178 feet of ballasted track
Including a 3-track terminal.
[No photos -- my utility icons are muted.]
Most of mainline & industrial ballast is fine gray gravel, local stone, talus, and scrabble. Terminal ballast is mostly black cinder.
Much of the landscape replicates the desert southwest, with rock formations, dry gulches, weeds, and cactus. I've started adding some forestry in another section, mostly with several dozen western pines that I purchased at a show... majestic and beautiful, but way too expensive online to continue. I'll have to mix-in some cheaper stuff, or make my own.
Seven structures are in place, plus 3 functional signal bridges (Alkem brass kit-builds). I'm not sure if they're accurately lit & sequenced, but they do function, and I'm impressed.
One structure is a lengthy trackside (lighted) warehouse that I bashed from DPM and Evergreen parts. Took me a full year to detail and weather. Others I've shown in past threads, including a Cornerstone rail/truck warehouse.
About 18 square feet of landscape & scenery is in progress, including a narrow rocky river bed, spanned by two Walthers #4521 single trusses. They're very nice bridge kits, and I've weathered them nicely, which makes them look really good.
Miraculously, all the trackwork and turnouts are functional, and DCC control is working nicely. After several hours of running, there haven't been any stutters or derails (knock on wood).
One Walthers turnout needed tweaking. None are currently powered, and one is in a very p.i.t.a. location.
All uncoupling is currently manual with a Kadee DualTool (eeesh!). I must've derailed a dozen cars that way... shaky senior hands.
Since my early days with my Alameda & South Coast RR, this is the first time in over 30 years I've had a running train in my house, or anything at all that resembles scenery.
Including a 3-track terminal.
[No photos -- my utility icons are muted.]
Most of mainline & industrial ballast is fine gray gravel, local stone, talus, and scrabble. Terminal ballast is mostly black cinder.
Much of the landscape replicates the desert southwest, with rock formations, dry gulches, weeds, and cactus. I've started adding some forestry in another section, mostly with several dozen western pines that I purchased at a show... majestic and beautiful, but way too expensive online to continue. I'll have to mix-in some cheaper stuff, or make my own.
Seven structures are in place, plus 3 functional signal bridges (Alkem brass kit-builds). I'm not sure if they're accurately lit & sequenced, but they do function, and I'm impressed.
One structure is a lengthy trackside (lighted) warehouse that I bashed from DPM and Evergreen parts. Took me a full year to detail and weather. Others I've shown in past threads, including a Cornerstone rail/truck warehouse.
About 18 square feet of landscape & scenery is in progress, including a narrow rocky river bed, spanned by two Walthers #4521 single trusses. They're very nice bridge kits, and I've weathered them nicely, which makes them look really good.
Miraculously, all the trackwork and turnouts are functional, and DCC control is working nicely. After several hours of running, there haven't been any stutters or derails (knock on wood).
One Walthers turnout needed tweaking. None are currently powered, and one is in a very p.i.t.a. location.
All uncoupling is currently manual with a Kadee DualTool (eeesh!). I must've derailed a dozen cars that way... shaky senior hands.
Since my early days with my Alameda & South Coast RR, this is the first time in over 30 years I've had a running train in my house, or anything at all that resembles scenery.