angle to simulate this....and done in the colour of your roadbed!! Use you airbruch in the same way that Mother Nature uses Mud/Grime and Rust and Sun to weather Locos...

Shoo....thats most of it and it'll get you started

[jonte]

Jonte: I basically use the process in Pelle Soeborgs book "Done in a Day"...

Its really easy...did a few loco's all at the same time...

I start by masking all the glass and numbers. Then I spray the whole loco with a diluted acrylic called Deck Tan by Tamiya(thinned with proper tamiya acryilc thinner almost 1:1). I airbrush in light coats not too much and do more from above to emulate the sun weathering more from above. I then spray the trucks with German Grey Tamiya followed by a grimey colour I custom mixed from Hull Red, Brown and German grey. This colour was swatched from a pic of a truck I zoomed up on till it was just a blur then I mixed and matched... The Grey SSW body was dusted with black powders but not evenly, concentrating on the areas the would stay dark.. The latches and details were given a dab of dilutes Flat Black and then swobbed dry to leave a litte shaddow effect in the depressions etc.

I also scratched some of the lettering and numbers to get a worn effect with a 3M scotch pad, be carefull here and they can do damage!!! This was done before painting.

The tanks are done last with a series or light Dust colours and browny earth tones followed by brushed on oil/diesel spills that are airbrushed ove witha diluted Black to fade the edges. If you look at prototypes you will see that after a spill there is a dark definite line but spills frm befor almost catch dust and fade to a grimey colour. Look at Prototypes and study each individual section...Trucks, Tank, Sides, Lettering and Top... These can be done each in their own way... Next time I do one I will take step by steps and publish them here...could be a while though as I have weathered most of my stock..

One ting I must say is don't over do it... My light Deck Tan base is so faint that only once the powders and other colours are on can you see the effect...and you can always add more once its dry but you can't unpaint!!!

Oh, The rust... Take a fine brush, spot rust near panel edges/corners and wear n tear areas with a red/brown acrylic or oil...then while it is still wet drop earth or dark rust powder on to it...allow to dry the lightly brush the excess off in a downward motion, this leaves a great texture.

NOTE brush EVEYTHING down towards the bottom, Never sideways!!...Dirt does not climb up the loco it washes down> the only dirt that does go up is from the wheel sets and this is airbrushed from a low angle to simulate this....and done in the colour of your roadbed!! Use you airbruch in the same way that Mother Nature uses Mud/Grime and Rust and Sun to weather Locos...

Shoo....thats most of it and it'll get you started

No wonder it looks real; the amount of effort gone into this fabulous creation is admirable

Thank you for such a comprehensive reply; never having attempted weathering before, a blow by blow account is exactly what I need to get me going. I've no doubt that others will benefit from your easy to follow instructions too.

Kind regards,

Jonte