What I Been Up To Lately:Passenger Station Diorama

[TomPM]

Thanks for the complements.

cabdriver
The Paint Pens are called “Painters” and they are made by Hunt. I picked them up at Wall-mart. The ones I purchased have a medium point. The line width may not scale properly to 4 inches but it looks good enough.

To paint the lines I use a ruler or drafting triangle with a beveled edge. I also lean the pen toward the ruler. This prevents the paint from running under the ruler. Don’t worry if you make a mistake. I made one near the bridge. I just weathered over the bad line. It now looks like an older line from years past just like the lines we see on the real roads.

For weathering the road, after I stripped it I dry brushed the entire road with Folk Art charcoal gray. I then dry brushed the wheel paths with Folk Art Light Gray.

The “cracks” will be toned down shortly. I also need to look at adding some oil droppings and other "marks" on the pavement.

 

[TomPM]

I finally got around to adding the first layer of turf. It is Woodland Scenics Green Blend.

 

[TomPM]

I now have added another layer of turf. This time it is WS Medium Green Coarse Turf.

 

[TomPM]

Here are a few photos showing some action on the diorama.

 

[RailRon]

Tom, this is looking fantastic!

The weathering both of the road and the interurban track are outstanding. I love that patch of grass between the rails. Also the creek along the main line turned out extremely life-like. (Makes one wanting to sit down at the river bank with a fishing rod and waving to the trains going by...)

All this is really an excellent background for a lot of VERY realistic RR photographs!

Ron

 

[Matthyro]

Wow Tom, this has really turned out well. Great workmanship. Seeing the train and streetcar in action makes the scene look real.

 

[spitfire]

Wow - that last shot's a beauty!!! Great work Tom, and I've really enjoyed following your progress.

Val

 

[TomPM]

I finished painting and assembling the guard rail. It is a kit from Rixx. The rail was airbrushed with Folk Art Metallic Silver.

 

[TomPM]

Here is guard rail weathered with dry brushing Americana Burnt Sienna and Folk Art Charcoal Gray.

 

[interurban]

A woderful job Tom, very nice colours. :thumb:

 

[yellowlynn]

road

Tom, I don't want to bust your bubble, but do you realize that striping a centerline down that road was a useless and futile endeavor? Cars going over the bridge are in for a rude awakening in a hundred yards or so, but I can't see how there can be any traffic from the opposite direction unless they are dropped from a skyhook. Of course you realize that there is enough irony in my comments that they will rust shortly.

Naturally, I think it is great, and I love that old road. Keep it up, great pics.

Lynn

 

[TomPM]

Thanks folks!

It is time to finally post an update on the Passenger Station Diorama. The work is almost two weeks old and the photos are about a week old but now I got a chance to post them.

I added some roadway signs to the diorama. They are from Blair Line. I still need to get some warning signs such as “Bridge Freezes Before Road”.

 

[spitfire]

Fantastic Tom!!! :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

About those signs from Blair Line....did you know you can download road signs free from my website? Print them and glue them to strip wood. Maybe next time.

Val

 

[TomPM]

Thanks Val!

I forgot about your site. ops:

Some of the signs you, however, are too modern for my needs. For my purposes I needed the black and white clearance marker for the bridge parapets. This was the type of sign used in the 50s and 60s. The use of the yellow and black marker started in the 80s.

The one sign that I am looking for is the “Bridge Freezes Before Road Surface”.

 

[Wyomingite]

I'm really enjoying your progress Tom and your doing a great job on everything including your pictures. I was wondering if you have done your rapids yet as I can't wait to see them.

Ron :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

 

[RailRon]

Tom, your work looks fantastic! I don't remember having seen such a detailed run-down piece of country road before. Amazing! :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:

However, I got a chuckle out of the 45 mph sign. Good Lord, with all these bumps on that road I think that even 25 mph would make your car disintegrate!

(I think that sign must have been planted years ago, when the road still was in much better shape!)

Ron

 

[sumpter250]

I got a chuckle out of the 45 mph sign. Good Lord, with all these bumps on that road I think that even 25 mph would make your car disintegrate

the picture made me think of old route 27 through Napeague, on the way out to Montauk. My Dad would drive just fast enough to almost reach 0 G's on the bumps.

 

[Matthyro]

In the days when my kids were young they liked nothing more than riding in my big old Chevy with the V8 engine over some country roads around this neck of the woods so they would have to hang on as they would lift up going over a number of rises and dips. The faster, the better. We didn't even have seatbelts in those days and a Sunday afternoon drive was always fun. I guess the sign would have to show a speed limit of 60kms up here in CA. Nice photos Tom.

 

[Tileguy]

Tom, i just spent almost an hour going through this from start to finish (Dialup Grrrrrrrrrrrrr )
Everything looks Fab and that road just screams late fifties early sixties,The Fonz an edsel and maybe even a big winged Caddy

Now, I have a place to send those guys that want to build a big ol 20 x 30 N scale layout so they can see how much time you spent on this diorama in HO LOL
( i wonder if that'll slim them down to a 10 x 12 )

I was glad to see that when you werent happy with something you stuck at it until you were.It really shows in the end.
Ive thoroughly enjoyed this thread and I for 1 hope it never ends.
They say a layout is never finished,could it possibly be the same with a diorama???

 

[TomPM]

Thanks everyone!

However, I got a chuckle out of the 45 mph sign. Good Lord, with all these bumps on that road I think that even 25 mph would make your car disintegrate!

(I think that sign must have been planted years ago, when the road still was in much better shape!)

Ron

You have never driven the country roads in Pennsylvania. To us that is a smooth road meant to be driven at 60 MPH.