May 1 – June 23, 2010

For the past two month, I’ve spent several evenings working on my model railroad. In the last update, I showed how Ruben and I painted the terrain. Since then, I completed the track installation and made several tweaks to insure the locomotives could make a smooth journey through the layout. The next step involved adding ballast to the tracks. I mixed various colors of ballast until I created a blend that matched the look of the real ballast used on the rail lines in this area. Applying the ballast on the layout was yet another exercise in patience. I worked section by section and started to glue the ballast in place with an eyedropper. When I realized that was going to take forever, I decided to use a spray method. Not only was it quicker, but it also sealed the paint we applied to the terrain. Once that stage was complete, I began adding structures, roads, and foliage. It’s starting to get that “finished” look, but there are still several steps left in this project…..and that’s a good thing. Like everything else in life, I’ve learned to enjoy the journey.