We begin .....

The project will be broken down into a number of sub-projects (I estimate around 10), some of which will run simultaneously.

From West to East we have:

The transition scenery from Insular gorge into Glanton.
  As with similar areas on the C&A, a "view block" approach will be used to help disguise the small overall size of the layout and also the relative closeness of towns/industries.

Glanton itself, with a station/depot, at least two major industries on trailing and leading spurs and a team track:
 The three spurs are all "loose laid" e.g. only the first 4 inches of track is fixed to the road bed. This allows me to within limits, move the tracks to fit the shape of the industries and potentially changing ideas.

The West end of Glanton where the C&A main runs into the helix that is Matrimony hill and a branch runs into the Helix central staging where Glanton Lumber company sources it's timber:
 Some fancy footwork is going to be required to make the scenery in this area half-way convincing. This is probably the hardest part (conceptually) of this section.

To make an easy and pleasant start I am going to build the station for Glanton and I just happen to have a Campbell Skull Valley station kit (as usual a bargain eBay purchase form some years ago). The building style should fit the overall vibe I am after and looks like a really fun build:
 

Onward ...........

Rob Clark

Goody...

Another section to follow along. 

creativity

"The three spurs are all "loose laid" e.g. only the first 4 inches of track is fixed to the road bed. This allows me to within limits, move the tracks to fit the shape of the industries and potentially changing ideas."

Very interesting way to do things Rob. It probably gives you much more flexibility when composing the scenes.

BTW, I recently saw many layouts with large trestles and it became so clear to me you were right saying building the topography first then adapting the bridge yields more realistic results. All the ones I've seen suffered from an awkward and out of place symetry. 

Skull Valley Station

I think the Skull Valley station is going to look great on your pike!  I've always liked that kit.

Sort/paint/stain

Thanks Rick, always useful to know people can be bothered to look at this stuff ...

Matt - I was struck by the same thought. The symmetry doesn't by any means make a trestle bad looking, but it can look so much better. The down side is the extra work - "You pays yer money and you takes yer choice".

Jack - Skull Valley station is a good kit and work is underway:

 

I have sorted out all the components to make sure I've got everything (one or two bits missing, but easily replaced from my strip wood stockpile) and very importantly,understand where each piece goes.
I've built enough stuff now to be confident in using my own build methods and sequence, but I still read the instructions thoroughly, to get the "shape" of the build clear in my head.

I have also done a lot of pre-painting which can be laborious but pays off massively when construction starts. The pieces of siding can "blow away" when airbrushing so I use a tiny dot of glue on the back of each section to hold it to an A4 sheet of paper. This is "C&A green" and I hope I have enough left for the remaining structures because I mixed it randomly around 4 years ago and there's little chance I can reproduce it !

The platform base is built and stained, just because it's easy and one job out of the way.

This evening I can start assembling sub components - a very satisfying stage.

Rob Clark

Following along.

Following along.

Anticipation

Excellent Kevin - I must say that at this point (as with past C&A scenes) I have not the slightest clue what Glanton is going to end up looking like. This is what is so exciting about the process - the place evolves and hopefully into something that looks good and operates well. It's a voyage of discovery

Rob Clark

Hello Rob, I can't wait to

Hello Rob,

I can't wait to see further progress.

Markus

Also following

I can't wait! LOL!

Microscope

It's still here

C&A Green

Most paint stores here can spectrum analyse a paint chip and reproduce a paint color from the analysis.

Is that a possibility for your "green"?

Sub-assembly assembly

Markus, Tim and Peter - pleased you are with me. I may need advice .....

Peter, I am crossing my fingers that the paint supply will hold out - probably only one (perhaps two) buildings need company green. Our local stores can analyze and reproduce, but probably not in acrylic (sprayable) paint. To be fair - I haven't asked!

  The main building is painted and individual panels assembled. I only made a few small errors which I am not going to tell you about. No-one but me will ever know ....

Interior glazing and painting is also complete so I will start assembly this evening. This is the best bit of making model buildings where you suddenly go from a pile of sub assemblies to something tangible that looks "real".

Applying the shingles is my least favorite bit of the process, but again, the results are very rewarding.
"Shingling" is the architectural equivalent of ballasting track I think.

Rob Clark

Assembly magic

Despite having built quite a few things over the years I remain captivated at the magic of final assembly of a "craftsman" wood kit. A few scraps of wood become a structure:
 
 
On with rafters and roof ...........

Rob Clark

Let the fun begin

Let the fun begin, detail,detail,details. It all adds up to a splendid and extraordinary scene. Which can only be accomplished by the master at the other end of the tools.

Knowledge

DaveS - certainly agree about the details. I am already putting together a pile of things that should belong in and around this building. I am short of baggage wagons and unfortunately the shipping cost from the US is quite crippling these days. I need to do some creative searching on Google.

Master at the end of the tools? - certainly not me, perhaps "experienced apprentice" is closer.
Often quoted - " The more I learn, the more I realize I don't know".
Never a truer saying .........

Rob Clark

Things are looking good!

Things are looking good!

....

Roof detail

Thanks Rob - it's a long journey ahead.....

Benny - I never realized that it had been moved. So before it was moved to Skull Valley was it called Cherry Crossing?
You should build that "Someday" kit - it is indeed fun and pretty straightforward.

Ready for the roof:
 
Sadly, all of this support detail is barely seen once the overhanging roof is applied. But I shall know it is there and that's what counts

Rob Clark

Very nice craftsmanship

 I like the crisp look .....DaveB

Doc Weso

If memory serves, Wayne Wesolowski built this kit as the demonstration model for the Kalmbach video, "Building Wood Structures".  It does have very nice lines, and you're doing a cracking job.

Galen

Uncrisping the crisp

Hmmm ... "crisp look". Crisp is good, but I think I may need to do some serious "un-crisping" before I put this on the layout

Galen - never saw the Kalmbach video, but I will try to look it up. When I am finished I am going to make some comparisons between the three "craftsman" station kits I have already built on the C&A - should be interesting.

"Shingling" has started (yawn):
 

And this afternoon I remembered that this kit came with a "Comfort station", which I have put together (real fast):
 Not quite finished, but pretty close.

This is fun ......

Rob Clark

 "I think I may need to do

Maybe the railroad took good care of the passenger depots? or  pretend the painters were just there?  Contrast can be interesting, like a spiffy depot in a shop worn scene:> ) ......DaveB

Woodwork

I guess you're right Dave. Looking at the other two stations on the C&A, things are reasonably clean. I do need some wear and tear however.

Shingling continues - no pictures, because you can guess exactly what it looks like .

Spent Sunday morning at the railroad museum working on some wood:  This is one of two "patches" that are going into a brake van (caboose to you guys) frame that has rotted.

Lots of sawing and chiselling required and I will need an afternoon snooze to recover ......

Rob Clark

"This is one of two "patches"

   That looks like fun. What species of wood is it? ......DaveB