Gn15 Wescott Mine and Mill Update 06

The Fix

The first thing I did was to chisel away the areas where the rock outcroppings were protruding into the rock cut. I did this until the loco was able to pass through the cut with no issues.

Next, I rubbed my finger across the ties/sleepers to loosen as much of the coarse ballast as I could. I vacuumed up the loose ballast, then I applied a fine ballast to the roadbed. At this scale, the fine ballast resembles dirt. I then let everything dry overnight.

The last step was to dust on a light coating of non-sanded grout to the center of the track with a soft brush. I sealed it in place with a light mist of 91% isopropyl alcohol and water. After the non-sanded grout dried, I vacuumed the roadbed for a final time

Time for a test run to see how it works now.

The 2023 Micro Model Railroad Cartel Christmas Challenge.

Build a Pizza Layout

There are no big prizes. The challenge is there to stimulate creativity and encourage micro layout building. The winning entry, voted on by the members of the Micro Model Railroad Cartel on Facebook, is featured as the header photograph on the page for the year. Plus, the winning layout will be featured in the pages of The Dispatch at the winners convenience.

Subjects in the past have been to build a layout in one square foot, and building your own take on the original Squarefoot Estate Railway plan. 

This year, the challenge is much simpler. The challenge is to build a Pizza layout. 

The pizza layout was probably the most popular subject on the original carendt.com website, and there were many regular updates devoted to the concept. The term “Pizza Layout’ even has its own Wikipedia entry, and the concept still has many supporters around the world today. As a small space model railway idea. You can’t beat a pizza layout. 

The Rules.

The baseboard can be no larger than four square feet. That’s a maximum of a two feet by two feet square or a 27” diameter circle. 

The baseboard can only be square or circular.

The track plan can be a circle, oval, or squared circle. A figure eight folded on itself is permissible. You can use flex track, sectional track or you can hand lay your track.

The layout must be built between March 1st and November 30th 2023

Turnouts and sidings are acceptable.

A turnout to an external storage track to change trains is permitted but not compulsory. Any storage area DOES NOT count towards the size limit 

The deadline for construction is November 30th 2023.

Photographs will be uploaded to an entry thread on the Facebook page on December 1st

A video proving that the layout works must also be uploaded.

You can upload as many photographs as you like of your entry but only one photo will be used in the entry judging thread.

Above all. Have fun!

Episode 35

Episode 35 Topics

• Project Updates
• The 2023 Christmas Micro Layout Challenge Rollout
• The Dispatch e-Zine Spring Issue News

Click here for the listen link (podcast player will open in a new tab).

Episode Links for e35:

Official Micro Challenge 2023 Rules at the Cartel Facebook Group

https://www.facebook.com/groups/446880498758158

Micro Model Railway Dispatch e-zine  

https://micromodelrailwaydispatch.com/

Micro Model Railway Dispatch Editor 

Send comments, questions, and/or article submissions to Ian

  at mmrdeditor@gmail.com

Music for Cartel Conversations...

"Newer Wave" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

"Space Fighter Loop" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License

 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

........................................................ 

Links Page for Inspiration...

https://microcartel.blogspot.com/p/links-for-inspiration.html

Gn15 Wescott Rwy Update 05

It has been only 4 years since my last update post on my Gn15 layout build. So much for the "more updates soon" statement in the last post. 😊

Patching plaster applied and rock faces carved into the plaster

The baseboard has been sitting in the garage for the last four years. I added patching plaster to the old plaster cloth being careful to pre-wet the old plaster with a mist of 91% isopropyl alcohol and water. As the plaster began to set up, I carved out the rock faces. 

Washes ready for application 

I'm coloring the rocks using the "Leopard Spotting" technique Woodland Scenics developed to color rock faces. I dab on the diluted acrylic paints with a 1"foam brush. 

Yellow Ochre wash applied 

Raw and Burnt Umber wash applied 

Black wash applied 

Rock surfaces drying

Earth-colored non-sanded grout dusted onto the ground surfaces 

Ballast applied and testing vegetation placement 

At this point I am pleased with the look; however, the larger coarse ballast did not bond well at all. Also, a careless oversight when applying plaster resulted in the rock cut on the left being too narrow for the tram loco. This means I will have to chip away some of the completed rock surfaces to gain clearance. Ugh! 

Tom