Author Archive: Scott

The Haggis List

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I was searching the internet the other evening trying to finds sites with tips and techniques for model railroad scenery. The search was coming up empty when I stumbled across the Haggis List Model Railroading FAQ.

I had discovered the list years ago but had forgotten about it. It contains hundreds of reader tips and solutions for doing just about anything on a model railroad – from layout design to scenery.

The only complaint I have is that it does not have pictures illustrating the ideas.

It looks like a great source of ideas. I’ve bookmarked it for future reference – so hopefully I won’t forget about it again.

So, back to hunting for scenery tips and techniques. Anyone care to suggest web sites or blogs? Please leave a link in the comments section.

Scott

The Scrap Yard

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It finally looks like GM Metals has been around for a long time. Or at least some of the junk there does. This area became the new home of some of the trees I made up for the Truro show.

You can just barely see Dickie Clothing through the dense canopy. The big notch at the left is where my lift-out bridge fits in. I need to get more junk, although Kim says I have enough junk now! Ha!

Scott

Conifers

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These are some conifers I made to use on my modules during the Truro show. I “planted” them on “The Ridge” after the show.


These trees were relatively easy to make. I will take picture of the process sometime over the next little while and create a “how-to” to post here

The fire tower was the first structure I ever scratchbuilt. Being an ex-forestry guy it seemed like a natural thing to make.

Scott

A Service Shed

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This is a little shack I built for the service track in Stevenville a while back but haven’t highlighted yet. It took about two evenings to build and paint. It is constructed out of mat board, scale lumber. The roof is plain mat board covered with paint and a facial tissue, then weathered. The windows and chimney are from Grandt Line. Total cost… about $5

The equipment details (compressor, pump house, tanks, etc.) are lead bits from Woodland Scenics.

The little shack adds a nice bit of detail to the area.

Looks like early morning in Stevenville as the local crew gets ready to start a busy day switching businesses in the industrial section of town. There are lots of customers in Stevenville and Charlie and Fred have their work cut out for them today. Picard Packers and Dickie Clothing have big shipments ready to go, so they’ll need lots of empties dropped off and loaded cars pulled out of the way.


After a long day Charlie’s looking a little sore. He’s been up and down out of the cab quite a few times today and his back has about had it. Being a brakemen in a busy industrial area is hard work. He’s not looking forward to having to do it all over again tomorrow.

Later!

Scott

Tidewater Gets a Backdrop

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You may have noticed the backdrop in the previous post about the new 0-8-0. Here are a couple more views of it.



It is from SceniKing. I think it looks great. Not glossy like some photo backdrops I’ve seen and just the right level of detail for a backdrop. There can be too much detail, which will draw visitor’s attention away from the models.

One thing that completely surprised me is how close the sky in the backdrop matched the paint I used on the wall. I wish I could say it was good planning, but it was more like great luck!

I still have to ballast the yard and will add grasses and such to blend the backdrop into the foreground. Brian had a great suggestion to help blend things in even more – add 3 dimensional loading docks at the doors on the backdrop where space permitted. I’ll definitely give that a try.

Scott

BS&T Times – Oct. 25, 1956

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After going through a long and exhaustive tendering (no pun intended) process, BS&T management has purchased an old CP 0-8-0 steam locomotive for excursion passenger service. Management has, in addition, purchased 4 coaches for this new train. The engine has recently undergone a boiler inspection and will soon be in service, when demand for the service (operators) exists.

Engineer Billie Tate says, “She sure is a beaut! She looks like she just came out of the builder’s shop!” I’m sure that won’t last long after she goes into service.

(Editor’s note: The loco is a Proto 2000 Heritage Steam o-8-o, and it really is a very nice looking engine. A sound decoder has been requested from Santa)

Scott

The New Trees

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Well, the new trees turned out better than I had hoped. They received quite a few comments from the folks at the show.

The view looking down the road toward BigFoot Bridge.

In addition to the deciduous trees I was able
to create about 7 conifers.

Greg rerails a car at Hazard Bend.
The name is well deserved.

Perhaps I should start selling trees at shows? The only problem is that I like them so much it would be hard to part with some of them. But, if the price is right….!

Scott

The 2007 Truro Show

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The weather was worrisome as we headed to Truro for the Annual Fall Model Railroad Show last Friday. The forecast said “Rain”, the sky was ominous, as we had a truckload and trailer load of model railway “stuff”. We carried 21 modules in all, plus the accompanying tools, electronic gadgets, freight cars, and locos. We were not looking forward to doing what we had done the past 3 years at the Truro show – load and unload in the rain.

Fortunately, the rain held off long enough for us to get unpacked. It started pouring about a half hour later.

Don P. and Ron D. already had all their gear inside before we arrived. Don even had a few modules set up. We started setting up the layout about 4:00 after determining our starting point – thanks to a borrowed tape measure from the N scale guys. Guess what – it was a tiny N scale tape measure, but it could extend to 6′ thankfully.

Trains were moving by 8:00, but a supper break and socializing pushed the completion of the setup to about 10:00.

The layout as seen from the stage (29′ x 38′)

Saturday morning started off with breakfast at Fletcher’s. We were back at the show about 8:00. A few minor finishing touches and the layout was ready for visitors. There were lots of folks around checking things out. A lot of regulars from previous years came around to say hello.

Greg, Steve D., Dave T., Don P. & Shelley (sitting)

Will, Ron, Al, & Derwin

The biggest surprise was seeing Jean and Carol! Carol broke her leg, very badly, a while back and we did not expect to see them at this show. Other UMG members that stopped in for a visit were Dave and Pam, Jeff Keddy (all the way from Winnipeg where he is currently living), and Stewart Gibb. If I’ve missed anyone please don’t be offended, it was a busy day.

We started packing up about 4:00 (maybe a bit before – sorry Will) and were sitting at the China Garden restaurant by 5:45.

All in all the show was well attended and the UMG gang had a great time, as usual. I spent more money than I intended, as usual, but more on that later.

Scott

Module in a Week – Conclusion

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Well, as you know I was building a new module to take to the Truro show last week. I was so busy between work, Kim’s Crafts, and the module that I didn’t get any time to post any updates on it.

I didn’t quite get the module done, but it was done enough that I felt okay about including it in the UMG layout. The frame wasn’t painted, and there was a little bit of blue foam showing through near the tracks, but overall it looked pretty good.

Since this was being used as an EoE (End of Earth) in the layout, there are a couple Railway employees warning oncoming trains that there is a hazard ahead. They set fusees a little farther up the line just to be certain. I don’t see any blue flags though.

There’s obviously more work to be done on the module. I’ll leave that until the week before the Moncton show next spring.

Scott

A Module in a Week

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Well, I was going to post some pictures of a module I started working on last Saturday, but apparently the memory card in my camera has gone corrupt. Hopefully it is not the camera! The images are all scrambled.

Anyway, my plan (hope) is to have a module ready to take to the Truro show on Friday. Yes, 2 days away.

The module will be a new End of Earth (EoE) replacement for our Spring Valley set. It will also function as a run through module if required. I plan to model some sort of obstruction on the tracks, like a rock fall, that will turn it into an EoE.

I built the 2′ x 3′ frame last Saturday and glued the foam to it on Sunday and Monday. Last evening I shaped the foam into hills and rocks and applied a coating of plaster. This evening will be grass, track and ballast, I hope. If I don’t get all that done this evening I still have one more evening to finish and still have time for the glue to dry.

It won’t be the first time we’ve taken a module to a show with the glue still drying!

I’ll get a new memory card so I can get some pictures at the show.

Scott