Yeah that’s some fine work especially that wooden bumper block G!
You’re inclining me towards a harbour scene with a steampunk twist, and I’ve found one that’s appropriate to my skill level:
Cheers,
M
3 Likes
Gee mention the word trains and modeling together and you can get many possibilities.
I’ll not get far without simply saying I’ve been a train ‘nut’ for 50+ years. The real thing plus models. And then branching out into photography.
I currently model in On30. Recently dipped my toes into 1/35 scale. So thinking very hard about ripping up the On30 layout and trying a 1/35 layout.
Here’s a few snaps of what too much spare time ends up looking like.
Then theirs the real thing.
bruce
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Will have to start off with a very big WOW Bruce… That scene is fascinating… The train looks superb, but the whole lot combined is amazing … What’s the overall footprint of it ? Really well done 
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Thanks Johnnych01. The layout is 2 foot wide by 20 foot long.
The first image here is the far left of the layout. The next one is the far right of the layout.
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Incredible job Bruce
My gast is truly flabbered…
Regards,
M
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Whoa Nellie! Bruce, I didn’t realize this was a “shorty” layout. Are the cars scratchbuilt? Love the crane and boom car.
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Thanks.
JPTRR the tank car, crane, boom car and shorty caboose are all scratch/kit bashed. Tank, crane and boom car are built using HO MDC shorty hopper running gear. (I have heaps of them from my HO years). The shorty caboose runs on a single passenger boggy from a Bachmann On30 coach. The crane started as a Walther’s HO wrecker.
The layout was a fun build. It’s still there but since I discovered 1/35 scale the layout has been neglected. Two more images. One from the far left of the layout. The other near the centre.
Everything except for locos is scratch built. I cut my own timber etc.
bruce
8 Likes
Outstanding work Bruce, really like the vividness of the colours, a truly amazing build, especially given it’s 00/H0, something to aspire to, 
.
G
Hi all,
Been a busy week, so not had much time to play, however, I have managed to get most of the groundworks scribed now, and have added some tones to the cobbled surfaces and have started to paint where the tracks are,
I realise I need to remove the heavy rust from the top of the rail, but it was easier to paint the ‘whole’ and then rub off the excess at a later stage.
As mentioned right at the beginning, I’m neither knowledgeable about trains, nor about building them, therefore I have a number of questions. I’ve started to add ‘dirt’ alongside the rails but found it difficult to find suitable colour images of such rails so as to determine the ‘colour’ and level of dirt. Most colour images that I could find were of heritage dock railways, and as such the areas around the track seemed to be amazingly clean and free of debris. My questions are thus…
-
Should I increase the level of dirt, both in density and spread, especially down the area between the rails?
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Should I add debris, e.g. fine dust? I will be adding patches of grass/weeds and some puddles at a later stage.
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Are the colours of the dirt about right, or do they need changing?
Cheers, 
,
G
6 Likes
That’s a neat little harbour scene Tom, really like the airship on the roof, .
G
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Actually, I decided against getting it even though it is being offered at two-thirds retail by my usual pusher of plastic. There doesn’t seem to be much in the way of after-market resin and photo etch for it…
Cheers,
M
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That’s looking superb G, the tones to my eye are perfect and no one could fault those cobbles or the stone work…they really do make the scene. I think once you’ve done the few other detail bits like the puddles etc it will be another award winner
I’m starting to visualise how it’s going to look with the building fronts added and the vehicles and the finished water scene…can’t wait !!
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Looking great G. I would definitely add dust or dirt between the rails from brake/road dust from various rolling stock, maybe a little on the edge of the cobblestone closest to the rail.
As a long time model railroader and a once upon a time rr employee on a track gang I have some comments re: your track in the street here. Generally speaking if you see dirt piled up on the ties between the rails it is because the track support structure, the wooden ties and ballast(gravel),is failing and sinking down into the surrounding ground. Railroad rolling stock does not usually pick up large amounts of dirt or debris. The other source of material between the rails will be from loose material being shipped and is generally present where rolling stock sits for some length of time. I don’t believe that your scene would have either of these conditions. Having said all of that, what I believe you would see is a discoloration between the rails, more or less an ill defined stripe of color/colors, that does represent the dirt/rust/grease deposited more by the locomotives then the cars. You might also find remnants of spills, but the stone work will shed this rather quickly and leave just small amounts of material that got forced down between the cobbles. In this scale that would show up more as a stain then piled up material. Yes, I do think you should add fine materials but in those corners and other places where it would normally collect. The colors will be the colors of the dirt in the local area as well as dark rust along the rails w/the grease/oil etc. staining between the rails.
Sorry for being so long winded. Hope it is of some value.
Tim
6 Likes
Tim, thank you for educating us on the track on G’s diorama. Very good to know. I’m glad you clarified that if dirt piles up on the tracks, then the ties will start to rock cetera.
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The reality is that it is the continual moving/rocking of the tracks that causes the dirt to pile up. That is preceded by fines clogging up the ballast and not allowing water to drain out of the track structure. The saturated track structure moves around under the weight and movement of the rolling stock. Think about taking a small stick and laying down on some mud. If you push down on one end then the other the stick will displace the mud/dirt and sink down piling the debris up around and on the stick. The rails and ties act just like that stick under the weight of the rail cars and locomotives.
Most of my professional life was spent as a civil engineer and water is the enemy/culprit in most problems.
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Think I would still have bought it for the novelty aspect Tom, especially at the knock-down price, .
Cheers, ,
G
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