I've Been Working on the Railroad

These are the latest pictures of the L&B Railroad taken tonight. The kids were here for Easter last weekend and Miss Abb's and I worked a little on the scenery together on Saturday. I am working on making trees to add to the layout and also starting some building construction. I have laid a few pieces of cork rail-bed and will lay some more as soon as I am able to buy some. I am really enjoying the time I am spending on the layout and find it therapeutic. Well here are the pictures.

L & B Railroad update!

Here are a few of the latest pictures of progress on the railroad. I couldn't get a picture of the color on the mountains that was true to the actual colors I have painted. My less than expert opinion is the lighting I am using which is mostly florescent with halogen spots. I do know florescent lights play havoc with camera colors. I read somewhere the key to realistic looking mountains in your scenery is using several colors and thinning the paint to the point that it is more a wash than a paint. I have used five colors with a black over-wash to dull the colors back. So here is the result just keep the lighting in mind. The bridge piers are a work in progress but you get the idea. I have also been producing doll house furniture, Abb's is coming to visit next weekend and I hopefully will have some new pieces for her to play with.

UPDATE!

This an L&B Railroad update! Things in the basement are progressing quite well. I have been spending a couple of hours a day down there working between the railroad and making furniture for the doll house. I will add a couple of pictures of the rail progress to show the progress. I am spending a lot of time on it because as the weather improves I will probably spend less time down there and more time outside. I joined the church golf league and that will take Monday evenings starting April 20th, but that is a good thing. I will update again as I progress and remember to document the progress with pictures. I was hoping to be a bit more on the ball and take pictures more often, but I get involved and time flies and yada yada yada excuses, I just don't get the pictures taken. There just isn't enough time in the day for all my activities, work, and yuck sleep, what a waste of time sleep is! That's all folks as the cartoons used to say.

The Secret is Out

The Indianapolis crew was here last weekend and the project I have been working on for the last year was presented to Miss Abby. I will include a couple of pictures I snapped when she first spied it. I think she liked it! There isn't much furniture yet but as you can see from the last picture she got busy moving and playing with what there was. I am also including the latest updates on the L&B Railroad build. It is coming along well I have actually started building the tunnel portals and the retaining walls for the mountains and hills. Tonight I added some more roadbed to the grades leading to the mountains, although there aren't any pictures of that. I had to hurry upstairs to catch the beginning of my favorite tv show NCIS.

The Latest Project

I actually started this project a while ago. It has been a couple of years because it entailed first finishing part of the basement in preparation, then building what is known as the bench-work. Then finalizing the layout and finally building it. Guess what I am doing yet. It is not as common a hobby as it was in the past and it is something I have always wanted to do. I can remember my Great Uncle Louis having one in his basement but it is not a very vivid memory. Ok I am building a model train layout in HO scale. It will be complete with mountain lake town and factory/train yard. I have been planning it out in my head and on paper now for quite a while . I am limited by the shape of my basement and must put the layout up against the wall which is not recommended but can be done. I am going to document it with pictures and will post them here from time to time. If anyone has a suggestion I am open for constructive criticism. It is getting late and past my bedtime. I won't get as much reading in tonight as I would like but I was downstairs most of the evening working on my two projects. The other project must remain a secret until it is unveiled to Miss Abby, because it is for her and Lily. It will be presented to Abb's though since Lily is too small yet, and I can hardly wait to present it to her. Any way here are the first pictures of the train layout.

Get Over It!!!!!!

Has any one else heard John McCain and his bitter comments about the new presidential helicopters? What Johnny is commenting on is an overpriced new helicopter fleet that was the creation of the prior administration, the administration of his party the GOP. These outbursts seem to be sour grapes at his loss of the election and make me even more glad that he lost, he can't seem to understand the simple concept that President Obama is not responsible for the helicopters. So here it is Johnny if you happen to read this, have some one who is not suffering from GOP' itis explain to you how the president is not responsible for the helicopters. If you can't find anyone give me a call and I will try to communicate the concept to you. And oh yeah OOPS! if you read my prior blog this busts me, I do listen to the news at work on the radio if I am at my desk when it comes on.

A few thoughts on a Monday!

Is anyone else as fed up listening to the doom and gloom of the news as I am? The economy and all of the collective news is just downright depressing. The only correlation I haven't heard yet is connecting this with the apocalypse, I am not saying no one has compared them, I just haven't heard it. I probably shouldn't even say it because it next thing you know someone will make the comparison. The fact is I don't really turn on the the TV news all that often, I even turn down the volume on the radio on my desk when the news comes on if I think about it. I am getting quite a bit more accomplished around the house since not watching the news when I come home. I have actually started working on the train layout in the basement, and I am working on some other projects, one of which remains secret until the Indy crew comes to visit. My job has been going well, I am so thankful to be employed, and the fact that I actually like my job is icing on the cake. Things seem to be going ok at the firm they actually opened a new office in Mexico City. I was talking to the Habitat for Humanity coordinator for our church and our group is still on track to build two houses this year in spite of the economy. It will be great to get back and do something that feels so rewarding. I am pretty excited about the prospect of actually doing a build last year we rehabbed a house and it was enjoyable but to build a house from scratch will really be a gas. The houses will be side by side and start a couple of weeks apart so they will be at slightly different stages of build so that when one house is waiting on mechanicals or inspections the other house will need work. I have carried on long enough for tonight. Bed time is drawing close and it is early to bed so I can get my reading in. More another time!