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Progress of a small Diorama. All the work and the descriptons are from John Cubbin (www.ztrains.com)

 

How everything started...

July 17

Hi Jürg,

I'm now looking into the bridge specifics, some prototype photos, of Reynard's bridge and where it would have actually been built. Seems to be a popular enough design so that is ALL over the USA railroad... that's good news. I'm thinking about the Western / Southwestern theme.

There are two ways to approach this:

1) Make it very similar to yourcurrent diorama: This would be kind of fun, as it would appear to be something of an extension of the first.

2) Make it similar in color and texture, but go with a bit more greenscenery material. Make it look like the same basic part of the country...just a few miles away. This too is a very interesting thought. On the heightof the bridge: I've looked around, and I have decided to build a set of abutments, using the board by board method I used for the portals and retaining walls. Really, this is the good way I to control the final look of thepiece. Now I've been looking online quite a bit at prototype photos, and these bridges are not necessarily very high (see attached photo). I'd like a bit more height than in the attached photo... but close enough so that you would capture water in your photographs.

 



Another thought... since track sections on bridges have different ties that regular track... I will look at creating a 12" bridge track section. The ties are a bit wider and spaced closer together. I think it's important to do this, though I'll have to have the bridge in hand to see if this is possible. Since the bridge is the focal point of this diorama... I will try to achieve the correct look. Last thought... I'd have to see how well it would fit...but we could place a small bit of a track line somewhere else on this diorama with that rock blasted portal... much like I did with the abandoned, raised line on your current piece but it would be more visible. Maybe a road with a vehicle on it... something like that? Again, we'd have to see how well it all fit in there as I build.

September 14

Hi Jürg,

Just want to keep you up do date on everything...A soon as the bridge arrives to me, I'll begin assembly of that and begin the abutment work too. On the bridge piece, I've begun the foam work for it, it's interesting as the track line must be straight for this, so we don't get to be "creative" with curves, etc. The trick will be to add additional visual interest (aside from the bridge itself) with a basically straight line. I've chosen to go with a diagonal line for the bridge to get the maximum amount of visible track.

I'm now deciding on how to "finish" the water. By this I mean, as the water comes up to meet the edges of the diorama (where it meets the wood frame), how do we present this? We could just have the water end where the wood begins, but I have a issues with this method. No matter what we do, there will be a very slight gap at this point where the wood and water meet. I don't care for this. Instead I'm thinking that we can add small stones, as in a shoreline, to this area. This will have the effect of giving the piece a more finished look. I'll have to play with this just a bit, but am confident we can achieve a beautiful look.

September 25

I wanted to let you know where I was on your work. Reynard's bridge did arrive to me and it looks to be a BEAUTIFUL KIT. Reynard suggests using 2-part epoxy to assemble the bridge, but I'm going to see bow well it takes silver solder. I use a resistance soldering set-up, and it should do very well. I like the solder as it provides an incredibly strong bond in brass.

September 28

I have attached a couple of photos, and I almost don't like doing it because they are so rough! You can see the two basic shapes here, remember these are rough and the rocks will give them a very different look. Also I've attached a couple of bridge shots. I spoke again today with Reynard, just to clarify some of his brass techniques for building. Though I'll be using solder, I still wanted his input on assembly. These are very fine pieces that have to be handled very carefully... accidental bends would be easy to do! I actually have to make up a couple of jigs later today to position pieces for final soldering. I'll be soldering all day tomorrow... I hope (fingers crossed for luck) to have all soldering done by late tomorrow night.


September 29

Here are a couple of photos of the bridge so far... using resistance soldering to get the maximum amount of strength from this piece. Been at this most of the day, and will work into the night on this! I would like to ask you... the bridge came with several nameplates to be attached that names the river over which this bridge flows. There are some fun choices, Rio Grande , San Miguel, Peco, etc. Do you have a particular river name you'd like, or do you want to be surprised?

 

September 30

Good Morning Jürg,

Here are some additional bridge shots in progress, we're almost done with this beautiful model. Every single joint has been soldered. The only thing that has been attached with epoxy is the walkway on either side of the rail planks... this was just too fine (thin) to solder.
I was hoping to have this 100% completed by tonight, but there are just a few more pieces that need to be added... tomorrow for sure.
After seeing the bridge in place, I realize I will need to alter the scenery around it just a bit to allow the best photo angles possible.

 

October 1

Hi Jürg,

I was just sitting here doing research as you wrote! I'm trying to decide on the abutment design for the bridge. I have always thought the concrete work of the WPA / Depression era was interesting. From my reading art deco elements like this were common in WPA designs as they gave a sense of growth / upwards motion / looking towards the future, etc. It was a public relations thing of course to make folks feel like there was real promise for the country once the Depression was over. I don't want to go too fantasy / art-deco in concrete as that could look a little goofy, still... I'd like to include this type of visual interest. Ok, I've got to get back to the web for some more research on this. I hope to begin construction later today.

October 6

I have been looking at these abutments for 2 days now, working and reworking the basic shape. I really had several overall goals here:

•  To compliment the Micron Art bridge

•  To do something... a little different

•  To give the feeling of the Art Deco era

Now these are the rough shots... none of the surface detail, the individual concrete forming boards are in place yet, but I wanted to get your opinion of this basic shape. If you like this overall look, I'll get to the forming boards right away. If not, we can begin on a more conventional abutment



still October 6

Hi Jürg,

I'm glad you like the look of the abutment. I will cover this in the individual .030" styrene, cut to appropriate lengths. This is the same width as the strips on the first tunnel portal and will give the piece a convincing concrete forming board look. I'll begin right after I finish my morning coffee!

Coffee... the universal language :)

I meant to say Jürg that the concrete strips I apply will be .040" wide, not .030". This works out to 8.8" scale inches wide, an appropriate size forming board for the time this abutment would have been built. I will send photos once this has it's surface texture.

October 9

Hi Jürg, I've completed the concrete form portion of the abutment... too many .040" styrene strips to count :) I'm building a small complimentary piece to go with this abutment, that will be done today. I look to make the molds tonight and should be able to cast tomorrow!

October 11

Hi Jürg,

Just made the first cast in the new abutment mold. This is a raw, unweathered shot, but I wanted you to have a look. I think this design is going to work very nicely in the concrete look!

 

October 16

Hi Jürg,

I wanted so send along two photos from yesterday's work... rust! Several coats of primer and paint then the weathering. I'm pretty happy with the results... it looks like it's seen many trains in it's day. I'll be doing a bit more to it, but I like it so far. I sent along a photo to Reynard... he very much liked the bridge! I'm having an issue with rock color at the moment... and this is a bad time to be having this issue. My problem is matching the color to the first diorama. This Ultracal 30 is taking color differently than the earlier batches, so I'm not getting a good match right now. I've been at this most of today... I had hoped to have all the rocks cast by now. Of course I have to wait until the rocks are dry to tell the shade I have achieved, so this is taking awhile.

 

October 20

I wanted you to have a look at the base rock color, these were taken right out of the molds with no additional color applied, no weathering. I think this is going to be a very good base color on which to build.


October 29

Hi Jürg,

This piece has been tricky... it is a good deal more angular that the first diorama and that has taken more time to lay in the ground covering. I really wasn't happy with the way I had some of the rock laid into place, so that got reworked a couple of times. These photos were taken a couple of days ago when I was satisfied with the rock placement, I do think it makes a big difference in the final impression.

The two cuts in the rear of the piece will allow for some really great photos I think... being able to shoot through the rear of the diorama at the water and bridge will make for some wonderful shots. Again sorry for taking so long... but I want these piece to be not just good, but to be really right . As we've talked about, this will have more green as well as more trees. I'll leave open clear paths for photos. I'll be back with more photos soon Jürg.



 

November 1

I meant to send these along to you last week... it looks a bit different now, but I wanted you to see the angle you can photograph it from the rear of the diorama as well as through the bridge. Not great shots on my part... but to give you the idea....

 

November 2

I have been debating how much final color, from dry pigments as well as washes, to apply. Originally I was going to keep it more like the first diorama... but I'm leaning towards more color overall on the rocks as well as on the soil itself. Since it's near a body of water... I think this make this particular scene a bit richer looking. Also been concerned about the end of the river... where it flows off the front of the diorama. Now I could just have it end... but I thought, It might be fun visually to use the small wash bridge, then have the water flow under that, right off the front!

November 4

Hi Jürg,

The diorama (rock / soil / sand) has been getting multiple, alternating coats of both dry pigment, then a color wash. This is allowing for very subtle-to-deep color variations. I keep the diorama on a "hot" table (heated table) to allow the color washes to dry faster. You have to let a coat dry before you can see if you're going to add more color. Also, if you add too much color at once, it all tends to blend into a dark, muddy color. The color so far is a deep, more red shade than the first... it looks really good. The red in the soil and rocks compliment the rust color on the bridge beautifully.

On the water, now on the first diorama I used two pours of EnvirotexLite, as it provided a nice, flat surface. Even the way the Envirotex "creeps" up the sides on that diorama was appropriate for that wash scene. I've been testing ways of preventing the Envirotex from creeping up here, as it would not be as appropriate in this scene (moving water as opposed to still water)... but after several tests, I have decided that Envirotex is not the best choice here. Instead, I'll be using two types of acrylic gloss medium, a liquid and a gel. This will allow me to create more movement in the water surface while still providing a hard, non-yellowing shine.

November 6

Hi Jürg, I'd like to ask you about your bridge track. Bridge track usually (maybe always) has the ties spaced much closer together than normal track... also the ties are a bit wider. I think without this bridge track... the believability of a bridge scene is compromised. I've just gone through a small section of MTL flex and cut away some sections to simulate bridge track... what do you think? It's a bit more work, but I like the look. The colors on this piece have been very difficult to get to where I feel they are right, but I'm now happy with the overall color. Many, many light stain washes, but you'll have this piece for a long time, and I felt it was worth the effort. I know you're probably ready to punch me in the nose for taking so long :), but it's so important that this is done as well as I can do it. Really, we're very close to finalizing this. Let me know about your bridge track. I'll then  finish painting the track, and since Micro Trains uses a "slippery" plastic for their tie structure, I've had to prime it first using a clear automotive-grade paint adhesion promoter to get the paint to adhere properly, the same spray they use to repaint the flexible bumpers on cars.


November 11

Hi Jürg, I wanted to pass along a couple of close-up photos of small details from a couple of days ago. The abutments had been cast many, many times (you can see the copies in the photo). I wasn't happy with the staining of the concrete, and they had to be recast until they looked right with the bridge. The edges of the concrete have been chipped away by me, but not severely... that just didn't look right. The photo is a bit dark, but when the bridge site on these abutments, it looks very realistic. The other photo is simply of the edge, where the wood meets the scenery. I really wanted this to be a tight joint, no gaps. I ended up pouring a two part resin into the gaps between the wood and the base. This allowed for a very, very snug fit. This epoxy then had to get primed and sceniced. It's a small detail, but I wanted this to be right.


November 12

Hi Jürg,

Attached are 3 shots of the Micro Trains track I'm modifying for the bridge section. It takes time as these all have to be clipped with a razor, then brought closer together.
Also, those earlier abutments needed to be just a bit lighter in color to better contrast with the red soils / rocks. They are being cast again as I write this. I'll be soldering several sections of the MT track together tonight to work with this bridge track.

Later...

I 'd like to know what you think of going with a brown-ish color tie for this diorama, to make the ties look more like wood? I suggest this as it may be good to alternate the color slightly on the bridge track section, something that you commonly see in real life. Here are approximately the shades I'm thinking about? The first photo is a Donner Pass area, the second shot is an NMRA contest winner.

Brown Ties:

Contest Winner:

 

Later...

Glad you like the bridge track with the closer ties. The whole section gets sprayed today, then weathered. Also by using a lighter wood color for the ties, it will really stand out in your photos against the color of the bridge. The new abutment casts are completed... after going through several sets, I think it's best to go a bit lighter here as well with the color. Too dark, and they lose their visibility in your photos. These will be aged with chipped concrete and rust stains from the bridge, but overall I want them to retain a lighter concrete color since they are under the bridge, and not as prominent as the portals. This will result in better photos.

November 13

I have recast these pieces several times, and though it eats up time... since they are so important to the overall look I wanted to get them right. I think these are better than the other photos I sent you, but I want to know how you feel about these. Originally I wasn't going to chip away so much of the concrete, but they looked too clean. Though it kills me to take a knife to my fresh castings... in this context... I feel this amount of chipping and weathering looks very good. The weathering is a mix of wet stains and dry pigment, along with a whit mix for streaks. The abutments get heated between stains to bake the color in deeper. I'm ready to attach them... let me know how you like them!


 

November 14

I'm now working on the applying the "green" to the diorama... less green at higher elevations, more green near the river (see attached). It always looks great when the green gets added, though you do have to be careful not to lose the visual impact of the rock work by adding too much for the location:)
As far as the bridge... on this diorama the bridge and all track must be added after most of the scenery is in place because I need access to the areas under the bridge, so the abutment/bridge attachment will come after this scenery step.

November 16

 

I was having a bit of trouble determining how the water would "enter" the diorama... there were hills initially, and while that would have looked ok from the front, the rear view would have looked a little... less than realistic. I pulled off some of the new greenery and cut some additional, deeper river notches. I'm excited about these, as they will let you get even more cool photos, as you can get to ground level and shoot right through these notches. Also making these flow as rivers on a slight downhill direction works well!

November 22

I'm now working out details of your shoreline... it's easy to just put rocks all over the shore... but not very realistic. What I do is to fill the river bed with rice and then level the rice off. This allows me to see how high I want the water as well as allowing me to continue to scenic the shoreline.

November 23

 

I feel I have gone a little obsessive I'm afraid with soil textures and colors. I've been going over prototypical photos and am trying to get a higher degree of realism, the way soils and rocks tend to appear as if they have fallen naturally. Random, but logical, discolorations in rocks and soils, etc.

You can also see the river of rice. As I mentioned I do this to give me a good idea of where the river banks will fall, I can then mark the rice level, remove the rice and take care of the shoreline properly. It's a bit of a pain, but I think it yields very good results.

 

November 25

I thought you might like to see the first bit of the water base. Rather then start with the Envirotex, I decided to go with gloss medium instead (don't worry, it dries clear!), this allows me to have a little more control over where the shoreline gets established. This water level will of course rise but I wanted you to have a look at this point. I'm still leaning towards a muddy, but see-though color.

November 26

That first blue coat has cleared, and a second coat of tinted clear gloss has been applied. I've run several tests with the muddy water... and frankly I'm not as please with it as I would have hoped. I'm finding that in order to get a muddy river... you need to have the water almost opaque, otherwise it tends to look like... well, it doesn't look right, like think chocolate milk!. Now I know you wanted to be able so see the bottom, and I've put enough detail in the river bottom that I too think seeing the bottom is important. For this first clear gloss coat I've gone with a light tint of olive green. Additional layers will deepen the color. Again this is early, and there are many more layers to go.

Later...

I've just added the third gloss coat of water. These coats take just about 24 hours to dry enough to make an additional pour. I like to build water up like this as I can add slightly different amounts of tints in each pour.
After these flat-surface coats are all poured... then the river motion will be added with a heavier gel gloss medium After that I will then go around and cover up some of the gloss around the river banks. I do want to finish this piece soon and get it to you! Still, these details have to be done properly.

November 27

On the Bridge piece... the water is setting nicely. I've attached an newer photo with the final pour which was done this morning. After this final pour sets, I'll begin to add the gloss medium to create the water motion.

 

November 29

Hi Jürg,

I'm actually going with a new method for creating your river shoreline... it's a little tricky to do, but I believe this method will create a very realistic appearance... I'll know better by later today / tonight.

later...

Speaking of your shoreline... I know you are going to love the way it looks! I'm very, very happy with this technique. Good color variations, nice blend into the river. I'm now waiting for some soil to dry, then we begin the final green foliage down at the river banks.

November 30

Just finished up the first layer of green and wanted you to have a look. Now the water surface will get a full texture on it with a gloss gel... it will not have flat water like this. It's a bit dusty in these photos, but this will be gone. I was very concerned about getting the shoreline smooth, none of the Envirotex creeping up the shore. You can see some of the logs that are underwater...once the textured coat goes on, they will be visible, but not clear... just like real water.  Also, you can see the stones and bits of roots in the water... I like doing this as it really adds to the overall feel. This is the first pass with green, more to come in the morning (and of course... there are still trains to come!).


Dezember 2

Hi Jürg,

Glad you like the way the greenery is looking. I've been having an interesting time trying to "fill out" much of the greenery on your diorama. Now I have most products from companies like Woodland Scenic and K&S. I have a fair amount of Siflor and Heki as well. I find the problem with many of these products is that they tend to be much too bright... the hue is quite often incorrect for what I'm trying to accomplish. I'm afraid this is the result of becoming more critical... of trying to make things look real to the camera. Not a bad thing really... just a bit frustrating. I find that bright colors in Z scale are just too overpowering many times for these scenes. This is why I use real soils now... very muted and subtle. I have purchased many products that I'm afraid I just will not use... they all look good when you order them from a catalog.

I have added some small branches used as small trees / shrubs as you can see. Also quite a bit of static grass and Silfor grass has been added as well as more work to the shoreline to make it look a bit more realistic. Final water texture will be added later today. I have a question for you. I did buy some new conifer trees and would like to know if you would like these on this diorama as well? I was actually playing with the idea of adding quite a few of these conifers in addition to the original tree style for color contrast. Let me know if you'd like me to add these different style trees.

John


December 3

Good Morning Jürg,

I know you want a full view shot, but I've been laying in the clear gloss water texture today, as well as filling out the shore line some more. I will send a full shot hopefully tomorrow, but I really wanted you to see these shots. You can see areas of light blue... that is the gloss medium still wet, it will be clear when dry. I really like these three photos... I hope they give you a smile this morning! It has taken a while, but this is what I've been after. Now the areas away from the water are more dry and desert-like. Depending on the angle you take your photos from, and the lighting, you can either see down to the bottom of the river or you can just see the motion of the river. I have kept the tint of the Envirotex relatively light for just this reason. I think we'll be adding white on top of the river to suggest more water movement.

 

Later...

I'm very glad you like this. I've actually been working on adding additional texture to the water most of the day... add a coat, let it dry, repeat many times! In the photos I sent the texture was maximized from the shooting angle... I want you to have good water textures from all angles. Right now I'm excited to see this Bridge piece in you hands!

December 4

On the Bridge, really the only thing holding me up at this point is water and how much more to add to it to give it a better sense of movement. Now the photos the other day, as well as these photos, show how you can see the subtle water movement from the right angle and with the right lighting. This is a very subtle effect. This is achieved my painting on the gloss medium in the right direction. These are not very steep drops in the water and I do not want to add to much "white water", that could look very artificial. I would like to add some white color however. I've looked at products like the Woodland Scenics Water Effects (see attached WMV file). This look pretty good for a waterfall, but I think it would be a bit too much for this scene.
I'm now playing with adding white pigment to the gel gloss medium and applying that directly to the water surface. I think this has some good potential for a nice water effect. Unfortunately the gel medium is a bright white when wet (it dries clear of course), so adding the white pigment to it is a little tricky as everything is bright white... it's difficult to know how much to add.
I have several small test boards set up right now to determine which method will be best / most realistic.
Again this is really the last hurdle to completion... really :)

mms://video.woodlandscenics.com/Woodland/MakeWaterfall.wmv

 

Later...

As always... very, very happy when you like the photos. I'm really trying to add the subtle white water to the river... but only a little bit and only in some areas. I'm now going to try an experiment with clear silicone and liquid gel gloss.

December 5

Good Morning Jürg, I've decided that it would be better on your Bridge Diorama's water not to paint the tops of some of the water "swells" with any sort of white paints. As you know I've been adding multiple layers of gloss gel medium in order to get height and texture to the river. As I look at the piece this morning from many different light angles, I believe I would prefer to have these gel medium "swells" naturally catch the light in your photos... I believe this would make for the most dramatic photos. The nice thing about doing it this way too is that depending on how the light strikes this water... the detail seems to change just slightly. If this piece was designed to be viewed only from a slight distance, I think I'd go with the white paint highlights. Since this will be photographed close-up... I believe this "natural" approach is the better way to go. Last night's final application of gel medium is still curing. I'll be out for most of the day today, but will be adding a bit more texture to your water tonight.

December 6

I believe I'm now satisfied with the approach I've taken for some water movement on the diorama. This is clear silicone, which actually has a milky-white translucent quality, lightly applied over the Envirotex and gel mediums. When this cures, I'll give the water it's final coat of clear gloss.



December 12

Hi Jürg,

I decided to rework the track just a bit yesterday... Late, I know, but I wasn't completely happy with the color... I am now! I really like the way the tie color now works with the bridge and the scenery. The small clips you see in the photos are there to keep the track clamped while the epoxy cures. These were taken last night. The power lines have been soldered to the rails and a coat of epoxy was added for extra strength. The power wires exit from the bottom of the board through a small rubber bushing.

Ok, very busy here today... tying this up :)

John




December 13

Here are a pair of wide shots taken last night. I know you wanted to see a more full shot :) Trees are still being planted as we speak (the trees get added last).

 

Later....

Hi Jürg,

I am very gratified, and flattered, by your compliments... thank you so much! I have been working on your piece most of today and I think we may be done! I still need to clean off the rails for clean loco running, but I think we are finished with scenery!!! I just shot a couple of quick photos to show you.
Again thank you for your compliments on my (our!) work.

John


December 14

I realized that after doing much of the tree planting, the water had become a little dull from the dust. I have just now cleaned it and applied an additional coat of clear gloss medium. This should be dry in about an hour or two. This may affect my ability to take photos as I still need to box it up.

Later....

Hello Jürg, Seasons Greetings :) Happy to report that the diorama has been shipped via Global Express Mail! They say 3-5 day delivery to you. I know it was worth it giving the water one final coat of gloss today at the cost of a taking photos here... it looked beautiful when I boxed it up. I also gave the mahogany frame 2 more coats of wax today. When you open the box you need to go slowly as I have hot-glued blocks of Styrofoam to the bottom and sides of the box to "lock" the diorama into place during shipping. I was running the Marklin Bumble Bee loco last night on your diorama, but you will have to clean off the rails before you run a loco... small debris will likely settle on the rails during shipping. Be careful as you have to work your way through the bridge to clean the rails. You want to be careful too when cleaning as the ties are painted brown. Now they have been sealed, but this paint can come off if scratched of if a chemical comes into contact with it. I'm very anxious for you to receive this piece Jürg. Before I recoated the water, I did snap a few pictures :)