I'm Back!!!!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL!

Heya, sorry for the long absence but many things going on and modeling is part of it!

BIG NEWS, the bridges are in, the bridges are in, they arrived last week and I must admit, the Kibri bridge is what I expected and the MBZ one is a HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT, for the money it cost and the 4 1/2 month wait, never again but it is in the plan and its here, so I'll use it.

Any ways, I have started a second Z scale layout on the computer but that will get mothballed for the time being.

I have however been working on an N scale layout, inspired by Trainfest 2011, all but 1 item I had in the house, other then the base. so a very inexpensive project! The one thing I did buy was a backdrop, never used one before and will all ways use them now!

I purchased it from Dave Burgess who owns Backdrop Junction; www.backdropjunction.com, as for me, I'll never buy a backdrop from any one else and NO he does not know I'm writing this!

His web site does not include any Z scale backdrops but he is willing and ready to resize one for you, he told me so in one of the many emails we exchanged.

Take a peak, I know its N scale but still its awesome.

OK, back to Z, did I tell you that the round houses came in and have been built? I got 2 of them from N Scale Architect, nice stuff! I also did receive the MTL Lighthouse, before Trainfest. I did have a chance to see the completed model at MTL's booth and from that completed model, I'm thinking MTL needs to resharpen there pencil and double check the measurements. Same great quality I, we have come to expect from MTL but its HUGE, I asked the MTL guys at the show if was N scale and they assured it me it is Z, my blog, my comments, my thoughts. LOL

I know there is tons more to tell you all but it just doesn't come to mind right now.

So everyone, a Merry Christmas or a Happy Holiday to you all and here's to a Great 2012!

Tying up Lose Ends

Nothing big to write about; one of those house cleaning type of weeks. I did receive a goodie box from the guys at BLW (Brooklyn Locomotive Works). Pete and his brother Paul and no they don’t have a sister Mary, I asked, have been incredibly helpful. They’re main business is N scale but they carry the MTL Z scale stuff.

So in the goodie box was some N scale stuff and the new MTL Wood Reefers, along with the MTL runner pack of GN coachs, the single GN passenger cars and some CN freight cars. All I can say is WOW, are these reefers handsome, beautifully detailed as with all the other MTL stuff.

I know there was some brew-hah on one of the Yahoo chat groups about these cars but gang save your comments until you see them, let me show you.

I did finish the Boradwalk & Fishing pier and buildings, they just need to be dull coated and there done.

I did find out the hard way but not too hard that I don't have to clear coat the structures before decaling; not sure if its a Z thing or MTL thing but when you apple the "Solvaset" it just doesn't sink the decals into the microply like the larger scales.

Nothing else comes to mind, still waiting on my bridges and waiting to hear from the Yahoo group about a power cable.

So until next time..............

Everything changes yet it stays the same

I uploaded the revised track plan, not that anything has changed but I moved some switches and added a coach yard. I also have placed two of the MTL piers/buildings but we all know how that goes. Finished some more buildings and still waiting on the bridges; has anyone out there ever ordered MBZ stuff, it looks really great but having to wait 8+ weeks for it is brutal.

The Ice House and Icing Platform; I will admit, one of my favorite structures so far.
For my nonmodeling friends, the platform is 8 inches long and 1 inch wide.

The packing house.

The REA freight station

My master model builders; Otis & Luka

The table is finished and the first layer of foam has been applied. One of Saturday's errands will be a stop at the blueprint shop. I've loaded the track plan onto a flash drive and will have them print it out on the large format plotter; 2 sheets of paper, they're 24" x 96" but still just two sheets.

I did not upload any of the table pictures, figuring everyone following this knows how it is done and most likely has there on method. The short version is this; I made my center cut out first, then along the back length I glued and screwed a 1 x 3 on edge, second board was the 2 x 3 length wise down the middle, my thought was wanting a tad more stoutness. Then glued and screwed the other perimeter boards. The boards in the field are also 1 x 3s glued and screwed on 12" centers width wise. The foam base was trimmed to fit and glued to the OSB top with Poly Seam Seal, one of my favorites. All the framing is glued with TiteBond 2 and screwed with #6 x 1 1/4 course thread drywall screws. No need to countersink because the screws will drive themselves flush.

Well thats about all I can think about for now, so untill next time...............

Building, Building & more Building

A productive 10 days; have been busy with the waterfront buildings along with chores of every day life. I have assembled and finished 2 piers with 3 buildings all Micro-Train laser cut structures and will admit to being impressed with the quality of product they offer. My only hope is that my modeling skills are up to snuff.

Here is the shore side of the warehouse and canning plant

Here is a from the water view showing all 3 structures

Heres a good picture of the 3 builds & 2 piers

Have also finished a Micro-Trains Freight House, its being a little camera shy though.

Construction has started on the GC Laser Ice House and Icing Platform.

Almost time to order the 2 American style 3 stall roundhouses by Nansen Street.

I did have time to stop at the local home center and picked up the materials for the base; 4' x 8' x 1/2" OSB, a 2" x 3", an arm full of 1" x 3"s and 2 4' x 8' sheets of foam; 1 1" & 1 1/2". Also a bottle of wood glue, 2 tubes of painters latex caulk, a box of drywall screws and a pair of folding table legs.

Now just a matter of putting it all together, I do prefer to start with a level base and work up.

I'm thinking that's about it, so until next time......

The Layout

My track plan originally started life as an N scale plan designed by David K Smith; "Port of Tillamook Railroad", sized 5' x 11'.  With David's permission I converted it to Z scale; he also tweaked it for me.

Not having a Z scale track template and really not wanting to punk down $40.00 for the Marklin template, it was time to jump into the 21st century and purchase track planning software; "AnyRail" it was, David Hoogvorst is a great guy to work with!

So I have ended up with my Z scale layout, 4' x 8' , using Rokuhan Classic roadbed track with a double mainline; 52 feet in length, 2 bridges; 1 Kibri Weser Bridge #37669 and 1 MBZ Large Stone Bridge #16013, there also will be a Peco turntable with 2 Nansen Street 3 stall American roundhouses #044. There is a water feature in the plan; I'll be using laser-cut wood structures, Micro-Trains waterfront series and possibly one from Stonebridge Models.

Starting in the bottom right hand corner the mainline will start its incline; thanks to Woodland Scenic’s for doing the math, I can use bulk foam and shape my own incline. The mainline then passes through a mountain staying elevated across the back and making a turn for the bottom left hand corner crossing the double track bridge and starting the decent to layout level. The mainline then crosses the second bridge and into a hillside and exits the hillside to continue traveling along the mainline or into the yard.

What I'm excited about is that I'm going to try using real stone for my rock ledges. I was able to find at a local stone yard some 'Cherokee Sandstone' veneer. I've cleaned a couple of the pieces and sprayed 2 coats of gloss and 1 coat dull and they look awesome, the colors really pop!

The other structures, is a grain elevator and silos by Z & N Models, 2 firsts there; first Z scale structure I've assembled and the first card stock model I've assembled. Once you get the hang of the card stock assembly it’s not bad and looks pretty damn good! There also is an Ice House and Icing Platform by GC Laser, have not assembled that one yet but I have done other structures by those guys and I like the finished product. The jury is still out on whether I want to put a town on the layout; it would be in the center back of the layout.

That's about it for tonight, until next time.......

Diving in head first

Here we go, first try at Z scale, track plan is done, been buying structures, rolling stock and diesels.