Some Structure Work

I found the perfect kit to occupy the freight siding on the MVRR.

This little freight house kit is from AM Models and was only about $10 on ebay. I really like the design of the dock and the very small footprint it occupies; perfect for the available space. Plus, it's in perfect character for the MVRR's look.

While I generally like to scratchbuild things, I must say that building something in kit form was a very relaxing diversion. It allows me to quickly get down to business with painting, weathering, and detailing, my favorite part.

This is my first time trying out some oil wash techniques for weathering, and I'm very happy with the result. The wash consists of lamp black, burnt sienna, and odorless thinner; it flows very naturally and finds the perfect crevices and corners to collect in.

Tonight, I put the doors and windows on. I'll be adding "glass" soon, and trying out a new technique to simulate dirty windows.

You can see the roof in the background; I'll be applying strips of 1200 grit sandpaper to simulate tarpaper roofing. I'm putting that task off until later.

Here's a trackside view of the town as it stands today. 

And, an aerial view.

Here's my general plan moving forward; definitely some changes and tweaks to the original design. I have two more "scenes" I want to develop in town that I haven't decided on. I've decided to install a low backdrop to hide the rear track. The grade crossing will also be moved to the foreground between the depot and the freight house.

On the other side of the layout, the mountain will grow a bit taller than it was before, with a full-blown tunnel boring through the curve. I scratchbuilt a timber tunnel portal to feature here. 

 

So that's what's in store. There are a lot of projects to do, and I'm actually enjoying the scattershot approach to tackling each one as the mood suits me. It's nice to get back into the workshop, even for just a couple hours each week.

When we last left our heroes...

Wow, it sure has been a while since my last post.

I can't say for certain, but I'm willing to bet that it's been just about the same amount of time since I did any model railroading as well. Between flight training, work, and family, free time has been fairly non-existant. Combine that with the SoCal heat, and I've been unable or unwilling to head into the garage to do "train stuff."

Last night, a rare evening off presented istelf; no outstanding commissions to work on, no studying to do. It was still hot out, so I decided to shelter in the air conditioning and work on a few of my backlogged Marsh Creek Miniatures rolling stock kits.

The Marsh Creek laser-cut kits are an excellent product produced by my friend Rich Brungard. The 20' rolling stock are perfect for micro-layouts and small curves, and have an especially "narrow-gauge" feel to them. They are well-produced and easy to assemble.

As you may or may not be able to tell from the photo, the wood construction of the Gondolas are augmented by 3D-printed parts for the stake pockets. A really great way to produce custom parts for the build.

I have three of these boxcars to build. The finished one, in grey primer, is an example of the quality of the finished result. I find that these are well-detailed, but not to a degree that is overly intricate; you can build one or two in an evening, without having to worry about drilling holes for grab irons, bending wire, et cetera. It's a nice balance between ease of construction and overall detail/effect.

These cars will be a perfect fit for both of my neglected HOn30 layouts. I'm going to order another set of the Gondola kits and build two flatcars as well, to increase my litter to seven cars.