Sunshine, Palm Trees and a Food Industry...

Discussion in 'Planks, Switching and Shelf Layouts' started by Gary, Jan 6, 2021.

  1. Vinylelpea

    Vinylelpea Full Member

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    Nice touch with the vine growing on the fence. :tophat:
     
  2. Gary

    Gary Wants more time for modelling.... Staff Member Administrator

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    Yesterday I started adding some details (trash) around the siding for the Salco building.

    To do this I took various strips of balsa wood and spliced it down to different sizes. All this was then dumped into a grey wash to weather the wood. Whilst the balsa was soaking, I cut up small rectangles of brown paper and began spotting this track side.



    After a good 20 minutes soaking, the balsa wood was pulled out, sat on some absorbent paper then this was scattered/glued around the sidings.


    I found the box of HO scale tyres I purchased last year and added a few around the siding as well.



    Today, I added more weeds and trash to the siding.



    I also added a handful of 3d printed HO scale bottles. The bottles are from Miniprints and I coloured them with felt tip pens (texta or marker pen), which gives the bottles a translucent look. These were scattered outside the open dock door among other trash and broken pallets.



    A couple more pallets and a few 44 gallon drums will be added soon.

    Cheers, Gary.



    Cheers, Gary.
     
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  3. Gary

    Gary Wants more time for modelling.... Staff Member Administrator

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    I have moved a little further down the layout to where the grade crossing is and duly set about making this area quite trashy.

    One thing I did decide on was the removal of the small low relief office I scratch built for Ferrous Processing (see post #374).
    This building has been replaced with a cinder block/breeze block/Besser block wall. I think it looks far better than the building that I thought looked awkwardly out of place.


    The wall is simply 2mm thick grey board clad in Scalescenes paper that has been reproduced to HO scale

    The area outside the wall and around the grade crossing has been suitably trashed up, which resembles the prototype somewhat.




    I still have the bottles to add along with a shopping trolley and a garbage bin.

    To detail the other side of the wall, I have considered stacking 44 gallon drums , that will be just visible, creating the effect that this area is used for storing hazardous material for disposal at a later date. Now only if I could find HO scale car and truck batteries !

    Cheers, Gary
     
  4. Gary

    Gary Wants more time for modelling.... Staff Member Administrator

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    Two new additions to the layout came in the mail recently. I purchased these from Otter Valley Railroad in Canada as the conversion rate for the Canadian dollar is far sweeter than the US conversion. In fact, I have two more items winging their way across the globe as I write this.

    The first is this Walthers International 4900 Series single axle prime mover or if you're from the US, a tractor !


    The second is this Walthers International 7600 Series 3 axle tanker truck and trailer.


    I must say that the finish on the tanks is so reflective it makes for interesting photography !


    Cheers, Gary.

    ps, Oh, those other two models I'm waiting on, you'll just have to wait til I get them to see them ! ;)
     
  5. Gary

    Gary Wants more time for modelling.... Staff Member Administrator

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    I wanted to detail part of the Ferrous Processing plant a little more to give it a little more appeal. The area in question is behind the concrete block wall. I mocked up a scene using Lego bricks and some 44 gallon drums to get an idea of the appearance.


    Today I set about scratch building a rack for the drums. I used Evergreen Styrene strip #132 (0.75mm x 1.0mm) for the frame and laterals.


    A few lengths of ES #101 (0.25 x 0.75mm) was used for the cross bracing and a few short lengths of ES #107 (0.25 x 4.0mm) for the top clasp sections.


    The whole lot was spray bombed with black enamel paint (rattle can) before weathering with powders and isopropyl alcohol to give a dirty and rusty look.



    I had already pre-purchased pallets and 44 gallon drums from Australian Modeller a few weeks back. These simply required painting and weathering. After paint and weathering, they were glued together and then glued to the weathered frame.


    I will add other pallets awith some pieces of cast steel junk attached to the bottom rack at a later date.


    Funnily enough, once placed on the layout, you don't really see the work I put into the rack and load !

    The reason I went to the trouble of doing this is simply because I will be displaying the whole layout at the upcoming NMRA Convention in September-October, Rails @ Rosehill. As I have no back scene on this side of the layout, I thought I would detail the areas that are not necessarily scene when operating at home. ;)

    Next up is to replace the original ramped platform I built for the Miami Produce building. More on this soon.

    Cheers, Gary.
     
  6. Gary

    Gary Wants more time for modelling.... Staff Member Administrator

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    As I mentioned in the post above, the next project was to build another platform and ramp for the produce centre.

    The reason being is that the ramp dipped blow the height of the concrete hardstand I built after I built the produce centre. This pic below shows what I am talking about.


    I measured the model again and went about cutting up more 3mm thick grey board. This was all glued together and test fit. An almost perfect fit.


    I do need to shave off some card on the rear of the platform as it pushes up to hard against the warehouse, tilting it slightly. I'll simply sand this back rather than trying to cut/shave it.

    To the front of the model, I laid a thin layer of fiber paste to replicate worm concrete. This took a good 24 hours to harden off.


    After a lick of paint, very roughly I might add as I want a worn and weathered look to the surface, it looks like this.


    Eventually I will weather the face and platform top with dry brush as well as powders. I think it looks okay, for now...


    Cheers, Gary.
     
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  7. Gary

    Gary Wants more time for modelling.... Staff Member Administrator

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    My next project is to do something with the area between the produce warehouse and the white building that sits to the left. I have had two small silos and two containers sitting here for the last few months as seen in this photo.


    After looking at various photos of the local area (Hialeah), I settled on a few changes to the scene but at the same time, keeping the silos and containers. At the moment, the area looks like this with the silos and containers removed.


    This piece of card shows where I will add a chain link fence...


    ...and I will eventually place the silos and containers like this...


    But before I can drop these into position, I need a concrete hardstand for the silos and for where the containers will sit, I will replicate a bitumen surface. To do this I measured up a piece of 2mm thick balsa then glued a piece of 1mm to this, only where the silos will be positioned as I want the concrete slightly higher than the surface that is bitumen.

    I allowed this to cure for a few hours before applying a thin layer of fiber paste to the concrete area and allowed this to dry. The lower area was brush with PVA and some fine sand/grout was applied. This was set aside to fully dry overnight.

    Tonight, I took out some acrylic paints, thinned them down and gave the two areas a wash of paint, green/grey for concrete and grey/black for bitumen. This is the results...


    The gap between the bitumen/concrete pad and the white building will be filled with weeds and trash.

    Next I will scrape back some of the previously laid sand/grout mix and glue this pad down so I can start detailing the area. Onward and upwards...

    Cheers, Gary.
     
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  8. Gary

    Gary Wants more time for modelling.... Staff Member Administrator

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    The hardstand has been glued into position along with a rear chain wire fence and a little scenery material, most grass, weeds and a little trash...


    Cheers, Gary.
     
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  9. Gary

    Gary Wants more time for modelling.... Staff Member Administrator

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    Latest video update with a few surprise mail calls...



    Cheers, Gary.
     
  10. Gary

    Gary Wants more time for modelling.... Staff Member Administrator

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    I have been continuing on with the peninsula section of the layout, this time between the two industries and a small yard section.

    The area between the two industries is what I call the 'Miami canyon' and I have been busy detailing this area with scenery. Plenty of grass, weeds and trash have populated this area.


    and a little further back...


    The red and yellow building seen above has a small yard in the foreground, which can't be seen but it too has been detailed with grass, weeds, pallets, drums, trash and trash bins.

    The small metal garbage bin and the garbage bags are 3d prints from Mini Prints. The blue drums and pallets are also 3D prints from In Front Models (Australian made !) The large Sulo bin (black wheelie bin) and rusted out drums are white metal models, Sulo from Uneek Model Products and drums from Kerrby Models.




    The shipping container is from Euro Hobbies and looks the part now I have weathered it ! ;)

    I have finally painted both roof tops on the two industries each side of the track.


    Tomorrow I wish to paint the two tanks that sit in behind the container and plumb them in. I also want to add roof top details to the two canyon industries (above).

    Cheers, Gary.
     
    Last edited: Feb 13, 2023
  11. Andrew Laing

    Andrew Laing Full Member

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    Nice detail there, well done.
     
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  12. Gary

    Gary Wants more time for modelling.... Staff Member Administrator

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    Thank you kindly Andy.

    Today I'll start on adding scenery to the rear of the produce warehouse, in the fiddle yard. I do need to visit my local hobby store to buy some paint for the two tanks I have ready to go in behind the container. Then it's on to the roof top detailing !

    Cheers, Gary.
     
  13. Gary

    Gary Wants more time for modelling.... Staff Member Administrator

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    Due to my local hobby shop not opening until 5.30pm this afternoon, I never did get the two tanks painted, but I have started on the scenery in the fiddle yard !
    I went about applying the taller 12mm grasses, then I blew in some 2mm brown grass fibres around the base. I let this sit for about 20 minutes before giving the rest of the ground a splash of ballast solution (50/50 PVA/Water) and applied more 2mm and 4mm static grass with the applicator. Doing this way makes the larger tufts fuller and gives the appearance of dead foliage at the base.

    Seen below is a strip of balsa wood, pinned in so that the 12mm grass fibres has support whilst the glue dries.


    The balsa is used instead of the building that would normally sit there as I didn't want to glue the building down !

    Cheers, Gary.
     
    Last edited: Mar 9, 2023
  14. Gary

    Gary Wants more time for modelling.... Staff Member Administrator

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    The last couple of days I never did manage to finish off what I had planned due to answering 100's of questions on face book after posting a couple of those pics I posted above in post #410 !

    So, what have I done ??

    I only managed to finish the scenery in the fiddle yard and partially on the drop down extension. The drop down had an edge/fence built around it from 3mm MDF. I still needs grasses etc added. I'm treating this flap as a piece of scenery so it all ties in together.

    Looking down the fiddle yard to the throat...


    Close up of rubbish etc...


    The rear of the produce centre now looks like it is fully settled into the scene. I wish to add a few smallish shrubs along the rear wall in places.


    The drop down extension. I have painted the inside green and will add grass and weeds tonight.


    So, that's how far I got in the last 72 hours, then again, I went back to work today after a couple of days off ! ;)

    Cheers, Gary.
     
    Last edited: Feb 17, 2023
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  15. Gary

    Gary Wants more time for modelling.... Staff Member Administrator

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    Yesterday I showed how far I had gotten with the scenery on the fiddle yard. Before I decided to hit the hay, I added scenery to the drop down flap. This included grasses, piles of ballast and two sleeper (ties) across the top of the rails acting as wheel stops.


    I will give this a light vacuum to see if any scenery is loose and if there is, apply another layer of scenic cement (PVA/water mix). Last thing I want is to drop the flap and bits fall off onto the floor... ;)

    Cheers, Gary.
     
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  16. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    As usual Gary,
    Your railway is turning into a miniature work of art.
    You have a keen eye for observing nature and how it works trying to overcome our man made objects in the landscape and our human clutter.
    In other words......attention to detail.......:thumbs::thumbs::thumbs::thumbs::thumbs:
    :tophat:Gormo
     
  17. Gary

    Gary Wants more time for modelling.... Staff Member Administrator

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    Hi Gormo,

    Thank you kindly for your comment, very much appreciated.

    AS usual, I try to replicate what I see or have seen. As I have said right throughout this thread, You Tube, online photographs and Google maps/street view have been very helpful to get where I am with this layout. Maybe one day I'll even visit the down town spur in Miami ! ;)

    Speaking of the down town spur, I spent some time designing a logo for the layout. Might even get some stickers made up.


    Tell me what you guys think of this logo/sticker design !

    Cheers, Gary.
     
    Last edited: Feb 18, 2023
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  18. Andrew Laing

    Andrew Laing Full Member

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    Great logo, only thing the comes to my mind is Japan with the red Sun.
     
  19. Vinylelpea

    Vinylelpea Full Member

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    Portrays the feel of the layout perfectly. Thumbs up from me.:thumbup:
     
  20. Gary

    Gary Wants more time for modelling.... Staff Member Administrator

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    I pinched the rising sun from the FEC's own logo ! ;) Can't be doing an exact copy, that would land me in hot water.... :eek:


    Cheers, Gary.
     
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