Small Details, Small Steps

 

There is a lot of detail here. For me anyway. 

    Work on the scenic bits of the layout have begin. Ballasting is happening throughout the yard.  Trees were removed, grass added and trees put back. Each step a little one but I can tell the layout is coming together. Let's take a look at the photo at the top of this post, what do we see? We see BNSF 403705 in pristine paint. I know this because when I looked up photos online of the car it has some artwork on it. Now if that appears on my 403705 is yet to be seen but I'd like to think it might. The ballast is nothing to write home about but that was the first section that was done. It is Arizona Rock and Mineral Yard Mix and I think it looks right. I have not laid ballast in 20 years or so. And after a few YouTube videos I figured I'd either end up with the biggest mess or it would look okay ten feet. It passes the ten foot test. See those barrels? They tell a different story. The corner of the layout the engine barn is in means because of the hutch door needing to open I can't glue the barn down. But i needed a way to position it every time I had to put it back. Those barrels are glued so that when the barn is touching them it's in the right place.  Also notice the track bumper.

    That is a Walthers track bumper bought brand new in package. Let me tell you a little about a Walthers Track Bumper. I figured they would be a solid piece. They are not. Sure you can get them out of the package but then they suddenly become three pieces. And it's a bear trying to get them back together. But with a lot of Loctite Gel I managed to wrangle three together again for the yard. Just as a heads up if you're looking to get them. I think they look great and a lot better then a blue thumbtack for sure. 

It does appear to be ballasted.

    I've ballasted the engine house area and a yard track. But I had stopped short of the turnout. The horror stories of this particular endeavor ran though my brain. I'd ruin the switch. I'd glue the points together. I'll have to tear it all out and do it again! So I watched a couple of YouTube videos, this is a theme by the way, and discovered the secrets. It's to appear ballasted. Just enough to fool the eye. Take your time and go slow and you'll be fine. So that's what I did when I got home today. Took my time, followed the instructions and paid attention. As the glue sets up tonight the points are in fine working order and I see no reason why that would be any different in the morning. One switch takes about fifteen minutes. I figure four days and I'll have all the yard switches done. Then it's the interchange track and we wait for the mainline ballast. Still deciding between GN or NP look but maybe a combination of both with some odd patches thrown in. That is after all prototype.  But I feel much better about this whole ballasting thing. 

    I'm not sure how far down the scenery rabbit hole I'll go. But it's great to spend an hour or so making my 1/87th world look just a little more real.