Scenery Cart

Happy New Year!

I have purchased a small plastic three-drawer cart for my scenery materials.  It was inexpensive and worth a try.  It may be too small as I have already filled it with supplies.  It does have wheels and can be moved easily around the train room to the area of activity for the day.  Sometimes, one can get so bogged down in analysis that nothing gets done.  You have heard the saying, "Paralysis through analysis"?  With that in mind I decided to make the purchase and give it a try.

Again, Happy New Year to all!
Scott

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!  

It is time for a blog update on the Dragonfly Sub.  I have been slowly, but steadily, working to do a deep clean on the train room.  You know the point when things get overwhelmingly messy and you go into the train room to work on the railroad and you spend more time organizing and looking for things than you do working?  Well, that is the point I was at a few days ago.  I said no more.  I made the decision to stop working on the railroad and to make time to clean and organize the train room.

This effort, while you may think would be quick, has been a long process.  It has been fun though!  I have discovered tools, un-built car kits, TWO undecorated F7A units along with one B unit that were stashed far back in a file cabinet drawer, and countless other items that have triggered memories from days gone by of rail fanning and model railroading.  It has been a treasure chest of found items and a whole host of memories!  

The F-units were slated for a project to paint and detail CB&Q F-units (Covered Wagons as they were known) in the white body paint, along with the red CB&Q stripe.  This project had long been forgotten... I am talking about 20 years or more!  Ya you are right, the units are old Athearn Blue Box units, so I will have to update with DCC decoders and review the drive mechanisms and motor... but what a find!  A project for the workbench!  

Below are a couple of photos taken this morning showing the progress to date.  I have the area under the staircase cleaned-out and reordered.  I have rearranged bookshelves and filing cabinets for better use of space, and I have also removed a large white shelf from the workbench top and placed it next to the bench.  This will give me more room on the workbench and better access to the lazy-susan tool holder.

My cleaning will continue around the room and primarily under the railroad now.  Next up will be tools and scenery material.  I really need to develop a better way to store tools and scenery material.  I have seen other modellers use a cart on wheel that has several drawers.  I am thinking this may be the way to go.  What are some of your thoughts?  What do you use to store and display tools for easy access and use?  What about scenery material?  I do have a multitude of re-purposed Tupperware/margarine containers that hold the ground foams and ballast.  I would be interested to hear other ideas!  Please comment!

As I started the post, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!  I hope your time with family and friends is memorable and your holidays are filled with joy!

Until next time...  Happy Modeling!
Scott

Early February 2016 Update

I have been working on the railroad as time allows.  Some recent projects include, weathering rolling stock and locomotives, building structures, and working toward completion of the base layer of scenery.  I am amazed that a little bit of work on scenery can so drastically change the look of the layout!  I guess I have been seeing pink foam for so long, that any little change is a welcome change!

A couple of recent photos show some of the changes...

Recently added DCC Throttle Pockets... in lieu of sticky-back Velcro, which can be temporary at times and allow throttles to fall to the floor!

 Various photos of some base scenery work underway.

Happy Railroading!
Scott