DCC Doings and Train Show Haul

This past weekend was a productive one. On Saturday, my wife, son and I attend a train show up in Charlotte. Among the items in the haul were five decoders, enabling me to upgrade my K4, I1sa, H16-44, Trainmaster and C628. With DCC installed in these locos, I've been running DCC on one loop, DC on the other and running five trains at once. 

More good news is my little one seemed to really be intrigued by the O-Gauge layout they had set up at the show. Hopefully I got him hooked early.

Also in the haul was about eight freight cars and two Bowser N5 cabin cars.. Combine that with the four Broadway Limited PRR H32 covered hoppers I received for Father's Day and I've got enough to run several good-sized trains.

If that weren't enough, I also picked up some structure kits and heavyweight passenger cars.

Earthworks Complete at Horseshoe Curve

I found myself faced with an increasingly-rare bit of free time today and decided to tackle the last of the major earthworks at Horseshoe Curve. Essentially I used a hot knife to cut valley into the styrofoam and used plaster-socked paper towels to attain the proper depths. When that was finished, I tacked the hillside in front of Kittanning Point station.

All that remains at the Curve is roads, painting the base coat, turf and foreground trees. Wait, did I say "all?" That's a lot. Who knows when I'll actually get to it but I hope it's not too long.