ATSF Line Started

Richmond will be a decent sized yard, with the Intermodal yard too. Ozal is going to be the SP hidden yard to 'stage' SP trains. Here I changed the Mainline switch on the main loop to a number 10. Very nice switches! The yard will be number 7's.

 

Not much done here yet. Going to add one more track for a total of three.

 

With the Number 10 switch in place, an SP 'Work' train, actually an SD40 pulling a track cleaning car, holds the Main past Ozal yard.

 

With only a couple feet of tracks in, Ozal is already filling up.

 

The 'work' train continues around the layout past the still curing 'Ocean'.

 

Shouldn't be too much longer before it's completely cured. I really like this stuff!

 

I think the feathered tan coloring to the shore turned out pretty good. Almost a perfect match.

 

Thanks MRL! I can't wait to see it all done either!

 

Once the rocks had set in place, I took the Woodland Scenics rock casting coloring kit, and mixed colors until I got a 'muddy' color. I then took a 1/4 inch paint brush and ran the color about half way up the rocks, working carefully to get in the crevices and the sides of the rocks. And that was it. After it had dried, I looked over it from different angles, and any area I missed, I went over again with the same color.

 

The nice thing about this product is that it really is very easy. That was a BIG plus!

 

You can do it.

 

I went out first thing this morning and the 'Ocean' is fully cured!

 

This whole method turned out better then I had hoped, and I am really happy it did as there will be another large area in Antioch with the river there, and also the Delta running on the levees.

 

I also added a new car to the cleaning train and gave the track a good cleaning in preperations for some heavy traffic.

 

I will say one thing.....this CMX cleaning car is fantastic! I really do like the Aztex car behind the engine, but in the 'white glove' test, there is always a slight black line. With the CMX car the 'white glove' test gives you a white glove! And that was with only the FIRST pass! I like to model with the big garage door opened, and it does get dirty in here, so this track cleaner really impressed me.