Shift Change, Truck Driver, and Backdrop Phase I

During a trip to Raleigh, I looked up a local model train shop, Nick's Model Trains, and stopped by.  It's another one of those small shops with stuff EVERYwhere and "groupies" hanging around.  A groupie helped me find an ACL style caboose kit that is undecorated.  We were hoping it might work for The Bay Line caboose, but I'm afraid it's too recent.

Oh well, picked up a Woodland Scenics package of factory workers.  They are a little too construction looking to fit well with the layout, but with a few modifications, they will work out.  For example, remove the hardhat from one of the guy's hand and he would suffice for a textile worker; before and after:

This may require a little cleanup so his leg doesn't have a metallic spot.  Maybe what's left in his hand is his wallet. . . .

















So, this dude plus two others from the package and a "supervisor" from another collection and we have some guys waiting for second shift.  Mostly chewing the fat, but one is too hungry to wait until break for his sandwich.

Hardhats might be more likely at the pulpwood yard, so here's a guy who just came out of the pulpwood shack to check out what's happening, and a guy just getting ready to get back in his pulpwood truck and go for another load of pulpwood.

OK, never claimed to be very artsy, but here's a stab at clouds on a backdrop.  Started with medium light blue spray paint over a 2X6'4" piece of hardboard.  Cut out a notch about 3 1/4" deep to go over the DC control panel, just in case it's ever needed again.  This took a couple of coats to cover fairly well.  A few light sprays with a little darker blue kept it from being monochromatic.

Had seen a guy tear lightweight cardboard and then spray a little bit of an angle from above with the "template" held an inch or so off the backdrop.  That seemed to work pretty well with some satin white spray paint.  Templates can be seen on the picnic table.

Used the darker blue again before the last white was sprayed trying to get a bit of a threatening rain look.  Not bad.

Drilled a few holes in the hardboard for attachment and added to the layout with some panhead screws.  I'm pleased with the results.  The clouds seem to be a good suggestion of real clouds.  As cautioned by write-ups on backdrops, the backdrop does look a bit funky if you start getting shadows on it from trees, smokestacks, and buildings.
Before:

 After:

We have a friend who is a real artist.  I think I'll get her to help me add some scenery on the backdrop to extend the layout.

A Little of This. . . A Little of That

Stopped by New Brookland train store in Columbia while The Wife was visiting the craft show.  Picked up a couple of items to add to the layout.

I guess you can always use another car, but I think I'll have to stop with this second 1955 Ford.  How many new cars can you have on a small milltown layout?!

Also, got another load of pulpwood for the pulpwood racks, so I guess the crane has been hard at work and the next rack has been pulled up.

The farm pond needs a couple of boys fishing, but I couldn't get the iPhone to focus too well.  Not a permanent installation, yet; just testing it out.  Gotta get some water in the pond before any fish will bite.

And, while this is nothing newly purchased, a little work on the three-wire fence has just about finished it up.  This is practice for the farm pond fencing yet to come.  Used squared off tooth picks for poles and 6X fly fishing tippet for wire.  White glue "staples" still need to dry a bit, and the loose ends will need to be attached to the forthcoming (!!) backdrop.  From two angle:

Here We Go. . . .Again

While the granddaughters are excellent at working with Ground Goop (per Sassi's formula) and daughter-in-law might be even better, they've done enough of that, I suppose.  So, for the farm pond I decided to go ahead with the goop and allow the "daughters" to do something new!!

Standard formula, 1 part each of brownish latex paint, vermiculite, and celluclay plus about 3/4 part of Elmer's glue and 1/2 cap of  Lysol -- not sure the last ingredient was needed since I'm using it all up at once.

Now for application.  Decided to also start filling in near the Quonset hut/Army Reserve site.

Seems this "dirt" is a bit "redder" than the cotton field.  Maybe it will darken with age. . . .

Also added a few "boulders" since the boys fishing might need a platform. Besides, how can Rock Hill be Rock Hill without some rocks?  Thought I'd get cute with some ruts from the Cotton Gin and a few hoof prints leading down to the pond where the horse goes to drink.  Some of the holes would be enough to swallow a whole leg!  We'll work with it from there.

Maybe I should paint the bottom of the pond before the girls are here to fill it.  Maybe not.