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Figured I'd go ahead and start Octobers Photo Fun Thread. After a couple of years staring at the area I was going to put my downtown in, I finally just said "to heck with it" and just plowed ahead. I still have to light the insides of the buildings and get some trees in there but for the most part it's done enough that if I want to just look at it for a couple of more years it will at least look like a downtown.
I took four pictures so I might as well post the fourth. The construction of the downtown is all modular. I may get all of my pictures together for this project and do a separate thread.
Thanks Garry and tutnkumin. Chet, I love your stuff. I need more cars! Trouble is that it takes a king's ransom to get cars and trucks from the 40's and 50's. Oh well, it's only money I guess.
Yes vehicles can get expensive but I have been collecting them for over 25 years. Some of the newer offerings from Classic Metal Works have been excellent. I have been picking some of them up on Amazon, but MB Klein has some decent prices. My problem is that If I find a good quality vehicle that will fir my era that I don't have yet, I have a tendency to get it no matter what the price is.
Vehicles are one of the easiest ways to set the time period of a layout.
GAD !! Compared to what has been posted, mine looks like a plywood central... Oh well, Downtown Defar on a Friday night ....
All buildings have lights in them and the street lights do work. Those are Miller Signs and they do move. there is a later bunh of work done on this scene with cars which have working head and taillights but I haven't got that one done yet.
With the Canon working as good as it is now, I might be able to get a night scene of this totally lit by it's own sources....
Garry,
Your track work is awesome. I'm guessin' your layout is quite a bit bigger than my 5 x 11 layout. If it isn't you've done some remarkable work and display. That's what's so fun about this forum. I may not post too often but I visit regularly. Aerojet I'm looking forward to seeing you downtown lit up.
Souleman - Actually it is built out of a Woodland Scenics Kit -- River Pass. It began as a 4 x 8 and is now 5 x 8 with the yard addition. Will post out how i expanded it shortly. i think I have found enough stage by stage photos to use .. thanks, for the interest!
I got some trees up on my downtown. The first is just an overview. In the back is the "lake up north". Foreground is downtown. Two sections to go. Next to downtown will be residential and where the flashlight is will be industrial. The depot is my favorite shot so far. The depot has 3 LED's in it. I had to drill holes in the sidewalk in front of the building to get to the roof of the overhang. Put two of the LED's so that they would glow through the roof holes and look like overhead lighting. I was pretty happy how it turned out. I haven't covered the holes in the sidewalk with anything but they can't be seen so I might leave them be. Now I just need the people. They won't be here for another week or two.
On a moonlit might, these could be what you are looking for -- both are intermediate photos, compare this with the finished down town and you will see what happens as I work along, taking pix as I go ...
Defar at night ...
Meanwhile over in the industrial part of town things are cooking ....
Note the welding going on in building 2 in this part of town. Also welding going on down in the yard... later photos ...
Aerojet, the night time photos are really good. Some day I'll get my butt in gear had get my lighting done. Have all of the street lights sitting in a box waiting to get installed.
Willie, you've been holding out on use. Great photo.
Here's another photo of consolidation 184 entering the yard lead with a local freight.
I got to get some of the new Woodland vehicles with operating headlights...they should really liven up the layout! Hoping to be able someday to operate the layout with the overhead lights turned off.
