Freelance 2016-2

[faraway]

Did some details, painting and black wash on the roof

IMG_5202 by faraway52, on Flickr

Andy, that prototypical ballasting is very tricky. You would need dust to reproduce it in scale.

[doctorwayne]

...Andy, that prototypical ballasting is very tricky. You would need dust to reproduce it in scale.

Tile grout would work, although you wouldn't want to sneeze too close to that siding. Wetting it would make it more permanent, but likely make it look more like cement.

Wayne

[faraway]

While first CSX engines have been spotted are some more brick buildings replaced.

IMG_5204 by faraway52, on Flickr
IMG_5203 by faraway52, on Flickr

ps. Notice how the Polly Scale aged concrete gray with a touch of green of the walls in the foreground becomes solid spring green on the photo with the changed light.

[cn nutbar]

Another example of the outstanding modellers on Big Blue,well done Reinhard

[faraway]

@cn nutbar, thanks for the kind words

The platform became a MOW yard. I have no space and equipment to run contemporary passenger trains. The Budd RDC was the best I could do but that was another time frame.
Only one car is marked (CSX) and can be easily exchanged (UP or BNSF). The others are intentionally plain white and fit always. River Point Stations MOW vehicle models are ........ expensive :-( .

IMG_0848 by faraway52, on Flickr
IMG_0847 by faraway52, on Flickr
IMG_0846 by faraway52, on Flickr

Photos replaced with an iPhone version taken in the morning light.

[faraway]

The MOW yard is shortened and the freed up space is joined with the team track to form a simple scrap yard. Need to do a bunch of scrap to be placed all over the ground.
The change for the layout is minor but it enhances the operation.

IMG_0853 by faraway52, on Flickr
IMG_0855 by faraway52, on Flickr

[faraway]

Added Sunday concrete walls to the scrap yard. I used pressboard again and get more used to it. It is a nice alternative to styrene in some cases. The scrap yard is about 6' long but only 4" wide and less than 1.5" high. That makes it a perfect foreground industry.
Some rusty brown scrap from German eBay is on order. The brand name is "Juweela" http://www.juweela.de/en/products/catego...c/187.html.

IMG_0856 by faraway52, on Flickr
IMG_0858 by faraway52, on Flickr
(Photos done with the iPhone 6Plus)

update later that day: the first batch of rusty scrap arrived.
IMG_5213 by faraway52, on Flickr

[faraway]

Two old LifeLike CSX GP38-2 arrived an hour ago (front left and rear right). They are stripped internally to run as dummies with two LifeLike GP38-2 shells on Trainman drives and Tsunami sound decoders. Both need some details like ditch lights, snow plow, white cab roofs, black vents and a black wash.
I will reuse old Bachmann DCC decoders for the front light LEDs to be installed too.

IMG_5214 by faraway52, on Flickr

[faraway]

The rusty scrap is nice but pretty expensive. Making heaps of scrap wastes a lot of scrap below the surface in the heap.
I changed the technique and build a dummy heap from aluminum foil from the kitchen, paint it with two pass rust paint and place the expensive scrap on top.
The right heap has a aluminum foil kernel. The left is painted with rust paint and gets the activator when set. It will be covered with scrap parts later.

The parts are not glued down intentionally for reuse.

IMG_5219 by faraway52, on Flickr

[faraway]

The scrap yard is open for business now.

IMG_5223 by faraway52, on Flickr
IMG_5222 by faraway52, on Flickr
IMG_5221 by faraway52, on Flickr
IMG_5220 by faraway52, on Flickr

[ak-milw]

Great idea for making it look like a bigger pile of scrap.

[faraway]

The scrap yard was far to neat and clean. Tiny real bricks with the typical brick red color close to rust red with rust paint and rust activator made nice stuff after 24 setting on the heating. I distributed it over the yard, glued it down like ballast and liberally add black wash.

IMG_5224 by faraway52, on Flickr

[lajry]

Can just see & hear an old head conductor saying he won't switch that place w/ all the "slip, trip & fall" brick laying around. >)

[Tyson Rayles]

Looks to me. Great work.

[alcanman]

Great work with the scrapyard, Reinhard. Perfect industry for the front of a layout, rather than tall structures which obstruct viewing and switching.

Also, good to see CSX power and a modern theme retuning to Freelance.

Mal