DanielB Posted October 1, 2017 Share Posted October 1, 2017 Howdy all! Recently, I've been staring at an offcut from a foamcore baseboard a made a while ago, and I've felt the urge to try and do something with it. Just after I sold off all my HO collection, an eBay purchase arrived in the shape of a cheap Hornby 00 gauge 0-4-0 steam loco, which was promptly tossed into a spare parts box and forgotten about. Whilst digging through my spares boxes for some track to go on the baseboard, I stumbled across the 0-4-0, and that set my mind toward On30. I found a bunch of old Peco N scale settrack, and ripped the rails from the ties. I figure I can make my own ties from stripwood, and re-gauge the track to HO track spacing, convert the little 0-4-0 into a Porter or similar, and scratchbuild the rest of the structures and rolling stock for the layout. This is what I have so far - I'm thinking of a Louisiana sugar plantation for the theme, as it'll allow me to do 3 things: 1. Model Louisiana again - my first US layout was set in the Pelican State and I'd quite like to go back to it. 2. Model short wheelbase rolling stock - it's difficult to make a US micro layout, so this should help. 3. Model something beyond the norm - lots of micro layouts are logging or mining, so I figured I'd do something a bit different. And here are the two structures I have for it so far, firstly a section house: Secondly, a loading dock and storage shack: The next steps on the project are to add weathering powders to the buildings, and then work on the scenics on the board. I've then got to go out and get a broom head that uses twigs for bristles, which will allow me to model the sugar canes. Then I've got a locomotive and some freight cars to build. 16 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb67 Posted October 1, 2017 Share Posted October 1, 2017 Like the look of this, I love the wodden buildings, how did you do them? Steve. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted October 1, 2017 Author Share Posted October 1, 2017 Hi Steve, The buildings are a mixture of materials. The section house was made from a core of 5mm foamboard with the outside card layer peeled off to reveal the foam itself. The stonework was then scribed into it using a toothpick. I then took coffee stirrers and cut them to length, then in half lengthways to create the planks of wood, which were then glued to the foamboard core haphazardly to create a rough look. The tarpaper roof is made from cut up paper bags that fast food comes in, and the whole thing was coloured/weathered with black watercolour paint at various strengths to give a varied look. The loading dock was made from basswood strips for the frame, with more coffee stirrers for the decking planks. The storage hut was made from scribed basswood sheet I got from Hobbycraft, sanded to remove the wooden "fluff" from the surface. Both the loading dock and the shack were weathered in the same method as the section house. Hope that helps. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted October 1, 2017 Author Share Posted October 1, 2017 This afternoon I've attacked the structures with weathering powders, and painted the stone foundation on the section house, though the camera makes it look a little more yellow than it is in reality. The storage shed needs the door hinges and such adding on so it can be opened, and a detailed interior adding. Might take a little while to do that though, as I'm not sure what detail parts to go for yet. Lots more work to do, but lots of time to do it! 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Booking Hall Posted October 1, 2017 Share Posted October 1, 2017 Excellent! you've set a high standard there. I'm very impressed with these timber building as I usually struggle to get timber to look like, well, seasoned timber! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry1975 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 Those structures look great, looking forward to seeing more. Jerry. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie586 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 Really like the buildings. Look forward to seeing more. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross34 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 Yeah, looks good - one to follow. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve1 Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 A fine genesis. Might I suggest a broom and a bucket in you storage shed interior for starters? steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb67 Posted October 3, 2017 Share Posted October 3, 2017 Maybe a Jerrycan of diesel or an oil drum next to it? It looks fantastic.! Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted October 3, 2017 Author Share Posted October 3, 2017 All good suggestions, chaps, thanks. I'm thinking of putting a small pile of cane offcuts being burned, adding in a small LED with flickering lights, and maybe have a section of the cane field having been burned too, with a few flickering LED's in the ground around them to simulate smouldering embers. There's plenty of photos online of the cane being burned prior to being harvested. I'm also going to have to increase the depth of the layout at the front to comfortably fit the section house and loading dock in front of the tracks. Over the last couple of nights I've added some contours to the ground using crumpled brown paper bags torn into strips and soaked in white glue. I'll be painting that over the next couple of days I think. I've also started working on a cane gondola using an old Hornby 00 gauge wagon chassis and some cuts of wood. I'll get some photos up once there's something worth showing. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
GWR88 Posted October 4, 2017 Share Posted October 4, 2017 Love the idea Dan and it really looks good so far! Reminds me I must use my On30 stuff I bought a while ago....I have a book which references sugar cane transport on narrow gauge albeit in AUstralia but I'm sure much of the rolling stock would be similar, PM if you'd like me to scan a few pages etc for you. Lloyd 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted October 6, 2017 Share Posted October 6, 2017 Daniel - if you haven't already found it http://zelmeroz.com/ might be of interest although it really covers Australian sugar cane ralways Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Dava Posted October 11, 2017 RMweb Premium Share Posted October 11, 2017 Coffee stirrer suppliers reporting huge growth in demand in UK East Midlands........Starbucks can't understand why 10 times as many stirrers going as coffees sold! Dava 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted October 14, 2017 Share Posted October 14, 2017 Daniel - came across this - may help you - Jack Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted October 16, 2017 Author Share Posted October 16, 2017 Thank you Jack, I'll check that out at some point today I hope! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted October 16, 2017 Author Share Posted October 16, 2017 Though I've been quiet on the progress front, progress HAS been made. I've not done much as I've been working on freight cars for my O scale layout, Piedmont Blues. Still, I have managed to apply ground cover and get a basic coat of brown paint down over the top of it. Ignore the patch of white glue, I had to do some repairs as I knocked it and damaged some of the ground cover. D'oh! The plan is to build up the ground cover and get that to a workable state before I start laying rail on the ties, that way I can get the details down right before I have the rails getting in the way! 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted October 23, 2017 Author Share Posted October 23, 2017 As I'm losing faith in N scale (it's too goram small!!) I've been working on the micro layout instead. I have to say working in larger scales is much easier to get the 'right' look. Whilst the glue here is still wet, it's already looking much more interesting scenically then my N scale layout. I've painted the ground cover to give it a more Louisiana Dust Bowl type look so typical of sugar cane plantations around harvest time, and added a mix of static grasses and ground foam to replicate the scrub found beside the dirt roads that would serve the plantations. The ties have been painted different colours and the whole trackbed given a wash of black and grey watercolour paints to blend it all together and to show the typical ash and oil spills from the locomotives and rolling stock used for hauling the sugar cane out of the fields. Next, a dirt patch and oil stain has been added to the trackbed beside where the section house will be to show where the locomotives are stabled whilst the crews have their breaks. Finally, I've begun work on making actual sugar cane plants from cane broom bristles. Once they are glued together in fronds like seen here, they will have the tips painted green to represent true sugar cane. Let me know what you think. 11 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted March 11, 2018 Author Share Posted March 11, 2018 It's been a while since I've updated this, due to working on my O scale layout, but whilst I had half an hour today, I figured I'd assemble some more sugar cane plants. Another dozen complete. Hopefully it won't be much effort to fix them to the layout! 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
luke the train spotter Posted March 11, 2018 Share Posted March 11, 2018 Looks good. Love the look of this micro layout 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ShildonShunter Posted March 11, 2018 Share Posted March 11, 2018 Daniel I love the modelling of your buildings and the weathering is brilliant this is going to be a really nice micro layout when comp!eted but until then I will enjoy watching your progress. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry1975 Posted March 11, 2018 Share Posted March 11, 2018 Glad to see this little beauty progressing again. Keep up the excellent work. Jerry. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanielB Posted April 4, 2018 Author Share Posted April 4, 2018 Last night I had a spare hour, so I started scratchbuilding a small caboose/work car. Here's as far as I've gotten so far: 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ShildonShunter Posted April 5, 2018 Share Posted April 5, 2018 Looks good Daniel can't wait to see more. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ModellingMatt Posted April 5, 2018 Share Posted April 5, 2018 This is looking really good and very unusual! Looking forward to the next instalments. 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