Thanks, need to look into it for some projects.

(photos updated after details and ground cover has been done and building has been set permanent) <------ Thank you for that little tid bit. I was racking my brain as to where are the missing posts to get to that point. I noticed it about the 3rd time.

The details really make it stand out and where done well!

ratled

A large plain brick wall needed "something". I played with diluted black and white paint (close to wash), self adhesive letters and fine sandpaper.
Lesson learned: there is no masking tape that can really stop diluted paint on a rough brick wall


This building got some wash patches to simulate eroding mortal and a line of brick got a dark touch to mimic a different kind of brick.

Good work Reinhard, washes always run where ever they want! Your phantom lettering turn out quite nice.

Often degraded mortar joints are in places most exposed to humidity on the wall base were bricks and joints gets dirtier. They place gather dirt splashes from rain and also sip water from the environment soil when not enough drainage. A layer of dark weathering powder (or pastel) for about 12 inches from the ground level and some darker wash should do the job and blend the building with the surrounding ground.

Matt

It is hard to be surrounded by old brick structures but run modern equipment only...
I did sit down this afternoon and put BRC (302, 303) and IC (9006, 9007) decals on four HH600. Those little Atlas engines run fantastic at low speed, excellent switchers!

Illinois Central is a good choice in general. I have a number of DVDs with archival film of IC in the late 1940s and early 1950s -- in addition to HH Alcos, they had things like NW5 cow-calf sets and the early Alco-GE boxcabs also used by RI, NYC, and DL&W. Modlelers may pay less attention because it was north-south rather than east-west, but it served two very interesting cities, Chicago and New Orleans. Here's an old yellow-box Atlas from my roster:
[attachment=13164]
And speaking of Chicago, here's an old Walthers-Roco from 25 years ago, hadn't been out of the box for 20 years since I moved to this address:
[attachment=13163]
It seems to me that if you're interested in Chicago, there are operating possibilities you have beyond just industrial switching in places like Vernon or Modesto. Chicago had a lot more transfer operation among the various railroads. If it were me, I might start thinking about using the staging tracks on the other side of your room as Chicago-area yards and, say, running a transfer from one track, maybe IC Marhkam Yard, around the front to another track, maybe BRC Clearing Yard. Another arrow in your quiver.

Chicago is indeed one of my favorites in the US. I think I wrote it some time ago, it was the very first town in the US I visited on a business trip. It's like you never forget your first love
From point of view of railroad is Chicago a paradise. Most class I RR had or have a strong position in Chicago. Lots of smaller RR had at least one line to Chicago and last not least the entire area is full of switching and connecting RR (BRC, IHB, ....). If you have the space you can do anything modeling Chicago. I tried that when I started US model RR and ... failed. I had to learn to limit myself to the available space. The yards of all the class I RR and their interconnections are certainly something I will not touch. Even the transfer trains are far to long for my small layout. I will stay with an ISL.
The CNW is a important RR and hard to omit if you talk about Chicago but I do simply not like the green/yellow paint scheme. Very emotional but I can't change it. IC is great and I like the orange/white paint (their rebuilds, like Santa Fe did, are an attraction to me) but it does not match my time.
My continuous change of time is for sure very confusing to most of you. I really like HH600 and even my 0-8-0 switcher are great models. But I return quite fast to the present age and did so two hours ago again. I am currently running CP MP15AC with high cube boxcars...
I long row of dark brick buildings is to heavy for my small layout and does not fit into the present age. I did therefor remove the huge one and look for a more light and modern (not shoebox!) replacement together with an older flat structure.
I did find some industry buildings that look like made by concrete only or painted light gray all over (e.g. <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.patchrailroad.net/The_Patch/Patch_Photos/Pages/Prototype_Photos.html#9">http://www.patchrailroad.net/The_Patch/ ... tos.html#9</a><!-- m --> ). I intend to use it as an inspiration for a freelance building.



ps. The iMac automatic spellchecker is a great function but it has a tendency to write it's own appends sometimes

I was checking the Illinois Central diesel roster, and I discovered that their HH660s were scrapped in 1951, along with the AGEIR boxcabs. So you're modeling the 1940s whether you like it or not!!

jwb Wrote:I was checking the Illinois Central diesel roster, and I discovered that their HH660s were scrapped in 1951, along with the AGEIR boxcabs. So you're modeling the 1940s whether you like it or not!!

I have got a great book about the HH series.
Titel is: ALCO's HH Series
Withers Publishing
ISBN 1-881411-47-8
it is very much recommended

[quote="farawayIC is great and I like the orange/white paint (their rebuilds, like Santa Fe did, are an attraction to me) but it does not match my time.[/quote]
The IC/ICG/re-IC is a very interesting case and probably not well documented for the period 1970-1990, which is at least partly in your interest area. By the mid-1970s, the ICG was one of the railroads in the worst condition, with many expecting it to be the next Rock Island. It pretty much stopped repainting locomotives, so that during the 1980s there was still plenty of orange and white, both IC and ICG lettering, as well as some remaining GM&O units. There was a solid gray paint scheme with large ICG lettering, too, but not many units got it, since they were determined not to spend any unnecessary money on paint.

Shot a bunch of overlapping photos sitting in my chair and played with the panorama function of Photoshop Elements. Certainly far from perfection but may be fine to get an impression-

There was an empty slot after removing of the huge industry. John's reference to Peter Feigenbaum's site let me think to place the backside of a commercial row in that slot and try my best to make it look bad. Unfortunately did I run out of graffiti decals. That would be a perfect place. Have to order some asap.

Remember the dumpsters and general trash, too!

jwb Wrote:Remember the dumpsters and general trash, too!

Yes, the ground has not been done. It is the raw cork with a temporary gray paint.
ps. Graffiti decals are on order!

Looks good Reinhard. :-)

Koos