East Staging, a Switch to Modeling

Interbay Yard, Seattle 1960 Cornell University Library
"U.S. President's Railroad Commission Photographs Collection"

While the east staging still continues as my initial focus area, I find that I am transitioning from what I think of as layout building to, more directly, modeling. More and more I find having prototype photos useful. I have printed out both the opening photo (believed to be in the public domain) and one of the SP yard in Eugene, Oregon from Tony Thompson's post: Open-car Loads: Forest Products. These photos are inspirational for several kinds of modeling, providing inspiration for both scenery and rolling stock and to some extent even structures. 

Scenery starts with terrain. With my interest in backdrops and hiding the transition between them and the benchwork, I started with a berm along the back. I covered the track with blue painter's tape and the painted backdrop with waxed paper. Then I formed a berm or slight rise with paper and masking tape before then applying plaster gauze. I have more plaster gauze on order as a joint between the Nooksack modules hidden by a now collapsed hill will need to be repaired, and I used up what little gauze I had on hand. The next step will be to apply some Sculptamold, and perhaps create some small plaster rocks.  I think I will carve some drainage into the foam along the mainline in the front. Referring back to the two photos, the yard area can be quite flat, but a subtle ditch and very slight rise between the mainline and the spurs would kill the pool table look. I should at least start thinking about vegetation; the photos suggest a variety of static grass and small shrubbery. Somewhere along the backdrop I will place some fir trees. I have read about or watched videos of two conifer modeling techniques that I want to try.

Before I get too carried away with planning the terrain (such as, will there be a road or just paths?) I need to think about structures. I ordered a yard office from GCLaser and a tool shed from ITLA, both kit companies whose products I have not worked with before. I also am considering a third small building, a telephone booth/car-knocker shed. I have several six-over-six window and a door casting that would be appropriate if I decide to scratchbuild that one. I started the tool shed by consulting the GN Railway Historical Society's Reference Sheet No. 402: Standard Exterior Colors of GN Frame Structures and Depots to come up with a reasonable color scheme. One more modeling session should finish the tool shed; its construction may be my next post. 

Another possibility is to review my standards for rolling stock and to consider what my initial rolling stock roster will look like. Tony Thompson's lumber load post referenced above really got me thinking about another modeling project, adding a couple of flatcars to the roster. Whether modeling structures, scenery, trees, or rolling stock I have plenty of modeling projects to get me back to the workbench and back in practice.