Updates for the end of May, 2015

Due to the onset of summer, and some home improvement projects, not much progress has been made on the layout lately.

First, a photo of a Baldie leaving the Southport station:

Looks like I just missed the Loop bound train! Ugh!

The Sheridan Road curve building (well, more like Irving Park Road) has been partially painted.

I will most likely make this a grocery store. I may make it Spanish/Mexican or Polish oriented, to add more local flavor. This building is based loosely from a DSL Shops resin flat. That particular flat wouldn't have fit in this location so I decided to scratch build this version. Construction of this building is documented in prior blog posts. Paint is mostly rattle can primers.

One thing that I've never been satisfied with is O Scale terracotta wall caps. On my prior buildings I made castings from a section taken from an Ameritown wall. However, these were really just one sided and somewhat thin. Plus, I lost the master and my molds are starting to wear out.

So, I've decided to try and 3D print a set of modular wall caps and then make molds and castings. These are based loosely from some plans I found on the internet.

These will be geared for a wall thickness of about 1'3", which is a little thick. BUT ... I have decided I like the look of a beefier wall. On some models brick walls seem pretty thin. So, I've decided to see what these will look like as I've made some of my newer buildings with thicker walls. The wall thickness is apparent on the brick parapets. Too thin to me seems ... well, too thin. We shall see.

Track expansion is finally completed!

The new section of structure has had its track added and has been wired! The station still needs to be built and some minor details added, but trains can now run over the new structure!

A view down the tracks. The station, which will be an island type of platform, will
go in the space in between the tracks.

I have also completed an update video for May 2015:

And as a final photo, an odd assortment of cars and eras paid a visit at the Sheridan Road station. The guy waiting for his train doesn't know what to make of this assortment!

Hmmm... that's an odd assortment of options of travel!

3D printed Baldie in paint

I've pretty much finished painting the 3D printed Baldie model. I still need to work on the interior and add the under body details, but the outside of the car is done.

I used True-Color paints: Reading green and a custom mix of white and yellow for the cream. Black accents are grimy black. The roof is primer grey.