Yet another Woodland Scenics Scenic Ridge layout… ^_^;;

[qwertyaardvark]

Many thanks for the congratulations and to all that have posted replies ever since I started the layout as it has helped and encouraged me tremendously and am grateful for y'alls input~ 

 

Work on the layout itself may slow down from here on out with the ramping up of academic workloads coupled with three project-oriented classes. I may go as far add the rock faces and paint basic color coats in acrylic to cover up holes, but I would like to get buildings finished and laid out before I start laying down roads/foundations and vegetation. I may also ballast the inside the track and between tracks just to keep it in place. Purchases for buildings and airbrush/compressor are slated for March so soon y'all may see posts focusing on kits.

[Mudkip Orange]

Hey, so you get a few months of running trains through Hokkaido in the wintertime.

 

What's so bad about that?

[qwertyaardvark]

Hey, so you get a few months of running trains through Hokkaido in the wintertime.

 

What's so bad about that?

 

There have been thoughts running through my mind of spraying ungodly amounts of Scenic cement on the layout and covering it with WS snowflakes out of sheer laziness...

[qwertyaardvark]

UPDATE: Work on the Layout... Or Lack Thereof

 

This weekend has gone by pretty slowly due to academic priorities, and I'm sad to think that this annoying trend will continue to get worse with time until my graduation in May... >_<

 

Various small things around the layout have been completed over the weekend:

-Concrete track ties have been placed under the track joiners.

-Tracks rechecked for alignment, re-glued/re-pinned as necessary

-Hydrocal rocks placed on mountains

-Tunnel entrances and nearby track/ballast covered with masking tape in preparation of coloration of the mountain

 

I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong, or if I'm doing anything wrong, but I found a lot of difficulty of trying to get the hydrocal rock castings to stick to the layout and eventually gave up and instead used a hot glue gun to get the rock castings in place. As is, I have a feeling that rock faces will end up looking as randomly placed as they are now. My hopes are that with some color and a lot of vegetation added will make the rock placement appear more natural. Next week, I'll consider filling in holes with flex paste before going off and painting the mountain areas

 

Though not much was done on the layout, there was quite a bit of spending going on. Several bags of clump foliage, another bottle of ballast, a bottle of latex rubber, styrene strips, cutting board, and acrylic paints were purchased over the weekend. Later this week, I plan to make a massive purchase of buildings and kits from Hobby Search because I need to finalize the layout of buildings; I can only go so far with approximated dimensions and plans before actually laying down the roads and building foundations. Beyond that I may go ahead and purchase a double-action airbrush and compressor. I've been eying an Iwata Revolution gravity-fed airbrush and a Pasche compressor for a while now.

 

One must wonder what the styrene strips are for... I'm not entirely sure how crazy the idea is, but I plan on making stairs for the path up to the Sakura Path and Shrine. I intend on making a master mold first with the latex rubber (since I want to practice mold making and I anticipate my wanting to make stairs for future layouts), and then actually making the stairs with either Hydrocal or the Smooth-it products to give it the concrete texture. Only experimenting with styrene to make a 4-step staircase, while it did turn out well, it has become clear that I need a cutting tool (something along the lines of this) so that I can pre-set lengths and quickly make "steps". I never thought I'd ever scratch build anything from any material, so I wonder if I'm going off a deep end or something...

 

366 - Sample stairs made with styrene strips - for scale, the grid is 1/2" spacing; .06"x.25" styrene strips are used

367 - Overall current layout view, minus two tunnels not being covered

370 - Rock faces placed under the Shrine an path to Shrine

371 - Rock faces placed under the Sakura Path

[Mudkip Orange]

For a minute there before I read your post I was like "wait a minute, he's going to build an entire staircase out of styrene?" Will be interesting to see how the plaster casting goes...

[Krackel Hopper]

hey hey,

 

I think you are making great progress on this!  I've been lurking this thread since it started.  The kit is a lot cooler than I originally thought.  I am thinking of trying to convince my dad he should buy this.  He runs his trains in a loop on the dining room table.  I was going to try and convince him to do T-Trak, but he has the space to make something like this.. and it seems very beginner friendly..

 

I think your Japanese twist is great.  While not specific to Japan, the concrete tie track gives this layout a completely different feel from other pictures that I've seen online.  All the Scenic Ridge layouts I've seen have stuck to the traditional 50's era design that Woodland Scenics is known for.  The concrete ties immediately give it a modern feel (a very welcome change) from the 50's style American railroad.

 

I am eagerly awaiting to see what buildings you decide and exactly how you arrange your city streets.

 

I think the rock molds will blend once you get the mountainside covered.  I've seen people blend rocks very nicely using the woodland scenics mold-a-scene plaster stuff.  It's gritty, so it provides more of a rough texture like rock.  Although, mostly I've seen it used to blend several rock castings into one big rock face.. but I have also seen it used to blend the single rock into the plaster cloth background so you don't end up with a big square rock and nothing else.  That might be a good idea.. but might be a waste of time/money.. it's at least something to look into..

 

Jon

[qwertyaardvark]

For a minute there before I read your post I was like "wait a minute, he's going to build an entire staircase out of styrene?" Will be interesting to see how the plaster casting goes...

 

I hope it goes well... the sample staircase alone took 10 mins to assemble! I dont want to think about the 2 foot-long staircases I need for the master molds ^^;;

 

I am thinking of trying to convince my dad he should buy this.  He runs his trains in a loop on the dining room table.  I was going to try and convince him to do T-Trak, but he has the space to make something like this.. and it seems very beginner friendly..

 

heh... "seems" is a keyword :P While im sure it did minimize disaster occurrence , it still commands a lot of dedication and patience, so i'll make no illusions about that. I definitely though would recommend it for those who have never touched model railroading before, like myself before I started this thread. :)

 

I think your Japanese twist is great.  While not specific to Japan, the concrete tie track gives this layout a completely different feel from other pictures that I've seen online.  All the Scenic Ridge layouts I've seen have stuck to the traditional 50's era design that Woodland Scenics is known for.  The concrete ties immediately give it a modern feel (a very welcome change) from the 50's style American railroad.

 

I did want concrete ties and electric catenary for this specific reason; I got tired of seeing American model railroading of the past and yearned for something a bit more recent. A quaint, traditional, but modern town setting fit the bill perfectly. :)

 

Will also look into the mold-a-scene plaster when I get the chance.

[qwertyaardvark]

UPDATE: Prefecture Governor Qwertyaarvark Approves Building Construction Stimulus Bill in Ougakemachi

 

Calling out to several contractor sources (HS, HW, and Ebay) the following buildings, vegetation, and vehicles have been commissioned by the Governor:

 

Kato: Restaurant w/ Traditional Eaves (451B & 450A)

Tomix: Sakura Trees, 6442 Cleaner Set, Ryokan, Farmhouse D2, Belfry/Gate (Temple Series), Main Building (Temple Series), Bathhouse

Greenmax: Shops (47-1, 47-2, 47-3, 47-6), Wooden Schoolhouse (48-5), Rail Crossing (45)

Sankei: Bathhouse, Police Box, Fire-fighting Squad, Soba Shop and Storehouse

 

Sources in the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry say that the stimulus bill will help jump start tourism, farming, and commercial centers in the region to help diversify the economy of Ougakemachi, primarily founded by a nearby mining operation, that was recently hit hard by the global recession and layoffs. While traditional petroleum-based manufactured construction modules by Kato, Tomix and Greenmax Polymer Industries are major winners of the stimulus, this is no doubt also a big win for emerging Sankei Wood Industry with their environmentally-friendly, renewable-material chip card stock modules to be used in two of the three municipal buildings and three additional commercial buildings slated for construction. Tomix has also contributed to the "green" effort by generous donations of Sakura trees to add to the already locally famous cliff, as well providing a maintenance of way vehicle to the nearby depot to support the local transit scene.

 

While the stimulus only supports the purchase of materials, other capital investments, including finishing equipments like airbrushes and compressors, will have to wait for a second round of funding. While unclear if the second round of funding will go through, the Governor intends to apply and present a draft proposal to the Otoo-san/Okaa-san Project Support (OOPS) Committee in Tokyo next month.

 

-Asahi Shimbun, 2010年2月23日

[KenS]

 

Good luck with the funding proposal.

[CaptOblivious]

No need for a 2ft master staircase! Make a mold from the piece you have, then cast it over and over again, assembling the pieces with Aileens tacky glue to make a stair case as long as you please.

 

Also, totally skip the hydrcal for the way more durable and way cheaper tub of plain old plaster of paris.

[Mudkip Orange]

UPDATE: Prefecture Governor Qwertyaarvark Approves Building Construction Stimulus Bill in Ougakemachi

 

Calling out to several contractor sources (HS, HW, and Ebay) the following buildings, vegetation, and vehicles have been commissioned by the Governor:

 

Kato: Restaurant w/ Traditional Eaves (451B & 450A)

Tomix: Sakura Trees, 6442 Cleaner Set, Ryokan, Farmhouse D2, Belfry/Gate (Temple Series), Main Building (Temple Series), Bathhouse

Greenmax: Shops (47-1, 47-2, 47-3, 47-6), Wooden Schoolhouse (48-5), Rail Crossing (45)

Sankei: Bathhouse, Police Box, Fire-fighting Squad, Soba Shop and Storehouse

 

Sources in the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry say that the stimulus bill will help jump start tourism, farming, and commercial centers in the region to help diversify the economy of Ougakemachi, primarily founded by a nearby mining operation, that was recently hit hard by the global recession and layoffs. While traditional petroleum-based manufactured construction modules by Kato, Tomix and Greenmax Polymer Industries are major winners of the stimulus, this is no doubt also a big win for emerging Sankei Wood Industry with their environmentally-friendly, renewable-material chip card stock modules to be used in two of the three municipal buildings and three additional commercial buildings slated for construction. Tomix has also contributed to the "green" effort by generous donations of Sakura trees to add to the already locally famous cliff, as well providing a maintenance of way vehicle to the nearby depot to support the local transit scene.

 

While the stimulus only supports the purchase of materials, other capital investments, including finishing equipments like airbrushes and compressors, will have to wait for a second round of funding. While unclear if the second round of funding will go through, the Governor intends to apply and present a draft proposal to the Otoo-san/Okaa-san Project Support (OOPS) Committee in Tokyo next month.

 

-Asahi Shimbun, 2010年2月23日

[qwertyaardvark]

UPDATE: Project on Finite Hiatus - Further Work Delayed Till Graduation

 

Just an FYI for those who notice project threads that just suddenly stop updating, and letting people know this project is down, but not out. :)

 

Despite wanting to continue on the layout, grad school and my wallet have finally caught up to me. Looks like this project won't be worked on, let alone completed, until after my graduation in early May and moving back to my home in Houston or where ever I happen to find a job. While fortunate the layout can be used to run trains (and will most certainly be taken advantage of), building kits and the like will most likely collect dust in the coming months. Gone are the days I can check the forum so often that I only read 1-3 new topics at a time. Recently I've had to read them in bunches of 10-20.... Looks like I'll also be missing out on the second Project Party...

 

*sadface* ;_;

 

Will try to stay active as much as I can in the coming months.

[Mudkip Orange]

I'm at almost the exact same point with MD2.0, although I'm holding out hope that I'll get a part-time "McJob" before graduation (and the real jobs), in which case I'll definitely divert some cash towards the layout...

[CaptOblivious]

qwerty, I feel your pain; only I'm in grad school, and am finishing my dissertation. It's crack-down time…*sigh*

 

UPDATE: Project on Finite Hiatus - Further Work Delayed Till Graduation

 

Just an FYI for those who notice project threads that just suddenly stop updating, and letting people know this project is down, but not out. :)

 

Despite wanting to continue on the layout, grad school and my wallet have finally caught up to me. Looks like this project won't be worked on, let alone completed, until after my graduation in early May and moving back to my home in Houston or where ever I happen to find a job. While fortunate the layout can be used to run trains (and will most certainly be taken advantage of), building kits and the like will most likely collect dust in the coming months. Gone are the days I can check the forum so often that I only read 1-3 new topics at a time. Recently I've had to read them in bunches of 10-20.... Looks like I'll also be missing out on the second Project Party...

 

*sadface* ;_;

 

Will try to stay active as much as I can in the coming months.

[Bernard]

Quarty - I know that you have been busy of late but have you had time to work on the layout?

[qwertyaardvark]

UPDATE: Continued Hiatus, Moving Layout to Houston Home, Spring Break Job Seeking

 

@Bernard: Pardon the slow response, as I'm checking JNS on a few-days/weekly basis... :( *sad* Unfortunately, I didn't get any time on the sankei building kits, let alone the layout, and probably wont until mid-May.

 

Tomorrow, I'm driving back for spring break and bringing my layout and all train stuff to store in my room till I graduate. And looking at my google calendar for the month of April, I won't have much hope of working on anything, which is the basis of why I'm moving the layout. Furthering this series of unfortunate events, spring break will be spent primarily not relaxing or working on the layout, but on job seeking. Having only a little over one month to graduation, I still haven't secured a job... ;_;

 

To make the April Hell worth it, the job seeking will sow the seeds for a job in May that will a) free my soul after 5pm on weekdays for the rest of my life and b) have a real income to devote to trains. Right now, I've got at least one job application and words could not express my happiness if I were to get this awfully-close-to-my-idea-of-a-dream-job job. It is a startup (ive recently begun to hate the idea of corporate) renewable energy company (green!) that has an office in Dallas (yay back in Texas) and requires ~50% traveling (wait for it...) to Japan (ZOMG!) to act as liason engineer between the R&D labs in Japan/Korea and manufacturing centers here in the US. Aside from the obvious J-train benefits, this'll also do wonders to my Japanese which may finally break free of the "Academic Japanese" barrier that can only be overcome with total immersion. On the other end of this job desirability spectrum... I may just work for the energy oil companies located in Houston, get paid well to pay off my ever-interest-accruing student loans and jump ship to a more desirable job later. Too many unknowns and uncertainties... such is life.

 

Pardon the off-project-topic-ness, and advanced apologies on the month I'll continue being absent. orz

[Mudkip Orange]

Having only a little over one month to graduation, I still haven't secured a job... ;_;

 

I'm in the exact same boat, and I wish you the best of luck.

[Bernard]

I also wish you the best and I hope you get your dream job. I understand perfectly well about the time you are going to have to dedicate to your career at this point, but still keep in touch.

[qwertyaardvark]

*blows dust off thread*

 

Guess who's back?

 

It's been too long since ive visited... the unread posts page is 3 pages long! x_x

 

Well, graduation has come and gone, and I'm almost settled back at home in Houston. Though still job searching, it looks like I can squeeze in some time to finally get back to working on the project, albeit at much less fanatical pace I had going earlier on this year. Along with the free time, some funds have been secured and a compressor/airbrush purchase is a top priority. The only thing stopping me from ballasting the rest of the track and landscaping the layout is building/road placement, so the construction of the obscene amount of buildings i ordered is necessary for building placement. Looks like it'll be a long haul of plastic and paper kit construction... Ganbarimasu yo~~ ^^;;

 

@mudkip or anyone in the greater Houston area: any hobby stores you would suggest I ought to look at that had a decent airbrush/compressor selection and decent prices? (am willing to support local shops, but internet shop suggestions okay too)

[Mudkip Orange]

I have no idea on airbrushes.

[scott]

Well, welcome back, and congratulations on the graduation!

[Mudkip Orange]

So it's been four months since you posted in this thread man. What's new?

[qwertyaardvark]

Sup, JNS. It has indeed been a long since ive posted ^^;;

 

Can't say that there's been any work done on the layout, but now that i have some semblance of a real job (which i'll start sometime in the coming week), work on the layout may again continue soon. I have acquired an airbrush (Iwata Eclipse w/ gravity feed) and compressor (Iwata Silver Jet). They got a good breaking in while I worked on another hobby of mine over the summer: commissioned anime cosplay props. Painting quite a number of plastic resin replica models has given me some good practice before trying my hand on the plastic kits for Ougakemachi. As mentioned in my last post, the buildings are next on the to-do list, and so i'll be digging those kit sets out of closet and working on those once ive gotten the hang of my work schedule ( graveyard shift... x_x;; ). Hopefully, another update will be within a week or so. Until then, i'll continue lurking in the forum shadows... :)

[Bernard]

Hey, if you're doing a lot of airbrushing...why don't you post some tips in scenery. Right now I've got "runny paint on model" down pat!

[Mudkip Orange]

---BUMP---

 

Better watch out, some dude just copied your layout design...

 

http://www.jnsforum.com/index.php/topic,2809.0/topicseen.html