Model Railroad Hobbyist Magazine

I'm surprised no one caught this earlier! Did anyone notice the cover page of the May issue of Model Railroad Hobbyist Magazine?

MRHM May Issue

Take a look at what the boy is holding in his hand. What does it read on that black box?

Alex,
Someone did notice it and mentioned it to Karin a couple of days ago I believe.
I think that is pretty neat if I do say so myself.

Actually I'm a subscriber and noticed it right away, pretty cool!

Great advertising Karin!
Even better is being the controller of choice for a really neat switching layout.
For those not familiar with this N scale shelf layout, take a look at this well done tutorial:

www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?134868-Summer-Shunting-Shelf-Project

Please take note of the author's 9 year old daughter soldering Fast Tracks turnouts!

Yes. This is a great advert. Jim

Jim,
Are you still building magnificent HO layouts? I'll bet most don't know what you have been up to lately.

Hi Loren, Some folks think my HO layout building is in the top handful when it comes to realism. The NMRA had a layout tour of my layout last month and I couldn't get them out of the house. Lots of oohs and aahs. I've given the NMRA a couple of scenery clinics and I'm not a member! You can see a photo in the "Bye" post below or click this: www.zcentralstation.com/index.php?option=com_kunena&func=view&catid=5&id=13807&Itemid=212#13829 Hopefully this works.

Beyond that photo here is a link to my Building the Pinnacle Creek Mining and Timber Co. layout thread. In 6 1/2 months it has over 21,200 hits. Check it out.
www.modelrailroadforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25919

Say hey to Karin for me, Jim

Jim- That is a great site!! I've got it saved in 3 places. Haven't had time to really read it yet- but I sure love the pictures!! And got some ideas- like sand around the bottom of your pilings-looks like barnacles. That is a wonderful resource for ANY scale!! Thanks for posting. This looks like John Allen's league.
Fred
PS- Is that "Z" sky??

Fred, Thanks ever so much for the compliment and comparison to JA. I humbly submit I have actually heard that comparison to JA and other layout builders since I started HO. I'm always asked if I'm that "socalz44" and "nscaler44" guy. I say yes, and then the discussion starts about scenic realism. I won't go beyond HO and have found a niche there. Arthritis continues to bother me and soon my modeling days will end.But, I will always look back at ZCS and friends found and lost as my most favorite time.

Lastly, as I have gone up the scales, let me give my take on an often heard complaint from the larger scale folks. Namely, putting a car or loco on the track. Trust me, I have as much difficulty putting an HO car on a track as I ever did in Z scale. So tell those folks to suck sand! They've ever tried it so how can they know. Jim

PS Here is what were talking about: www.modelrailroadforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25919

Jim,

I'm glad to see you are still modelling despite the arthritis, and modelling how! Stunning, as per usual. I loved skimping through that linked thread and just admiring your work.

The original CCRR is to me still a great source of inspiration and motivation to go one step further in my own scenery modelling attempts (it and your other layouts probably always will be for that matter).

regards
Kurt

Alex, I'm sorry your thread seems to be hijacked. I think Loren and Karin understand.

Kurt, The modeling continues despite the pain. Actually, I have a finished Z scale layout, 1m x .5m, it's sitting on the floor of my layout room. I'm waiting for it to 'get gone.' I'm sure it is my last Z endeavor. Just too painful. HO is not much better, but there are less 'fiddly' bits to deal with.

My only goal, as stated in the thread, is to provide that inspiration that some may need. Too help provide alternative ways to build and model, besides the stuff that was popular in the fifties! It's all good. Folks can do it there own way. I just point out alternative for some things. So have fun and get to work. Jim

Socalz44 wrote: Alex, I'm sorry your thread seems to be hijacked. I think Loren and Karin understand.

Jim, no apologies needed. We are happy to have you here.

Oh... and, if the person that had you build whatever layout is laying on your floor doesn't claim ownership... I am more than willing to take it off your hands... paid, of course.

Good try Alex. Sorry, money talks BS walks. Jim

HI Jim
I started reading your thread on your HO layout and im just amazed at the photos of your work. I can truely say that you are a real artist at landscaping. One word comes to mind and that is "AWESOME"!!
I do have one question and that is what do you use to stain your trestles and docks to give it the aged grey look? That is the look i want to get on my trestles.
Thanks and keep up the great work.

Steve

Hi Steve, You and 23,000 others I guess. Thanks for the compliments, much appreciated. Except for the trees nothing in the thread is scale specific. Something in there for all. Feel free to make a comment on something. Comments keep it alive.

Wood Staining: These products can be used by modelers of any scale. On the left is Weather-It, found in most hobby shops. This is an old standby. Next are bottles of a MicroMark product. I really like them and use them most of all these days. Somehow the colors are a bit more vibrant that the Weather-It gray. Last is my fathful acrylic black. Mix with water. This is the really poor man's solution. On the layout I used all four of these items.

Aging: If you are just doing OLD wood, then don't use the brown. If you want medium OLD then I use brown first and let it dry over night. I then paint on or dip in the brown wood in the Age-it-Easy Gray. I've not had any luck using Weather-It over the Age-it-Easy Brown. Best to use the bottles together for that medium old look. Of course, brown is brown.

Some Hints: Always let your wood dry over night. This gives the best color and your wood will not warp. I've had good luck laying a piece of 1"x4" on top of my wet wood, especially wall material, and that cures the warping. You can add weight on top of the 1"x4".

Another use for acrylic black or dark gray is to drybrush stripes on your wood for more weathering hilites. I like this for brown or gray walls. Jim