Construction Update #39 - Adding Valences to the Lower Level

Videos on YouTube

For those of you who are interested, I have posted three videos of the Madisonville Sub on YouTube.  You can find them by to a search for "Madisonville Sub"

Valences

In general, it is a better idea to complete your valences before adding track, structures, scenery and other details.  Unfortunately, I didn't realize how much a difference it would make until I was working on the scenery around the Southern Kentucky Transfer & Pace Chemicals.  It was then, when I started taking a few pictures, that I found myself cropping out a lot of "empty" sky in the photos.

Before Cropping:

 After Cropping:

I think it pretty apparent that the second photo is better than the first.

Building the Framework

It should be noted that I am only concerned with the perimeter walls at this point.  The center peninsula is a mushroom style design so valences for the lower level were part of the original design. The first section of valence was built of the Southern Kentucky Transfer/Pace Chemical scene shown in the above photos.

Light weight pine boards form Lowe's were used.  Note that the front section of 1x4 was left off the frame when it was initially attached to the wall.  This was done to reduce weight and make it easier to level and attach to the wall.  Corner clamps, carpenters glue and drywall screws were used to assemble the frame.  The bottom of this frame work is 20" above the base of the lower level.  The frame was attached to the wall (studs) using 2.5"

 

 

After the initial framework was installed, the front section was installed.  At this point the holes for the LED strip lighting were also drilled.

To the right of the Southern Kentucky Transfer/Pace Chemical scene is the L&N/General Motors Plant scene.  Directly above this scene is a portion of the upper stating yard.  The staging yard is only12" wide and the lower scene is 24" wide, the valence couldn't be attached directly to the staging yard framework.  Brackets were made from 1x2 and 1x4 pine.  Again corner clamps, carpenters glue, and drywall screws were used to hold everything together.

The valance is made from 3/16" tempered Masonite.  The bottom of the valence is 18" above the lower bench work.  This is the perfect height for anyone around 6' tall.

And, with the valence lighting on and the room lights off.  I am still experimenting around with LED lighting.  This string was marked "natural".

The lights in this section are "cooler"

 

And one more thing....

 

Our resident bear showed up for the first time this year.  I snapped off a couple of photos after he sampled the contents of our trash can!

As always, your comments & questions are always welcome

sdepolo@outlook.com

And don't forget to check out the videos on YouTube

Search "Madisonville Sub"

Pace Chemical - Part 4

Basic Ground Cover

 

Basic ground cover consists of a layer of exterior house paint (gray/brown} and an initial layer of paving sand.  I run the sand through three screenings, using the fine grit for roads and parking lots, the medium grit for basic ground cover, and the coarsest for ballast and some other uses.  The paving sand is spread around by hand, misted with a water/alcohol mix and soaked the diluted matte medium using a pipette.  I finish off the initial ground cover with a little bit of Woodland Scenics fine blended turf to add a little color and contrast. 

 

 

I use an old floor fan to speed up the drying time.  Running on "low" the fan can usually dry things out in about five or six hours..

 

Once the basic layer is done, I ballast.  I've covered weathering and ballasting track in a previous post so I won't repeat it here.  Ballasting was followed by shrubs, trees, signs, vehicles and other details,  The scene still requires some static grass, figures, and other details but it is more than presentable. 

The fascia and car card boxes have also been painted.  The car card boxes were built from styrene.

A couple of photos were taken on the existing backdrop behind Preston Miller Yard, reduced, and printed on photo paper.  The sky was cut out of the photos and the prints were taped to the wall. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pace Chemical & Southern Kentucky Transfer platt with car spots.

 

The General Motors Plant & L&N Servicing Facility

Work also progressed around the corner to the GM plant and the L&N service tracks.  I still need to touch up the ballast and add more detail.  The L&N portion of the layout includes a couple of staging tracks, the Southern Kentucky Transfer/Pace Chemical, the GM plant and a small yard off to the right and around the corner from this view.  Bowling Green is located along the ex L&N mainline between Memphis and Louisville.

 

Lighting

 

The layout currently has a valance with strip LED lighting on the center peninsula; it makes a huge difference.  As a result, I decided to add a valence to the rest of the lower level.  Here is my progress to date (2/3/22). 

As always, your comments are welcome

sdepolo@outlook.com