Florida City Tri-Rail, FEC, and CSX

[Supaned]

Thanks Chris - hope to see you at Warley then

[warbonnetuk]

Look forward to seeing it at Warley as we will be there with ROUNDHOUSE.

 

Ian

 

Likewise, see you at Warley (crewing on Roundhouse)

[Alcanman]

 

 

Hi Mal

Model Tree shop again and your right I have spent a bit

the palms are linked below.

http://www.themodeltreeshop.co.uk/acatalog/Mediterranean-Fan-Palm---PT23.html

http://www.themodeltreeshop.co.uk/acatalog/Date-Palm-Tree---PT324.html

 

Sizes: 1:200 & Sizes: 1:300

 

I've still some slash pines plus BMLA Billboard to add and build the fiddle yard.....

 

Thanks Chris, looks like I'll have to get more palms for Deerfield Beach. Here's a link to a tutorial on making slash pines which you may find useful

 

http://dissolvingdollars.com/bvmodels/slash-pines/

 

Mal

[Chris Gilbert]

Thanks Chris, looks like I'll have to get more palms for Deerfield Beach. Here's a link to a tutorial on making slash pines which you may find useful

 

http://dissolvingdol...ls/slash-pines/

 

Mal

 

Thanks Mal

 

I had a big visitor at Florida City today...

 

 

 

 

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

Very pretty leasor - is it a Kato 'convertible'?

[Chris Gilbert]

it is indeed

[Chris Gilbert]

The Athearn Tri-rail GP49 didn't run too smoothly so after a bit of internal surgery I've managed to fit it on an Atlas chassis

 

 

the video is a bit shaky but it shows most of the layout.... and what still needs to be done.

 

Three weeks to go...

[Steve Williams]

Four more photographs:

 

 

 

 

[Chris Gilbert]

and some more

 

This time the SD's head down the branch to the auto distributors

 

 

 

 

[Chris Gilbert]

Some more photos

 

 

 

 

[Chris Gilbert]

I can confirm that the layout is going to Glasgow and Modelrail 2013

[Alcanman]

The finished layout looks superb, Chris

 

I really like the grass, which products did you use?

 

Mal

[Chris Gilbert]

Thanks Mal

 

The grass is Heki from

 

http://www.blackwells-miniatures.com

 

 

1 x AUTUMN GRASS STRIPS 100mm pk10 (HK 1812)

1 x AUTUMN GRASS TUFTS 6mm pk100 (HK 1802)

1 x SUMMER GRASS STRIPS 100mm pk10 (HK 1811)

1 x SUMMER GRASS TUFTS 6mm pk100 (HK 1801)

 

1 x REALISTIC WILD GRASS FIELD GREEN 45 x 17cm (HK 1841)

1 x REALISTIC WILD GRASS SUMMER GREEN 45 x 17cm (HK 1840)

1 x REALISTIC WILD GRASS SUMMER GREEN 45 x 17cm (HK 1842)

[Alcanman]

Thanks Chris,

 

I thought it looked like Heki, I used some of the Wild Grass on Deerfield Beach, now I'll have a look at the Grass Strips & Tufts.

 

Mal

[Chris Gilbert]

Now the fun bit

Adding the details

 

[Chris Gilbert]

With just over a week to go until the NEC I've finished the lighting pelmet

I've used 1000 LED's and this clip was taken in the garage with no lighting apart from the LEDs

 

 

Now the fiddle yard...

[trisonic]

Looks good - no shadows though.

 

I know some marine aquarists have experimented with lighting where the source moves as if the Sun is moving during the day! It produces natural shadow changes. Probably a bit over the top!

 

Best, Pete.

[Prof Klyzlr]

Dear Chris,

 

I see:

- end profiles

- front corner supports

- and a basic front "framing" (or at least a strip of overhead fascia which frames the scene

 

The questions that begs asking are, (particularly for show work)

- are you intending to operate from the front or the back?

- will there be any form of backscene filling the hole along the rear of the scene?

 

For those interested in show layout design and transport, (IE the excessively morbid and masochistic),

I'd also love to know what the envisaged transport vehicle is,

and what the "pack order"/technique is...

 

Happy Modelling,

Aim to Improve,

Prof Klyzlr

[Chris Gilbert]

Good evening Prof/Pete

After its first outing back in March I noticed the layout didn't seem stand out anywhere near as much as Haston did

Without a frame or lighting it just seemed to blend into the layouts behind me.

 

Having added both of these I will still be able to operate the layout from the back and not get backache from bending over the back scene.

As the photo below shows I've tried to blend out the back scene

Not sure if it will work or if ill have to add a blue curtain across the back of the layout

 

 

This is all to keep the space requirement in the car to a minimum

The transport will be a Jaguar XF Saloon

It has split seats and I managed to get it all in including two bar stools on its last outing but that was with out the sides, lighting and the new fiddle yard...

The NEC is only about 20 miles away and I'm setting up on the Friday so anything I can't fit in I can bring the next day.

 

The big test is the trip to Glasgow in February which is 300 miles away and there are 3 of us in the car...

 

I will photo the packing order for you

[Prof Klyzlr]

Dear Chris,

 

Thanks for that, makes sense. I've never been a "op from the back" kind of guy, out the front works for me and the crowd, and it even lets me wander out and stand _in_ the crowd while operating as the whim takes me.

 

Given this, and my near-pathological avoidance of anything which detracts from the scene, having a big hole thru which the viewers can be distracted by:

- the backstage clutter,

- the wall the layout is setup against (along the wall config)

- or the backstage machinations fo the layout opposite (situated in a peninsular inthe middle of the show hall config),

- not to mention the occasionally-uncouth "backstage behaviour" of the ajoining-layout's operators,

(they figure they are "behind their layout", and therefore have a measure of "off-duty privacy"... Surprise!)

 

can potentially cause some angst at the design stages.

 

On the flipside, love the all-foamcore "full proscenium" + curved backdrop<>roof module as I do, I have had a number of tempting show-layout designs whirl thru the grey-matter recently, which prompted some heretofor dismissed layout-design formats. Potential benefits include:

- allowing modelling of scenes from the "wrong" side/perspective

(The "Oregon City Switcher" poses particular issues in this regard)

- fitting far more linear layout into the Subie Outback than previously thought possible.

(If you'te not hauling "cubic" area, you can fit more "linear" length in)

 

but I'm still struggling with the (supposed/potential/logical) presentation tradeoffs...

 

I do very much look forward to seeing how it all fits in the Jag, and the layout in "full dress" presentation mode...

 

Happy Modelling,

Aim to Improve,

Prof Klyzlr

[Steve Williams]

I'll chip in my 'two-pennorth' for what it's worth. Chris and myself had a number of discussions with regard to backscenes, or not, as the case may be. From a purely personal perspective, I have never found the absence of a backscene distracting. In the same way that I ignore whatever is in front of a layout, I have no trouble in filtering out whatever is behind. In essence, I view the 'picture' within the framework of the layout boards in the same way that I would view a painting (I accept that the analogy isn't exactly the same, as most paintings are displayed on a plain wall). Far too many layouts, I find, are spoilt by having badly painted backgrounds - either the artistry is sadly lacking or the colours used are far too intrusive. There is also, the issue of perspective only being correct from a very limited viewpoint. If a layout does have a backscene, I tend to prefer those that are very simple, or indeed, are completely neutral, such as a pale blue or even a very light grey which reinforces the fact that, visibly, that is the limit of the 'picture'. As Chris intimated, it may prove that some sort of neutral curtain is ultimately found to be a better solution than nothing at all. Such a curtain may take the place of a traditional backscene, or, in fact, be located further back so that the operators are between the curtain and the layout. Thus the curtain would simply act as a baffle between the layout and those further behind, eating their 'sarnies' or picking their nose! Time will tell

[Chris Gilbert]

Good morning Prof,

 

The "cubic" area of Haston was a problem, it messaged 6 feet by 13" by 16" if memory serves me right

When not at an exhibition it sat in the garage, because the bulk of it was too much to bring it in the house.

 

Therefore I never operated it at home and if I did any work on it I'd lose half an hour getting it set up.

 

 

This new layout normally sits in my office along one wall so when I get a spare five minutes I can carry on working on it.

 

I'll built five exhibition layouts and only Haston was operated from the front, well, the side really.

 

I don't like walking in front of the layout to operate the points and as this layout is 14 feet long and the points are in the middle, there is a 14 feet walk every time i have to switch a point.

 

Yes I could add point motors, but i always work on KISS principle having had two fail on me just before a show in the past.

 

Plus I don't like the fiddle yard to be on show, which it would be if I didn't operated front the front.

 

This layout will have 4-5 trains operating on it.

1. Tri-rail passenger
    
   
2. ACE Amtrak daily passenger from New York (It's my train set and I'll run what I want )
    
   
3. CSX local which will switch the industries on the layout
    
   
4. FEC local that used Florida City to run round while it switches local industries off stage.
    
   
5. Light engine test movements from Hialeah maintenance depot. (Excuse to run my big loco's and visitors locos)
   

I like the surprise on the faces of the public when one train disappears and something totally different comes on.

if they can see whats in the fiddle yard then the illusion is lost.

 

The next layout will be much smaller because this is a lot for one person to handle, and I couldn't of done it without the help of my co-operator Steve Williams.

[Prof Klyzlr]

I'll chip in my 'two-pennorth' for what it's worth... As Chris intimated, it may prove that some sort of neutral curtain is ultimately found to be a better solution than nothing at all. Such a curtain may take the place of a traditional backscene, or, in fact, be located further back so that the operators are between the curtain and the layout. Thus the curtain would simply act as a baffle between the layout and those further behind, eating their 'sarnies' or picking their nose! Time will tell

 

Dear Steve,

 

I can provide one example of what such a "no fixed backdrop + curtain behind the behind-layout operators position" might look like...

 

 

FWIW,

 

Happy Modelling,

Aim to Improve,

Prof Klyzlr

[Prof Klyzlr]

Dear Chris,

 

Comments within your text...

 

 

Good morning Prof,

 

...I don't like walking in front of the layout to operate the points and as this layout is 14 feet long and the points are in the middle, there is a 14 feet walk every time i have to switch a point.

 

 

ProfK: Hmmm, I know I'm maybe not the most svelte modeller going around, but the exercise I get getting show layouts to and from the show, and the exercise running the layout is a side benefit for my mind... ;-) I also find that demonstrating "hands on" ops is quite often recieved well, it makes the running fo the layout more "first-person-relatable" to the viewers...

 

Yes I could add point motors, but i always work on KISS principle having had two fail on me just before a show in the past.

 

 

ProfK: Agreed, with the exception of the "Brooklyn:3AM" traverser, all of my show layouts have relied on Caboose-Industries groundthrows... :-)

 

Plus I don't like the fiddle yard to be on show, which it would be if I didn't operated front the front.

 

 

ProfK: It need not necessarily be so. In the case of "Brooklyn", the traverser and the drop-leaf staging tracks are out-of-sight, and yet fully operable and accessible from the front fo the layout. (Admitedly, using analog control and diode-stopping makes such "confidence operating" on blind trackage significantly easier than some other options).

 

In the case of previous show layouts, with "ops out the front, and staging to the rear" (why does it feel like I'm describing a Mullet haircut?), having enough crew onboard such that there was

- 1x "frontman"

- 1x "keep the trains running" backstage bod

- and preferrably 1x "swing helper" to spell/cycle the others

ended up appearing to be the optimal approach... :-)

 

(With your deserved reputation and skills Chris, I can't imagine you'd have a hard time filling crew positions at a show... ;-) ).

 

 

This layout will have 4-5 trains operating on it.

1. Tri-rail passenger
   
2. ACE Amtrak daily passenger from New York (It's my train set and I'll run what I want )
   
3. CSX local which will switch the industries on the layout
   
4. FEC local that used Florida City to run round while it switches local industries off stage
   
5. Light engine test movements from Hialeah maintenance depot. (Excuse to run my big loco's and visitors locos)
   

I like the surprise on the faces of the public when one train disappears and something totally different comes on.

if they can see whats in the fiddle yard then the illusion is lost.

 

The next layout will be much smaller because this is a lot for one person to handle, and I couldn't of done it without the help of my co-operator Steve Williams.

 

Agreed, a variety of trains staged and ready-to-roll at the drop of a hat is definitely part of the "stagecraft" of presenting a show layout. Of course, if the ammount of effort required to "keep the trains moving" exceeds the crew available, to the point where the crowd is ignored, or the operators threaten mutiny due to excessively manual/mental strain, then maybe the layout is not fully "optimised for exhibition work"?

 

Whatever the case, I'm sure "TriRail" will make a suitably solid impression at any show it attends....

 

Happy Modelling,

Aim to Improve,

Prof Klyzlr

[Steve Williams]

Dear Steve,

 

I can provide one example of what such a "no fixed backdrop + curtain behind the behind-layout operators position" might look like...

 

 

FWIW,

 

Happy Modelling,

Aim to Improve,

Prof Klyzlr

 

 

I'm minded of Topo Gigio, where the operators were invisible because they wore black on a black background, and all one could see was the little mouse! :-)