Model Railroad Blog

First Coast of Miami, Final

The First Coast structure is now in the bag. Photos can pick up errors the naked eye can’t. After looking at my previous construction shots it was apparent that I’d made the electrical conduits too large of a diameter so I needed to go back and replace those. One of the more effective illusions of photo wallpaper is in the window area. By stacking two sheets on top of one another the windows are very convincing. The bottom layer is gloss photo paper. The second stack, the wall with the windows cut out, gets the Dullcote treatment. The end result is the impression of window glass glare. You can also see elements just behind the glass such as blinds. The loading dock was made from a block of 1 x 2 PVC “wood”.

First Coast April 19

It’s nice having a layout that’s half to two thirds done. You have enough completed to run trains and convey your vision while at the same time you can throttle back and work on whatever project strikes your mood. Next on the drawing board is the First Coast of Miami complex. This week I finished building the core and doing the photoshop work for the parking lot out front.

First Coast of Miami

The late afternoon sun casts long shadows as you look west down 22nd Street at 13th Avenue in Miami.

An appealing aspect of the area of Miami I’m modeling is the quiet, calm, melancholy atmosphere along the 22nd Street corridor. I particularly like the late afternoons when the shadows grow long and it takes on an almost Hopperesque atmosphere. My next project will be modeling the First Coast of Miami (produce) scene shown above (the courtyard framed by the two box trucks). You’re looking west down 22nd Street. The Domingo Produce structure, which I just finished, would be just out of view to the right.