Main Street

Well in the past I have shown my method of building a road. Well in this post, I am showing the construction of Main Street. This is only the first step that is being shown here. I have placed my foam part of the mold into place. I have the balsa wood that the side walks will be glued to, then another layer of balsa wood will be glued onto the existing layer between the sidewalks so that the buildings will be level with the sidewalks. Basically all I doing in this step is creating the road what will become the curb. This is street section will be divided traffic with a small grass strip median.

Video Layout Tour

Ok well this is the first of many (hopefully) videos that I hope to post about the progression of my layout. I know that there are many different styles and what not that people use. I do not have a real video camera so I make use of the HD video that is on the point and shoot camera that I have.
The ending is a little goofed up and don't really have much of a video editor other than what came on the laptop. So if any of you know of a simple, easy to use free version, by all means please let me know about it. It didn't save in a mpeg format and took forever to upload. ( that i didn't like at all )
Well enough of me rambling on and off to my first ever video production with me in it.

Completed Structures

Since returning home, I have completed two of the structures that have been sitting on my work table. I thought that I would show them to you all out there as a primer of the things that are to come. I will be updating the blog a lot more frequently now that I am finally home and able to complete tasks relating to modeling.
The first series of photos are of a laser kit. The style is known as a shotgun house. Then the next structure is a Central of Georgia style C depot that I have completed as well. It was a laser kit as well.
Hope that you enjoy!

Work completed while home on leave from Kosovo

Here are the progress shots on some of the work that I did while I was at home on leave. These shots do not represent all the work that I did. But most of it.

Shelf installed under layout for DCC system and future DCC items that should be grouped together as much as possible. And throttle hook up placed on fascia.

CG unit wife purchased for my Christmas present, also installed a decoder in it

Loading dock by Blair Line, parts from 3 kits combined into one model. Still need to plan and work that small scene once town area progress more.

One of the few downtown Griffin stores now in a "completed for now" stage, there are future detail upgrades in the future. mainly working on getting the many models to a stage of "complete" so to get the scene finished and move to another.

a "shotgun" house under construction, used a paint and stain method for the weathering, then used a mechanical pencil to darken the area between the boards. with the aid of the camera, I see some missed areas. But when set on the layout and scenery placed around it, should not be able to notice that error.

Then not pictured is a depot that I have been working on and off again for some time, installed the bay window, roof and applied roofing material to just under half of the roof.

Hope that you all enjoy the photos. As we all know I did more fiddling around with the trains then I did work I suppose. But once I am complete here and get home then I intend to do less train running and more working on the layout.

Older Photos

I was looking at some of my modeling photos that I have here with me on the computer and I thought that I would share some of the photos with you. These photos show the various stages of work that has been completed on the layout since I started it. Some of the photos on this post do not represent the current state of the progress. Once I return home on leave, I will take some more photos that show the current state of the layout as it is now. I know that you may think that some of the scenery colors stand out here in the photos and yes that is true, but when when viewed with the layout lighting on and in person, all the colors have a natural looking blend with each other.
I have also purchased a static grass applicator and looking forawrd to learning to use that to add to the scenic effects of the layout, showing the deep country south in the summer time.

Info update

Just wanted to let everyone know that I have not posted any new work here lately as I have been deployed. I will be restarting the work to the layout and the updates to the blog in the fall when I return home. I am more then ready to return home to be with the family and to start working on the layout again. I have many projects to get started on and as well as get completed. All of the work will be shown in before, during and after photos as well as written descriptions of what is being done. Stayed tuned, only about three months until real progress will be made. Until then, stay safe and happy modeling.

Photos of the N layout

Here are some photos of work that has been completed when I am at home and time to get some work done.

 This is a shot showing the future river area. To the back middle right of the photo, you can see part of a hill that I have added.

I had the building done for a while as well as the sign frame. I painted the sign frame with a black sharpie marker as it is a laser wood kit. Soaked the ink right in and no extra work required on that. I then added the letters from that kit as well and painted them with acrylic craft paint. The scene will look much better once it is completed.

Toggle switches added in to cut track power for the staging yard tracks. Have considered doing the same to the "main" as well but undecided at this time if I will turn all three tracks into main line staging with power cut off toggles.

This is a hill a build using floral foam. I still need to add a coat of plaster over it as it is more porous then the pink foam board. It was easy to cut into shape and was cheap. There will not be a lot of trees here so the plaster will not hinder the scenery work. Still want to be able to see the trains as they pass behind the hill. This was done so to breakup the flat corner of the layout. Think that once the scenery starts to go in it will greatly add to the overall scene here.