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I didn't make any progress on the layout for a couple of weeks as my wife decided to get new carpet for the 3 bedrooms. This job morphed into replacing all of the interior doors on the main floor, put new trim in all 3 bedrooms, paint all 3 bedrooms, and oh yes put new carpet in all 3 bedrooms and for good measure lets purchase a new sofa and love seat for the living room.
I didn't make any progress on the layout for a couple of weeks as my wife decided to get new carpet for the 3 bedrooms. This job morphed into replacing all of the interior doors on the main floor, put new trim in all 3 bedrooms, paint all 3 bedrooms, and oh yes put new carpet in all 3 bedrooms and for good measure lets purchase a new sofa and love seat for the living room. The contractor will be here Tuesday. With everything sorted out, a schedule in place and the Open House Tour only 2 weeks away, I took a couple of days and tackled a couple of scenery projects I wanted to get done before the tour. First up was to finish the area in front of the backdrop in the Gavinsport area. I recently posted about this area where I had cut in a new roadway. To finish this area off, I had to daylight the tunnel portal as my 40 ft Hi Cubes weren't clearing the portal. Used the same solution as the prototype and opened up the sides of the portal. I also didn't like the retaining wall on the left side of the portal, so I ripped it out and added a new rock casting to the left, and also cut into the hillside on the right and added a casting there. Basic ground cover was added and then trees and bushes. Sounds simple but it was about 6 or 7 hours of work and I still need to add some additional ground cover to finish it off. I like to work my scenery back to front, so with the background scenery complete I can move on to ballasting the track and then the foreground scenery. This photo shows the progress after I had added the castings and new plaster. You can see that the tunnel portal has been filed open to accomodate the HiCubes.Here we look toward the left side of the tunnel portal. The casting have been painted and ground cover, trees and bushes have been added.In this photo we see the area to the right of the tunnel portal and again the casting has been painted and trees and bushes added. Additional ground cover still needs to be added in this area.The second area I tackled was at the throat of the Helix Staging Yard. I had done the foreground and the background but the mid part of the scenery was just a short hillside. I thought it needed a little something so I cut in a small road, added a retaining wall made up of left overs from other retaining walls I had cut. Like most model railroader I never throw anything out, I new all those little 1/2" pieces of retaining wall would be good for something some day. I had a tower I had picked up at an estate sale for free since no one wanted it so it will go in here. When I have a little time it will get a better paint job and of course I added ground cover, trees, and bushes. Here's a couple of photos.In progress, the road has been cut in plastered and a base coat of paint added. The retaining wall is in place and painted.Here's where we are at currently. More info being posted on the Grand Trunk Southern thread. https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=26250.150
So a few weeks ago Tom Garza from Scalesigns.com sent me a beta test of his N Scale modern billboards. He is introducing them before the grade crossing signal cantilevers, which are coming in November-December. This double board may or may not be introduced, there will be a single on each side that will have ladders and railings on theside for board workers. I suggested name plates for the board owner, i.e. Lamar, and Gannett. There are somebugs to work out and the N Scale, like the HO will eventually have lighting options. All of the boards will havesignage from all of his HO boards on the website.
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Topic: Weekend Update 9/22/24 (Read 3319 times)
