HOn3 D&RGW ish

[Mike C]

  I am now officially a HOer    Layout will be 40" x 96" and generally follow the Rio Grande . Track is finally laid on Homabed and tested, next up is finish wireing and cutting in the grades......Mike




Disreguard the backdrop , it still needs to come down .....Mike

[Santa Fe Guy]

Welcome Mike.
I only started in HOn3 exactly one year ago after almost 50 years in N scale.
Its a fun size have fun.
Rod.

[Mike C]

 Got the track feeders wired up ( no shorts ! YEA! ) and am working on the grades . Still too steep , C19 will only pull 4 cars so I still need to adjust ....Mike

[Mike C]

I have the grades sorted out , still need a bit of support under them . Thinking of the minimally expanding foam to stick things down .  Today I also finished weathering the track . Its a dark brownish rust , pic makes it look way too dark .....Mike

[Mike C]

I've done a bit more work in the last couple weeks . I have the hills roughed in and have started applying some ground goop . ( 1/2 sculptamold  1/2 vermiculite ,  some carpenters glue , and some light tan paint so the white won't show )





I also did some weathering on my C 19's

[Mike C]

 Been fairly busy in the past week or so . Finally got all the pink covered with ground goop , and weathered the ties .


Also tested some ballast , it's dark grey and I may add some light grey to the mix , but probably 20% at the most .


And finally started on some ground cover and trees . The trees are from Moose Creek and I think look pretty good for commercial trees . I also tested out some ground limestone here , Think it will work out well as talus and ground cover .

[Mike C]

 Even a small layout takes up a BUNCH of trees !    Past couple of days I've been busy laying static grass , ballast and trees . Wow 130 trees so far and more on the way !


Ballast, rocks , and trees .


And the first train through the forest .


Still need bushes , fallen branches and some critters , but I have lots of time to do that .....Mike

[chuck geiger]

Don't water these after midnight, they are growing.

[Mike C]

Don't water these after midnight, they are growing.

 

[Mike C]

 Some more work this week , more trees , grass , and a start on my access road .

[Mike C]

Been a while !  I've been working on a Durango Press water tower kit . The things are not easy to assemble !

[Mike C]

 Been busy the past month or so adding some bushes and buildings . First starting to add some smaller trees / bushes .




A couple houses ...




^^^ Looks like the catzilla moved a bush .....

And my Station


Next up will be some super trees Aspens and a bunch of brush .

[Mike C]

 Well it's been a month or so and I've done a bit of work . I was not satisfied with some of the trees , The Grand Central Gems that I got weren't really what I saw when I looked at the pictures in the order form . Maybe I bought ones that were too tall and were made differently . But they came in three different types . The darker ones are fine , but I had to make a few of them shorter . The ones that were a light green just had to go , way too garish . And then there were ones without flocking just the died rope base . They kinda blend in , but I'll have to see how I like them after a time . Anyway I bought a bunch more of the Moose Creek pines I really like the way they look . I also bought some foreground pines from them , think I'll get a few more eventually . I also added some pull apart  static grass for low bushes , I'm starting to like the way my meadows are turning out .  Still need Aspens , but am leaning more to spring aspens due to the way the first round of grass turned out , Does NOT look like late summer grass ........











And I'm not quite satisfied with the dirt areas in front of the station I need some more low ground cover , it's just a bit too "dirty" .

[Mike C]

  Slowly working on the layout the past couple months . I've been using Bachmann 6mm static pull-apart grass mats to make weeds in my meadows . Also I've replanted some trees to give me more open spaces and to pack the trees closer together . I bought a Walthers cattle pen kit  and rearranged it to make a different look . Now I need to find some good looking cattle ...... The next project I am working on is converting to Sergent Sharon couplers . The are surprisingly easy to assemble , now I just need to do some trial installs . I'll be working on that in the next week or so .

[Mike C]

  Also added some Aspens Their OK , but not completely satisfied .