Working With Powdery Soils


Working with powdery soils is difficult from the standpoint of getting a flat, smooth surface, free of ridges, bumps, and craters.  There are two challenges.  First is applying the material smoothly.  Second is applying the adhesive without disrupting your application. To get a smooth application, avoid pouring the material from a cup.  Instead, use a […]

All Done, Now What?


Following Up on a Successful Launch   By far the biggest obstacle facing the entry level modeler is overcoming inertia, getting that first layout off the launching pad, and operating reliably.   Doing so is an enormous achievement.  Things flow much easier after hitting that first milestone.  The primary reason I’m an advocate for smaller, simpler […]

Two Points of View


 The camera lens gives us tremendous power to interpret and frame our scenes in a way we find personally appealing. There are two primary reasons we build model railroads.  First is the satisfaction of creation and assembly.  The second reason, which often plays out sub-consciously and tends be emotionally driven, is much more powerful.  We […]

4722 S. Everett Avenue


I’ve finally finished up the structure at 4722 South Everett Avenue.  Although I was able to obtain several dozen photos from my trip to the area last fall, the screen captures from Google Streetview ended up being more usable due to better lighting.  With this project I experimented with adding a lot more depth to […]