Popular Post Ian Holmes Posted April 12, 2021 Popular Post Share Posted April 12, 2021 You may or may not know that good quality box files like you can buy in the UK are unknown of here in the USA. So when I decided to build a box file layout, to run and display my collection of small 00 scale locomotives. I first had to build a box file. Which was not a difficult task. I used 10mm foam core board for the base and 5mm for the sides. The longest time of the construction was spent waiting for the glue to dry. After messing around with some track, I decided on a layout. There might be a bit too much track on there compared to other box file layouts. But it's too late now it's all glued in place. Though I might be able to obscure the fact there's too much track with the right scenery. So far, I like what I see. Ian 23 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManofKent Posted April 12, 2021 Share Posted April 12, 2021 Coming along nicely! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Kevin Johnson Posted April 12, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 12, 2021 This looks a nice little project Ian. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woody C Posted April 12, 2021 Share Posted April 12, 2021 Like what you are doing Ian. As a side note I think you have actually a better box file baseboard having made it then if you used an actual box file. The track plan fits in well to and the track itself looks good. I take it that it is Peco code 83 as you are in the USA? Woody Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Holmes Posted April 13, 2021 Author Share Posted April 13, 2021 2 hours ago, Woody C said: Like what you are doing Ian. As a side note I think you have actually a better box file baseboard having made it then if you used an actual box file. The track plan fits in well to and the track itself looks good. I take it that it is Peco code 83 as you are in the USA? Woody It's all offcuts of Code 100 that I had lying around. It is PECO though Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Andrew D Posted April 13, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 13, 2021 Nice one Ian! I concur, having used 'real' box files for my build, I think your version is far better. I'm really looking forward to seeing how yours progresses. Mine is crawling along at glacial pace. Cheers! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Holmes Posted April 17, 2021 Author Share Posted April 17, 2021 Moving on. With the relief formers in place I covered them with lightweight spackle, or polyfilla depending on which side of the Atlantic you’re on. Followed by a coat of woodland scenic colours to kill the snow landscape. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Kevin Johnson Posted April 17, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 17, 2021 Nice progress Ian, it's looking good. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Holmes Posted April 17, 2021 Author Share Posted April 17, 2021 (edited) I'd pretty much decided that I wanted a rock face on the back of the box file, and I thought to myself. "Cork Bark. That was what everyone used to use when I was a kid. I've never used it. I'll give it a go." So I headed down to the local hobby shop for the first time in months. No cork bark anywhere. It didn't even look like they had ever stocked such a thing. Is cork bark still a thing? Or am I so out of touch these days? However I did find this. It goes by the name of "Mountains in Minutes" Flexrock. It's a foam material, similar to that in pillows, a bit denser. Can be cut easily and takes acrylic paints. It looks pretty reasonable. "What the heck." I thought. "If it's all they've got, I'll try it." Once I got it home I decided to see how easy it was to work. It's very easy. Very light and slices nicely with a craft knife. I tried it in the background of the loading dock vignette I'm working on for the layout. Back there in it's base colour it looks like the Arizona desert. But a change of colour should work wonders. Limestone maybe? I quite like the loading dock scene. That's an old Wills Halt platform to be trimmed and bedded in. I'm pretty cool with the way that looks. Edited April 17, 2021 by Ian Holmes spelling! 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Holmes Posted April 25, 2021 Author Share Posted April 25, 2021 Right now I’m trying a mock up of the end of a loco shed in the scene to see how it fits... I think it will work in there. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Holmes Posted May 1, 2021 Author Share Posted May 1, 2021 Spent much of today building the end of the loco shed from evergreen styrene. It looks pretty OK and seems to fit the space. 9 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManofKent Posted May 2, 2021 Share Posted May 2, 2021 Shed looks good. I'm trying to work out how small and simple a structure I can get away with for mine and have ordered some Wills corrugated sheet, Your option deals with the visible interior well, something I'd not thought of... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Kevin Johnson Posted May 2, 2021 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 2, 2021 Ian nice modelling of the shed, I like how you have added structural detail to the inside of the shed. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Holmes Posted May 3, 2021 Author Share Posted May 3, 2021 (edited) @Wrenn @Man 'o Kent thanks for the kind words about the bit of locomotive shed. It’s very much a “model only what you can see” structure. As you can see from these shots, the unseen sides are plain. Edited May 15, 2021 by Ian Holmes 7 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Holmes Posted May 15, 2021 Author Share Posted May 15, 2021 Some more updates from the box file micro. I found these "wire foliage branches" in my store of scenic materials the other day, and I though they might make good birch trees with a minimum effort, and who doesn't like minimum effort... The plan is to use a small clump of birch trees to hide the engine shed's join to the side of the container. I think that's going to work. The overall scene is starting to come together quite nicely. I might just get some ballast on the track soon. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ManofKent Posted May 15, 2021 Share Posted May 15, 2021 They make pretty decent birch saplings 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now