Natural Arch Bridge | Bandit Canyon Railway

There's more than one way to cross a canyon! Join me as I create a natural arch bridge for the On18 Bandit Canyon Railway - just like the real red sandstone spans we find here in the American Southwest (but usually without trains on them). First I make a new section of roadbed for beneath the track, then it's back to the foam carving tools to model the red rock span itself and the canyon below.
Thanks for watching, amigos!
Dave
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Music courtesy KZbin Audio Library, attribution given where available.
"Country Cue 1" courtesy of Audionautix, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommon....
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"Cherokee Shuffle" By Nat Keefe and Hot Buttered Rum - KZbin Audio Library
"Western Spaghetti" by Chris Haugen - KZbin Audio Library

[@RyanGallagher-LostRoadbed]

Arches, jughandles, and windows are probably the hardest natural features to model believably...once again perfectly captured in context of Bandit Canyon's story.

[@dennisfillhart88]

Yeah, what all the good commenters say. 👍👍👍And fantastic as usual.

[@lordraven1991]

That "I know" was so great.

[@dff19707]

You might want to give lightweight spackling a try. It can go on thicker than vinyl spackling and joint compound without as much shrinking or cracking. I’d swear it’s what’s Woodland Scenics is relabeling and selling as Foam Putty. I prefer this over Sculptamold, because there’s no mixing and when you’re finished, close the container. No waste, and clean-up is as simple as wipe the putty knife off.

[@goodtobehandy]

Your creativity is wonderful. I can see the coyote waiting around the corner for the roadrunner to come by.

[@patapscofallsdivision2579]

Between balancing rocks and natural bridges, the railroad’s insurance adjuster is probably spending an awful lot of time at the saloon….😂. Looks fabulous!

[@theragingdolphinsmaniac4696]

Hanging out with the track surveyor...🤣

[@loispadgett6306]

That looks amazing the bridge the colors just give me more ideas. Keep up the great work teaching us more your tricks of the trade. GOD BLESS. 🚂💖🚂💖🚂💖🚂💖

[@ElJefeNScale-dj2wt]

You have provided huge inspiration and guidance with everything I've done with my N scale layouts since I entered the hobby a year ago....Thank You

[@doncure2019]

Nice job Dave

[@jamesezekiel5728]

Love the look!!!

[@nittneylion84]

Phenomenal work. Very relaxing to watch too

[@BDCSam]

Utterly amazing as always Dave! Can’t wait to see how you blend the new canyon into the facia!

[@LifeIsAnArt95]

That was a whole lot of fun!!! 👏Love this series and I totally appreciated your rock strata painting! You just make every project an amazing work of art!!!

[@markdeschane4467]

I also feel that the olde bottles ofElmer's with the pointed tips are the better ways of applying ballast cements!

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

I never throw those away! Wish they hadn't changed them

[@coxsj]

Great stuff! I esp like the shot from below near the end!! More power to you Dave!! 😊

[@donnaroberts5655]

Another great lesson on senary ! Looks so good!!

[@markdeschane4467]

Dave, Your eye and knowledge about natural colors an rock work really come out in this video, You are a true artist in my estimation!

[@tcepilot]

You’re an imagineer. Absolutely love the content! You have inspired me to get into On30. Lots to look forward to!

[@paulbottrill8391]

Looking really good Dave, you just make it look so easy

[@RobertGoslin]

Looks fabulous Dave. You certainly have a great eye for colour. Has blended perfectly with the rest of the rock-work. Looking forward to seeing the rest of the canyon get built.

[@allenlandis4504]

really looks good .

[@pacificcoastminiatures]

Wow! It looked great already after the first coat of paint but then you started painting the individual rock layers and now it’s fantastic!

[@AppalachiaRRlover]

Your workbench is still way cleaner than mine lol

[@toddainsworth795]

Awesome, very creative , emphatic! really nice.

[@TamarackFilmCo]

This section reminds me so much of Fiddletown and Copperopolis!

[@achb-railway]

Beautiful work. Thank you! You make it look so easy - but we all know it isn't. Now I gotta go clean my own mess from yesterday, and build another bridge...

[@user-dt8rg3rk9y]

Fingers crossed would be a better name for the arch .nice work keep them coming 👍🇬🇧

[@AzraelThanatos]

For clearing things out like the bridge for the plywood insider, a dremel or similar tool works really well for it

[@politicsandtrains]

Great simple video, I love working with DAP 230 caulking, holds really well and the bark brown colors blends in with cork and track.

[@cassio4524]

PERFEITO!!! ✍️ SAUDAÇÕES DO BRASIL. 🇧🇷

[@OtterCreek]

Great video Dave, what a fantastic a-z tutorial of fantastic work!

[@samfuller6273]

The build is the fun thing to watch. If you finish... then what? Never finish. I Laugh when people get mad that you are changing something.

[@cerisekappes580]

Really good looking area!!! Love what you’ve created 😊😊😊😢

[@martytaylor2004]

Bravo! Beautiful work Dave. Question. We’re you an illustrator in a past life? Ingenious!🧡

[@Mountainmanjason]

Great video! Not too far from me there is Natural Bridge in Virginia, it has a highway over it, and has had a long time. Pretty neat place, turns out the George Washington did the initial survey and his mark can be seen under the bridge. There's also a railroad tunnel through a natural cave in Virginia. Both are Virginia State Parks, and well worth the visit. Fantastic work as always Dave, and I am going to try some of your techniques myself for rock work!

[@waynelevin8408]

Great episode! One of my favorites...beautiful!

[@MU-2]

If Sergio Leone were still with us, I’m sure he would find inspiration for another spaghetti Western in your latest creation. What would the title be? Hmmm.

[@garystrutt2078]

Great job well done.

[@paulditzen2708]

The two sides to your canyon looked like two dresses like what would have been worn to the big dance back in the day. Put a couple large rocks up on the deck and you'd have dos mujeres canyon or something along that line.

[@debbiegipson4512]

Success comes only to those who believe they can "bridge the gap"...Geez you're good!😉

[@rapcreeperproductions3269]

There's probably qn extremely obscure railroad that did this for like a month

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

Indeed. There's a prototype for everything.

[@FunAtDisney]

Pop Quiz: What was the brand and number (series) of the “brush” that you would often see in Disney old animated shorts “brushing” in the background of a scene, often during the opening of the short?

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

That's a deep cut! I'll have to look it up

[@ElJefeNScale-dj2wt]

0:29 unfortunately it had to be said....right on dude...it becomes fatiguing when retentive prototypers chime in on something that is intended to be cool and whimsical.

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

I call it "train-splaining"

[@user-sv4pj5jl8n]

Dave, will working on the canyon be more or less difficult with the bridge in place?

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

About the same. Easy access from the other side.

[@politicsandtrains]

How much water would you add to that wash mixture?

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

Done to eye. Enough that is goes on transparent

[@markdeschane4467]

Dave, I'm interested in getting a Laser Cutter similar to what you use for your needs. What would this cost me approx.?

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

If I was going to buy a new one today, I would most likely go with an Omtech Polar. omtechlaser.com/products/omtech-polar-50w-desktop-laser-cutter-engraver-with-rotary

[@markdeschane4467]

Thanks for the recommendation!@@ThunderMesaStudio

[@lynnmccurdythehdmmrc2561]

Is there anything you can't do?

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

Many

[@Miqnayahu]

Where's wile coyote chasing the roadrunner?!?

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

Believe it or not, there are actually other stories that take place in the southwest beyond the cartoons you are familiar with.

[@Miqnayahu]

@@ThunderMesaStudio right on dave...loved grusome gulch....can wait to see how you peice you regular layout all together...your set up looks alot like the roadrunner back drops...thought it might look cool 😎 maybe an acme sign somewhere😁

[@Miqnayahu]

@@ThunderMesaStudio you and fos and jensen are my favorites...you and that german guy are the best with rocks i think...i really like your creativity along the disney vibe though...

[@Miqnayahu]

@@ThunderMesaStudio did you design any rides for Disney previous to this?

[@Miqnayahu]

@@ThunderMesaStudio iam just sayin , wile coyote glued upside down to the bottom of that rock arch bridge with a "YIPES" sign would be pretty funny!😆and i wasnt making fun of your art...cause i think you took my comment in a way i didnt mean it!

[@bigjoe1274]

The inverse of no real railroad would use a natural arch as a bridge is no real railroad would use a cave as a tunnel, *CSX natural tunnel in virginia has entered the chat* Also rule no.1 its my railroad. rule no 2, if you dont like it, see rule no. 1

[@markdeschane4467]

I have seen people use foam without using something to fil the gaps between layers of Foam, Which was my major dislike of using layers of Foam for scenery! I have steered. Your use of foam as a scenic material, with Putty type of filler has changed my opinion.

[@theragingdolphinsmaniac4696]

Your layouts are filled with amusement park exaggeration and humor. If anybody doesn't get the humor behind of a natural arch bridge, they shouldn't be watching your videos. No it's not safe nor realistic. That's the whole point...

[@ThunderMesaStudio]

Well said

[@heybabe8438]

A work bench is supposed to be messy, thus the name work!