Free-moNebraska

[jblake92]

Great work.  Just, for the love of God, if/when you model the Homestead Expy over the yard......please do not make one of those oft used bridges that ends in the air at the edge of the layout.   One of the absolute worst modeling techniques in the business.   It would ruin an otherwise great looking modeling effort.  I don't know why people do this.........unless they are trying to model the aftermath of an earthquake or are still in love with the 70's/80's sliced through sawmills on the HOn3 Sonoran and Tuolumne logging layout.

[Solarnet]

Great work on the layout. Was really impressed with it last year when you were in Council Bluffs. Can't wait to see it again this year! I was able to land the contract for the table and chair rental this year for the show, Just finished setting all of them up. Will be there and will say hello. Will be there probably both sat and sun. See you then.

Richard

[RBrodzinsky]

Great work.  Just, for the love of God, if/when you model the Homestead Expy over the yard......please do not make one of those oft used bridges that ends in the air at the edge of the layout.   One of the absolute worst modeling techniques in the business.   It would ruin an otherwise great looking modeling effort.  I don't know why people do this.........unless they are trying to model the aftermath of an earthquake or are still in love with the 70's/80's sliced through sawmills on the HOn3 Sonoran and Tuolumne logging layout.

For modules, which are only a small slice of the landscape (a 2 foot wide module is only 320 scale feet), if something crosses your tracks and continues out from the module, what are you supposed to do?   Rivers, gullies, roads, fields, HIGHWAY BRIDGES, all can cross a module, and need to be modeled somehow.  For realism, if the bridge continues beyond the width of the module, it is better to slice it off, than to artificially lower it back to the surface (or ignore it, altogether).  Similarly, the FreeMoN standard prohibits features crossing the end plates of the modules, since you don't know what module you may be attached to.

Some modelers have even sliced off buildings, with interior details showing. 

[Mark W]

I briefly considered adding the overpass.  At this point, it's unlikely I'll add it.  I agree that the "floating bridge" looks funky.  But Rick of course is correct about what is realistically possible. 
 
We're all set up, aligned, and have power districts showing green!  No official 'first train' yet, beside one quick back and forth through the yard.  Oh I wish you could see how pretty it is!   
Got a three expansion kinks to relieve tomorrow morning, then it's play time!

Such a great way to ring in the New Year!

[Mark W]

Had a satellite flyover and take a few photos.





Another great show that went by way too fast.  The new yard definitely stood out among the modelers of the crowd.  The kids just love that mountain though! 
I got a few pictures and videos I'll be putting together over the next few days. 

[Mark W]

A few more images from Council Bluffs.  Love that telephoto angle of the new yard with the mountain in the background!

[bdennis]

Very nice!..

[GaryHinshaw]

Very nice indeed, and an impressive amount of work in a short amount of time.

[M.C. Fujiwara]

Very groovy photos!
The yard looks great! Has a very "real" look to it: a bit asymmetrical with some curves (definitely not paralleling the module edges), and the scenicking is minimal but great variation of textures that looks lived in.
I like what looks like a little path curving around under the tree on the left of the last photo.
You got a lot of quality work done in a very short time.
Cheers!
[video?  ]

[Jeff AKA St0rm]

Love the new yard!!

[Kevin C]

Awesome!!. Well done.

[Mark W]

Thanks everyone.  Here's the video, following UP844 around the layout. 

[Paradise275]

Great video Mark.
Interesting way you kept the camera car in front of the locomotive.

Rick

[rodsup9000]

  AWESOME VIDEO
Can't wait to see the layout in KC.

[Mark W]

One year later!  Looking at the last few posts and now, it's crazy to think it's just been one year!  Since the 2016 show in Council Bluffs, we've had two incredible joint layouts with the Minnesota-FreeMo crew and several more local shows, including one running trains at the Strategic Air Command museum directly under the legendary SR-71!

The past year has been train loads of fun!  Here's a quick photo dump.