Blackcloud's 2012 resolution challenge

[Blackcloud Railways]

Progress report from Sand Creek.


The industrial park served by the kickback spur now has a backscene and the base for the highway overpass has been fixed in place following completion of track ballasting below it.



The depot area has basic ground cover and a simpler backscene, the join between the horizontal and vertical boards will eventually be hidden by bushes surrounding the low relief warehouse and cutting off its yard from the railroad.


The next job is a rudimentary passenger platform between the depot and the track but for now I'm just waiting for glue and paint to dry.

[Blackcloud Railways]

Today's work on the layout...


1) The industrial park now has grass added on the earthworks around the bridge, also the warehouse is glued in place and the paintwork on the yard's tarmac has been touched up.


2) The bridge parapets have been added, these are firework rocket sticks but should look like heavy concrete crash barriers when finished.


3) The depot area also has its warehouse glued in place and the greenery around it added.


4) Unfortunately there appears to be some rising damp but I'm hoping that it will not be so obvious once it dries properly. I was worried about the card building warping as the grass was applied around the base but it has stayed in shape perfectly.


5) The passenger platform has been laid at the depot.


6) The recessed area behind the retaining wall on the original section of the layout is in the process of being filled in to create a more uniformly linear rear of the layout.

[Tyson Rayles]

Good looking progress Bob!

[Steamtrains]

I see some else has found a use for fireworks sticks...!!!

You have a lot going on in that little layout....Keep up the good work..!!

[Blackcloud Railways]

Having just flipped the layout over to add some low relief bushes on the backscene in the depot area I thought I'd take the opportunity to share a GoogleEarth type view of the layout.

The simple track plan becomes very obvious in this image but is less evident when viewed from the normal angle because the bridges break it up into separate the scenes.

[Tyson Rayles]

Yep ! Camera angle is everything, it can make or break a good peice of realistic modeling sometimes.

[Blackcloud Railways]

The extended layout looks much better with the bushes added behind the depot, so it's time to take a tour.

Starting at the bridge overlooking the original layout, looking towards the yard.


Then looking towards the depot from the same bridge.


Hop in the car and drive to the new bridge for another look at the depot area.

The foreground will have a couple of small buildings added (they've arrived this lunchtime and the kit parts have been painted ready for assembly later today).

From the other side of the overpass we see the industry Park spur.


The backscene and building are well matched, more good luck than good management (as usual) but I quite like the way this scene is turning out.


Over the past few years I've come to like the fragmented appearance of the CRM modular layouts. Sand Creek is not modular but I have tried to break it up into three separate scenes as if it were...




The simple track plan, with just two turnouts, means that the railroad does not overpower the scenery yet should allow some varied switching moves with cars attached to both ends of the loco.

[X 3829]

nice layout you build there.
simple solutions are more often the better way!

[Tyson Rayles]

Progressing nicely !

[Blackcloud Railways]

Thanks. Not much happening at the moment though as I'm awaiting the arrival of some road vehicles for the bridges.

[Blackcloud Railways]

Sand Creek now has road vehicles added on the bridges and a few extra trees around the depot area.

Starting at the Industrial Park and working our way to the original yard area...









... Finishing with an overall look at the layout from "exhibition" viewing distance.

It still needs a bit of tidying up but I'm quite please with the way it's turned out, especially the central area between the two overbridges.