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Three Micro Layouts in the Offing, HO

3K views 20 replies 6 participants last post by  Nikola 
#1 ·
First up is a true point-to-point. It will be a Manhattan subway utilizing Howe's auto stop, auto reverse electronic sensor. In the center of the tube, which will be cut down to 6' will be a twenty inch cut out showing a station platform of commuters, street musicians.

Pipe

Train Transport Rolling stock Vehicle Railroad car


Next up will two other micro layouts, one a compressed view of Harte's Mill Crossing in El Paso, circa 1881. The other will be featuring the John Bull set.

Painting Landscape Watercolor paint Art Visual arts

Product Wood Floor Flooring Plywood
 
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#3 ·
Harte's Mill



Roughing out the plan. The track plan is pretty much determined by the use of 15 inch radii, which is the minimum the Old West stock can tolerate.

I thought about sticking a mountain in the middle of it, but will look too contrived. Instead, opting to work out to inward. The left channel will be that will be that sunken road, and the broader channel to be the Rio Grande that the old SP crossed from New Mexico into Texas. The multi-layers will be the flood plains flanking the river. A dry arroyo will be placed at the distal curve.

Nothing remains of the sunken road, that I can find, the area appears to have been filled in at some point, probably when the former Asarco Copper Smelter was erected.

The Rio Grande with its flooding played havoc with the US-Mexico river border, at one point slicing off a chunk of prime Mexican territory into the US side.
 
#6 ·
Progress on Harte's Mill Crossing:



Dish Cuisine Food Side dish


Monday, after work, will go down to the banks of the Rio Grande
and get some of that vintage soil for ground cover. Found some HO grape vines to go to the right side of the sunken road, as in the painting.

As to the subway tube, is there a way to use a jig to make sure the angles are cut square?
 
#8 ·
This is so cool!!!

Harbor Fright sells a tubing jig angle notcher/cutter that some folks use to build roll cages. It is an inexpensive tool that will be the tits for PVC.

https://www.harborfreight.com/pipe-tubing-notcher-42324.html

The other way, if you just need square or angled cuts, is just to use a regular power miter saw. Cut slow so that the edges don't chip. You can similarly cut slots (lengthwise cuts) with a table saw (plunge cuts)

For the subway, don't forget about the 'trenched' roadbed at stations!

That is the same styrofoam I used on my layout. Your laying out and creation of the landscaping, painting, etc. is flawless.

We have a John Bull and it always ran better without the front truck. I guess that made it J Bull.
 
#9 ·
Thanks for the tips, Nikola. I believe the John Bull came
without its front truck when shipped from Britain. The
front truck was added on by the American mechanics.

Trenched roadbed, honestly I'd forgotten that. I will take a good look at that and figure out how to make that.



OMG, I think I'd better confine my efforts to a third rail, unless you have any ideas?!
 
#14 ·
The trenches are not that deep. I would guess half the thickness of a RR tie at the deepest, tapering to much less (this is for the drainage). I doubt they add 6 inches clearance; with the height of the rails and the ground clearance of the subway car trucks, that is all that is needed.

If you glue the track down under the rails, you can hog out the center and lay forms, then flow in a thin mixture of spackle. Should be pretty easy.
 
#10 ·
Went down to Harte's Mill Crossing today, after some
probing about, found a point of view that probably is
where the painter did his painting, back in the 1880's.
Didn't get arrested by the Border Patrol, but was
discreetly followed off the property by a security
truck from a construction company.
Pyramid Wadi Hill Makhtesh Landscape

Property House Building Home Real estate

Overpass Bridge Concrete bridge Beam bridge Transport

The yellow building is like a turn of the century Army
Administration building, not later than 1910 at least.
Probably used by General Black Jack Pershing when
he chased Poncho Villa back into Mexico after his
raid on Columbus, NM. One of the first military attacks
on US soil since the War of 1812. Next one was Pearl
Harbor. Unlike Pearl, the Army was on alert,
and blew the Hell out of the raiders.
Transport Train Railway Track Vehicle

Water resources Water Bridge Watercourse Waterway

Bridge Concrete bridge Beam bridge Overpass Girder bridge

A click to the North and here is the trestle that replaced
the wooden one, in or about 1910, coming in from
New Mexico. Here in the desert, underground rivers
give way to surprising streams of water out of
nowhere.

Road Sky Asphalt Ecoregion Land lot


Road Dirt road Land lot Asphalt Soil


Bucket Soil


Down to the river, but the river was dry. Before
cotton and pecans and Elephant Butte Dam in
NM sucked all the water up, the river was a wild
thing, several feet deep, swiftly running, and
populated with ancient sturgeon. The air smells
like the sea here, which is perhaps owing to this
whole region being an ancient seabed. The soil
is extremely alkaline. Dinosaur foot prints were
found, about a decade ago, on the facing side of
Mt. Cristo Del Rey. And I got my dirt!!
 
#11 ·
Went down to Harte's Mill Crossing today, after some
probing about, found a point of view that probably is
where the painter did his painting, back in the 1880's.
Didn't get arrested by the Border Patrol, but was
discreetly followed off the property by a security
truck from a construction company.
View attachment 481846
View attachment 481848
View attachment 481850
The yellow building is like a turn of the century Army
Administration building, not later than 1910 at least.
Probably used by General Black Jack Pershing when
he chased Poncho Villa back into Mexico after his
raid on Columbus, NM. One of the first military attacks
on US soil since the War of 1812. Next one was Pearl
Harbor. Unlike Pearl, the Army was on alert,
and blew the Hell out of the raiders.
View attachment 481852
View attachment 481854
View attachment 481856
A click to the North and here is the trestle that replaced
the wooden one, in or about 1910, coming in from
New Mexico. Here in the desert, underground rivers
give way to surprising streams of water out of
nowhere.

View attachment 481840

View attachment 481842

View attachment 481844

Down to the river, but the river was dry. Before
cotton and pecans and Elephant Butte Dam in
NM sucked all the water up, the river was a wild
thing, several feet deep, swiftly running, and
populated with ancient sturgeon. The air smells
like the sea here, which is perhaps owing to this
whole region being an ancient seabed. The soil
is extremely alkaline. Dinosaur foot prints were
found, about a decade ago, on the facing side of
Mt. Cristo Del Rey. And I got my dirt!!
Nice post and pics thanks.:thumbsup:
 
#13 ·
Nikola, I obtained some JC. Containing acetone, I was fairly suspicious I had obtained the correct compound, and sure
enough a small drop almost ate its way through the
Styrofoam. What brand/type did you use??

View attachment 482012
Not sure. It was a five gallon pail of joint compound that was in a construction dumpster. (It was at the apartment complex where I live, so figure on the cheapest crap available. LOL.) I wanted the bucket and was happily surprised to find about a gallon and a half of good JC inside. I added some water right away so it would not set up, and as I need some I decant it into a jar and add more water to get it as thin as needed.

I suppose you can always first paint the styrofoam with a cheap interior latex paint. Then add whatever you want on top as it will be sealed.

EDIT: Wait a minute. By JC I mean joint compound, as in spackle, for sheetrock. Not what is used to attach PVC pipes. The can in the photo is what you use to clean PVC pipes before gluing.
 
#16 ·
Progress on Hart's Mill Crossing



House Scale model Building Home


Scale model Rock Strategy video game


Soil Grass Land lot Geological phenomenon Landscape


Soil Grass Tree Plant Rock


The mud hut is under construction. Modge Podge on Styrofoam scrap, rolled in river sand. Old West structures by an unknown craftsman, I picked up cheap from a junk store. The ox cart by the late "Doc" Harrison, a bovine veterinarian, long time member of the El Paso Model Train Club, scratch built, by him. The half dead scraggle trees on the left from tumble weed trimmings dipped in Modge Podge and rolled in WS turf.
 
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