We've been workin' on a Railroad...

[healey36]

Complete with a back room...pretty terrific, Rufus.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Complete with a back room...pretty terrific, Rufus.

Right down to the calendar on the wall...spent a little time on this building and contents.

Thanks!!!

Working on another now that had been waiting on wood lathe table. Spent the last couple of weeks making the four walls....just now getting those assembled.

[up148]

The more you look......the more you see. The open framework on the backwall, the display case on the counter, polished wear marks on the vice mechanism and tons of other details that could have easily been left out............nice job! I really like that scythe on the wall.

[healey36]

The more you look......the more you see. The open framework on the backwall, the display case on the counter, polished wear marks on the vice mechanism and tons of other details that could have easily been left out............nice job! I really like that scythe on the wall.

Yup, definitely a good subject for "I spy with my little eye...".

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I really like that scythe on the wall.

I got 2 of those - brass castings from whoever? - and had been waiting for a place to use 1. My father had a Walck grain cradle (https://www.facebook.com/greencastlemus ... 771991558/ -- yes, the one they have is from my father's collection) so I've got this thing for the large scythe and cradle tools.

"I spy with my little eye...".

Who's that in the calendar????

[Rufus T. Firefly]

These next 5 are all going on a lift out section of the layout to represent a small town at the end of the one line.

1st up is the little station - scratchbuilt with an interior and lighting.











The roof remains removable, and more details will get added to the front when added into the scene.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Come on down to Pfefferkorn's for your "fresh" meat.....











Started off with just a resin casting false front and rest of building is scratch. Roof remains removable and will probably add battery lighting someday.....

[healey36]

Terrific work. One wonders what's in the pickling barrels...

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Terrific work.

Thanks!

One wonders what's in the pickling barrels...

Herring? Missing cats & dogs? That stray possum?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

For all your legal matters: Schwenckefeld has you covered!

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Come on down to Tripp's for that new go to Sunday meeting suit!











No interior on this one, but that sign does swing with the wind,

[sarge]

I've been working on a friend's estate, including the salvage of re-usable components from his layout.

There were a bunch of kitbuilt structures that really need a good rebuild, seams tightened up, glazing in the windows, opacity if there are no interiors, and paint! Can't people see these things just knocked together are far too garish and the colour intensity is over the top? No sense of "blend" in the model railroading world.

Anyway, here is one after a trip across the bench. Not perfect but far far better after a refresh and a trip through the paint booth.

[up148]

Looks good. It's amazing how some glazing, weathering to tone down factory colors and maybe a few added details can really bring a stock model to life.

[sarge]

Thanks, Butch

A little philosophy, first. I'm equally mystified at how model railroaders are either happy with garish plastic structures often in weird colours or swing to the other extreme of over-weathered falling down shacks and wrecks á la NG&SLG. Neither are typical when modelling a blended scene.

For those who do like buildings in the manner of Hootin' Holler where the occupant sits on the front porch playing the banjo while the roof falls in killing three "dawgs" in the ensuing calamity, at least you have art (arguably impressionism, but art nonetheless) on your side. I'm not at all on the art side of the hobby; John Allen, George Selios, Furlow, and the disciples of Bob Brown leave me wanting less. There is such a thing as too much.

Somewhere in the middle, much like rolling stock, are where structures look best to me, blending with each other like all have endured the same rains and sun, colours toned down to reflect scale distance, kept in useable condition by the owners and occupants, all those things make for a believable scene.

Here, we are have a Walthers Cornerstone structure, a decently proportioned building albeit glued together by Chinese labour and all in its original moulded colours with all the toylike appearance of some sort of modern over-the-top Plasticville. We're going to dial it 'waaaaaaay back to bring out the promising proportions.

First, the blood-flow inducing disassembly chore. Ideally, the window frames, doorframes, and cornice-work, in short all the wood bits, can all be detached. In this case, these bits are all moulded in a truly hideous yellow. That will certainly be changed!

Once we have a stripped shell, or in this case as stripped as it can be without destroying anything overglued at Kader, we can both tone down the brick and fill the mortar lines as a first step to redemption. The majority of model railroaders want to dive right in with white, which again is far too stark a contrast. I prefer a medium grey if the mortar lines are to contrast with the brick. Far more brick buildings than you think have coloured mortar that doesn't contrast the brick, black mortar is common, and more than one might think are painted. Natural brick-mortar is grey. White is actually rare.

For grey mortar, a good 3/4 to 1" sable brush and some cheap grey acrylic is the route I take. I use it full thickness as it tends to be more even and opaque on a decent brick-moulding, and the relief on this thing is actually pretty good.

First, I just paint the side, making sure the stuff gets in the lines and you see no more brick-colour. Don't be shy.


Once the side is coloured, wipe it down with paper towelling. Paper is stiff enough it won't get into the relief of the casting, leaving the mortar lines. If it goes dry and starts fighting you, dampen the towel and the acrylic will become soft again.


The overall effect of the flattened, lightened, and weathered brick comes up like this, along with the mortar. If you missed a spot of mortar, just repaint and repeat the wiping off process. The blue tape covers the few window frames that couldn't be disassembled because they were over-glued in manufacture. They'll get masked and painted in situ. The bottle is the artist's acrylic I happened to have to hand. Craftstore item.


Here you can get an idea the improvement from the original raw plastic look.


More as it happens.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I'm not at all on the art side of the hobby; John Allen, George Selios, Furlow, and the disciples of Bob Brown leave me wanting less. There is such a thing as too much.

"You never know what is enough until you know what is more than enough."

I model a very rural area that if you study the photos and RPPC's (albeit B&W), the buildings tend to be well kept in town; not so much out on the farm where there are quite a few nearly falling down houses and other structures. I try to strike a medium given era and locale, and also try to have just a little fun. The fun component is primary. While I can appreciate the artsy stuff of cited above, at best I try to harvest some techniques and apply them sparingly while having fun.

I have at least 2 more structures to pound out for the lift out scene along with some other odd & ends to plant in it. Maybe have that ready next year.....