CPR Mountain Division “Kicking Yahk Pass”(April 29 2020)

Looks good Al. Sorry about the RA issues.

I see your helper is ready to go to work too

Bob

Al, I'm sorry about your RA as well!  Yours must be much worser than mine.  I'm sure I wouldn't be able to handle hand tools all day like I did before I moved to the desk job back in 2008.  Wow, has it been that long?  I was 52 then.

The bridges look great!  I'm sorry you are in the possible move mode.  I know what that is like!

I think the helper is actually the supervisor, Bob!  

 Here is an update on SCENERY! Lol

 Seems like some time has passed before I decided to get going on it

  I added two colours of base coat paint. One for Mountains(silver bullet grey) and the earth tone I purchased from the mistake bin

 I found a bunch of trees I had in boxes from after Christmas sales from years past and placed them on the layout

  I am still going to apply sand, fine gravel and other detail items in the future

Here are some pics

Happy Railroading!

Al

WOW!!!  That's some very dramatic scenery.

Suggestion:  Please edit the thread's title to include the date when you add photos, etc.  Makes it much easier to follow your progress.

That is some mountain Al! Nice work.

Nice going, Al! I'm taking notes as you progress with that mountain. 

Great looking mountains!!

 Here is a quick update

  I have decided to kitbash a Lionel Rico station kit by lowering the main floor walls by 2’ scale feet and shorten the freight shed part of the structure. Also, you will notice I shorted the height of the freight shed walls.

  This will be placed at the entrance of the Pass tunnel

  I have done some building placement in the area of the main station. I added a Lionel Esso gas station, MTH row house, MTH 2 storey house and a Plasticville log house in the scene.

  I wanted to give the impression of a remote division point hamlet serving mainly railway employees and families 

  The road still needs to be built, most likely gravel

  Here are some pics

Happy Railroading!

The kitbashed Rico Station looks great!

 Here is where this modified Rico station project is at now.

  I finished modifying windows /pass doors and have painted all doors green. More little details to finish on it but for the most part is done . I will be scratch building a wooden platform for the station to be mounted on and installing interior lighting

  Hopefully tomorrow I will get back to running some trains and more scenery

 Here are some pics

Al

  I have done a little more scenery with my buckets of rocks I recently purchased for under $10 at our local landscaping supplier.

   I filled 4 pails:

 1 with sand

 1 with pea gravel

 1 with 8 mm limestone

 1 with 10 mm limestone 

   Applying the standard technique of spraying soapy water first to wet the material first before applying a mixture of 50/50 white glue and water.

    I decided on using sand at this time for the gravel road which begins at the grade crossing and goes to the station of Rock Creek.

  Here are a few pics showing some progress

Remember to have FUN

and run your Trains!

Al

Al, The scenery looks better with the new sand and rocks.  Very low cost improvements!

Thanks Mark

 Amazing what alittle paint and different grades and types of rocks make.

  I really like working with foam board as it is easy to make changes without much hassle.

  I will be adding more detailing like grass foliage etc but that costs some big $$$ especially if your going with Woodlands Scenic for the majority of your layout scenery products.

  Of course, I still need a thousand more trees!

Al

Al,

I really enjoy your thread and am learning quite a lot that will be useful as I begin a fixed layout in my basement.

Good luck,

Scott

Thank you Scott, I’m glad your getting some good ideas because I try not to post about my bad ones lol

  I have been working lately on installing Kadees on my new set of Lionel 21” Canadian passenger cars, so I have stopped work at this time on the scenery. 
   I am pretty happy the way it’s going so far with what I have to work with.

  On a personal note, I will not be required to return to work and I have had my disability benefits extended until I am 65, which is quite a relief.  That means I can carry on working on the layout, when I’m able.

Al

Al, I am sorry you are on disability, but glad your benefits have been extended until 65.  I took an early retirement offer that was just to cut employee numbers.  Then worked in a contract mode a while, then collected unemployment and worked part time until knee surgery in November.  I'm taking Social Security a couple years earlier than I had planned, but all is well.  I hope to have more time for my layout too!

I'm enjoying the photographic progress, Al - you're doing a great job! Been doing some foam-sawing myself, but nothing photo-worthy yet.😬

 Awesome Firewood! Keep at it, it’s worth the effort to give it a shot. I can tend to overthink things, instead of just doing it lol

   Well since the arrival of the Lionel 21” Canadian cars, I have added Kadee  couplers to all cars and found out quickly where the trouble spots exist on the existing track alignment.

   I found out that 21” cars with Kadee couplers derail on a reverse curve with only a 10” straight between them, so I am rethinking how to increase the length of track between them using only 072(which is my minimum).

  So far so good. I have had to modify and make some custom Fastrack pieces but that’s what makes this a challenge lol

  Here are some pics of the layout from the Mountain top perspective

 Enjoy your Trains!

Al

Al, I don't see any of the photographs.

Ooops!!

Al