The South Carolina scenery starts to take shape on the Model Railroader staff’s Rice Harbor project. Editor Neil Besougloff describes some of the material used for ground cover, while managing editor Hal Miller tackles the garden tracks and cinder ballast of the Seaboard Shore Line’s engine terminal. Meanwhile senior editor Dana Kawala works to build and weather the freight car fleet for this steam era model train layout.
Building a 5 x 8 harbor railroad part 6
By Angela Cotey | January 19, 2014
| Last updated on November 23, 2020
Ground cover, rolling stock, and garden tracks for the Model Railroader staff's Rice Harbor project layout
Question: Building the harbor portion with the depressed plywood section, which was the determining factor in deciding the depth of the harbor, the trestle height for the approach? Or setting the plywood depth and then make the trestle/piers fit the scene? So which did come first… the chicken or the egg? Enjoying your modeling tips for water on this and the Branch Line project. This has been one of your best video series by far. Thanks!
This series of videos make a great overview of the details
of this layout! Thanks!
i like this rice harbor layout ..nice and compact with interesting possibilities…. i want to know more about the bridge and where can i find copies of this bridge plans ??
An excellent small layout depicting something other than Appalachia or the great Southwest; kudos to the teams creativity. A little disappointing that the build videos are not presented in the same level of detail as the Virginian and Thin Branch were although I assume you are trying not to be redundant. Regardless, there are enough unique aspects to this layout that I think warrant more detailed explanations such as using sand for ground cover, installing the turntable, and hand laying the garden tracks. Keep up the great work and hope to see some in-depth explanations of some of the more atypical aspects of this fine layout.
Have used the sand sold at craft stores; ei Michaels; with great sucsess. They even come in differant colors for soil types. can be blended for other scenes.
James Frankenfield: The engine house roof is removable. It took us a while to notice someone had removed it and replaced it backwards.
By any chance, will there possibly be a video with Hal hand laying the track? I'm kinda new to the hobby, or at least it feels that way & I have never hand laid trad, but have seen a lot of finished examples, but would like to see someone actually doing it & what tools, other than the NMRA gauge might be available for use.
I'd like to see the MR Staff do a Video on here about handlaying track and the techniques involved in it. The Rice Harbor Layout looks really nice.
The tracks around the turntable are all deliberately left way short of the edge of the pit. Don't see why it was done that way.
I love what you are doing with the Rice Harbor Build it works and looks so good.
Good video, some very helpful tips, but I have one nit to pick, why is the exhaust vent placed on the door end of the engine house?
Nice video. I liked the comments about modeling the shore and sand. From model railroading and military modeling I have seen good and bad beach/shore areas. What kind of sand did you use? I was wondering if fine "sandblasting sand" would be better for HO scale appearance?