white or carpenter glue to form and blend ground contours.
House paint, especially discounted earth-tone flat colors, will
be used to color the ground. Fine sand and sawdust do well to
add texture, when added to the wet paint. These can later be
refined using current materials and techniques.
For ballast I plan to investigate the use of a fine paving sand
that comes in 50-pound bags I saw at Menards. I am also
excited about the chance to try to modify some of the used
and low-cost trolleys into possible passenger and freight
motors for interurban use. I plan to try to really distress some
wood cars into simulations of equipment needing, or in process
of, restoration. Some equipment is covered with tarps awaiting
restoration, which lends more modeling opportunities.
Stacks of rails and ties and other supplies will be needed. The
lines can be signaled to the extreme, with endless variety. Then
there are the displays of signs, signals, and other equipment.
The museum must stockpile old parts to support the contin-
ued operation and restoration of vintage equipment. I can
add sound, especially below the table. Crossing bells, whistles
and horns, and steam and diesel sounds are just some of the
effects available through solid-state chips such as ITT or an
MRC unit. The list seems endless.
I see this as an opportunity to have a layout with long-term
enjoyment in both modeling and operation. The layout, equip-
ment, scenery, and operation can evolve over time, and include
endless modeling opportunities. I believe this layout will give
me a great deal of pleasure for a long time.
