Added more doodads: finished the diorama

Click in images to enlarge

If you enjoy this kind of modelling you should consider one of these kits.

Here is the website

http://www.sierrawestscalemodels.com/index.html

Duluth's by Sierra West

Brett Gallant has produced a very nice freighthouse that has all the characteristics of a classic craftsman structure. The kit is a combination of laster cut, scale lumber board on board building materials complemented by laser cut peel and stick windows and doors. Castings are resin and metal. The build took approximately 50 hours. I used waterbased wood stains for the building and acrylic model paint for the castings. Some details were painted with artist oil paint. Weathering was done with AI and bragdon powders.

My plan is to place this into a module set I am building for public displays. The timeframe will be the late 1920s.

New England Railroading

During our visit to Springfield we decided to rail fan along the New England Central and Vermont Central. We visited Palmer, Bellows Falls and White River Junction.

This is the tunnel that runs under the town just south of the station at Bellows Falls.

No trains but I really liked this truck. Love to have it in HO.

Here is the yard at Bellows Falls. The station and yard office is on the right.

At the end of the yard you can see these RDCs in the bush.

We crossed the river into New Hamshire to watch the local Vermont

Photo angle was right as we watched the action.

Left a single car on the main as he backed into the siding,

One of the bridges at Bellows Falls. The track crosses the main and goes into the yard from here.

New England Central uses old Conrail power for switching their North and South Yard at White River Junction. Only this unit remains in it's overnight parking spot as the other does the work.

Green Mountain railway has left their plow in the siding at White River Junction.

From the platform a closeup of this NECX road switcher.

A view of the station looking North.

Irving has an oil facility right next to the burnt out roundhouse. They are working on the roof beams. Not sure if they plan to rebuild or they are just getting the steel.

Lots of work and you can see the main is blocked and the station track is free for thru traffic.

Here is the a closeup in the north yard.

CSX at Speed crossing the diamond at Palmer

Two NECX units at the freight yard in Palmer.

This side on shot shows that the NECX has many second hand units that have yet to be painted in their scheme.

All in all we had blue sky days and good photo angles. Hope you enjoyed them. I think I will post some more photos of the layout progress and a new project I have been working on. A Craftsman structure based 6/2 free mo module set.

Springfield Here we come

My buddies and I hit the road last week for Springfield Mass for the Amhurst Model Railroad Show. This show covers four buildings and has hundreds of vendors and layouts. On the way we stopped in North Adams to see Dick Elwell's Hoosac Valley Railroad. He was a great host and the boys and I had a great time admiring his workmanship. So this first installment is of this great adventure where you can see his fantastic scenic techniques and structure building skills.

Now this has been one of the most amazing railroads I have ever visited. The sense of space and attention to detail blends this masterpiece into a 3D artistic wonderland. Hope you enjoyed the photos.