The scenery at our layout is NOT static. We constantly are moving things around, adding new stuff and tarting up old. The Homestead diorama is a recent addition. That doesn’t mean that it is cooked never to be touched. Here are two recent changesThe two pics show a crane on a flat car added to the front siding. Chuck Whitlock built it from “bits.” The second pic shows the 0-4-0 loco that has turned up to move the crane car.
Crane on a four wheel flatcar
0-4-9 come to collect the crane
I thought I should post this pic before the Pomo Native American encampment was removed as part of the rescenicking of Three chop Ridge in the north west inside corner of the layout. The encampment is going to be moved to the outside north east corner of the layout. The area will be replaced, if all goes to plan, by a shingle mill which will have a flume to carry away the finished product.
Native American Pomo encampment on Three Chop Ridge
The stones on the right are part of the sweat house,
“One over the eight” – an expression meaning someone who has had one over the eight is very drunk indeed. It refers to the standard eight pints that most people drink and feel is enough. Well, that’s what the dictionary said.
In the mini scene created by our Chief Operating Officer, Frank Davis, the main character looks as if he has definitely had enough. Note the cat to his immediate right who looks as if may also have imbibed when he shouldn’t. Shift your eyes left and you’ll see Bingo the dog who is happy to just sit there. Meanwhile, in the back of the winch house the real work goes on under the supervision of Otto, the foreman.
[Click to enlarge the photo to see all the detail.]
The scene inside the winch house
Normally a tilted track is enough to get logs off the flat cars and into the log pond. Very occasionally a reticent log has to be helped on its way. Here you can see how Frank Davis has created a mini scene showing the last log being helped on its way. [Click on pic to see full size].
Helping the last log into the mill pond
Chuck Whitlock, our club’s president, has been kitbashing Federal truck models that he bottom fished from Ebay. With the assistant of the layout detail maestro Frank Davis one has arrived at the mill and picked up a load of lumber for delivery to a customer.
Federal truck picking up load at the mill
I never knew until I started modelling with our club that old time trucks had chain drives. I’ve “blown up” the above pic so’s you can see the chain drive.
Close up of the Federal Truck showing chain drive
Another bit of mind blowin’ detail on our layout here in Fort Bragg, CA.
Visitors love the detail on our layout. One of the tricks is to transform the mundane into something “special.” It doesn’t take much. In this case Frank Davis has transformed an ordinary flatcar load of lumber into a flatcar owned by the infamous (?) Slash & Burn Timber Company.
Slash and Burn Company’s Flatcar
Of all the “things” we put on for the Holiday season it’s always the Minions that take the biscuit. So, it was no surprise that two little people came in looking for them. I didn’t have my trusty brownie with me that day but, here’s a pic that I took a couple of days before:
The Minion Train at work
This pic shows a tiny bit of the detail on the layout as a result of Chief Operating Officer Frank Davis’s efforts. Interesting the angle for thr shot was pointed out to me by a lady visitor.
Detail from the logging camp
Not bad eh?
When this diorama was first created it was pretty bare. Unfortunately I don’t have any photos of what was in front of the enginehouse when it was first put in place. However, since it has been in place our King of Detail, Frank Davis has been working assiduously on the detail. Take a look:
Detail in front of the enginehouse
Whilst it doesn’t show in the photo there is even an arc welder at work on the Shay.
In addition to the Holiday Trains running on the layout – Thomas the Tank Engine et al we had another attraction – a Holiday Village. Last years’ Holiday Village was completely rebuilt from top to bottom. New houses/buildings were added and, thanks to Dame Stella Martin, a whole new bunch of figures were added. The Village has been much admired by visitors. Here’s a gallery of pics to show you what we created.
Click on any picture to start the gallery.
