Bridge at South Wayside

[Steamtrains]

Gary wrote: "as we all know, a trip to the LHS for $10 worth of stuff ends up being $100 of stuff. They had a bunch of Athearn Blue Box undecorated 50 foot boxcars for $5.95 so I stocked up on them."

Don't you just hate it when that happens....

[cnw1961]

Gary wrote: "as we all know, a trip to the LHS for $10 worth of stuff ends up being $100 of stuff. They had a bunch of Athearn Blue Box undecorated 50 foot boxcars for $5.95 so I stocked up on them."

Don't you just hate it when that happens....

Hey Gus, I think that is not the point. It should read: Don’t your wife just hate it when that happens …

[P5se Camelback]

I used to just put most of what I bought (except what I had said I was going the the LHS for) in the spare tire well of the Taurus wagon and leave it there until Saturday when the wife and small daughter would go the Mall for the day. Then I'd just bring the stuff into the house and down the stairs into the basement ... SAFE!!!

She was glad that I had the hobby and would spend my time in the basement and not ever go out "bar-hopping with the guys." On the other hand, she begrudged any money I spent on it. It was somehow different when she came home from "shopping at the Mall" with an armload of "bargains" she'd found on clothing. (I've been divorced now for thirteen years now and buy my own clothes ... I have not bought any more plaid shirts or pastel green shirts or double-knit slacks ... EUuuuuuuuu! I always hated that stuff, but I couldn't justify buying a new shirt of my choice when she had just bought me three that satisfied her taste in men's casual clothing. There was an understanding, though ... she was not, under any circumstance to buy anything that I might have to wear to the office -- that was totally my realm of responsibilty!

Anyway, I never felt guilty about my purchases or how they came into the house. The delay in bringing my hobby purchases into the house was like a game of sorts and eliminated my having to justify spending a couple bucks on myself once in a while. I worked very hard for my money, put in long hours, so that she could be a stay-at-home Mom with our daughter. I figured that I deserved the rewards of a few hobby items on occasion.

[Schraddel]

@biL
That seams to be an international problem.
Sometimes this may help (but no guarantie!):

Open the doors of your wife locker for their shoes wide while she is absence.
Say nothing, let only stay the doors wide open, in most cases it will come to an armistice.

Lutz

[Gary S]

I'm lucky in that respect, my wife doesn't object much (if at all) about my railroad purchases. Heck, she even helped build the train building ($$$) and occasionally helps with painting and such.

As for the bridge, I'm getting close to finishing the concrete railings. Yes, I've been working on them since this thread started. 26 total assemblies at a revised count of 36 pieces per assembly, grand total of 936 pieces cut and glued. I can't recommend this to anyone, at some point it became less than fun. It is a good feeling to have this part knocked out, now I can concentrate on the "funner" parts of the bridge.

Gonna do this one a bit different than the others - for those, I built small assemblies at the workbench, and pieced them together on the layout. For this one, I think I will build a base from plywood, and build the entire bridge on that, then just set it in place on the layout.

Here's a photo of the almost completed railings:

   

[Gary S]

I often think about things like this - 936 pieces. Say it took one minute per piece = 936 minutes. Divide by 60 = 15.6 hours. And that isn't including time for research and development, two trips to the LHS, time spent distracted watching college football, or just sitting back and thinking "am I crazy?"

I'm guessing 20 hours invested in this so far. :? And I really haven't even started on the thing yet, this 20 hours is just for the steenking concrete railings! And they still need paint and weathering and installation! Also still have to do the posts in between the sections.

This project better turn out to be a looker with that kind of time invested!

[doctorwayne]

Gary, those sub-assemblies would have been good candidates for doing your own resin castings - simply make one "master" of each component, create a mould, and cast them in resin. There's a nicely-done representation of the DL&W's Hoboken Terminal in the November issue of RMC, assembled from home-cast parts and sheet styrene.
Micro-Mark offers kits for this. While the start-up cost is steepish, you probably spent a similar amount on Evergreen strips.

Wayne

[Sumpter250]

S-two-fiddy, the work you did on the ship is fabulous, and much more intricate than what I am doing. The smallest strip I am working with is .015 x .060. Yours looks to be considerably smaller and your creations never cease to amaze me!
_________
To be frank, I almost feel that somehow I am "cheating" because my modeling skills (and my desire to accomplish such work) just aren't up to par with the best of Big Blue. But again, you do make me feel good when you admire my work and I enjoy sharing my projects with you.
_________
One of the best things about Big Blue is taking my limited skills and raising them to a new level just by trying new things... new things that I now see are possible because other folks are accomplishing them! On that note, I have seen your attention to detail, and have no doubt that your modeling is on par with the best!
_________
Now... back to the styrene!

" The smallest strip I am working with is .015 x .060. Yours looks to be considerably smaller ".

They were smaller. The ship is bashed from the Lindberg "Jolly Roger Pirate Ship" kit and is close to N scale. BUT, the process is still the same. Bits and pieces of styrene are layered to create the final item. Sometimes the bits and pieces are large, sometimes they are very small. They are still, and will always be bits and pieces, layered to make something else, and I meant what I said about " feeling the pain", I know what it is to cut, fit, and assemble "bits and pieces".

" To be frank, I almost feel that somehow I am "cheating" because my modeling skills (and my desire to accomplish such work) just aren't up to par with the best of Big Blue. "

My answer to that is, " The camera doesn't lie ".......and I think it has been closer than three feet, and still looks good.

' One of the best things about Big Blue is taking my limited skills and raising them to a new level just by trying new things... new things that I now see are possible because other folks are accomplishing them! "

That, is what sets this board apart from so many others....we see it has been done "better", and we work to reach that level.
No one is "so good", that they can't learn something new. I do believe that you have, in fact, laid down a level that others can strive to reach..........fact, not flattery.

[faraway]

I often think about things like this ...

Gary, it is a question of personal preferences. If you have the patience to work a given time on one object to make it the way you like it it is very well spend time and worth every second of your life. You might have done the bridge in a half day and it would look like my street running trackage in the new north yard. I am very sure you would call that day a lost day of your life.
It is hobby and no business at all. Time we enjoy is always well spend time.

[Sumpter250]

How did you make the medallion above the windows..??

It was cut from 0.015" styrene sheet...it's about 1/2" wide.

I have a set of old jewelers screwdrivers, that are now "micro chisels", that I used for the cutting.

[Gary S]

Gary, those sub-assemblies would have been good candidates for doing your own resin castings - simply make one "master" of each component, create a mould, and cast them in resin.

Casting parts definitely intrigues me, but I didn't even think about doing it for this project. The idea of using the styrene seemed appropriate and I never considered a different method. Don't know why I haven't attempted to cast parts, I just haven't. Maybe it is the initial cost, but as you mention, the amount of styrene I bought for this project was $$$$.

I'm funny that way though. I feel more comfortable buying 10 of something for $2.59 each rather than buying one thing for $25.90.

On the casting, is it possible to cast two-sided objects? This would mean a two-part mold? The thinnest portion of the railings is .040 and overall the thickness is .100. Could a mold and resin be used for such a thin two-sided casting?

[Gary S]

Gary, it is a question of personal preferences. If you have the patience to work a given time on one object to make it the way you like it it is very well spend time and worth every second of your life.

I usually don't have the patience, I am typically an "I want it now" kind of person. I admit that this hobby has helped me in that respect, sometimes yu just have to wait for good things. One thing that comes to mind is ballasting - I did some the other day, experimenting with adding various sand and dirt around the edges of the right-of-way, and of course, the glue takes at least 24 hours to dry completely before you know how the colors are going to look. Sometimes I can't help but poke it with my fingers to see if it is dry! But it has definitely taught me to slow down.

You might have done the bridge in a half day and it would look like my street running trackage in the new north yard. I am very sure you would call that day a lost day of your life.

Well, I wouldn't go as far as saying that your street trackage looks bad. We are generally our own worst critics!

It is hobby and no business at all. Time we enjoy is always well spend time.

I can say that I am enjoying having the pieces made, but can't say i really enjoyed the time spent. As Gus said, once it is done, it is time well spent and this bridge will mean even more to me because I know the effort that went in it.

[Gary S]

Re: size of styrene strip:

They were smaller. The ship is bashed from the Lindberg "Jolly Roger Pirate Ship" kit and is close to N scale. BUT, the process is still the same. Bits and pieces of styrene are layered to create the final item. Sometimes the bits and pieces are large, sometimes they are very small. They are still, and will always be bits and pieces, layered to make something else, and I meant what I said about " feeling the pain", I know what it is to cut, fit, and assemble "bits and pieces".

My fumbling fingers had trouble with the strips I was using.... anything smaller would have been tough for me. And now you say the ship is approximately n scale? :o From the photo, I imagined the ship was at least HO scale! Geez, I am even more impressed! Did you use an opti-visor? What kind of glue?

Re: skill level or lack thereof:

My answer to that is, " The camera doesn't lie ".......and I think it has been closer than three feet, and still looks good.
I do believe that you have, in fact, laid down a level that others can strive to reach..........fact, not flattery.

As I said to Reinhard, we are generally our own worst critics. I am betting that there are things on your ship that you aren't completely satisfied with, yet no one else even sees them. When I look at the pieces I made, I can see things which are crooked, cut wrong, etc. The salvation is that once put into the layout scene, the scrutiny won't be on each indivdual piece, but on the overall effect. I appreciate your "fact not flattery" comment, it makes me feel good and also encourages me that what is being accomplished is worthwhile to others. I am very much looking forward to having the layout on the Houston model railroad tour next year.

[Tom]

I used to just put most of what I bought (except what I had said I was going the the LHS for) in the spare tire well of the Taurus wagon and leave it there until Saturday when the wife and small daughter would go the Mall for the day. Then I'd just bring the stuff into the house and down the stairs into the basement ... SAFE!!!

She was glad that I had the hobby and would spend my time in the basement and not ever go out "bar-hopping with the guys." On the other hand, she begrudged any money I spent on it. It was somehow different when she came home from "shopping at the Mall" with an armload of "bargains" she'd found on clothing. (I've been divorced now for thirteen years now and buy my own clothes ... I have not bought any more plaid shirts or pastel green shirts or double-knit slacks ... EUuuuuuuuu! I always hated that stuff, but I couldn't justify buying a new shirt of my choice when she had just bought me three that satisfied her taste in men's casual clothing. There was an understanding, though ... she was not, under any circumstance to buy anything that I might have to wear to the office -- that was totally my realm of responsibilty!

Anyway, I never felt guilty about my purchases or how they came into the house. The delay in bringing my hobby purchases into the house was like a game of sorts and eliminated my having to justify spending a couple bucks on myself once in a while. I worked very hard for my money, put in long hours, so that she could be a stay-at-home Mom with our daughter. I figured that I deserved the rewards of a few hobby items on occasion.

AMEN! My ex was the same way. I worked my butt off at Amtrak, and she worked hard too, but she was very frugal. I couldn't even get her to spend money on herself! It was always pay the bills we needed to pay and the rest goes into savings. While there is merit to that, still, is it really worth mending tube socks with toe holes in them versus buy another pack? I worked for long stretches on the midnight yard job, so I'd be home while she was at work, and more importantly when my 2 LHS's were open, and I ASSumed that since Athearn and MDC boxes all looked the same, that she wouldn't notice more adding up. I'd just add to the stack in the closet and figured I was getting away with it. What I didn't know was that when we split, she used that against me; she had been keeping inventory while I was at work at night and had a running list. Sick huh? And yeah, she DID use it against me when we had our big blowout. But ya know what? I still have the trains, the guy she left me for dumped her, but AFTER 2 little kids, she's miserable (she also happens to be my fiance's best friend) and she told me when I saw her last at 4th of July that she screwed up. I just grinned at her and let her suck on THAT statement for a while!

Funny thing is, Alicia does just as much train shopping as I do. She last night surprised me with my very first train set, the 1979 Bachmann "Bullet" MINT in the box, brand new. She had a friend of mine purchase it on his Ebay account when I was working in Michigan last week and had him drop it by last night. She's cool like that. Colleen though? Karma is eating her alive, hahahaha! Big breasts only get you so far in life honey...

[Tom]

I often think about things like this - 936 pieces. Say it took one minute per piece = 936 minutes. Divide by 60 = 15.6 hours. And that isn't including time for research and development, two trips to the LHS, time spent distracted watching college football, or just sitting back and thinking "am I crazy?"

I'm guessing 20 hours invested in this so far. :? And I really haven't even started on the thing yet, this 20 hours is just for the steenking concrete railings! And they still need paint and weathering and installation! Also still have to do the posts in between the sections.

This project better turn out to be a looker with that kind of time invested!

It will. The others have been FANTASTIC. For a modeler that professes to be new to scenery, you have a lot of us that have been doing this for 30+ years like myself beat by a long shot. But, as I say at work, there is ALWAYS something to be learned from EVERYONE, and I can't thank you enough for sharing your layout with us here virtually. I can only hope to get the priveledge of seeing it in person next time I am in the Houston area. I'll bring beer.