Here's a wonderful half-hour program on the RGS Geese!
http://www.pbs.org/video/galloping-goose-8exwzz/
Dec 12, 2017
Nov 14, 2017
Durango Roundhouse - wall kits available again!
Monster Model Works announced they're re-producing their Durango roundhouse walls in HO
scale and S scale for a limited time. Cost is $120 for HO scale and
$170 for S scale.
If you've never looked at the work Jimmy does on these walls - take a good look - it's AMAZING brickwork.
Some links:
http://monstermodelworks.com/h
http://monstermodelworks.com/s
They're listing extra stall wall sets in each scale too for an additional $10 per stall in HO scale and $15 per stall in S scale.
http://monstermodelworks.com/h
http://monstermodelworks.com/s
If you've never looked at the work Jimmy does on these walls - take a good look - it's AMAZING brickwork.
Some links:
http://monstermodelworks.com/h
http://monstermodelworks.com/s
They're listing extra stall wall sets in each scale too for an additional $10 per stall in HO scale and $15 per stall in S scale.
http://monstermodelworks.com/h
http://monstermodelworks.com/s
Nov 6, 2017
Podcast time!
Perhaps some of you have heard of the podcast - A Modeler's Life? Lionel Strang started it a couple years, talking to model railroads about life, trains, and lots of (sort-of) related topics.
The current full episode this week features me!
http://modelerslife.libsyn.com/episode-85-steven-haworth
Oct 29, 2017
Quick post - recent progress
I attended my first RPM Chicagoland meet - and was able to display some of my recent work.
And - here's a few pictures of the newly grassed (is that a word?) area on the Enterprise branch, but a little test-running. Next step here (after a lot of track cleaning) is trees, bushes, smaller rock / gravel, etc.
Aug 13, 2017
Static grass process
There were some questions on the last post about my methods for static grass, so... here you go:
I started with sifted 'traction sand' from Menards or Home Depot - the smallest stuff is somewhat multi-colored and kinda 'rough'. I put down a heavy coat of paint, then sift the sand into that.
In swampy spots, I might alter this with ground dried leaves as the first layer, and might try some 10mm grass. Sometimes hitting that with hairspray, I can get very fine foam VERY lightly sprinkled to sit on top of the static grass, which is a nice effect. Just tried that once or twice, so far.
I should note I put a nail on my homemade static grass applicator, and just quickly touch it to various areas while putting on the grasses - that allows me to move very quickly over different sections. Much fast than driving a nail into just one spot, then clipping on the ground lead, etc.
Lots of different grasses, and I use a small blender to loosen up the clumped grass out of the package, and also to grind dried leaves I harvested a couple autums ago:
Even very bright green foam works, when layered under other stuff:
Woodland Scenics 2mm dry grass all clump out of the container.
De-clumping in process!
After de-clumping - better:
Lots of colors of grass and foams (and a very cluttered Dolores townsite for now...)
I started with sifted 'traction sand' from Menards or Home Depot - the smallest stuff is somewhat multi-colored and kinda 'rough'. I put down a heavy coat of paint, then sift the sand into that.
Then, spray with alcohol/water mix, and ground
foams - fine in bright green, and a very dark confier green (uneven),
then larger clumps of medium green in a coarse foam. Sometimes some
watered down white glue to help keep that in place.
Before the grass, a heavy soaking coat of watered down white glue.
Next
is a 2mm Woodland Scenic static grass, kind of an olive drab color.
Over that some variety of 6mm grass, usually wheat or dry grass color
first, then some brighter greens. At this point, it's usually thick
enough that further static grass has trouble sticking, so I might hit it
with some pump-style chean Ultrahold hair spray, then just spots of
additional static grass - 2mm dry grass (almost gray), or maybe a dash
of some other colors.In swampy spots, I might alter this with ground dried leaves as the first layer, and might try some 10mm grass. Sometimes hitting that with hairspray, I can get very fine foam VERY lightly sprinkled to sit on top of the static grass, which is a nice effect. Just tried that once or twice, so far.
I should note I put a nail on my homemade static grass applicator, and just quickly touch it to various areas while putting on the grasses - that allows me to move very quickly over different sections. Much fast than driving a nail into just one spot, then clipping on the ground lead, etc.
Lots of different grasses, and I use a small blender to loosen up the clumped grass out of the package, and also to grind dried leaves I harvested a couple autums ago:
Even very bright green foam works, when layered under other stuff:
Woodland Scenics 2mm dry grass all clump out of the container.
De-clumping in process!
After de-clumping - better:
Lots of colors of grass and foams (and a very cluttered Dolores townsite for now...)
Aug 7, 2017
Quick scenery update
Not a 'normal' blog post - but here's some quick photos of recent scenery work... a new photo backdrop behind bridge 42-B at Ophir, and more static grass near Vance Junction:
Jul 7, 2017
Galloping Goose #5 runs in July and September of this year!
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Jul 1, 2017
June progress - static grass, scenery, backdrops
June has seen a little more activity outside the house, but some work on the layout as well.
I've finally gotten over my fear of properly using static grass, and have tackled basic ground cover for a significant portion of the layout. My method turned out pretty simple, once I had tried a bunch of things. It's all about layers - of course:
Then ground foam:
Then grass:
Here's some photos from the Hesperus and Ophir areas:
The road through the town of Ophir is very finely sifted 'pavers sand' (from Home Depot); I like the color. It's just sprinkled into the wet water and diluted glue as described above.
A lot of areas on the RGS along the Ophir high line had large rock talus slopes. I tried to copy that here by using the 'traction sand' again, but a larger size from my sifting activities. Here, I started with a really thick coat of tan paint, and sprinkled the rock into that. I followed it with the finer sifted sand, then finally 'wet' water, diluted glue, and static grass on the flatter bits.
The RGS was not known for a finely crafted roadbed; most of this layout will have pretty ill-maintained track. But even for the RGS, I've got some cleaning on the railheads to do here before trains run again!
So, as I went along 'grassing' the layout, I finally came to Durango and Rico, and decided these really needed photo backdrops. Working again with LARC Products, here's the beginning result in those areas.
This first one is a shot of Sunshine Mountain, peeking behind a gap on the Enterprise Branch scenery
And here's what things look like in Durango. I kept the backdrops here pretty shallow (only 9" tall), mostly to keep the cost down. Hopefully they'll work as distant scenery behind the yard.
I've finally gotten over my fear of properly using static grass, and have tackled basic ground cover for a significant portion of the layout. My method turned out pretty simple, once I had tried a bunch of things. It's all about layers - of course:
- First, plaster was painted a light tan, matching the soil color of the area (approximately)
- Then, 'traction sand' (from Menards) was sifted into a couple a grades, and the finest grade was sprinkled into the paint while wet (thickly applied paint, especially on the slopes).
- I let that dry, then layered in several colors of ground foam, including some pretty bright fine green, a little tan, and spots of darker fine green.
- This was heavily misted with 'wet' water (water and some alcohol), lthen soaked with diluted white glue (applied out of an old glue container).
- Next was some spots of course medium green ground foam, pressed into the glue (especially on the slopes; it'd fall off without the glue first)
- And finally static grass into the still-wet glue - 2mm dry green, followed by 6mm brighter greens, follwed by touches of 6mm wheat and 2mm dry winter grass. The variation here is key - lusher in valleys, drier in other places. If the glue started to dry out, I hit it with either more wet water, or hairspray.
- By the way, I'm using a home-built static applicator, powered with a 9v battery, and have a nail I just touch into the area for grounding. I use one hand on the nail, the other to shake the grass on - in this way I can move very quickly, moving the nail along as I go. MUCH faster than fastening the nail into the scenery each time.
Then ground foam:
Then grass:
Here's some photos from the Hesperus and Ophir areas:
The road through the town of Ophir is very finely sifted 'pavers sand' (from Home Depot); I like the color. It's just sprinkled into the wet water and diluted glue as described above.
A lot of areas on the RGS along the Ophir high line had large rock talus slopes. I tried to copy that here by using the 'traction sand' again, but a larger size from my sifting activities. Here, I started with a really thick coat of tan paint, and sprinkled the rock into that. I followed it with the finer sifted sand, then finally 'wet' water, diluted glue, and static grass on the flatter bits.
The RGS was not known for a finely crafted roadbed; most of this layout will have pretty ill-maintained track. But even for the RGS, I've got some cleaning on the railheads to do here before trains run again!
So, as I went along 'grassing' the layout, I finally came to Durango and Rico, and decided these really needed photo backdrops. Working again with LARC Products, here's the beginning result in those areas.
This first one is a shot of Sunshine Mountain, peeking behind a gap on the Enterprise Branch scenery
And here's what things look like in Durango. I kept the backdrops here pretty shallow (only 9" tall), mostly to keep the cost down. Hopefully they'll work as distant scenery behind the yard.
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