August progress

 I've found that it often takes a lot of time to think about what you're going to do and how you're going to do it.  Track, wiring, placement of buildings, etc.  Then once you start, and it works, then it's just a matter of doing that thing over and over.  Once I figured out a blend of ground cover that seemed to look like what would be around a steel mill property, I could do a little every day.  So I've got a lot done back around those buildings.

I got some trees to place around the suburban scene.  Some mid-range ones from Woodland Scenics that are a puff of material with ground cover foam on it, and some top-range ones in back that have nice trunks with clumps of material stuck on there.  A lot of the clumps fall off and I can't figure out how to get it back on, but there's more than enough already on there.  I installed these by drilling a small hole in the homasote base and sticking the little knob at the bottom of the trunk in.  I would like to get some SuperTrees as well, but these look nice.  Trees in a suburban Boston neighborhood are old and big and I wanted them to tower over the houses a bit.

I also built a little station sign for the commuter rail platform.  There's no "Norwood" station, there's Norwood Depot and Norwood Central, but this is supposed to be somewhat fictional.  I feel like the posts are a little too thick...but it needed to be able to stand and not get easily broken.  I built it with styrene and glued it to the platform.

Lessons learned:

1. I tried that brush-on plastic solvent but I needed to use the glue again.  I still don't get how that works.
2. Get plenty of different colors before you start putting down ground cover.  A mix of colors looks more realistic.

Next up:
The billboard along the highway.  I got the Walthers kit, I just need to build it and make it taller.
More ground cover around the steel mill.
More details around the suburbs, and more trees.

May Progress

I've been thinking, and tinkering, and dithering, and I finally finished off a couple tasks that have been in the works.

First, the parking lot for the Dunkin Donuts as well as the signage for the small plaza building.  I'm amazed at how much room you need for roads.  And especially for parking lots.  This is just enough for a few spaces, a run around for the drive through, and some space between the buildings.  For the signage, to keep it in a suburban Boston theme, I have a Greek pizza place (all those are called a "House of Pizza") and a package store (where you buy beer, liquor, and wine).  

Secondly - I didn't have room for the Walthers Blower House to connect at the end of the blast furnace.  I built that general "steel mill" type building out of the Walthers Metro Power Plant.  I wanted a way to connect one of the pipes from the blast furnace to there.  I had to create a pipe - that was done with some Plastruct pipe which I just taped together with masking tape and spray painted.  I needed something to hold the pipe up - so I created some pieces with extra plastic sprues from old kits.  Good enough to look alright back there.  It doesn't have to be technically correct, it just needs to look the part.  I also took the chance to secure down some of those buildings - the blower house, the coke ovens, and the rolling mill.  I try to use nails if I can, but that one part of the coke oven I had to glue down, I couldn't reach. 

Also, I should point out that now that temperature and humidity is into spring/summer mode, those kinks in the tracks have morphed back into a normal shape.  I'm not sure what I'm going to do with that in the fall/winter.  From what I've been told it's because the homasote and the wood are expanding/contracting at a different rate than the rails.  Maybe I need to take out a screw or two around there from the fascia, to let things move a little more.

Lessons learned:
1. I've said it before, I'll say it again: save extra parts from previous kits, you may need them for something.  
2. I still don't know how to use that plastic weld stuff.  As opposed to just Testors glue from a tube.  The weld stuff STINKS.

What's next:
1. Ground cover around the steel mill area. 
2. Ground cover around the Dunkin Donuts. I feel like I need something more - like a little forest behind there, to transition toward the bridges.  
3. I would love to get some Super Trees. But they've been out of stock from the manufacturer for some time now.  Maybe I'll get a couple really nice stand-alone trees for the suburbs, and leave the Super Trees for more dense wooded areas around.  

4. It's time to figure out some ground cover and stuff for the brewery and printing company.

5. Backdrops for that area, plus the river channel scene.

Dunks

To accurately portray a suburban Boston scene, I had to figure out how to build a Dunkin Donuts.  Those things are within throwing distance of each other out there.  I thought about scratchbuilding this, but then I found the Walthers DQ Grill and Chill kit.  With a few modifications, and an accurate paint job, it more than fit the bill.  Most of these are similar but not completely standardized - so all I had to do was keep it within the prevalent style.  

I also built the Walthers Glover Park Hardware kit to be a small plaza building.  I installed a styrene partition down the center so I can divide it into two stores - a package store and something else. 

Two steps forward, one step back: we've had a really cold stretch of winter here, and my layout suffered more instances than usual of parts of flex track warping.  I read that it has to do with the temperature and humidity in the basement and how the wood and homasote shift.  I tried to build in some gaps when I laid the track but I guess it wasn't enough.  Rather than start cutting track, I'm going to see how soon it reverts back to shape.

Lessons learned:

1. Having some scrap styrene around is handy.  When you need to add something to a kit, like a partition, or a sign.
2. I have yet to figure out how to be careful enough while gluing windows.  I always get some glue on there and it's impossible to get off.  I tried Goo Gone and it did nothing.  

What's next: pouring more plaster (ick) for parking around these buildings; signage for the plaza building; some railings and a sign for the commuter platform; and hey, maybe it's time to plant some grass.

Commuter rail

I had this past week off and I was determined to finish something on the layout.  As you'll see, I finally received the MBTA Comet commuter cars from Rapido and I figured it was a good time to build somewhere for them to stop.  I didn't have much room, but it's just long enough for the end doors for all three cars to disgorge their passengers at once.  I modeled it a little on the Endicott station on the MBTA Franklin line, which isn't much more than a dozen parking spaces and a platform.  I started with a piece of cork roadbed, upside down, which I figured would bring it close to the level of the rails.  I cut a piece of styrene for the top (which overhangs the cork a little), and another thin one along the front, both installed with construction adhesive.  I cut two sets of stairs I had from a previous kit to size and installed those at the end, using a different kind of adhesive that would attach to plaster.

The passenger cars are SO cool.  They feature detailed interiors with alternating red and blue seats.  Plus they light up inside.  I don't have an MBTA engine yet - Rapido sold some but they were a very old paint scheme.  I'm glad I jumped on these and pre-ordered them, they're sold out everywhere now.

You'll also notice that I installed a bunch of the fences for the suburban neighborhood.  I glued them together, painted them, then drilled small holes in the homasote to place them.  

Lessons learned:

1. Don't throw out any spare parts from kits you've built.  Odds are that somewhere down the line, you'll be able to use something.  In this case, the stairs.
2. Not everything attaches to everything else with Liquid Nails Projects construction adhesive.  I had to use a clear one meant for other things to get anything to attach to the plaster.
3. I've said it before, I'll say it again - plaster sucks.  I ended up filling in holes and smoothing it out with the drywall spackle I've used before.
4. Like anything, the scene isn't totally "done" yet.  I need to add some railings along the back of the platform and some handrails on the stairs.