Spring Break finally!

This week has been a much needed break from work.  It was needed to get a few things done around the house and spending time with the family.  I did get the chance to do some railfanning early on in the week and have ran some trains on the layout.  Did get some odds and ends done on the layout also. Not much but I enjoyed it and really need to get back in there.  I enjoyed running the trains the most.

One of my simple jobs was installing this backdrop on the lower level.  A printed background found on the web.  That my OK paint job on the right.  Trees will help it out eventually.

Doswell has always been is one of my favorite railfanning destinations.  Here are some of the pics I captured on my recent visit on Monday:

A Buckingham Branch side dump car in the Doswell yard.

BB #3 GP16

BB #8 GP16 in newer paint

BB #9 GP16 in the new paint

The old C&O depot now serves as BB offices.

Closeup of #3.  She's one of the original BB locomotives from the Dillwyn branch.   

Frogs anyone?

Here's a video of the infamous Rockrunner that orignates at the Verdon Quarry, just west of Doswell to Newport News, VA on the Ex-C&O line.   The video doesn't have much video quality but the sound is outstanding.  The power is all EMD: SD60M and a SD40-2 do the honors.  The train is 42 gravel loads in ortner cars. So turn it up!

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Thanksgiving Break Finally!

First, I want to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving!  You probably have been wondering when my next post would be or maybe I fell off the face of the earth.  Yes I know I have not posted since the end of October but really nothing has been going on on the layout at all.  I started coaching another sport this fall and my 10 hour days have been literally kicking my butt.  Today has been my first day off since Labor Day and I made sure I got some modeling in.  The crappy weather made sure that it was going to happen.  My main point this week is to get scenery on my new peninsula I added this summer.  Being the first thing you see when you walk into the room, it was a priority.  So I tackled that today.

Adding some paint to the area around the sand plant.

Larger view of the area I'm working on.

Sculptamold around the edges of the base of the road.  The fascia board base is a little thick for my liking but it will have to work now.  

The styrene asphalt road on top of the fascia board.  The dark patches are supposed to be road repairs.  I need to weather  the road.  

After letting some Sculptamold dry, I ran a rail cleaning train.  I picked up a rolling track cleaning car to pull behind a loco.  I also build a track cleaning car to pull behind it.  I cleaned the lower level and the helix.

Here's my Centerline track cleaning car I picked up at a show earlier this month.  It needs a little more weight but still pulls the rolling rag around the layout.  I use CRC 2-26 to clean the track.

My homemade track cleaner.  I use WS track dusters attached to the wheels to slide on the tracks.  It's a boxcar frame with lots of weight.  The wooden planks keep the dusters on the track.

Gotta have some muscle to move this train.  VMID SD50 #706 does a great job on this train.  She been weathered finally.

Here's the roller car.  Looks like the track was quite dirty.  The colorful rubber bands are from the kids loom kit (makes wrist bands)  These little rubber bands are perfect for keeping the cloth on.

Back to the scenery work:

Ballast added to the hopper spurs.  Some sand mixed in also. 

Going for a sandy/dirt area around the plant.  Still going to sand it down a bit.   

Ballasting is complete in this area.  

A view from the other end. Hope to get this area most of the way done this week.  

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