As a new year opens, sometimes I look at my workbench and am disappointed with the unfinished projects. I was hoping to decal three boxcars in November and only finished one. It’s been a busy time of year with a couple trips to visit kids and grand kids, and prepping articles for Model Railroad Hobbyist. I must remind myself that it’s about balance and perspective as I review a busy 2019 and look forward to another trip around the sun.
Continue reading “Looking forward”Tag: layout progress
Summer
I’ve been lax in blog posts for awhile. Summer chores and heat have sapped my hobby energy. This hobby lull has also slowed my work with the Resin Car Works blog. I’m headed to the St Louis RPM this weekend and hope the event recharges my energy. There are a few things on file that I need to wrap up before sharing with you. We’ll see what comes up in the next few weeks.
I visit other blogs to keep my inspiration alive. Please visit the blogs listed in the right column on the main page. The work shared on Gene Deimling’s blog is just amazing.
I’ve been doodling ideas for the next layout project. The garage renovations have not progressed well but layout planning moves forward. I received the latest Layout Design Journal recently and found lots of enjoyment in the issue. This is the publication of the Layout Design Special Interest Group and well worth the membership. Check out their website for details. Issue #61 features three very nice manageable switching layouts with lots of ideas.
That’s it for this post. I’ll snap some photos in St. Louis and share them soon.
Workbench Lighting
The last blog post reviewed the new layout lighting that has improved the general room environment. Back in April, the workbench lighting was upgraded and I just didn’t get around to posting the details. Since it ties in well with last week, let’s take a look at the workbench lighting.
Layout Lighting
Good lighting is a key to enjoying our hobby. We create scenes, add details, and expect crew members to read car numbers. Without decent lighting our efforts suffer. The El Paso layout room had a ceiling fan with five light fixtures as a central light source. This was augmented with a couple of clamp-type shop lamps on temporary poles for operating. The light was just above average. The new Tennessee hobby room has poor lighting in comparison. I’ve set out to improve the situation in this rental home. Click on any image here to review a larger size.
More Layout Adjustments
After working through the layout adjustments noted in the last blog post, additional issues have turned up. There are two locations on the Wheeling Freight Terminal where curved track crosses layout sections at an angle, as can be seen in the lead image. One or two tracks have been problematic but now the problems have increased after setting up the layout in a new home. Click on any image here to review larger size.