Ken's Railroad

[trainman203]

I was wondering if you still had that grain elevator that was disguised to look like a white blue bottle!

😂😂🤣🤣

[Ken Huck]

Yes I do.  As a matter of fact I bought a few more of various sizes.



As you can see, by placing them at different heights, it forces a 'forced perspective' of depth.  May have to paint them
sometime in the future.

More to follow...
Ken

[russ daley]

Wow...Somehow I missed looking at your layout Ken...Right up my alley too...Very nice work!!!

[Ken Huck]

Thanks Russ.  I'm back again with another update.

I got tired of getting the camera 'below the horizon' so as to not show the sky-blue below the green hills.
I built a one-layer thick back-drop using good old cardboard.  Here's a few pics of what I'm talking about.



edit:  Picture deleted because of being a duplicate.







I don't know what area I'll be working next or when,  Hopefully sooner than last time.

More to follow...

Ken

[Grumpy468]

awesome work Ken.

[Ken Huck]

Thanks Sheldon.  I believe I got duplicate pictures up there so I'm going to have delete one.

[Ken Huck]

Back here with another quick update on my last photo input.  I added a bit of highlights to the previous
monotonic backdrop.  All I did was to sprinkle some lighter ground foam to the existing 'dark' background.









Notice the difference betweeb the second and third pic.  You can definitely see by the angle the 'depth' of the backdrop.

The fourth pic is of my scratch-build coaling tower.  The coal chute is also scratch-built and I believe, a bit overscale.
I may replace it with a Tichy Train Group production product.  The coal hoist bucket and rails (unseen on the back) are
also a Tichy Train Product.

More to follow...

Ken

[Grumpy468]

Awesome work buddy. I love the weathering.

[Ken Huck]

Tried to correct/edit the above posting but just couldn't figure out how.

Here's what should follow:

I started with a few rock outcropping and basic shape



Then more cardboard strips to support the plaster cloth



Then the plaster cloth



Then the plaster



Water coloring to rock faces and dirt color to the dird



...and finally, grass, weeds, etc.



Next, I'll be detailing that little little bit of property across the tracks.

More to follow.

Ken

[Grumpy468]

Right on Ken. That's a some nice sculpting. Are you going to add some trees and shrubs to that section of hill.

[Ken Huck]

Hey Sheldon,  I'm in the process of adding a little 'whistle stop' for all the mine workers.  There will
be more shrubs and bushes and such.  I'm going to wait until the last step before I add any trees because
I usually destroy them somewhere along the way to finishing.  That bluff 'piece' is removable and taking it
in and out during more additions just makes them susceptible to more damage.

[Grumpy468]

Right that makes total sense. I am working from the middle out on my layout. Hard to do that sometimes. I hate reaching over things I tend to bump them.

[trainman203]

I've seen a couple of Missouri Pacific cabooses on your layout. What is the connection? If any.

[Ken Huck]

Connection goes back a ways to the 50's.  There used to be a branch-line here that served the Mississippi Lime Kiln.
They had an engine house and a wye upstream along the river.  My cousin and I would go up there and climb aboard.
Once in a while there was a brakeman or conductor in there having lunch and we'd have a chat with them.  Good times
for a seven or eight year-old.  MoPac is long gone but, UP does the service now.  I haven't seen a caboose (except
for a transfer) in a long time.