Looks really...

good, nice work.     John

Ironwood, Michigan - Where is the Big Indian?

Thanks for posting these great photos of your layout. I am really impressed with your pavement markings, a type of detail I am soon going to be attempting. The second photo could be a Front Page shot for your Daily Globe newspaper. The stores appear empty and that is a common site for not only Ironwood, but most Upper Peninsula of Michigan's downtowns. Welcome Wal-Mart and say good by to town core. If that didn't do it, the new town bypass finished the job. Round-abouts are the next big business killer and I am sure planners are dreaming even more ways kill small business. 

I wish we still had the wonderful rail service that used to cover the U.P. and on to Green Bay and Chicago. At one time, the C&NW and the Soo Line both served our train station here in Chatham. Now it is a bakery and coffee shop, open limited hours. The rails are gone to serve the snowmobilers, but that fad has been fading fast as the economy dies and sled cost rise. Four-wheelers move in but not in the numbers many hoped for. Even the hunting seasons are losing there pull to bring the families back home for the camp excitement. A camp with internet access is just not the same. Okay, I'm climbing down off my soapbox and heading back deep into the woods . . .

Looks great!

I love the detail on your scenes!

Oops

I mis typed, the pictures of the town are really "Iron Mountain" not "Ironwood" even though both of them and also "Iron River" are represented on my railroad a lot of "Irons in the fire". (need a better proof reader) Yes Captain Mike the stores are empty as I have not really seen anything that I really like for the interiors. I will have to look into that at a later date.

Richard

Chatham, Mich.

Captain Mike,

Chatham looks like a nice, little 'burg along the old LS&I branch to Munising. It's great your town kept the depot long after the tracks were removed, and now looks to be a great place for a cup of Joe and a pastry on a cold morning.

I went to school at NMU and miss 'da U.P. although I was always a "troll" from downstate. Still, the SOO, Milwaukee and North Western are my favorite roads - and what I model today. Next time I'm driving west on M-28 I'll have to stop by for that coffee.

What are your trees made out of?

What are your red trees made out of? They look very nice.

Red Trees

Sean,

All of my fall trees are made by using a dries flower material called "Candy Tuft". The other name it goes by which I think is the real name is "Pepper Grass" , I think that there might be some other names it might go by. I bought mine from Michaels Craft stores and it is used for making dried flower arrangements. It used to sell for about $5.00 a package (maybe enough to make 2 or 3 trees depending on how full you want them). I haven't bought any for a long time so I don't know what the current cost is, watch for sales and buy a lot. (If you are really going to make a lot of trees this way, find a bulk wholesaler on the internet other wise it can get very costly) I take off all of the large leaves, cut the stalks to a length I want for the tree height. To make a good looking tree I usually take anywhere from 4 to 6 stalks and randomly put them together so the tree looks full and then use good old masking tape to hold them all together, wrap it tightly. You could also use florist tape to put them together, but it is more costly. I will now spray them with Rattle Can fall colors. After that dries I squeeze out a bit of plain old white acrylic caulk and apply it to the trunk with my finger, I find that you can get a more grained look by letting the caulk stay on your finger and get dry. The more you wipe it as it starts to dry the more it looks like bark. After that dries I brush paint it with the trunk color I want. I just use Acrylic "Roof Brown" paint for the trunk and branches. To plant them I insert a length of cut off finish nail (or a small paneling nail used to install the old cheap 4' x 8' paneling) into the bottom of the trunk and hold that in place with a drop of CA.

I used to paint the branches after the tree was fully assembled, but have since found it much easier to paint the individual branch pieces before assembly, then go ahead with the process as above. I don't like the look of the branches with the different fall colors on them so I hand paint as many branches as I can get at with the "Roof Brown". I believe that this process really makes a good looking tree even though it is a VERY long process and can get very tiring, so I only do a couple at a time. I hope this is clear enough to follow.

To all of you who commented thanks for the nice comments.

Which is your best site to follow

Hey Rick

Which is the best place to follow your Railroad, The MRH blog or the Richlawn Railroad Website? I enjoy seeing what you are up to.

Richard