A late beginner

[Keith Addenbrooke]

Further progress on 49th Street Bridge (2 of 3)

 

Next job, add a fence on top of the retaining wall, again with pieces from the BRM Engine Shed Office Kit.  Without a parapet to fasten the base of the fence to, I included a pavement inside the fence (in the alleyway).  This gives enough of a profile for the glue to take and keep the (thin) card fence suitably vertical.

 

 

 

Edited September 23, 2022 by Keith Addenbrooke
Reinstating pictures

[Keith Addenbrooke]

Further progress on 49th Street Bridge (3 of 3)

 

I need an open railed fence across the railroad bridge to give the best viewing angle while waiting for a train, so I need a simple way to make one.  Parapets are card offcuts with printed paper from the Engine Shed Office kit wrapped around them, measured to be just over a scale 4' high (capstones for each parapet are to be added - if I remember - when I get to detailing).

 

In case I need more than one go, I used my original paper template for the bridge to measure the parapet spacing.  To give a bit of strength, I've glued the four parapets to a card base for stability.  The railings themselves: spaghetti, each end dipped in glue then lined up with the stones on the parapets using tweezers.

 

 

 

 

This will be left to harden before painting.  I'd not expected it to work first time - had I known it would, I could have painted my pasta beforehand!

___________________________

 

Finally for now, a first picture of the module with all the key elements loosely in place together.  I've already learned from basic kit building that there's still a lot to do to produce a finished model from this point, but with four weeks to go it should be achievable now.  And then we'll just be waiting for a train.

 

 

Edited September 23, 2022 by Keith Addenbrooke
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[Keith Addenbrooke]

49th Street Bridge - taking shape. 

 

Not so much about modelling progress, but testing the concept now it's coming together.  I've added a couple of pre-painted Preiser HO figures, painted my spaghetti (the bridge railings) and added capstones to the bridge and a small filler wall at the end of the fence (to stop people falling at the end of the bridge).  The main purpose of the update is to test some photos before detailing.  At this stage the elements are only loosely positioned, so there are visible gaps.

 

The first three photos are quite straightforward:

 

 

 

 

Taking photos from the bridge end is proving more difficult (I can see the view I want, but am finding it difficult to capture).  The track looks alarmingly wonky, as the mirrors aren't quite aligned - but for test purposes it show the reflections.  The final photo may not look obvious, but shows the concept: the bridge being looked at is the bridge from the where the photo has been taken, the tracks start to disappear into the distance - from where a train can be heard approaching.

 

 

 

 

Edited September 23, 2022 by Keith Addenbrooke
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[Guest]

Looks very promising. I will follow with interest.

[Keith Addenbrooke]

49th Street Bridge - painting track.

 

Before fixing the module's elements in place, the final task was to paint the track.  It's not something I've been looking forward to - I'm not much use with a hairbrush, let alone a paintbrush (and I've never touched an airbrush), but I think even my beginner's attempt has made a difference.

 

I've just used a standard modelling brush, and a simple mix of brown / red paint.  My first mixture was too bright (too much orange!), but I re-mixed it with a darker red after my test pieces were too bright.  These aren't the most exciting photos ever, and there's plenty of room for improvement of course.

 

The first two show the final piece side-by-side with a spare piece of Settrack - the rail and sleeper profiles are identical, which says it all as far as I'm concerned.

 

 

 

The next two show just the final piece.  It helps that I'm working in HO Scale, but I'm satisfied with how even this Code 100 Settrack has turned out.

 

 

 

Edited September 23, 2022 by Keith Addenbrooke
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[Keith Addenbrooke]

Progress on 49th Street Bridge. 

 

I've been looking at the BRM Billy Bookcase thread over the past couple of weeks, as I'm looking to go larger for my next (2nd) attempt at a scenic composition.

 

 

It'd be good to complete my cakebox on time though, so it's back out of the box.  This is the final time the component parts all fit into the cakebox, as the box itself lacks the rigidity I need to hold everything in place when in position, so I'm going to fix it all in place now.  I am sticking to the 7" x 7" x 6" tall dimensions I've used throughout.

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

So, onto assembly and detailing...

Edited September 23, 2022 by Keith Addenbrooke
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[Keith Addenbrooke]

I've printed some street name signs - they're stretching the limits of my printer, but I don't need them to look pristine.  I need two, but they're so small I printed three to have a test / spare.  These are above the level of the mirrors and facing outwards, so won't get reflected, avoiding the problem of reversed text.  The second photo was taken through the magnifying glass - and this is in 3.5mm scale, not smaller.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 23, 2022 by Keith Addenbrooke
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[Keith Addenbrooke]

Street lights will go at either end of the bridge and are re-painted Hornby Skaledale.  They look quite attractive, but the bright red (which is quite a bit brighter than the photo shows) doesn't fit the more sombre grey colouring I'm after for the module, so I've repainted them black (the photo was taken part way through this process).  As a 4mm scale product I was concerned they'd look too big, but putting them next to one of my HO Preiser figures suggests they're closer to being too short.  I'm not trying to make the lights work, as my scene is set in daytime - and I've never experimented with electronics.

 

 

I've been fortunate to have suitable HO Preiser figures - the clothing looks suitable for my theme: the hat is obligatory for the era and US setting.

 

One thing not showing in the photos is the telegraph cable I think I should have alongside the retaining wall - I'm not modelling the usual detritus often found along urban tracks, because everything will get reflected, but cabling would be expected.  At the moment I'm struggling to get a suitable thickness wire to lie straight.  That's the next challenge.

Edited September 23, 2022 by Keith Addenbrooke
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[Keith Addenbrooke]

49th Street Bridge coming together.  I'm working from the bridge end towards the 'open' end.  The glue I've used for this project is just 'UHU twist & glue' - I couldn't find the solvent free version for this model, but it's not too stringy.  I've tried Bostik Solvent free for Metcalfe models successfully, but I found regular Bostik too 'globby' for this kind of work.

 

 

 

There's still some work to be done at the open end, but I think the overall effect is starting to look presentable (the plain paper to the left is just a screen to hid my desk and is not part of the module itself).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 23, 2022 by Keith Addenbrooke
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[MAP66]

Nice work Keith, looking a bit special.

 

I've never used mirrors before to create the illusion of never ending track going off into the distance, looks very convincing.

To complete the illusion is it possible to either paint the bottom of the mirror where it meets the ballast a greyish colour or actually glue some ballast to the bottom edge of the mirror to hide the thin black, I guess you would call it a shadow/reflection line. By the way love the figures and the lamps.

 

All the best

Mark

 

 

[Keith Addenbrooke]

Mark, thank you for your post - I've enjoyed the challenge, and it's got me over the start line.  I'm pleased with how it's looking, and it's encouraging me to try something more.

 

I do need to try and soften the mirror line - but there's also a problem of physics, which Dickon explains in his Smoke and Mirrors Cakebox thread - apparently images reflect off the back of a mirror (not the front), so the thickness of the mirror (x2) shows.  My mirrors are nearly 2mm thick, leaving a scale 'gap' of about a foot between reflections (!!!).  The mirrors are behind the baseboard (not resting on it), embedded like buildings.

 

Visually, I can hide the gap when adopting a viewing position looking very carefully through the railings...

 

 

Edited September 23, 2022 by Keith Addenbrooke
Reinstating pictures

[Keith Addenbrooke]

49th Street Bridge - a gallery.

 

The elusive photo I've been trying to capture is one that shows just how far into the distance I can actually see.  Taking a photo from the 'open' end of the module shows the concept quite clearly, but how far can the figures on the bridge see as they wait for a train?  The model is only a scale 16yds from side to side.

 

 

If I position myself behind the bridge and squint through the railings I can see the next 6 bridges as the tracks disappear into the distance.  Mathematically it's not that far (about 2.1 metres, which translates into 192yds in HO Scale), but the sense of perspective on this scale model makes it look a lot further than even 12x the size of the module, helped as the tracks continue into the further distance (rather than end).

 

I can't quite get it to focus in a photo, but this gives an idea (the far mirror is still loose, giving the track rather a rollercoaster appearance).

 

 

The low wall needs final fixing in place - this shot doesn't look so far into the distance, but I'm holding the mirror in place so the tracks are straighter.

 

 

I quite like this shot under softer light, as the gaps between the reflections are muted.

 

 

But there's still no sign of that train...

Edited September 23, 2022 by Keith Addenbrooke
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[shortliner]

Keith - What you need is a Front silvered, or first surface mirror - Google will find suppliers - that way you won't have that annoying gap where the track ends - I have no idea of the prics.

 

Edited March 23, 2019 by shortliner

[Dickon]

59 minutes ago, shortliner said:

Keith - What you need is a Front silvered, or first surface mirror ... that way you won't have that annoying gap where the track ends 

 

I had the same problem with the mirror behind the bridge in my cakebox 'Smoke and Mirrors'.  I bought a 200 x 100 sheet of mirror polished stainless steel on eBay for about a fiver.  There is now virtually no visible gap despite the bridge and the loco being hard against the mirror.

 

Edited March 23, 2019 by Dickon

[MAP66]

9 hours ago, Keith Addenbrooke said:

Mark, thank you for your post - I've enjoyed the challenge, and it's got me over the start line.  I'm pleased with how it's looking, and it's encouraging me to try something more.

 

I do need to try and soften the mirror line - but there's also a problem of physics, which Dickon explains in his Smoke and Mirrors Cakebox thread - apparently images reflect off the back of a mirror (not the front), so the thickness of the mirror (x2) shows.  My mirrors are nearly 2mm thick, leaving a scale 'gap' of about a foot between reflections (!!!).  The mirrors are behind the baseboard (not resting on it), embedded like buildings.

 

Visually, I can hide the gap when adopting a viewing position looking very carefully through the railings...

 

 

 

 

 

Forgive my ignorance Keith, physics was never my strong point and thank you for the explanation for the gap. Great thing about this forum is that you don't have to wait too long before solutions start coming through.

 

Keep up the fantastic work

Mark

[Dickon]

3 hours ago, Dickon said:

 

I had the same problem with the mirror behind the bridge in my cakebox 'Smoke and Mirrors'.  I bought a 200 x 100 sheet of mirror polished stainless steel on eBay for about a fiver.  There is now virtually no visible gap despite the bridge and the loco being hard against the mirror.

 

 

My first experience of a first surface mirror was a hairbrush set with which I was sent to boarding school; the mirror was a sheet of chrome plated steel.  it all came back to me more than 60 years later when I working out how to build 'smoke and mirrors'.  Glass or second surface mirrors reflect off the silvered surface behind the glass so you see a visible gap of twice the thickness of the glass between reflections.

Edited March 23, 2019 by Dickon

[Keith Addenbrooke]

On ‎22‎/‎03‎/‎2019 at 21:17, MAP66 said:

To complete the illusion is it possible to either paint the bottom of the mirror where it meets the ballast a greyish colour or actually glue some ballast to the bottom edge of the mirror to hide the thin black, I guess you would call it a shadow/reflection line.

 

On ‎23‎/‎03‎/‎2019 at 16:25, shortliner said:

Keith - What you need is a Front silvered, or first surface mirror - Google will find suppliers - that way you won't have that annoying gap where the track ends

 

On ‎23‎/‎03‎/‎2019 at 16:54, Dickon said:

I had the same problem with the mirror behind the bridge in my cakebox 'Smoke and Mirrors'.  I bought a 200 x 100 sheet of mirror polished stainless steel on eBay for about a fiver.  There is now virtually no visible gap despite the bridge and the loco being hard against the mirror.

 

On ‎23‎/‎03‎/‎2019 at 20:06, Dickon said:

Glass or second surface mirrors reflect off the silvered surface behind the glass so you see a visible gap of twice the thickness of the glass between reflections.

 

Some helpful contributions and good advice for anyone wanting to include mirrors in a layout / module - thank you to all.  Fortunately, no-one has spotted me testing each mirror I now come across to see how thick it is!

[Keith Addenbrooke]

I'm out of time for this project really now, and with the mirrors glued in place, I'll be keeping the ones I've got this time.  I've therefore taken MAP66's suggestion of adding extra ballast along the mirror line to soften the effect.  This proved trickier than I anticipated, as the process I've used for ballasting involves applying water and solvent - which was OK before I added the card-based structures I've used to the diorama.

 

 

 

Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, science lesson No. 2 this weekend concerned the effect of capillary action as my water / washing-up liquid mix rose up the pillars of the bridge.  Remedying this has required a second layer of printed stonework over the first, which you can see in these photos.  Not ideal, but justifies keeping all the spare prints I've got until I've finally finished.  At the moment the damp ballast is darker than the original layer, but hopefully this will dry the same colour.  The mirrors will also need cleaning, but that was always going to be likely at some point.

 

The darker area in the centre of the bridge is some simple graphite pencil weathering to represent the effects of smoke as trains pass under the bridge.  It doesn't look brilliant, and my test piece probably looked better, but I couldn't get the angle I wanted to because the pencil I borrowed is as big as the box!

Edited September 23, 2022 by Keith Addenbrooke
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[Keith Addenbrooke]

49th Street Bridge  - detailing and finishing touches.

 

With another busy week ahead, I'm keen to finish the project ready for submission.  Of course, no model railway is ever really complete, but after my experience adding extra ballast I don't want to try overdoing the final steps and detracting from the model I have.

 

One thing I've prepared but am not yet showing is my 200 word submission to go with the entry, but that's done.

 

Visually, I've added a clean white card outer to the cakebox sides - this was suggested as a nice way to complete the model for display purposes.

 

 

I'm aiming to take my final photos for submission in daylight during the week if I can, as these have generally been sharper.  I've also added a couple more printed drain covers and manholes that came with the BRM Engine Shed Office Kit.  They're not very visible, but once I'd noticed their absence, they had to go in.

 

 

 

There's just one last detail I want to try if I can - some telegraph cabling to run alongside the retaining wall (in lieu of telegraph poles).  Other than that, and hoping this evening's extra ballasting dries to match the original layer, I'm going to say I'm done.

 

After that, I'm just awaiting the final submission instructions from BRM Towers.  That, and waiting for a train...

Edited September 23, 2022 by Keith Addenbrooke
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[Keith Addenbrooke]

A photo taken while preparing my submission: of the pictures I've taken, this is one of my favourites - it doesn't show the whole module, but for me it captures the essence of the idea.  Thank you to everyone who's encouraged me during this build, it's much appreciated, and it's been worthwhile: thank you.

 

 

 

Edited September 23, 2022 by Keith Addenbrooke
Reinstating pictures

[Keith Addenbrooke]

Beyond 49th Street - what happened next?  Having completed and submitted my entry, I've been encouraged by my involvement in this challenge to look ahead to my next project.  I'm staying in the American city, but going large this time with a Billy Bookcase diorama, for which I've started a thread in the Micro-Layout and Diorama section of RMweb - Union Station - An HO Diorama.