March Break Project (Model Train Build)

[Reinier]

Yes

[J-sews]

Nice trees!

Make sure sparky415 doesn't enter your kitchen with all those axes he has

Edit:
Looks like he actually has a special ax for you tiny trees

(Image removed from quote.)

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,22707.msg512443.html#msg512443

Good one Reinier

[Chako]

No as in...that little axe is not getting anywhere near my little forest "No". 

I will have some new photos to post tomorrow on the build It is coming along nicely.

[Chako]

Well, I am very close to finishing this project. All I have to do is clean the tracks, figure out all the building locations, glue them in place, glue the tiny people, accessories, etc, and apply the shrubs and trees.  I am so close to finishing this project, I can taste it. I didn't think it would take me 6 months of on and off again puttering to get to this point...but I will party once it is finished.

I moved the project upstairs. I also painted the 3 visible sides black. I didn't see the need to pain the back black as nobody will get to see that anyways. The buildings are not glued down, and probably aren't in their final location. I am however, finished the ballast on the tracks.



A closer look.



The light blue off the wall and ceiling helps the overall impression of the project. Once I get the details set, this will be something I am going to have for quite some time.



I hope to do more work on it tomorrow.

[Chako]

Update time!

I am so close to finishing this project, I can almost taste it. What has placed a dampener on my progress is the oppressive heat with a big heaping side order of humidity. With that said however, I should be done tomorrow.

I had ordered this nice terminal/station set a few months ago, even going so far as to built it. However, I neglected to paint it as I was uncertain if I wanted to include it. Well, I do, and here is the finished product. These are going on the track layout tomorrow.



After painting the bigger job was to clean the track of all the glue, dirt, and whatnot. I used a special track cleaning eraser (actually, looks and feels a lot like those pen erasers one could find at a good stationary store), followed by some sandpaper to sand down the rails. Once that was finished, I placed an engine on the rails and tried it out. It didn't go very far. I found some of the ballast clogging the works. A quick brush down with a stiff paintbrush did the trick. Now the train runs beautifully with a few cars in tow.



Tomorrow, I have to populate the village with people and a few little items. Right now, they are heaped into a pile in the upper factory section ready for installation.



I found this metal guy also today, and thought it would make a perfect bronze statue. I placed him on a hill. He looks great.



I also had an issue with these two identical items. Both track lights looked poor straddling a single track each, and one wasn't large enough to cover two tracks. I solved that little problem by tearing one up somewhat and glued them together to make a nicer larger light tree.



One idea I have for this area is a car show. this should look better with a few people added.



I also glued a few electrical poles running along the track from the village to the Industrial building. I haven't figured out what I will do with the street lights yet. This project is coming along nicely.

[Grant Lamontagne]

This looks bad...



Very bad....

 

Def

[Chako]

 

They should look a little more alive tomorrow. 

[Reinier]

Those tiny people are very colorful!

And is that an air traffic control tower in the village?

[Chako]

Yes...but I was thinking more along the lines of a tourst trap scenic lookout.

[Chako]

Whoohoo! I just mostly finished the project. It took me a good 6 months from start to finish...but boy oh boy, this turned out a lot nicer then I thought it would. This being my first time doing anything like this. I can easily recommend any Woodland Scenics kits for anyone wanting to get into this hobby. I will also say that adding the people and the trees brought everything to life.

I was so pumped up that I took a few photographs of some of the details.


 


 


 

[AHB]

You need a tiny dude in a (Tactical) Pink kayak Dan...   

Excellent work though.. 

[Chako]

I was thinking of buying some model water compound for two low spots on the display. I think I can swing a kayaker or two in pink. Finding a yellow jeep might be harder work.    

[Gareth]

Looks superb Dan.

[Chako]

Thanks Gareth. I would say the whole thing was worth it in the end. A great way to showcase a train set. 

[turnsouth]

Awesome work 

[Mercury]

Great work Dan.  This has been a treat to watch.

[Sazabi]

I can't believe how great it looks now; that really was a labor of love, Dan.  Excellent job on the scenery, and that little bronze statue is just cool.

[Chako]

Thanks. The next thing I will do is to replace that working train with a passenger train. That is going to be for later. Right now, I am just enjoying the display.

[Vladimir]

Excellent work, it looks great!

[Mercury]

Awesome Vid dan.  Now you should do some Narration a la Thomas and Friends!  Sorry, that's all we watch in my house, my toddler is infatuated with Thomas. 

Props on your work my friend.

[Chako]

You know, I am unsure if this will ever be finished. I am already planning on getting a few special props for the layout.

I had one of my friends over to show it to him. He is the guy running the HO on the shag carpet layout in an earlier post. The look on his face was priceless...so I know I did a good job. 

[turnsouth]

You know, I am unsure if this will ever be finished. I am already planning on getting a few special props for the layout.

That mountain is just crying out for an aerial tram. I'll bet the villagers would love a way to get up there and see the view 

[Screwtape]

Great Video, I'd never quite worked out how the track looped back on itself until I watched it running, 

[Gareth]

Just watched the video mate, very cool.

[jan.]

I like this
But now you have to lightning up everything with streetlights and outside and inside buildinglights.
Iside buslight and parkingplace-light.

[Screwtape]

I like this
But now you have to lightning up everything with streetlights and outside and inside buildinglights.
Iside buslight and parkingplace-light.

Great idea, add lights

[Chako]

That could be added at a later date for sure. In fact, i do have some lights already purchased for that...but decided against putting them in. I just wanted it upstairs and finished by my summer holidays end. i now realize this diorama will be a work in progress for quite some time to come. A little here and a little there.

However, I do have another project in mind. In fact, this was going to be the first project until I realized I didn't have a clue on how to do this justice. It is what got me started in working on a larger N scale set up to help me learn the ropes.

the original idea was to  build the smallest commercial train set in a suitcase. I had bought all of the items before buying the N scale kit.

With the knowledge gleamed from the first build, I am feeling a little more confident that I won't screw this up too badly.

Some of the small T Gauge track.


I have to scale buildings, crossings, cars, even people.


18 trees should be more than enough.


This is ground zero.


And here is the train. Paw thrown in for a size reference. 



And here is a repost (Did I post this before?) of my T-gauge running in an oval. In the background is an N scale blue passenger car, and an HO scale Livestock car.