May Progress - Cities

Just a quick update - mostly to avoid dealing with issues at work. :)

SHIZUKA

Shizuka is shaping up. I have space for some nice scenic elements now along with a few more scratched built buildings if I choose to take that task on. I might just do some more checkbook modeling and kitbash some structures instead of doing it from scratch. We'll see.




The light space to the front of the photo above will have a little roundabout style garden space. Something like this photo.

I'd like to see the crosswalks and garden style intersection spot carried out like this. It'll make a nice addition, as I've said before.

I've noticed that Shizuka is looking a little sparse, so I think additional buildings and the like will be called for. While I want the area to have space for walkways, back alley details and the like, I want it to also have the prototypical dense quality Japan cities have.

The back side of Shizuka where I had some shopping areas is getting worked out. I dropped in a large hillside area to raise the area up. A walking bridge may be added at a later date spanning the area over the tracks and into the city. The area will be fenced or walled appropriately and will have road details and various other nuggets. This can be worked on in a modular way as well, so I can bring the whole section inside to work on and then place it afterwards in the same way the temple area was handled.

Several apartments are located on the hill along with the hospital and parking area.

I swapped in double tracks between the hill and the city. (above image) Some of this will be replaced with Kato Unitrack shortly.






SOYOKAZE

Soyokaze is starting to really look the part. I'm happy with the progress.
Following up with what I created for the area lore, Soyokaze and Shizuka are very easy to get to via rail, bus and taxi (for those with the cash to spend on a taxi all that way!) I've added another station area - mostly because I WAY over-purchased when it came to station pads, so I wanted to use at least ONE of them somewhere! hehehe  (Let me know if you need one - I'll sell it cheap. :::grin:::)

I've done some more rearranging as well - shuffling buildings this way and that and planning for this weekends road paving. At least, that's the intent. We'll see if that happens.

All in all things are looking good and the arrangement will allow for a lot of good detail, action and fun scene additions. 

SOYOKAZE HARBOR, TEMPLE AND VILLAGE

There really isn't much to report with these areas. The Village will have a solid, concrete slab looking base and I plan to do at least one if not two more rounds of rearrange and swap sessions after it's poured. I found that I might have enough space to have both a series of small access roadways through the village and for the small street market items I had on my previous layout area. I was rather happy about that. I like the idea of a little street festival in the village. Fresh food smells and gifts being sold to visitors. Another great scene op.

The harbor area is waiting for some additional street level details, but other than that, I have no new plans for the near future other than more figures and scene work. I think it's the most complete of the areas, really, so it can wait a while longer. :)

However I did get one element I'm excited about doing before long. I picked up that whale for a scenic element in the harbor and I think it's going to make a great addition once it's mounted, weathered and placed. It will add to the lore of Soyokaze fishing being "Whale Friendly".

Prototype :)

IN OTHER NEWS

I finally got around to setting up a little roundy-round for my 3yr old with my spare track. She is very excited about the process and has fun racing the little BANDAI tram around FAR too fast. :)  We are planning to paint it pink and purple as per her specs. Photos to follow, of course.

She also gets to paint the base board, figure out where her roads will be and decide where her building areas will be located - all of which she wants to do today when we speak about it. "Why can't we finish it today?"  I'm sure there are many hobby folks out there in the world saying the same thing right now - "Why can't this just be done so I can start playing?!"  I'm going to try to speed up certain portions of the process for her, but I am aiming on having her do some of the work, too, while I work with her. :)

Halloween may be a ways off, but I thought that this DEPARTMENT 56 item might make a PERFECT decoration for the house. Saving has begun - the sucker is expensive! But...you know...cool, too.

Carry on, Hobby Folks!