Fairmont Park

[KarKraft]

Well, since Xmas I got a Ninco set and have been needing to have it mounted somewhere permanent and out of the way. Surfing the forums, I have been astounded and motivated by the incredible work some of you have done. So I'm giving it a go. Maybe one day I'll go routed, but having seen what others have done with plastic, this will do me for now.

 

I do have some criteria, mostly I want it to go in the garage and swing out of the way to get the car and bike in. So, its hinged against the wall, making it 1.7m wide. The brick columns in the garage are 3.3m apart so that is the length. In hindsight, I could have cantilevered an extra 500mm at each end. Maybe on the next track (is that a sure sign I have the disease?).

 

I'd love do to scenery and have elevation, so Mt Panorama is a natural theme for me. I'm not trying to model the track exactly, just pick out recognisable features. I want to use concrete walls, as they are simple and functional, but I don't want the concrete pits built in 1987, so the late '70s/early '80s will be my guide.

 

 

Hopefully you can make out Conrod, Pit Straight (where the power plugs in) and Mountain Straight. From there the first hairpin is the Cutting, then Reid and McPhillamy, the Esses and the last hairpin is Forrests Elbow.

Edited May 24, 2009 by gazza

[oldslot]

looks pretty good to me go for it

[Eno the Wonderdog]

I love the idea Kar Kraft - looks grouse!

 

Is there a reason you haven't gone to the end of the space at the top?

[KarKraft]

Is there a reason you haven't gone to the end of the space at the top?

 

Yeah - I ran out of track money!

 

I've been buying cars and a lap counter, but there is a track plan to fill that corner. Just before the esses the track continues right, then into a loop in that top corner before returning to Forrests Elbow. So, the esses as you see them will be the last section to get scenery.

[SlotsNZ]

Welcome aboard KarKraft. Anyone modelling the mountain has their head screwed on tight, and priorities well-sorted :mosh: [and that's coming from a kiwi]

 

 

and yeah, you have the disease bad....

 

I like your avatar picture of ol' grumpy. He was one of my driver heroes as a kid. I look forward to seeing the build.

[KarKraft]

I like your avatar picture of ol' grumpy. He was one of my driver heroes as a kid. I look forward to seeing the build.

 

Thanks SlotsNZ. I'm sure you've been over to www.allanmoffat.com.au - I put it together with a friend of mine for AM. Even one of our members - Slotmeister - made a gracious contribution to the site in the articles section.

[kalbfellp]

KarKraft: Maybe you can then tell us what colours A.M.s Escort raced in here in Australia? Several of us have been trying to find out for some years. I know that when it arrived is was dark lower half with a different rood colour. Then appeared at Calder is what appears to be all red.

Do you have any other info?

 

Phil

[KarKraft]

kalbfellp - I have only ever seen the pics you've probably seen in RCN - as you say, white and some dark colour. The car was originally from the UK and taken over by Ford USA to be run in U2 Trans Am against the Alfas of expat Aussie Horst Kwech. But Ford dumped the project and it sat in the workshop of Holman Moody, who had been preparing it. When Al Turner brought it over here it was still in that paint scheme one can only assume for Goodyear sponsorship. So my best guess would be Goodyear midnight-blue. Then when it was run by AM it was Coke red. Later it raced in SE Asia in white/blue again, similar to the Cologne Capri and another change to a basic white scheme.

 

You can see video of the Escort in full colour at Warwick Farm in one of the Chevron DVDs, I'm not sure which one (post edited).

 

As for Fairmont Park, here is the base I made to hinge against the garage wall. Following advice from a carpenter at work I knocked it together out of 90x40 pine. With the ply on top that was donated by another work colleague, it ways a ton! If I was doing it again, I'd use something lighter.

 

Edited April 27, 2008 by KarKraft

[KarKraft]

kalbfellp - It was the Racing History of the Mustang DVD by Chevron

 

In the interests of accurate modelling and posted without permission:

 

 

[gazza]

http://www.auslot.com/forums/index.php?sho...offat&st=40

 

Was talking to the man himself today at Eastern Creek (Muscle Car Masters) and he said that the Escort was painted in Coca Cola Red.

 

That's the best i can do!

 

 

Gary

[KarKraft]

Well, here's an update with the track laid out and secured to the base. Had to fiddle a bit with the Mountain Straight hairpin to stop cars bottoming out.

 

 

At the bottom you can see my first attempt at some scenery, namely the pits as they might have been prior to 1987. Here is how it finished up.

 

[KarKraft]

Here is an update of my attempt to add scenery to Murray's Corner. If anyone has any suggestions for improving my scenery, I'd welcome the advice.

 

 

And from above showing inside the corner as well.

 

[Rob]

Nice job KarKraft, amazing what a little colour and detail will do to a layout.

[knoath]

G'Day KarKraft... I take it from the pits (Very well done, by the way!) you're after some older style scenery?

How about the Autopics website?

Browse through the era you're after, even though most of the pics are of cars, I'm sure there'll be something to catch your eye...

[KarKraft]

Thanks for the encouragement guys!

 

Knoath - I have all the Bathurst annuals with plenty of photos, but checking out Autopics is a great idea. I know you take scenery seriously - the following two pics show what kind of look I trying for - and the hopeless task I have.

 

Check out the nature of the grass in this embankment. Nothing short of the best rail-modeller's skills can capture this:

 

 

I can sprinkle turf-in-a-can but imagine trying to replicate the gully scrub here:

 

 

I'll just try to imitate the terrain and place a few trees and bushes, with fences and signs as decoration

[KarKraft]

Some more work, this time on the ficticious Lukey Exhausts bridge. I tried to make it a Monaco-style piece of scenery with a stone wall look. Its 3mm MDF with a scan of a block wall pasted on to it. One day I'll update it with a better finish, either stone wall pattern or make my own stone blocks.

 

[knoath]

Check out the Scenery 101 thread on (dare I say it...) SlotForum.

 

There's a piece there somewhere about "Static Grass", do a search and you'll find it.

 

Or you could simply use the 'paint brush bristle, long grass' method I used...

 

 

but that'd take a l-o-n-g time to do.... :snipe:

 

I admire your ambition mate! The best track in the world, no doubt about it!

When was the first pic taken???

Nice catch fence in the "Lukey" shot!!!!

Edited May 18, 2008 by knoath

[dangermouse]

I recall reading something somewhere??? helpful aren't I - maybe a train mag - maybe online where someone used a cleaning cloth with long fibres which they dyed green and roughed up a bit to look like long grass = to make that hill I would put the rocks in first and then blend some of the long fibre cloth around the rocks - then blend in dirt and fine gravel around the fibres and finally about of sprinkle grass....

 

I will see if I can find the article - for you

 

cheers

DM

[KarKraft]

Thanks for the hints guys! I'll follow-up on them. I've done some searching already and some amazing work by the railroad guys, including use of dyed fleecy lining, faux-fur and a product called Silfor. I'm not confindent in using them as I'm not sure I could make them blend in seamlessly.

 

I swear I've seen this countryside betwen Lithgow and Mudgee!

 

 

I like Knoath's use of bristles, maybe I try them sparingly at the base of fence posts. Speaking of which, has anybody managed to come up with successful techniques for weathering timber fenceposts like you'd see on farms?

 

Knoath - I search Slotforums constantly. There seems to be more 'action' on the scenery front. The first shot was taken in 1983. Some nice scenery cues in that shot - scaffold stands, telegraph poles, fencing etc and Bathurst was very lush and green that year. Much easier to model that colour than the other shot, which was in 1982, a very dry year.

 

The catch fence was one of the esaiest things I've done. Tent peg poles from Big W as posts, and galvanised gutter guard mesh from Bunnings. Comes up nicely, and very essential after my Lotus Cortina took off at the end of Mountain Straight and did a skydive onto the concrete floor.

Edited May 19, 2008 by KarKraft

[KarKraft]

Here is my Hell Corner.

 

 

Now I can start to add spectators. Might need to get some more.

 

 

Knoath - thanks for the tip-off about static grass. I'd bought some but didn't know how it was applied. I've looked into it and I think it will work best for me. Have to do a few trial runs to see if I can get it to stand up.

Edited June 8, 2008 by KarKraft

[knoath]

Look forward to the results!

[KarKraft]

My next update...

 

Mountain Straight and the combine Griffins Bend/Cutting

 

 

Silly flag marshal is waving the wrong flag for an overtaking manoeuvre...

 

[Stevo41]

Nice work. I really like how you have added the dirt to the outside of the grass - it creates a neat (but realistic) boarder.

 

Did you use plaster cloth for the hillside? And how did you create the effect on the face of the slope?

 

Please, tell me more.......

 

Good stuff, keep going.

 

Steve

[KarKraft]

Thanks for the encouragement Stevo.

 

I liked the foam work of Brad Korando on Slot Forum and his use of Tileguy's method of using floor tile grout (high sand content) to create dirt texture. Then I saw someone here or on Slot Forum used a soldering iron tip on the styrofoam to melt erosion grooves. I haven't done any rock faces as they don't show much at Bathurst. I'm going to try running a wire brush over the styrofoam when it comes to that. My method is:

 

1. Cut and shape styrofoam (yes its messy but saves me having to use the cardboard lattice and Hydrocal plaster and cloth) Add erosion grooves where it looks right with the soldering iron.

 

2. Coat in Gyprock joint compound watered-down to pancake mix consistency.

 

3. Paint with soil-coloured acrylic paint.

 

4. Sprinkle with grout. I have two colours: one to try and replicate the sandy-coloured decomposed gravel used at Bathurst, the other is for areas where clay is more prominent.

 

5. Add vegetation. I'm still not happy with my results with turf. It's OK but I'm still experimenting.

[kalbfellp]

Try using an electric kitchen knife on the foam,it saves most of the mess. Just don't get caught with it working on the track.

 

Phil