Continuing the build

Continuing on the build

     Now that all of the track was down and the layout wired it was time to start on the scenery.

The loco storage is to the right with the caboose track beside it

This is how the town of Augusta finished up looking. The track to the left is an interchange track.

     I enjoy the construction side of layout building however I enjoy the scenery and scratch building even more.
     I decided that I wanted to use a different scenery product so whilst wondering around at a local train show I came across a product called Carrs. This is an English model supply company that I had not seen before. I purchased several small plastic bags of various shades of their ground foam. It is much finer than the Woodlands ground foams I had used previously and blended together very well. So after applying a wash of colour to the plaster I set about laying some foam. It was important that I had the lighter colours on the higher sides of the small hills with the darker colours on the low side and in the valleys as this is were water gathers and the grass is much healthier.
     My friend Vic assembled and made some modifications to a Micro Engineering bridge kit for the bridge over the Washita River and supplied the cast plaster bridge abutments. While Vic was building bridges I was scratch building the Fitzpatrick Plastic Plant for Winfield. This was an article that was featured way back in Model Railroader with the plans drawn for HO. I used several sized thicknesses of styrene, Slater's embossed brick styrene (another English company) and electrical conduit for the bulk storage bins. For the tapered lower portion of the bins I used a casting resin in a very small funnel and by first giving it a coat of Vaseline I was able to remove the castings quite easily.

Work underway fitting the Washita River bridge

 

My Scratch built Fitzpatrick Plastics facility

     In 1999 we were underway but a very long way to go.
That's it for today stop by again.
Rod.