Thanks guys. I'll try to get some more photos outside with the whole train attached.
Brett will be surprised to learn that the footprint required for the Dueling Shacks is greater than listed in his instructions. I found that I needed 9" x 36" just for the tarpaper shack.
The shack walls and roof are up. Still need to detail it but needed to place it to visualize this side of the diorama.
And yes, the entire 9x36 is required for the shack.
I placed the 2 other trees (minus foliage) in the center of the dio in the 2nd pic with roots leading down to the water. Having them here and leaving the area by the shack open signals the train is headed into the woods...the premise all along. I can move 1 of the trees to near the shack. The trunk cuts the view of the sawfiler car in half which is bad...but the view block requires a looker to get close to see the car which is good. Decisions decisions.
This is an amazing diorama. The only thing I would add is LED lights at the top of the box so they can illuminate your fantastic and detailed work. Phil.
Sorry Kevin. My wife and I have been binge watching Hawaii 5-0. The new one. Started at season 1 episode 1. Half way through season 3 now.
I have the LP's almost finished. Should have the ones riding the train in place over the weekend. from there I can start the scenery on the near side of the tracks. The shack is almost done also. Need to start working on the castings. Got wires run underneath the base to connect light in the loco and 1 in the shack, also got the housing for the LED strip cut to fit, now I need to paint it so it blends in to the scenery.
bryan, i wasn't "picking" on you, the forum was quiet for two days and I wanted to wake it up a little. your lps look fantastic. where did you get them?
This motley crew came from a variety of places...McKenzie, Artista, Phoenix, MK35, Backwoods Miniatures, and Reaper. Basically ones that had been accumulated over the years and looking for homes.
I tried Carl's suggestion of a tarp covering the cab but it hid the engineer's head. I liked the tarp so I moved it to another location. The crew is along for the ride. I think I'll add some logging blocks, etc to the decks with them. The shack crew is arguing over something that has yet to happen...I think it will be funny when the scene is complete. And if you look very closely at the edge of the pond you might see an interesting character fishing.
The last major component of the model is installed along with the first layer of ground cover. I've been using a rocky mix all over with this build given the rock formations. I'll use a finer mix to work on paths, etc.
The light is installed inside the shack. Only lights left are the main ones. Easy to install, not as easy to run right. The water creep up the side of the walls is from the scenery adhesive. I'll see what it looks like once dry. May need to touch it up some. This adhesive can leave a satin sheen on wood.
Thanks Ken. Carl, I usually use matte medium. For this one I used AK gravel fixer instead. Not a problem after it dried. I'll post some pics later. The diorama itself is nearly complete with just a few minor things left to do.
I started on the lights. There is a channel angled at 45 that houses 53 RGBW LED's. 2 more inside diorama for total of 55 seperate pixels. I built a controller...hopefully correctly...to program the lights. Next step is to learn how to program which should be interesting. My fall back plan is to hire a teenager to program for me.
It's a nice day outside so I thought I would give an update on this build. I'm using these last set of photos to work on a couple of small details...add a bit of grass in front of the beer mishap to shape the space and work on the trickle of water in the stream. Please chime in with other ideas.
The facia is stained the same color as the box and blends in perfectly. Ended up with about 20 trees in a 9" x 36" space.
Still stuck in neutral with programming the lights. I just need to dive in I think.
Comments
Really a special project with spectacular results.
Later, Dave S. Tucson, Az
Terry
Frank
Brett will be surprised to learn that the footprint required for the Dueling Shacks is greater than listed in his instructions. I found that I needed 9" x 36" just for the tarpaper shack.
And yes, the entire 9x36 is required for the shack.
I placed the 2 other trees (minus foliage) in the center of the dio in the 2nd pic with roots leading down to the water. Having them here and leaving the area by the shack open signals the train is headed into the woods...the premise all along. I can move 1 of the trees to near the shack. The trunk cuts the view of the sawfiler car in half which is bad...but the view block requires a looker to get close to see the car which is good. Decisions decisions.
as is. i can't wait to see it lit up.
Phil, lights are in the works. I'm overcomplicating it so it is taking longer than it should.
Ed, which one?
I have the LP's almost finished. Should have the ones riding the train in place over the weekend. from there I can start the scenery on the near side of the tracks. The shack is almost done also. Need to start working on the castings. Got wires run underneath the base to connect light in the loco and 1 in the shack, also got the housing for the LED strip cut to fit, now I need to paint it so it blends in to the scenery.
Terry
i wasn't "picking" on you, the forum was quiet for two days and I wanted to wake it up a little. your lps look fantastic. where did you get them?
This motley crew came from a variety of places...McKenzie, Artista, Phoenix, MK35, Backwoods Miniatures, and Reaper. Basically ones that had been accumulated over the years and looking for homes.
I tried Carl's suggestion of a tarp covering the cab but it hid the engineer's head. I liked the tarp so I moved it to another location. The crew is along for the ride. I think I'll add some logging blocks, etc to the decks with them. The shack crew is arguing over something that has yet to happen...I think it will be funny when the scene is complete. And if you look very closely at the edge of the pond you might see an interesting character fishing.
That little gnome is a great little dtail. Will be a fun thing for people to try spot.
Shine on you crazy diamond, Ed.
The light is installed inside the shack. Only lights left are the main ones. Easy to install, not as easy to run right. The water creep up the side of the walls is from the scenery adhesive. I'll see what it looks like once dry. May need to touch it up some. This adhesive can leave a satin sheen on wood.
I started on the lights. There is a channel angled at 45 that houses 53 RGBW LED's. 2 more inside diorama for total of 55 seperate pixels. I built a controller...hopefully correctly...to program the lights. Next step is to learn how to program which should be interesting. My fall back plan is to hire a teenager to program for me.
The facia is stained the same color as the box and blends in perfectly. Ended up with about 20 trees in a 9" x 36" space.
Still stuck in neutral with programming the lights. I just need to dive in I think.