The re-birth of Drake's Branch, NM. (New warehouse complex, page 9!)

[Elbows]

I have a bunch of stuff to snap pictures of - but its been raining here, so I've been lazy about ferrying it from my house to the garage (man cave).  I'll try to snap pics tonight finally! 

[Elbows]

Most of the stuff I've been working on.

Been replacing my weird mediocre fences I've had.  Just doing some simple multi-post fences...I'm also doing several MDF-based corral style fenced sections.



New expanded bridge.  Unfortunately I forgot what colours I had used previously..but it matches well enough that I'll leave it.  Now it actually can cross the GF9 river sections (most of them).





Three of the train cars.  I'm..."meh" about them, but the simple fact is that the train was pretty bad.  The details were soft or flimsy.  It was tough disassembling the train cars without snapping them in half etc.  Overall a bit of metal brushed on...sprayed cars...repainted some stuff, and stuck clear plastic from a cinnamon roll tray inside for use as windows.  I'm happy with the scale, etc.  I was going to free-hand "PACIFIC" down the sides of the green cars but my painting is so horrible I'll just leave it as be!  I also had to put some plastic framing up around the doors, etc.  The train will work fine when its all done - two cars and an engine to go.







The detail was even soft around the windows which made it a bit of a pain..my shaking hands didn't work out so well. 

[pocoloco]

New additions look great, I am envious of the pace you are working with this project!

Those train cars look perfect for gaming, maybe add just some wear and tear if they are not supposed to be just new and shiny that is.

[Elbows]

Yeah, I debated doing some weathering, and I may...but my enthusiasm for the cheapness of the train is limited.    Maybe a quick black wash over everything.

[Heisler]

If you decide to do the wash, go with a darker brown instead of black. You will the same effect and it won't be as harsh a contrast. You could use a black wash on the roofs of the cars to simulate the smoke and cinders.

[Elbows]

I was thinking about using black spray paint along the top...but I know I'd over do it!

[Za Zjurman]

Elbows,

try a dark brown dry brush on the train followed by a light brown dry brush. Next give it a thinned brown wash. Then dry brush with a mid tone grey paint. This sounds like a lot of work but it isn't and it realy "livens" the train up.

I did this with my toy train over the factory paint job and it works. (have yet to take picture to proof it  )

Regards,
Za

[Elbows]

Every time I try to dry-brush any kind of flat surface...I ruin whatever it is I'm working on.  

PS: 8 of the 10 detritus bases I decided to do.  I'm tired of placing individual barrels and boxes.  I feel like I'm genuinely closing in on "finishing" my Old West pursuits for a while.  I'll simply add a few DMH buildings as they're released and paint my last 12 figures, train etc.  I'll grab one or two more adobe structures and then take a nice long break from Old West terrain and models.  The past few weeks I've been finishing up all these bits and pieces I've had laying around.

[Za Zjurman]

  nice detritus bases I like them a lot.

Regarding the Dry brushing make sure your brush is completely dry. do a test run on your hand palm and just do it. The brown wash will take the chalkiness away of the dry brushing.

O I did not find the time yet to look closer to your rules sorry but I will try this weekend.

Regards,
Za

[Elk101]

Those are nice. You could always take a break from Drake's Branch and build my town!  

[Elbows]

Hahaha, I figure a building every month or so for a while will keep me honest.  I'll be burned out on Old West for a while, then come back next year, paint up a few new models - maybe do my plains war expansion.

Za, no worries - I've revamped most of it, and will be sending a new word file at some point.  The good news is that I've almost nailed down the entire campaign system (simple, but amusing)...so that needs to be written up too.

[Mason]

Great additions, Elbows!
 


That detritus is excellent, and I sympathise with individual barrels, it is a pain.

Great work, please dont stop too soon as this thread is very inspirational.
 


That train is ok, mate.
If you have not already done anything to it could I make a suggestion that cannot go wrong?

If you can get hold of some Modelmates stuff, do so.
I dont know if you can get it easily where you are, but it really is excellent and really easy to use.
It comes in a liquid form and you just paint it over the area that you want to weather.

Then you just dab at it with a damp cotton bud, cotton wool etc (I used kitchen towel and that was easy enough) and it comes off 'bitty'. You just stop when you are happy with it.

I wont plaster pictures of non-OW stuff on your thread, so here is a link to some cars that I gave the 'treatment' to.

http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=39808.855

(Scroll to the bottom of the page. There are several more on the following pages).

All they have had is a coat of that stuff, dabbed off, followed by a very light drybrush of dark brown paint around the wheels.

I cannot recommend it highly enough, it makes life so easy.

[Elbows]

First blood was spilled in the "new" Drake's Branch this evening.  I met member Ronin at a local game store and ran him and another fella through a game.  It ended quite badly (for Ronin!).  It was a rather significant bloodbath.  Suffice to say the Dice Gods did not cut him any slack.  More games on Saturday up in Charlotte.

[roninrmz]

even with all the bad luck  the rules were alot of fun.

[Elbows]

Bad luck might be putting it mildly