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 Posted - November 09 2012 : 11:29:10 PM
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Back from my summer modeling hiatus  , ready to kick ass and chew bubble gum (sorry I was watching "They Live!" yesterday haha).
So I needed to get my brain fired up again over modeling. I'm actually setting a goal this winter. Finish MOST of my home layout (Here http://www.tycoforums.com/tyco/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8318&). I love doing models, but they are taking away from the layout just a little too much at the moment. If I finish the layout the models have a nice place to live, run, and be photographed. With regards to the layout, I haven't been to happy with my early scenery attempts. I needed to step back and give s little re-evaluate how I was going about things. I needed a test to try some new techniques & materials.
Also I wanted a nifty display base for my track critter I built at the end of last year. http://www.tycoforums.com/tyco/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=11324
The critter has been living in my display case dwarfed by locomotives, it need something to help it stand out. In my internet travels I had heard about modeling contest where all you had to build on was the lid from a peanut butter jar. After seeing works people put out, I decided that a lid diorama was what my speeder needed. In addition, building it would help serve as a archetype for my layout design & materials used. So after about a week or so I came up with this!
/tyco/forum/uploaded/ChrisC/DSCF3339.jpg
/tyco/forum/uploaded/ChrisC/DSCF3340.jpg
Didn't take any photos of the build progress, but I'll cover some of the stuff I did so if anyone else would like to give their hand at it they have a start. First I didn't like using cork for the track piece. It rested too high (there is cork on the layout but that's ok). So instead I made up a thick base of DAP clear adhesive glue. Sprinkled ballast on that, and then pushed my track piece into the ballasted glue. I should mention I cut the track piece to size with a dremel before NOT after gluing it on. Also painted the whole piece rail tie brown (same as the layout). I also ended up going back and adding some more ballast to cover the glue base. Next up was using real dirt I took from my yard & sifted down to almost dust. I've reached the conclusion nothing looks better than real dirt. I've decided from the most part I'm going to use a ton more on my layout now due to how this project came out. Another difference from layout so far was I weathered the track. Never did this before, but my current ballast job on my layout just seems to be lacking something. I made up two washes using nothing more than $1 acrylic paint. Center of the track was a black/brown mixture. Edges were a brown/burnt sienna mix to show rust along the spikes & tie plates. Truth be told I love the effect, came out MUCH better than I expected. I think this is a reasonable way to go if you don't own a airbrush. Just make sure your ballast is set & dry, if you go overboard you risk washing out the glue bond that holds the ballast down. I also painted the sides of the rails a off brown color to set them apart also. It wasn't necessary, but I went over the track at this point with dullcoat just to seal it in.
The weeds on the track is actually this stuff.
http://www.michaels.com/Variegated-Green-Curly-Roving/nw0814,default,pd.html?cgid=products-yarnandneedlecrafts-felting&start=6
I saw it at Micheal's one day and it seemed cheap enough so I figured why not? If you pull the wool out there are some finer strands in there. Grab one of those and cut one end so its flush. I put a dab of white glue where I wanted the weed to be. Dabbed the cut end into the glue. Then cut the strand off just above the dab of glue. Problem with this stuff is its very fuzzy. So you can't make the weeds real long or it just looks like a ball of fuzz sitting there. Also due to that I'd only try this trick on sidings or spurs that don't see heavy traffic. But hey, its cheaper than Silflor weeds! Going to use this trick on a few spots of the layout where I need to fill in some small foliage.
The other stuff you see I whipped up from things I had layout around. The railroad tie is just balsa wood. Stained with a acrylic wash with the exception of the rust spots I painted on to denote where the rails once laid over top of the tie. Has a nice used look I'll eventually make more of these. The stone wall is actually from my layout when I first got it. Orginal owner cut little cubes of white packing foam to make the stones and painted them. I thought it was so neat I saved them all. I repainted this small group different shades of grey, gave them a black ink wash, then used white glue to put them on. Used a bit of chalk on them. Then I used a toothpick to apply splotches of white glue, then sprinkled ground foam over it to give the illusion of moss on the stones (stole this one off George Sellios!). The tree has a history, it was one of the trees from my Lionel Christmas stuff when I was a kid. It's base broke off so it never made it onto the layout much anymore. Which was a shame I loved the white bark look it had. Also it had lichen on it that had dry rotted off. So I glued on a new base, added some planters moss via white glue up in the branches, and gave it a wash of brown & some chalk to dirty it up a little. Finally the whistle post I just made from some scrap styrene, decals, and chalked it up a bit. Not totally crazy about it, but it works ok here. Added some grass in to fill things out and called it a day.
So yea that's basically it. It was a good way to get my brain cranking again. Looking forward to hopefully working again on the layout some more!
/tyco/forum/uploaded/ChrisC/DSCF3341.jpg
/tyco/forum/uploaded/ChrisC/DSCF3345.jpg
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Posted - November 10 2012 : 03:24:19 AM
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Quiet unique!
" Heck with counting 'em rivets, TRAINS ARE FOR FUN! Not called the Mad Scientist for nothing either!"
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Posted - November 10 2012 : 04:32:48 AM
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This is VERY unique! Almost to the extreme, kind of like my shadow box display cases!
That little critter, man, I know I can power that, just to think when I have the $10 I need for the motor......
~John
Many have tried to, and failed, ya just can't repair stupid... 
Do NOT try to Idiot-Proof anything!!!! God, will simply create a better......IDIOT!
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Posted - November 10 2012 : 06:49:32 AM
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Both great projects,the critter and the diorama.
Scratch build on dude!
Alco Fan
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Posted - November 11 2012 : 01:09:10 AM
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Thanks guys! If you want to check some more out...
http://www.finescalerr.com/smf/index.php?topic=1429.0
And for a real big thread on them. There is one of a locomotive pulling a car out of water on page 22 that just has to be seen to be believed. And the motorized tree house too!
http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13750
Or Google image search "peanut butter lid diorama" and you'll be shocked at what you see.
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Posted - November 11 2012 : 02:43:18 AM
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Chris,
I have a good idea for one of those, myself! OMG my crazy mind at work.............. and THATS a scary thought!
~John
Many have tried to, and failed, ya just can't repair stupid...
Do NOT try to Idiot-Proof anything!!!! God, will simply create a better......IDIOT!
Edited by - EM-1 on November 11 2012 03:05:47 AM
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Posted - November 11 2012 : 10:32:37 AM
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Nice work Chris.
I can't wait to see your whole layout finished.
Ray
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Posted - November 11 2012 : 3:23:09 PM
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Very nice! I'm doing a slightly larger scale - going to have curved tracks coming in & out of a mountain. I can have dioramas in place - working a wreck - cleaning track by hand, that sort of thing. My basic layout will be 2 curved tracks with 2 tunnel ends to create the illusion of more working track. This gives me great ideas!
Rus
Starting my Tyco and other favorites collection over again after 37 years.
My still in progress list of inventory and wantlist: tyconut.com
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Posted - November 11 2012 : 11:41:19 PM
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Excellent work, Chris. That's a lot of action packed into a tiny space... cool idea! 
The Tyco Depot
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Posted - November 12 2012 : 12:29:41 AM
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Ray - Me too haha. Trying to get around finishing one the buildings I need. I also need a finer screen to sift some dirt. But yea I'm hoping to be back into it soon.
Rus & Nelson thanks!
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 Posted - November 12 2012 : 12:40:37 AM
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Hi ChrisC,
That is some fine work you have done. Wish I had the talent for that kind of thing.
Thanks for sharing!
Mytyco
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