Op. Session video #1: empty sand hoppers heading back to the mine

In this first installment in a new video series, we follow several sand hoppers on their return to the mine.  The hoppers run from the Virginia Central tracks to Battlefield Yard then west to the Mine Run Branch on the lower level.  I hesitate to show the much of the lower level because scenery is non-existent.  Enjoy!

Progress from this past weekend

Got a bit done on the layout this weekend, but not as much as I hoped.  My layout room is still a disaster from all the work I've done.  I hoped to "straighten" it, but it never happen.  The new area I put in over the summer is a shell of it's former self now.  I've got the scenery just about done.  Should hope to complete this weekend.  The main thing that is incomplete is the assembly of the sand unloader.  The silos are done but the small elevator is not.

Here is the overpass section near the light switch.  Alot easier to scenic when the section is removable.

Little retaining wall I put in the scene.

Super tree painting and drying rack.  These are outside getting their gray paint.  

Here's my rack inside and the tree making has begun!

Here my overpass foam before scenery.  Notice the light switch,

Scenery has gotten a little more vegetation and some rocks (made from plaster) from my old bridge scene.  Just needs some trees.

Another view

The scene in the upper right is complete with a trees and weeds on the small ridge.

The area is starting to come together.

Another view.  Need a few smaller trees on the ridge.

Another view of the ridge.

Thanksgiving Break Finally!

First, I want to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving!  You probably have been wondering when my next post would be or maybe I fell off the face of the earth.  Yes I know I have not posted since the end of October but really nothing has been going on on the layout at all.  I started coaching another sport this fall and my 10 hour days have been literally kicking my butt.  Today has been my first day off since Labor Day and I made sure I got some modeling in.  The crappy weather made sure that it was going to happen.  My main point this week is to get scenery on my new peninsula I added this summer.  Being the first thing you see when you walk into the room, it was a priority.  So I tackled that today.

Adding some paint to the area around the sand plant.

Larger view of the area I'm working on.

Sculptamold around the edges of the base of the road.  The fascia board base is a little thick for my liking but it will have to work now.  

The styrene asphalt road on top of the fascia board.  The dark patches are supposed to be road repairs.  I need to weather  the road.  

After letting some Sculptamold dry, I ran a rail cleaning train.  I picked up a rolling track cleaning car to pull behind a loco.  I also build a track cleaning car to pull behind it.  I cleaned the lower level and the helix.

Here's my Centerline track cleaning car I picked up at a show earlier this month.  It needs a little more weight but still pulls the rolling rag around the layout.  I use CRC 2-26 to clean the track.

My homemade track cleaner.  I use WS track dusters attached to the wheels to slide on the tracks.  It's a boxcar frame with lots of weight.  The wooden planks keep the dusters on the track.

Gotta have some muscle to move this train.  VMID SD50 #706 does a great job on this train.  She been weathered finally.

Here's the roller car.  Looks like the track was quite dirty.  The colorful rubber bands are from the kids loom kit (makes wrist bands)  These little rubber bands are perfect for keeping the cloth on.

Back to the scenery work:

Ballast added to the hopper spurs.  Some sand mixed in also. 

Going for a sandy/dirt area around the plant.  Still going to sand it down a bit.   

Ballasting is complete in this area.  

A view from the other end. Hope to get this area most of the way done this week.