I recently purchased a few of the Chooch rubber rock castings. These are pretty cool, I can see where they may have a place on my railroad but they need some work. I started by spraying them with gray primer and then using pan pastels tried different colors. In the photo you can see the different colors and degrees of weathering. These are only a test. The original out of the package is at the top. I will wash them off with soap and water and start with the original when I decide which color I will use.

What camera setup do you use to document a desktop project build?  For example, creating the wall of a building flat on the desk.  For this discussion, a camera can include a smartphone.

I would like to shoot straight down at the object on the desk, and if at an angle, I would like a background of one color without seams.

Let's post some aids to getting a beginner started in operations.

Here is an example of a flyer sent to people interested in an operating session on a railroad that has been running sessions for about nine years.

If one wanted to have automated trains running, let's assume main line or passing sidings only, with no switching etc, what is the state of the art? This might be, for example, for a museum or display layout, although I could easily imagine other applications. If one had a long point-to-point, single track railroad with passing sidings, could a computer arrange for a westbound to make its way across the road, safely meeting the eastbounds?