Richlawn Railroad: March 2011

Thursday, March 17, 2011

The Henderson Building - close to completion

I'm reaching the point of completion / abandonment of the Henderson Building; that is, I'm close to finishing it, but sick of working on it. It is at this point that I put it on the shelf and let it age while I start another structure with the hopes of returning to do the final finish before putting it on the layout.

Yet to be done: more corner seam work, hanging (or animated) sign for the ground floor tenant Pelitier Travel, weathering of chimneys & roof top details, paint touch up, etc. This is a "3 footer" in that it will be viewed from 3 feet away, so I'll take that into consideration for the completion.

Rick

Tips, Tricks & Shortcuts

A BIG Thanks to the members of NCIOG for their friendship, expertise, and great ideas that will definately make my railroad better!
Bricked-in windows - When modeling windows that have been bricked in, us a slightly different color for the filled in area and possibly offset the motar lines.
Cheap Z Scale Vehicles - Charms used on charm bracelets make great low cost vehicles, costing as little as $1.99 each. Cut of the attachment ring, paint, detail and you have a nice low cost Z scale vehicle.
Epoxy Aid - For irregular & difficult attachment problems, consider a "rope" style clay-like epoxy like QuikSteel (available at auto stores). Cut off a piece, kneed it with your fingers, roll in a ball and apply. It will fill gaps & allow for leveling.
Field Grass Homemade - Take some Woodland Scenics(tm) Field Grass and make a small bundle. Cut one end to get the length you want with the other end leave random lengths. While holding the bundle, put a drop of CA on the end you cut. Use CA Activator to speed up the drying process to a few seconds.
Ground foam applicator - Save small plastic milk jugs from fast food places. Drill holes in the top, label the contents, and use for applying foam with more control.
No Spill Liquids - Take a 2" thick piece of foam 2" x 2", cut out a hole in the center the size of the liquid container. Place the container in the hole and if will be harder to knock over and spill the contents.
Paint Faster - Use a squeeze bottle to store & apply paint to landscape. You don't have to dip the brush in the paint can & remove the excess - just sqeeze & brush!
Spray Paint Cans (From Scott P) - Label the color of the paint on the can lids & cans for easy idenfication when the lids are removed
Static Grass Flocker - Make your own for about $40. using "How To" from the web.
Weights Light on your wallet - For cheap weights save your tin cans (I use dog food cans) and fill them with Sackcrete motar mix (mixed according to instructions). They are great for holding down track while the glue dries.

Richlawn Railroad

Thursday, March 17, 2011

The Henderson Building - close to completion

Rick's Pix