Trying Some New Things

[Drew1125]

This is my first attempt at scratch building a timber trestle...
I also wanted to try modeling some water...
So I built this little diorama to kinda get a feel for it...
(I know the trestle looks kinda rickety, but I based it on an actual photo taken in the 1890's on a C&O branch line)

 

[t. alexander]

Charlie, What a wonderful scene. The water looks great and the trestle looks great. Love the loco also.

t.

 

[Casey Feedwater]

Charlie, that's a beautiful scene. I love the "texture" of the water. Nice going

 

[Tyson Rayles]

Looks like a winner to me Charlie, what did you use for the water?

 

[Drew1125]

Thanks for all the kind words, everyone!
Tyson,
I made the "water" by pouring a soupy layer of plaster, to make a smooth surface...then I painted it with some flat black acrylic paint. Then I feathered earth colored paint from the banks, out toward the middle, leaving the blacker areas in the middle to represent "deeper" water. Then I covered everything with about three or four heavy coats of acrylic gloss medium.

 

[NYCentral]

Charlie,

Very nice work!! I like your trestle!! and the water looks great also!!

 

[YakkoWarner]

Charlie, you can come over and "Practice" on my layout any time. That is wonderful.

 

[Vic]

Hi Charlie, I think that its just great!! You can practice on my layout too!!!

 

[rich maiorano]

and while you at it you can come up and help start mine just pick up vic and tyson on the way (there not off the hook)looks great want a couple on my layout

 

[marty w.]

Nice job. That water looks great. Trestle looks good too.
Marty

 

[Gary Pfeil]

Charlie, the bridge is awesome and the water well done too! You've got quite a feel for it.

Gary

 

[jimnrose]

Great work Charlie, thanks for sharing. I was asking (on another thread) how dark to stain the wood. Your trestle color is great.
Take care, Jim

 

[kettlestack]

What a great photo of a wonderful scene and model Charlie.

It's exactly the sort of view that made me give up European models in favour of USA outline. Nostalia rules!

Thanks for sharing it my friend.

Errol

 

[sumpter250]

Charlie,
We are supposed to learn from our mistakes!, How can you learn if you don't make any mistakes? Beautifully done!
Pete

 

[Drew1125]

Gosh,
I'm really honored by all this praise!
Pete,
I hate to break this to you, but if I learn from my mistakes, then judging from the wreckage laying around on my workbench, I should be one smart feller....(NOT!!)

 

[Bill Stone]

Like all who've already said so, it really is an excellent scene, Charlie. There were some pretty spindly trestles and other bridges back in the 19th century. One photo I have from the Oregon and California (later part of the SP) is a couple of really large logs, perhaps 3 or so feet in diameter, laid side-by side, spanning a fair distance, with tracks laid right on top of them. And this was "main line" stuff in the 1880's, not a back woods logging operation. I really want to incorporate that into my new layout.

Does your water look as good in person as it does in the photo? That's the way it was done prior to the introduction of all the poured plastic techniques, and frankly it appeals to me more than the "modern" way. For water I once painted and varnished a chunk of Masonite about as you did the plaster, and I though it turned out close to perfect.

Bill S