We had a fun time at the NMRA convention. We arrived Tuesday and departed Saturday. In between we played a few rounds of golf so we did not get to participate in many  events at the con. It is fun to read the reports here to see what we missed. I posted more info about our trip on my blog at this link.

Creating a Kit Builder Exchange 

I worked on some more military flat cars this afternoon. I used some chains from a set of Alkem Scale Models HeavyDuty Tie Down Chains to secure a HEMMT Fuel truck to a OTTX 60-ft flat car. The flat car is an Intermountain Company model. The HEMMT is Herpa model. I made the decal for the truck using my ink jet printer.

My latest project, DODX flat cars with a US Armor unit.  This is the old railhead at Ft Hood, TX. 

As part of the book I recently finished for Kalmbach Publishing, I built a small (3 by 6 feet) layout in 00/009 scale depicting the railroad activity leading up to the Battle of Cambrai.

If you are interested in operating on our portable, civil war era theme layout at the NMRA National Convention next week, I have posted a sign up sheet at the following link http://usmrr.blogspot.com/2013/07/sign-up-sheet-for-op-sessions-at-nmra.html

We have about 20 slots open for guest operators to take a crack at operating a battery powered 4-4-0 with link and pin couplers and authentic 1860s era paperwork.

I made a short video showing the first tests of the scratch built turntable on the portable layout. If you are going to the NMRA Show in Atlanta, you should see it there.

http://usmrr.blogspot.com/2013/03/no-matter-how-many-times-i-cut-it-its....

I am about halfway through finishing the mill and Weilepp's Cut scenes. Here are some WIP shots. Still need to add grass, figures, underbrush, water and details.

After several months of scenery work, it's good to see that the DCC system and tracks still work. The scenery is almost finished. I just need to add telegraph lines and resin water.