For my 2/100 of a dollar, try lightly drybrushing a light gray on the ties before you ballast. The gray will give a heavily weathered look to the ties, making them less fresh.
I did try that on a sample track beforehand as per a video I watched, but I probably applied it too heavily as it basically turned the ties gray or turned out too even. He brushed it down the length, so I tried that, then tried brushing side to side with the ties. Didn't like the outcome as I probably applied it too heavily, so I tried something else. I thought I posted this image but obviously not. I grabbed some Tamiya Panel liner and gave that a go. In the center of the tracks you can see the results. It was much easier to control. If the gray got to be too much, I dabbed a bit of black over the gray and it gave it a bit more of a silverish look. I might experiment a bit more with this and possibly mix some of the black with the gray and see what happens. The nice thing about the liner, being thin, you just touch the brush to the tie and it capillaries across it, no brushing. I'm still playing with the backdrop a bit, but I need to get some ties painted with the liner and get ballast down to get a good idea. Thanks for your 2/100 of a dollar, always appreciated.
I decided to add some background hills like I have in the past, but this time I only used the darker green for what I called the "nearest hills" before. I did this so when I paint the tree line I can leave gaps in it and you'll be able to see short patches of the hills in the distance. Dubach Ruston Winnfield After getting the hills painted, I went back with a medium fan brush this time and added a jagged edge across the top. I did this for a little texture and to enforce the look of a tree line rather than just a straight line. Once, and if I'm successful at getting the foreground trees painted on, I'll come back to the exposed gaps in the tree line and add color and texture to the hills as I've done before with acrylics so it looks more like this. The next process will be what is called "Blocking" in the trees. This is done with acrylics and will be very roughly painted patches of the close colors. In this case, greens and browns for the rough shape and color of the trees. This is the basic idea of "Blocking".
My painted trees turned out pretty decent but after applying the final leaves, I see that I'll need to do a little more practice yet. So I switched back to ballasting. Tonight I wrapped up the last of the ballast between Ruston and Winnfield. I left the area around Union Scrap unballasted until I decide the final track location and footprint of the scrap yard. I used a custom blend of Woodland Scenics for the Grey mix on the ICG trackage and another custom Buff mix for the Rock's mainline. I plan to use some weathering powders to tone them down and give a weathered look after the scenery is in. Ruston Winnfield
That backdrop is looking good Allen! I like how you have the track diagram in the fascia as well. Neat!
LOL. I should have waited with the diagram. I have changed the track so many times that it doesn't match the actual tracks now. I think I'm going to sand the fascia lightly and paint it solid black in time. I got the idea from JD Colombo years ago when I got a chance to visit his layout. He did the same thing and I thought it was a good idea at the time for newcomers to become familiar with the layout, which it does help, but like I've said, I've changed it so much that it doesn't match now and one small complaint I've heard, if your standing too close to it or if others are standing in the way, you can't see it as easy. Oh well, it was a good idea...
Yeah, sometimes an idea is better as just an idea than in real life. Unless the the diagram incorporates status indicators, and/or control switches, for track switches... The Loconet panel isn't helping the diagram either. On the other hand, WiFi throttles/apps will eventually replace wired and proprietary radio throttles.
Over the last week I've working on terrfoaming the section from Ruston to Winnfield. I've been cutting and fitting the foam into place and gluing down a few sections at a time. The sheets are about 1.9" thick but I plan to carve them down quite a bit so they look like rolling farmland. The edges along the tracks I'm hoping to make them look like an eroded cut with a tree line to help define the edges of the farmland. At the time I painted the clouds I didn't give it much thought as to how high the foam would be or just what I wanted, so I just painted it and moved on. But at this point, until I get it terraformed, I'm kind of planning to redo the entire backdrop, meaning repaint it blue and redo the clouds and repainted tree line. One driving factor to this decision is the clouds. They turned out OK for the most part, but after looking at them and comparing them to the clouds I did on the other side of the backdrop, these turned out almost too crisp and too bright. The clouds on the other side are more subtle and airy and not near as bright. Once the foam is carved and painted, I'll probably take another stab at them.
I got kind of stalled out on the foam for now as I've been trying to figure out where I want the abandoned farm scene to be situated. This will dictate how I form the foam. So I pulled out the 3D printed house and the Showcase Miniatures Delony's Barn kit. I started working on the barn but decided to order some Roket Glue from Deluxe products that's specifically designed for paper/cardstock models. So with that set aside until the glue arrives, I pulled out the 3D farmhouse and started attacking it. For $20 this is actually a fairly nice little kit. Never having worked with one before I think it'll be just fine. I started adding some fascia, gutters and different doors and added boards over the lower windows, because who could throw rocks through the upper windows?? I started out by cutting some of the porch railings, then making a couple of holes in the roof to look as if it's started to deteriorate. Then I painted it all with a couple different Grays to look weather worn after I get the chipping done. You can also see the holes in the rotting roof. I still need to define them a bit more as I progress with this project. The roof was painted with a Vallejo colored Tire Black. With this all done, I sprayed the entire house with AK Heavy Chipping fluid before I sprayed the final house color. The roof was re-sprayed with a Light Gray, which I'll darken a bit when I get around to weathering it. When I get a few minutes I'll start the chipping process so the paint takes on a weathered and peeling appearance. Then I can start adding the final weathering process.
Just in time for Halloween!!! Spooky house! Showcase Miniatures has quite a varied line of products, all I have tried are top-notch.
Interesting, I hadn't given any thought about it being a spooky house for Halloween, but I guess I could play it off as one. Thanks!
When I was growing up, just north of Green Bay, I saw quit a few of houses & out building that were way. That didn't make me scared, just very curious. But I did bring alone my 22.
I had to look up Mystery Machine. I was 19 when Scooby-Doo premiered. I was both too old for cartoons and not old enough enough for cartoons.
I doubt that will happen, sorry. I have other ideas for this house and farmstead. Found a little time to work on the farmhouse a bit more tonight. I got the chipping done on the walls and shingles, touched up the holes in the roof and added some dirt to it. While I still have some more details to add, I'm sticking a fork in the house for now, this way I can move onto the barn and get it a solid footprint. This will allow me to start terraforming the foam where the farm will be.
