What's New on the PRR Panhandle 2.0?

[healey36]

Using washes is a fine art. In painting figures I have found you get better flow if you give the piece a shot of clear gloss beforehand. After everything dries you can hit it with a matte overspray. There's also tinting inks out there, or some just use a heavily diluted India ink solution. Experiment first on something you don't mind ruining. Looking forward to seeing the results.

[G3750]

Using washes is a fine art. In painting figures I have found you get better flow if you give the piece a shot of clear gloss beforehand. After everything dries you can hit it with a matte overspray. There's also tinting inks out there, or some just use a heavily diluted India ink solution. Experiment first on something you don't mind ruining. Looking forward to seeing the results.

Thanks for the tip.

Right now I am still playing around with various colors. I'm also pre-occupied with trying to get my Outlook mail client functioning properly. It corrupted the main file (Outlook.pst) and recovery is taking a long time. It's amazing how much stuff is stored in your e-mail.

George

[G3750]

Updated 9/15/2018:

It's been a rough week. About 9 days ago, my Outlook email client program began acting up - creating duplicate messages and not permitting deletions. I have been working with a data recovery product to rebuild the file used by Outlook to store emails, contacts, and calendar settings (outlook.pst). That file is approaching the size limit handled by my old version of Outlook. Unfortunately, a ton of information is stored within that I don't want to lose. Saving the file is a long process that has involved several rebuilds. It is still on-going. I've been using the web e-mail interface in the meantime.

Despite being preoccupied by this event, I have managed to make a few color samples for the piers. Once again, the value of photographs of the prototype is being demonstrated. These photos prevent me from speculating as to the correct colors of the piers or relying on my not-so-perfect memory. When in doubt, refer to the prototype! I plan to experiment with a few more color samples. My first target is the "shorty" pier on the WV side. It was re-used from the previous (2nd) bridge and is probably close to 130 years old. It is darker in color than the newer piers. I'm thinking about applying a dark gray wash to it.

The "pocket" and mid-stream piers date from the mid-1920s. They're newer, only about 90-93 years old. I am thinking about creating and applying some washes that are lighter in color - white, vanilla, or flesh - with some rust. All piers will get a dark gray (concrete) coat on their upper ring.

Finally, my order of dimmable 4100K LED bulbs came in at the store. I picked up and installed them last night. The difference is amazing! My workshop is much brighter. The train room looks like it is being bathed in sunlight. I am very happy with this decision.

George

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I'm also pre-occupied with trying to get my Outlook mail client functioning properly. It corrupted the main file (Outlook.pst) and recovery is taking a long time. It's amazing how much stuff is stored in your e-mail.

That's why I have my pst files broken down for each category and filed by year, and those are backed up on 4 external drives. Breaking them down by year tends to limit their size.

[G3750]

I'm also pre-occupied with trying to get my Outlook mail client functioning properly. It corrupted the main file (Outlook.pst) and recovery is taking a long time. It's amazing how much stuff is stored in your e-mail.

That's why I have my pst files broken down for each category and filed by year, and those are backed up on 4 external drives. Breaking them down by year tends to limit their size.

You’re correct. I just didn’t realize that I was approaching the limit. And Outlook 2007 doesn’t allow real management of the.PST file. At I haven’t discovered any.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I'm also pre-occupied with trying to get my Outlook mail client functioning properly. It corrupted the main file (Outlook.pst) and recovery is taking a long time. It's amazing how much stuff is stored in your e-mail.

That's why I have my pst files broken down for each category and filed by year, and those are backed up on 4 external drives. Breaking them down by year tends to limit their size.

You’re correct. I just didn’t realize that I was approaching the limit. And Outlook 2007 doesn’t allow real management of the.PST file. At I haven’t discovered any.

It actually does, but it's nigh on impossible to locate and do. I had to call in my tech support guys at my office to show me how and it took them a few hours to locate the tabs and make it work. It's there, but it's so hidden. I'll have to sit down now and see if I can rediscover it. I know it's not where you think it should be or anywhere obvious.

[G3750]

That's why I have my pst files broken down for each category and filed by year, and those are backed up on 4 external drives. Breaking them down by year tends to limit their size.

You’re correct. I just didn’t realize that I was approaching the limit. And Outlook 2007 doesn’t allow real management of the.PST file. At I haven’t discovered any.

It actually does, but it's nigh on impossible to locate and do. I had to call in my tech support guys at my office to show me how and it took them a few hours to locate the tabs and make it work. It's there, but it's so hidden. I'll have to sit down now and see if I can rediscover it. I know it's not where you think it should be or anywhere obvious.

Knowing what I know about developing software and seeing how Microsoft builds products, I'd like to line their developers up and do this...

Slapping Curley.jpg (8.71 KiB) Viewed 5177 times

George

[healey36]

Sounds like a good heads-up to go purge my email account. I've allowed a ton of stuff, some with massive attachments, to pile up in there.

[G3750]

Sounds like a good heads-up to go purge my email account. I've allowed a ton of stuff, some with massive attachments, to pile up in there.

Yeah. I'm still struggling with this God-awful mess.

George

[G3750]

Updated 9/18/2018:

This update is a real mixed bag.

Finally, I think the Outlook disaster is over. I am now running Microsoft Office 2016, including new versions of Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint. I must say that it is much slower than the previous version (why am I not surprised?). Anyway, most of my e-mails have survived intact.

I took my shot at weathering the "shorty" pier. I didn't like how it turned out and have since removed the weathering powders. I am studying my photos and will try again. I might even take a photo expedition to get a closer view.

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I also built a couple of bridge pedestals.

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Next, I took a stab at weathering the bridge shoes and pedestals. I'm much happier with this effort.

PeirWeathering_004_.JPG (137.04 KiB) Viewed 5126 times

And finally, I installed the new light bulbs. Here are a few photos under the new lights.

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NewLighting_002_.JPG (168.21 KiB) Viewed 5126 times

George

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Finally, I think the Outlook disaster is over. I am now running Microsoft Office 2016, including new versions of Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint. I must say that it is much slower than the previous version (why am I not surprised?). Anyway, most of my e-mails have survived intact.

2016?

Could be worse Office 365 is hideously cludgy and cumbersome...........

And finally, I installed the new light bulbs. Here are a few photos under the new lights.

Fiat Lux!

[G3750]

Yeah, Office 2016 is an absolute pig, performance wise. Not wild about its looks, either. I've used Office 365 briefly. It is worse. I think I read excerpts of a book written by Michael Cusimano on Microsoft's development process. That's enough to make you puke. Unfortunately, Microsoft has created a de facto standard.

The lighting is refreshing, to be honest. I'm very happy about that decision.

George

[robert.]

Look for thing like this. faux concrete painting
https://www.myvintageporch.com/painting ... -concrete/

[G3750]

Look for thing like this. faux concrete painting
https://www.myvintageporch.com/painting ... -concrete/

Thanks Robert. I'm checking that out.

I am planning another field trip to the bridge to get a close look at the "shorty" pier. I thought I had a few more / different photos of it, but I can't find them.

George

[chuck]

Yeah, Office 2016 is an absolute pig, performance wise.

Partially because it's Office 365 with your computer acting as "The Cloud". When you install 2016 it also installs a baby web server that Office "talks to" (explicitly on a Mac, I believe on Windows it exploits/"enhances" the web service tools built into Windows Explorer (not the browser, the file management tool)).

Because of cloud security issues a lot of institutions shied away from Office 365. You could enable "local" storage in 365 to get around the long term cloud storage issue but the temp/scratch files were still being cached on the net.

You can also turn on Cloud storage in 2016. I suspect that the later is a compromise on Microsofts part when customers really balked at the fee for service model for 365. Better to collect some fee's for storage than to lose and entire segment of the market.

BOT, piers really look great. Concrete/stone weathering is more an issue of what's in the concrete or the type of stone and what is the primary weathering agent. Runoff from rain water, rainwater that's carrying air pollutants, direct air pollution and what's polluting the air? The mill probably threw off a lot of sulfur/sulfates and carbonates. There was probably a fair amount of soot as well.

I think what you've done looks great/realistic. You can airbrush the air pollution with light misting and then uses vertical washes for "runoff". Runoff tends to be heaviest wherever there is a transition from horizontal to vertical. A flat or a fan brush can be quite useful, touch the edge and then drag downward removing pressure from the stoke as you move downward. Practice to get a feel for the brush/paint/surface.