The last rays of a setting sun illuminate Big Thunder Falls as engine #1, the Marc F. Davis hauls a load of supplies to the mines above. Meanwhile, a pair of Ute braves are working their way down the old Indian trail to the sacred pools below. Backdrop and atmospheric effects added in Adobe Photoshop, all else as modeled.
Today's photo is the first of a new feature on the blog, a simple "one shot" post featuring a brief story and scenic photography. Hopefully this will grow into a semi-regular feature, posting early to mid-week, with the longer how-to's and progress reports still showing up on Fridays or Saturdays. I have a lot of fun composing these shots and photo-illustrations and I hope you all enjoy them too.
All of the final touches are in and the sound is turned on for Big Thunder Creek. Does that mean the scene is finished? Well, there's always more to add but we'll call it done for now!
Welcome to the fourth and final post chronicling the build of Big Thunder Creek. Its been a fun and rewarding project that has brought a lot of life to the layout. In this installment I'll add the finishing touches to the scene, including some animal life, an old cottonwood tree, and the sound effects of birds and rushing water.
The Cottonwood
Throughout the desert Southwest, the majestic cottonwood has always been a welcome site. Cottonwood trees only grow near reliable sources of water like springs, creeks and stock ponds where they provide shade for weary travelers and habitat for wildlife. The bright green of a cottonwood grove can be seen for miles across the desert and always means life-saving water. When planning Big Thunder Creek I knew that it simply would not be complete without at least a representative sample of the cottonwood.
A Fremont Cottonwood in fall color beside a desert wash. Even if there's no water visible on the surface, a healthy cottonwood means that water can be found just below ground.
Cottonwoods have gray bark and distinctive branching trunks. I created mine using yard clippings from our paradise trees and Super Sage tree material from Scenic Express. The paradise tree clippings do a good job of representing the twisted trunks and thick branches of a typical cottonwood, while the sage is perfect for representing the smaller leaf-bearing branches and twigs. Paradise branches were trimmed and cemented together and a pin was cemented into the base to make it easier to plant on the layout and to work on at the bench. The Super Sage was soaked in diluted matte medium to make it pliable (as per the instructions) and then individual sprigs were cemented to the trunk and branches with fast-setting ACC.
Much has been written about modeling trees so I'll just cut to the chase here. Once the trunk was complete, the crown was sprayed with 3M 45 General Purpose Adhesive and then sprinkled with Noch Spring Green Leaf Flake. The other creekside bushes were made in a similar fashion and all were planted on the layout using Aleene's Tacky Glue.
Ground cover beneath the tree was created with a layer of fine dirt from my Sedona collection and ground up dry leaves from the yard. Everything was held in place with a spray of "wet" water (water with 1-2 drops of dishwashing liquid) and then glued down with diluted matte medium. Various ground foams, sticks, plants and grasses from Woodland Scenics help round out the scene. Good scenery is variety and layers, just like nature.
The finished cottonwood and environs. The challenge here was to build a tree of realistic size that didn't completely overpower the rest of the scene.
Critters and Other Details
Water in the desert attracts animals like a magnet, and while much of that illusion will be conveyed through sound effects, I wanted a few representative critters that would be visible to viewers.
Some ducks and a turtle made from Sculpey II. These were baked for about 15 minutes at 275ยบ and then painted with acrylics. For scale, the pin that makes up the head and tail of the turtle is about an inch long. It was trimmed much shorter before being added to the layout.
The ducks and turtle in their natural habitat of Big Thunder Creek. For the record, the ducks are named Donald and Daisy.
Why did the armadillo cross the train tracks? To get to the creek of course! This little guy is a white metal casting from Wiseman Model Services.
More greenery along the creek. This small hill between the bridges was created to help separate the creek from areas to the right. The cacti are excellent plastic castings from Pegasus Hobbies.
An old Indian trail winds its way down to the creek from the mesa and a pair of Ute braves have stopped to pay their respects to Thunder Falls. The figures are from Woodland Scenics.
Finishing the creek scene meant finishing up the track too. Here, ballast is being spread along the mainline with a small, soft brush. This was then held in place with a spray of "wet" water and then glued down with diluted matte medium. The mainline ballast is died chick grit and the sidings are red dirt from Sedona.
Adding Sound
As I have on previous projects, I turned to ITT Products when it came time to add sound to Big Thunder Creek. I wanted an ambient effect with the roar of the waterfalls coming from an upper speaker and babbling water and bird sounds coming from a speaker near the layout fascia. Their small sound modules are perfect for adding spot sounds like this to specific locales.
Sound modules and 2" speakers from ITT Products. The modules were wired in series to a panel switch but the speakers were placed farther apart. The speaker for the waterfall sound module was placed directly behind the big falls and the speaker for the brooks and birds was placed closer to the front of the layout.
The wiring for the sound modules is very straight forward and the instructions are quite clear and easy to follow - even for an electronics dummy like me. Here the two modules have been wired in parallel and leads have been added to connect to a 9v power source. Small jumper wires have also been connected on the center on/off terminal to allow for continuous looping sound. The orange disk at lower left on each module is the volume control.
Here the two sound modules have been mounted to benchwork below the layout in a relatively easy to reach location.
The best way to demonstrate the sound modules is with a video. To wrap up the project, here's a short movie on the sights and sounds of Big Thunder Creek. Enjoy!
Thanks for coming along for the Big Thunder Creek project. I hope everyone enjoyed the journey. Of course, there's still lots to do on this side of the layout with Thunder Mesa Mill and other structure projects waiting in the wings. We'll see what I'm in the mood to tackle in the days and weeks to come. In the meantime, thanks for checking in, amigos. Adios for now!
Welcome foolish mortals, to the Never Mine! Happy Halloween!
Just beware of hitchhiking ghosts!
At the end of September I described building the shaft house and head-frame of the spooky, abandoned Never Mine. In today's post I'll detail construction of the mine tunnel base, including the addition of a happy haunt who only comes out after dark. Then we'll finish up the scene with a tailings pile, timber crib retaining wall, and all of the final landscaping details. Follow along with the photos and captions to see how it all went together.
The base for the Never Mine was carved from two layers of 1" thick Balsa Foam laminated together with wood glue. Most of the carving was done with #2 and #11 hobby knives and a hard, 5H pencil. A random stone foundation for the shaft house was integrated into the carving. Here I'm test fitting the top beam of the timber framing for the mine adit.
For my happy haunt, I cut some 1mm clear acrylic sheet to size and fogged the surface with fine sandpaper. Then the outline of the ghost was painted from behind with thick black acrylic paint. The acrylic sheet was cemented into place and all of the edges blended with spackle.
A hunk of Baxter's Butte was cut away and a simple power bus made from two strips of thin brass sheet was glued in place. Accessory power from a 9v transformer feeds this bus and all wiring leads from the model were soldered on to it. Special care was taken to keep track of the positive bus as LED lights are polarity specific and will not function if the positive diode receives a negative charge. Here a 5mm green LED has been soldered into place to illuminate the ghost.
A quick check to make sure everything would fit and work properly.
The carving was painted with acrylics to match existing rock-work on the layout and the mine adit was finished with scale 8' x 8' beams and 1" x 12' planks stained with a shoe dye and alcohol mixture. The boards were distressed and broken to look as if they have been there for some time. The nail holes were added with a sharp 5H pencil.
Here is the entire assembly installed on the layout and the lights turned on. The shaft house has a single blue LED and the hoisting shed has a flickering amber LED as described in part I.
The carved base was glued down and blended into the existing scenery with Sculptamold. The mine structures above merely sit in place and can be easily removed if required. A short length of Micro Engineering code 55 N scale bridge track was added to represent O scale 18" gauge mine car tracks emerging from the tunnel.
I had originally planned to build an abandoned ore tipple to go with the Never Mine but later decided that such an imposing trackside structure would detract from the tiny mine above. Instead I opted for a timber crib retaining wall and tailings dump - a very common site around old mines. The first step was to rough in the dump pile with EPF (pink foam).
Here the tailings dump has been smoothed out and blended into the cliffside with Sculptamold. It was then given just a quick coat of Raw Sienna since this base will be entirely covered by scenery materials.
A couple of rickety, broken old ladders were scratch-built from strip-wood to provide a way up to the mine - albeit a hazardous one. It's nothing but fun to build details like this.
The timber crib retaining wall was built in place from 3/16" diameter dowels, stained and distressed to resemble old timbers. Here I'm backfilling behind the cribbing with small rocks and dirt from Sedona, AZ. This was later cemented in place with diluted white glue.
The slope of the tailings pile was textured with Polyblend sanded grout. It was mixed in a paper cup with a small amount of water to form a thick paste and then stippled on with a cheap paintbrush.
The grout was allowed to dry for a couple of days and then it was stained with thin washes of acrylic paints to represent colorful minerals, and to blend it with the surrounding scenery.
Another layer of fine rocks and dirt was sifted over the tailings pile and cemented into place with diluted white glue. Then more rocks, bushes, cacti, weeds, broken boards and other miscellaneous bits of debris were cemented in place to finish up the scene.
Cacti, bushes and other details near the shaft house foundations. You'd have to be pretty brave to climb those ladders!
The boarded-up mine entrance. The ghost is invisible during they day and only appears when the structure lighting is turned on for night operations.
Overall view if the tailings pile. The weedy overgrown look contributes to the story of a mine that has been abandoned for some time.
With the completion of the Never Mine, just about all of the scenery is now finished on this side of Big Thunder Creek. I'm sure that a few more details will be added here and there, but I was happy to get the haunted mine finished just in time for Halloween. I had considered adding a sound module to this project but decided it would be a little too much with the sounds of the creek, mill and town right next door. Hope you've all enjoyed the tale of the Never Mine and following along with the build. As always, any questions or comments are more than welcome below. More to come real soon. In the meantime, here's a video showing the lighting effects and documenting the Never Mine build. Adios for now!
Modifying a Banta Modelworks Water Tank With a New Roof & Other Details
Engine #6, Ollie Johnston, pauses to take on water at the Thunder Mesa tank. The tank draws its water from the same spring that feeds nearby Big Thunder Creek. It looks like there's still some scenery work to do in this area.
I often work on several projects at the same time. Some get finished in a week or two, while others get dabbled on over the course of months. This water tank project was started last spring but I wanted to complete it as part of the larger Big Thunder Creek project that's been occupying my modeling time for the last month or so. The tank stands just next to the creek, west of the depot in front of Thunder Mesa Mill.
I started with a Branch Line Water Tank kit from Banta Modelworks. This is a nice laser cut wood kit that builds into an attractive model. The smaller dimensions of the tank are a good visual fit with other structures on the TMMC, but I wanted a little more character in my tank so I added a peaked roof and some other details.
Here's what comes in the package: some strip-wood, scribed siding for the tank, laser cut plywood pieces, a couple of handy jigs, laser cut adhesive paper bands, and white metal castings for the spout and other hardware. The kit uses a clever laser cut plywood form to build the tank. Following the directions, I stained all of the wood prior to assembly. I used Minwax wood stain pens on this one, mostly Dark Walnut and Early American.
All the wooden pieces assembled. With the included cardboard jigs, this only took a couple hours. Rubber bands were used to clamp the tank wrapper in place on the plywood form while the glue dried.
I followed the instruction up to about this point on the assembly, then I went off on my own. The tank bands are laser cut, adhesive backed paper that was airbrushed a dark reddish-brown before assembly. The rust is colored chalk mixed with rubbing alcohol and applied with a brush.
I laid out the pieces for a hexagon shaped roof in Adobe Illustrator. These were printed out and then laminated to 1/16" illustration board using a spray adhesive. When cut out and assembled I had the basic shape of my roof. Triangular roof panels were then cut from 100 lb bristol board and glued into place. I chose a hexagon shaped roof due to the small size of the tank. The panels on an 8 sided roof would have been too narrow to allow for an access hatch.
A hatch was built up from strip-wood and bits from the scrap-box before being shingled with Bar Mills laser cut paper shingles. The finial ball is the head of a large dress-pin.
The Bar Mills shingles looked much too garish on their own so I dulled them down with a heavy dose of powdered chalks. The finial ball was painted metallic copper and then given a patina with dry-brushed dark green paint and chalks.
To make it easier to center the roof on the tank, a hole was drilled in the center of each and a small metal pin was inserted to align the two.
Some wooden channel is provided with the kit to make a water gauge, but no markings or hardware come with it. I created gauge markings on my computer to fit in the channel, and a pointer from the head of a rail spike. The spike fits into a hole drilled in the tank and keeps the black thread taut as it runs up the length of the channel to disappear under the roof.
The spout, pulleys and hanger assembly were put together more-or-less as the instructions indicated. One nice detail from the kit I had to omit was the plug pull since that would be hidden by the roof. The white metal castings were painted dull silver and weathered with paint and chalks. Elastic thread, painted a metallic gray, was used for the cables. I added a short length of blackened brass chain with a wooden handle to allow crews to pull down the spout.
The ladder was aligned to access the roof hatch and then glued in place using some leftover strip-wood as supports.
Some of the last details added were these "concrete" footings made from strips of painted illustration board.
Final weathering was done with more powdered chalks mixed with 70% isopropyl alcohol and painted on with a brush. The white mineral stains were brushed upwards from the bottom and rust was stippled onto the tank bands and other metal hardware. Once the alcohol evaporates the chalk colors can be quite strong but they are easily blended in and made more subtle by scrubbing with a stiff brush.
Building the water tank was a fun project and I'm very pleased with the way it all came together. Bill Banta makes a fine kit that lends itself well to all sorts of kit-bashing possibilities. I look forward to planting the tank on the layout and working in the ground cover and other details to complete the scene. As always, thanks for following along, questions or comments are welcome below. Adios for now!
Thunder Mesa tank, ready to service locomotives on the TMMC.
An eagle soars high above Big Thunder Creek as the TMMC crews go about their daily work. The cold, clear water issues from a hidden spring below Baxter's Butte, creating a green oasis of life in the midst of the red rock desert. Backdrop and smoke effects added with Photoshop, all else as modeled.
Water has arrived in the desert! As the spooky Never Mine takes shape on the slopes above, a flash flood of clear epoxy resin has transformed Big Thunder Creek from a dry and dusty wash into a gurgling, splashing oasis of life. This past week was spent creating the water effect for Big Thunder Creek and detailing the surrounding scenery. Follow along with the photos and captions as I describe my process for creating believable waterfalls, rapids and pools with acrylic sheet, clear resin, paint and silicone caulk.
The Creek Bed
Before modeling the water itself, the creek bed needed to be detailed. A layer of sand and small stones collected from real creeks in Sedona, AZ and Silverton, CO was laid down and glued in place with a generous amount of matte medium diluted 1:1 with water.
Once the glue for the stones had set, cattails, tall grasses and other greenery were added along the banks. I wanted this area to appear more lush and green than the rest of the layout. Most of the plant material came from Woodland Scenics and Scenic Express. Note that the foreground trestle deck was still removable at this time to allow for modeling the creek.
The Waterfalls
There are several different ways to model waterfalls. I chose to use a technique learned from Sam Towler's fabulous Nature's Wonderland layout. Basically, 1mm (.04") thick clear acrylic sheet is cut to size, and then textured with a hot soldering iron. I built on Sam's original technique by also using the soldering iron to fuse strips of acrylic together and to shape and sculpt the falls into the more complex forms needed. More acrylic was fused in select places to show variations in the flow of water, and more was added at the bottom of the falls to simulate foam and splashing water. Warning! If you try this technique, use breathing protection and work in a well ventilated area. Also, don't burn yourself with melted plastic or the hot tip of the soldering iron. And always look both ways before crossing the street.
My creek needed three waterfalls and each was sculpted to fit its particular spot. Here, the edges, lip and foamy bottoms of the two lower falls are being highlighted with white acrylic paint. Highlighting is done on the top surface. This is later covered with clear resin or gloss medium to bring back the shine.
Dap 3.0 Crystal Clear Silicone Caulk and Sealant was used to glue each waterfall in place and to act as a dam to hold back the Envirotex resin in each pool when it was poured.
Here, all three acrylic waterfalls are in place and it's just about time to mix up some Envirotex. Note that the walls of the canyon have been darkened at their base with some dark browns and a touch of moss green to simulate rock dampened by mist and splashing water.
The Pools
For the water in my creek I used Envirotex Lite, a two part clear epoxy resin. It's a really good idea to wear gloves while you do this because you don't want this stuff on your skin.
I mixed up small batches in 3 oz dixie cups, taking my time and following the directions. Measuring and marking 1/2" from the bottom of each cup (one for resin, one for hardener) helps to accurately measure the required 1:1 portions of each part.
The resin was mixed 1:1 with the hardener, stirring and scarping with wooden stir sticks for about 3 minutes. A drop of moss green acrylic paint was added to the first pour for depth and color. This project was done in several successive pours and used almost an entire 8 oz kit of Envirotex Lite.
Here's a shot after the first three pours. Envirotex Lite is self leveling and will slowly flow down to settle in the lowest spots (make sure your creek bed doesn't leak!). I started at the topmost pool above the highest falls and worked my way down to the bottom, allowing the resin to spill right over the falls as it went down. A masking tape dam across the fascia kept the resin from oozing right off the front edge of the layout. This was allowed to cure for about 48 hours.
Rapids and Fast Water
Envirotex is great for modeling water but it cures completely flat. For rushing water and rapids, I used clear silicone caulk applied in strips and dabs, directly on top of the cured resin.
A flat toothpick was used to spread, feather and form the caulk into waves riffles and rapids.
Fast water below the big falls.
More rough water caused by stones below the surface. The caulk was applied in any logical place where the water would be fast or disturbed by rocks or other obstacles in the creekbed. It helps to look at lots of pictures of creeks and rivers!
Behind the lefthand trestle pier is a calm backwater. I gave this a mossy, overgrown look by dabbing dirty green acrylics onto the surface with a small brush.
Once the caulk had set overnight, highlights were dry-brushed on using white acrylic paint and a light touch. This was followed by a thin, clear topcoat of resin poured over the entire creek and brushed across the tops of the rapids.
The final step was to further break up the flat surface of the water by swirling and stippling acrylic gloss medium in the faster moving sections of the creek.
When dry, these surface ripples reflect and refract the light, adding to the sense of realism.
Up Next
The creek scene is starting to come together. In the final part of this series, I'll describe all of the little details that help bring it to life.
With the completion of the water effects, Big Thunder Creek is just about done. But the creek itself is just one element in a larger scene where many details large and small will help bring it all together. As always, thanks for checking in and following along. Comments and questions are welcome below. Happy trails amigos and adios for now!
It's been a busy day at Big Thunder Creek. I wonder if the fish are biting...
