Nooksack Valley Fruit and Produce Co.

 

Exploring ideas for produce warehouse

In my last post I discussed the idea of using a grain elevator for the 4th spur track or industry in the town of Nooksack. While I still think that a wooden grain elevator is a prototype proven to be appropriate, I don't like how it would fit in this location. As my model railroad grows, I plan to use the elevator kit and small feed supply building somewhere, just not here. In an earlier post about long range plans, I see several opportunities for planning for a grain elevator. As I am now skeptical about having a logging supply company here in Nooksack, what will the industry be?

Well, doing some research and staying in the agricultural theme, a produce warehouse or more accurately a local packing house might be an appropriate choice. My prototype for the town of Nooksack is its nearby sister town of Everson, and as seen in several recent posts I am also using Ferndale for some prototype reference. Everson did have a cannery as a major industry. It and Ferndale also had Carnation condensery plants. As I am planning on modeling the one outside Ferndale, I am omitting the idea of a second one here in Nooksack. One of the founders of the town of Everson planted fruit tree orchards after the immediate area was logged in the late 19th century. In addition to apples, other fruits were marketed such as prunes, pears, and cherries. Berries and potatoes were other agricultural products shipped from the area. By the 1950s, Eastern Washington was the major apple supplier, but agricultural goods would still be distributed from Whatcom county. 

A few research resources to remember moving forward:

• History Link Everson Thumbnail -- Everson History
• Yakima Valley Libraries Fruit Crate Collection -- Fruit and Apple Industry
• FoundSF Produce Market -- Detail Photographs
• Industries Along the Tracks by Jeff Wilson
• Fruit Shipping History

In terms of building a packing house complex, I have some ideas. First of all I have parts left from a previous kitbashing project on the Ingleton shelf layout. I have a front wall and other pieces that I could use to kitbash a brick structure. Many of the brick or masonry structures used as cold storage or produce warehouse buildings are painted white, so I could consider exploring reproducing that look.  I think that I might use the green roofed Walthers warehouse here instead of with the cannery. At least for now I can use it as a stand in. I would also consider scratchbuilding a simple structure here. Working out the tansition into the backdrop will be a challenge, but a challenge that I enjoy. 

Another consideration with adding an idea for an industry is adding or having appropriate rolling stock to partner with that industry. Although I didn't really need it, I recently ordered a Western Fruit Express Steel Reefer from the Great Northern Railway Historical Society. I also had on the shelf a three pack of wooden WFEX reefers. While none of these are in my original rolling stock roster, these would be worthy additions, matching the needs of a packing plant. 

Granted that neither building a packing house complex or a group of car kits is high on my priority list right now, I do feel comfortable with this plan for the final unknown industry in the town of Nooksack. For now, the plan is to finalize some of the projects that I have underway, and after the holidays get focused on making some progress!

Updates: Passenger Service, Initial Operations, and Nooksack Industries

After Dick Bradley commented last month, I went down the rabbit hole of learning about steam generators and clues to tell if a locomotive is appropriate for passenger service. The F7 that I have been using has no visible signs of having a steam generator, and F7 A units rarely had them. In GN passenger service A units were seldom used without being paired with a B unit, where the steam generator would be located. On the other hand, my GP7, seen above, does appear to have a steam generator in its short hood. The clues are the air intake dome and exhaust vent located among the short hood details. Looking at the prototype references mentioned in an earlier post and rooftop detail descriptions in this thread, my GP7 is much more applicable for use in passenger service than the F7 that I have been using. 

Since my last post, I have not made much progress on the combine, but I have gathered the parts I plan to use. Today I weighed the parts, the weights that came with the kit, the metal replacement wheels and the battery for the marker lights. Unfortunately I will need to add some additional weights to bring it up to NMRA recommended weight. As I configure how to wire the power switch into the underbody of the car, I will also have to figure where to add weight. I am reasonably happy with the weathering of the trucks, so I may as well start working my way upwards from there with construction of the car seen in my last post.

Whether they end up as passenger or freight power, both the F7 and GP7 need to be "broken in," so I have been using them in my first trial ops sessions. I mentioned before that I have struggled figuring out what my initial operations approach might be with Nooksack and East Branch as essentially a one-town approach. I am trying to work out a sequence system following the Fun for One approach of Byron Henderson. The first few sequence steps are working well for me, but when I transition to classification or small yard work I hit what my friend Mike Hauk calls "infrastructure" issues. As seen in the photo, the switch list ends up on the railroad. I need some sort of surface for writing the switch list. I don't know yet wether clipboard, shelf, or roll out desk is the answer. The agent desk approach that I discussed here and here may well work as the 4th Subdivision grows, but for this first phase it just seems to add an extra layer. To make up the switch list, I propped the car cards up against the cars and filled out the switch list before gathering and removing them. Now that the switch list is complete, I am set up to do some classifying and return to the sequence. After I work out some kinks, I will post with more detail on the sequence system.

Delving into the Ferndale Memories website for prototype passenger service ideas, I also reevaluated the industries that I am planning for Nooksack. The cannery, the team track, and the fuel dealer will all stay, but I am seriously considering replacing the planned Slease Supply with an elevator and a small feed supply building that I had started for my Meadville layout. In the arial shot and some photos of Ferndale on that website, a grain elevator and feed supply are located on a spur much like the spur here at Nooksack. As I work my way from rolling stock back to structure building, I am thinking that the grain company may better capture the atmosphere or feel of 1950s in Whatcom County. 

Passenger Car Lineup -- Part 3

 

In my most recent posts I mentioned this Roundhouse combine kit that I had on hand. After stripping the paint from it and a coach, I decided to move forward with this Harriman combine. My first step, after removing the cast on grabs, was to paint the body, using Tamiya TS-5 Olive Drab. I had picked up the green can along with Tamiya spray primer last year. I like the Tamiya paint; it goes on smoothly with very little build up. It was a nice clear fall day when I sprayed the two cars, so I worked outside. The paint is very smelly and the ingredient list is long and I am guessing toxic. I am glad that I worked outside. 

In my last post I mentioned going to a train show hoping to pick up some details. The show really focused on Lionel/O gauge trains, so although it was a big show, I didn't find much HO scale beyond swap meet kind of stuff. I did stop at Trains and Lanes on the way home from Allentown and found some diaphragms and picked up one pair to try. I also ordered some other details online, including passenger grab irons and seats. They should be arriving in the next few days. 

After going down a few rabbit holes of researching just how not prototypical this car would be anywhere, never mind on the GN, and ideas for building and detailing it, I started working on it. I am staying with the Talgo trucks for now; if I keep this car long term I will reconfigure later. I do want to experiment with weathering the car, so the first step was to spray the trucks with Dullcoat. As we have had our first blast of winter (10 inches of snow) I used the spray booth. I recently reread a Cody Grivno MR article suggesting Vallejo model washes for weathering trucks. As I have his suggested colors of Oiled Earth and European Dust on hand, I will try that technique. 

Passenger Car Lineup -- Part 2

Updated passenger lineup

While it is not really a pressing matter, I have continued along this vein of developing an operational and reasonable roster for potential passenger car service on the 4th Subdivision. 

After my last post I found my Sprog, downloaded JMRI to my new laptop, and set up the addresses on the two locomotives that I mentioned. The F7 seen above and the GP7 both have their DCC addresses set to their road numbers now, and they both are working fine out of the box. Without an option for continuous running, I will need to spend some time running them to get them "broken in" before I tackle weathering them. 

The F7, 312C, is a logical choice for passenger service with its factory applied diaphragm. I'm guessing that the diaphragm feature is because of the original intention of it to be a part of a multi-unit consist, but it still adds to the passenger train feel. I suspect that for now I will use the F7 as the power for an initial passenger local on the first phase, Nooksack centered, operations set up. While it appears from the Ferndale Memories websites that G7s were used in passenger service, I will use the GP7 for freight in my initial train running to get it broken in as well. 

My Harriman RPO, flying the orange and green paint scheme, went through a basic standards check. It has metal wheels, the coupler height checked out, and the weight was spot on for NMRA RP 20.1. While the GN did not have such a car, the model will work just fine for now as a stand-in. I used to run it as a trailer with my doodlebug,* but for now it will be the RPO on my first passenger line up. With its wire grabs and flashy paint scheme it will be a solid contributor once it has a little bit of weathering. I do appear to be running it backwards though. Oops.

This through baggage car replaces the truss rod coach car in my first passenger line up. It passed my basic standards evaluation with metal wheels, acceptable coupler height, and matching NMRA weight guidelines, It is not GN, but Canadian National Railways. The lineups shown in the Ferndale Memories website photos show lots of baggage and other head end cars including one or two from other lines. It would not be too much of an outlier headed towards (or from) the GN mainline and Vancouver. 

This other head end car, an express refrigerator car, is a GN car.  It did not pass my basic standards evaluation without some work. One of the couplers was not working well, so I replaced its couplers with Kadee whisker style scale couplers. I also placed a couple of drops of glue on one end's connection between the underbody and that end, as the body of the car was loose. After those few adjustments, it passed the routine standards check. 

The one thing missing for initial passenger service at this point is the ability to carry passengers. Last night, at the Thursday modeling night Zoom meeting, I attempted stripping paint from the coach and combine mentioned in my last post. I plan to move forward with working on the coach: clean up some flash, double check the paint stripping, and move on with painting. I rummaged in my stash of decals and have some GN passenger car decals. I am going to a nearby train show this weekend, and I will look for passenger car details.  My next post should either be updates on the progress of a car for passengers or a report on an ops session giving some running time to these two "new" locomotives. 

*The doodlebug is out of commission until I hardwire in a sound decoder, a project I am not ready to tackle right now.

Convoluted Application of a Convention Clinic

 

Clearly not a steam locomotive, but my current passenger consist!

At the recent Piedmont Junction MER Convention, I attended a number of clinics. One, by Chuck Davis, stuck with me, even though the main topic turns out to not really directly apply: "Modifying and Detailing Plastic Steam Engines." After returning home from travels to Maine and North Carolina, I did dig out my BLI Blue Line GN steam engine with its glitchy decoders. In addition to needing a new decoder, the need to convert its tender from coal to oil, and the obvious lack of a Belpaire firebox, the biggest issue is that all GN steam had been replaced by first generation diesels on the Cascade Division by 1954. I am not changing the date of my railroad setting! So how might this clinic apply?

I can apply Chuck's overall approach to my passenger train(s) on the 4th Subdivision of the Cascade Division in 1954. So what is this overall approach? He discussed an approach to modeling steam locomotives that he picked up from one of his mentors (who's name I didn't jot down) when he started out. It consists of basically three steps:

1. Research
2. Identify/exaggerate key features
3. Add details by modifying existing or finding a mechanism and scratchbuilding

Research

Right now, I have three main sources of research. One is as a member of the Great Northern Historical Society. For example, in this June 2023 issue, the cover photo is of train #682 showing a GP9 and an older combine waiting in Shelby, Montana for the arrival of the Empire Builder on the mainline. The 681/682 was a mixed train carrying passengers, freight, and mail on the 37 mile branch line between Shelby and the Canadian border that disappeared from the timetable by 1960. A second source is a website that I recently rediscovered focusing on Ferndale, Washington in the mid 1950s. The memories (and photos) of a young rail fan from the mid 1950s are a great resource for researching small towns in western Washington as well as train make ups. A third source is the Morning Sun book, Great Northern, in color, Volume 1: Lines West. Lots of actual train photos here, although a lot are from the early 60s. 

Identifying Key Features

In the clinic that I presented in Durham, I talked about atmosphere, realism, and flexible operations.  Tied into several of these general topics, I want branchline switching with Great Northern practices that fit the atmosphere of the time and place. Looking at the opening photo of my current passenger line up, I see several issues. First of all, while the Morning Sun book does show an example of a three car passenger train headed by a switch engine in branchline service, it is an NW5, a fairly ubiquitous engine. While the GN did have VO-1000s, they only had ten in total across the entire system. The trailing coach in my lineup is a wooden coach with truss rods, a car that would not be seen other than in MOW service after the 1920s or 1930s, clearly an anachronism.  

Mail cars, baggage express cars, coaches, and first generation diesels are to be expected. Mixed paint schemes in short branch line line ups are to be expected, but are not universal. While I had not planned on having a mixed train, the GP and combine seen on the cover of the Great Northern Goat is a prototype to consider. I hadn't considered a mail crane or a train order board for my town of Nooksack, but now I am thinking of them as necessities after looking at the photos in the Memories of a Young Railfan site. 

Nowhere in my research have I found information about milk traffic yet, let alone a milk train on the GN in the time period that I am modeling. A Carnation milk condensory was located just outside Ferndale as well as in Everson with train sidings. They were not as busy by the 1950s, but still in use. At that time, the one in Ferndale had slowed down enough that part of the plant was used for potato storage. I want to model the milk traffic, but it might not be milk trains. 

A shift in key features might be in order: no milk train, but add a mixed train.

Existing Rolling Stock and Details

Wether it is for a milk train or a mixed train such as 681/682, a combine would be a necessity. I have a Roundhouse/MDC kit on hand. While as a Harriman style car, it is not prototypical for GN, but it is what I have. The RPO that I have in GN colors is also a Harriman car. At any rate, the combine can at least function as a stand in and skill improvement project. I plan to strip the existing paint and repaint in Pullman green. Metal wheels, proper weight, Kadee couplers, wire grabs, and basic decals are also details to add. Other possibilities include diaphragms, interior, and lighting.

A more appropriate kit for GN is this Athearn Blue Box coach. Again, paint stripping and repainting in Pullman Green would be a start. Metal wheels and Kadee couplers along with proper weight would be required to hit my rolling stock standards. Appropriate decals and wire grabs would be good skill building activities for me and add to the cars appearance. Diaphragms, interior, and lighting would also be worthwhile projects. 

In terms of locomotives, my two most recent additions to my roster (actually over a span of around five years) are these two. On the bottom is an F7 from Walthers Proto in Great Northern livery. Above is GP7, also a Walthers Proto. Both have sound decoders, but have not been programed or run. I don't think either is set up for passenger service, but they both are typical and appropriate for prototypical use on the Cascade Division in 1954 and on my 4th Subdivision. Starting with finding my JMRI Sprog and setting it up on the new laptop, these two need some basic programming and then running time on the Nooksack first phase!

Having used Chuck Davis's outline, I see that I have some work to do on my passenger car line up to start initial service that meets my goals. The RPO and the Refrigerator Express car in my current consist could stand a standards review, and as seen above, I have several rolling stock projects lined up. Finally, I have two locomotives that need to be set up and broken in. 

Planning After Moving: Clinic and Handout Links

At last week's MER convention, Piedmont Junction 2024, I gave a clinic on planning a new version of my model railroad after moving. A main gist of the clinic was how I determined what I actually wanted. The presentation also discussed a design process presented by Lance Mindheim that I followed showing examples of several options. Finally I revealed my first steps using the TOMA approach. 

I have added a slide to the presentation showing my proposed next steps as mentioned in a post from September (after I submitted my clinic). The slide presentation and handout are linked below, assuming I have successfully gotten Google Drive to talk with my blog.

During the Q & A session one audience member asked about my reference to Marty McGuirk, and I couldn't remember the name of his blog. It is the Central Vermont Railway, and it is listed in my Blog List here to the right. 

Link to download the PDF of clinic slides

Link to download the handout

East Branch Scenery Updates -- Part 4

Here at the eastern end of the East Branch staging yard, the first phase of scenery is complete. Yes, more details could be added such as crossbucks, static grass tufts, and more bushes or shrubs. However, for the first layer, it is complete enough to move on. This scene generates Pacific Northwest atmosphere which is one of my goals. This scene also brings to a successful close the fix or extension to the originally planned staging. The first layer of ground foam and other scenery materials disguises the abrupt foam hillside to some extent. Time to move on!

Here, another section of the East Branch staging module exhibits enough first layer of scenery for me to feel ready to move on. The track is ballasted, the original clearcut area has been expanded, and some texture is applied from the berm and gap in the rear to the front fascia. Another layer of scenery should be applied later, but a foundational level of atmosphere and realism goals are there. Now, I need to get up the gumption to add to the first layer of scenery between these two areas, at least make sure that some texture is applied everywhere beyond painted plywood before I return to the Nooksack module's buildings, scenery, and operations.

In my last post, I discussed long range plans and a desire to improve the surroundings in the basement. While I do want to connect the two first phase finished areas ASAP, my thoughts about the basement were reinforced  when our new cat sitter came by to meet Jane and Gracie yesterday. When we mentioned the trains, she wanted to see them. As the first phase of the 4th Subdivision is coming together and I can take some pride in it,  I fear that the surrounding basement is more than a distraction; it destroys the illusion. Some improvements to the surroundings must be fit into the schedule!

TOMA In the 4th Subdivision -- Long Range Plans

Sketch Plan/Design for the 4th Subdivision

I spent the past few weeks revising a presentation on planning a new model railroad after moving and writing the accompanying handout that I will be giving at the MER convention in October. The clinic discusses both general plans for designing a model railroad and how I designed this one. I break the presentation into three parts: To get what you want you have to know what you want, the actual steps I took in designing a model railroad, and using TOMA. 

Nooksack and Staging

For much of the past couple of years, I have slowly made progress on the first phase of TOMA, the town of Nooksack with staging on both ends. The east staging, now named East Branch, will be fully sceniced and is a new module that I have written about a lot here on the blog. While I am somewhat disappointed in the slow progress so far, I feel like what I have accomplished has been somewhat successful. I do need to make a commitment to picking up the speed here as we enter "model railroad season." One major issue is that I have used something like the TOMA approach to providing the space for my railroad. This has been what I see as my largest mistake so far. This piecemeal transition from unfinished basement to layout room has not been satisfying and may be a contributing factor to lack of progress.

TOMA Phases Color Coded

While working on my presentation and thinking about progress on the "train room," I have returned to thinking about the long term goals for the entire railroad. Phase 1 is the town of Nooksack, well under way. My plan for Phase 2 is for Ferndale, a major interchange and fiddle yard, in addition to a new section of mainly scenery including a fill and cut to be added left (to the west) of Nooksack. That area of the basement is very decrepit right now. Although I don't want to start building any benchwork, I think that I should move to room prep of the Phase 2 area of the basement before Nooksack is finished. It would make for more desirable surroundings for me and acceptable surroundings for visitors.  

Moving into even longer range plans, the color coded illustration shows what I am thinking of in future phases of TOMA construction. Phase 3 will replace the temporary East Branch staging with the permanent town of Chikamin and a totally new section with scenery and an interchange between Chikamin and the Nooksack section. At the same time, the East Branch sceniced staging will move to in front of the posts as seen in the illustration. Phase 4 will be the blob peninsula and Phase 5 will be the Port Gulick scene. Other than an existing module from Meadville that is planned as the core of the town of Chikamin, all these sections will be new construction. 

We will see how much of this long term planning comes to fruition, but for now work on the first phase and some improvement of the surroundings in the basement need to press forward.

Wordless Wednesday #3 -- Meet at Railroad Museum of Pennsylvvania

 

East Branch Scenery Updates -- Part 3

Working from the east end

In my last post I ended discussing a patch of trees as a way to disguise the dead-end of the far end of the East Branch Staging.

The first step was to pencil in the location of shadows on the sky from the temporarily placed trees. Then, during a recent Thursday modeling night, I painted in some trees using acrylic craft paints and some brown from the lid of my gallon of latex brown dirt color. Finding the green to be too light compared to the furnace filter trees, I mixed up a slightly darker color and added some darker brush strokes with slightly more detailed branch ends. The next day I drilled holes for the trees and marked them with toothpicks before adding a layer of a Scenics Express "Conifer Floor Blend," a ground foam and static grass mix, to the area.

In addition to gluing down the ground cover, I also applied ballast to the track, here between the tree locations. After the scenic glue had dried I went ahead and fit the five furnace filter trees in place. While no one has been able to explain the the reason for the phenomenon to me, I am a believer in the "odd number groups of trees looking more natural" theory. The five trees are made up of different colors, sizes, and construction techniques. While they actually block the track, the illusion and hidden shadows by the painted trees on the backdrop works well enough for me. 

In my previous post I explained the materials and techniques used for ballasting here on the East Branch staging section. While working here, I went ahead and finished ballasting the main and passing tracks between the clearcut and here at the east end. As seen in the photo, one segment of the ground needs some additional first layer work behind the passing track. My notion is that a path needs to be added, a gravel parking area at the end of the gravel road should be included, and some landscaping needs to be worked out around the yard office (which needs to be finished). 

Working backwards from the patch of trees, a section of the backdrop needed work. If nothing else, the patch between sections of backdrops created with the runaround extension from last September has never been resolved. I decided on showing a clearcut going into the distance. 

Using Google image, I went through a number of photos online until deciding on one from an online report from the University of Cincinnati. I did a screen grab and then saved a portion as a JPEG. My first idea was to do some old school cut and paste before glueing it into the backdrop as an experiment with collaging a photo into the painted backdrop. While trying out various positions of my photo cut outs, I changed my mind. Why not just use the photo as a source and try painting the distant ground and trees instead of trying to blend the photo with the rest of the painted backdrop? So, that is what I did. 

By having a source photo to work from and using my standard latex brown as one of my colors along with a few craft store paints, I think the transition from 2D backdrop to 3D bench-top works. I am not going to give up on ever collaging in a photo into the backdrop, but I will save that technique for buildings. The technique that I think will make that work is applying visual foils on either side of the building, an approach suggested by one of my model railroad inspirations: Paul Dolkos. Paul passed away earlier this month, but I was able to briefly meet him and visit his Baltimore Harbor Railroad several years ago before his railroad was taken down. 

In the last photo, the railroad crossing boards can be seen glued down, and the stumps are loosely positioned, but still need additional weathering. While I am making progress here on the East Branch staging, I still have more to do before I can say, "The first layer of scenery here is complete, let's run some trains and return to Nooksack." First layer of scenery is a doable goal here within a reasonable length of time, and may supply inspiration for additional progress on the railroad as a whole. 

Next Steps:

• Stump weathering
• Yard office completed
• Switch stands
• First layer of ground cover where missing
• Experiment with static grass and static grass mats

East Branch Scenery Updates -- Part 2

For a variety of reasons, some good and some not so great, I have not been working very steadily on the railroad. I have made some progress though with next layers of scenery, ballasting, and finalizing the plans for scenery here on the East Branch section. 

This photo shows the area behind the tracks where I envision extending the clearcut. I continued to work on staining and painting some stumps that I had ordered, but they are not yet where I want them. I got them to a point where I am happy with the color representing just-cut trees, but the stumps need additional weathering to age them for this scene. Also, they are stumps of large trees! I have ordered some more smaller stumps to mix in. Once the additional stumps are ready and the clearcut area is expanded, I will post with details about the process. 

Working outwards from this same area, I started the next layer of scenery, which in this case, consists of ballasting the track and adding ground cover along the track. One of the standards that I have established for the railroad is the use of real rock ballast instead of the ground walnut shell materials from Woodland Scenics. Here, I am using Arizona Rock and Mineral 1152 "Empire Builder" for the mainline and passing track. For the spur track I am using Scenic Express #50 Blended Ballast. In an earlier post, I discussed my ballasting techniques. 

After ballasting a section of track and while the scenic cement was still wet, I sprinkled on some fine ground foam along the ballast edge. I used Earth Blend and Green Blend of Blended Turf from Woodland Scenics. As seen in the photo, I applied the Blended Turf in gaps between the ballast and earlier applied sanded grout. While I plan to later apply additional scenic layers such as static grass tufts and mats as well as static grass fields, shrubs, and bushes, for now my goal consists of applying a first layer obscuring any painted plywood. 

While I am working outward from a clearcut patch, not all of the East Branch staging section is intended to be clearcut. Evergreen trees are part of the identifying atmosphere of the "Evergreen State," so as I mentioned in my last post, I have gotten into my stash of trees. I found one bag of somewhat derelict trees, some from my module days with a layer of "snow" and some half completed furnace filter trees. After picking out the best and poking them into a foam block, I took them outside for a quick blast of dark green camouflage spray paint.  I plan to utilize trees I have on hand here on this sceniced staging section before going into a new phase of tree construction. 

The far end of this section where the track runs into the backdrop has been a bit of a conundrum. One temptation is to apply some mirror trickery. On the other hand this is a "temporary" staging section and that might be considered a bit of overkill. In fussing with some of the trees I have on hand, I think that I have a plan. First of all, in placing some conifers temporarily, I see that painted trees on the backdrop are needed to hide the shadows from the three-dimensional ones. With the tracks running into dark shadows and patch of trees, I am thinking the dead end will be sufficiently visually disguised.

I still have quite a lot to do on the East Branch, but I plan to start by focusing here at this end before working my way back towards the clearcut and the Nooksack section. The first phase of work here at this end will include:

• Backdrop painting
• Track ballasting 
• Gluing the crossing planks
• Applying ground cover
• Applying static grass mat and tufts
• Adding shrubs, bushes, and trees

East Branch Scenery Updates

A little bit of Pacific Northwest "Atmosphere"

In my last post I mentioned that the scenery on the East Branch staging had become a series of stumbling blocks that morphed into a gumption trap. Over the last week or so I have tried to work through them.

One area that had been bothering me was the road towards the east end of the East Branch. I had glued down cork sections for the road, but I was not really happy with them. As seen in the photo I applied a first layer of wallboard mud when I was adding sculptamold to the painted plywood last month. Even after sanding and painting with gray craft paint, I still was not pleased with how it looked. Trimming a too wide section of the curve was a step in the right direction. Another layer of joint compound, sanding, and painting . . . warmer, but not there yet.

Well, it was time for the scenery material du jour: sanded grout. I have been experimenting with sanded grout as a first layer, combing it with various other materials, and preparing a short clinic on using it. Here, I mixed up a dry batch of mainly gray sanded grout and some gray fine ballast from Woodland Scenics and used my now standard approach: white glue, grout mixture tapped from a spoon, isopropyl alcohol, and scenic cement. One issue with the cork road surface was the dip where the cork ended. I was able to disguise that with the grout mixture. While it is still not perfect, I am satisfied with the texture here on this gravel road.

As I mentioned before, I have been applying sanded grout as a first layer on a lot of the East Branch sceniced staging. In this photo I am applying a second layer over an area that appeared "too" soupy after the scenic cement was applied. Particularly when this second layer is a subtly different mix of grout colors or additives, this adds a variety of color and texture without impacting the overall unity of the scene. This is one of the kinds of scenic techniques that approach using elements and principles of art that Lance Mindheim discusses in his book, Model Railroading as Art. 

Two of the goals that I have for building this model railroad are to strive for the model railroad to function as a three dimensional art form and to capture the "atmosphere" of the Pacific Northwest. Yes, it is a model railroad and the trains are important, but maybe they aren't the top priority for me that they may be for some others.

With the goal of capturing some atmosphere, I tackled one area of the berm between the three dimensional benchtop and the backdrop. It already had a first layer of sanded grout applied, and I wanted to attempt to model a section of clearcut there. Using Google images I looked at a number of photos of clearcuts. I had some plaster stump moldings on hand and ordered some more. Using the older ones, I stained them with a dark gray wash and started arranging them in place. Once I was happy with their placement, I used some of my dry grout mixture to level their bases. In the photo one can see this leveling process. 

Having been exploring the look of clearcuts, I decided to expand on my first layer approach and move this scene into a more finished state. I explored using a spray/mister bottle to apply the alcohol wetting agent. Having noticed stray sticks of various sizes abandoned among the stumps in the photos, along with rocks and some greenery, that is what I tried to model. I had a box of grayish (I think oregano) branches that I had collected from our garden in Meadville, and I got into my tub of scenery materials to find some static grass clumps and other foliage. Placing them on the damp grout, I then applied scenic cement.  The end results can be seen in the opening photo of this post. 

Having gotten started, I am enjoying the process. Next up, I envision the clearcut area doubling, exploring with static grass mats and static grass applicator, getting into my box of trees, and ballasting the track. I just watched a couple of videos of model railroaders stating that having one section of completed scenery inspired them to be enthused about their railroad. 

What's Been Happening On the Railroad: Stumbling Blocks or Gumption Traps?

It has been over a month since I last posted, Yikes! I shouldn't get too down on myself; it is somewhat expected that summer is a slow season for model railroading. I have done a few things, just not the steady progress that I had laid out for myself. Some slow progress has continued on the Curtis Cannery roof-top water tower, but I hit a small stumbling block. I tidied up the railroad, cleaned track, and did some solo operations, but I hit a bit of a stumbling block. (Do we sense a theme here?) Just last week I spent some time in the basement because it was the only cool part of the house during our week long heat wave. While there, I returned to scenery on the East Branch, which had been stymied by, wait for it, a series of stumbling blocks.

While my original drawings for the water tower had a different approach, I changed the plan at the last minute to the 12' X12' posts all aligned as straight and plumb verticals with a 90 degree angle at the base instead of many of the posts in the bents having a slight angle. I saw this approach with all straight posts and an angled board added at the end of the bent in a coal trestle somewhere, but I don't remember where. I may be breaking the "don't model from models" rule here. At any rate, I drew over my original drawing, cut and stained the parts, and went ahead starting to glue up the bents with braces as seen in the photo. 

Avoiding the heat working outside on another day, I went down to the workbench in the basement and wrapped up the rest of the braces and slanted end boards. After the glue was dry, I started brainstorming how to tie the joists holding the tank up, the bents, and the tank itself together. I was able to accurately glue the bents together by lining the parts up on the waxed paper covered drawing. Attempting to balance the 6" X 12" joists and bents in place with my shaky hands was unsuccessful as a trial of the new process. This was the stumbling block I mentioned earlier. At first I thought I would have to design a fixture to hold the joists in position and then glue the bents in place upside down. Now I am thinking that an easier approach is to glue the central joists in position at the bottom of the tank with the tank upside down before gluing the bents in place. At least I now have a plan, and I can move forward with cutting the joists to length and staining them. 

As I mentioned in the first paragraph, I spent a couple of afternoons in the basement with solo operations. I am experimenting with the notion of having the car cards at an agent's desk that I discussed here and here earlier this spring. Clearing off the layout and cleaning track and loco wheels went fine. I arranged some cars in place and made up the first switchlist. After that I ran a first session that was enjoyable, lasted a little over an hour, and suggested that "model railroading is fun." But then, for the next session, the return of the first session's turn, I had too many cars in the East Branch yard, too many destinations, too many cars to pick up at the NP interchange. And worst of all, too much in my head moving back and forth from the railroad to the agent's desk. Model railroading was NOT fun. Well, over the last month, Lance Mindheim has posted links to some Switching Operations 101 videos on his YouTube channel and discussed solo operations on his blog. After considering his suggestions, my takeaway is to simplify and slow down, instead of trying to jam the operations plan of the whole completed 4th Subdivision into this one location and small yard. 

I had hit several stumbling blocks (actually, a full on gumption trap!) earlier this year on the East Branch staging. Looking back, this is probably why I started the cannery project. I was unhappy with how several parts of this temporary staging were turning out. (They all appear in this photo from February.) I tried justifying the obvious seam between two sections of sky panels as "deal with it, it's just temporary." Despite that, it bothers me every time I notice it, and I don't want to finish painting the tree line there because of it. On the aisle side of the module I had "scalloped" the fascia that I had installed after carving out some of the foam to create some three-dimensionality to the foam tabletop. I also had glued in a cork base for a road at the far end of the scene. I worried that I was in a "can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear" situation, but didn't want to start over, so I ground to a halt.

Last week, during the worst of our heat/humidity wave, I bit the bullet and mixed up some Sculptamold. I applied it along the edge of the fascia, hoping to emphasize some irregular natural ground surface and deemphasize the too regular scallop I had cut into the fascia. After painting with my standard brown color, I was satisfied that it had mostly worked. I also went ahead and applied some wall board mud to the cork road base. After painting that a gray color, I am still not happy with it. However, I can see what to do next to correct that, rather than worried I will make it worse and not willing to do anything. 

At this point, I would say that I have possible solutions to most of my stumbling blocks, so that I can move forward and not be a victim of multiple gumption traps. We still have a lot of yard/garden projects to complete, but the railroad in the basement feels more like a place I want to go, a mental respite not a chore.  

Wordless Wednesday #2 -- CNJ 113

Susquehanna Division rode behind CNJ 113 last weekend

 

Curtis Cannery -- Part 3

 

While work on the railroad has slowed down dramatically, it has not come to a complete standstill. Yardwork, family gatherings, and medical appointments all gathered into the same time frame. Despite not working very steadily, I have made some progress though on the cannery project. As seen in the opening photo, I did complete the loading dock for the brick building, now known as "Building #1."

Although I did a bit of experimenting with the wood block structures, mainly I have been working on the water tower intended for the roof of Building #1. I did a bit of internet sleuthing, finding a number of rooftop water tower images and an instruction video on Trains.com with Steve Otte on scratchbuilding a wooden water tower. As seen in this photo, I started the tank using a plastic Scotch tape core and a section of a toilet paper roll core. After cutting the cardboard tube to length and slicing it to narrow its width, I used double stick tape to secure the plastic core to the interior of the cardboard tube. Then I hit a bit of a gumption trap. I thought I had some thin balsa wood sheets to cut into circles for the top and bottom of the tank, but they were thicker and sturdier basswood. So I ordered some balsa from Amazon. I could have used cardboard, but I have found that the humidity variations in the basement do not treat thin cardboard very well. (Hmm, I wonder how that flimsy toilet paper tube will hold up?)

After the balsa top and bottom were successfully glued to the tube and allowed to dry under weight, the next step was to side the tank with scale 3" X 12" stripwood planks. After cutting them to length on the Northwest Chopper, staining them with Hunterline "Driftwood," and allowing them to dry, I started gluing them in place with yellow carpenter's glue. My hope is that by gluing the stripwood to the balsa top and bottom disks, the tank cylinder will hold up to the humidity shifts in the train room. Later I intend to use Steve Otte's approach to using jeweler's wire for the water tank bands, but for now it was time to move on. 

Just within the last few days, I went ahead and sketched up and then inked in scale drawings of the base for the water tower to be located on the roof of Building #1. The base will consist of four bents made up of scale 12" X 12" timbers and then probably 6" X 12" joists. The joists are seen penciled on the upper left projection in the drawing. My next steps will include cutting and staining the stripwood before covering the drawing with wax paper and using it as a template for gluing the bents together. I may decide to add braces and nut bolt washer castings; we will see how much detail I am motivated to add in addition to  the bands, building the tower roof, and adding a ladder.