More good times in December

Well, November and December have been pretty lovely times.
My in-laws got me a few cool trains and trams which I love. The Kato 1-421 Hiroshima-Hannover Tramis a cool piece. It has a nice, lean look I like.

This KATO train is something I've been looking into for a LONG time. Years, I think. But, it needs a wide radius, so I had to wait until I had a space to run it. So, it was the prime time for my subway idea.

 I had space under the two tables that make up my current layout, so I thought that a subway would be perfect. Larger radius curves and some additional running area - perfecto. Yes, I still hold knocking through my wall close to heart, but that will happen later. For now, a subway will be perfect. So, I grabbed some wood and started planning.

I'm not a woodworker, but I manage. I have square corners and I can get things working. So, I just started putting stuff together.










I started with the track plan, laying track to work with the wood I purchased. Again, flying by the seat of my pants. :)

My two year old assistant :)

I'm sure there are hundreds of better ways to make this happen. With the power of groove music and thinking about my late Father helping me, I managed to get this wonky idea to work! heheheh  My back is still sore from the lifting. Ask for help? BAH! :)

This KATO train runs like a dream. Now I need to implement the ideas I called out in my last post. I think things will work out.

 In other news....

I love my Modemo. I just wish it was running better. I need to look into recent advice about removing the traction rubber on the tires for better electrical pickup.

 There's going to be a heli-pad in the harbor area. I got some fun copters recently and want to use a helipad to show them off.

LOCATION: Alameda

There's a fun bridge here in the East Bay that I thought people might be interested in. It run along side a auto bridge and isn't in use anymore - least I don't think so. But it's fun. The auto bridge can lift up and out of the way and so can the train section. It's a fun piece and might be an interesting addition to a layout.

It's been nice making time to work on this stuff again. I missed it. It's a great departure from my work - getting away from computers for a while.

I want to do my backdrop and I was playing around with the "HOW" today. I think I'll use the existing brown paper as a base, then measure the space and match things up that way - using the brown paper as the template. It's already there - why not use it as the base for my background project.

I'll measure where things are - harbor, temple, villiage, roadways etc - then draw in what I want.

Next, I'll pull the paper and roll out the canvas I have. I'll sketch in the areas I need, then start paining. The whole thing will be around 15 feet or so. It should be an interesting project and one that will really add to the layout. I have been seeing some coo backdrops being done, so I can't wait to see what a proper, painting backdrop adds to my layout. I just hope I still have my painting chops! 

Lastly, I wish you all a happy holiday filled with things you love. I still count myself lucky to have a space like this to play in and a wife that gives me the space to play within it! :)

Merry Hollowdaze to you! :)