Jon Grant 4472 Posted November 28, 2010 Share Posted November 28, 2010 Sweethome Alabama received its first exhibition invite last week (Tyneside Model Railway Show, November 2011). This has finally stirred me into action to make some progress on the layout, after spending the last few months either in 1930s Chicago (Sweethome Chicago) and 1940s Pennsylvania (Westmorland Junction) A quick look at the layout told me that the west yard needed the most work doing to it, the East yard looking quite presentable as is, despite much of the scenery not being glued down. My first task was to lift all the temporary scenery to avoid clutter, so I pulled up the trees and removed the bridges. Also, I wasn't happy with the painted plaster finish to the inset track in the West yard, the finish being close to rail height and leaving little room for adding scatter, without it being knocked when cleaning the track. My solution was to take a small chisel and remove the top of the plaster to lower the level to just above the rail-ties, giving me the space to add fine ballast and scenic scatter. I then painted the bare plaster to reveal any areas that required more treatment and provide a coloured base for the scenic covering. Jon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Grant 4472 Posted November 28, 2010 Author Share Posted November 28, 2010 While the paint was drying I prepared a mix of several colours of fine ballast to get a mid-brown shade. The ballast was applied with a spoon and spread around and away from the rail ties with my index finger. After laying, I touched up any missing mainline ballast with light grey 'medium' stone ballast. The next task is to soak the newly-laid ballast with diluted carpenters' glue and allow to dry. This will darken the ballast slightly after which some ground scatter and grass tufts can be added. Jon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
trisonic Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 Keep it up, Jon. Always interesting to follow your work. Best, Pete. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Grant 4472 Posted November 29, 2010 Author Share Posted November 29, 2010 With the snow lying outside, I decided I wasn't going anywhere tonight, so I decided to glue down the ballast in the West Yard. The diluted carpenters (white) glue was applied with an eye-dropper after soaking the area with rubbing alcohol (I actually used Servisol, but it's pretty much the same stuff, except in a spray can) When the glue was fully applied (the liquid is still visible through the ballast), I sprinkled on various colours and grades of ground cover, ending up with a 'forest floor' mix, to get a slightly overgrown appearance. When the glue hass finally dried, I'll apply some grass tufts, bits of debris and maybe the odd puddle and tyre track. Here are some photos showing the state of play tonight. The stone loading dock The Yard Jon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Gilbert Posted November 29, 2010 Share Posted November 29, 2010 Tyneside Model Railway Show, November 2011 that's one for the diary I think. Looking very good Jon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Grant 4472 Posted November 29, 2010 Author Share Posted November 29, 2010 Chris, the CSX pulpwood car is one that I picked up at the convention off your mate. It's as I bought it, I only added the load. Jon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Grant 4472 Posted December 1, 2010 Author Share Posted December 1, 2010 The glued ballast isn't as dry as I would have liked, so I weathered some car stops and loosely placed them in position. They will get rather more weedy quite soon. Jon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CraigZ Posted December 1, 2010 Share Posted December 1, 2010 To really capture that Alabama look, you need red clay soil...this photo is pretty typical of what roadsides can look like in most of Alabama: http://www.mikiemetric.net/USAPics/Alabama/AL-RedDirt.jpg And it's insidious stuff when it's wet...like glue and slippery as heck simultaneously. Yuck. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Grant 4472 Posted December 1, 2010 Author Share Posted December 1, 2010 I sprayed the ballast in the yard with track dirt to simulate older and muckier ballast than on the main line. It also helps to blend in the different colours inj the yard. I also started adding some grassy areas, which will also be lightly sprayed to dull the colours Jon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilwell Park Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 Hi. I will watch this topic with interest having just returned from a week in Alabama. Went out for my son's wedding at Graysville, about 12 miles NW of Birmingham. I heard several trains at night but did not see any, as I was negotiating a junction onto a dual garriageway in a left hand drive car my wife called out "look a train" but I did not risk taking my eyes off the road as those big trucks don't always stop for traffic lights. She said it was orange with BNSF on the side. The one thing I did notice about the area was the trees, mile after mile of them. Apart from that Alabama seems to be the secret state, I have tried the London bookshops, Stanfords, Waterstones, National Geographic & Daunts, and found only one map, no guide books, nothing else. Keep posting. Roger. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted December 7, 2010 Share Posted December 7, 2010 In that case you will appreciate this quote from a tourist site on Google "There's more to Alabama tourism than you think. Come see this hidden gem and get on the secret that is Alabama." Multiple layer of outer clothing donned, and now departing! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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