You okay with both positive and critical comments?

I like the spacing of track and scenery

looks very realistic. ....DaveB

Overall

The modeling looks good. If you would get some neutral gray paint and spend some time cleaning and painting the front and edges of the layout (all the benchwork if you really feel ambitious) the modeling would actually benefit from eliminating the distractions to the eye.

Agree with Mr. Sutton

Modeling looks great. Just need to tidy up the layout face and add a backdrop.

Lighting is a nice touch

Only thing I would suggest is

Only thing I would suggest is better lighting, few scrubs, long grass that sort of thing and maybe fascia

Phil

Track plan?

While I disagree about a photo backdrop and think a painted one can be very effective, the question of how this operates interests me more. From what I can tell there does not seem to be a run around. 

It isn’t clear to me what the signals represent. If these are block protection then why not in each direction? They also need an equipment cabinet and electrical connection. How about a line of utility poles?  

Wymore, Clackamas

Dear Neil,

I seem to recall that Clackamas, Ore has been discussed previously,
and GoogleMaps + the FOGChart from the now-departed "Freadman's FOGCharts.com" tells the story...

FOGChart
https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/sites/model-railroad-hobbyist.com/files/oregon_city_and_clackamas_switcher_-_apr_26_2004.pdf

In short, as the layout appears to be focussed on the "Wymore Transfer" industrial tracks S/SE of the Jennifer St grade crossing (bottom left on the FOG chart, the Jennifer St crossing is clearly marked)

there is should be no need or call-for a run-around...

File it under a very Lance Mindheim-esque _de_compression form of trackplan,
as opposed to the more-common "selective compression" method...
(Dave's observation of the "open track spacing"  is another clue that this is "_De_compressed" rather than "selectively squzzed")

EDIT: The above having been said, I just went back and rechecked the pics, the GP does indeed look like it's leading the train into a dead-end on one of the Wymore tracks???

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr

How did you make the warehouse?

Conspicuity Stripes...

Dear Pat,

Can I just call out the reflective conspicuity stripes.... wow....
(Any info available on what/how?)

The layout itself looks good to me, although I must confess I'd personally prefer running a pair of SW1500s on point... (a la 2000-era UPY "Oregon City Switcher" / "LIL75"???    )

Keep going, you're doing great! 

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr

Lance?

Lance, is that you?  

Somebody's been reading some Mindheim. 

Randy

Little Clean Up

Very nice!   Great weathering!  Nice scenes!

Understanding it’s a work in progress, I would “clean-up” the non-railroading elements to make things really pop!

Facia for the benchwork. Hide the visible paint and tools. Backdrop or paint the wall a sky blue. 

Overall a really nice job!

Joe

I gotta be that guy...

That tree next to the building looks too oversized. It looks very odd to me. Everything looks alright and the reflective stripes on the cars is a really nice touch, but there is a whole lot of nothing going on. Still got a ways to go, but it looks like it's coming together. You should post your track plan so everyone can get a better ideal of how everything is laid out. As far as a backdrop, you could make one that is only as tall as your tallest building. It would be easier to do and wouldn't take so long to make. I personally dislike backdrops because they are a pain, but they are well worth it because they provide some kind of atmosphere. Not all backdrops have to be a billion feet tall and have clouds painted all over. You could even make the short back drop and paint it so it looks like all the clouds and stuff are fading into the distance.

Comments

As others have said, a fascia to clean up the front edge would be nice.  You are making a good effort to have nice scenery, structures and rolling stock, the layout should frame it and not distract from it.

Backdrop would be nice, once again, to frame the model work.

Not quite sure what or why the signals are there.  They aren't an obviously prototypical arrangement.  Really minor point, they don't appear to be the same distance from the tracks.

Reflective stripes are cool.

Road finish is nice.  It may be the angle of the photo, but it looks like the "Fedex" road is starting to curl.

You might have missed an opportunity by curving the spurs on the aisle side of the area in front of the window.  If you had made them more parallel to the lead, like the area along Jennifer St. you could have gotten in a couple more warehouses with more spots.

Also I would have tried to put a track on the other side of "Fedex Rd" (Last Rd) for storage since there is one on the prototype.

Since you are dong an industrial park, having roads and buildings parallel to the fascia doesn't hurt, it reinforces the "man-made" imposed order of the park.

I hope you are going to try static grass, it will really make your scenery pop.

Looks good!

Lots of real industrial parks have tracks curving off to serve warehouses, etc. at right angles to the feeder track, I like that you’ve managed to get that in.  Overall quite nice.

Skelton, did you notice the prototype photos that show a tree right next to the warehouse that the model tree seems to be a pretty good match for?

Signals on industrial track is a bit unusual, I am curious if the prototype has signals?

Backdrop, fascia, lighting.

Backdrop, fascia, lighting. The modeling is fine and has some nice touches. I look at the hobby more from the art side and presentation is everything! I'm not a big fan of photo backdrops but they seem to work pretty well for industrial areas. Plain blue sky is better than nothing and it's easy to do. Start with blue at the top, start mixing white at the horizon line (eye level) and blend to till you get blue at top, white at bottom. it will look great!

Great looking start

It looks really good. As others have said, fascia cleanup can help wonders, and I'd highly recommend some LED strip lighting. You can usually find them for about $12 per six feet on places like eBay or Amazon. High color (5000K and up) resembles daylight better.

Absolutely Joe

I appreciate the responses so far. I was putting off the fascia until I thought it was more complete and presentable. Joe I posted this really to get the criticism and have everyone throw in their 2 cents on what can be better.  For once I’m actually asking for the negative thoughts and all that. I’m not mad at any comments like I said that’s why I posted this.  I want to know how others perceive something I see everyday.  You all will notice stuff that I may not have recognized or thought about. 

Hey Joe I’ve been searching backgrounds and just not sure which one to pick.   I’ve been close to pulling the trigger and ordering one then I second guess and end up with nothing.  I’d love to know what background you’d pick or anyone else.  Again I’m modeling the Clackamas Oregon switching area behind the Fred Meyer warehouses.  If anyone has suggestions on a good backdrop for that area please throw it up. 

Appreciate you all,

best model train site...........!!

Pat

Thanks brother

That’s exactly why I posted this I want to get others opinions on how it looks.  I’m getting the chainsaw and that tree is gone

Original track plan

Hey guys,

Byron Henderson was recommended to me to help with a track plan ( he was awesome and I’d recommend him to anyone who is building a layout ).  

Here’s a pic of one of the plans he came up with. I told him I planned to extend the left side that’s why it’s longer on the plan and not in my actual layout I have built now.  Im in an apartment right now and doing the going with the TOMA plan.  At the end of the day I wanted to go with Lance Mindheim’s ideology that less is more. Meaning I didn’t want to have a bunch of track and stuff crammed into such a small area.  I really like the idea and look of having a piece that looks like art and the real thing ( guess that means prototype.  When people see it I want them to not think “ toy tree going round the Christmas tree).  Anyways here’s the track plan ( one of about 5 he came up with )clearly i deviated from it

Dave

 Hey D

so in my head I’m pretending like the track going off to the warehouse is coming from the mainline in Clackamas where they do have signals. Not for the siding going to the warehouses but, I  love the look of signals on a layout so I found an excuse to throw one in.  I have it hooked up to a Logic Rail Signal Tester.  I wired my buss wires to the  9volt hook up and it works great.   I can throw the switch and change the colors whenever. 

My idea of back drop

Pat, my idea of a backdrop is a little different.

I paint a "Skyboard" just a light blue color. It is mounted to the benchwork uprights. In the photo below, My Lady Laurie has added clouds.

Then I create a 3D Backdrop that I fasten right to the module.

The tree

I don’t think the tree was too tall, the problem may be that it was the only one there. 

" I don’t think the tree was

I think folks that don't live in the west don't know what a real tree looks like :> )   They can't imagine that would be  relatively short for a west coast fir,cedar,or redwood......DaveB