Tmo layout addition '24 build challenge

[TMo]

I've been thinking about motivation to complete some scenery on my layout when "poof!" along comes a 2024 Build Challenge.  It's kismet!

I talked about this on my layout page in the past few weeks, but for purposes of establishing the state of things for the challenge ground floor - here's the situation.

I put the rough draft of a background of the city of Hazleton, PA up behind my coal breaker back around New Year's 2024.  The thing was a pretty big "bash" project and got me thinking about what I wanted to do around the breaker.  Back in it's heyday (not necessarily the period I model when all the breaker was doing was processing strip-mined coal) the breakers around cities and towns like Hazleton, Wilkes Barre, Scranton, Pottstown, Shamokin, Mt. Carmel, etc. were the lifeblood of the town - the industries employed thousands of people and pulled the railroads in to haul their product.  The towns put up with the dirt, the grit, the poor water quality.  Some of the breakers weren't far from the hustle and bustle of town, and Hazleton was a good example of that.

So, I started exploring space claims to expand my micro version of the city and added a small addition to my layout to the left and in front of the backdrop.  Right now it's foamboard with a base of 1/4" plywood and some 1x strips for extra support and aesthetics.

   

It's 32 inches wide and ranges from 16 (extreme left) to 26 inches deep, so it's not what I'd consider a "large" area - perfect though for a contest that ends in 3 months!

There's also a pie-shaped area between the breaker and backdrop that I'll scenic at the same time that's not nearly as big, and is going to take some work to squeeze myself in there to work....  

   

I'm going to freeform this area.  No exact replica stuff planned.  However, I do plan on cramming some structures (or bits of structures).  The ones closest to the breaker will be coal related or provide services for the workers.  As you get closer to town (closer to the backdrop), there could be industries, apartment buildings, stores, etc.  Things should be linked by roadways, and there should be room for parking. 

To fit with the backdrop, the terrain should run from high near the front of the layout and downward toward the backdrop, which is an added challenge.  I also need to attempt to disguise the lack of depth available and give the illusion of more space that I actually have.

I've previously built or saved some structures that I've had in mind for Hazleton, but as you can see in the picture below, they need to be supplemented to reach my vision for the space.

   

I've already purchased a few more Clever Models kits that I think suit this build including a coal and grain elevator (which I may integrate into the breaker with an elevator into the structure):

Clever Models Paper Models for the 21st Century - Catalog Pg 17X (squarespace.com)

And, the coal dealer, which has some nice accessory pieces that should work well as a coal business for the locals:

Clever Models Paper Models for the 21st Century - Catalog Pg 08X (squarespace.com)

And, Lucky's Lunch Counter - serving the breaker employees a lunchtime:

Clever Models Paper Models for the 21st Century - Catalog Pg 14X (squarespace.com)

As I said, not plan here - it's a freelance.  I'll be building structures and playing around with how I can integrate them into the space.  It's going to be a lot of trial and error.

Hope you enjoy the ride, and I'm looking forward to seeing what the other contestants are working on!

[TMo]

Well, one weekend down.  I'm beat, but not because I got to work on this project.  The bride thought we needed to update the look of our fireplace mantle with new tile.  I'm too cheap to let someone come in and do the work, so...  laying tile.  It wasn't a big project, probably 20 square feet between the floor tile and the vertical tiles around the fireplace, but the demo wasn't pretty - new sheetrock, lots of shattered ceramic tile, dust.  I also thought I'd work on a rock wall around one of my patio beds which required me to dig into my ex-boss's stonerow and bring home a pickup truck load of that and put it in place.  Painting, trim work around the fireplace - you get the picture.

I did have a little time to put the 4 coal silos together from the coal elevator. 

   

 These each get 22 bands (to give depth to each band) placed around each silo where the red strips are currently.  The strips are TINY!  The also need to be glued on with gap filling cyanoacrylate.  But here's the current problem there - my bottle is down to the last 1/4 ounce and I really need a nearly full bottle with a good clean nozzle to deftly apply the minute amount of glue on each band - so I placed an order, but I don't expect to get it until the end of the week.

  The bands will also need to be edge coated with a marker to get rid of the white edge from the paper.  Between cutting these out, marking the edges and gluing, it's a big, huge, tedious project

  I also took the time to take down the propped up Hazleton backdrop.  The bride bought me some double-sided tape this morning, so after I fix some of the edges of the individual panes and get things right, I'll be adhering that large piece of backdrop to the blue sky behind it, which you can see in the picture below.

   

  Right now the schedule looks full for most of this week as well, but I'll try to make some progress.

[tompm]

At least you are making progress and good progress at that. I haven't picked my poison yet.

[jim currie]

silos look good you might think about this WATER TANK HOOP FASTENERS (HO Scale) (sanjuandetails.com)

[TMo]

Wow! Those are cool, Jim. I'll keep those in mind.

[TMo]

Slow and unsteady - that's how I'd describe progress to date on this challenge.  I did glue down my styrofoam, and tonight I permanently installed the backdrop with copious amounts of double-sided tape.  It's back to coal storage silos this weekend if I can shake myself loose from other obligations.

   

[TMo]

Ah, small work!  Here's a little bit of what I have to look forward to as I wrap each of these silos together with 22 very slim cardstock bands.  They are a pain to cut, a pain to edge mark (to remove the white edge of the cardstock), a pain to wrap into a circular shape, and a pain to glue around the silo, but two are done!  (86 to go!)  Once done, they do add a discernable dimension to each hoop.

   

[TMo]

Bands on 1 of 4 silos complete.  Just like anything you do repetitively, you get into a rhythm and stuff gets done.

   

[TMo]

Cut out (very carefully along each edge), gray sharpie on each cut edge and glue on the band (all of this takes (on average) 5 minutes per band).  Rinse and repeat 88 times for the 4 silos.  Here's a grand total of 8 continuous hours of work (fortunately spread over about 10 days...)

   

I can now start on the remainder of the structure, and I'm glad there aren't 8 silos!

[jim currie]

he banding looks great the spacing is realistic if you chose to add hoop fasteners they would go in a spiral not in line. 

Jim

[TMo]

Good point, Jim. I think I'll let it ride for now.

[jim currie]

here is a photo that might be of interest to you

https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/se...7336pr.jpg

[tompm]

Great job, Todd. You are making good progress.

[TMo]

Jim,

    Yeah, would love to duplicate the chute detail there!  This kit comes with two different dispensing chutes - one for coal, one for grain, the diagram below is the coal chute for each silo - I think they're going to have plenty of detail and may require some patience!

   

Thanks for the encouragement, Tom!  Keep plugging away at that underpass - great work so far.

[TMo]

Heat wave means I'm inside this weekend, and working on my coal storage facility.  The central elevator shaft has been built and I'm currently working on the roof shingles.