October layout update

Not a whole lot to report of late. Between job searching and other pre-holiday activities, there has not been much forward movement.

I did work on the Kiwamura area and got some stone carving in on the foam. I'm digging the detail. The area has been bothering me for a while now.

Cheers!

New Kiwamura Section is GO!

Music for today's post.....

Work was finally started on the new Kiwamura section.  I think I'm liking how it's turning out. :::grin::: I've been rather..."meh" of late - starting things and working on them only to look at them later with regret. hehehe  It's the April Showers, I believe. I'll have to wait for those May Flowers® to arrise!

The section was in flux for a long while. I wasn't sure if it was going to be a large land section with tunnels set for the tram and high speed rail or if it was going to be a bridge. Well, in the process of taking the old bridge out, I thought, "Hey, I do like this bridge. Maybe I'll just use it there." And, it's working out. I dig it.



I did a lot of playing and exploration before making the final commitment on the area. I thought through what it would take to do the tunnels and big hillside, but I didn't want something that large in the front of the layout area. I believe it would really block some of the views I wanted to have there.

Going with the two sections with a bridge between was really going to work, so I blessed it and moved into some additional planning. This was going to be the residential area of the layout, so I plotted the houses out a bit.

 

Then I played with exactly how high I wanted to go....

Added and checked the bridge section....

 
I added a little more to the bottom of the bridge to make it look a bit more substantial.

Then I started in on the roadway section that the new bridge will lead up to. First step, path carving.

The art of zen brick carving :)

Detail check and carving in some details on the sides...

Hmmmph...spray paint eats pink foam. Go figure. hehehe  It worked out, however - it looked like stone or rock.



 A little paint....

And....STUFF! :) Some shops, a small workshop, and a viewing spot for tourists on a walk. :)

When I roll in a few more details and people, I think this section will really pop. The residential area, too. I want to have people walking, bike riding, and playing in the area. Should be a fun addition. More to follow on that.

I saw a little TOMYTEC heavy machinery rental kit and was just about to pull the trigger on it when I stopped myself. "I can just build that. It's mostly a large area of nothing." So, I set out to build it out of styrene.

I still need to go in and weather the vehicles, but I think it's a good addition for sure. And, it's mine - there won't be another one like it for the most part. I've really liked doing things like that. Having unique buildings and spaces on the layout that are just mine. Like my submarine viewing area and some of the buildings I've bashed together. Fun stuff. 

Thanks for reading!

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Randy Hage Miniatures

A friend of mine recently sent me a link to the work of Randy Hage. I opened the URL, clicked the first image and literally said, "You have to be f^%#ing KIDDING me!" out loud.

This work is just incredible. The detail is off the scale. When I was checking the section with miniatures next to the real thing, my mind almost melted - there are differences, but they are so small and subtle that it sent me spinning. The detail at 1/12th scale is just bonkers.

I had to post these. Make sure you give the site a visit - there are more examples there!

Randy Hage - Storefront Sculptures:  http://www.newyorkstorefronts.com

Soyokaze Harbor: Water Painting 02

Woodland Scenics Water Effects being added

I took a pass at the Woodland Scenics Water Effects for the harbor module and the same thing happened that happened with the pond. The water effects went on well and looked great wet and white, but when it dried clear, it was under-wealming.  The cool, white look that was there was gone and it lost it's cool factor.

I spoke to my wife about the issue and she asked if I could mix white into the Water Effects to get the look that I wanted. Brilliant idea and it worked like a charm, however it was a bit too white and it was rather striking against the green that I had set up for the water color. 

Mint green foam mix

In an effort to calm it down, I tried a few things. I re-applied the Water Effects to see if that would tame the white, but it had no effect. I was thinking through the issue and it really was just a matter of taming the stark white that was there, so I mixed up a mint green looking batch of paint, mixed that into the Water Effects, then went over the top of the white layer with this new, moss green Water Effects mixture. It really toned down the white and gave the "foam" a nice, sea spray look that I really like. 

Engines churning as the crews speak together - boat to boat

This was a great process lesson for several reasons. If I had done some tests first like I did with the pond project, I would have seen that the white was "too white" and could have avoided having to work out the taming of it. If I had taken more time in general, the results would have been better, I think. The rush comes from the time (or lack there of) that I have for the hobby. I see a chance and run in to take hold of it before it's gone. As it stands, I'll try to get a little more balance between seeing a chance and moving too fast.

So, it looks like the Woodland Scenics Water Effects is a good product when tweaked a bit. I'm growing to like it more and more.

Now...to paint the base layer of ground on the module! :)

Point of Rocks Station

Are you looking for some reference shots of American East Coast train stations? Take a look at the Point of Rocks shoot I have up on my FLICKR account.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/malcojojo/sets/72157630503373686/with/7539087330/

Some nice brick, ivy, and weathering along with some cool train track maintenance machinery and track-side details. Large photos for zoom and pan goodness!

Enjoy and let me know if they helped you!

:)