Busy, busy busy!

The rock outcrop has been installed and stained from Route 53 back Gallitzin.

 

Overall view of the recent work.

An Alco RS3 picks up a load of pipes from Vulcan and passes a Model Power electrical sub station.

A box car awaits pickup at Hitzeman Feed Mill. The feed mill is sort of a local gathering point, in spite of Mr. Hitzeman's disposition. He loves to holler at his employees, especially when they don't jump at his call.

The cement plant got a new parking lot.

Even though I haven't been posting like I used to, I have been busy as a beaver on the layout a of late. As usually happens, a scene starts to take shape and I get all fired up to finish it and things kick into overdrive.

First and foremost I got the rock outcropping running along the westbound tracks. This was a simple matter of slopping on patching plaster, which cooperated by drying and then staining it. Then I set about connecting the gaurdrail posts with thread and painting them Floquil concrete.

Once that was done, I went ahead and ballasted a short portion of the westbound tracks. I also turfed along the top of the rocks and planted some trees. After that, I added a few details and the scene was largely complete.

Next, it was time to pave paradise and put up a parking lot. Three of them actually. For Vulcan and the cement plant, I wen with concrete parking lots. For the feed mill, I decided to go with a gravel parking lot using Woodland Scenics buff colored ballast.

Finally it was time to paint and ballast the siding form the feed mill and Vulcan, turf around them and plant some trees. Last but not least, I ordered some LED street lights from China and installed them near Vulcan. All told I thinks things are coming together nicely. I'm waiting for some more LEDs for the interior building lights at the moment. I'm also working on a Cornerstone "Industrial Office" kit for the cement plant area.