More experiences with the WS "Static King"....

A year or so ago I finally got some decent static grass applied on my layout. Much was due to not only technique ( if you read the earlier post on "Static Grass", you can skip to the third paragraph ) but also to the applicator.  After trying a couple other brands and being frustrated with the results I saw Martin Welburg demonstrate the new Woodland Scenics "Static King" Seeing an in-person demonstration validated what I had seen and learned by viewing a couple Youtube videos.  

Most notable was that the other brands used a 9V battery for the charge. While this may power something like a smoke detector for a year, in an application like this you get about 5 minutes of ample power before the battery no longer provides enough "joules" to get the fibers to pierce the thin shell of glue and stand up.

With a constant plugged in power supply, I had ample power to do vast areas and so on.  However, it wasn't long before a somewhat flimsy ground started to cause problems... the joint to the banana plug would break every time I used it. A rigid section ahead of the banana plug increased the pressure on the joint - further contributing to the constant breakage. I must have soldered this up a dozen times.

Electrical things are not my strong suit, so I called Woodland Scenics. They don't sell replacement grounds or suggest how you might make a fix. I quickly refocused my efforts by asking the "community" for help. I soon learned this is a common complaint and also learned what a "banana" plug is. Armed with this knowledge, I went to Amazon. I came up with two solutions, the fancy one and the not so fancy but perfectly adequate solution.

Photo One shows the problem.

Photo Two shows the the fancy solution: High end (snug fitting plug). Add wire, alligator clip and probe of your choice.

Photo Three shows the inexpensive all-in-one-solution. For $7.99 plus tax, you get two ready to use grounds. Good connection, very flexible soft wire and strong clip.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073ZVJDCF?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

I added a 5.5" dissecting needle for the ground : 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YD65KJF?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

Oh...I did just start using this and it works great!

Photo One

 

Photo Two

 

 

Photo Three

 

 A Roundhouse Story....

I’ve been accumulating stuff in my shop and under the layout for 35 years. On the eve of my 75th birthday, I decided to take a look at my Stone Roundhouse/Kit 160 diorama, which has been hiding under a corner of the layout for at least couple decades. It’s in good shape, so while it was out I cleaned it up a bit & took a couple new photographs. For years, my Flickr site has had two pics: one view of the display model and one pic of George Sellios’s build on his layout, the Franklin and South Manchester…so, I decided to better document this kit, photo - wise. 

 

 

 

 

                         Recent photos of my original diorama

When people visit, I am often asked about how I got started making the Roundhouse kits, so I thought with this post I could not only provide some better pictures but also tell the story of how it became a kit, for anyone who might be interested.

In the spring of 1994 , I had been only making kits for a few years. I was about done selling my fifth kit, Martin Machine and was getting ready to do my sixth kit, Rugg manufacturing. I had already been talking to Sellios. He seemed intrigued with the masonry patterns I was doing. I first met George early on thanks to an intro by my good friend, the late Dick Elwell.  I started going on private visits to George’s with Dick and couple of our friends.  At the time, I would tag along with Dick and his long time buddy, Jimmy Smith, during private visits.  Dick and Jimmy were helping cure some electrical demons. During these visits & others I would arrange to stop by to talk shop with George, which was a great opportunity.  

 

During a visit in early 1994 he asked if I could make patterns for a round house in the image and spirit of the John Allen Roundhouse. Like George,  many of us were huge John Allen fans, so it naturally piqued my interest. 

 

 

                                Sample wall done for George Sellios in 1994

I learned that the John Allen Roundhouse had been carved out of linoleum, of all things! So, during the first half of 1994, I did some research, found a plan for an old Maine central roundhouse and then made the wall patterns and molds for the side walls and the back. When I was done, I brought a demo side wall that I made (which I still have, see the pic) over to George’s. He really liked it and with the walls done, it was easy enough to see how to construct and support a roof - and essentially complete the building. George took me by surprise by asking if I might build it for him, too! I had to decline as I was too busy doing a kit for an early fall release. Nevertheless, George was very enthusiastic and was insistent that it would make a great kit. I was still nervous about “survival”, being a fledgling business and so forth. I was pretty risk-averse and told George I thought a  kit might be too big and too expensive…and besides, I was already busy preparing a kit for the fall....Anyway, I finally gave in and decided to make 100 so if it was a failure, I wouldn’t be hit too badly…

 

 

Well, most people know the rest. The 100 kits sold out in a couple days. I made about 50 more and then 175 more following year (which was still not enough to fill demand). The second run sold out in less than a week. In the midst of this success, I was unwittingly becoming a glutton for punishment...after almost no rest, I proceeded to do extra stall kits during the next couple years. Again, I could never make enough. The whole venture had me run through about 3 tons of plaster. My back is still recovering (true story) from my 1994 - 5 production activities. 

 

It took one more venture to finally give my back a long rest...After a 5-6 year break, I went through the same cycle again with the Brick Roundhouse (kit 220). 

 

 

Photo by John Siekirk taken on the FS&M

 

 

 Photo taken on the FS&M

 

 Photo taken on the FS&M by Al Pugliese

 

 

 Photo taken by John Siekirk of the build on his Superior & Seattle RR.

 

I was very proud  (and still am) of the roundhouse kits. They were done with absolute precision… or as precise as one can get with a handmade item. I even calculated the width of the included glue joints to get a precision fit on the back wall. When the dust (literally ) settled, the reward (and the best part)  of the roundhouse venture was seeing many of the successful builds by customers. Some years later, George built a three stall version of my brick Roundhouse for his smaller yard - something most people are not aware of. It’s actually a special Brick Roundhouse than only four people have. It’s 13 1/2 inches in depth instead of the standard 15. I built one for myself, and for the other three I made the parts for Dick Elwell, a friend of his and George Sellios.

 

The following are photos of the "Short" Brick Roundhouse by Dick Elwell, George Sellios and myself.

 

 

 

Four Photos from Dick Elwell's Hoosac Valley

 

 Two photos of the "Short" Brick Roundhouse on George Sellios FS&M Layout.

Photos by Al Pugliese.

 

 

Two photos of the "Short" Brick Roundhouse on Bob Van Gelder's South River & Millville Layout.

Yard construction is "in process" 

In the years since  I’ve made patterns for a couple smaller round houses, but decided I was past being able to physically work with that much material again…I have to admit, though - it would have been fun!

 

Barns Barns, Barns... like my previous post, I’m sharing my observations of what’s around us. That activity plus trying to keep current on the hobby is a daily event that I never tire of….

This is our barn. I want to call your attention to several things. First, note the range of color in the slate roof. Next, check out the weathered paint. I think this is one of the nicest features. I cringe every time someone buys an old farm, rips off the slate roof and then paints over a nice patina that took decades to form.

I had a lot of work done on this barn. This sills were rotted and it was poorly supported. About 30-35 years ago I had a crew jack up the lower level, pour about a dozen 12" x 5' tall Sonotubes tubes (buried all but 6-8" in the ground) filled with concrete to support the walls/new sills and interior point loads. Cheaper than a new perimeter foundation and it allowed me to retain the stone foundation. Also, as it is close to the river, when the water gets too high during a climate event, it just runs through the foundation. I learned this trick many years ago when doing some "wash-away-first-floor" design work in Florida.

During this "rehab" most of the wood siding on the lower level had to be removed.  Much was rotted, anyway. To match the upper level, I applied my modeling skills and did some "full scale modeling/weathering".  Specifically, I first applied a coat of Benjamin Moore "Driftwood" stain. On top of that (using a wide brush) I dry brushed a straight white stain...Viola'!

 

 

 

 

 

The three pics above are of a barn about a mile from me. It's not in good shape and it is unlikely it will be fixed...so, I've taken many pics and done some sketches. One of the sketches is in an album on my Flickr site: 

 

 https://www.flickr.com/photos/103194951@N02/54068087354/in/album-72177720320702324/lightbox/

 

Note the the raised seam panels on the first photo - they conceal an older split wood shake roof (most likely cedar) that was probably laid down over 100 years ago. The metal roof probably dates anywhere from the 40s to 60s.

 

 

 

This last barn belongs to a neighbor who lives up a hill and a few hundred yards from us. It's a very popular visual attraction. Not unusual to see someone with an easel doing a painting (including a stellar example by a good friend) ...or an itinerant model railroader replicating it on his layout (yes, that's me - it's on my "farm"). 

In keeping with my story about "weathering" the new paint on my barn, I encouraged the owners to do what I did when they had some repairs done. They didn't precisely match the paint, but most importantly they preserved the original paint. The resultant variety of finishes and "mixed masonry" are in keeping with the visual traditions of the New England Hill Town culture.

 

 

 

I turned 75 today, so I decided to take a walk. This is also my first walk since winter began. I am not as immune to cold as I used to be, so it was a joy to take my traditional one mile walk down the road to the view I have as a header on my site.

This walk is kind of like a tonic and a constant inspiration. Reflecting on 3/4 of a century of existence in the middle of the current Democracy crisis has not been very pleasant.... However, living in a beautiful setting that exists in a bit of a time warp is uplifting and inspiring. Here in the hill towns we are still heavily steeped in the post WW2 traditions of Democratic growth and responsibility… a better memory/feeling.

 

 

Along the way are several “sign posts” -  markers & reminders of my interests. The fork in the road leads up the hill to the grand view…and beyond to Bardwells Ferry Bridge - site of a former station along the B&M and the NY, NH & Hartford lines. In the middle I am looking at the “South Station” sign, pointing down a dirt road to the right that is the old road bed for the Conway Street Railway trolley line. At the end is South Station, which was the starting point of the Conway Street Railway.

 

 

 

The Graves farm - near the top. The grade changes, peeling paint buildings, rough concrete retaining walls - these are some of elements where I find inspiration to add authenticity to my work.

 

 

At the top is a long view to the Pioneer Valley to the east. The fall version of this pic can be seen at the beginning of my Facebook page.
 

 

 

 

A Memorial to Tom Byers...(Posted also on Facebook)

 

Every year, just before the big show in West Springfield I receive a few visitors to look at the layout & chat. A contingent from Canada is usually part of that event. This year’s group, led by Geoff Southwood came all the way from Calgary by rail. Their last visit was in 2012. One of the visitor was Tom Byers. A couple days ago I learned that sometime before daybreak on Sunday, Tom passed away.

 

During their visit, Tom gifted me a superb GN boxcar. In the attached photos, it’s staged with a CP Geep. I’ll conclude this memorial with a part of the email I received a couple days ago from Geoff: ”Tom was the gentleman from Vancouver Island who’d built the Great Northern car he gave you and modeled the GN and CPR in British Columbia. He will be missed....”

 

 

The  Crew from Canada & Paul St. Martin from MA. Tom Byers is all the way on the left. He's just presented me with a fine GN boxcar, which I've staged with a CP Geep in the following shots.

Photo by Dave Kotsonis.

 

Recently I received a call from Lou Sassi regarding some questions on the application and coloring, etc. of my slate roofs. I will go into the process, but first, a note on coloring & materials:

Over time, the materials and finishes we use change due because of many factors. In my instruction books, one of the primary components of the coloring and weathering was the use of Prismacolor markers,  most notably the "Cool Gray" series and the "Warm Gray" series. There have been some changes in the Prismacolor series - most notably the warm grays. Here is what we have now..

- The Cool Grays are available in a nice, well priced set from many sources. In general, Prismacolor has moved to sets instead of individual markers

- As for Warm Grays, they are not available in a set and individual values are hard to find. However, there are other alternatives from the ever-changing art supply world. Most notably, a complete range of warm grays from dickblick.com. Ironically, that is where I used to buy many of my individual (not available anymore) Prismacolor Warm Grays. There are other alternatives to be found elsewhere - many on Amazon, too.

https://www.dickblick.com/products/blick-studio-brush-markers/

For shingle application I use 1/2" 3M Scotch 465 ATG Premium Adhesive Transfer Tape. This is pricey, but a roll lasts me years. Best way to buy is to get a 6 pack from Uline as a group buy with some friends. Also single rolls sometimes on Ebay.

For shingles, there are several top flight kit manufacturers selling laser cut shingles. They are all great!

For the process, I can think of no better way to explain than to post the process from one of my instruction books.

Have fun with this!

More pics of this kit & others here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/103194951@N02/albums/

 The Millville Build -Part Three

This is the third and final installment of my rebuild of the river setting with Robinson's Electric adjacent Millville. In this part I finish the river scene and do a change-up with the bridge. 

In the pic below I've finished the stone work on the embankments, added more rockwork to the river and put in more pools to catch the water flowing down the river. Total drop is about 8 inches.

   

 

More falls are added.

 

 

 

...and another view 

 

The original bridge is tested on the existing supports...

Fooling with my laser, maybe try something new...?

I take the original Pratt Truss  bridge (cut down Central Valley) and flip it upside down….

 

 

 

I want a longer bridge so need  to think outside the box - I first remove the original supports.

 

 

 

Supports are removed. Note original location. New supports will be further up the embankments.

 

 

I had been exploring other ideas doing simple mock ups in my laser. This leads to the deck truss shown  at the bottom (of the above photo), but first I test the new supports on my computer using Photoshop (see two photos below). Compared to the original Pratt truss, I gain about 3” in distance between supports.

 

 

 

This is the final mock up ready for installation. At this point I have decided make this bridge functional but not permanent. I will be able to run trains, it will look acceptable and I can enjoy building the final when I have more time. In addition to constructing the bridge from laser board and strip wood, the supports are photo paper (made from one of my rock walls) glued over chipboard. Hard to tell from actual castings. It will be in place for several months.

Below we have the final results. I've completed the deck using a local deck truss RR bridge as a guide - actually a single track version of the bridge after the Hoosac Tunnel East Portal.

 

 

 

Last, below are a couple prototype bridges which will be my guides for the final build using available injection molded bridge girders.

 

 

The Cuttingsville bridge near Ludlow VT. 

T

The Erie Canal Railroad bridge in Lockport, NY.