Freelance 2015-2

[Canadian Atlantic Railway]

Looking good! Don't worry about the spelling, some of us that are English first still can't spell very well

[faraway]

The more fun part starts with a kit bashed freight house to process LCL. The front and rear sides are the 1.st floor of Middlesex Manufacturing and some brick (Wills from UK), roof and plain styrene sheets.

[Ralph]

I really like that freight house!

[sailormatlac]

Reinhard, I think we should subcontract layout building to you! What a tremendous amount of energy and dedication.

So far, it's looking quite good.

Matt

[faraway]

You may have wondered why I cut off the first floor of a Middlesex kit. I had a plan to use the upper levels for a warehouse.

[lajry]

Reinhard
Always wanted an industry like that w/ a spur going underneath. But alas haven't found one anywhere on the LAJ. But then it is my MR!

[faraway]

The superstructure is complete




A styrene building next to the Downtown Deco building is a challenge to the brick paint job. My standard brick painting is boxcar red primer from the rattle can and a light gray mortar wash. That results in a very uniform and dark surface. I tried the same technique as used with the plaster building with the styrene building. It got a layer of white primer and then several layers of diluted brown followed by a black wash. The resulting surface is more similar to the plaster surface and not as slick and perfect. I think I will continue to work with that technique on styrene structures.



Same technique for the other building

[sailormatlac]

After the mortar wash, I found out using various shade of brown, orange and terracotta color pens was a good way to bring back some color to faded brick. Quite easy to implement and does a lot the general appearance.

BTW, nice to see all the structural members you added inside the building. That's the small touch that makes models more realistic.

Matt

[faraway]

The bricks in the natural early morning light.



A simple backdrop makes the difference



Today shall be a windows day

[sailormatlac]

Reinhard, who makes the nice OSB wood boxcars on the siding? They look pretty neat. Accurail? Craftman kits or resin kit?

Matt

[faraway]

Reinhard, who makes the nice OSB wood boxcars on the siding? They look pretty neat. Accurail? Craftman kits or resin kit?

Matt

Matt, they are Mather boxcars made bei Proto 2000 / Walthers. I bought mine may years ago when they were named Proto 2000. Walthers has them still in the catalog as kits. e.g. https://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/920-54153 Mine were ready to run.
Looks like Walthers is currently selling Mather stock cars. eBay is full of them but only a few boxcars.

[sailormatlac]

Reinhard, who makes the nice OSB wood boxcars on the siding? They look pretty neat. Accurail? Craftman kits or resin kit?

Matt

Matt, they are Mather boxcars made bei Proto 2000 / Walthers. I bought mine may years ago when they were named Proto 2000. Walthers has them still in the catalog as kits. e.g. https://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/920-54153 Mine were ready to run.
Looks like Walthers is currently selling Mather stock cars. eBay is full of them but only a few boxcars.

Oh, very nice car. I have one Mather stock car and it's a fine looking piece of rolling stock. It could be quite interesting on the layout as I'm seriously thinking about backdating Harlem Station back in the 40s to have more variety in freight car dimensions (36ft, 40ft, wood, compositve, steel).

Matt

[faraway]

Spend the morning doing lots of window frames and panes. I put the buildings aside until some other rough work is completed.


I started the superstructure of the next building in the late afternoon. This building is brought forward to do the ground work in the background, the cobblestone of the team track and finally the groundwork at the tracks in back and foreground. The detailing of the buildings etc. will resume when that "dirty tasks" are finished.


The building was needed to define the cobblestone area. Gorilla glue was used to glue 1.5mm/0.06" styrene layer no the uneven ground and the cobble stone sheets are glued with styrene glue on top of the styrene layer. The stripes simulate boarder stones used at the end of the ties by the prototype.

I will try the same technique at the other side of the street with the team track. Problem are the warped cobblestone sheets. They are the reason of the styrene layer as a base to glue the cobblestone sheets on and force them in a flat and level position. Looks like the Gator glue is tough enough to keep the styrene layer down even when the cobblestone sheets try to pull them up.

[faraway]

Some dark brown paint wash on the cobblestone and a very fine N scale ballast.

[faraway]

Got the team track in place and the new tracks and switch got their ballast. I used intentionally dark colored N scale ballast and buried the ties like seen on some prototype photos. In fact on most photos looks the ballst like some kind of mud.