super Reinhard

Reinhard has raised the bar, yet again.

Well Done Reinhard. Superdetailing to the MAX.

Mark

Great job! I like the little details too...really great work.

Cool! When I get back to Vernon, I'm going to have to look for that street corner. I know where 25th St is, but this is the first I've heard of Minerva. That is a neat little building. Do you know what kind of business is housed in that building?

Russ Bellinis Wrote:...I know where 25th St is, but this is the first I've heard of Minerva. ... Do you know what kind of business is housed in that building?

Russ, Minerva is one block east of Santa Fe. I have no idea what that business is doing. With Bing it looks like junk collection But serious, in the area (25th St) are some companies that do reuse and recycling of all kind of used stuff. May be they are also in that kind of business.
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Reinhard,

The layout is looking very good, your not thinking about changing in out again?

Bruce

To be fair that run down property is above average green.

I did also add some green all over the layout. But it is in total no more than the size of one or two cigarette boxes to follow the prototype. Gravel and concrete are the preferred "plants" used in Vernon

Gravel and concrete are the preferred "plants" used in Vernon



What about weeds?

Mark

Mr Fixit Wrote:...What about weeds?...

To my surprise there is very little weed. I learned the area of and around the tracks is very intensive strayed with chemicals to suppress any weed. Only unused industry tracks have some weed. The dry climate and the lack of soil prevents a lot of weed as it is known in more moistly areas. Also most property is clean from weed.
This photo shows an area with unusual amount of vegetation.


Used tracks look like this (Malabar Yard)


Even not so well maintained areas have little to no weed. I think the climate makes it hard for weed to start growing in small cracks of the concrete.


Only some untouched areas look like this. But there are only very few open lots in Vernon and that is not typical.


It might sound strange but it was the primary reason to visit Vernon to get such impressions. That is something hard to lean from the best photos.

While walking the streets of Vernon I got the impression there are some rules
a. where ever possible a "no standing at any time" traffic sign has to be placed
b. there has to be a 2:1 ratio of utility poles to traffic signs

I tried my best to implement rule b

The right foreground is still unpopulated after completing the background line with substandard buildings and adding the run down building at the right hand triangle area. I did a test reusing a modern background after closing the rear wall with plain styrene. It is not bad and a nice contrast to the other building on the right side.

ps. Don't worry about the ground cover. It is only temporary gray paint with some filler to cover the base layer of cork.

The test from yesterday became permanent. However, the building will be replaced with a building modeled after a prototype in the Vernon area some time.

You see the kink in the tracks of the mainline next to the shoving platform? I had the segment removed this morning to paint the door from the outside. The segment slipped out of my hands when I tried to put it back and both rails of the mainline had been ripped of for about two inch. It toke me two hours to realign and solder the rails in place.
Best thing is, I did not paint the door because we got a severe weather warning. Have to do it tomorrow again WITHOUT letting it slip of my hands again

Reinhard....You're doing awesome work..!!
The whole layout gives the "feel" of seeing the real thing...Congratulations...!!

Could you please explain how that shoving platform works..?? Why does it need an operator ?? (I presume that's what that little guy is doing...)

Steamtrains Wrote:...Could you please explain how that shoving platform works..?? ...

A shoving car runs at the front of a train when the engine is at the end and the distance the train is to be shoved is to far to have a switchman hanging at the first car. The switchman on the shoving car talks via radio with the engineer in the engine. Most shoving cars are old caboose with all windows closed and the guy is standing on the front platform. Another often seen version is an old flatcar with a simple "box" on top. This shoving car is a very special solution BNSF uses only in the LA area with the very special climate permitting to run it without any protection for the switchman. 100 miles east he would be grilled. It is a very local car.

update: west/east corrected

faraway Wrote:The test from yesterday became permanent. However, the building will be replaced with a building modeled after a prototype in the Vernon area some time.

One of the real benefits in modeling industrial areas is --- the track curves we have to "endure", actually are part of the average industrial scene.
And.....
Very nicely modeled, I like the fence!