Lineas Cubanas Posted June 26, 2019 Author Share Posted June 26, 2019 (edited) 4 hours ago, PaulRhB said: Yes I was thinking of it as a minimal arrangement that could just go up when actually running It just depends what you want to do running wise, using the street bit as staging works fine if you like the shunting and the buildings act as a view block. You could even model the curve as a really rickety out of use track and just add the staging plank later if you feel it would help? Interestingly, if you look at the city map you can see a track that curves off to the left (probably to service a Rum Factory) so it will fit in with the prototype! Both Fabrica Jose Antonio Echeverria and Fabrica Cuba Ron are Rum Distilleries and as in the photos below the Tank Cars sit on another curved spur that services the factories...... Only problem is I am not sure its going to fit in with the space I have...... Edited June 26, 2019 by Lineas Cubanas Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lineas Cubanas Posted June 26, 2019 Author Share Posted June 26, 2019 (edited) Modelled Tank Cars for the Rum Distillery in Cardenas on the back spur The tank car in the front is a water tank car as denoted by the green dome Edited June 26, 2019 by Lineas Cubanas 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEAMYAKIMA Posted June 26, 2019 Share Posted June 26, 2019 I assume that this is an exhibition layout - I certainly hope to see it in person some time soon! I went to Cuba in about 1989 for the sugar mill 'season' - lots of steam back then! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lineas Cubanas Posted July 6, 2019 Author Share Posted July 6, 2019 On 21/06/2019 at 13:54, 298 said: It's always hard to tell from photographs as today's cameras (smartphone) do an awful lot of processing on an image, although you can add to this yourself. I've just finished a layout set at night/in the rain (Blue Heron in the US/Can section) and the former was hard to portray accurately without a black backscene, even then the theatrical trick of using blue LEDs looked more convincing than the yellow/orange hue that you'd expect from the prototype and the whole effect was lost anyway due to the ambient light. But I hope you'd consider the second effect, I can picture your layout just after a tropical rain shower and making the relevant parts look wet- I used MIG wet effects brushed on in layers for greater effect and Deluxe Aqua Magic for deeper bodies of water as appropriate, although you could probably get away with the first product or even gloss varnish. Hey Andy, I have just ordered some Deluxe Aqua Magic for my Stream/Inlet. Quick question: do you know if it can be tinted/coloured? Have you done that yourself ? 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
298 Posted July 6, 2019 Share Posted July 6, 2019 8 hours ago, Lineas Cubanas said: Hey Andy, I have just ordered some Deluxe Aqua Magic for my Stream/Inlet. Quick question: do you know if it can be tinted/coloured? Have you done that yourself ? TBH I don't think you need to- it's beauty is in providing a water like top surface that doesn't wick upwards into surrounding scenery. I tried making a muddy puddle by mixing tile grout in and it just didn't look right and seemed to loose the reflections in the top surface. If you want a bigger variation in depth it'd be easier to darken the river bed appropriately. This video at 3:45 says it can be coloured with acrylic paint, not sure what that means exactly, whether it means you can tint a layer or paint a dried surface between layers of Aqua Magic. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctor quinn Posted July 7, 2019 Share Posted July 7, 2019 The modeller in this video tints the water by mixing a small amount of acrylic paint into the meduim (it's not Aqua magic) 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Ian Morgan Posted July 7, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 7, 2019 Make sure any paint you are applying Aqua-Magic to is thoroughly dry first, otherwise you end up with cracks. Several Great Model Railway Challenge layouts ended up with these due to the time restrictions of the competition. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lineas Cubanas Posted July 10, 2019 Author Share Posted July 10, 2019 On 26/06/2019 at 21:39, TEAMYAKIMA said: I assume that this is an exhibition layout - I certainly hope to see it in person some time soon! I went to Cuba in about 1989 for the sugar mill 'season' - lots of steam back then! Well, hopefully yes....but probably be local to Bath. There was one just down the road called Larkrail that would suit but I am not sure if that is continuing...... Thanks for your interest Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lineas Cubanas Posted July 10, 2019 Author Share Posted July 10, 2019 (edited) On 06/07/2019 at 19:57, 298 said: TBH I don't think you need to- it's beauty is in providing a water like top surface that doesn't wick upwards into surrounding scenery. I tried making a muddy puddle by mixing tile grout in and it just didn't look right and seemed to loose the reflections in the top surface. If you want a bigger variation in depth it'd be easier to darken the river bed appropriately. This video at 3:45 says it can be coloured with acrylic paint, not sure what that means exactly, whether it means you can tint a layer or paint a dried surface between layers of Aqua Magic. On 07/07/2019 at 11:29, doctor quinn said: The modeller in this video tints the water by mixing a small amount of acrylic paint into the meduim (it's not Aqua magic) On 07/07/2019 at 15:40, Ian Morgan said: Make sure any paint you are applying Aqua-Magic to is thoroughly dry first, otherwise you end up with cracks. Several Great Model Railway Challenge layouts ended up with these due to the time restrictions of the competition. Thanks for all the replies and feedback. Going to be tackling the stream/inlet soon as it needs to be done before track is laid as there will be a bridge across it. Am currently in two minds: Brown or Green......??? Edited July 10, 2019 by Lineas Cubanas 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted July 10, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 10, 2019 Unfortunately Larkrail is no more as Simon is too busy with Wild Swan. I hope it gets out and about as I’d love to see it up close 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
298 Posted July 10, 2019 Share Posted July 10, 2019 Green- Brown doesn't look right... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted July 11, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 11, 2019 I think brown looks like some evidence of upstream flooding, so earth has been picked up and carried. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Ian Morgan Posted July 11, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 11, 2019 The river Usk in Newport, South Wales, is tidal, and usually a very similar brown colour. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lineas Cubanas Posted July 11, 2019 Author Share Posted July 11, 2019 15 hours ago, 298 said: Green- Brown doesn't look right... 4 hours ago, Oldddudders said: I think brown looks like some evidence of upstream flooding, so earth has been picked up and carried. 2 hours ago, Ian Morgan said: The river Usk in Newport, South Wales, is tidal, and usually a very similar brown colour. Interesting what is prototype and what looks right...... It reminds me that on a previous Cuban layout, I intended to have a "Bridge to Nowhere". These are common place in Cuba when the money runs out. But to me it just didn't look right, I guess because we are used to seeing a bridge in its complete state/finished and it just looked unnatural. The brown river will fit in more with the rainy/wet look I am considering for the layout 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lineas Cubanas Posted July 21, 2019 Author Share Posted July 21, 2019 (edited) A quick update..... Been working on the track recently : wiring, tie spacing, painting, weathering....not much to show for it at the moment. Hopefully, things will start to fall into place once I have glued it all to the layout and weathered the rails. In the meantime, in order to relieve the boredom of track work I had a go at the stream/inlet: Obviously, still got to add the water.......green or brown Sorry, photos are not the best Edited July 21, 2019 by Lineas Cubanas 4 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lineas Cubanas Posted July 28, 2019 Author Share Posted July 28, 2019 Well, had a mammoth session this weekend and managed to get the following done: Track cut and glued down, Wired up for DCC Wired up Frog Juicers I tested the track and it all seems to be working fine so I cannot complain. However, I am going to...... I have spent a lot time on the track: I like to paint the track before I lay it so primed it with grey car primer spray and some Umbro acrylic spray to give it a basic concrete colour. I then weathered the concrete ties with various oil and acrylic paints. My complaint is this: After all that time and effort the paint seems to just come off the concrete ties (Peco Code 75) with the slightest ease.....the white glue I used to glue the track down removed it, even the map pins that I use to hold the track down while the glue dried seems to knock bits off.....so now I have in lots of places shiny plastic grey ties showing through.......seems I will have to paint it again! Does anyone know what mistakes I am making here? Is it my primer? Is it the smooth Peco concrete ties? or am I just being careless with the glue and map pins? I want to try and avoid the same thing happening again in the future Any feedback is very much appreciated! Thanks Matt Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted July 28, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 28, 2019 I think it’s the slippery plastic, like delrin it’s not got anything for the paint to key to do it just wraps round it. I always paint in situ and don’t have many issues unless I scrape it with something. I suppose it’s a compromise choice that doesn’t distort in uv and is flexible but paint doesn’t key to very well which is why they mould it in the right colours. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Smith Posted July 28, 2019 Share Posted July 28, 2019 White PVA doesn't stick to it either. I use Evostick or equivalent impact adhesive but the track is not recoverable then..... Surely if you paint it first, as you bend it for laying the rail slides through the rail clips and you get bright bits of shiny rail. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lineas Cubanas Posted July 29, 2019 Author Share Posted July 29, 2019 15 hours ago, PaulRhB said: I think it’s the slippery plastic, like delrin it’s not got anything for the paint to key to do it just wraps round it. I always paint in situ and don’t have many issues unless I scrape it with something. I suppose it’s a compromise choice that doesn’t distort in uv and is flexible but paint doesn’t key to very well which is why they mould it in the right colours. Thanks for your reply Paul. Yes, I think you are right it's the "slippery" plastic as I have used the grey primer on may things and it's always been fine. It's just very frustrating.....but anyway, nothing that I cannot resolve. I would be interested to know if the same issue occurs with other Concrete Sleeper Track (Micro Engineering, Tillig etc) on the market or its just peculiar to Peco Code 75......I don't have the issue with their wooden sleeper track though Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lineas Cubanas Posted July 29, 2019 Author Share Posted July 29, 2019 12 hours ago, Jeff Smith said: White PVA doesn't stick to it either. I use Evostick or equivalent impact adhesive but the track is not recoverable then..... Surely if you paint it first, as you bend it for laying the rail slides through the rail clips and you get bright bits of shiny rail. I use Evostick Wood Adhesive to glue the track and don't have any issues with it sticking to the styrofoam base. I should have said I don't actually paint the rail until the track is in situ and the ballast is down Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted July 29, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 29, 2019 36 minutes ago, Lineas Cubanas said: I would be interested to know if the same issue occurs with other Concrete Sleeper Track (Micro Engineering, Tillig etc) on the market or its just peculiar to Peco Code 75......I don't have the issue with their wooden sleeper track though The wooden sleeper track does do it too but the texture gives the paint a bit more to key to so it can stand some handling. Might be worth running some ultra fine emery cloth over the tops just to abrade them and give a surface key on the concrete stuff. Tillig also rubs off fairly easily as it's a similar plastic. Although I have a pile of ME it's On30 for a future project so haven't weathered any yet. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Smith Posted July 29, 2019 Share Posted July 29, 2019 I did some acrylic paint adherence tests a while ago onto unprepared styrene. Letting the paint dry for a few days and then using the thumbnail scratch test. Testors Acryl was by far the toughest, Vallejo was the worst and is also affected by Isopropyl Alcohol which is the base for some weathering washes. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lineas Cubanas Posted July 29, 2019 Author Share Posted July 29, 2019 5 hours ago, Jeff Smith said: I did some acrylic paint adherence tests a while ago onto unprepared styrene. Letting the paint dry for a few days and then using the thumbnail scratch test. Testors Acryl was by far the toughest, Vallejo was the worst and is also affected by Isopropyl Alcohol which is the base for some weathering washes. Awesome......I am using Vallejo paints Funny what you said about the Isopropyl Alcohol : On my previous layout I primed then painted the concrete ties, only for all the paint to come off completely when I weathered them with an India Ink/IP mix. Hence, this time round I haven't used the India Ink/IP mix because I was convinced it was the reason why the paint came off! I didn't think it was the "slippery" ties and that the paint does not key to it well! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lineas Cubanas Posted August 11, 2019 Author Share Posted August 11, 2019 Made some progress on scenery on the Staging Track/Distillery Track area, while watching The Medusa Touch (very interesting film by the way, don't know how I had managed not to see it so far) 6 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lineas Cubanas Posted August 17, 2019 Author Share Posted August 17, 2019 (edited) Ok Geniuses...... I need your help I have a couple of problems: Unfortunately, I didn't notice when I sent the photo to the printers that there were 2 spots/blemishes on the photo for some reason. I don't really know how they got there or what they are but they could have probably been removed with Photoshop software. Doh! Anyway, it was too late when I got the backscene printed out and put it on the layout..... So I need to think about how I deal with the road meeting the trees on the backdrop and also how to hide at least the large spot. The smaller one I can probably live with (which is just above the large one for those who haven't cleaned their computer screens in a while) Any suggestions are welcome..... Quick mock up of how to deal with the transition but this will probably be no good for disguising the spots unless I put trees in the middle of the road!!?!! The spots are only really visible when you look head on down the road...... Edited August 17, 2019 by Lineas Cubanas 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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