S4: E2: The layout's tallest peak! Plus a look at the Deer Creek Mine from Sierra West!

In this episode I take on some more hard shell scenery, including the layout's as yet unnamed tallest peak!. Plus, a look at the first structure to be placed on the layout, the Sierra West Deer Creek Mine!
Stuff used in this video:
Loctite Power Grab adhesive:
amzn.to/2Kr2RCS
Plaster cloth:
amzn.to/3UyOqyU
Underlayment nails:
amzn.to/42BEGGc
Gorilla glue (original)
amzn.to/3wbfUAm
Titebond wood glue:
amzn.to/4btZtzk
Window screen:
amzn.to/3STpsZV
Sierra West Deer Creek Mine:
shorturl.at/hksF5

[@rcgrabbag]

Please note that although not shown here, Gorilla Glue requires water to activate. You typically moisten the item that you are joining to the item to which you've applied the glue. I do this with a misting sprayer. It is also advised to spread the glue to form a thin layer because the glue expands as it cures. In this video I am moving quickly through these steps in a low stress area, so I'm letting weights do the "spreading" for me.

[@rogerkincaid4535]

Ron - I would like for your followers to take notice that if they go to these large furniture stores and talk with a manager, they may get a lot of block styrofoam for the hauling. I work in the back of such a store and have thrown away 6"x6"x12" or longer blocks of foam in the dumpster. I have also trashed 1"x12"x24" sheets of foam. Granite, you have to be there to get it and it may not be every week, but it's a way of saving the landfill of such trash. Just a note to all and you.

[@graymeinders7645]

I always love seeing you pop in my notification feed. It's always a joy to see your genuine enjoyment of what you're doing! I wish you posted more often, but don't push yourself!

[@RobertDoornbosF1]

It's a shame this is not one of those series that is like 5-7 years old and you can just watch the whole backlog. I'm jealous of the future viewers

[@rcgrabbag]

Thanks for watching! I would like to post more as time permits.

[@davidsmith4467]

This is the MOST ambitious solo project I have ever seen! You make my early teen former self jealous that I didn't dream that big. I hope I live to see it finished. Well done!

[@lf1626]

Can’t wait for the next one

[@user-nm5xb7ob2p]

Mr Grabbag, your creativity and modeling skills are incredible! I have enjoyed your videos and watched your work all the way back to the beginning. Thank you for the time and patience it must take to video this awesome work! WOW!!!

[@rcgrabbag]

Thanks!

[@jimhoade9265]

I've come to love the days when your videos drop. Your layout has been spectacular from day one but there's a big difference between the basic frame and what you have now. This is going to be one of the greatest model railroads ever built and we're all spoiled, getting to watch you working on it.

[@rcgrabbag]

Thank you for the very kind words!

[@user-jy1nr1ge2j]

Whenever I feel like killing someone I watch one of your videos.. It saved a lot of people lives.. including my own 😅. Great work..

[@happyboar1019]

Great layout 🤩I like the profile of the mountains with many tunnels. The model of the mine is fantastic. Very nice work 👍

[@davedyson4730]

I’ve watched your build from the very start when you altered your garage and then the covid came. You truly do such a wonderful job of everything you do without cutting corners. I have commented before and I say it again I hope I live long enough to see the end, I’m 66.

[@rcgrabbag]

Thank you so much! Yes, this will be a very long-term project.

[@JerryScullion]

This was my most favorite video yet, I think - watching the mountains 'come to life' was fascinating and rewarding! Can't wait to see the progress!!

[@rcgrabbag]

Hey man, thanks for checking in! My favorite part of this is covering up the benchwork and ending up with a pretty good idea of the finished product (in my head, at least).

[@johnschutt9187]

Thank you. I really appreciate each of your videos. I wish that there were more, but I'm grateful for what you do post.

[@andrewcarter1599]

I love to live vicariously through your incredible layout and massive train room.

[@rcgrabbag]

Thank you very much!

[@vettebecker1]

This project is becoming a true masterpiece ❤❤

[@derekalexander4030]

The layout has really become a landscape now. You’ve done a great job on it and your friend Carl sure is a master modeler. Thank you for the Ferrari museum tour. Those cars and motors were my kind of works of art and exactly what belongs in a museum. I saw some incredible Ferraris at the Barrett Jackson auction this year and they have greatly appreciated in price.

[@rcgrabbag]

Glad you enjoyed it. I was cool to see a few of my personal unicorns; the 288 GTO and F40.

[@iowa_don]

Props to your friend on the mine model. Awesome! I think your video series could serve as a Master Class in model railroad building. You never cease to amaze.

[@rcgrabbag]

Thank you very much for the kind words!

[@doitatit]

This is one of my most favourite KZbin channel's. Fo you intend to open the layout to the public? Not that I would be in any position to get there from Oz! . But it's such an amazing project. I've been watching the build from early on. Very soothing and I've learnt alot, the tools used have come in handy in my own job 😊.

[@rcgrabbag]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@glennac]

It’s always super gratifying when substantial progress is made. Love the updates❣️

[@gaveintothedarkness]

Always such a rare treat when you upload!

[@rcgrabbag]

Thanks!

[@DIYD]

This video was therapy ... From start to finish!

[@rcgrabbag]

Awesome, thank you!

[@briannorman1989]

Been keeping up on this project for a while now. Just awesome to watch!

[@rcgrabbag]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@dandiehm8414]

18:43 THIS!!! And a very cool tour of the Ferrari museum. Wonderful video all around. Looking forward to the next one. (Subscribed)

[@rcgrabbag]

Thanks for the sub! Glad you enjoyed.

[@everettthepetractionguy4222]

Wow! Can't wait for the next video.

[@jasonh8470]

I really appreciate your dedication to perfection I also appreciate that you show the building process. The way something is built is more important to me than the end product. Biggest visual update to date. Looks awesome.

[@rcgrabbag]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@riogrande5761]

I also used plaster gauze but wetted it using a paint roller tray it before laying it on cardboard strips put in with hot glue. I did noticed I had to wet the plaster gauze after it had dried before applying plaster because it sapped the moisture out of the plaster. I"m planning on pre-coloring the paster, that way if any chips, there won't be white showing through.

[@averageguy7136]

Wow, what an amazing layout. You are clearly wealthy.

[@ronvogt3788]

I cant wait to see the drawings

[@Meagain921]

Extremely impressive and a top job 🤗

[@jefwisse1957]

Very impressive. Loved watching the built.

[@rcgrabbag]

Thank you very much!

[@scottthomas5999]

Super ambitious layout. I love it.

[@rcgrabbag]

Thanks so much!

[@stevebonczyk3795]

those were nice snowy mountains.

[@davidhewson8605]

More runners and risers than my house !. Ferrari visit awsome . Love and care apparent. Gorilla tip and Pink Panther seem to work. Fabulous !!. Thanks master. Dave

[@mikefahler828]

Boy , what great vidoes you make. They are unique and quality. Thanks so much.

[@rcgrabbag]

Thank you very much!

[@05c50]

Another great update, thank you. It's inspiring to see the work that you are doing and it helps me to want to do better work on my layout. It's refreshing to see someone still using cardboard formers and screen wire for scenery, it brings back memories of my days reading MR magazine in the 60s.

[@rcgrabbag]

Yes, I very much like this method, but I'm not opposed to other methods like foam carving, or the like. I just prefer the screen/plaster, especially for the steeper land forms.

[@Studio23Media]

Carl is a master model builder!! That mine is gorgeous. So much detail! His buildings will make a fabulous addition to your already incredible layout. I can't wait to see how it all turns out. You could charge admission when the layout is done! 😂

[@rcgrabbag]

Thank you very much!

[@TouchoftheBrushModelWeathering]

New subscriber! Dude I love the progress and the way you show off your progress. Great work and I can't wait to see more!

[@rcgrabbag]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@edoneil1875]

Wow, this is turning into a really nice looking layout. I love seeing it transform.

[@rcgrabbag]

Thank you very much!

[@JediTim28]

Amazing as always. The amount of planning ahead you do is so important for the final result. Love the updates.

[@bigsparky65]

Layout is coming along nice, the racing car are cool. I could use one of those engines for my jazzy

[@rcgrabbag]

Thanks!

[@darylhitchcock7680]

Very Nice Layout Work...

[@rcgrabbag]

Many thanks!

[@pux0rb]

Always a rare treat when you upload a video! Can't wait to see the end result in the years to come.

[@rcgrabbag]

More to come!

[@schuylerschultz804]

The layout is looking better every video. And holy mamma your building builder, Karl, is incredible

[@rcgrabbag]

Thanks! Yes, Karl is a master.

[@LordLlurch]

If you spread out that PU glue with a putty knife you only need a quarter of what you're using now. It sets in minutes and expands very little. Mad respect for the size and the quality of what you're making. Absolutely stunning!

[@rcgrabbag]

Thanks for watching! I don't always show every step simply because it might be boring, inconvenient, or time consuming, or all of the above. I sprayed the joining piece with water and let the weight do the spreading for me. It's not a high-stress area, so I chose speed over efficiency.

[@mistac5050]

Love following this project and I'm always thrilled when one of your videos pops up on my homepage. Really enjoyed this episode.

[@rcgrabbag]

Thank you so much!

[@kevinleftridge8241]

You’re our hero! Great Job on the layout! I’m excited for you! Carl is an excellent master builder!

[@rcgrabbag]

Thank you for the kind words. I am luck to. have a talented contributor like Karl!

[@CannonCountry]

I really look forward to seeing the finished product eventually. I wonder how many more years you will be working on this.

[@rcgrabbag]

Best not think about it!

[@CannonCountry]

@@rcgrabbag 😅 My son has autism and he has been watching your videos for several years. I wired his train the same way you wired yours. I copy and pasted it. But his is in G scale

[@samuelodonovan]

So stoked when I saw this video appear in my notifications. Great start to my weekend! Please keep the content coming through, it's incredible

[@rcgrabbag]

Thank you very much!

[@sharonfieber6458]

Enjoy how scenery magic you have done so far. Plaster cloth around bridges, scene great artistic talent.

[@rcgrabbag]

I hope I can get some scenic aesthetics. Thanks for watching!

[@Brickursel]

Wow, klasse fortschritt, bin begeistert solch eine Anlage mal vom grundauf zuverfolgen😊. Die alte mine ist sehr Detailreich gebaut worden👍. Bin gespannt wie es weitergeht.

[@johnbanicki7232]

Making good progress. Thanks for sharing. Love the cars. Even if I could never own one. LOL

[@TruckHaulinTalks]

Nice building details!

[@rcgrabbag]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@raystarr4388]

Always enjoy watching this build.

[@mikakarpale]

Thanks so much for the update. What an awesome project you have. Looking forward to see the next episode 😀👍👍

[@rcgrabbag]

Thanks for watching!

[@ronvogt3788]

I cant wait to see it

[@computerjantje]

I am always happy to see a new video by you. Thank you again. Yes the plaster is making the landscape come alive. very rewarding step also as a viewer.

[@rcgrabbag]

Thanks for checking in!

[@musoseven8218]

Always a treat, such a wonderful layout, Id be overwhelmed by the task, I admire your tenacity ✌️👍💜😊

[@rcgrabbag]

Thanks!

[@Kahless02]

A great job as always!

[@rcgrabbag]

Thank you!

[@mhomburger]

Your layout is coming along very nicely, I love the little mine building! I also enjoyed the shots from the Ferrari museum, especially the 288 GTO.

[@rcgrabbag]

Thanks so much! The 288 GTO is my personal unicorn. Not one line on that car, inside or out, would I change.

[@ronaldjoyce7374]

Your layout is is coming along nicely, the museum video was great. Thanks for sharing. Ron

[@rcgrabbag]

Glad you enjoyed both!

[@normfredriksen1381]

Amazing. Simply amazing. You made my day once again.

[@rcgrabbag]

Thank you very much!

[@CGngauge]

Love the update. Great to see the progress of your layout. Craig.

[@rcgrabbag]

Thanks! 👍

[@aussiebigbangers]

Thanks for the videos. You do some fantastic work .

[@rcgrabbag]

Thank you very much!

[@youngmemory604]

Great episode, especially the grab bag portion.

[@rcgrabbag]

Glad you enjoyed it, both parts!

[@UtubeEric12345]

Loving this content, just what I needed to decompress after an intense work week! Thank you so much for sharing your work on this incredible project!

[@rcgrabbag]

Thank you very much!

[@RFMCabooseNP1713]

Welcome back. Great progress on the layout. It is coming together.

[@rcgrabbag]

Thanks!

[@emanuelequilibris4561]

Amazing series! Love wat you're doing and it's good training for my impatient brain with a tik-tok-level attention span

[@RayBoebel]

Amazing work sir!! Keep the videos coming!

[@rcgrabbag]

Thanks!

[@glennelliott708]

Your back! Grabbing a cup of coffee and will be watching.

[@rcgrabbag]

Fantastic and thank you!

[@captvictor]

fantastic Layout Progress, the Ferrari tour was a spectacular Bonus

[@rcgrabbag]

Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed!

[@fleischmann_rowa_roco_ho]

One thing is for sure, this is not your first Rodeo! Great video! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@rcgrabbag]

Thanks! 👍

[@stephenparkes626]

Layout really starting to take shape .very informative video ,would love to have that much space to design and build a layout .many thanks

[@rcgrabbag]

Thanks for watchin!

[@chiplarkin4069]

Carl is a good friend!

[@louisletourneau3429]

Great video , thanks !!!!

[@rcgrabbag]

Glad you liked it!

[@1A9lis]

Great video and enjoyed the cars at the end , let’s hope governments don’t succeed in removing these vehicles from the roads in their quest for the impossible .

[@rcgrabbag]

Thanks for watching! Yes, the battery tech needs to get better before mandating anything, from mining to disposal!

[@ldifalco2010]

Rcgrabbag is the Bob Villa of model railroading. I would love to see a track plan of your railroad.

[@PaulFotschky]

That car will distract me from trains every time.

[@samuelmula5570]

Ooooooohhhhhhhhh! Grab Bag Friday!!!

[@rcgrabbag]

Haha thanks!

[@HoboHeaven]

Amazing. Greetings from Hamburg/ Germany.

[@rcgrabbag]

Love Germany! Beautify country. Thanks for checking in!

[@gordonstevenson9782]

Glad you got to go to the Ferrari Museum. Those trophies are works of art unto themselves. Get to go on the test track?

[@rcgrabbag]

I stuck to the museum, nothing going on at the test track at the time. However, there many Ferrari's out and about nearby, I'm guessing test drives.

[@jefferykeeper9034]

Elams white glue works well too and cost less

[@mikemunley9563]

Great progress. Having built my own layout, had two questions. 1) That's a small tunnel but Murphy told me that will be your first derailment. Just push the cars through with a stick? 2) Looking forward to see how you "plant" trees in the hardshell. In my layout, the shell was not quite thick enough for the drilled holes. Thanks for sharing.

[@rcgrabbag]

Thanks for watching! I'd expect few derailments there, but if so, I can easily get my hand in there from either side. I have much larger tunnels where derailments will, unfortunately, require going under the layout, but, I've put a lot of effort into minimizing with quality track work and so far so good. Only derailments I've had have been on turnouts, and I have no turnouts in tunnels (staging being the exception). Nice thing about making your own turnouts is that if you do get derailments, it usually has a predictable fix and provides a learning opportunity to apply to future turnouts. As far as planting the trees, hardshell will have quite a bit of rock castings and other contours which should provide some extra material for tree bases.

[@ronvogt3788]

I would love to see a drawing of your layout it look great

[@rcgrabbag]

Thanks, drawing needs updating as things have changed.

[@robertmcdonnold3038]

You can never have too many clamps.

[@aaronr2091]

I’ve really been enjoying (enviously) the progress on your layout. Are you able to buy the plaster sheets in bulk, and if so, where? Thanks!

[@rcgrabbag]

Glad you are enjoying the series! I. have a link to plaster cloth in bulk in the video description.

[@user-br9hv5ku2o]

Fantastic layout which you seem to be building entirely single handedly. Wow. How did you plan it? Is it all drawn out in CAD. It is quite complicated so can't believe you just have the plan in your head.

[@rcgrabbag]

Most of it in my head, but ended up drawing the mainlines up with some railroad planning software, mainly to work out elevations.

[@edjones833]

What is the cost difference from hard board to the plywood underlayment that you used?

[@charlierumsfeld6626]

Please list name/brand of the cordless stapler and where you got it. Thanks

[@7Will7West7]

Love seeing the progress on your layout, what do you use to glue down your track to the bed? I’ve been using caulk for mine and it has held steady but curious what you use.

[@rcgrabbag]

Thanks for watching! I talk about track laying in detail in episode S1: E5, but it's basically a construction adhesive applied like a caulk.

[@7Will7West7]

@@rcgrabbag thank ya!

[@debestcanadian]

Been following your updates since you documented the start of the project. I am curious if you could comment on how "detailed" your plan was from the start (did you plan this entire time for this mine and the little spur line through the short tunnel, for example)? If your initial plan did include that level of detail, how far have things deviated from the plan as time has gone on?

[@rcgrabbag]

I planned the mainlines pretty thoroughly, but the rest is much more vague, with general plans for particular areas.

[@vaninamobrici6612]

That looks great! Is this modelling technique easier to shape and/or more lightweight than a block of styrofoam?

[@rcgrabbag]

I would say it's heavier than a block of foam, but when you start adding rock castings, it probably ends up a wash. If you're one of those that can carve foam to look like rocks, then definitely foam is lighter. As far as easier, I think a lot of that comes down to preference. Either methods/materials work.

[@baddriversoflittlerock8359]

Once the plaster is dry, can you remove the cardboard from under it, or still need for support?

[@rcgrabbag]

You could but it would probably be way more trouble than it's worth.

[@andrewcarter1599]

Have you ever thought about a G gauge garden railroad?

[@rcgrabbag]

No, I think I have my hands full with this project!

[@AverageGreaseMonkey]

Im really curious what the ventalation is like in your room? Are you planning to use epoxy etc for water effects?

[@rcgrabbag]

Yes I will be using resins for water effects. I have an upstairs room with plenty of windows. Although what do people do in their basements?

[@tomryan943]

Great episode!! You make it look so easy! Does Ferrari make electric vehicles?? Doesn't seem to be a logical move, but....

[@rcgrabbag]

Thanks for watching! Ferrari currently has a few electrified hybrid models; the 296, SF90, and LaFerrari (no longer produced).

[@randysrockandrollrailroad8207]

👍🤠👍

[@billbailey1620]

did you spray the guerilla glue with water.

[@rcgrabbag]

Sprayed the joining piece. It is also recommended to spread the glue out, but I just used weight instead. It's not a high-stress area, so a decent bond is all that I'm looking for.

[@billbailey1620]

@@rcgrabbag cool.i do carpenter work when I'm not out of town welding and this stuff foams up like crazy.i watched someone on KZbin make a plywood boat with this glue

[@charlierumsfeld6626]

Tunnel under a bridge support?

[@rcgrabbag]

You'll see when the area is finished.

[@smsucks7174]

Hope you are blessed to have an adult child…maybe a grandchild, that enjoys these hobbies with you .

[@rcgrabbag]

No, but I have a wife and two cats, so...Oh, I have a nephew!

[@jimmyg3835]

i wood like to know is it avised to make some diromas before you make a full layout

[@rcgrabbag]

Yes, to gain experience if you don't already have it.

[@jimmyg3835]

@@rcgrabbag and i dont have it

[@dave2329]

what state are u in? or are you elsewhere?