trains

Link to more pictures updated 11/21/03 (last row).

Layout Pictures

The first set of pictures includes some early construction
pictures. Most of my scenery is from Woodland Scenics.
I'm using their plaster cloth for the shell. A little expensive, but great stuff to work with.

Here are a few pictures of the construction of the river and bridges.
The upper large span is a Life-Like kit. The lower one is scratch built.
The water is E-Z Water from Woodland Scenics. The jon boat is homemade
from thin sheet aluminum.

Below are some shots of the refinery area, from beginning to
almost completion. The refinery and fuel platform are Walthers kits
and the large storage tanks are made from PVC pipe. I still need
to add some piping from the refinery to the storage tanks and fuel platform.
The Pikestuff kit-bashed small shack is on the lead to the refinery which
comes off the back side of the main yard.

The main yard is starting to take shape. The turntable, roundhouse and interlocking
tower are from Walthers and the single engine service building is by Pikestuff.
The table and roundhouse are for older eras primarily, but I liked them anyway.
There will also be engine fuel, sand and water facilities and the usual
assortment of yard shacks and service buildings as well.

This next set is of the hill going over the main line and yard leads at the
mine end of the yard. Included are some shots of the process from the rough
cardboard lattice through the almost finished scenes.
The paved road was made by making a form from 1/4" balsa strips along the
edges of the roadway and pouring plaster...just like pouring a real concrete
road. After it dried for about two days I sprayed it with diluted india ink...
the more ink the darker it gets so you can control whether you want a concrete
or asphalt look. The unevenness of the plaster makes it look well worn.

I've started working on the town area. Here are some pictures showing the
siding for the railroad museum as well as the general layout of the roads.
Stores and houses will be down both sides of the road near the gas station.
There will be additional buildings on the bridge side on the tracks.

Work has begun on the pond area just below the mine. Here are some pictures
showing the cardboard frame up to the first base coat of paint. The bridge is
scratch built from basswood. The freight depot is a kit from DPM(#107).

Although this is a modern era diesel layout, I've added something
for those Saturday afternoon excursions.

Here are a few pictures of the large curve near town as the mainline comes out of the
yard and heads over the large bridge near town.

Here are some new shots of the finished coal mine.
The mine building is a converted Glacier Gravel kit from Walthers.

Here a few updated pictures of the town area and the new
intermodal yard. The strip of four stores is several kit-bashed
RIX/Smalltown USA kits. The coal dump is scratch built.

Here a few pictures of progress on the new inter modal yard
and power plant area.

See more new pictures here.

Track plan with more pictures.

New construction pictures here.

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