Відео

In this video, we add another, smaller industry between the big warehouse and where the power plant scene will eventually begin. For this purpose, I chose the Downtown Deco kit "Downtown Alley Flat." I built it mostly stock, but added some LED lighting, and reversed the order of some of the buildings. Old Track was removed that was set up for the old layout's alignment, and I extended the indus...

I recently discovered an issue at the turnout leading into the ice track. While working on the fix, I discovered there were actually two separate problems with track out of gauge - one just before the turnout and one just past the points where the diverging route begins. After fixing the issue, I re-ballasted and weathered the corrected sections and ran some switching ops. The Baldwin VO-1000 s...

A friend of mine - Jason The Train Freak - was selling off some excess stock he had on hand as he had honed-in on a more specific time and place for his layout. A couple of his items intrigued me, including some older boxcars that all needed some work, including two that were of the same railroad and road number. The price was certainly right, at $6 for the two Athearn Blue Box Boxcars, so I we...

In this video, we build a large brick warehouse from start to finish. I’m using three brick wall sections cast in hydrocal by Downtown Deco. I really think hydrocal makes for a fantastic brick finish if you take your time with painting, and with some prep ahead of time. I’ve scratchbuilt the roof out of 1/2” plywood, and added tar paper made from construction paper. The loading dock was scratch...

I've continued working on the track plan for my HO Scale Manchester & Deepwater Model Railroad and have made a host of additional tweaks and changes, some of which are based on viewer feedback. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts, ideas, and experience with me!

After getting mostly unstuck with the track plan, I went ahead and built the benchwork for Manchester and North Staging. While I don't have every single detail sorted out yet, the basic shape is set. This was designed to incorporate the original Manchester Module, so right off the bat I have some completed, albeit damaged, structures and scenery. Laying track in staging and connecting it to the...

I’ve been stuck, and not working on the layout for a few months, and it is because the track plan had a problem. This video explains the problem with the original plan, and how I solved it to get “unstuck.” The issue with the plan was sapping my motivation to do anything until I was able to solve it. It is good to get back on the saddle!

This past June, my wife and I had the opportunity to ride The Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad from Durango up to Silverton, and back. To describe the scenery along the route as “spectacular” seems like an understatement; indeed, my mind wandered to modeling this area as its appeal as a setting for one’s own home layout cemented itself.

Just a short video about a Jason Jensen kit I finished off to match the FSM ice dock, cleaned some turnouts and some small progress on the large plaster warehouse.

We've installed four new sections of 60" x 18" photo backdrop, but this time they are mounted to styrene sheet first. This way, if/when we ever need to move the layout, the backdrop can easily be removed and used again. There are several shout outs and thank you's as we talk about some recent packages we've received or techniques we have used, and a recap of the track plan and build direction a...

So, I've learned some lessons. For one, Latex molds shrink. My recent castings are ~5% smaller than the originals I made last summer. This means the windows do not fit correctly, and rather than spend hours and hours making them smaller, I ordered the final ones for the layout from Downtown Deco. In the future, I'll experiment more with making molds but I will switch to silicone, and likely mak...

We made a mold of a brick wall section using Latex and medical gauze. The process took about a week, and then the mold sat in my layout room for 6 months. This week, we poured some hydrocal molds and learned some lessons along the way - such as using a surfactant to mist the surface before pouring, and how to mix hydrocal properly for casting. In the end, we made 5 castings, three of which we w...

Its a New Year, and I have some renewed focus on what I want to do next. I'd like to be able to really start running trains again, and to do that I need to continue construction. We'll start with the back drop from the yard through the creek scene, and then run the track and wiring so the latter is not in the way! Once the track is connected to the creek scene, we will be in good position to co...

The Fine Scale Miniatures Ice Station is complete! This video focuses on the ice dock structure itself, including staining and construction, adding the stairs and railing, weathering the roof, and adding the ice block details to the dock.

Manchester & Deepwater Version 2.0 Update 34 - Finishing the FSM Ice Station Main Structure

Manchester & Deepwater Version 2.0 Update 33 - Starting the Fine Scale Miniatures Ice Station

Manchester & Deepwater Version 2.0 Update 32 - Concrete Lot for the Warehouse

Manchester & Deepwater Version 2.0 Update 31 - Finishing the Warehouses

Manchester & Deepwater Version 2.0 Update 30 - RIP Track Warehouses, Mortar Lines Two Ways

Layout Visit with Bill, Dave, and Anthony

Manchester & Deepwater Version 2.0 Update 29 - Building a Hydrocal Kit

Manchester & Deepwater Version 2.0 Update 28 - Natural Scenery Material and Lights Above the Yard

How We Do - Painting Plaster Detail Castings with Gaming Mini Techniques

Manchester & Deepwater Version 2.0 Update 27 - Moving on to Structures

Manchester & Deepwater Version 2.0 Update 26 - Loblolly Pine Trees

Manchester & Deepwater Version 2.0 Update 25 - Static Grass, Ballast and Pine Trees

Manchester & Deepwater Version 2.0 Update 24 - Finishing the Scene

Manchester & Deepwater Version 2.0 Update 23 - Overpass Scenery

Manchester & Deepwater Version 2.0 Update 22 - Finishing the Road, DIY Scenery, and Static Grass