Computer Generated Backdrops Article Published!
My article on using terrain generation software to generate my railroad backdrop images was published in the July 2014 issue of Model Railroad Hobbyist online magazine. This is a really exciting approach to creating highly realistic backdrops in your computer – no artistic talent required. Check it out in video form here.
3D Printing the Virgelle State Bank
The tiny town of Virgelle, MT has but three or four buildings in it. One of them is the Virgelle State Bank. A model of the bank was critical to my Virgelle scene and I went for it using 3D printing technology to create my model. This is my first post in almost 3 years – wow!
Computer Generated Scenic Backdrops
Backdrops have long been the bane of artistically challenged railroaders. Entire books have been written on the subject. Several small firms specialize on producing backdrop products. Here, perhaps for the first time, is an introduction to a new technique: computer terrain generation software backdrops. Long the tool of game and move makers, computer generated backdrops may offer the ultimate in computer backdrop realism that can model actual locations. Have a look at my adventures with this new tool.
Coal Banks Trestle: Final Assembly
Its time to put all the pieces together to finish my model of the Coal Banks trestle. We will start with attaching the bridge piers to the bottoms of the trestle bents. I used a small amount of quick setting epoxy. Next I epoxied the bridge abutment castings to the removable wood frame. Wood spacers […]
Coal Banks Trestle: Towers
Construction of the towers presents a number of challenges to obtain the details we hilighted in the second installment of this nine part article. I started by determining what the profile of my Coal Banks coulee was going to be and the subsquent heights of the trestle bents. I wanted the bents to appear as […]
Coal Banks Trestle: Decks & Railings
I chose Walthers Code 83 bridge track for my bridge. This product has nice detail and molded in guard rails in code 70. The track comes in 16″ pieces and includes filler ties for joining multiple segments and guard rail closure pieces. Also provided in the kit are short pieces of regular track with guard […]
Coal Banks Trestle: Girder Spans
A key characteristic of GN Bridges is the tapering of the span girder height to match the tower span. The stock MicroEngineering spans are straight and needed modification to achieve the GN style. This modification had to be repeated twelve times over so my answer is to build a jig. I am a big fan […]
Coal Banks Trestle: Benchwork
My model of the Coal Banks Bridge is over three feet long and I anticipated assembly and alignment of the spans and the towers was going to be tricky. I decided from the start to devise a way to build the bridge using a benchwork sub-assembly that allows the model to be built off layout […]
Coal Banks Trestle: Abutments & Piers
I started constructing my model of the Coal Banks Coulee bridge model with the abutments and tower support piers. The size and nature of these components would determine the positioning and placement of the entire model and so it was important to complete these first. When I started I was not too sure if I […]
Coal Banks Trestle: GN Design Practices
Each railroad typically develops its own way of doing things and the GN was no exception. Even within the GN, there are variations which as a modeler, we can use to our advantage when we may not have all of the details on the prototype. The Coal Banks bridge is long gone now and I […]