The new track has undergone a serious test period while we have been making progress with the scenery. This will keep the track nice and clean because we sure don’t want to be cleaning 700 feet of track when we welcome in the public in March.
So we completed shaping the landscape in the Summerland and new sawmill area so we could find out what worked and what did not. The Summerland station had to be visually isolated from the rest of the layout. That was easy. There was going to be a new curved trestle over a mountain stream. Fun but not easy. A completely new sawmill. Not easy again.
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Back in Summerland the station was rebuilt and connected to a platform that would serve two RDC’s and a small spur was created to store track maintenance equipment. Remote turnouts were installed and tested because they would be located behind glass.
All of the hills were completed except the one large ‘hole’ in the center that we would use to gain access with the construction of the mill and other scenery. That would be finished last.
Holes were drilled where there would be street and platform lighting and John Green was under the layout removing many layers of old wiring so all the new wires would be neat and easily identified. This is the 3rd resurrection in this area so you can just imagine the mess under there.
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There was also room made for a sizable orchard and a farmhouse. This was served by a short spur that would accommodate a pair of 8 hatch refers. I think we can get 12 – 16 fruit trees in that area so it will be quite impressive.
Also planned is a typical viaduct water system that was used 80 years ago and now lies derelict but plainly visible as a sort of Summerland signature.
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One of the slow-motion switch machines could not be located below track level so it was mounted beside the track. John Green installed it and built a great little building that would cover it.
This area is going to be quite difficult to finish. Too much dramatic scenery in too short a space. Waterfalls and bridges and all.
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Once the shapes were finalized (Glue soaked paper towel over chicken wire) we started the application of rock faces placed over the most vertical surfaces. We use 50 Lb bags of Hydrocal that we pick up at a local building supply company. It acts as quickly as plaster of Paris at 1/5th the price with our cost being about $25.00 a bag.
A little trouble reared its head on day one. Our ½ bag of Hydrocal had been left open for some time and the powder refused to work. Add water and it just got wet. The chemical work had already been completed in the bag. Out she goes.
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Fill for the scenery is hard to come by in the winter because I just use beach sand or well washed and strained road gravel. This fills in the rough shapes in the scenery and gives the overall landscape a smoother more natural rolling look.
Wayne to the rescue. There was some fine clean sand in his barn. This was applied to the hillside and covered with Woodland Scenics material and given a good soaking. I can install the beginnings of a forest tomorrow.