Good progress today… Here’s the mill test-fitted together and a view of it inverted so you can see the detail of the woodwork. This is pretty neat, though it will be out of sight to most observers.
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More Windmill Progress
New Structure for the Layout
I bought this a few weeks ago:
Continue reading New Structure for the Layout
Pond mostly done
Sail Fail
Well, the best laid plans of mice and men gang oft agley, as Bobby Burns said.
Here’s the outcome of my earlier plan for a fixed-position floating sailboat
Logs by the Sawmill
Here are those KaDee logs, all painted up and in an acrylic “holder” (I love my laser cutter!) near the sawmill
Another Car for the Layout
Here’s another eBay find. These Danbury Mint cars sold for ridiculous prices when new, but now can be bought for around $20. I’d never put one out on the layout at full price ($100)–but this eBay find will go out later this week.
Some Kadee Logs for the Sawmill
Invisible Grades
On the layout, when I first put track down, I poured concrete to set it on. I thought this was the best way to keep the track from settling and to prevent the ballast mixing in with the soil under the ties. I built and leveled forms and poured concrete to form the roadbed. Trains have been running on it fine since then. However…
More Pond Progress
I was able to make some more progress today. I got the rest of the liner-hiding rock-on-a-roll installed on the front and mostly filled the pond with water.
I need to get some additional plants, line the bottom of the pond with rock-on-a-roll and finish up. But I think it will look good.
Looking Back (and Ahead)
This afternoon I finished moving dirt into the backyard (not putting it down, just getting it into the yard) and completed the last “big” landscaping project on the center section: two hills. I have more planting to do in the middle, and of course the pond to put down, but it’s coming right along.
A big change from 2014
Continue reading Looking Back (and Ahead)
Kitbashed Crane
I think this came out pretty good.
I’ve been working on my logging scene, which is a lumber mill, lumber warehouse, and small wooded area for the last few weeks. One thing I thought it needed was a work crane–but I wasn’t thinking I’d actually spend money on one at the moment. Shoestring budget and other priorities.
Continue reading Kitbashed Crane
Webcam?
With a Raspberry Pi in the train shed that’s connected to my network, I could easily attach a webcam and be able to “see” the layout even when I’m trapped in my basement office. I decided to go for it:
All those bags in the far background are the dirt from my birthday that I haven’t finished spreading around yet.
Help with the Pond
I started working on the next steps of the pond, installing the liner and the first section of “rock on a roll” that’s intended to hide the liner.
While filling the pond, I had some help–I don’t know why playing with the hose is always so interesting 🙂
More Trees and Dirt
Most folks wouldn’t be excited to get dirt for their birthday, but I was very pleased. My wife allowed me to spend my birthday money on topsoil so I could make more progress on filling the raised bed to the level of the track. Once that’s done, I’ll be able to ballast the track and build my mountain. I also picked up a few more dwarf Alberta Spruce trees, which were on sale at Lowe’s. I know what I’ll be doing this weekend 🙂
Sawmill and Lumber Warehouse
Here are the “finished” buildings for the sawmill and trackside warehouse scene.
This is the Mill and warehouse together
Here’s the sawmill interior
Continue reading Sawmill and Lumber Warehouse
Snow again
Here’s a late-March picture of the layout
Refurbishing / Upgrading Buildings
I really should have done it this winter, but I was busy building new buildings and finishing up the track work. So it’s time to drag in a few buildings that sat outside all winter and work on them. First up was my kitbashed CMS main street building. While the front windows still look good and the lights in them are fine, I realized that I’d put no lights on the loading doc. This turned out to be a mistake, since that’s the side that faces the house. So I added three LED lights to the loading doc which really added to the look of the town at night.
LGB Frank S. Live Steam Locomotive: Run Two
That’s my son in the background, singing a little silly song
New Cars
Will be adding these to the layout in the next day or two
