A friend of mine has an exit to staging on his layout. We have been thinking of ways to block the line of sight.

The problem is that the way the track has to exit the layout, the light from the staging area, shines through onto the layout and distracts from the illusion he wants.

We have come up with an idea. We want to put a solid "gate" across the track on the staging side of the layout.

I just posted a video update on my HO scale Central Vermont Richford Branch to my YouTube channel. 

Highlights include:

1. A quick look at some recently weathered and completed freight cars. 

I have finally made some pine and fir trees.  I would like to have some realistic groundcover underneath the pine trees.  I used dark green fine foam for the Scots Pines and used 7mm static grass (eventually painted brown with dark green foam added) as with needles. 
 

Can I dye the static grass dark reddish brown etc?

I'm a little behind in my reading, and I just read the January MRH Online News.  The first story announced the passing of John Glaab.

I did not know John, but many years ago I visited Cass, WV and rode the Cass Scenic Railroad.  I enjoyed the visit and decided to model my town of Ashley Creek after Cass.  John released an excellent kit of the Doctor's House in Cass, and I purchased one.  I didn't have a layout at the time, but I knew when I started building, I wanted to include that kit.