Building the Pinnacle Creek Mining & Timber Co. RR


Chris, Steve (Skillman) has the one on the left of your three photos. His is powered, but it measured out the HOn3 or something. I wanted it but I like pretending I'm a narrow guager rather than going back to N scale track.

Stoker, That is funny. Do you really have a chicken coop? Jim:)
 
HOexplorer said:
Chip, I getting there don't worry. I like your Roundhouse model. Is it powered?
Click to expand...

Yes it is. I had it sent to a guy that specialized in them to have the engine smoothed out. Still growls a little. I got a decoder in it. Now I'll have to see where I can put a speaker. Maybe hollow out the wood pile from the bottom. Not a lot of space in this one.
 
Stoker, My wife knew the name of the Bantams before I could tell them to her! Niews to me, I always thought she was a city girl.:D

Chip, Good job, you're a lucky guy. Jim :)
 
Okay Jim, I have a question.

I plan on modeling the redwoods. I don't know if you've been to the redwoods, but if you have you'll know that most of what is on the forest floor is downed trees and redwood bark. And if any dirt is exposed it's as red as anything else. Now I figured out most of these, but scattered about the floor and in huge clumps are ferns. Some of these clumps are 100 ft long and 20 feet wide, but most of them are clumps of 4 to 5 ferns. I know you can get metal etched ferns for $5 or so, but at that rate I'd go broke really fast.

So how would you make ferns?

Trail-7.jpg
 
Chip, Great question. It is almost like I got caught with my pants down. The PCM&T Co. layout is in SE Alaska, but NO ferns. The backstory is that I thought and thought how to make my own. When I'm building I'm pretty much so involved with using easy to procure products. Ferns while available, and not cheap, are easy but a bit beyond using enough for my layout.

Here is a link that may be of value. http://www.sceneryexpress.com/prodinfo.asp?number=BH1203

Honesty is the best policy and while I thought about ferns I must admit I skipped using them 'with malice afore thought!' You are the first to indirectly point out their absence. Problem with ferns is that they are not very large and live in the shade for the most part. When I left the ferns out I made sure that "other" plants would make up for them not being modeled. I guess I did okay. Maybe someone reading this has made them and can give us all a lesson? Jim:)
 
Thanks Jim, that link has given me a few ideas.

Speaking of ideas, I really like your idea of lowering the facia. I think it looks a lot better. Now if I can just keep my locos from doing a 3 1/2 inward pike.
 
Chip, You're welcome. As for curves on the 'edge' mine are all superelevated. This is achieved by very thin plastic cut from sheets I got from Micheal's or my LHS. All we are talking about is around 100/inch. The sheets are easily cut with scissors. I have never had a loco come off a curve even at full speed testing. Jim:)
 
SpaceMouse said:
So how would you make ferns?
Click to expand...

We were shopping for groceries today. In the produce section they had these green twist ties. It was my job to put the tie on the bag of fruit my wife picked out. :p

It seems to me that with some of those ties and a pair of scissors, a patient person could make a lot of ferns for nearly no cost.

Some brands of trash bags also come with the green twist ties. The dull colored paper ties would work best, and the wire core should make them easy to plant.
 
alcoman said:
We were shopping for groceries today. In the produce section they had these green twist ties. It was my job to put the tie on the bag of fruit my wife picked out. :p

It seems to me that with some of those ties and a pair of scissors, a patient person could make a lot of ferns for nearly no cost.

Some brands of trash bags also come with the green twist ties. The dull colored paper ties would work best, and the wire core should make them easy to plant.
Click to expand...

I'll have to tinker with them. Patient person would be right what that would take.

Now that you mention it, ironing pipe cleaners flat might work as well.
 
Some thing you may find interesting.....but comes with challenges. ......
picture.php
 
Last edited by a moderator:
The little flora object that you are holding, does look like it has possibilities. Maybe cut off some of the branches, then take a drop of silicone on a piece of paper, then insert the little branches so they look as if they are coming up in a centered (from the middle) type of fern plant, then maybe dye green. Plant with some white glue. Just some thoughts off the top of my head. - Chris
 
Good stuff fellows. Good to see this info here.

JPIII, Where is your sample from?

alcoman, Welcome and an the thick of the fray as well!:)

Jim :)
 
Moss indeed.....from the garden. I spent some time in early spring trying to kill it off. It's been raining today and it''s wet.
I have tried to preserve it and color it in the past with minimal luck....dries out & shrivels up. It's a slam dunk for sword fern (HO scale)if joined in a bunch at the base.

I need a a process to preserve & color it for next spring when I'll have another abundance:D. Harvesting is a bit tedious......
 
Many years ago Frary and Haden wrote articles about New England narrow gauge RRs. One of the tips that they published was using glycerin and dye in a bath with a little alcohol. You simmered the moss (don't boil) for a time in the mixture. The alcohol would replace the water in the moss and carry the glycerin into the moss. I have done this with moss from around here to make evergreen trees. I probably didn't use enough glycerin as the moss wasn't as soft and pliable as I would have liked but it preserved it well. Rit dye has a couple of greens that work well for foliage. The dark green would probably do for the ferns. I used to use a plethora of local lichens for my scenery. The stuff that still exists on some of my dioramas is very stable and not falling apart. That's about 20 years. It's dirty and has a lot of cobwebs but not falling apart.

Steve
 
Stoker you guessed it.

JPIII, I've hear/read that soaking plants in glycerin will preseve them. Try epay, they have it there. I the JTT or what ever that scenery companies is named, has a "Fine" green that is smaller than Woodland Scenic's "Fine" you can use the JTT for covering. Actually one does not need more than a light sprinkling. Less is more. Jim :)
 
Oh yea. It's not a bad idea to press the moss you want for foliage between two pieces of news print to make sure it dries flat. Use rubber gloves so the dye doesn't turn your fingers green and don't do it on a surface you really care about. Outside is a good choice.

Steve
 
I'm getting a real itch to get to building Jim. I'm not sure if it will be HO or On30. I have no track for either but I have motive power for both. Lots of stuff for HO and a really good idea for the layout. I also have a lot of the buildings from my old layout. On30 I'll have to do a lot of scratch building. That's attractive to me but time consuming.

Steve
 
You must log in or register to reply here.



Back
Top