Ohio Valley - somewhere between Weirton and Wheeling


I am putting together this N scale crane kit from Faller. It's pretty nice, but the boom is very fragile and difficult to put together. I am happy with it, but was hoping for something as little more robust. And it was missing one of the clear pieces for the window, but it also included some pieces that are nowhere in the instructions... I guess for $24.19 on Amazon, I can't complain.

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JeffH said:
I am putting together this N scale crane kit from Faller. It's pretty nice, but the boom is very fragile and difficult to put together. I am happy with it, but was hoping for something as little more robust. And it was missing one of the clear pieces for the window, but it also included some pieces that are nowhere in the instructions... I guess for $24.19 on Amazon, I can't complain.

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I meant to comment on the riverside scene posted previously, looks GREAT. The individual deck boards are a real plus. Wonder if you mean to change this crane out with the scratch built one or putting this in a different area?

Dave LASM
 
Thanks, Dave!

I was thinking about putting this crane above the spur that services the area so trains can go under it. Not sure I like the scratch built cranes (I have 2) but I will use them for the time being. You can see one of them in this picture of the pier. The way the scene is, with ground level being a good 40-50 scale feet higher than the pier, makes it necessary to have cranes to load/unload barges. So I think I'll put one down on the dock, and leave the other where it is for now.
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JeffH Forgive me for not paying closer attention! (I'll play my old folks card here)
I read every word of your first page - skipped to page 4! I will go back and read 2 & 3
maybe tomorrow if I can.
What I have read and seen is nothing short of FANTASTIC!
1. That you have created such a marvelous layout - and the wharf scene is "spot on".
2. That you have taken us through, step by step, of the construction from bare bones tables (not normal benchwork) to the product that we see here!
Seriously, a wonderful thread!
Thank you :)
 
Sirfoldalot said:
JeffH Forgive me for not paying closer attention! (I'll play my old folks card here)
I read every word of your first page - skipped to page 4! I will go back and read 2 & 3
maybe tomorrow if I can.
What I have read and seen is nothing short of FANTASTIC!
1. That you have created such a marvelous layout - and the wharf scene is "spot on".
2. That you have taken us through, step by step, of the construction from bare bones tables (not normal benchwork) to the product that we see here!
Seriously, a wonderful thread!
Thank you :)
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Thanks!!! I have had a blast building this. I'm looking forward to making progress on the river this Fall.

I keep fiddling with the scene. Might like it better without the second building but with the other 2 cranes.
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OK, I have officially put away the mower for the season, which means it's about time to start spending evenings and weekends in the basement, working on the layout.

Over the next few weeks, I will be looking to:
1) Waterproof the riverbed and river banks... I don't want to have all my water product seeping through before it cures. I also don't wantt he water to wick up into the scenery either. I have a few tubes of paintable caulking to use for this purpose. I already have temporary "dams" at either end.

2) Once that's done, I will paint the riverbed and the bridge piers.

3) Then, I will glue down all the stuff that will be partially submerged... piers, mooring dolphins, dead trees, etc.

4) Once I have everything placed, and I'm happy with the color of the river, I will pour the water and let it cure.

5) Add water effects like the wake from a barge being pushed up river. I think this will be the biggest challenge.

I'm currently planning to use Acrylic Gloss Medium. Not sure yet if I'll do one big pour, or a few smaller ones, with some pigment in the "deeper" spots.
 
JeffH said:
Waterproofing complete, and the first later of paint is down. Looking for honest feedback, please. I'm a little concerned it's too dark.

I'm planning to add some green highlights near the banks to mimic the reflection from the vegetation above.

Any advise?
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not really sure, I like the two shades maybe get a side shot too see what it looks like that way

I have noticed those city waterways usually do look grayish
 
The paint was still wet in the picture, so it looks a little less like water now that the paint has dried. I'm having issues with the size of the scene needing painted.

I'm used to counting drops of color as I mix so I can get really close to the same tone if I need to mix up another batch. Or, I just put a few dollops of the various colors I'm mixing onto a pallet, and use my brush to blend them together, feathering in more of one color when needed.

But this application is so large, I'm finding it hard to mix up enough at one time and get the right color. And when I get the right color, it's not enough quantity.

I guess it's just a matter of time until I discover the right mixture in the right quantities. I could use some suggestions.

On another forum, someone suggested I lay down 3 different tones... a dark row of paint in the center of the river, then a lighter color on either side of the center, then an even lighter tone toward the edges. Then use a foam paint brush to blend the lines together.

So... perhaps I'll go and buy 3 samples and get the colors I think would blend together the best? MAybe I'll stop by a Home Depot or Lowes over lunch and pick up a bunch of those color strips. That may be easier in teh long run as opposed to me trying to come up with a blended color I can recreate on my own.
 
JeffH said:
On another forum, someone suggested I lay down 3 different tones... a dark row of paint in the center of the river, then a lighter color on either side of the center, then an even lighter tone toward the edges. Then use a foam paint brush to blend the lines together.
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I’ve heard of this technique before and seen a few models here and there that use it. If you combine this technique and use some of the various water accent products out there to make the water murky, it should give you a good looking river.
 
I think it works, remembering that sunlight and cloud cover will have a lot to do with the appearance of water, since working on mine I have observed a water body next to a road I travel daily. Goes from deep blue to brown depending on light conditions and time of day,

If you like the colors, keep them. A little color on the layout cheers it up some and the brown is so 70's looking a little like pollution.
 
I think part of my issue is that there is no gloss topcoat yet... Perhaps I should do a more formal test and setup a small (perhaps a square foot) piece of scrap foam to paint this color and actually put a top coat on it before I go much further. It'll be good to see how the top coat affects the overall appearance.
 
OK, I have begun a formal test, and so far, the only thing I have concluded is that I am impatient, LOL!

It's Monday morning, and I started preparing for this test about a week ago. I think you all realize I'm a plan, worry, plan some more, over-analyze, make tweaks, over-think some more, then set out to do someting... But this time, I tried my hardest to build a test that will actually prove or disprove... and if I disprove, I hope to gain sufficient knowledge to make one final tweak before doing this for real.

I made up a small reservoir using a piece of scrap foam. The reservoir is deep enough and a large enough area for a good test. I caulked it, then painted it the same color as the riverbed.

Here is the teat piece, all painted and ready for a test pour.
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Part of the objective for the top-coat is to have it subdue the rather "loud" sky-blue hue. I'm after a murky look, so I decided that adding some raw umber to teh top coat might look really good, so I did the math to set a 1:32 mixture of dye.

For the top coat, I have landed on Acrylic Gloss Medium (Liquitex brand) from Hobby Lobby. The river is an average of 17.5" wide, and is 54" long. I want the pour to be 1/8" deep, so all in, I need 1/2 gallon, or 2 quarts.

Doing the math, I needed 4 ounces of top-coat for the test, in order for the test pour to also be 1/8" deep. In order to get a 1:32 mixture, I needed to add 3/8 teaspoon of dye into the 4 ounces of gloss medium.

Thsi picture below is right after I poured the test 4oz into the test reservoir. The white are must be some gloss medium that didn't get mixed well. At this point, the gloss medium is still a milky white. It comes a milky white, but once cured, it is clear. The raw umber dye, when mixed into the milky white medium takes on a slate gray appearance, that should clear up to a murky greenish blue tint when fully cured.
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Here's a picture at 14 hours in, which I took Sunday. Atthis point, it was still very much a liquid. I could have poured most of it out at this point. You can see the slate color starting to give way to the raw umber here.

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I wish I would have taken a poicture this morning, about 36 hours into it... It's now semi-cured... tacky to the touch, and the raw umber is still emerging as the milky white fades away.

I'll post more pics tonight, which will be closer to the 48 hour mark.
 
Here are a couple pics at the 47 hour mark.

I like the color, but it is too dark, or I should probably say, too "opaque."

The test pour is 1 part raw umber liquid dye to 32 parts acrylic gloss medium.

Visually, to me that looks a good 50% more opaque than I am looking for.

The blue ring... At first I thought the gloss medium had leached color from the banks, but it is just a partial tear in the pour. My wife picked it up and tilted it when it was still part liquid. The result was a fissure around 3 of the edges where the tear didn't fully heal. It's basically a little ravine in the topcoat, so it's really thin there. Which is cool, because I want the shallow areas to show more color and less raw umber.

I'm contemplating another test on a smaller scale to see how it looks with half that amount of dye... So 1:64 this time.

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JeffH said:
If you have a sharp eye, you might see some pieces of dried flowers that my wife sneaks in on me. There are small pieces of purple statice and pink coxcomb stuck in here and there. She also sneaked in some small pieces of Sweet Annie. I'm OK with that... she's having fun too!
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We use insulation board, I carve mine.
we have used plaster cast also I bought mine from a medical supplier way cheaper than a modelling supplier
the wife bringing in the plants, this is exactly how my husband got me into this hobby he still prefers to control the electronics, and faints if I move anything. On the tracks and mess up his DCC controls :D. he caught me with the, will you do a nice garden for a cottage……
as for the wood,and scenic I bought one was impressed aunt had done leftovers and was not going to waste it so crunched tin foil, your use us excellent no noticeable religion and nicely coloured
the ballast will eventually benefit from some weathering, but everything is going the right was and I am only commenting on page one, and I love it :)
I also import plant marterial, and the armatures for small bushes we do that too, so great minds think alike (coughs hope fully fools don’t differ….grins)
 
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