Ken's Railroad

[WoundedBear]

Im thinking I could possibly scratch-bash a duplex style engine together. Might be as fun as my cab forward.

Sid

[OLDERTIMER]

Look's Good, Ken!

[Ken Huck]

Thanks for looking everybody. 

Sid:  A couple of switchers would look interesting.  Or even 0-3-0's !

Ken

[Grumpy468]

Wonderful work Ken. I am really enjoying your progress, what is your secret to such realistic looking dirt roads. I am just starting to do gravel roads etc ,

[Ken Huck]

Hey Grump, I use real dirt for my roads.  In the fall or spring (when I till my garden), I usually
have a big coffee can that I fill it about 3/4 full and bring it in the house to dry.  I then break
up the little clods and really shake it up a bit to get it more broken up.  I use a smaller can with
a piece of old window screen stretched over the top to give my "road" a good thick layer of sifted
dirt.  It doesn't matter how wide it is either.  Then I seal it with white glue/water.  Then put
your grasses and vegetation to the edge of the road and seal that.  Once I'm sure everything
is completely dry, (at least a couple of days), I 'scrub' the road with a really stiff 'grill brush'. 
If any little bits of 'dirt' break loose just brush them to the side of the road.

Hope this helps.

Ken

[Grumpy468]

I have not had good luck with real dirt persay. I have fine dirt/ silt now. but i need to figure out how to get it soaked > i didnt try soaking it with Alcohol before i soak it with a water glue mix?

[Ken Huck]

I use a mist sprayer with dish detergent and water.  Mist the 'dirt' first with the
soap/water mixture. Then 'flow' on the white glue/water mixture. 

[Grumpy468]

ok thank you will give that a try.

[Ken Huck]

Well, it's been a while and I've been falling behind of Jonathan and Sheldon (both looking better and better by the
way), so I started to change things up a bit.

You remember the 'cardboard' backdrop but that where it ends.  I didn't like the grade that increased behind the school.
I decided to put a tunnel entrance there and for it come to come out up behind the mining area.


Here's the lower end of the tunnel,  This entire corner will be 'under' a mountain.


Here's the 'topside'.


Here you can see 'both' ends.  I got a lot of work (drying time) to do.  I may put a quarry up against the mountain
alongside the mining area.  I'm still not sure what it'll be yet...


more to follow

Ken

[jonathan]

Ken,

Enjoying it!  Still trying to understand your track plan.  Is it all one continuous run?  Or are there multiple loops?

Regards,

Jonathan

[Ken Huck]

Jon:  It's one continuous loop.  If you look at the third photo (topside) and count the tracks from the top of the
photo to the bottom, the train visible is on track #3 going uphill.  It will come out of the tunnel portal on track #2
and be going towards the right of the photo.  It then goes around the top layer of the layout and comes back
toward the tunnel portal and enters on track #1.  When it comes out of tunnel (behind the school) it will cross
Johnny's River and go around the poor side of town and reappear on track #4 going downhill now.  It will continue           
on to the bottom level and round the lower 'turn around' in a tunnel, emerge on the large trestle and head back up
to where it is now.

Hope this helps, maybe I need to sit down and draw a serious track plan and post it.

...more to follow...

Ken

[Ken Huck]

Well, I finally figured out the initial configuration of my second level mining area.
Everything that shows 'cardboard' will eventually covered with scenery.  There
may even be more mining facilities.  The few elements that I've fit in now still
need more work and finishing.



This upper tunnel portal will (hopefully) be 'blended' into the mine facility, as if it's attached to the mountain.



This just another viewpoint of the same area from the opposite side.



An overall shot from the end of the second level.  Everything in the mining area is still removable.  I remove
everything, then work a little bit on the scenery, then replace a building, see how it fits, then remove it again
and make adjustments, reinstall, etc...



This last shot gives an idea of how big the 'mountain' will eventually be.  That long horizontal piece of
cardboard in the middle of the pics is the lower end of the tunnel.  I have no idea what's going to be in
that area yet.



More to follow

Ken

[jonathan]

I get a little more impressed every time you update the layout.  You seem to take cardboard, plaster, and matchsticks (over simplification) and turn it into some very realistic looking scenes.  There's a real art to it.  Thanks for sharing your progress! 

Looking forward to more.

Regards,

Jonathan

[Grumpy468]

I love your landscaping, everything looks so thick and plush. I am going at mine slow, lol then i go back and add more each time. Your layout has such a nice flow to it.

[russ daley]

Enjoyed viewing your layout. I really liked the usage of horse and carriage and old vehicles. I'm trying to find some affordable vehicles of that era. Jordon, had some nice trucks but they went out of business...Nice job Ken.