Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Categories
- 955 All Categories
- 3 Picture Posting and Resizing
- 56 New Member Introductions
- 115 Off-Topic Forum
- 4 Photography
- 2 Resources
- 16 New Product Information
- 167 The SierraWest Forum
- 9 Brett's Blog
- 119 General News & Ramblings
- 3 Re-Release Information
- 6 Q & A about SierraWest
- 9 What Would You Like to See?
- 384 Builds
- 140 HO Scale Builds
- 165 O Scale Builds
- 60 Finished SW Build Pics
- 14 Miscellaneous Builds
- 190 Techniques
- 19 Working with Wood
- 20 Painting Castings
- 5 Masonry
- 23 Scenery
- 37 Tools and Supplies
- 21 Layout Planning & Building
- 40 Miscellaneous
- 24 Prototype Information
- 22 Reference and Research
Comments
Next up is the application of the dirt (grout) using Karl's method. Phil
I foresee a retaining wall in your future, I'm sure you have it planned but a couple of base coats of a light tan on that pink foam will be your good friend before scener starts going down.
I think I like your 'rock' so much because the colouration is almost the same as the ones I used to do, it's going to look great with that dirt colouration.
You are also going to get some seriously nice pictures of the shack with that backdrop, nice work.
Keep the pics coming.....
Karl.A
Ken, sorry for the confusion. I'm modeling middle Louisiana in the 50's. The sawmills, for the most part, were pine saw mills. I plan to have pines and pine forest for the layout. BTW, I make a killer pine tree. However, I couldn't find any photo backdrops with southern yellow pines. Therefore, I settled on a backdrop with hardwoods. It's not uncommon for both to exist. I will just need to blend the two together. Just another challenge. Phil
Karl also recommends experimenting with ideas on scrap pieces of foam. As you know, I'm building a road to the Wood Cutter's Shack and I want to make sure I laid it out properly. The thought occurred to me that I could roll a truck across the "textured dirt" to break down the sand and create a great road path. Therefore, I did a little experiment on a piece of foam.
As you can see, it worked. Now I know the correct width of the road and I know exactly where the center of the road will be. Hopefully, I can transfer this knowledge onto the layout. Stay tuned. Phil
As you can see, I have used a combination of various sizes of static grass, WS fine leaf foliage, branches from Super Trees, and stumps from Sierra Scale Models. This is the beginning of the road to the Woodcutter's Shack. It would be a dirt road and not a lot of pretty, groomed landscaping. You can see the pine tree stumps where they had already harvested the timber. At least this is the look I'm going for. Feedback would be greatly appreciated because this sets how I will approach the scenery as I continue down the Woodcutter Shack road. Thanks for looking in. Phil
But otherwise it looks pretty darn good as it sits.
Very good suggestions. I will do that. My wife also wants me to put in some pot holes.
Phil
That terra cotta colour turned out perfect, great job on that one.
Couple more sugestions for you....
Some lumber debris scattered around, esp around the future stumps, I'm not talking details, more natural detail..... ie, broken limb or two, off cuts of unuseable wood, a 'pizza-slice' next to a stump, those guys didn't really clean up after themselves once they dropped a tree, scraps everywhere.
Do a google image search of 'logging camp' that will give you some great ideas of the devastation left in these areas. I'll dig out some reference pics if you need them in a few days also to show what I mean.
I agree with Wes on a few bare spots down the center of the road, and I'd also narrow it down to none existent as you get closer to the shack, those trucks wound be turning around, maneuvering and driving all over the place in that proximity, hence, no center grass.
I agree with Ed that something to break up the uniformity would be good, however I've driven down many many dirt roads and dont ever remember 'oil,fuel, grease' marks on any of them. Your wifes idea of a few potholes is excellent and would also break up the uniformity.
Pot holes in foam base such as theses are so easy, push your finger or thumb into the foam to make a divot, instant pot hole.
Add in some subtle dead grass to the road center in a few spots, if any fuel/oil leaked, it would occur in the center of the road, under the engine and kill the grass. also tall yellow grass, as you know happens.
Look at photos and keep playing out drastic ideas on those scraps, everything is coming on great.
Karl.A
Karl.A
In that thread, one reason that I use a light and a dark combined for the base is for depth and variation, as explained in the thread.
The 'blend' is used as the base layer, which gives a uniform covering, however...
a sprinkling of the darker colour adds 'low lights' shadows and depth, in the appropriate areas.
whereas a sprinkling of the lighter colour adds 'high lights' , pathways, dryer areas of compressed ground, or higher ground.
Because the base is a combination of the two, everything blends together nicely through tonal variations of the same.
Subtle and effective.
Karl.A
Also, I attempted my first sage brush tree. I followed the Scenic Express instructions and found it to be pretty easy. I also concentrated on an area close to where I wanted the deciduous tree. I had a reference picture to follow, but I want a really bushy area. Also, I wanted the deciduous tree close to the woodcutter's shack to provide shade to those hard workers. Finally, you will see some pine trees in the background. The last picture, in my opinion, is the money shot. That's the look I'm going for. I can't wait to finish this area.
Thanks for checking in. Phil
You got the hang of it. The whole scene looks great since you redid it. Nice job. I also recently made a deciduous tree from sage brush and I like them very much. Also, the stuff that falls off the sage brush and pieces of the sage brush works very well in the ground cover. What did you use for the leaves on your tree?
Karl. A
I used code 70 flex track on my layout. If I was building your layout, I would have used Code 70 rail. I wouldn't change it now. Trackwork is not my bag. I like to build models and the scenery. By the time you get your scenery done, it won't be that noticeable. George Sellious uses flex track.
For dioramas I have always done hand laid with four spikes per tie.... I couldn't imagine doing that for an entire layout, It would just never get done. an 18" diorama with two or three tracks is bad enough.
But a diorama is a focal point, everything within that small area is scrutinized.... so...
If, I ever build a layout I would use a combination, good flextrack is easy enough to make look 'good', especially if its buried in the dirt and well weathered for a logging layout, but I'd still hand lay specific focal areas around structures etc where people would be looking at detail. Although, again, not completely necessary.
There are a few simple things you could do to improve the look of your track work without the need to pull it all up. After all, Troels uses standard HO flextrack on his ON30 layout, but because of the way he scenics, weathers, and lays it, its not an issue and very rarely gets noticed, the focus is mainly on the models and the scenery, not the track.
Karl.A
Troels is a fantastic artist. Check out some of his works
Bill S.
I like your work bench area