Recently I've been replacing the oversize switch stands from Caboose industries where I can with scale dummy switch stands from Details West. Here are a few completed:

I have been working in the Union Station area over the last few days. One building, aside from the main passenger station, that is important is the REA Express Building.  The following pictures show the B/W version of the building.  It is based upon the original N-scale version of the building in Kansas City but has been modified to fit the available space. The mockup design version is a PDF (gray scale) printed on cardstock and glued to poster board.

Well it is goodbye at least for the summer. I will be posting every now and then to over the summer but wont have the regular access to a computer. I will still be in school till the second but I lose the working device tomorrow. All the members on here have been an amazing help though goodbye I hope to meet some of you at the NTS in July (I will be there 7th-9th)

Since getting into Free-mo in 2009 I have built a number of modules for myself and others. Some of them have been completed and used in setups but a few have been built but not finished. I have had two such modules I have been dragging around with me since I lived in Kansas with great plans, but not much progress. These two modules have been started and stopped over a half dozen times. I have either found a better technique, changed my mind, got bored, or just did not have the room.

So you think you can't paint a backdrop it took me 8 tries and lots of YouTube videos to learn the techniques to paint what I needed. Also lots of photos of the Colorado Front Range, I got to spent a lot of time there in the last few months. But here you go a few pictures of my efforts. This is over 12 feet long only 278 more feet to go but I got this done in 2 day at very relaxed pace not much more then 6 hours of work the rest was drying time. 7 photos and a sample of the fore ground work to follow soon.

Well after spending countless hours building tracks in the street including two turnouts, I have come to the conclusion that the Atlas turnouts just aren't going to cut it. I am far enough along that I was able to run a loco and some cars back and forth and it all worked good except for the turnouts. I just can't get them tight enough to run cars through smoothly. So a couple of choices. Micro Engineering. Peco. Shinohara. Or handlaid. I know most of you would probably raise your hand and say handlaid. And that is a consideration.

The new coach yard/ P&LE / B&O/Erie/ NYC interchange track

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Hi everyone!

I came home from my rotational deployment to Korea a couple months ago and got right back to work on the layout.  I have gotten the track weathered and ballast, built a new structure, and started some rudimentary operations.  My fictional little branch of western Oklahoma's regional Farmrail/Grainbelt System is coming along pretty decent.  Although its my first serious layout attempt and thus us fraught with mistakes, its been a lot of fun to build.  Here's a few things this beginner has learned:

I am done messing around with loco repairs/upgrades for a while and concentrating now on building my coal mine tipple.  I really like laser kits and I've got several from BTS under my belt but this will be the most complex kit that I've tackled.  I expect it will keep me busy for some months to come.  I am going to post progress pics here with some thoughts on construction as I go along.

It should turn out something like this.

I had opportunity to operate on Mark Dance's beautiful Canadian Pacific Boundary Subdivision http://www.youtube.com/user/markdance63 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27907618@N02/sets/72157624106602402