West Allen Street & Thawne

[danielb]

Thanks everyone.

Reinhard, when I do add further layers to the building, I'll use the same method I documented in the build thread of the office building I posted about in the scratchbuilding part of the forum.

Tonight I'll be working on the larger unloading building that straddles the Handy Co spur. I prepared it yesterday by adding wooden bracing to the back and weighing it down to fully dry, to give it strength and prevent bowing and warping when I start adding layers.

This building needs a lot of work as it's big and very plain looking, so I'll need to dress it up some or it won't look right.

[danielb]

I didn't get chance to post images of yesterday's work at the time, so I'll have two updates today I hope.

First up, I managed to add a cinder block foundation to the unloading shed - lots more work to do here but progress is progress!

by Dan Beresford, on Flickr


Next, I purchased a pack of Clevermodels structures last night, and decided to start working on one of them - I'm thinking I might put this on the front of the Handy Co board in place of the trackside cafe, and move that to the other side of the tracks. So far I've just stuck the texture papers to some card and cut out the windows and doors. I'm tempted to make this one purely from card and make a fully detailed interior considering it'll be right at the front of the layout, but we shall see.

by Dan Beresford, on Flickr

More to come later!

[danielb]

Last night's progress was mainly focused on the Coal office, though I decided against putting an interior in the structure.

I also made a quick chemical storage tank for the Handy Co yard. I've been thinking about moving the yard office somewhere else and possibly putting some waste ground and garages along the side of the factory building. I'm not sure on the composition yet but I'm going to build a couple of garage kits and see if I can fit them somewhere. If not, I'll save them for the Ramon Blvd expansion which I have planned next.

Anyway, enough waffling, picture time!

Storage tank:

by Dan Beresford, on Flickr

Coal office:

by Dan Beresford, on Flickr
by Dan Beresford, on Flickr
by Dan Beresford, on Flickr
by Dan Beresford, on Flickr

[Tyson Rayles]

[danielb]

Yesterday's progress was the finishing of the coal office, though I think that the chimney as provided in the kit is way too big, so I'm going to shorten it by half and use the other half elsewhere.

I also assembled the truck scales, and started on a garage which may or may not get a place on the extension, though no photos of those - yet!

by Dan Beresford, on Flickr
by Dan Beresford, on Flickr
by Dan Beresford, on Flickr
by Dan Beresford, on Flickr

[faraway]

That looks good.
I have 3mm and 5mm foam board with layers of paper on both sides on order. That should good for window and door openings.

[danielb]

Today's progress - here is the garage I've been toying with adding to the layout - if I do then I am really going to go to town on it and make it look derelict and overgrown, and full of trash. I've glued the door down onto the floor like it's been knocked from it's frame. The smaller doorway and window frame will remain empty.

In addition, I accidentally rolled over a corner of the low relief factory building with my office chair, so I've added a wooden extension to the structure to cover up the hole. I'm going to add a walkway from the extension along the front of the windows down the right side building for a little more detail and interest. We'll see how well it goes!

Enough waffle from me - on with the pictures!

by Dan Beresford, on Flickr
by Dan Beresford, on Flickr
by Dan Beresford, on Flickr


by Dan Beresford, on Flickr
by Dan Beresford, on Flickr

[danielb]

Not a lot of progress today, nothing worth showing anyway. In the mean time, I shuffled the structures around a little of the Handy Co extension to see if I liked the composition. I'm thinking it's looking just crowded enough now that when I get the scenery down it should look spot on.

See what you all think...

by Dan Beresford, on Flickr

by Dan Beresford, on Flickr

by Dan Beresford, on Flickr

by Dan Beresford, on Flickr

by Dan Beresford, on Flickr

[Tyson Rayles]

That's really going to make a great industrial scene!

[MountainMan]

Not a lot of progress today, nothing worth showing anyway. In the mean time, I shuffled the structures around a little of the Handy Co extension to see if I liked the composition. I'm thinking it's looking just crowded enough now that when I get the scenery down it should look spot on.

See what you all think...

by Dan Beresford, on Flickr

by Dan Beresford, on Flickr

by Dan Beresford, on Flickr

by Dan Beresford, on Flickr

by Dan Beresford, on Flickr

Are you planning to connect that track so oyu can access your industries?

[danielb]

I am indeed. I'm just holding off until I've built the legs for the extension so I know the track alignment is correct.

[danielb]

Not a lot of progress yesterday, but that was due to me spending my modelling time organising my cardstock kit texture papers. I went out and bought a metal file case/organiser and a load of slip wallets, and sorted all my Clevermodels textures into order - one kit per slip, one texture set (brick, wood, etc) per slip. The case now contains over 150 individual texture paper designs and over 30 cardstock kits ready to be built. Enough to populate any future extensions I might build to the layout.

by Dan Beresford, on Flickr

In addition, I also bought some wooden letters from the craft store (I think they are supposed to be used in papercraft or something), and some 11/0 Miyuki Seed Beads (used for beading/jewellery making).

The letters are going to be used for rooftop signs and such like, and the seed beads were an inspired idea by David Popp on Model Railroader Video plus - use them to represent HO scale cullet - broken bottles from a recycling plant. They look like they'll make some really convincing freight car loads, and they are about a dollar fifty for a tube - cheap as you like!

by Dan Beresford, on Flickr

I wasted no time in getting use from the wooden letters by adding a company sign to the front of the unloading shed:

by Dan Beresford, on Flickr

Finally, I managed a part of the roof for the large background building:

by Dan Beresford, on Flickr
by Dan Beresford, on Flickr

Today I'll not have much time to work on the layout, but I'm hoping I can at least make a fire escape/access gantry to go on the front of the background building. Photos later if I manage it.


That said, I have done/am doing a little shopping for the layout, and have ordered 3 DCC decoders to get my RS3 and GP9 ready for use at Mansfield show next month (and a spare left over for whatever loco I inevitably purchase at the show - last year it was a Kato motored Stewart Hobbies U25b).

I've also added to the freight stock for the layout, ordering a pair of 2-bay cement hoppers, a pair of 3-bay hoppers, and am bidding on a collection of 6 Athearn Blue Box freight cars on ebay - we'll see if I actually win them later this week.

[faraway]

That looks good. It is very interesting and inspiring to follow you.

[danielb]

Reinhard, that means a lot coming from you - your layout is a constant source of inspiration during the construction of this one.

[danielb]

Very little to progress to show today, though a couple of the orders I've placed recently have arrived - so that's good, right?

3 DCC decoders arrived, so I can finally get the GP7 I bought in the USA back in October ready for use, as well as the RS3 I picked up at Wakefield show.

Yesterday's progress was limited to building this Accurail hopper kit:

by Dan Beresford, on Flickr

I also managed to get the fire escape/access walkway built to go on the side of the Handy Co factory building:

by Dan Beresford, on Flickr

by Dan Beresford, on Flickr


Lastly, in addition to the Accurail hopper, these also turned up yesterday - Athearn and Walthers, respectively:

by Dan Beresford, on Flickr

by Dan Beresford, on Flickr

Hopefully I can get a little more progress done tonight after work.