Northwest 22nd St, Miami

[shortliner]

Dave - Boley stopped making trucks some while ago - so think about future needs, and get them while you can
Best
Jack

[fast car]

Dave I have seen roll up doors up to 16' wide. Just a quick glance on roll up door websites show a 16' wide rollup.

The loading dock doors at the production bakery facility where I work the are a normal 8' x 8' wide single car garage doors. We have 12 doors across the front and ten or so in the back, some that are larger. This is sufficient for normal roll caged hilo traffic. These doors handle strictly semi trailers.

After looking at the produce business on you blog that any combination of 8' x 8' or 8' x 10' wide sizes would work.

Larry

[shortliner]

Dave - no customs duty - <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.unitmodels.com/category.php?id_category=6&p=2">http://www.unitmodels.com/category.php? ... gory=6&p=2</a><!-- m --> - second item down on the page!

[dave_long]

Larry, thanks for the info on loading doors. I didn't think that I'd go too far wrong, as long as they look ok to me then I think that will be fine.
Jack, I had read somehwere while searching for them that they had stopped producing HO models, maybe I shouldn't say but the US ebayer I'm getting mine from is selling packs of two for around $11.
I've already had a goodie bag from unit models, I did think about them put I think they may protrude a little too far for my needs.

My Sergent couplers have also turned up today, being the first of my US items to arrive and customs didn't ask for any extra cash good oh!

Off to do some modelling now!
rgds
Dave

[dave_long]

Hey hey progress and photos.

With the layout being at the back of my garage the light inside is poor and my auto settings on my camera really don't appreciate artificial light, so the photos aren't as good as I'd like, I'll be able to get it outside in the next couple of weeks of the natural light should show it better.

Anyway buildings have appeared track is painted and the first layer of grey ballast has been laid, then a sand layer will be added to get that floridian ground cover that miami downtown spur seems to have.
The buildings still need weathering and detailing, a few aircon units need fitting as do a few downspouts. Then they will all need a layer or two of dullcoat. The roads have been built but the second layer which will hold the sidewalks and forecourts to the front buildings need to go down, now I've got the correct paint I can get on and finish the sidewalks.

( Can anyone let me know what size the sidewalk slabs are in Florida, is it a standard size such 3'x2'? )
I've added a couple of photos that show the Bullfrog manual turnout machines that I ordered, they're laser cut wood and will hold switches to stock rails without springing in the turnouts. I haven't fitted them yet though so can't vouch for their abilities although I have tested them by hand and they seem fine.

Everything needs bedding down and general adding that fine finishing touches to get it to look like a real place. I've got a few trucks on order, I've sourced some spare tyres too for that little bit of rubbish.

   
   
   
   

Thanks for looking everyone.
Dave

[Mr Fixit]

Dave,

In regard to the sizes of loading doors, if any of the businesses unload sheetboard materials like particleboard or MDF, the maximum size I am aware of is 3600 x 2400 [12' x 8'] and so you would want a roller door of at least 4000 wide because its no fun for the forklift operator when the door is just over 3600 wide. Plywood is usually available in 2400 x 1200, though sheet plywood flooring comes in 3600 x 900 or 800 depending upon thickness. It is also now being made available particularly at Home Depot type stores in 1800 x 900 or 800. Stick materials as used in making pallets work in 300mm increments so your order person would be looking to get materials in that work out best for use while allowing for ease of handling, cutting and wastage. Standard pallets work out at @ 1100 x 1100. Naturally packs of timber would want to be forked in to a factory and stacked near the saw[s].

Hope this information helps.
Mark

[jonte]

Already looking the part, Dave; an excellent start indeed. With this excellent spell of weather we've been enjoying of late, those 'natural light' photos shouldn't be too far off.

May I ask what colour paint you used to obtain the dark rust rails? An excellent representation of aged rust in my opinion

Sleepers nice too - again what's the secret?

Think I'll have to migrate to Florida for my next effort - I simply adore that CSX blue/ yellow/grey/yellow livery hock:

Keep up the good work.

Jon.

[dave_long]

Hi Jonte,
Thanks its at that stage that it looks really odd without any dullcoat on the structures and the contrast levels are way off, but I can see past that (I dont always) once the paler sand/powder ballast goes down that will brighten up the main part of the layout, also the road surface needs weathering and lines painted. If anyone is wondering the whole of the Nw 22nd St isn't modelled at the front, but the part that runs past the building I'm using front left is oneway at that point so I figure it wouldn't matter too much, plus I don't have any cars at the moment just trucks and vans and a forklift.

The track was painted using one of Lance Ms techniques, but basically its diluted Burnt Umber artist oil paint, diluted with mineralised spirits to the consistency of weak coffee. Then left to dry for a few days. The ME track took it fine the shinohara didn't like it much even over the primer but a second coat and it was fine. Lance went on to spray the tie plates separately but I've left mine for now as I quite like the look, but you could add different shades of brown to the plates and rails, and also add grey drybrush on the timbers to represent sun bleaching. However the grey ballast I've put down has resulted in a grey powder coating to the ties which has negated the issue for now but once I add klear to the ballast that might get removed. The old adage have a look at the track in the area you want to model to see what its actually like and model what you see and not what you think it should look like.

hth
Dave

[dave_long]

Blue and Gold livery is pretty smart too, although this example is still far too clean, but it does show the detail well especially as you can see the yellow railbox through the grilles at the front.
   

Next on the list will be the road signs, a few Stop signs and R/R yellow signs to go up, I think I've settled on using 1mm round plastic tube for the posts it seems that sign posts can have 76 or 89mm round tubes in the US so I've gone for modelling the 89mm which works out at 1.05mm in HO so thats perfect I reckon. Wikipedia has helped with fiels for both signs so they just need resizing to scale and printing on some adhesive backed photo paper and will be stuck to some thin plasticard.

Dave

[jonte]

......... Wikipedia has helped with fiels for both signs so they just need resizing to scale and printing on some adhesive backed photo paper and will be stuck to some thin plasticard.

Most ingenious, Dave.....interesting to see how they turn out.

Yes, the gold does look nice.......incidentally, and briefly, what make is the loco and do you have a preference for a particular brand? If so, why? (sorry to burden you with all these questions, but i really don't know which is best - and most reasonably priced).

Finally, thanks for the detailed account of the how the weathering to the track was achieved......I suspect my daughter's obtained a copy of Lance's 'How to build......' for my birthday which is just around the corner, so I shall particularly enjoy perusing the pages now I've seen the results for myself!!

Best wishes,

Jon.

[jonte]

.............. mineralised spirits .....................

Forgive me, but what is the UK equivalent.........thinners, white spirit, meths....? (or is it isopropyl ????).

Thanks Dave,

Jon.

[dave_long]

Hello
I dont tend to have too broad an opinion on locos, I get what I like the look of. I do tend to google review though and see what the opinion of others is. The GP38-2 in the photos is a proto 2000 there is lots on this loco its out on the accuracy of the body, but the motor is great but there is an issue with the DCC wiring as regards the lights. The switcher is a athearn genesis MP15AC (loads on uk ebay) again some people I know have had major issues with its running qualities but I've had no such issues. swings and roundabouts. Plus the other thing is in my UK P4 modelling I'm a rivet counter so its a little bit of a release for me doing this.

Lance's empllys several techniques on his layouts, so you'll have a choice. If you like to read try Pelle soeberg books, UK amazon.

Just an addendum to the track paint I did use a 1" brush to slop it on fairly liberally.
I used white spirits but it needed a lot of mixing, I suspect meths would have been a better option due to it being mineralised I was just being a cheapskate. There are now modelling substitutes you can get which don't have the odour.

Dave

[Gary S]

Dave, just letting you know that I am enjoying your layout build and all the photos. I haven't been commenting, just sitting back and admiring your work. Thanks for sharing it all with us.

[jonte]

Hello
I dont tend to have too broad an opinion on locos, I get what I like the look of. I do tend to google review though and see what the opinion of others is. The GP38-2 in the photos is a proto 2000 there is lots on this loco its out on the accuracy of the body, but the motor is great but there is an issue with the DCC wiring as regards the lights. The switcher is a athearn genesis MP15AC (loads on uk ebay) again some people I know have had major issues with its running qualities but I've had no such issues. swings and roundabouts. Plus the other thing is in my UK P4 modelling I'm a rivet counter so its a little bit of a release for me doing this.

Lance's empllys several techniques on his layouts, so you'll have a choice. If you like to read try Pelle soeberg books, UK amazon.

Just an addendum to the track paint I did use a 1" brush to slop it on fairly liberally.
I used white spirits but it needed a lot of mixing, I suspect meths would have been a better option due to it being mineralised I was just being a cheapskate. There are now modelling substitutes you can get which don't have the odour.

Dave

Thans again Dave; even though you say your 'relaxing', it's obvious your standards are still high. Let's hope they rub off.

By the way, Mr. Soeburg's book is also on the list.

Jon.

[dave_long]

Just thought I'd add a quick update, work is progressing well, good job really as were down to about 3 weeks to the show. Just finishing a couple of the buildings and adding the final details. I must say a big thanks to Kurt cnw1961 for highlighting a few very good techniques. I've spent a few hours this week soldering brass rod together to produce some chain link fencing, hopefully tomorrow I can get in the garage and get some current photos. I've also been able to build a good few telephone/utility poles from Kurts excellent little tutorial too, although I'm struggling to get the correct india ink/alcahol mix to get the right look its either too washed out or too black, still working on the ratio ( bamboo skewers ). This changing weather were getting isn't helping me with airbrushing the buildings. The roads are down as are the sidewalks and road markings. I've run out of my large sheets of styrene card and I've emptied my LHS's supply of small sheets but still need more hock:

US vehicles seem to be quite hard to find in the UK, I've pretty much run out of time for getting items shipped from the US show trying to find stuff in the UK is quite hard.

Anyway after seeing some alcanman's photos on here and on rmweb (UK forum) I decided to get stuck into GIMP ( thats the photo manipulation program before anyone asks! ) I've managed to add a sky background to a couple of photos and here they are hope you like. I should be able to get something a bit more current tomorrow.

   
   

regards
Dave