The N-scale project, week 3

[@davidbarnett7145]

You are truly an artist 🎨 the railroad looks fantastic.

[@scottsmith7051]

Beautiful work. The bridge looks fantastic.

[@Phil_Vaughan]

I don't think I'll ever tire of watching your videos Peter. Seeing your progression from interpreting what your client envisages, to how you see things in your mind's eye, and actually physically building the scenery is absolutely fascinating. And then there's the transformation from the bare building blocks to the decorated and completed scenery, which I await with bated breath, is just Wow!! Once again, a true "Artisan" at work Sir. ATB.

[@fentoncentral-ngauge]

Another superb update. Like the foam for building the scenery. Planning at the moment so think I'll go with it as well.

[@markarnold8160]

There's a distinct possibility that I'll be tuning in for episode 4! Great work Peter.

[@jolliemark6294]

WOW! You got al lot done, looking great....thanks for sharing....Jack

[@markarrivi3818]

Thanks again Mr. Peter great looking layout even in N

[@BALD8BIL]

It's fantastic. Wish I could pay someone to build my layout BUT your videos will help me get to my happy place and I hope my layout will looks this fantastic when I'm done. Thanks for sharing!!!!

[@mpeterll]

Just keep practicing and eventually your results will improve. The more you do something, the better you'll get at it. I've been building model railroads for most of my 50+ years although my first efforts certainly didn't look like this. We all start out as beginners.

[@unfitforpurpose6422]

New sub..and I must say this is starting out as one of the best layout build vids I have seen on you tube so far nice short vids everything covered without watching hours of rock carving...layout is progressing nicely I’ve been building my 6m by 3m layout for 5 years and only half of it has scenery on it and I’m working on it 2 or 3 hours a day almost everyday..can’t wait for week 4 cheers

[@aussiefrenchman-hobbytable9960]

Can't wait for mountains and river get a coating of grut ,looking fantastic 👍👍👍👍👍

[@normanrowe2831]

Back to the n scale. Loving the high cliff sides. This layout is going to have a lot of interest. Looking forward to your progress. See ya next time.

[@donaldskipper6030]

Norman Rowe sailboat restoration

[@JoeyBPhotography]

Looking good! Watching the scenery start is exciting, looking forward to your progress

[@jamescarryl9690]

Peter, as usual splendid job. Truly a work of art in model form. The owner should be in seventh heaven ownin and operating this layout. I am interested in learning how this layout will be shipped, without major breakage. And repair on site. Thanks for sharing your beautiful work. ATB to you and your family.

[@mpeterll]

That will be revealed in a future video.

[@thomasboese3793]

Yes, the shipping of this has me wondering and I see so many questions that need answers. I'm planning an N-scale Free-Mo portable display layout and I believe all I need to know going forward with my plans will be answered.

[@rjl110919581]

thank you for great detail video as watching see the detail coming together on layout

[@LawrenceTimme]

Wow amazing work.you progress the layout so fast.

[@jimtedesco]

thats going to be some layout

[@jo-bahn8737]

Please keep on reporting on this project. It is very interesting to follow. Besides putting the focus on my favoured scale it is fascinating to follow the quick progress in a professional built. Does it add to the joy of working on it if you may concentrate on how to design it rather than how to afford it?

[@joeraderblackrockcentralrr]

Thats a ton of foam even in n scale. Looking real nice

[@mpeterll]

Yes, ironically it's my first N-scale layout and the biggest cliffs I've done so far in any scale.

[@richardmorrison2686]

Nice work ,

[@JoeG-firehousewhiskey]

Wow, yes,thats is a lot of foam!

[@SS454LS6]

will you paint the track ties a separate color, or do you just leave them the rust color and ballast over them?

[@mpeterll]

For best effect, I use the red oxide spray as a base and brush-paint a dark brown wash over it, aiming to just hit the majority of the ties but not worrying if I miss bits or splash on the rail. On this project I was under a time crunch and the employer didn't want me to do anything non-essential, so the track remained plain rust. The dust from the ballast does tone it down and give it some variation though.

[@SS454LS6]

@@mpeterll Thank you for the response. I was going to do the opposite. Spray paint the ties then hit the rails with a brush.

[@FLEOsMOBATraum]

It seems to getting more and more great. I like it and I'm wondering how quike you work and how many you reached in one week. Great work. Best regards from Switzerland Klaus

[@craigsummers131]

what multi tool did you use to do the carving , why not a hot wire cutter ?

[@mpeterll]

A hot wire cutter creates nasty fumes (worse than paint) and needs good ventilation. A multi-tool is faster and more versatile anyway. Although the one in the picture is a more expensive model, the basic one I use in my own workshop is perfectly satisfactory and only costs about $20. Make sure you have a shop-vac available - you'll need it afterwards.

[@craigsummers131]

forget my question , i saw it in the photo stills at the end , would be good to see how you use it though . thanks ..

[@DenisineD2]

How big is this layout? Damn O.O

[@ralphgreenwood5857]

The bridge looks good there. Are You planning a dramatic waterfall or just a rocky stream?

[@mpeterll]

You'll have to wait and see.

[@ralphgreenwood5857]

@@mpeterll cliffhanger! lol

[@iandouglas451]

do you prefer n scale, on the whole, please?

[@mpeterll]

All scales have their advantages. What I like about N-scale is the possibility of running long trains around wide curves through big scenery that dwarfs the trains. I can't say that I prefer N-scale to HO or O. In O-scale, I really like the weight of the individual cars. They just seem to run better and have some momentum which cannot be created in the smaller scales. HO-scale has the best selection of parts available and is big enough to read car numbers during operating sessions without needing the huge space that a main-line O-scale layout would consume. Selecting a scale is a very personal thing. If you are not sure, try visiting as many layouts as you can, talk to their owners and ask them why they selected that scale. If you are still not sure, buy a freight car kit and a yard of track in each scale. Once you've built the kits and pushed the cars up and down the track, you'll have a much better idea what scale you enjoy working in.

[@iandouglas451]

@@mpeterll thanks for your thoughtful and helpful reply. may i ask? are you a brit? I'm here in Oxford, well near Oxford UK. I have our son's n scale set but i wondered whether i ought to go bigger, n means i can get more in a given space of course. i am surprised that n gauge is popular in the states, we think everything is big in the US, big cars, big houses etc. One thing on this n scale set which is a slight nuiance is that there's a lovely USA Backmann train but lots of wagons deriverd from the UK and Europe than have a slightly different coupling arrangement. i love your channel, thanks for making the effort to record it and make it available.

[@rail-ryder7135]

Why do so many people make mountains out of foam? Plaster cloth is a lot easier. I tried both.

[@mpeterll]

I assume from your comment that you mean you are using the plaster cloth over a web of cardboard strips, or something like that. That is also my preferred method but I'm currently subcontracting for another professional builder and he hates having cardboard or other paper products on his layouts. Even though I disagree with him on this matter, I have to do things the way my customers specify. Personally, I blame the staff at Model Railroader magazine. Scenery always used to be the part of the hobby where we get to use free or nearly free materials (such as plaster-soaked paper towels over webs of cardboard strips). It seems that they were the ones who started advocating using plaster gauze and pink foam instead - why use free materials when there's a more expensive way of doing it?