My first Layout - a 5' x 9' Modern BNSF Freelance
- Thread starter flyingtiger
- Start date
PRR Modeler
Well-Known Member
You do awesome work for it being your first time.
flyingtiger
Member
Thanks for the compliments. Small update. I have MOSTLY finished a small scene using the old Walthers HQ building, but turning it into a bakery. I still have a few details to add, perfect the interior a bit more, and put the billboard in it's final position, but it certainly gives a more finished look to the area.
And a comparison of "back then."
And a comparison of "back then."
This is a serious inspiration for me! Fantastic work! I'm going to try something very similar after seeing this for my first layout. I've been doing scale modeling for a while, but never have tried any weathering or building buildings. You mentioned that you've been honing knowledge over the years, do you have any sites specifically that helped you with your weathering? And any specific tools that helped you accomplish it?
Again, this is a fantastic layout! Thanks for sharing it!
Tim
Again, this is a fantastic layout! Thanks for sharing it!
Tim
flyingtiger
Member
Thanks Tim. I really used Pelle Soeborgs three titles, Essential Model Railroad Scenery Techniques, Done in a Day, and Detailing Projects for Freight Cars and locomotives, which are easy to follow and duplicate. I highly recommend them.
http://search.kalmbachstore.com/?se...ne=http://www.kalmbachstore.com/mrpdf063.html
flyingtiger
Member
Thanks, I used Magic Water from unrealdetails.com. It was easy to use, but it does kind of wick up alongside wherever you are using it. I saw a tip of how to prevent this, but have forgotten what that was. You can probably google advice on using it though. After it dried, I used Water Effects from Woodland Scenics to create waves and ripples. This is super easy to use and doesn't have the wicking issues. Then I added just a bit of white paint onto some of the ripples and waves to add foam / bubble effect. Overall very easy to do, with nice looking results.
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flyingtiger
Member
Well I finally got off my lazy butt and decided to post some more pictures. It's been well over a year, and I have made quite a bit of progress. I am essentially "finished" with the expansion. I still have a lot of detail work to do, along with a lot of improvements, and even just finishing things I have not quite done yet, such as finishing add chain link fence in a couple of places, adding power poles and lines, light poles in the yard, etc, etc. BUT, I have certainly come a long way since my last post.
Firstly, I finished the backdrop along the yard area, which really gives it a finished look. I decided to drop the idea of having an auto-unloading area, as that just never really felt right, and decided to just use backdrop buildings as customers.
Firstly, I finished the backdrop along the yard area, which really gives it a finished look. I decided to drop the idea of having an auto-unloading area, as that just never really felt right, and decided to just use backdrop buildings as customers.
flyingtiger
Member
More images of the backdrop along the yard.
flyingtiger
Member
Next, I actually swapped out my Walthers Headquarters Building for one I purchased on ebay that was built and weathered because it looked way better than mine, and weathering a pre-built one, like I already had, was going to be too much work in my opinion, so I took the easy road. Well worth it. Across the street from that building is an abandoned gas station. Still needs some work in all of these scenes, but it's coming along...
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flyingtiger
Member
Next in line is an abandoned building that was never rail-served. This is something I think layouts need more of. First, if you are in a modern city, many of the buildings are abandoned, and many were never rail-served to begin with. I think that creates an overall more realistic feel to the area.
Nice little tip for the exposed brick you see on this building - just use a red colored pencil on top of the painted building. Beautiful easy results in seconds. Do as much or as little as you like.
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Nice little tip for the exposed brick you see on this building - just use a red colored pencil on top of the painted building. Beautiful easy results in seconds. Do as much or as little as you like.
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flyingtiger
Member
Next is a more modern building, but still could have been built back in the 70s or even 60s. It really needs more weathering, especially on the holding tanks. One more thing on my list. This one is actually rail served behind the building.
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flyingtiger
Member
Moving along, there is an area where a spur comes off the main line to serve several customers, including the King Plastic Corporation we just viewed.
flyingtiger
Member
Now we start entering more of a downtown area with the main line along the backdrop, and the industrial spur along the front of the layout. The spur serves two more customers, and a third siding is along the front edge of the layout, with the customer "off the layout." This siding can be in use or abandoned, depending on what I feel like doing.
flyingtiger
Member
Now we cross over a street to reach the last customer on this spur. The customer Agco (this name may change) was once on the 5x9 portion of the layout, but I always thought it was too big of a building for that layout, especially considering it was on the small farming community side of the layout, so I moved it to the expansion. Thus, the reason to want to change the name, as it works for small town farming, but not so much for big city.
flyingtiger
Member
Looking down the street.
flyingtiger
Member
More views.
