Well, going back over my checklist of things I wanted to have done in time for Kimberton, I didn’t do very well. Sure, three modules will be up and running. But, there won’t be many structures. Heck, the turntable module won’t even have scenery on it!
Next time I get into a modular thing, someone remind me: ONE MODULE!
For those who might have been wondering, there is some progress on the modules. Which is a good thing, since Kimberton’s rapidly approaching!
Here, the turntable module is attached to the end of the yard. The black area will be the foundation for a small engine house.
The turntable is, for now, an “armstrong” affair. I have some minor issues with it wanting to bind up as it’s turned. I think it’s because the bearing point for the pivot is cast from a fairly soft metal, and it’s gotten slightly out-of-round — a problem I’m not going to worry about for the moment. I’ll deal with that when I motorize it.
I ordered some materials from Paper Creek for the engine house, but found out today that there’s no way that they’ll be here in time to get the thing even started. The way I look at it, all the “unfinished business” just gives people something to look forward to the next time the modules come “out to play.”
For now, I’m moving on to things like electrical inter-connects and legs. Once they’re nailed down, if there’s time, I’ll move back to scenery and such.
Our Alien Bees B400 monolights arrived yesterday, and I’m spending a couple of hours this morning working with them, just to get some idea of how they’re going to perform. So far, I’m pretty pleased.
This image is a difficult one, and it’s what I decided to attempt first — a mostly black subject with lots of detail against a blown-out white background.
Our muslin backgrounds are anything but flat. In fact, they’re really, really wrinkled, and don’t really hang all that well. In this case, it’s also been flipped up onto the posing bench to act as the “base” for the model. So, I really, really wanted it to go away.
So, here’s the lighting setup:
This was all set up without the aid of a flash meter. I’m not 100% sure that it would have sped the process up any for this lighting setup, though maybe it would have. I guess it would have more easily allowed me to figure the exposure for the model, and how much more light I would need to blow out the background, by manually “popping” the flashes. In the long run, I probably will want one. There’s certainly no going “P for Professional” in this kind of rig.
I must apologize for not keeping people better informed of progress on the infamous turntable module. David, for one, must be sweatin’ bullets. Especially since his highly modified Bachmann OF 2-8-0 has emerged from the shops.
Well, never fear. The turntable’s here!
I’ve been quite busy since the crash I reported last time. Obviously. I didn’t deviate too far from the instructions, though I did do a few things in my own order. For instance, I put the pit rail onto the ties before painting, and sprayed the ties and rail a color approximating rail brown as a unit. That will more closely match the tie color on the layout. I did the same with the bridge deck.
I also was not happy with the design of the electrical contacts. Of course, I’m known for that! 
Instead of the bent wire pickups in the kit, I substituted a pair of my Shay Wipers. Jack, of Freshwater Models, was a little put out that I didn’t like his wiper design. But, I don’t like anybody’s wiper designs.
Anyway, starting tomorrow, I’ll begin to wrap a module around this, and get it tied into the other modules. Who knows. Depending upon how far I get, I may cart this thing up to New York this weekend for a little show & tell …
Harold Minkwitz has writting an excellent tutorial on making plastic look like wood.
http://www.pacificcoastairlinerr.com/aging_wood/