I've been working on the Railroad

It's been a week since our first op session of 2011 and I've been working to fix some things that needed fixing. First many of you said you were directionally challenged on the VBR&S, so there are now North-South indicators all around the layout (and some East-West ones in a few locations that require those).
I've got to admit that even I've had trouble with directions on the layout and I know the area well and built the layout. Of course I am dyslexic, but this will help I think.

The other thing I've worked on this week is adjusting the Walthers streamline passenger car's diaphragms. After testing I found that while they are springy, they are not springy enough for some spots on the layout, so I fixed them. I'll be running all of the passenger trains around the entire layout before the next session to make sure I've got'em right.

I'm also continuing to re-enter all of the freight car data into the CarCards program so that I can eventually print new car cards and waybills and do switch lists on the computer.
Til next report,
Bill

The Lower Basin Revisited

At first glance these pictures probably look just like those from last month, but there have been improvements.
The over all area is pictured here. Whats new is a second row of structure flats behind the main buildings but in front of the city backdrop. Also since Commerce Street is several stories above Jefferson Street there's vegetation in areas where the ground would be visible.

Starting on the south end of Jefferson Street we see Craddock Terry Shoe Corp. and the Schewel Furniture Warehouse, the only plastic kits in the Lower Basin scene.

Moving west Strother Drugs appears to the right of Schewel Warehouse.

A bit more west and Barker Jennings is on the right.

Finally N.B.Handy is to the right of Barker Jennings. I like the effect that three layers gives as you move along the street, different areas of the back drop and second row of flats become visible. I think I learned that watching a Disney episode on the making of cartoons as a kid.

Anyway, it's not finished, but it's getting there.

A Snow Day

We had a snow day Tuesday Jan 11th (without the snow it turned out) but I finally got to do a time consuming project on the layout, the back drop for Lynchburg over the Lower Basin Scene.
This is a panoramic view of the entire thing. You can click on it to enlarge it. The backdrop is from three different poster prints I took of the city last spring. A few modern buildings show, but they will be covered when I do the next phase. There will be an intermediate row of buildings behind the Jefferson Street buildings and in front of the city skyline. These, like the buildings will be made from Kingmills's Commerce Street "Radical Flats", which are slightly smaller than HO scale to add depth. Even without them, and taking pictures from strategic points the backdrop makes a big impact on the scene.

The tall building on the backdrop is the Allied Arts building, built back in the 1930's. At 16 stories it was the tallest building in Lynchburg in 1956. I left out the Bank of the James building, built in the 70's which is now the tallest in Lynchburg.

A lot of church steeples show on the Lynchburg skyline, and they are pretty tall themselves. Plus downtown Lynchburg is built up a steep hill.

Looking a bit further east at Piedmont Mills. Those of you familiar with Lynchburg know that the Expressway Bridge (now Business 29)is just beyond here. It wasn't built until 1960 though so it will not show in the scene either.

Another look at the west end of Jefferson Street. I'll have to build up the street just to the right of the N.B. Handy building and place a RR tunnel in the middle of it.