Ballasting the tracks can bring that all important finished look to any model railroad. Many readers on this site already have their own technique for this, but not everyone is an expert. So for everyone else, who is just learning, here is how I have refined this simple but daunting (if you've not done it before) landscape skill.

Finished the VIA Rail Coaches. Nice additions to the Trenton Subdivision in N Scale. 

Just out of the shops after a maintenance period and ready to be added into the next “Canadian” traveling across the country. 

Shells have been painted on the VIA Rail Coaches. Detail work is next. 

See the first part of this post. https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/35463

Ending 2018 with a few “Work-in-Progress” projects. 

_{VIA Rail Turbo Train rounds a series of bends on the CN Mainline near Trenton, Ontario on the busy Toronto - Quebec Corridor.  The Doppler Horn feature on the Rapido Trains Turbo is incredible!}

I have been away from the hobby for a bit, due to family.  Our daughter returned home to finish college, We  support all our children in their endeavors. Unfortunately she came with two cats. We love our daughter, not so much the cats.

One of the "Must Haves" on my layout has been a co-op and grain elevator.  I am fortunate that there is one located near to my home and I have been able to study the track arrangement and operations at the co-op. The blog discusses how I have incorporated the features of the prototype into my layout.

Engine Repair and Main​tenance facilities have always fascinated me, therefore I had to have one on my layout.

I have been working on the VIA Rail yard and shops lately.  Here are some preliminary photos of the area, taken with a cell phone to check for details.  Once complete I will photograph again with a better camera and a backdrop.

I have completed some more work on the car wash in the VIA Rail Yard. 

I posted an earlier blog as I was constructing the car wash. I have replaced the black plastic tubes that came with the kit with pipe cleaners and scratch built a base from 1mm styrene. Adding railings, grating and a chemical tank from other kits.