Columbia Train Show

The New Brookland model train store in West Columbia/Cayce said they would have several tables at the Columbia, SC, train show last weekend.  So, I decided to make the trip and check it out.

Not too disappointed, except that the only Bay Line piece I could find was a badge, and the couple of guys I asked about DCC-- Keep Alive didn't have much to offer.  Still, along with the badge, I picked up a 1950 Rocket 88 Oldsmobile and a few trees.

The Oldsmobile may need to be "aged" a bit since it would be six years old.  Maybe we can claim that it belongs to the Shift Supervisor at the Cotton Mill:

Don't know exactly where to put the three trees, yet.  I was pleased with their realism, but not quite as much as the manufacturer!

Besides, I think WE have made trees a little better than this, but they are much easier to purchase than to make.

Maybe they need to go near the Mill Village; I'll have to check with the Grands.

Since I couldn't find a DCC expert, I decided to go back through  my store of loose parts.  I thought I had another sugar cube speaker which might give me room for a Keep Alive capacitor.  When I opened the "spare parts" box I found the small speaker AND a capacitor AND a Tsunami AT1000 decoder.  I couldn't tell what the sound chip was good for, so contacted Soundtraxx.  The model was coded on the sound chip!  Turns out to be an EMD 567 which works for both Southern locomotives that I have, but not for the SCL GP35 -- it has an EMD 567D turbo.  Not sure if anyone would realize it if I did use it in the GP35.  But first, I'll try to add the smaller speaker and capacitor to the F3 so it doesn't hesitate on the dirty track so much.

Farm Pond III -- Painting the Depths

Slowly working with the farm pond making sure lots is left to the granddaughters when they show up.

Used a Dremel tool to sand down some of the pond bottom:













Then tried to give the look of water to the bottom although the epoxy "water" we'll use is called Murky Water.  Started with Indigo Blue and then moved to Cerulean Blue for "shallower" water.  Gee, this looks REALLY blue:

To tone down the blues a bit, added some black with a little bit of grey to the deepest part of the pond.  After drying, the blues didn't look quite as eye-catching.  Besides, the Murky Water will probably hide everything, anyway:

Backdrop Phase 1.A

Now where to go with backdrop, as a non-artist!?!

Some thoughts being developed using a sheet of Kraft paper to sketch.  Maybe just use photos of buildings glued to backdrop with or without low-relief buildings (e. g., warehouse).

Maybe add a couple of cardstock buildings before completing "cityscape".

Or possibly, create a little 3D with partial buildings that then get painted into backdrop.

Will also start thinking about backdrop effects on left side -- maybe develop tobacco planting into larger field, run hedge and path up to farmhouse in meadow, have fenced in area include pasture and cattle, include distant but not mountainous treeline, . . . .  Really do need an artist!