layout construction, 1” foam board laminated to ½” plywood,
all of the track will be laid on 1/32” basswood that has been
attached using foam board glue. Rather than cutting the
plywood, the method used with the project layout, Woodland
Scenics risers will be used with the basswood roadbed.
I have briefly mentioned some of the structures I will be using
on the layout. Some of these have already been constructed
and are being incorporated into the dioramas that are being
assembled. This is not a new idea, and has been presented
in the model press previously. I adopted the idea from Sam
Swanson after seeing it used effectively to build his Hall Hollow
diorama. It is so much easier to work scenery into hard to
reach spaces when working on your workbench than on your
layout, no matter how small it is.
5
5: Rear of open air engine shed that will be located at
Oak Crest. The derelict Shay is a casting from Rusty
Rails.com. The scenery is incomplete on this diorama,
as additional structures have not yet been built. Also,
there are more details to be added to the engine house.
The Lite and Narrow Column - 4
I am using materials that range from ¼” foam core board to
1” extruded foam board, depending on the structure and
the topography for the bases. For a complete article on how
these mini modules are used to develop a large diorama, see
“Developing Hall Hollow” in the
2010 HOn3 Annual.
For the
other structures on the layout, the goal is to either scratchbuild
or have high quality laser kits for wooden structures. While
this is the goal, it is not meant to exclude resin and plastic kits
when they are better suited for the location or purpose.
Just what are these other structures, you may be asking. They
are all in keeping with the theme and location of the railroad,
which is a rural backwoods narrow gauge shortline, set in 1942,
and located in southwestern Virginia. The primary structures
will be company houses, company stores, coal tipples, and
truck dumps.
6: Scene from side of Oak Crest engine shed showing
the derelict Shay. More detail will be added to the shed
including a welder with a working arc. Scenery is yet
incomplete.
6
MRH-Nov 2013
