Backdrop "Installation"

Got the finished backdrop from my friend.  Looks great -- some buildings along Main Street, house on the hill at the farm, etc.  Like most of the layout, representative but not necessarily exact!

Might try to move the road a bit to the left to line up with the backdrop.  Shouldn't be too hard.  Of course, we thought we had marked the "canvas" as to where the road was.

Had hoped to have the tracks ballasted by the time the backdrop arrived, but came up short.  Spent too much time soldering the rail connectors with little improvement in reliability!  Not too tough to remove the backdrop, so that will be the next project -- additional ballasting.

The Last of the Ground Goop

With a granddaughter stopping by today, I tried to finish up the last of the ground goop yesterday.  Seems to be pretty much completed.  Will have to use a little extra grass, bushes, weeds, etc., to camouflage the intersection between buildings and goop.

Used some of the old paint mix and got a lighter tan that earlier editions, again.  No big deal, grass and bushes will make it unnoticeable.

Every time that ground goop is mixed and spreading is attempted, it seems a bit disappointing.  So I looked up Sassi's procedure in a scenery book written by him.  Hmm, there it is, in the last instruction; add water to obtain consistency of peanut butter.  Maybe THAT is what I left out.  Oh well, it's complete now. . . .

Granddaughter appreciated the ground goop but didn't even notice the added diversity on the layout :)

Easley Additions

Got the two picnic tables situated at Ebenezer Grill -- not quite prototypical for a couple of reasons, but seems to fit the scene and help the layout diversity:

Got the Buick behind the Doctors' office (and the REA panel van is parked by the Cotton Factory)

The FM H16-44 is working pretty well.  It was already programmed for long hood forward which is apparently the Southern Railway preference, but the engineer needs to turn around!

Small steps, but progress.

Easley Train Show

OMG, quite a showing in Easley, SC.  Views from middle facing each way:

Several nice layouts from less than N (T/Z?) to full steam G and larger!

Hoped to find reefer ice door and caboose ladder; no luck.  Also looking for pre-1956 box cars; some success:

C&O red car is 1948, C&O REA car is 1936, and Rock Island car is 1918 rebuilt 1947.  That works.  In order to get a "discount" vendor offered two pre-1956 vehicles for more money but reduced prices:

!950 Buick and 1955 REA truck (maybe to go with  REA box car!).

Found some figures that might be useful.  Improvement available for Blacktop Crossing diversity with picnic table group -- maybe not prototypical for 1956, but usual today at Ebenezer Grill.  "People Talking" looked appropriate for 1950's but not sure where best on layout, yet.

Made the mistake of asking a vendor for pre-1956 Southern locomotive and showed my possible candidates list.  No luck with him, but he pointed across the aisle.  Show nuff, there was a Southern diesel obtained by the Railway in 1953 or so.  DCC, sound, the whole 9 yards.  Probably paid too much, but now have a Fairbanks-Morse H16-44 road switcher to go with the SW and F3.  That should be a complete roster for a tiny layout.