Spring Update

A busy spring has slowed progress on the railroad dramatically. Goals for February were pushed into March, and then into April. Despite this, some progress has been made. I will quickly run through what has gotten done, and my plans for the summer.

First is the upper staging, Klammath Falls, benchwork. This is a flipped version of the lower benchwork, so the cuts and layout of the wood is already complete. The top loop poses an engineering issue, and it hangs quite far out from the support. I am considering running a few threaded rods down from the ceiling for extra support and rigidity.

View of the benchwork for upper reverse loop.

Progress on the MEC boxcar has been steady as well. I was able to finish weathering the roof and start on the trucks. For the roof, I first painted the entire surface with a Tamiya gray. The paint covers well and adds a good, dull coat to the roof surface for additional weathering. Next, using a dry-brushed stippling technique, I added the rust spots, using burnt umber and raw sienna. The burnt umber represents older rust and the sienna the newer. Remember to build up in layers for the best effect.

I hope to finish the car up before the summer and then move into a few locomotive projects.

Finally, the new workshop area has been completed. Features include two work stations, amble drawer storage, a large pegboard for tools, and LED strip lighting. The new shop will allow me to move my current old desk out of the layout room and I can begin working benchwork into Roseburg.

For the summer, the goal is to finish the staging yards. With a lot more time to work and a better organization system, I expect progress to move along at a faster rate than it has as of late. Please stay tuned and feel free to comment and ask question if there are any.