I’ll have to get some better pictures. But since my wife’s new camera takes much better low-light pictures, I thought I’d post this test shot.
Dead Fish
🙁
Came home from Christmas with the family in Nebraska to find that my Koi had died. I suspect ammonia poisoning–though they’d been in that tank for almost a month, it was pretty small for three medium sized Koi. Now I have to decide if I’ll put more in the pond in the spring, or just leave it fish-free.
Live Steam in the Snow
Really snowy!
Snow on the Alps
First snow, post mountain.
Updated Layout Plan
Someone asked about this, so I updated it to match what I actually have.
Overview
Was on the roof today and took this
Fall Slow Down
Things have slowed almost to a stop on the layout. Mostly because I’m almost done, but also because I’m so busy. There’s just not enough time to do much more than keep the weeds down.
I have purchased another building for the motorcycle factory: the side building.
Another Dora Run
Forced Perspective
Here’s my latest idea: HO scale houses on the mountain to help force the perspective of distance
Click for giant versions
Forced Perspective
My original plan was to put full-sized buildings on the mountain(s) for a Rigi Duo system. Unfortunately, that didn’t look right, as the mountains are really too rugged to be that “size.”
My next idea was to put smaller houses on the mountain to create a “forced perspective.” Here’s a go at that
Access Door
What do you do if a train gets stuck inside your mountain?
This access door is about 12″ high and 36″ long, allowing me to easily “help” a train that has problems inside the tunnel. It’s formed from insulating foam, cut to shape and painted for UV protection.
Paint and “Snow”
This somewhat fuzzy picture (sorry) shows the “snow” I added using latex paint and crushed glass for sparkles. The glitter is too hard to photograph, but it looks nice.
Mountains Near Completion
Here are some images of the “almost done” mountains.
Here’s a distance shot.
More Mountain Progress
Here is the completed shell
Rigi Duo Setup
Mountain Progress
Wagon on Layout
The first logging wagon is now out next to the “stumps” and sawmill.
Starting on mountains
Here’s the first step: all framed in pencil rod and covered with chicken wire (I know they don’t call it that anymore–but I do)
Logging Wagon
I’ve finished up the first of two planned logging wagons. This one just needs a figure guiding the horses and it will be ready to go out next to the lumber mill and tree stumps I currently have on the layout.
I’m going to build another one of these later, assuming there turns out to be enough room on the layout for two once I’ve added the mountain.