Web Cam (sort of)

Since layout progress is slow and intermittent, a layout web cam would be a serious waste of technology as well as bandwidth. So, once in a while I'll just take a snapshot and post it here with a brief summary of the progress. For a more detailed look at construction progress, see the Milestones page.

28 September 2008: With work proceeding on some of the town structures, I did a quick photo study to make sure everything fit together aesthetically. In particular, I was concerned that the theater (second building from the right) might have gotten too large. Placed together with the other structures, it does appear somewhat chunky, but it's acceptable. See Emma's for another, closer view.

11 September 2008: The star of today's image is a new sky backdrop. Like its predecessor, it's a poster (ordered online from AllPosters) spray-mounted on Foamcore. I'd planned from the beginning to have a series of sky backdrops on hand to add a variety of moods to photographs of the layout. However, due to the high cost of these posters ($70-100), I've not been able to invest in as many backdrops as I'd like to have, so I spent a considerable amount of time carefully choosing one that would make a nice contrast to the admittedly oversaturated ultramarine sky that was my first pick; in particular, I was looking for a sky with features that would add more depth to the scene. Also visible in this shot is a stand of trees in the foreground, subject of a couple of Gallery images, and the now-finished Railroad Avenue Crossing Shanty.

30 August 2008: Greenery continues apace. After ballasting the lower stretch of track in the foreground between the tunnel at the left and the through girder bridge, I stained the rock and got to work on the surrounding vegetation. You can also see the half-finished Railroad Avenue Crossing Shanty to the right of Naughtright Passenger Station.

24 August 2008: I've been tremendously excited to be able to start putting greenery on the layout. Thus the layout is littered with piles of various scenery materials, along with glue, tweezers, and the ever-present reading glasses. Roughly dead center in the image, Naughtright Passenger Station is sitting proudly on its platform, complete with gooseneck lamps. To the right, the retaining wall and tunnel portal are installed on the nearly-(re)finished access panel. This image was taken just prior to having excavated a spot for the new Railroad Avenue Crossing Shanty, which is being installed across the track from the left end of the retaining wall.

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