Work on model railway projects has been sporadic at best the last few months due to an increase of painting workshops I’ve been teaching over the winter and early spring seasons this year. I need to channel that painting effort into my unpainted backdrop for the Soggy Bottom Hollow Pizza. Before that starts, I need to paint rock faces, sleepers/ties, and rails first. I’ll probably ballast the track before painting the backdrop. Up first is rock face coloring, and I have been doing that this April.
ColoringRock Faces
Using craft acrylics to color the rocks and stream bottom Inside embankment will have structures sitting in front of themClose up at trestle Still wet, so color will fade some as it dries
I’m going to start painting the sleepers/ties and rails next. Hopefully I can get that finished by the end of April along with ballasting the track. Backdrop and structure builds are on the schedule for May!
I’m busy editing the audio for the upcoming April episode of the Cartel Conversations Podcast, and I do have a preview video of what’s on tap for the April episode. Joining Ian and myself is Tom Bowdler, the winner of the 2023 Cartel Christmas Challenge Build!
The April 2024 episode will post on April 2, 2024 and this time I will be sure to post it here on time as well! 😀
The Spring issue of the Micro Model Railway Dispatch is now available for downloading! This season’s issue is chocked full of photos and articles about pizza layouts, as well as several other micro model railway layouts. The largest issue to date!
You can access the Spring 2024 issue at the Micro Model Railway Dispatch site. The link is posted below. You can find the current issue and all back issues there as well.
I’ve been busy with several work commitments, but I have managed to sneak in a little work on a micro layout. I’m trying to stay focused on my New Year’s resolution to finish the Soggy Bottom Hollow Pizza and the Wescott Mine and Mill layout before starting any new micro layout projects for 2024.
I am creating a rock embankment on the exterior of the layout for the fascia. Normally I would use a hardboard fascia panel painted black, but I thought this option might look better. I’m using Patching Plaster to create rock faces along the embankments. I like using this product instead of Plaster of Paris or hydrocal. The patching plaster takes a bit longer to set, giving plenty of time to carve the rock faces.
I’ll be using a rock coloring method I learned from a Woodland Scenics tutorial. I outline my take on this method in the following video…
There are no big prizes. Just the honour of having your layout featured as the header on the Facebook page and the chance to be the cover layout in The Micro Model Railway Dispatch. This years challenge is to build a shoebox layout.
Shoebox layouts were probably just as popular as Pizza layouts on Carl’s site. There were even competitions for them at model railway exhibitions in the UK. So here’s the basic guidelines:
There are two kinds of shoebox layout. One where the layout in its entirety fits in the box, and one where the layout can be broken down to fit in the shoebox. Both types are valid in this competition. Just as long as the shoebox lid can be shut properly. That means nothing can protrude above the sides. As for size. There are different sizes of shoe box. The box for my ski boots is bigger than the one for my running shoes for example. As long as the box is a shoe box, it’s valid for the competition. Only entries that fit in shoe boxes will be accepted. Locomotives, rolling stock and controllers etc: don’t need to fit in the shoebox. Just the layout. If the layout needs train storage like a fiddle stick for example. That has to fit in the shoebox too.
The build phase of the contest is from March 1, 2024 to November 30, 2024. The contest entry date is December 1, 2024 and the official entry form post will be made on December 1 at the Cartel Facebook Group.
There’s lots of examples on the carendt.com site. Search for “Shoebox Madness” and “Shoebox Shenanigans”. That should give you plenty to go on. Most importantly, just have fun.
Discussion about the wonderful world of micro model railway layouts
Looks like I have been asleep at the switch, so my apologies for not making a blog post about the release of e43 on March 1. Well, it looks like the details of the Micro Railway Cartel Facebook Challenge for 2024 has been revealed. Ian gives all the details in e43. You can also find the rules on the Cartel Facebook Group, and I will be posting them here on the blog this weekend Enjoy!
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Trying something new for the podcast with a little video preview of the upcoming audio edition of the podcast. Hopefully we don’t crack your viewing screens with our two mugs! 😂
Back in December on the Cartel Conversations Podcast, I made a New Year’s resolution to complete my unfinished micro layout projects in 2024. This is going to be a tough resolution to keep since I am so easily distracted by new ideas. As of today, my resolution is still intact, although that’s easy to say since I haven’t been working on any micro railway layout projects in 2024 either. It is time to get motivated, and start making good on that resolution!
Project 1
Soggy Bottom Hollow Pizza Layout (On30)
My Soggy Bottom Hollow Pizza Layout was originally being built for the Micro Railway Cartel Challenge Build back in 2023. I ended up putting this on hold because I knew I would not be able to complete it on time to enter the contest. Now I can take all the time I need to add the details I want to this layout without the pressure of a deadline. I originally was going to use structures made from cardstock for this layout, and I may still do that. I am also considering scratchbuilding the structures too. Maybe a combination of both.
The first order of business will be to get the scenery work moving forward and building those structures. The scenery work will go fast, but the structure builds will take a little time. Maybe a month or two at the most. I also need to make sure the hand-laid track is still in alignment. I recently purchased a set of skip wagons from my Cartel Podcast co-host, Ian Holmes, and I am definitely going to try these out on the Soggy Bottom Pizza.
Project 2
Wescott Mine & Mill Rwy (Gn15)
My Wescott Mine & Mill Railway micro seems to be the “red-headed stepchild” of my layout projects. I started this one way back in 2016 and eight years later it is still unfinished. It really would not take all that much time to finish, but interest in this one seems to wax and wane, with waning being the operative word. This one needs to get done this year, and I am currently feeling motivated to make that happen. Only time will tell.
Concluding Thoughts
My 2024 modeling resolution also included a provision that I would not start any new micro layout projects until after these two unfinished layouts are completed. I am constantly fighting the urge to start something new, and so far I am sticking to my resolution. Ian will be announcing the 2024 Cartel Micro Layout Challenge in March, and that’s going to be a huge challenge for me! Good luck with keeping my New Year’s resolution after that is announced. The struggle is definitely real, folks!!!
In this episode of the podcast, Ian and Tom discuss what’s been going on with their micro modeling projects along with some sad news about the closing of a major model railway supplier in the UK. Ian is contemplating the purchase of a 3D printer, and shares some interesting info about getting yourself made into a scale figure. Tom discusses the changes going on with the Micro Model Railroad Cartel as well.
You can access the current episode in the player below. If you have any issues with the player working on a mobile device, try viewing this page in Desktop Mode on your browser.
Next month, Ian and Tom will have on Tom Bowdler who was the winner of the Micro Railway Cartel Christmas Challenge Contest in 2023. The new contest for 2024 will be announced as well!
Micro Railway Cartel 