# This Could Get Sticky!



## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

I have one small area (~2.5' x 1.5') on the railroad, The Badlands, where nothing seems to grow. The area is adjacent to the discovery of the stegosaurus dig and is shown to the left of the hopper car. It was recently determined that the reason that nothing seems to grow here is because the area is a natural tar pit. 


Excavation into the "Terrapin Tar Pits" has revealed bones from all manner of creature from the Jurassic Period. The area will be fenced off and a walkway around the central pit will be installed. In the manner of the La Brea Tar Pits, that I used to visit as a child, mock-ups of two dinosaurs will placed into the tar as a simulation of the way things may have been during the Jurassic.


The Diplotocus is equipped with a motion detector and will roar whenever a train goes by (if turned on). Additionally, a T-Rex also with a motion sensor, will roar if visitors get to close to the vignette.
I cut off the feet and using the belt sander, leveled the figure a bit and used Liquid Electrical Tape to represent the dinosaur stuck in the tar. This way I can set the dinosaur in-place during open house and the sound/sensor unit will not sit out all the time.






The "tar" is a piece plexiglass that is painted gloss black. I'll use washers, beads, and more of the Liquid Electrical Tape to represent ripples and bubbles in the tar.



The link will take you to the La Brea Tar Pits video and you can see what I have in mind. Of course the dinosaurs were extinct for 65 million years before the La Brea Tar Pits formed.

The La Brea Tar Pits, An Urban Mystery


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## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

Dinos and trains, what a great idea! Should be a great bit on the layout. 

Best, 
TJ


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## pete (Jan 2, 2008)

Ilike the idea and it looks great.


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Great idea Todd!

Trish absolutely refuses to go there. (It's in her contract!)










Have fun, David Meashey


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## Pjhinde (Mar 11, 2013)

I love the dig site in your landscape. Cool idea. Kind of funny I cook Chili in small time cook offs and for gatherings in the back yard and the name of my chili is Dinosaur Chilie. 

Pj


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Just remember that $30 worth of modified "toys" and a little innovation can bring far more smiles to the face of a child than a $300 scratch-built structure or a $3,000 Accucraft loco.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Work continues.


I've added the walkways with sand glued down around the perimeter of the pit. Sand will also be added to the plexiglass to meet this and a chainlink fence will be added. Bones from a recent excavation will be displayed in that squared off area next to the rock and a T-Rex will be added.


I found glass beads that have an oily sheen to represent bubbles only needing me to fill in a hole. I ground away part of some of them to make them look like they are emerging from the tar. It is hard to grind glass beads and I broke as many as I made (maybe more), but at $2 for more than I'll even need, who cares. Some will be suspended over the tar using black nails.


The ripples are a portion of a grommet used on tarpaulin. At this point I've yet to paint the top surface of the plexiglass and will probably give it a light coat of gloss black to tie everything in, then glue on the beads so as not to loose their sheen.


Close-up.


Proximity to Gila Bend station and stegosaurus dig.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

That's so sad, little Dino needs our help! 
I think I'd rather see bones... 
Nice tar 

John


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

John Allen, the old days . COOL


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## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

Really looking good! 

Best, 
TJ


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Linda was riding me that the ripples in the tar should consist of several concentric rings as it bubbles to the surface. Hmmm., OK, we can do that too. Some Liquid Electrical tape poured around a modified computer fan "screen" and voila! Be sure to coat your working surface with Vasoline or such.


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

All this business about trapping critters in tar reminds me of a very old, very corny joke. But it does have a reference to trains, so I will subject you to it.

A man rushes into a hardware store and says to the clerk, "Quick, sell me a mousetrap. I've got to catch a train!"

The clerk replies, "Sir! They don't make them THAT large!"










Sorry, couldn't resist,
David Meashey


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## Pjhinde (Mar 11, 2013)

Posted By Dave Meashey on 15 Mar 2013 07:49 AM 
All this business about trapping critters in tar reminds me of a very old, very corny joke. But it does have a reference to trains, so I will subject you to it.

A man rushes into a hardware store and says to the clerk, "Quick, sell me a mousetrap. I've got to catch a train!"

The clerk replies, "Sir! They don't make them THAT large!"










Sorry, couldn't resist,
David Meashey


-----David,

That is so corney, I actually chuckled. Good going. 

 

Pj


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## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

David, 

> "Sir! They don't make them THAT large!" 

That never gets old! 

Best, 
TJ


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

With the discovery of the tar pits, the Tortoise Town Safety Council determined that fencing must be added both to protect the public as well as the find. To meet these ends, an 8-foot high chain link fence was installed with seating for the public to watch the excavation of the tar pit.


The Town Council also determined that the excavation of the site should become a public attraction and erected masonry dinosaurs depicting life in the Jurassic to draw in the public.


A T-Rex is also under construction and should be delivered shortly. More sand will be brought to the site to ensure that the tar does not overflow its embankment.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Work continues.


They have now discovered a new set of bones in the tar and have excavated and shored the excavation. Dan adds boards on the soft earth to keep the wheelbarrow from sinking in.


The dinosaurs have been erected and a Triceratops will be added for the kids to climb on (outside of the fence), and perhaps another preditor or a pack of raptors will be added to the display within the fence on the shore, if I find what I like.


Placards will be placed on the fence/stands describing what each dinosaur is and its size, and warning people to "PLEASE KEEP OFF THE STATUES!" (Only scale dinosaurs are used.)


All of the sand is glued down using a TiteBond III/water mix and India ink is added give the oily color and a very natural look.


I don't think I've seen anyone model a tar pit so remember that you saw it here first.










Prototype/inspiration:


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## Dick413 (Jan 7, 2008)

can I ask what did you use for fence 
Dick


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

1/8" mesh (3" scale) screen from Orchard Supply Hardware for shielding out really small critters. The roll is 4" wide (8-feet high scale) and 25 feet (600 Feet scale) long.


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## jake3404 (Dec 3, 2010)

This is a really neat idea Todd, looks great.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

It's getting close. I'm just waiting for a pair of raptors and some figures out of China now.

What child is not going to go crazy when he/she sees this? Maybe they will even learn something and this could help promote the hobby and inspire a bunch of scientists for the next generation. If you want to use dinosaurs on your railroad without looking too hokey..., well...






This one might be just a bit too big to get it under the fence.


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## tmejia (Jan 2, 2008)

Todd,
How about this addition to your layout?










Tommy








Rio Gracie


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Thanks Tommy. I saw that this morning. We get the LA Times.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

This shows the completed vingette all ready for open house on Sunday. These are now the permanent residents. You can see how it ties in with the Gila Bend Station and stegosaurus excavation that has been in progress for the last several years. The area is located next to the active volcanoes and gold mine.


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## Bender (Apr 16, 2013)

So funny! I Like it! This is a very Nice idea and mastercrafted on the layout!..


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## Gary Woolard (Jan 2, 2008)

Last weekend SWMTP & I got another chance to visit the T&LB. Turned out that Todd & Linda were not only hosting an open house, but a club meeting/pot luck lunch for the Orange County GRS. (Boy, can these folks roll out a spread! But I digress..) Even while hosting this confab, Todd took some time to discuss with me what you might call his 'philosophy' of scene design and placement. He talked about plausibility and narrative, and there being a point to a figure being in a particular location. I'm paraphrasing Todd, but another way to think of it is a scene as a gag, complete with a punch line.

I'm thinking about this as I'm reviewing SMPTP's pix, especially of the new Terrapin Tar Pits. Here's an example that Todd has shown already in this thread, but I completely missed it until I saw it in context -










Okay, these two smaller velociraptors are hassling the Diplodicus (sp?) but look behind their tails! 










Yes, the doggy is trying to pull that huge fossilized ( orizzit?) bone back through the fence while everybody's attention is turned elsewhere!

Just another of the little hidden gags that Todd and Linda have salted their vignettes with. Think about it the next time you've got a figure in your hand and you're wondering where to put it.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Brilliant idea, and very well executed! I love it!


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## James1 (Sep 17, 2013)

Hmm looking good, specially those dragon ideas are the best one, I think no one did these things in their model train track before. thanks for sharing the photos of your project... I like and please post some more photos.


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