More work on the river banks and Abutments

After getting the banks carved, I painted them with a multi green filter before adding vegetation. This will help hide the earth color.

One thing I didn't do when I made the abutments and piers, I forgot to add a lip around the three walls of the abutments.  I was reminded of doing this by a friend who said they looked odd being solid concrete and the rails laying on top of the concrete.  I had always planned to add sleeper ties under the rails but forgot about the lips.

So I found some strip styrene that looked about right and glued it on the three edges of each abutment.  This will give the illusion that the three walls were poured independently and not a solid mass of concrete.

Once dry I took a hobby knife and carved the tops to match any crumbling edges that I had carved into the MDF abutments previously.  Then painted and weathered them to match.

 Next I glued the sleeper ties in place and added ballast.

The ballast looks awfully bright, but I'll take care of that with Pan Pastels later.

  

 

River banks carved and curved

So I've been steadily working on the river banks over the last couple of weeks.

I got the first set of foam blocks installed and got most of them carved out.  Things were looking good.  But then I had an idea, what if I could enhance the depth of the river, make it look as if it continues around the bend?  So I grabbed a small mirror and started playing around with it.

After a few tries it looked as if this could work?  I've never made use of a mirror, although I've always wanted to.  Hmmmm?

After placing the mirror in what I thought was a good place, I stepped back and took a look at it.  Not bad, but I was going to have to change the angle of it as well as redo the foam blocks along the backdrop.

So the trouble was, at this angle it made the river bend to the right and not to the left.  So I ripped out the rear two blocks of foam and started playing around again with a pencil line, trying to line up the mirror so the bank turned to the left.  I had to angle the mirror quite a bit to make the curved pencil line line up properly.  But this would work.

I ordered a new larger mirror and sat it in place, then I got the two new foam blocks installed and carved them to fit.  Using the line I drew as a guide I shaped the last foam block and got them glued in placed.

The next thing to do was to get the blocks shaped and painted.

   

Floral foam river banks

After a little head scratching and some test fitting, I got the ceiling tile and beadboard foam removed and replaced it with the floral foam bricks.  I glued the bricks in with white glue on the bottoms and where they touch the remaining ceiling tile.

Once dry I'll start the carving process.  I extended the foam out past the abutments just a bit so that I have enough to work with as I slowly carve it back. Most of the bank will be beveled back without much detail as the biggest share of it I envision being covered completely by vegetation.

I also used lightweight spackling to fill in a seam and any irregularities on the plywood then got it sanded smooth. 

Target: The Ouachita River Bridges

I ran a couple of more sessions the last couple of weekends and I feel like things are running smooth enough with JMRI and trackwork that I think it's time to switch gears and start adding some more eye candy to the layout.  I'd like to get this done by this October for the OS Omaha weekend.

In December of 2016 I started reworking the straight track between Calion and El Dorado.  I'd always planned to have a river in this location.  The first thing I did was to reposition the main line to give it a nice little curve and then made plans for a bridge, well two bridges.

Today this is where it stands, and has been standing here since January 2, 2017.  It's been in this state of construction for 8 years now, I think it's stood the test of time.

The other day while staring at it, trying to figure out how to blend the river into the backdrop, the light bulb started to glow.  Instead of blending into the backdrop, why not put a bend in the river and make the shoreline sit against the backdrop?  Then I could hide the river with lots of trees.

After a bit I realized that I had seen this done before recently on a layout that I enjoy following.  The only thing different, that guy hid the bend in the river not only by trees, but with a large building, which I might be able to do as well?  If it does not hide the river completely, at least it'll serve as a distraction for the eyes. 

I'll cut out more foam and ceiling tile behind the truss bridge so the river bends to the right.  I can then go back and add more base along the backdrop.  The base is easy enough to cut out and reshape, but I think I'll use more of the dry floral foam blocks?  It's easy to cut and shape and unlike plaster or lightweight spackling, the foam makes it easy to insert trees into it. 

The river itself should be just about as easy to do, though I'm not sure if I'll pour a thin layer like the bog or if I'll just paint it and apply couple of layers of Gloss Mod Podge?  Here's what I'm shooting for the overall look.

A slow moving, muddy river.  The river banks will be easy, just cover them with heavy foliage and lots of trees...... right down to the banks.

  

OS Omaha 2025, part 3

With half the session over with, the next train that runs will be the NB #776.  The crew will pull the fresh power from the house and tie onto the cars on track #2 and head north.

As the train runs north, they are running R to L on the schematics.

Before 776 leaves Winnfield, they are instructed to shuffle some MOW cars that are sitting on the old main line (below the Union Scrap siding).  They need to move the rear car to the right) to front of the cars (on the left), this is more of an exercise that keeps the journals from freezing up as they sit waiting for use.  There are instructions for this move on the switch list.

Here at Ruston, the NB 776 will reach back into the Jct. and pick up any cars that the ICG left after the 775 left Ruston.

At this point before the #776 gets to El Dorado, train #35 will leave Little Rock and head south meeting the #776 at El Dorado.

  

At Haskell, AR, not only does the 776 work the interchange, it also works the Gavilon Fertilizer complex.  In doing both of these moves, 776 is allowed to run on the trackage that leads to Malvern.

Once finished in Haskell, the crew runs to Little Rock where they cut the caboose off on the engine facility loop and parks their train back on track #2 from where they started.  Then they cut the power off and return it to the fuel pit.

Now the yard switcher goes to work and retrieves the caboose. 

While this is going on in the yard, the Malvern PM crew pulls cars in Malvern and runs to Haskell, works the interchange and returns to Malvern to spots those cars and then the session draws to a close.

OS Omaha 2025, part 2

At the beginning of the session, the Malvern AM train starts the day by gathering up the cars that will be moved to the interchange at Haskell, AR.

The next train to run is the Little Rock Switcher.

There will be some changes made to the yard switcher sheet in time.

Once the switcher is done, the 775 crew will move the power from the fueling tracks and tie on to their respective train.  As the train runs south, they are running L to R on the schematics.

At this point before the #775 gets to El Dorado, train #34 will leave Alexandria and head north meeting the #775 at El Dorado.

At Ruston, the 775 stops to drop off some cars for the ICG.  In this case, the crew of the 775 breaks the train on the north side of the road crossing and pulls forward to clear the turnout so the ICG can get onto the main and grab the cars they need to pick up.

Ruston is the last job for the SB 775.  When its done, it heads through Winnfield, LA and pulls into the yard at Alexandria, LA.