Water Tower and Storage Shed

Coors2u · February 2016

Phil
Everything is looking great. I can't wait to see at the Expo.

Mike Engler · February 2016

Thanks all. I'm finally getting it because of all the help I have received from the members of this forum. Karl, I still open up your tutorial when I paint castings as a reminder of what to do. My question to you all, should I apply the track nails? Phil

I didn't even notice they weren't there.
Ken came up with a fantastic way to do this in HO in his loco shop thread, check it out.

Karl.A

I can't find Ken's early thread on the loco shop. Ken, can you point me in the right direction? Phil

Mike Engler · February 2016

Like Phil I am looking for Ken's great way of applying track spikes. I like to glue (epoxy, GOO, or Plio-bond) the rail in place, but it would be great to ACC something in place on each tie to represent spike-heads. Maybe Ken can repeat his method if the original thread isn't around any more.

Four real spikes on each tie is a bit much, but one spike every 5 or 6 ties doesn't look right either. Hand-laying the track with real wooden ties that are grained and weathered look much better than flex track, but then you need spikes and maybe even tie plates.

Great work Phil. I read this thread tonight, and am looking forward to seeing a lot of you guys at the Expo.

KKarns · February 2016

Hey Phil, I apologize that you were unable to locate my original Loco and Service Shops thread. The thread was accidentally removed from the server some time ago. I started a new thread but it was counter-productive to try and re-create the entire thing as you could imagine. Thanks Karl for your thoughts on how I handled my HOn3 rail spiking. Karl and I discussed the issue at some length and Mike Engler (see above) has the exact same issues of desiring a prototypical look without having to actually spike every tie.

So here is what I did with my rail...As you Mike, I did not want to actually spike the rail with real spikes (4 spikes per each tie..yuck!) and as you mentioned, skipping a few ties and spiking only every few wouldn't achieve the prototypical look I wanted. So I carefully glued the rail to the ties with epoxy. I then took solder wire (.03 I think) and rolled it under my blade handle to create an oblong shape like spike heads would be. I worked off say 4-6 inches of wire at a time. Once I had the shape I wanted, I took a new one sided razor blade and cut off thin "discs" of the solder that would be the spike heads. I then blackened them in some JAX and let them dry then dusted with rust chalk. Now the tedious part...I took a pile of the "spike heads" and with a pair of fine pointed tweezers glued each spike head at an angle, part on the rail and part on the tie, 4 for each tie, 188 ties for a total of 752 spike heads!...yup...I counted em! I also made rail joiners out of styrene and applied those as well. Hope that helps Phil.

First picture is the rail joiners in place before apply the "spike heads".
Second shot of the "spike heads" in place.
Third shot of how the thing looks overall when almost finished and from a slight distance.

Styrene rail joiners

"spike heads" in place

Overall look of things...

KKarns · February 2016

Oh, forgot, Mike brought up the issue of tie plates. Most backwoods logging operations laid their track directly on the ties as my scant research would suggest. My feeling is that there is enough detail here that the lack of tie plates even in a situation where they may have been used aren't missed much. The addition of these could obviously be done but would add to the already tedious process. Mike, might be cool to see what it would look like...hmm

Side note: Phil, if you want these images removed from your thread once you take note, just let Brett know as I can't remove them myself.

KCSTrains · February 2016

Ken, thanks and no, I don't want your images removed, they are very helpful. This is ambitious and I don't know if I have the patience to do as you suggest. I just got through placing individual cedar shingles on the roof of the water tank. However, I appreciate your ingenuity. Phil

KKarns · February 2016

Phil, I'm with ya! Not for the faint of heart that's for sure. Some might say a bit of over-kill but once done, I liked the look and it fit in with my overall goals of this build. Would love to see some pictures of your roof. Ken

KCSTrains · February 2016

I'm working on the shed roof this weekend and will post pictures. Phil

KCSTrains · February 2016

Making progress. I prefer the individual cedar shingles. I use a method taught to me by Bill. It really works well. I use the shingles from Sierra Scale Models and cut them in scale 24 inch lengths with varying widths from scale 6 inches to 16 inches. Then I use waterproof carpenter's glue and glue them on. Shingling the tower was a lot more difficult because of the shape of the tower. And yes Bill, I followed your advice to keep the shingle line fairly uniform. Great suggestion.

Once I have the shingles on, I brush them with a wire brush and selectively rough them up a bit to show wear. Then comes the fun part - weathering them. Again, following a method taught to me by Bill, I dab on chalk liberally over the roof. I then wash it in with my AI mixture. I use AI because I want an older look. If I wanted a younger look I would have used just alcohol. I finish with dry brushing with dark grey. Finally, I added a little moss to the roof. I wanted to make sure I didn't overdo it.

Thanks Bill for all your helpful hints. Next up, the start of the grounds around the water tower.

Phil

Coors2u · February 2016

Nice work Phil. It's coming together.

Karl.A · February 2016

Really like the look of that roof Phil, it blends perfectly with the water tank.. and everything else, nice job indeed.

Karl.A

brownbr · February 2016

Love what you did with the roof.

djdutch · February 2016

wow it looks wonderfull and you do not overdo the moss thing

DJ

KCSTrains · February 2016

Thanks Dustin, Karl, Bryan and DJ. BTW it's hard to tell in the picture, but I did add lighting on the inside of the shed. It really looks good in person. Phil

Bill · February 2016

I'm late jumping in on the recent updates but...WOW!
First off, your track work is very well done and will certainly add to the final scene.
Congrats on hand laying those shingles. Nice job! And I'm loving the moss sprouting up here and there. What color/type of foam did you go with?
Cedar shakes can be a labor intensive chore, but I really enjoy the process. The final look almost always justifies the extra effort.

Your stonework, roof, and siding all have a harmonious feel even though they were constructed separately and with different materials and methods. You gotta be pleased when a plan comes together!

Can't wait to see it next month!
Bill

admin · February 2016

Great job Phil. You have achieved a wonderful subtle coloration to the overall structure. Nothing stands out, all blends well and looks like it belongs together but it is not boring or dull. Lots of texture and color. Well done!

KCSTrains · February 2016

Thanks Bill and Brett. I'm working on the layout of the castings now and have really taken Karl's advice to heart. Don't just plop down castings but arrange them with a purpose. I'm traveling right now, but made my first arrangement. I'll re-look at it when I get back and see if I still like it.

Bill, I used a blended fine foam which is my go-to foam. I'm looking forward to meeting you in person. Were you going to send out a materials to bring list? Phil

KKarns · February 2016

Terrific job Phil. You have a good eye for detail and what looks right. Impressive to say the least!...Ken

KCSTrains · March 2016

Bill, see the progress of my stream. Should it be a dry creek bed or have some water in it? Thanks. Phil

Bill · March 2016

Man, that looks awesome! The undercut you've got going on with the bank is a cool look.

Don't pour any water yet. As it is right, now it's too perfect.
The undercut suggests to me that there was some fast moving water running through there and it was fairly recent (the grass is still green and the undercut hasn't collapsed yet). Rushing streams and rivers will scour downward and cut away at the banks. That's what would cause erosion like that. Something like this:

So...
I'd try adding several grades of small stones to the bottom, a few bigger ones to the left side along with some twigs and a bit of drift wood... Place some of that in there (no glue) and post a pic of how that looks. After that, I'm thinking probably a fairly small layer of resin just to line the bottom. If you fill it with too much "water", my fear is it isn't going to look right and become distracting

What you've got going on is really neat looking, so let's see if the rest of the gang chimes in with some ideas.
Anybody else have an opinion?

mayhaw9999 · March 2016

Phil,
Really outstanding result. Cedar roof turned out exceptionally well. Give us a night time photo with the lights on.

I've been sidelined by a medical issue lately and now traveling, but the Woodcutter's Shack is slowly progressing.

BTW congrats on the photo in MR!

David

KCSTrains · March 2016

Bill, I will do that today and repost. The look I was going for is below.

David, I'm close to being finished and will post a lot of shots of the finished diorama including a night shot. I was a happy camper when MR selected my layout shot to be in the February issue. Phil

KCSTrains · March 2016

Bill, also in the South you can get such an undercut due to "flash floods" with the stream low or near dry for most of the year. Phil

admin · March 2016

I love the feel of the dio. It's very rich with warm tones and color in all the right places. The ties in particular stand out to me. Profile, weathering, all spot on. I would like to see a little dirt and gravel randomly mixed into the grass - next to the track, to break it up a bit.

KCSTrains · March 2016

Thanks Brett. I can do that. Once we figure out the water, I am going to place some buffalo grass on the edge to drape over the edge of the undercut. The end is in sight. Phil

KCSTrains · March 2016

Bill, here is what I came up with. I'm not crazy about the small rocks, but this is all I have. Suggestions? Phil

Bill · March 2016

I have a couple thoughts...

I'd take the bed all the way down so the the river goes all the way to the edge of the diorama. In other words...lose the bank on the right side (outer edge). That makes the river look like a rain gutter.

You certainly need more varied sizes on your rocks and stones. More sticks and debris are in order, too. I like mine to be REALLY cluttered up with "stuff" of different shapes and sizes.

Ask yourself which direction the water is flowing on your dio. Then place the clutter in positions where the current would have pushed them. Large logs, branches and stones act as a "catch" for other debris.

Here's how I positioned stuff in the river on my Twin Mills...

And here's a look at the different sizes of clutter on the bottom…

If it's too sparse or if the sizes are too uniform (like the gravel) it kinda feels like an aquarium bottom rather than a stream or river bed. Can you get 4 or 5 different sizes of Woodland Scenics talus from a hobby shop or Michaels? This stuff:

Start with a powder or sand…then add the real fine stuff, then some medium, then coarse and finally a few groupings of extra coarse. Then do the opposite with twigs: start with the biggest and work to the smallest--keeping in mind how and where the current would push it.

KCSTrains · March 2016

Bill, thanks. I will take down the other bank and I do have a wider variety of rocks. They vary in color. Is this too colorful?

What is the scale of your ruler? I can't tell. Is the extra course rock about one foot in HO scale? Of course, had I taken your class before taking this on, I would have been better prepared.

Phil

Bill · March 2016

I think that the colors are a little too "all over the road". Try to focus the colors you use. Narrow it like a paint chip sample from the hardware store. Keep a limit within that range if possible.

In the talus picture, that's just a regular ruler. So, use the large ones sparingly

nextceo · March 2016

One other comment...which is probably a given. Make sure you're adding some dirt within the rocks...especially along the bank of the stream/creek.

Alan

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