Come along on our adventure

[cabdriver]

Here are a couple pics of the lake edge showing the groundcover, tree placement, and scene design. I know the lake isn't in yet and so it is a bit hard to image the whole thing finished with the tape all over the lakebed, but we're pretty pleased with how the surrounding ground area came out.

 

[bubs]

Looking good, how about a pic from a distance showing the whole thing

 

[cabdriver]

Bubs,
Here are a couple of broader shots. We still have SOOOOO much to do. When I step back and take a picture of the broader layout I realize there is still so much to do. I suppose that is the fun of the whole thing -- the more you do, the more you need to do and learn to do.
Humbly submitted for viewing. :thumb:

 

[bubs]

Looking good, those gives a feel for the track plan and general location of the different areas to each other - top work

 

[cabdriver]

Thanks, mate. And yours

 

[bubs]

I am still in the rekindling my interest after an absense of 4 years

 

[cabdriver]

Bubs,
Well, we hope you find your inspiration. We have had a great time building our small slice of our imagination. We watch so many of the folks on the-guage who have really awesome layouts and wonder if we will ever have anything close to theirs -- long lines to run, multiple tracks in the yards, sophisticated operations, etc, or people who are truly amazing modelers who can make a model environment look so realistic... Yet, we are having a great time with our little world. We really try to not be critical of our progress or of our skill. We learn from all these endeavors and do what we can do within our own space. We have moved from just laying out a track, to modeling a specific era, to watching the real things, to listening to scanners, to wanting the model layout to be more realistic.... What a great and involving hobby! Can't wait for the next layout!
--Cabdriver

 

[jpguest]

Hi Cabdriver,


Your layout is looking really really great! I hope when I start my first layout it is as half as good as yours.

Do you have any photo's of the whole layout? It would be good to see how much has been done and what is left to do.

Thanks,

Jason

 

[cabdriver]

Well, we tried a new trick in the tree making department. Up to this point, we have taken the plastic trees and coated the tree limbs with Hobby Tac. We then tried first, to immediate place the foliage on the tree -- bad news. The foliage clumped and fell off, covered in glue. We then tried waiting the 15 minutes suggested on the Hobby Tac bottle, but we got basically the same situation.

Last night, I covered the tree limbs in Hobby Tac and then let them sit overnight and all day. Now the branches are pretty dry, but VERY tacky. I was able to put the foliage right on the branches and it stuck each and every time exactly where placed. I was able to bang out about 5 trees in just a few minutes.

You all probably knew this trick already, but if you didn't, you might want to try it -- it sure worked for us.

 

[cabdriver]

And then here they are placed on the layout.

 

[spitfire]

Looking good Cabdriver!!!! :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

Val

 

[interurban]

:thumb: :thumb: I have a whack of those to do for my new L/O.

Thanks for the info Cabdriver.

I see the tiles are still showing through, so much to do so little time The story of my life

You guys have sure done a lot, keep up the good work :thumb:

 

[cabdriver]

Ugh. I know. We're so far down the road now, not sure if we can fix it in this incarnation without a major tear out. We've decided that this is our learning layout with many do-overs done right the first time next time.

 

[Papa Bear]

Great looking layout, Cabdriver! Nice work.

 

[CBCNSfan]

I covered the tree limbs in Hobby Tac and then let them sit overnight and all day. Now the branches are pretty dry, but VERY tacky. I was able to put the foliage right on the branches and it stuck each and every time exactly where placed

Well I for one didn't know that about the Hobby Tac. Thanks for posting it, good to know.
Cheers Willis

 

[Pitchwife]

Hi Cabdriver
Don't know how I missed this thread before but I've been away for about a month and was doing some catching up and have spent the last hour or so reading your thread. You all have done a great job, especially for beginners. I have definately learned a few new things from it.
One piece of constructive criticism about your car dealership: if it were selling new expensive Cobras and Gullwings wouldn't it have a paved parking lot? Just to keep flying gravel from dinging the paint? Or will it be a used car lot where the cars probably already have dings? And did I see some rust on the fence? The manager had better get after his employees if he wants to project a classy image. The other thing I would have done is extend the sidewalk in front of the parking lot unless it was at the very end of the street, so people could get to the showroom without having to walk in the street.
Your enthsiasm is contagious. I need to quit procrastinating and get some work done myself. :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

 

[cabdriver]

Pitchwife,
Yes, you are correct in your asessment of the car dealership -- The poor owner has really nothing of significance for sale yet -- his purchaing power of 1950 and 1960 cars is very limited. The great cars that move around this layout are very expensive cars -- nothing that I would end up buying at the dealership, but which, in my fantasy land, I own without financial impact -- so goes the beauty of our own world.

You are right, I modeled the side yard of the dealership (gravel with rusted rails) off of a used car area, ... potential buyers of a gull-wing would expect more. The really expensive cars on our layout would not be at the dealership. They are just great cars owned by some of the townies. The dealer would have more regular cars for sale in the showroom, with some newer used cars on the side lot.

Glad you enjoyed our thread so far.

 

[cabdriver]

OK Guys. (Especially Interurban ). I've made up some trees and have placed them for composition purposes on one side of our downtown area. I really like the look. Interurban, you challenged me quite a while ago to do some trees downtown. Now that I have done this basic placement, I really like the look, :thumb: but obviously I don't like the big thick footing that comes with the plastic trees. So my question is this -- what have you guys done to "plant" the trees into a downtown area? Several thoughts have crossed my mind.

1). Take off the rounded footing and cement the trunk to the sidwalk. Might look really fake and how would you water the thing .
2). Keep the footing, but make a wire "basket" (scratch build) around the base of the tree, much like you see in NYC (black in color).
3). Keep the footing, but make a wooden "crate" around the base of the tree, much like a whiskey barrel approach (again would have to be scratch built).

What can you guys suggest? I love the look of the trees in the downtown area, but need them to look more natural and "planted".

Here are a couple of shots of how it looks with them just perched on the sidewalk. Not bad, but not up to paar.

 

[spitfire]

Hey Cabdriver, those trees are going to look great. I have a couple of suggestions - take your pick, or do something completely different.

1). Create a narrow "boulevard" between the sidewalk and the road. Plant the trees there and grass it over.

2) Cut out circles in your sidewalk, cover with "earth" and plant the trees there.

Whatever you do, you should remove that baseplate. If these are the same trees I have, there's a plastic "pin" in the upper part that fits into the bottom part. Drill a hole the same diameter of the pin to plant the tree.

One reason I don't think you should put those trees in any kind of planter boxes is the size of them. In reality, those planter boxes do not allow enough water to get to the roots of the trees and they usually die within a couple of years at which point they are replaced. So, that's why you never see large old trees in planters in the city. Kind of sad really.

I also paint the trunks of my trees first to get rid of the plastic shine. Another thing I do to get a little more aireyness into the foliage is add WS Fine Leaf foliage pieces here and there. I just poke the stems into the existing foliage. It works quite well.

Anway, hope this helps. Your layout is coming along great! :thumb: :thumb:

Val

 

[interurban]

So glad you are up you the challange cabdriver :thumb:

Thanks Val, you said it one

Trees also bring parking lots to life.

As Val said get rid of the base. You cannot do much will the plastic pavement you have, well you could drill a larger hole , plant the stem of the tree then fill with ground cover or broken raised pavment.

Any chance of bigger trees going in the town??