Just west of Forrest City the railroad passes over U.S. Highway 67 in my condensed version of geography. So this is how I incorporated my geezer gate into the railroad, by disguising it as the highway underpass. For those interested, here are some photographs of the gate. It has worked quite well and looks pretty good too. Just west of the overpass is the junction for the West Memphis Joint Yard located behind the double-sided backdrop. So much for layout progress to date. Ken McElreath
Thank you all for your encouragement. This is a blast. Recently I bought for myself a used Polaroid Cube camera. So that meant I needed a camera car to support it. I cobbled together and shortened an old-time LGB flat car with a steel plate for the camera's magnet to hold. Here it is for your enjoyment, plus a trial still photo from the mounted camera. For a low-tech guy like me, this is a big step into the unknown. I was surprised that the thing actually works and can be understood. The next step is to play with video recording while traversing the A&MRB&T Co. layout. We will see if anything worthwhile turns out. For me, the wide field of view is less than desirable for a running layout video, because it has a fisheye effect and shows way too much non-layout stuff. But I am sure I will have fun trying. Ken McElreath
Ken, The detail and weathering on the elevator is especially nice. And for someone who frequented the areas through Delta and Whitewater on his way to Crump nearly every weekend, I share your affinity for these out-of-the-way locales. Thanks very much for sharing,
My McElreath grandparents lived in a farmhouse on the hill east of Crump overlooking the town. I used to play in the street while my parents shopped at the general store. I can remember the tan asphalt siding of the building yet. Ken McElreath
The mounting of the camera on my camera car was too low. The track and ballast seemed huge, and the apparent track speed was bothersome even when moving slowly. So I remounted the camera at the height of a locomotive cab, and the results are much more satisfying. I have a lot to learn about shooting model railroad videos. Ken McElreath
Before giving an update on the next stage of scenery progress, here are several photos of a MoPac freight passing through Forrest City. The Southern gondola was bashed from two Aristo gondolas to make a fifty-foot car, more representative of prototypical gondolas. Ken McElreath
The last major scenery project on the layout is to represent the MoPac line through the White River Country of Arkansas, along the White and Buffalo Rivers. This is the pinnacle of my aspirations for scenery modeling on the G scale layout, and so far I have added about 40 pounds of Plaster of Paris to sculpt the bluffs along the line, with about ten more to go before staining and adding ground cover and foliage. The rock work is both intimidating and fun at the same time. At the end of the scene, I have installed a real rock just to guide my coloring and texturing of the plaster. This little fox seems to like it there also. Enjoy. Ken McElreath
Here is the "finished product," after one year of working on this scene. First, some overall shots, then a few closer detailed ones. Enjoy. Ken McElreath
Since the line is now open for trains, here are some photos of a MoPac freight, followed by a speeder. Ken McElreath
Thank you for the encouragement, Keith. I have worked in HO scale for over 60 years. One of my objectives in building the G-scale layout was to determine whether it would be possible to achieve nearly the same level of detail and prototype scenic interest as in HO scale, without looking toy-like. It requires much more scrounging and improvising, much as HO did back in the 1960s. However, I can say that I am surprisingly pleased at the overall results, in both large and small scenes. And to stand close to the layout as the trains rumble by is an experience unmatched in smaller scales. Ken McElreath
A feature of G-scale that is both a bane and a blessing is that the "scale" can range anywhere between 1:18 and 1:32, even within a manufacturer's own line of "compatible" equipment and structures. You have to be careful what you are buying. The thing that got me hooked on G-scale way back in 1998 was a Christmas tree train that Marsha wanted so that it would look cool running around the tree. At the time we were regularly going to and exploring Colorado, and this little 1:22 Bachmann Colorado and Southern (C&S) narrow gauge passenger train was right in our wheelhouse. So now I occasionally put it on the A&MRB&T layout and run it just to delight in such a quaint and historic railroading aura. For your enjoyment. Ken McElreath
That is some mighty impressive scenery you have going there. The MoPac units look immaculate, and the Colorado and Southern set adds a nice touch. I love it!
