I've been spending some time adding a base layer of ground cover to the park loop, and underpainting the roads and sidewalks in this area. The roads and sidewalks in front of the houses aren't looking too bad, but the main road down the length of the layout still needs more refining. Here's what this area looked like before some basic landscaping:
The loop needs to be very clean of debris because the turn is so tight. Before each session I have to make sure each rail groove is free and clear of particles or derailments occur. Cleanliness is very important.
The park loop area will be residential and consist mainly of older buildings. I'm toying with the idea of calling this side street Mortimer, as there's a street with the same name in Toronto. To me, that name has a feeling of being older, and from a different era.
After fiddling with building placement, I think that open area beside the museum will need an apartment tower, about 2 or 3 times taller than the neighbouring buildings, whose back wall faces the park. I have a lot of small and medium size buildings, but not enough tall ones to make the city credible.
The park loop area will be residential and consist mainly of older buildings. I'm toying with the idea of calling this side street Mortimer, as there's a street with the same name in Toronto. To me, that name has a feeling of being older, and from a different era.After fiddling with building placement, I think that open area beside the museum will need an apartment tower, about 2 or 3 times taller than the neighbouring buildings, whose back wall faces the park. I have a lot of small and medium size buildings, but not enough tall ones to make the city credible.
Nice, the layout reminds me of the loop I remember as a kid on the LAMTA J line. That one had some building in the middle instead of a park but the street layout is exactly the same.
ReplyDeleteThanks! The layout of this loop is based on the TTC's Neville Park loop out in Toronto's east end.
DeleteLooks great James, I really like how you've embedded the track in the road. Do you have a detailed recollection on how you did this?
ReplyDeleteI notice the tram pole seems to follow a wire but I don't see it in the video. Is it my imagination?
For embedding the track, I used custom cut styrene inserts. I should write a post about it. Although I should mention that I deliberately made the track 'groove' too wide and deep because I want to run old, more crudely manufactured streetcar models from the '60s and '70s as well as sophisticated streetcars like those from Bowser.
DeleteI don't have any overhead wire installed yet. For that I just will use thread, and maybe bamboo skewers for poles (if they turn out to be stiff enough).