The Skally Line

[Brian M]

Very nicely done.  Looking forward to seeing more of your work and the layout.

-Brian.

[James Costello]

I love what you're doing here Karl, the scenes are just great and very well detailed.

Thanks for taking the time to write it up.

[Bendtracker1]

Great write up and layout Karl!
Glad you got an LER started, I've got it bookmarked.
Thanks!

[SAH]

Well done Karl.  Your attention to detail with the scenes, rolling stock and ops is outstanding.  Thanks for sharing.

[jpwisc]

Thank you all for the kind words. Currently grade crossing in Hinckley isn't attached to the layout, I've been working on Rock Creek. Here the line crosses over Hwy 61, this used to be the main route from St. Paul to Duluth before the northern end of Interstate 35 was built. The road appears three times on the layout. Once as the grade crossing by the gas station in Hinckley, once as an overpass south of the Hinckley siding and once as an underpass in Rock Creek. It's the only road you need to railfan the entire line.
Here is the photo op end of my Rock Creek and a photo I took of the prototype for reference. I'll add signage soon.
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[jpwisc]

Rolling Stock:
One thing I figured out is I don't need as much as I had. I'm not a collector by any means. I was up to a couple hundred cars when I read a great article in MRH by Joe Fugate http://mrhpub.com/2014-10-oct/land/files/mobile/index.html#136.

I ran the numbers and realized I only needed about 80 cars to serve my line (I only have about 76 on the layout at any given time). I sold half my fleet off, then made sure I had painted metal wheels on every car. Once I finished that, I made sure every car way weathered. Some are lightly weathered, a few are heavier, and some get graffiti along the way. Now cars don't go on the layout until the metal wheels and weathering are done. I have a few cars I need to get the correct trucks under (100 ton instead of 70), but I'm getting there. I am up to 50% body mounted couplers and about 60% have conspicuity striping now. Here are a few samples from the layout. 
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[Santa Fe Guy]

Really nice work Karl.
Rod.

[milw12]

I see Hinckley but no Tobies' 

Seriously nice work, and nice to see a lesser-known part of the state!

[wcfn100]

I see Hinckley but no Tobies' 

Ha, nice.

Last time I was in Hinckley it was for a flea market.  I sold an Atlas Davenport to a goat!


Jason

[jpwisc]

I see Hinckley but no Tobies' 

Seriously nice work, and nice to see a lesser-known part of the state!

Funny! Tobie's is no where near the tracks. Now if you want a good pizza where you can hear trains coming, try out the Firestorm Cafe. It's a half block over from the Hinckley Depot. It's no where near the tourist trap that Tobie's is!

[milw156]

This is the SCXY Hinckley (HIN) siding.
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Very nice job of recreating the line in 1:160 Karl. What is the purpose of the dirt road between the 2 walls in the 2nd photo? It is a detail I don't recall ever seeing modeled before, in any scale.
Rick

[jpwisc]

Very nice job of recreating the line in 1:160 Karl. What is the purpose of the dirt road between the 2 walls in the 2nd photo? It is a detail I don't recall ever seeing modeled before, in any scale.
Rick

That is a hay bale crib. One of the local farmers stores round bales in there. I need to get the trees around it (and the round bales in it). You can see it toward the back of the photo.
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[amato1969]

Really nice work!

  Frank

[milw156]

That is a hay bale crib. One of the local farmers stores round bales in there. I need to get the trees around it (and the round bales in it). You can see it toward the back of the photo.

Thanks, looks like someone is storing tires in that photo

[jpwisc]

Thanks, looks like someone is storing tires in that photo

Farmers never throw anything away... so I modeled the tires too.
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