"Finishing" Touches?

Well, a scene is never really finished - there's always something that can be adjusted or added!  That said, a quick post is in order now that I have added some foreground scenery and ground cover at CP-282, to compliment the backdrop work highlighted in the last entry below.

Once the backdrop work is complete, there will be less leaning over the layout to do work, and therefore less possibility that scenery work in the foreground will be crushed or damaged.  Therefore, it was finally time to add some of that here at the west end of Onondaga Yard at CP 282!

This first shot shows the Conrail mainline with the M&E coming off the in foreground, and the abandoned ramp up to the flyover visible in the background in front of a steep hillside covered with trees.  Aside from a few details, this is how it will look for some time to come!

Compare the view below to the entry from the last session - I believe that foreground scenery makes quite a difference, but I am determined to wait so that I only have to do it once!  Here's a view looking west down the main tracks toward the west end of the railroad:

Enjoy!  Springtime is in full bloom outside here in New Jersey, and suddenly, plants are 'growing' up here on the Onondaga Cutoff.

~RGDave

Getting all 'Treed-In'

A chilly, slow spring season is underway in New Jersey, allowing me to squeeze in a few more projects before the outdoor-chore season begins.  Here's a quick iPhone shot of the current scene at CP 282, now with a nearly-complete backdrop of a steep bluff with heavy tree growth.

This scene really helps to fill in the west end of the railroad and now it's easier to imagine how it will look when complete.  Still to come here is a scratchbuilt tower to represent the prototype tower that stood as 'SJ' in Solvay, NY, as well as completed trackside scenery with static grass and sundry details for the signals and turnouts.  

As the scenery 'grows' across this area, the rest of the layout looks more and more desolate, awaiting scenery of its own!  It's the long-term view that matters, though, and this is a great hobby in that it is truly cumulative.  Every tiny effort serves in perpetuity so that little time is wasted, and each project provides a return measured in years.  That's an exciting part of why we do this!

~RGDave