Video update: Weathered boxcars, supply wagons, new army depot scene

It's been a while since my last post. So I wanted to prove I didn't give up on this thing. I finally got around to making a new video tour of the layout. Not much has changed since I posted it (you should subscribe), but I'll tell you a few upcoming things after the video.



Things you'll notice...

• The Micro-Trains Civil War era boxcars have been given road numbers and weathering. It's makes such a difference. Also, they're all fitted with metal wheels. 
• The tender load is tungsten putty covered in firewood I cut from leftover laser kits. 
• Soldiers! I finished the Union Army supply wagons. They look great and add much-needed life to the layout. They were a breeze to paint, even if my eyes were screaming at me for trying to focus so small. I haven't gotten to adding more miniatures, but painting has started slowly. I'll have two more wagons (these from Good Ground Minis) soon.
• The freight station and other scenic changes were covered in the last post. 

Things in the works... 

• I found one of Mark Watson's ventilated boxcars. It's based on a post-war prototype from the Virginia and Truckee, meaning it won't be historically accurate on a Civil War layout. However, it's a good way to add variety to the rolling stock for now. 
• More wagons and miniatures. 
• If I'm adventurous enough, I'm going to paint over the Pennsylvania Railroad markings on the PRR 1510. It'll be a little scary since I really don't want to disturb any of the other ornamentation. But as long as the black paint matches up well enough, it'll be very cool to finally use the U.S.M.R.R. locomotive decals that have been sitting on a shelf. 

A little rearranging and some mud

A building relocation, wagons and mud make the depot section
look busier and dirtier--i.e. perfect.

Something just wasn't feeling right about the depot area on the layout. Even though having the freight station on the "far" side of the tracks opened it up a bit, it didn't have a natural flow to the buildings. I decided to experiment and I think it turned out well.

Before, the freight station felt left out, ignored.

Though it made a pretty scene, it didn't say "army depot."

The freight station is now on the same parcel of land as the passenger station. The area is more cramped, but I think that's fine for what I'm going for. 

I also added some mud (real dirt) to where the wagons and foot traffic would have worn away all the grass. Adding in some of the station workers and cargo, and it looks more like the bustling depot I had hoped to build.

Moving the freight station onto the same piece of land as the
passenger station was the right move. 

My hope is to supplement this scene in the next few months with another loading platform, more figures and cargo.

The figures are the biggest time sink, as I haven't yet started on any of the other miniatures I got from Good Ground and GHQ. I have to run out for some black spray paint to prime them.

But I'm already getting excited for how improved the whole scene will look with double the wagons, some officers, = a platoon of cavalry, and a company of infantry moving to their next destination.