John’s been back in touch – he’s been busy adding to his HO scale mining structures:
“Hi Alastair,
The maintenance module from my last post is in place on the layout, and the back-drop is painted and in place. Wiring is well underway on the mine end of the layout and the control panel is in place.
The scene is a long string of empty hoppers is being backed around to the tipple for filling. Mine dump trucks are moving product, and the maintenance shop is…well…maintaining.
I added a closeup of the old mine shed as I’ve been working on “super-detailing” that section of the scene.
Take care, next update may be awhile as the wiring will be most of the next work.
John from Baltimore”
A huge thanks to John for sharing his HO scale mining structures – stunning stuff. Can’t wait to see how he talks us through the wiring.
If you missed John’s previous posts, they are here.
That’s all for today folks.
Please do keep ’em coming.
And if today is the day you get started on your layout, the Beginner’s Guide is here.
Best
Al
PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.
PPS More HO scale train layouts here if that’s your thing.
John, your mine section is coming along vey nicely and the backdrop blends everything together very well. Keep it up and look forward to the next installment.
Brian – the HOn3 guy.
Excellent work John, lots to keep the eyes occupied.
John
Awesome work. Love to read your narratives and see your incredible creation. You are a master.
George from NY
Very nice and detailed, superb workman ship. Keep up the good work.
John,
Very nice and it is so good to see wires on your poles. That detail makes the picture so much better. I get so upset when I see a picture with poles and no wires and these photos are of layouts with exceptional work. My idea is if you cannot wire the poles do not have poles! Ever see a train without wheels? That is how ridiculous this is. Happy modeling in the “worlds greatest hobby”.
Love it …Spectacularly awesome display of a wonderful layout.. Love the back-drop and most , I love the trestle with the workers sitting on the cars. Very imaginative and very creative… Gives me ideas for mine….Keep up the good work and keep us informed as it grows…….
Looking at those photos, thoughts of the old G&D came to mind.
John, many thanks for sharing your labor of love! Very inspiring, exceptional landscape interpretation of real life!
Fabulous detail and scenery…….I am curious….how long did this take you?
The reason I ask is that I seem to take a long time with some of my scenery models.
Gary M
John, being a prospecter/miner in my spare time here in Oregon, and Washington states, really makes me to wish I was back in the old days with the 49ers.you really did a wonderful and great Mining lotlook on how it was over a100 or so years ago. Beautiful job.
The imagery of this layout is not only imaginative, it is very true to life. Here in the heart of the Illinois farm belt, where we were blessed with fertile soil by the Wisconsin Glacier, we had a coal mine in Lovington, Illinois until about 1929. Through programs developed by local citizens for our county historical society, one of my friends pulled out old family pictures that showed the tipple tower, the old rail spurs and many, many miners riding the cars after a long day’s work. Keep up the great imagery.
John, absolutely awesome.
Amazing detail. Excellent work. Congratulations.
Gary,
The mountain scenery on all but the bridges takes about 2 days per-module. The bridges took longer because the module was long, and the wood couldn’t flex at all when I moved it into the basement. I use metal window screen over scrap wood cut to the rough contours of the mountains, cheap 1/2″ plywood is fine, shaped roughly to what will be the end profile. I staple the screen to the wood, and in places where screen is over-lapped, I hot glue it together. The plaster is about 1/2 ready mixed drywall compound with 1/2 powder drywall 20 minute set-up compound, this stretches the ready mix stuff and allows for moderate set-up times. I apply the plaster with a side-to-side motion with a disposable 2″ paintbrush. In areas where I will be carving rocks, a second coat goes on. The colors are artist acrylics, I tried to dye the plaster, but it changed it so it didn’t get hard enough to carve. The side to side application of the plaster leaves ridges something like rock strata. As I carve the cliffs, the droppings from the carving are left where they fall, and painted with a light wash of grey/black. If I need a track to go someplace after the scenery is done and in place, I saw it out with a razor saw and patch in around the “new” cutout. An example is the old mine, I wanted the feeling that the mine guys had some problems building their mine which was added to a nearly complete mountain in it’s entirety. My roads are the same plaster, smoothed and dust vacuumed up. where they cross the tracks I carve out for flange-ways, and the dip required for the cars to pass over. Not recommended if you use brass or steel track, corrosion city. Bridge abutments and some other stuff is hard close foam insulation board, easy to cut, pretty rigid, and with a coat of plaster takes paint well. Al’s beginner book has several methods of scenery building, and all have advantages, I like hard shell best, but I’m slinging plaster in my shop and basement. It can be messy. Hope this helps.
John From Baltimore
Great work John, lots of detail..
Wow! Marvelous detail. Your mountains and back drop are spectacular. YOu are an artist!
Kip from ohio