tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53760574121161870412024-03-15T18:10:48.507-07:00The Valley LocalThis blog is dedicated to information on life in the Connecticut River Valley during the early post-war period. While all aspects of that period are fodder for exploration, the primary focus is on re-creating the day-to-day movement of freight along the picturesque Valley & Airline branches of the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad during an Autumn day in the late 1940s.Chris Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18052818057825432279noreply@blogger.comBlogger1456125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376057412116187041.post-18030689147729620062024-02-28T17:35:00.000-08:002024-02-28T17:35:55.313-08:00Wordless Wednesday #459: Regress & Progress<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7QTxWRcJmDEBYjwQKTrMWKQFL2znO4rWzf4HlZphJX1uuWIsqKPnWioaZOai7dtR6HJkozDdnm7BBHVIHwQmmUefsyF2gjJYeBH715hNwBM9l_Pww7QNiAlF1gsLg1ez6kn7c6S5KbN4NXzkEKymfnEHP5WEhouLkS5WWAL5BspH63eGgxmDzYzxamw/s4032/IMG_6007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS7QTxWRcJmDEBYjwQKTrMWKQFL2znO4rWzf4HlZphJX1uuWIsqKPnWioaZOai7dtR6HJkozDdnm7BBHVIHwQmmUefsyF2gjJYeBH715hNwBM9l_Pww7QNiAlF1gsLg1ez6kn7c6S5KbN4NXzkEKymfnEHP5WEhouLkS5WWAL5BspH63eGgxmDzYzxamw/w400-h300/IMG_6007.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJkj9ZfOdtWuLaGlBXLFKtHCM0NPHI_xBBxuoh-SqCqmb36pI1Ter-8Kb_Zfw8Kl6kxYmT8NfA1VEPdZfQ5fFv-mCeAVKWVfSPhHdEXbf4E6jp06LFhMU5DDf6sPhrjd_vjl_6Yd8RI0GK_0PdwaMnCPtgSpo9UqUfAj2lbC2K8TEooeVQyJyqZXH994/s4032/IMG_6010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJkj9ZfOdtWuLaGlBXLFKtHCM0NPHI_xBBxuoh-SqCqmb36pI1Ter-8Kb_Zfw8Kl6kxYmT8NfA1VEPdZfQ5fFv-mCeAVKWVfSPhHdEXbf4E6jp06LFhMU5DDf6sPhrjd_vjl_6Yd8RI0GK_0PdwaMnCPtgSpo9UqUfAj2lbC2K8TEooeVQyJyqZXH994/w400-h300/IMG_6010.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJeTDCyZykM4wzlQgevTRP7ossTpEuL89w1ny7MD9VK8ilwr4VZIs4bA0XOeM6lgyqNMYzGmRVpigGPXgT0il78JQN-XkF3ePqKT-AjyitqWpQD97vLgehhqI__hySuLmRESL1W0hq9GZOTfB4Ja4SjFMoCg1jOfxvLyHUbgSipIfn19TXsHKUJdUMoa0/s4032/IMG_6012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJeTDCyZykM4wzlQgevTRP7ossTpEuL89w1ny7MD9VK8ilwr4VZIs4bA0XOeM6lgyqNMYzGmRVpigGPXgT0il78JQN-XkF3ePqKT-AjyitqWpQD97vLgehhqI__hySuLmRESL1W0hq9GZOTfB4Ja4SjFMoCg1jOfxvLyHUbgSipIfn19TXsHKUJdUMoa0/w400-h300/IMG_6012.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr3lX97JU3F35fC-EaY4_bPTJ8Ey_D1vlOq_MGmWgPusZ6DtrR3ZOkJ0hIFtHUErhzHdAT4vS1McL8B85KcZ5fwe-KRJ6YP4KUuleOqQSeyr-GaUwDITSgRLcHcICle3p-y-hMONtgE-g0Zsrsydybuor0yakqhjqP4t11-b7VOAi4u3Hcvk5DBpqOkic/s4032/IMG_6016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr3lX97JU3F35fC-EaY4_bPTJ8Ey_D1vlOq_MGmWgPusZ6DtrR3ZOkJ0hIFtHUErhzHdAT4vS1McL8B85KcZ5fwe-KRJ6YP4KUuleOqQSeyr-GaUwDITSgRLcHcICle3p-y-hMONtgE-g0Zsrsydybuor0yakqhjqP4t11-b7VOAi4u3Hcvk5DBpqOkic/w400-h300/IMG_6016.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX10iSHc8_oEypmM05-hIYQElB8PDZxDyEf39XYNxwiDDSJmpxzJDeEd1kfYC83IAGW0q7gp2XA25iysgqZVQehms2SuwTAtm4jaJdgIysBN0uxxxkYipRVgvyEXBP88TL8timZ2sMSyGU0gPl7lEwtsIXuWHkt-vWdFo032kd0d61TByYh3HKr0FGcow/s4032/IMG_6020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX10iSHc8_oEypmM05-hIYQElB8PDZxDyEf39XYNxwiDDSJmpxzJDeEd1kfYC83IAGW0q7gp2XA25iysgqZVQehms2SuwTAtm4jaJdgIysBN0uxxxkYipRVgvyEXBP88TL8timZ2sMSyGU0gPl7lEwtsIXuWHkt-vWdFo032kd0d61TByYh3HKr0FGcow/w400-h300/IMG_6020.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmHNXy4gjc7k131MT2YVMqFnVMWSWpR8D0K1R2zZsDHIETPkURKe9mMmVlnhU9NcqYfD6A1zdHfq3f0lfQqyEyFbw3uOc8bd1v7r6Qk0Cm_amSjnexCqWksvKihlSDK8Lia1scqTX1B2SFd0mPjd0rSjSn3Wjp6Y6r1p1hOY5HNv3gDjcH5rqcTpSYsNw/s4032/IMG_6025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmHNXy4gjc7k131MT2YVMqFnVMWSWpR8D0K1R2zZsDHIETPkURKe9mMmVlnhU9NcqYfD6A1zdHfq3f0lfQqyEyFbw3uOc8bd1v7r6Qk0Cm_amSjnexCqWksvKihlSDK8Lia1scqTX1B2SFd0mPjd0rSjSn3Wjp6Y6r1p1hOY5HNv3gDjcH5rqcTpSYsNw/w400-h300/IMG_6025.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJPb48Jua354TUK_4Acyy5djtyNRHoc5Yr25EWJ1S3sn3UF6Y-mLxpcsEPVEBKfmPniAWL-0OanVWzA0hhmmGTKQlOJveBfUtUTXWt4P_HnNMMU7ynw_bEoxaMGZTpB_t05Xq-N0Nx262wd2GUB2Vlf-nH7uCtMK5bwLxbtQ_ycxXHl7BwD5iI5ooVZo/s4032/IMG_6035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJPb48Jua354TUK_4Acyy5djtyNRHoc5Yr25EWJ1S3sn3UF6Y-mLxpcsEPVEBKfmPniAWL-0OanVWzA0hhmmGTKQlOJveBfUtUTXWt4P_HnNMMU7ynw_bEoxaMGZTpB_t05Xq-N0Nx262wd2GUB2Vlf-nH7uCtMK5bwLxbtQ_ycxXHl7BwD5iI5ooVZo/w400-h300/IMG_6035.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQVOqJUEb9Q5JcGwJEHvkOgk6MyU2Ch9sFPYpaavHXqIb1B61x7oZ4uKwKIFv7cplZ2EhrClf6tPU6oTxamqOHSgx3CJZ-K_4UEAvebMlpsqyniAtagN3ahTpYgB80p-mdmP1ajDGs0Dkk1zDxplBs48W8Vqsk-uxDB0KNEDh3zeB1ap00gfoK_122bYU/s4032/IMG_6111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQVOqJUEb9Q5JcGwJEHvkOgk6MyU2Ch9sFPYpaavHXqIb1B61x7oZ4uKwKIFv7cplZ2EhrClf6tPU6oTxamqOHSgx3CJZ-K_4UEAvebMlpsqyniAtagN3ahTpYgB80p-mdmP1ajDGs0Dkk1zDxplBs48W8Vqsk-uxDB0KNEDh3zeB1ap00gfoK_122bYU/w400-h300/IMG_6111.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglTybg0outSqhFjGO9m9DCpD1SZZoLzMzoomPnQ7yemR3i9Dmuw2lT-QA5jAV5not0jdmY2lSynxE0qhnGjCLSq5ah9PIpF4obA0ipMQqe8RYKsqZx7pUfuOYknmiybAuJBvbZrzkdRrq8OAkrOj9ch2KMbBolTsisi0Gmkf-_NXQzp0IWP1fDWtYrzcY/s4032/IMG_6078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglTybg0outSqhFjGO9m9DCpD1SZZoLzMzoomPnQ7yemR3i9Dmuw2lT-QA5jAV5not0jdmY2lSynxE0qhnGjCLSq5ah9PIpF4obA0ipMQqe8RYKsqZx7pUfuOYknmiybAuJBvbZrzkdRrq8OAkrOj9ch2KMbBolTsisi0Gmkf-_NXQzp0IWP1fDWtYrzcY/w300-h400/IMG_6078.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /> <p></p>Chris Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18052818057825432279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376057412116187041.post-7170577498155895002024-02-14T00:30:00.000-08:002024-02-14T00:30:00.129-08:00Wordless Wednesday #458 - The Year (so far) In Pictures<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbYzxLxj_VGmkZCAOIdUbDEIz6ibcmC7U_pbd6N3uI-edEx7zv_hI9MWWdY0_TeqTDe_Eht3E6dq8GrQAVTv6RUWx2crtXRLIOwniG4u1k3auJvh6rGwYUn7ExK0PM4gq6O7AX6h8XvlYW2_5UbX3qSijiJVTcBdsE64oeTGXPIex3KZDG1UUUd5ngwg/s4032/IMG_5578.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlbYzxLxj_VGmkZCAOIdUbDEIz6ibcmC7U_pbd6N3uI-edEx7zv_hI9MWWdY0_TeqTDe_Eht3E6dq8GrQAVTv6RUWx2crtXRLIOwniG4u1k3auJvh6rGwYUn7ExK0PM4gq6O7AX6h8XvlYW2_5UbX3qSijiJVTcBdsE64oeTGXPIex3KZDG1UUUd5ngwg/w400-h300/IMG_5578.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh4Cj88NMtolDoGZz7NpLjgdcSobOvJZz0eLfpbuW8DEzsb38efkpZjdy_d2EWzIKLS-rZoUcMstg8kY22x3ZJ5Y2ZHZBF8AIyHPy7tfEXTr86MMtnnIJ7M7PLOEXWmSTb9hIRTNqdVhaj9ixd8OO80tPEcs9pA9Y-7H7Opcbqwk_27pXWq5_CajquZmQ/s4032/IMG_5572.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh4Cj88NMtolDoGZz7NpLjgdcSobOvJZz0eLfpbuW8DEzsb38efkpZjdy_d2EWzIKLS-rZoUcMstg8kY22x3ZJ5Y2ZHZBF8AIyHPy7tfEXTr86MMtnnIJ7M7PLOEXWmSTb9hIRTNqdVhaj9ixd8OO80tPEcs9pA9Y-7H7Opcbqwk_27pXWq5_CajquZmQ/w300-h400/IMG_5572.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxtoHYx_V8IZtCvqBK51s6MFRifJrw1aqi3SNm3DTYeZJWBDF3be6GWiZIKengv1a7SRmLTEkmkv2da5gd9ilJ6mtoTvNAaCqJ4vUBjVg6TFDKjGAk5uNaGpcmksmKOhK2U7-YQGutaTATEjiL3tfZ09mVcr8KZLDcJy0fyb7YOPZPrhd9sSWRrtKN3c0/s4032/IMG_5585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxtoHYx_V8IZtCvqBK51s6MFRifJrw1aqi3SNm3DTYeZJWBDF3be6GWiZIKengv1a7SRmLTEkmkv2da5gd9ilJ6mtoTvNAaCqJ4vUBjVg6TFDKjGAk5uNaGpcmksmKOhK2U7-YQGutaTATEjiL3tfZ09mVcr8KZLDcJy0fyb7YOPZPrhd9sSWRrtKN3c0/w300-h400/IMG_5585.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieoyk3G2F5y3hYOImW3iCgRpwHIhMGP8llWXg_c2D5fwcHU_J_hNpA00rl6RmX9ASLoVUZXWXPEMNjgH4u-uD2qkqCzYhQInuz77Bm2RN1GMavaxuTWJP73CBpLOrRgODrLXyXyR4edb1DVJVdu0QADL_y24Vx3zAvOeuHwPaeQy8kbDUTX0XFx2fUQvk/s4032/IMG_5620.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieoyk3G2F5y3hYOImW3iCgRpwHIhMGP8llWXg_c2D5fwcHU_J_hNpA00rl6RmX9ASLoVUZXWXPEMNjgH4u-uD2qkqCzYhQInuz77Bm2RN1GMavaxuTWJP73CBpLOrRgODrLXyXyR4edb1DVJVdu0QADL_y24Vx3zAvOeuHwPaeQy8kbDUTX0XFx2fUQvk/w400-h300/IMG_5620.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXS9Rvfp5-puzXMMeyLQNk641jAI4Pe4p9G1EXPp3TF8r6aCUDFbKTTWvYnCkW7NZs7-YpwIOCGSVBBaWqAEXZAG_Euve32GKMYs2JIkOpyedj8Oc5U8BIAsJLkZrFv-sfi0RdY_6t62ncw-bMxTq8uC3DQSiqoL-cPyPfFWNH2hX8K38lAGO0q-sZM_E/s4032/IMG_5708.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXS9Rvfp5-puzXMMeyLQNk641jAI4Pe4p9G1EXPp3TF8r6aCUDFbKTTWvYnCkW7NZs7-YpwIOCGSVBBaWqAEXZAG_Euve32GKMYs2JIkOpyedj8Oc5U8BIAsJLkZrFv-sfi0RdY_6t62ncw-bMxTq8uC3DQSiqoL-cPyPfFWNH2hX8K38lAGO0q-sZM_E/w400-h300/IMG_5708.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxLhqvrAl8g_NQc5dNGnXsW5PPBW-Bu9d4NbPkyNPxwnrJPSk-igW7bwnNrDIyAKQg8pnr5WfLvhHRuGSpMJVtVZS3XYja0FT0WndOvtaiP_qM9F9rOJfZfBI30BBx7tg9-6kh9AoKd9_vfqrrWtzSfhyphenhyphen6VF-8trjGGh-R6LFQEs0A_1hhEAFT6hvUtA/s4032/IMG_5723.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoxLhqvrAl8g_NQc5dNGnXsW5PPBW-Bu9d4NbPkyNPxwnrJPSk-igW7bwnNrDIyAKQg8pnr5WfLvhHRuGSpMJVtVZS3XYja0FT0WndOvtaiP_qM9F9rOJfZfBI30BBx7tg9-6kh9AoKd9_vfqrrWtzSfhyphenhyphen6VF-8trjGGh-R6LFQEs0A_1hhEAFT6hvUtA/w400-h300/IMG_5723.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5BKIhJlwXQIQI9kkn0AdbTiz2OA_vmSWHhRfbite_BPA_i6R03kZj2RiPcfcuytIjGhnZlq_cnJ6SJfLniKxgrdHVKpbzCl32cgipPSAb1JPCUIVofWxxJ4jA0Q4LyuxnI1T1JNMy7_nJjKgKUYMWFVikn-kjXBV9yR4IYEeeiwQvovViHlk_e8tR5Fc/s4032/IMG_5737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5BKIhJlwXQIQI9kkn0AdbTiz2OA_vmSWHhRfbite_BPA_i6R03kZj2RiPcfcuytIjGhnZlq_cnJ6SJfLniKxgrdHVKpbzCl32cgipPSAb1JPCUIVofWxxJ4jA0Q4LyuxnI1T1JNMy7_nJjKgKUYMWFVikn-kjXBV9yR4IYEeeiwQvovViHlk_e8tR5Fc/w400-h300/IMG_5737.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAe8U9Q9cprOqNiBgT6Vs3uWhSktE8hIVxizts_w7YuGVURtC4oKOkSq_Mf_K0IzecAmrOo5CNDu3HsjuZVo1YROf0ry5yjBPXD6jgbAZeW1FEiOFL4Dqmqh-8TGGUCUZL22_scsE75AlTaN6x3dbpkdGQftTc4TKXTO53dOzsEsCjzo1_kW37dJ_TrgU/s4032/IMG_5751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAe8U9Q9cprOqNiBgT6Vs3uWhSktE8hIVxizts_w7YuGVURtC4oKOkSq_Mf_K0IzecAmrOo5CNDu3HsjuZVo1YROf0ry5yjBPXD6jgbAZeW1FEiOFL4Dqmqh-8TGGUCUZL22_scsE75AlTaN6x3dbpkdGQftTc4TKXTO53dOzsEsCjzo1_kW37dJ_TrgU/w400-h300/IMG_5751.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJcmhg1YV6ymox3TIDQcapCJtSa9qFtamxDZNyMOACidw9sMHvnH_58g8FsVW56aiZoELEim3L_aqWThjI4WQRaNxbAXMg8IBhOslyXc1sZIo6ROYtQoPqtvKxq6BJOWegWpe4W62scLmPlJHX6Mz7mZUhxv4ZHJVtmpMsKGBDRTn8SlClNSLujHfzeKc/s4032/IMG_5771.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJcmhg1YV6ymox3TIDQcapCJtSa9qFtamxDZNyMOACidw9sMHvnH_58g8FsVW56aiZoELEim3L_aqWThjI4WQRaNxbAXMg8IBhOslyXc1sZIo6ROYtQoPqtvKxq6BJOWegWpe4W62scLmPlJHX6Mz7mZUhxv4ZHJVtmpMsKGBDRTn8SlClNSLujHfzeKc/w300-h400/IMG_5771.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoiAEXOM91eWd9Ua8z_J-XyOoi9nYs79SUlh1Ep9wYxX7bxW1HDJVLjfXthTav_fYHnmd9h3IBIyhP_GZc5DyOxL98VH9QlK4f5g21L-BjsVSY2VW2Gb_Am8Id62dP5_YMquwWZZ03DbF7vaS9-yOzivVhlRQQAIFR99TjVrxHx15lZ87ILxWyHxuoG8s/s4032/IMG_5781.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoiAEXOM91eWd9Ua8z_J-XyOoi9nYs79SUlh1Ep9wYxX7bxW1HDJVLjfXthTav_fYHnmd9h3IBIyhP_GZc5DyOxL98VH9QlK4f5g21L-BjsVSY2VW2Gb_Am8Id62dP5_YMquwWZZ03DbF7vaS9-yOzivVhlRQQAIFR99TjVrxHx15lZ87ILxWyHxuoG8s/w400-h300/IMG_5781.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkL5jZQlpL87ljYYsIR8FC9lo9PKCdeWy37FWw84jG8qpt2P06ZG6L-pvoFuQf3IgVDuU5RaVE7OoT556ymOq-wKQE2_WBHLRh0sO5JauVLCr6UZK5HARCSw_Fvw23FaflZE9B8cY1q323AH0n0MnryKsVQAGrI1jW283lN6bdb4pczBGrhyphenhyphengerxFIKaM/s4032/IMG_5790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkL5jZQlpL87ljYYsIR8FC9lo9PKCdeWy37FWw84jG8qpt2P06ZG6L-pvoFuQf3IgVDuU5RaVE7OoT556ymOq-wKQE2_WBHLRh0sO5JauVLCr6UZK5HARCSw_Fvw23FaflZE9B8cY1q323AH0n0MnryKsVQAGrI1jW283lN6bdb4pczBGrhyphenhyphengerxFIKaM/w400-h300/IMG_5790.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CLRb0BIbRuU9BTBket_5E-IXOQaUOKW-AKIFzHQWaS3bSmkcMmsuk4m1QSG8guhF9hgtasz_t1FhuZVGflKkYDinWUbQbJzaxEXeb0hLhyhyszbfMTvYiq9ekxStSy3NZ4iF7jLLocfRURKf9cpmY8tWBhApV9hfZLsx37ySqwufPVfleXLyTqXkNpM/s4032/IMG_5804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CLRb0BIbRuU9BTBket_5E-IXOQaUOKW-AKIFzHQWaS3bSmkcMmsuk4m1QSG8guhF9hgtasz_t1FhuZVGflKkYDinWUbQbJzaxEXeb0hLhyhyszbfMTvYiq9ekxStSy3NZ4iF7jLLocfRURKf9cpmY8tWBhApV9hfZLsx37ySqwufPVfleXLyTqXkNpM/w400-h300/IMG_5804.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2avJRrhqQtbi0ZjeIc9AHCKZxVQNdY8rKYNof5rv3PQ0QusVEDKloxLd3dBiNqN6gT_utzoRNY4K0d7l-S9jV7aQr-aUhIm6BSWg8KfeHvTG9VQ8q28Idv5a8T_3W1oenWi5Wt_a9pdAc8hYWwr-vcpgX66AAvQi1oyddrJoNBVp3b8_9xxqSYhz3iC8/s4032/IMG_5820.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2avJRrhqQtbi0ZjeIc9AHCKZxVQNdY8rKYNof5rv3PQ0QusVEDKloxLd3dBiNqN6gT_utzoRNY4K0d7l-S9jV7aQr-aUhIm6BSWg8KfeHvTG9VQ8q28Idv5a8T_3W1oenWi5Wt_a9pdAc8hYWwr-vcpgX66AAvQi1oyddrJoNBVp3b8_9xxqSYhz3iC8/w400-h300/IMG_5820.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEith8Vf66JyjVZFHZR9cbxCecYzkoCKlLgZ8_XfQ7HO9pAogZXtPVrYUS3N8kPt1kX8uA97a83_iY72t6bsg9gZsGIBJIDxyr4X4yr6n3dd-jOx0KJ74Z_ihoTQt-6aSRxbL3TN8Z_cEQ7Wk_XTe6QmSzEdspsN_bOZdgpQ3-a7jyS4Rf3GGAl4swZhrx4/s2048/IMG_1437.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEith8Vf66JyjVZFHZR9cbxCecYzkoCKlLgZ8_XfQ7HO9pAogZXtPVrYUS3N8kPt1kX8uA97a83_iY72t6bsg9gZsGIBJIDxyr4X4yr6n3dd-jOx0KJ74Z_ihoTQt-6aSRxbL3TN8Z_cEQ7Wk_XTe6QmSzEdspsN_bOZdgpQ3-a7jyS4Rf3GGAl4swZhrx4/w400-h300/IMG_1437.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKz-svEXaXOxWbCKRF__NInFNveMq4W_vpHLsfNwXlYyjAFnwTtu1qgjWm8hg7osyJwqf2zFWvE4GYvd2l-DKssLlT9grPfkgcFVdZWJXL3G64Pd5CKTwMkKxAtpEmewijvZOlEKuaBE5u0FkyNyXIoMF-WmlGZEF2gbAPtJy2FUqTpFU8yPd58usoNT0/s4032/IMG_5941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKz-svEXaXOxWbCKRF__NInFNveMq4W_vpHLsfNwXlYyjAFnwTtu1qgjWm8hg7osyJwqf2zFWvE4GYvd2l-DKssLlT9grPfkgcFVdZWJXL3G64Pd5CKTwMkKxAtpEmewijvZOlEKuaBE5u0FkyNyXIoMF-WmlGZEF2gbAPtJy2FUqTpFU8yPd58usoNT0/w300-h400/IMG_5941.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYPQgAdpFioonAAC0RUjejmwlvls3yUc-D4WoSeNUOYCqBG-rMb4V4AWe2MtUWnHaDrIQwbEskEuYZnrD1f-U6fik4uJpUEt4s4KLPAPkEcuerdmUy9AbJeoc36fhMwAwQpOfXS0VSe8V6NKH9dq0Fjz7MqJcactNK4BTR8nJWUpBAaSCor9Hyrp4nZI0/s927/Screenshot%202024-02-13%20215425.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="694" data-original-width="927" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYPQgAdpFioonAAC0RUjejmwlvls3yUc-D4WoSeNUOYCqBG-rMb4V4AWe2MtUWnHaDrIQwbEskEuYZnrD1f-U6fik4uJpUEt4s4KLPAPkEcuerdmUy9AbJeoc36fhMwAwQpOfXS0VSe8V6NKH9dq0Fjz7MqJcactNK4BTR8nJWUpBAaSCor9Hyrp4nZI0/w400-h300/Screenshot%202024-02-13%20215425.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXTQM4TAJpM1FMf3DdiqI1SJlQwLWziKdTg_V-smzkhhYQ4U1kycAS32CqLXkb1_tT0ZqCzF-ezKTnrj39EgAGe58iVigN_-QLE1dnucgSOUiWYLWSre41z4Ir-msn2QFx_yq_wWneybN8UvVsIHqEOZOnDiUtQr_Qm5qNYf4cYvroUQbDKpKzkpZeg0Y/s4032/IMG_5970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXTQM4TAJpM1FMf3DdiqI1SJlQwLWziKdTg_V-smzkhhYQ4U1kycAS32CqLXkb1_tT0ZqCzF-ezKTnrj39EgAGe58iVigN_-QLE1dnucgSOUiWYLWSre41z4Ir-msn2QFx_yq_wWneybN8UvVsIHqEOZOnDiUtQr_Qm5qNYf4cYvroUQbDKpKzkpZeg0Y/w400-h300/IMG_5970.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p>Chris Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18052818057825432279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376057412116187041.post-49068567959939981092024-01-24T09:48:00.000-08:002024-01-24T09:48:28.703-08:00Wordless Wednesday #457 - Grassing up Saybrook<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNu69sBHaKuqaI6cjUvK4oN41SL_LwRIMb-hC2uLJcN-h7u9R2Bh-PSfeVZO8H9ymOIyicvNfddEr2NeLkUFu_4LWgdETnpIB-emNX7vtI7C94KF1jZSbaL4zHThxDFkdMCYwWJeOhO2Xyi3_1ILFsk9q1gAXxpnvnoAWhzOIAQerHUpB2lro89jekTM/s4032/IMG_5737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNu69sBHaKuqaI6cjUvK4oN41SL_LwRIMb-hC2uLJcN-h7u9R2Bh-PSfeVZO8H9ymOIyicvNfddEr2NeLkUFu_4LWgdETnpIB-emNX7vtI7C94KF1jZSbaL4zHThxDFkdMCYwWJeOhO2Xyi3_1ILFsk9q1gAXxpnvnoAWhzOIAQerHUpB2lro89jekTM/w400-h300/IMG_5737.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAWo1pIcjVBzGlmfMtPQH5NUVSrZibCEahb6GzV3W2Na_bOiBfR6gySZTA_veyc9Lyjur6IpPy73JNyW94_PDBnT-Xu4JtP1i7dw2mkX3pkTDZZUq93unMfjlOi3N2Y0CeLBssV_ookMowuUxGJu0sYrQojj_nnx70jYSdvV4xdFRm8pt4pn9ffTdjC6g/s4032/IMG_5734.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAWo1pIcjVBzGlmfMtPQH5NUVSrZibCEahb6GzV3W2Na_bOiBfR6gySZTA_veyc9Lyjur6IpPy73JNyW94_PDBnT-Xu4JtP1i7dw2mkX3pkTDZZUq93unMfjlOi3N2Y0CeLBssV_ookMowuUxGJu0sYrQojj_nnx70jYSdvV4xdFRm8pt4pn9ffTdjC6g/w400-h300/IMG_5734.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ty8l4x7VoTK8COTfFjiRNusrLUakH98kBhosF91JTIezCd3Z44x17BwyJi6JjtXRBYDahf1YtaOWv4_AtcfyHKhKSiGH_ycf6NT5rIv3dPS5ziNnJR7Nlk6zajyx8ZwEEKEQBIIQtHPzILU7V6DQ0xB6gCpJJzNdWx-Vc4zY_y2RSQOVgMessSNGYqQ/s4032/IMG_5736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ty8l4x7VoTK8COTfFjiRNusrLUakH98kBhosF91JTIezCd3Z44x17BwyJi6JjtXRBYDahf1YtaOWv4_AtcfyHKhKSiGH_ycf6NT5rIv3dPS5ziNnJR7Nlk6zajyx8ZwEEKEQBIIQtHPzILU7V6DQ0xB6gCpJJzNdWx-Vc4zY_y2RSQOVgMessSNGYqQ/w400-h300/IMG_5736.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnsqWHlX5FdwBhi4w0sHYeilgyLOWbafrA4p6iO7q8cnKyKZwk1nG_rLg71DfW_i4j0UcaKLHl4f5ptuhlh1rBIp_d4yy9-9O1-MwwxsDyFcbpkuBx_sPnZtSX2LOd7-nuPAmCzz6teEWYs7lOvexhQ47AI2DHvtr6sp2_LOh0HuLo9ylZyazejqgq61c/s4032/IMG_5735.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnsqWHlX5FdwBhi4w0sHYeilgyLOWbafrA4p6iO7q8cnKyKZwk1nG_rLg71DfW_i4j0UcaKLHl4f5ptuhlh1rBIp_d4yy9-9O1-MwwxsDyFcbpkuBx_sPnZtSX2LOd7-nuPAmCzz6teEWYs7lOvexhQ47AI2DHvtr6sp2_LOh0HuLo9ylZyazejqgq61c/w400-h300/IMG_5735.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Chris Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18052818057825432279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376057412116187041.post-17443523902028970082024-01-18T00:30:00.000-08:002024-01-18T00:30:00.129-08:00A Quick Update . . .<p>As you can see from <a href="http://blog.thevalleylocal.net/2024/01/wordless-wednesday-456-saybrook.html">yesterday's post</a>, I haven't given up on the blog - though it may look like it. Suffice it to say that the past four weeks have been unusual. The Missus and I were <i style="font-weight: bold;">supposed</i> to leave the morning of December 23rd to head down south to visit my family for the holidays. In fact, we were all packed - presents and everything - & ready to go that Friday night, but I came down with some sort of bug (not COVID, fortunately) that laid me out for over a week. Long story short - we didn't get to visit my family and between being sick, the holidays, and ramping up for the 2024 legislative session, things haven't been quite normal.</p><p>But layout progress - though often thwarted - has continued, at least a little bit. I have folks literally from around the world visit during the <a href="https://www.railroadhobbyshow.com/">Big Railroad Hobby Show</a> (aka "Springfield" aka "The Big E show" aka "The Amherst Show")) later this month, so I want to get some more stuff done.</p><p>As of the <a href="http://blog.thevalleylocal.net/2023/12/bethel-cottages-porch-narrowing.html">last layout update</a>, I'd finished the <a href="http://blog.thevalleylocal.net/2023/12/bethel-cottages-porch-narrowing.html">Bethel cottages</a> and was getting ready to start on the scenery. I did some ground goop and placed the foundations, but progress there has pretty much stopped while I try to figure out how to proceed. I have to figure out the photo backdrop - and 2 of the 3 foundations have "settled" & are no longer dead level, making me consider ripping them out and doing them over again...</p><p>So I turned my attention to the Saybrook Scene, which is the first thing visitors see when they come down the basement. Once BillS did the structures and scenery there (I don't even want to hazard a guess as to how long ago <i style="font-weight: bold;">THAT</i> was!), I turned my attention to the rest of the layout. But it's become High Time to ballast the track there, and finish up the scenic details and other scenery - not to mention the Route 1 overpass, photo backdrop, etc.</p><p>Check out the photos from yesterday to see how things stand there as of now . . .</p><p>Since I got water in my basement last weekend (another setback we don't need to get into :^), I lost a few more good layout work days, so I doubt I'll be able to get this scene finished in time for the Springfield show, but at least I'm making progress despite all the challenges. #DoOneThing has really helped make sure progress, even if it's slow...</p><p>Speaking of #DoOneThing, if you don't mind Facebook, remember there's a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheValleyLocal">Valley Local group</a> over there. You don't have to love FB to parachute into the cool groups over there and follow the progress. And, I hate to admit it, it's a *lot* easier to post quick progress pics there as I'm working. So be sure to check it out.</p><p>That said though, I do plan to do more regular posting here - and was, until I got derailed a bit this past month. So thanks for your patience and hopefully you'll stay tuned!</p><p>In the meantime - Happy New Year!</p><p>(which reminds me - I haven't done an "<a href="http://blog.thevalleylocal.net/2022/01/2021-accomplishments2022-goals.html">Accomplishments/Goals</a>" post in forever...)</p>Chris Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18052818057825432279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376057412116187041.post-168113203476759002024-01-17T03:23:00.000-08:002024-01-17T03:23:41.225-08:00Wordless Wednesday #456 - Saybrook Ballasting & Passenger Platforms<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsmLhmlcfiHTURjEX5dGyNn0-ynhIk5K2wiNIdcXZ6Zh2om7wsjjpLm16QA1zEXT5bMHkFRdE2_xNnVNkOWY2rw5sjdW7Q9OE76hWGoyGlsI1SaEv9C7j-8mpcU6xXTlLoedUQWw7M8TfEUmfi8qujgvGLO5vGLXOjwWXXp61cEIAttfBZyK4b8rrXzlo/s4032/IMG_5690.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsmLhmlcfiHTURjEX5dGyNn0-ynhIk5K2wiNIdcXZ6Zh2om7wsjjpLm16QA1zEXT5bMHkFRdE2_xNnVNkOWY2rw5sjdW7Q9OE76hWGoyGlsI1SaEv9C7j-8mpcU6xXTlLoedUQWw7M8TfEUmfi8qujgvGLO5vGLXOjwWXXp61cEIAttfBZyK4b8rrXzlo/w400-h300/IMG_5690.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib82wbnmqlxjWJCGHC1HxJB0svC_HXkqYAQzkjmBUJ0gr50NENxEImK9mSaaT0S3s8OXq1JLYG95w0eKqbnWOVVwFPN_Nm4abnL3VtMsweM63hR6BBwZ7kjNPFPV-v4NnDUrvZFYg0upakqaj5i4cudQCkRI0E-9zr4BEWtJjYzdZyPhP4kjJoZTgjLjc/s4032/IMG_5689.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib82wbnmqlxjWJCGHC1HxJB0svC_HXkqYAQzkjmBUJ0gr50NENxEImK9mSaaT0S3s8OXq1JLYG95w0eKqbnWOVVwFPN_Nm4abnL3VtMsweM63hR6BBwZ7kjNPFPV-v4NnDUrvZFYg0upakqaj5i4cudQCkRI0E-9zr4BEWtJjYzdZyPhP4kjJoZTgjLjc/w400-h300/IMG_5689.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHZfaZPZdiWG6TkwIpAeMMwVvt0RZm_pGMngm4v5E3q2oSV0-YvvKfyY6q2vzj3832NPuE2Lku6iUPxKAHoL6gxRCNO2a_aUP8drM-WrIMYEqUWCwpJ6D2CEJXB-tN9S6yklwDHvH-qww99SZx8tQZnlIoriQJCjo4tkYECpccacArO4eawVwOjv_-yyI/s4032/IMG_5688.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHZfaZPZdiWG6TkwIpAeMMwVvt0RZm_pGMngm4v5E3q2oSV0-YvvKfyY6q2vzj3832NPuE2Lku6iUPxKAHoL6gxRCNO2a_aUP8drM-WrIMYEqUWCwpJ6D2CEJXB-tN9S6yklwDHvH-qww99SZx8tQZnlIoriQJCjo4tkYECpccacArO4eawVwOjv_-yyI/w400-h300/IMG_5688.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Chris Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18052818057825432279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376057412116187041.post-34249228959084112542023-12-20T00:30:00.000-08:002023-12-20T00:30:00.128-08:00Wordless Wednesday #455 - Christmas Layout<p>Here are some pics from my <a href="http://blog.thevalleylocal.net/search/label/Christmas%20Layout" target="_blank">Christmas layout</a> to put you in the holiday mood. Hope you enjoy them and hope, even more, that you and yours are having a wonderful holiday season!!</p><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="79" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuoOL-VxDqMJY2RaReHtO0IbqlY5yF5pgHdORg2rmVN7ONbl5E5sUPQoXUv3tX0haIT2mp6QRaN4m5Fl_4UHsGWHyaOUZ3giJzjMskMjCIgmtAKYbx7815b4gCtSjBOERl98du3j6jAP4/s400/FullSizeRender+%25281%2529.jpg" width="400" /></div></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div style="text-align: center;"><img height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYYEeY9Y5TOrDEyNH2Qum8XSwFxWAn92Io4TtJ878Fwr_4qBeTylqbwzusK-G51M_foACw9RVntTgr5LUTjZrnQS9Cbv8f8K2aOvGfoyJl9GZr0DdJXcGFHSR9KXjYzJAfNkcxHO7aSh4/s400/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="400" /></div></div><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1yAY_WQs7JI3evAyc_QaTrW3rARLVqQ3i-UlWveDM7DUWbLF1nL6HDyjtxLQRaVy_ywXoD5Sp86yLnjLIsr2ztkme8wfxsarayTOI1a1h6s6PYM3uPKmeRBlAqPYLL2W6d8aW4LXvIyw/s1600/IMG_2941.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1yAY_WQs7JI3evAyc_QaTrW3rARLVqQ3i-UlWveDM7DUWbLF1nL6HDyjtxLQRaVy_ywXoD5Sp86yLnjLIsr2ztkme8wfxsarayTOI1a1h6s6PYM3uPKmeRBlAqPYLL2W6d8aW4LXvIyw/s400/IMG_2941.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6Q13J-B5VNHoDYLUAFoEfYtlemz9r49EkjYmJU3J3Yi_tKueU_Q9jDmvPk2LCxb4sTf7puJehfTtm36Bfifdii4TWeSrWyCwDYetQAB639gkbKALSKeK5fqn61N2fEKe1hPHR2igTnQ/s1600/IMG_2944.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6Q13J-B5VNHoDYLUAFoEfYtlemz9r49EkjYmJU3J3Yi_tKueU_Q9jDmvPk2LCxb4sTf7puJehfTtm36Bfifdii4TWeSrWyCwDYetQAB639gkbKALSKeK5fqn61N2fEKe1hPHR2igTnQ/s400/IMG_2944.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwQDXJvNSwV4cqXQraH9UaGdqJ9PVcpho57q02sJse43RYPXjenks9qIFaxwcNlG_gij9ETLSpz0IAt8jSTV7MBq3eQ1-ELBWVcBTby-L7C9Rb6iB1dVlN2yh8Nym9B0Nc8J7Kk0LXFzo/s1600/IMG_2943.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwQDXJvNSwV4cqXQraH9UaGdqJ9PVcpho57q02sJse43RYPXjenks9qIFaxwcNlG_gij9ETLSpz0IAt8jSTV7MBq3eQ1-ELBWVcBTby-L7C9Rb6iB1dVlN2yh8Nym9B0Nc8J7Kk0LXFzo/s400/IMG_2943.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI6975-xfvL6pSXeA1-xu5GD551FjncWZpAaRDRXMn_h02xx8YVbqUk31fsQLMxF7DG6xySTiGicHZCvtHB-X4VnwfjB5qJsVu-08Oq6EpFXFGE5hTI8Mp_6qdf60TAOvyC6whVBQb2Lk/s1600/IMG_2930.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI6975-xfvL6pSXeA1-xu5GD551FjncWZpAaRDRXMn_h02xx8YVbqUk31fsQLMxF7DG6xySTiGicHZCvtHB-X4VnwfjB5qJsVu-08Oq6EpFXFGE5hTI8Mp_6qdf60TAOvyC6whVBQb2Lk/s400/IMG_2930.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN9aZF7xhFtaZBWv9TmXe2rDNiJ47VCnB1FLTL4zMnfoVPbGiMvnRTJylmNrkmPtQxHjp5HiaicwIdjAkaCMndtYbbovhcE3SbEYuWagKNBW_C_wwbPGsJ2m8y0rkNBkyxxSmESTpxGLc/s1600/IMG_2918.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN9aZF7xhFtaZBWv9TmXe2rDNiJ47VCnB1FLTL4zMnfoVPbGiMvnRTJylmNrkmPtQxHjp5HiaicwIdjAkaCMndtYbbovhcE3SbEYuWagKNBW_C_wwbPGsJ2m8y0rkNBkyxxSmESTpxGLc/s400/IMG_2918.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_OCLmMSrgzfXUqqNAIt1hp9D3OuMT7TCDGCdr459H4vlbtWzBWPjUJBIMnpSN3ZzcYw6VbyVJNEdvnqt0iyJz6pkjyNy01FSM4QPTTSzrbZw9qDzm9oNNhV8Yn3Jkq45eT2wCSg6xjSc/s1600/IMG_2919.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_OCLmMSrgzfXUqqNAIt1hp9D3OuMT7TCDGCdr459H4vlbtWzBWPjUJBIMnpSN3ZzcYw6VbyVJNEdvnqt0iyJz6pkjyNy01FSM4QPTTSzrbZw9qDzm9oNNhV8Yn3Jkq45eT2wCSg6xjSc/s400/IMG_2919.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlNwHYQsyFGRZ66H7c9NzdSL78POE4qz9jCUpdw-qrWcLbqJZz9XoB0xEPtdE7mYy6SgbewugElXezTb2aSmfF7OTodtF10CFwsNAU6aCNhYFUKuz5YtNBKFXZ5irqP0LlctsTcx3gvaY/s1600/IMG_2920.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlNwHYQsyFGRZ66H7c9NzdSL78POE4qz9jCUpdw-qrWcLbqJZz9XoB0xEPtdE7mYy6SgbewugElXezTb2aSmfF7OTodtF10CFwsNAU6aCNhYFUKuz5YtNBKFXZ5irqP0LlctsTcx3gvaY/s400/IMG_2920.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyV6k0zDb7hucBW8cj7XWh6p0Yq4F7WIlJvd44hWEAWFTe4fXq15drZqFzVuZRgxHEgmDtU2Hq3_0Cds74r0reETiqOY8fV-sROGGuk5j70tgRCYM6nImYi5NOnpfELpUUEItFn7zKpS0/s1600/IMG_2924.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyV6k0zDb7hucBW8cj7XWh6p0Yq4F7WIlJvd44hWEAWFTe4fXq15drZqFzVuZRgxHEgmDtU2Hq3_0Cds74r0reETiqOY8fV-sROGGuk5j70tgRCYM6nImYi5NOnpfELpUUEItFn7zKpS0/s400/IMG_2924.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3hsc-v61BzTcIl7Y2Lg3CcBTVZ1PLPqNQJxSFyxN1aq_Oo54MFgtM8N2jF8UUn75mtfAUSZey-SYIGixK32r_ufLQOwWhIz7UCGthENsvXv8-r5El3URQSNxdVh3KcDgTJdVXzLlDp8/s1600/IMG_2925.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC3hsc-v61BzTcIl7Y2Lg3CcBTVZ1PLPqNQJxSFyxN1aq_Oo54MFgtM8N2jF8UUn75mtfAUSZey-SYIGixK32r_ufLQOwWhIz7UCGthENsvXv8-r5El3URQSNxdVh3KcDgTJdVXzLlDp8/s400/IMG_2925.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiioxH984CvrpRqDevDHAVU_4lomjUrJL-c0SOgexnMUsZty8tzoP2z0sw0iLWrwoX-rsdwR3PcSl38JafpLbxAFXM0KVXxSyPY9UKfn_hguqFV6gktCw1yrAzaWx4C0L_J_-_IHwkXJwI/s1600/IMG_2926.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiioxH984CvrpRqDevDHAVU_4lomjUrJL-c0SOgexnMUsZty8tzoP2z0sw0iLWrwoX-rsdwR3PcSl38JafpLbxAFXM0KVXxSyPY9UKfn_hguqFV6gktCw1yrAzaWx4C0L_J_-_IHwkXJwI/s400/IMG_2926.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi752PTq-sNOQ7ueDDsZryZVrIBOwhBfm6TGgLawNW9Qj0eYz5GmVcAbY3ojFVPejvKpAaT-v1wq7gJBtFATkE_fYjbYg-DELmgTRz48ZdrQBoJZDTinDtXeMH5LjNFlMUMpGW0WNKY6HQ/s1600/IMG_2927.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi752PTq-sNOQ7ueDDsZryZVrIBOwhBfm6TGgLawNW9Qj0eYz5GmVcAbY3ojFVPejvKpAaT-v1wq7gJBtFATkE_fYjbYg-DELmgTRz48ZdrQBoJZDTinDtXeMH5LjNFlMUMpGW0WNKY6HQ/s400/IMG_2927.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtffc0mviqVkYVMejFC_HSZsAhG9EVmOIXiLU-S70rztXKFWLS4YW6jMISM7_KGnLdmq11LVTl2TL1J31SbbA4Kqfw-BOd0JcwLObnckn7bPWtCgYilxlWKzIcrC9KLo4yOkQq8OkQ5Pc/s1600/IMG_2929.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtffc0mviqVkYVMejFC_HSZsAhG9EVmOIXiLU-S70rztXKFWLS4YW6jMISM7_KGnLdmq11LVTl2TL1J31SbbA4Kqfw-BOd0JcwLObnckn7bPWtCgYilxlWKzIcrC9KLo4yOkQq8OkQ5Pc/s400/IMG_2929.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtEIeaTODD1CqnzwyReV9HILat1LBS3uA_Zc4Gp2jGONDn7XmHDaks4MqoyeWYQzs83O1ZSP1pyTrqnlYZ2fL4M7KY4DjLslM1o1vZgaakwcka69o2iTVUGBnSQ2K3ocQUogzb4sjoSBw/s1600/IMG_2934.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtEIeaTODD1CqnzwyReV9HILat1LBS3uA_Zc4Gp2jGONDn7XmHDaks4MqoyeWYQzs83O1ZSP1pyTrqnlYZ2fL4M7KY4DjLslM1o1vZgaakwcka69o2iTVUGBnSQ2K3ocQUogzb4sjoSBw/s400/IMG_2934.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwksnNcVS4573N9Voh4wlYKtmIz7UtnHV8vEf_LALi4xmoGj3vq1tf5fjGvcTgyv4JzKYEYBf6YhH6IzDgRZXQUInRBM3uW41IFX2ItjCUWcNukPagtgAT03KMtfxX1DAOMIqDlpjmn28/s1600/IMG_2938.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwksnNcVS4573N9Voh4wlYKtmIz7UtnHV8vEf_LALi4xmoGj3vq1tf5fjGvcTgyv4JzKYEYBf6YhH6IzDgRZXQUInRBM3uW41IFX2ItjCUWcNukPagtgAT03KMtfxX1DAOMIqDlpjmn28/s400/IMG_2938.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtgGqdDbaVRm9NRcm-OVT9sEyDEeg9i1RVoqVEfTNk_br2Ydzeo3NUD7PUIy_Ao6DTdiifS4V2JCncysZbNfDKCUA2TfGHfvH2jtC576n-HVUoAxsCTXjIv2bEy_hDpMe7ameHtE_v3g/s1600/IMG_2939.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtgGqdDbaVRm9NRcm-OVT9sEyDEeg9i1RVoqVEfTNk_br2Ydzeo3NUD7PUIy_Ao6DTdiifS4V2JCncysZbNfDKCUA2TfGHfvH2jtC576n-HVUoAxsCTXjIv2bEy_hDpMe7ameHtE_v3g/s400/IMG_2939.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGBzAp46pEwD-p9BXH6y5llZDUAHezcFi9oB3NbbezoLEaYJV8m_bgjcWu5hJaUCdNTtpAVENIOtLPw4_Bs6SeKCsyVFpJR1xE8kWTtOnyWYOO60wzWY1mOFghRnIMOEGY6OJdSwtq3Ds/s1600/IMG_2932.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGBzAp46pEwD-p9BXH6y5llZDUAHezcFi9oB3NbbezoLEaYJV8m_bgjcWu5hJaUCdNTtpAVENIOtLPw4_Bs6SeKCsyVFpJR1xE8kWTtOnyWYOO60wzWY1mOFghRnIMOEGY6OJdSwtq3Ds/s400/IMG_2932.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOfRisbILTAReIzzD9KLtYdnBNdakW6CxsJzM3a0qIwmMvm3JEbT3V7tqc5OgPL6uipVN7CyYOGf-KpzRjsU9u-0GGiuyxdwDr5wIelryO6kE1VpNNbxu1V0fFCZcpKL0AxfVD9xBNJgg/s1600/IMG_2940.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOfRisbILTAReIzzD9KLtYdnBNdakW6CxsJzM3a0qIwmMvm3JEbT3V7tqc5OgPL6uipVN7CyYOGf-KpzRjsU9u-0GGiuyxdwDr5wIelryO6kE1VpNNbxu1V0fFCZcpKL0AxfVD9xBNJgg/s400/IMG_2940.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Chris Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18052818057825432279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376057412116187041.post-86069095881687172782023-12-19T00:30:00.000-08:002023-12-19T00:30:00.130-08:00The Sunset Diner in Cromwell, CT<p>One of the lessons I'm learning (and RE-learning, over and over again) is that persistent progress in this hobby is the result of doing what you're most in the mood to do - pivoting from one project to another and not allowing yourself to get bogged down. If you always - or at least often - #DoOneThing, you'll be surprised at how much you get done.</p><p>I was able to spend a good amount of time in the basement this past weekend working on setting the scene for the <a href="http://blog.thevalleylocal.net/2023/12/bethel-cottages-porch-narrowing.html">Camp Bethel Cottages</a> I've been working on, but weeknights are much better for working at the bench. So I pivoted from working on scenery to finishing up the Sunset Diner in Cromwell. (<a href="http://blog.thevalleylocal.net/2023/11/the-valley-local-glenn-miller.html">Be sure to click here for a really cool story about how this diner figures in the history of big band music</a> . . .)</p><p>To set the scene, literally, here's a period view looking north on the Middlesex Turnpike into Cromwell. . .</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3GdbR-4z8g47wcCjNHaJxv4zMpdXtgqQRjSA7U_0N5pLp3YcYslYEy7QDzimAq7inpbnlQCsygUDLWbnytcP6Qq1Av2Ppv0ErEAU6x7n6qn4PFemg_K3VexSFaCuHIRiX7TKaenN8d2hxsOsdevhJ0mqQk2yHP-vOh0LdokBHdV6s22x-jl5jDEbcYck/s1065/Cromwell1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="827" data-original-width="1065" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3GdbR-4z8g47wcCjNHaJxv4zMpdXtgqQRjSA7U_0N5pLp3YcYslYEy7QDzimAq7inpbnlQCsygUDLWbnytcP6Qq1Av2Ppv0ErEAU6x7n6qn4PFemg_K3VexSFaCuHIRiX7TKaenN8d2hxsOsdevhJ0mqQk2yHP-vOh0LdokBHdV6s22x-jl5jDEbcYck/w400-h310/Cromwell1.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The diner is the white, octagon(!) windowed structure on the left.<div><br /></div><div>BillS built a model of this structure for me a couple years ago and it's been sitting on the layout ever since. But it was high time to finish detailing it with some stacks, vents, and a cool sign.</div><div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEietO9TadiHwDmBmFgO8nvtlfcTuhGc1mavwpe9N41dMIGE7bDd48Dc8Yd0g5mXpNB3NEsxRWV4iAGi_K-S26VctTDAnIaxfFSdrLbN46Fn1D8OKCZxLGd4M7gfx_cx8K-LuPutDR2bziGL0gghb0Cz8MM9VmP3Gyy7K_Py_CiKISfQaKyGMF7ov_LHGwk/s4032/IMG_5231.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEietO9TadiHwDmBmFgO8nvtlfcTuhGc1mavwpe9N41dMIGE7bDd48Dc8Yd0g5mXpNB3NEsxRWV4iAGi_K-S26VctTDAnIaxfFSdrLbN46Fn1D8OKCZxLGd4M7gfx_cx8K-LuPutDR2bziGL0gghb0Cz8MM9VmP3Gyy7K_Py_CiKISfQaKyGMF7ov_LHGwk/w400-h300/IMG_5231.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The stacks & ventilators came from a Walthers rooftop details assortment. I used some scrap styrene to make bases and cleanouts.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWoCtLbWYU5i9d5QJ4Ppz8Q-U2P_YEnTDGPU5629jaoZswfe7PsmjHYhr8lFKPz7PzNuefDi54mvKD13hNU4BNNHrcUiRbWREW_bmxsojbzH0roD6Oohk8Nek7LLErroxZmlKYbFEKX5hPtRCJ5aVlaPhvoRbsAq2HrUGTHcGzOV77x0HqS6R5OFOj_Y/s4032/IMG_4288.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibWoCtLbWYU5i9d5QJ4Ppz8Q-U2P_YEnTDGPU5629jaoZswfe7PsmjHYhr8lFKPz7PzNuefDi54mvKD13hNU4BNNHrcUiRbWREW_bmxsojbzH0roD6Oohk8Nek7LLErroxZmlKYbFEKX5hPtRCJ5aVlaPhvoRbsAq2HrUGTHcGzOV77x0HqS6R5OFOj_Y/w400-h300/IMG_4288.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The skylight is an old Scale Structures Ltd. kit. The little tracing/template on the right was to help me cut out clear styrene for the windows.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRhn464Ku6fm3oKYtAV-a4ljjVUxzPFg9R1U5e_9ckaAEqED-V-nOMs4LHiEfok5264_Sx13o6nrV3AohdH9QeFi55bDtvIqI4RAVblHisRJU2p2IZAXOx3SVGxTK89bfdR6uDOJ5aIpV5vZbnvKL4X2G9PIio7HZcKtdP5WnYhVTH2Ko22GdwMaD5pn0/s4032/IMG_5232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRhn464Ku6fm3oKYtAV-a4ljjVUxzPFg9R1U5e_9ckaAEqED-V-nOMs4LHiEfok5264_Sx13o6nrV3AohdH9QeFi55bDtvIqI4RAVblHisRJU2p2IZAXOx3SVGxTK89bfdR6uDOJ5aIpV5vZbnvKL4X2G9PIio7HZcKtdP5WnYhVTH2Ko22GdwMaD5pn0/w400-h300/IMG_5232.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But figuring it would be much easier, I ended up using some Micro Kristal Klear instead.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrWekkLo1R42qOQEMdFrqseyor2s3QLvr3HKlSE3V4CG_U5VAvBFpRdj04NTdxLlSZ1Ry1VP5s3y0N2SEK8t-ffmWAz1neG0GqD9DfSXIALigMcdRfWkTMD5U5Z5SgQWFjopcsRyz9jIujzGsL0hCxtkG41rgWeLze1WFme_8pt9BbpeZ310R80uFt4NI/s4032/IMG_5239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrWekkLo1R42qOQEMdFrqseyor2s3QLvr3HKlSE3V4CG_U5VAvBFpRdj04NTdxLlSZ1Ry1VP5s3y0N2SEK8t-ffmWAz1neG0GqD9DfSXIALigMcdRfWkTMD5U5Z5SgQWFjopcsRyz9jIujzGsL0hCxtkG41rgWeLze1WFme_8pt9BbpeZ310R80uFt4NI/w300-h400/IMG_5239.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I made the signpost from 1/16" tube, 3/64" and .015" wire all soldered together. The eyebolts are DA #2206 and the chain is Campbell #256.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0wG3uvqGaPPzE59TCRGvPhDRmPbfoR76rTitn_Yvb02KzA4ihcyM-Oi8Y_m_MaG1BtlJX24nZAgWTS_uzO3ZberxhFoAxlDilfd3-oPEanTrHlbD0LLVsy11PAbtsW8JyvWjpfEECc6PNRs67PP9PcGQyM20m1xERguz88xB26BmCD-Z1q3w_FdxlZ4/s964/IMG_5280.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="964" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0wG3uvqGaPPzE59TCRGvPhDRmPbfoR76rTitn_Yvb02KzA4ihcyM-Oi8Y_m_MaG1BtlJX24nZAgWTS_uzO3ZberxhFoAxlDilfd3-oPEanTrHlbD0LLVsy11PAbtsW8JyvWjpfEECc6PNRs67PP9PcGQyM20m1xERguz88xB26BmCD-Z1q3w_FdxlZ4/w400-h264/IMG_5280.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lack of sign in the first/main prototype photo I had ended up holding up this project for a while since I didn't even know the name of the diner for the longest time. Then I found this photo.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3kmBd7zelXNCtKYuHGmRSsTk8oMyomCjMzlrxrXKgfS24Wu7Yfd0idQCdHXEZFa4-xna2Bscc_rF7dQ3tDz1vFJ_5ntExH40WT7GhyphenhyphenJfveUuWQ1dNpxQbU_AW2KsIElHxZrA9m6FLZdPbrFKvgU5zu6uBgpIWJkYx0hHYuxuhE6niy6MRLw-iUFYtFrg/s4032/IMG_5277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3kmBd7zelXNCtKYuHGmRSsTk8oMyomCjMzlrxrXKgfS24Wu7Yfd0idQCdHXEZFa4-xna2Bscc_rF7dQ3tDz1vFJ_5ntExH40WT7GhyphenhyphenJfveUuWQ1dNpxQbU_AW2KsIElHxZrA9m6FLZdPbrFKvgU5zu6uBgpIWJkYx0hHYuxuhE6niy6MRLw-iUFYtFrg/w300-h400/IMG_5277.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bill used his computer skills to recreate the sign and I printed it out and mounted it to .020" styrene and used .008" wire to create hooks to hang the sign from the chain. <br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSrDK1zyn-gzQfpKKnQR2W7LdFSYhhg69f28pauFMu8OmCrvFB-yhtRRQrsW7BcpS7C1QYn7cLPPgmrcxRL3XdozMEUAYMMLJ01my4W43V0qDyxcoDkQ_IFI3IZ08yzSysfzwnN8YYm7dtw12zlWvxpTu4MyrfHWWGvwUUk8tyqVeIB8wGBJOuth8HTac/s4032/IMG_5244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSrDK1zyn-gzQfpKKnQR2W7LdFSYhhg69f28pauFMu8OmCrvFB-yhtRRQrsW7BcpS7C1QYn7cLPPgmrcxRL3XdozMEUAYMMLJ01my4W43V0qDyxcoDkQ_IFI3IZ08yzSysfzwnN8YYm7dtw12zlWvxpTu4MyrfHWWGvwUUk8tyqVeIB8wGBJOuth8HTac/w400-h300/IMG_5244.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sign post and the stacks/vents were all airbrushed with Tamiya paints, thinned 50:50 with 90% alcohol.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimPz28tndZoHJliBOqdcgY_s2tvvwKaBvfKrMUL2zXon-vs2lbiexoixMZ_crhp4PyKq8n30YZ6cxd8Q0yd6v1juMMUR1aoBzMOdxB_YArt0o9lkQWmN40xNWXcwHh2nWWHbZlMc9CBjTjc-3G4lD9VY6Wz45ZWeE3IJv6VdFOWRnSok5sF_MDlUYT7o/s4032/IMG_5278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgimPz28tndZoHJliBOqdcgY_s2tvvwKaBvfKrMUL2zXon-vs2lbiexoixMZ_crhp4PyKq8n30YZ6cxd8Q0yd6v1juMMUR1aoBzMOdxB_YArt0o9lkQWmN40xNWXcwHh2nWWHbZlMc9CBjTjc-3G4lD9VY6Wz45ZWeE3IJv6VdFOWRnSok5sF_MDlUYT7o/w400-h300/IMG_5278.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I didn't like the vent on the skylight that came with the Scale Structures kit, so I used one from my scrapbox, securing it with some CA gel. You can also see how well the "glass" came out.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfkFlw1a1bUAU4bDx9iwtGBH3Lg0AaxmkEg-yN_za02l78kHOwPsO8RJpIoB_h1kFeoL9zriR2IGgtHtnUjExivR_WQTeRasRP1mHhzZJwgSo18irbVSz7SobvXL7qAhH00Wm8G-I_ZsiuY4HnmF7FqTAtyv8fRDGg18ZhBVd7A0oifBVUPqRJy9Kbi0w/s4032/IMG_5279.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfkFlw1a1bUAU4bDx9iwtGBH3Lg0AaxmkEg-yN_za02l78kHOwPsO8RJpIoB_h1kFeoL9zriR2IGgtHtnUjExivR_WQTeRasRP1mHhzZJwgSo18irbVSz7SobvXL7qAhH00Wm8G-I_ZsiuY4HnmF7FqTAtyv8fRDGg18ZhBVd7A0oifBVUPqRJy9Kbi0w/w400-h300/IMG_5279.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And this is the back, which you don't really see from normal viewing, but at least I know what it looks like :^) All these parts were attached to the main structure with CA gel.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAH6nMFt1jJY68kq6jn_60tT_cw9vGjnGfXUvaKehIu5Quwsc1flhQxkFRVbp1d03Olx57Dfk-R5928s8ZNm0EwO66GWQdqWe836Tv4Ub_-IB-v8_A1juoQrSgRu5FhEjFM90U7GrbylRuirvbtuJlQ-oJDugdgeaJwI1dBOiwkwZWeVHYsZcM6OKl9k8/s4032/IMG_5284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAH6nMFt1jJY68kq6jn_60tT_cw9vGjnGfXUvaKehIu5Quwsc1flhQxkFRVbp1d03Olx57Dfk-R5928s8ZNm0EwO66GWQdqWe836Tv4Ub_-IB-v8_A1juoQrSgRu5FhEjFM90U7GrbylRuirvbtuJlQ-oJDugdgeaJwI1dBOiwkwZWeVHYsZcM6OKl9k8/w400-h300/IMG_5284.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And here it is on the layout. Still need to do some weathering, but I think it'll sit here like this for a bit until I can muster up some courage.</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-FioPJvx41SYH34zjH-Z7qfYLxJ4YiyXkRDMSdRFumOLnsDSsXDZFkOpxUjWFtKMGO5c0xTo7UJyES8eaN8Y4fE2P4YRtQHaMUIskaV-W3EPWDicaI28NGcaLtuoe6ZY_kODx6YTidIfZfxXXnkyE34juP_Zs07PIvkNgsWMKDpXNu0QFdpnjuO4q7SM/s4032/IMG_5282.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-FioPJvx41SYH34zjH-Z7qfYLxJ4YiyXkRDMSdRFumOLnsDSsXDZFkOpxUjWFtKMGO5c0xTo7UJyES8eaN8Y4fE2P4YRtQHaMUIskaV-W3EPWDicaI28NGcaLtuoe6ZY_kODx6YTidIfZfxXXnkyE34juP_Zs07PIvkNgsWMKDpXNu0QFdpnjuO4q7SM/w400-h300/IMG_5282.JPG" width="400" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;">So there you have it! I think it came out really well, especially when you compare the photo above to the prototype pic at the beginning of this post. I really enjoy recreating the past in miniature, especially when there's <a href="http://blog.thevalleylocal.net/2023/11/the-valley-local-glenn-miller.html">a cool story</a> involved. Thanks for following along and let me know what you think!</p></div>Chris Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18052818057825432279noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376057412116187041.post-521455441104596002023-12-18T00:30:00.000-08:002023-12-18T00:30:00.135-08:00Bethel Cottages - Porch Narrowing & Assembly (pt.4)<p style="text-align: left;">As we continue building the "Bethel Camp Cottages" (click <a href="http://blog.thevalleylocal.net/2023/11/friday-fun-modeling-camp-bethel-terrain.html">here</a> for part 1, <a href="http://blog.thevalleylocal.net/2023/12/modeling-monday-camp-bethel-prototype.html">here</a> for part 2, and <a href="http://blog.thevalleylocal.net/2023/12/bethel-cottages-painting-and-wall-roof.html">here</a> for part 3), it occurred to me . . .</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0U0yoUQGs9afS6gZGHWcZFNbMnCzx52LbsWu1Y9FWbPakzFcqATEyJJOdpBIMBSiJwDToKfy9Tu-vk7KOvBEv75Oq9svfP1B19ff2WnXDQuXW31OXyomVfPVOIc9m-M3DfUmCr46QMey0z1QS_cCyKQ8o-fMn3vRZ3YeNaae7fXrf2sGQgDgXJPXQKaI/s4032/IMG_3836.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0U0yoUQGs9afS6gZGHWcZFNbMnCzx52LbsWu1Y9FWbPakzFcqATEyJJOdpBIMBSiJwDToKfy9Tu-vk7KOvBEv75Oq9svfP1B19ff2WnXDQuXW31OXyomVfPVOIc9m-M3DfUmCr46QMey0z1QS_cCyKQ8o-fMn3vRZ3YeNaae7fXrf2sGQgDgXJPXQKaI/w400-h300/IMG_3836.JPG" width="400" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;">. . . Other than its overall proportions, the other thing I liked about the house I borrowed from Somerset as my temporary stand-in (pictured above) was the little porch. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqXXrneRMdkiLHoFGH16xWjT_vucBBKuSx1QefozMeQuKEp-IEPZd6rS4-KV4r-zNRPo9oB46NTDBNqdq7RGjATTnCSwIlXMeLsZm1vE7zs31xwWi8qieI7Cx_2PmQX9YgpXvbdGvDRf0EedhCkjOv_S_sguyLH3RrbTt-L2eDsP5u0etdZGM0wp6V-RA/s816/IMG_3641.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="816" data-original-width="463" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqXXrneRMdkiLHoFGH16xWjT_vucBBKuSx1QefozMeQuKEp-IEPZd6rS4-KV4r-zNRPo9oB46NTDBNqdq7RGjATTnCSwIlXMeLsZm1vE7zs31xwWi8qieI7Cx_2PmQX9YgpXvbdGvDRf0EedhCkjOv_S_sguyLH3RrbTt-L2eDsP5u0etdZGM0wp6V-RA/w228-h400/IMG_3641.JPG" width="228" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FYI, these kits are now <a href="https://sanjuandetails.com/reese-street-row-houses/">available from San Juan Details</a>, who acquired the former Grandt Line kits.</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;">Unfortunately, while the gable trim on the house kits I'm using is great and really evokes the "camp cottage" look I'm going for, they don't have any sort of porch. So I got the bright idea of using the floor and roof parts from the lean-to addition provided in the kits to build some back porches. Having a back porch rather than a front porch may seem a bit odd, but since the cottages face away from the Connecticut River, I figured a rear porch would give my little camp denizens a nice place to have a cup of coffee and enjoy the view.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-VSBx7PzuQdzWZ9R_k2TwYnvmnECsXzNayrMx4XvsbygRJ95KUClgOc9ezzOLsRrbZc7L5DfrIv5wJ8qLMwO_Ug5oV5ILNaeOO1SaXGJVYt5yzskc82Bbkwgfp1RpzNR1KLqACt1bUbghdL4FlGkt5qO1z-m8zjnWOiDq_1yXG5j9GlbvSUKuxYG5B78/s4032/IMG_3835.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-VSBx7PzuQdzWZ9R_k2TwYnvmnECsXzNayrMx4XvsbygRJ95KUClgOc9ezzOLsRrbZc7L5DfrIv5wJ8qLMwO_Ug5oV5ILNaeOO1SaXGJVYt5yzskc82Bbkwgfp1RpzNR1KLqACt1bUbghdL4FlGkt5qO1z-m8zjnWOiDq_1yXG5j9GlbvSUKuxYG5B78/w400-h300/IMG_3835.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Unfortunately, the lean-to parts are a <i style="font-weight: bold;">bit</i> too wide, so I had to narrow the floor and the roof.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu3adZNiu8q1nTPWzHXTw94NCz5w8fA96U6s5aRS69sjhv0bFfNHq1dj2L5snufOUoswcZSb5MqaXGywB41uVXP1_MzQizFZgn5_j0riTms0GzbGjd_UB8LKjzm0nzBgsyYF9KPJ3D2YJX72dMKPDjhFXLfNbUuQsjgI2Q9v4_nSXbJXcMrDQUufp1qJI/s4032/IMG_4083.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu3adZNiu8q1nTPWzHXTw94NCz5w8fA96U6s5aRS69sjhv0bFfNHq1dj2L5snufOUoswcZSb5MqaXGywB41uVXP1_MzQizFZgn5_j0riTms0GzbGjd_UB8LKjzm0nzBgsyYF9KPJ3D2YJX72dMKPDjhFXLfNbUuQsjgI2Q9v4_nSXbJXcMrDQUufp1qJI/w300-h400/IMG_4083.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And in a bit of overkill, I reached out to my friend ScottL, who is a professional home builder (among many other talents) and he sent me this handy - and very detailed - diagram on how to build the porch.<div><br /></div><div>In the end, I ended up doing a lot of eyeballing...</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLiQSfVJKbvtETlFCdk8aQaK8VIfmSKShpAWrtOruLqIVOD9cjRL2OujbO_8UDJrqectRpn93rd_hMSupcO4FnJuM1A4Vx9J5r01C6IXB6DW1jCb1SxDgfR6aTobRpDblUSCgjuIypgh2nthT6YgI7kFIrbCtcrNV0okRHLMVahXsbIaScthUj_phRuzw/s4032/IMG_4084.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLiQSfVJKbvtETlFCdk8aQaK8VIfmSKShpAWrtOruLqIVOD9cjRL2OujbO_8UDJrqectRpn93rd_hMSupcO4FnJuM1A4Vx9J5r01C6IXB6DW1jCb1SxDgfR6aTobRpDblUSCgjuIypgh2nthT6YgI7kFIrbCtcrNV0okRHLMVahXsbIaScthUj_phRuzw/w400-h300/IMG_4084.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>You can see in the photo above how I shortened/narrowed the lean-to floor by about 6 boards. The front porches included in the kit are actually just little stoops, so I used the 6 boards I'd removed from the lean-to floor to create a larger front porch, as you see with the house on the right.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19jnkxL3vVYVoQbF1oyjgE_6pdZ-cstum8U-kJpv6KnWJ_OLyWVNWh73L8T1XKKsSWhsdKw_fuJyp2mDiPvEZlp_-LlVLn8k7o-LS9kKWVB0KIj6xRt7JBKq8GKNLeHI6UGeSW_rYpoglX7fBMcCt5jBpka4ag81mi-w2ou7hhd7FqDtjSeFZll98mTQ/s4032/IMG_4086.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19jnkxL3vVYVoQbF1oyjgE_6pdZ-cstum8U-kJpv6KnWJ_OLyWVNWh73L8T1XKKsSWhsdKw_fuJyp2mDiPvEZlp_-LlVLn8k7o-LS9kKWVB0KIj6xRt7JBKq8GKNLeHI6UGeSW_rYpoglX7fBMcCt5jBpka4ag81mi-w2ou7hhd7FqDtjSeFZll98mTQ/w300-h400/IMG_4086.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I also narrowed the porch roofs by about 1/4" to match the width of the porch (which, in turn, matches the width of the cottage).</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOjeHIbsXi2eWhzGAx4BjdTXzpLOvTprfoi4t_WCDid361b84MGm7-5hypcE4runYADMg5GaBLQBC8Hv97WBQmTWXuwnIQgJhS_gPOX6XV9ui4BsDL1sb90uyQz5LlKeXp2P-plA-s0TzAqo6PJbnaz7tVJrh6FUrwcosLxPhLcYDCHiftoj_OGeocUI8/s4032/IMG_4087.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOjeHIbsXi2eWhzGAx4BjdTXzpLOvTprfoi4t_WCDid361b84MGm7-5hypcE4runYADMg5GaBLQBC8Hv97WBQmTWXuwnIQgJhS_gPOX6XV9ui4BsDL1sb90uyQz5LlKeXp2P-plA-s0TzAqo6PJbnaz7tVJrh6FUrwcosLxPhLcYDCHiftoj_OGeocUI8/w400-h300/IMG_4087.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Using Scott's blueprint as a guide, I realized that the depth of the porch roof would need to be reduced as well, or else the roof would have WAY too much overhang. Coincidentally, I removed about 6 courses/rows of shingles to get a depth that looked right. Thankfully, these seams - which actually aren't too prominent - will be totally hidden by the roofing material I'll add later.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0lyFjGNMmQqvnWtqmMI99H7mY3t4zpTMlyvH35EIPrkfPn4NbBYlOm9CEeNcVOqifRl3dc4Zdhumajg3zHETajjUr4G2X1IMFI-wSluIxQVqbLUtIJKzuawsjlNH8jgpUgtfoiDTwPJ4pWmK0yB679Sr2F9yyhGWAYREQtvLX56V1bpYFD9VdF2aO9M/s4032/IMG_4088.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0lyFjGNMmQqvnWtqmMI99H7mY3t4zpTMlyvH35EIPrkfPn4NbBYlOm9CEeNcVOqifRl3dc4Zdhumajg3zHETajjUr4G2X1IMFI-wSluIxQVqbLUtIJKzuawsjlNH8jgpUgtfoiDTwPJ4pWmK0yB679Sr2F9yyhGWAYREQtvLX56V1bpYFD9VdF2aO9M/w400-h300/IMG_4088.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>To give the porch roof a bit more strength & stability, I added a ledger board to the back wall of each cottage using "2x4" strip styrene, glued right on the highest clapboard before the clapboards start to narrow. The rear edge of the roof will rest on this, just like the prototype.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwTityYUdjsDcIeSDu4GjCAiSA3uSa58AOx_EYg3bUIyL-AfC1PccX5DCl62cO2t1_M8NknEkABCYf6rqV1LKT2hQ6dsSNZNv6m4C2834mjhXdsVgIE57jQfy9GFZc1GxX8YIvflo6WnAgwZ7emOZWCWOVclawPnFNhfN8LjR6oYrQ54wN6EhO3BTaF9k/s4032/IMG_4089.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwTityYUdjsDcIeSDu4GjCAiSA3uSa58AOx_EYg3bUIyL-AfC1PccX5DCl62cO2t1_M8NknEkABCYf6rqV1LKT2hQ6dsSNZNv6m4C2834mjhXdsVgIE57jQfy9GFZc1GxX8YIvflo6WnAgwZ7emOZWCWOVclawPnFNhfN8LjR6oYrQ54wN6EhO3BTaF9k/w400-h300/IMG_4089.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While I could have just used 4x4 strip styrene for the porch posts, I dug through my Tichy assortment box and came up with exactly the number of posts I needed for the three cottages (6). These are Tichy #8092, shortened about 1/8" in order to allow the roof to pitch down.</div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjb9c7pNRUy5r-szAZtbiqWcpGMxITxZggYl5ZrQMLE1NxiVpiG2hPchyphenhyphen0mBxG1vvabYDrkzJPDwNA4IwSaHNQ2OzI7zPmbH_y96jsHo-OfQV-NdnBBcklc-PapDaeiTAw6ks68Fc2TQ7s3JK32QkG3GZqbqHGBlh5_u5UVTKGXqTYCOIcOFu0XmIxy58/s4032/IMG_4091.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjb9c7pNRUy5r-szAZtbiqWcpGMxITxZggYl5ZrQMLE1NxiVpiG2hPchyphenhyphen0mBxG1vvabYDrkzJPDwNA4IwSaHNQ2OzI7zPmbH_y96jsHo-OfQV-NdnBBcklc-PapDaeiTAw6ks68Fc2TQ7s3JK32QkG3GZqbqHGBlh5_u5UVTKGXqTYCOIcOFu0XmIxy58/w400-h300/IMG_4091.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here are all the parts, ready for assembly (including a porch roof section that still has to be narrowed).</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-zaoBUZ6atn3JdxaJtV47sVIUZfiiXwugSFm6eriL9L9W9DyXsEzhP94VSlof9bVgBcAaJ1JOvPsKxse-q9zuRxBt8xQliP-sjR5K-nKjF-569GD2lnT_VJP6j5GHnYeOboTiVlhwXN0uuFfcz4s21hQhF82La41sAdjTKw29teqgvg4t56PVQ0DFM3I/s4032/IMG_4119.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-zaoBUZ6atn3JdxaJtV47sVIUZfiiXwugSFm6eriL9L9W9DyXsEzhP94VSlof9bVgBcAaJ1JOvPsKxse-q9zuRxBt8xQliP-sjR5K-nKjF-569GD2lnT_VJP6j5GHnYeOboTiVlhwXN0uuFfcz4s21hQhF82La41sAdjTKw29teqgvg4t56PVQ0DFM3I/w400-h300/IMG_4119.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And here it is added to the cottage.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Once I showed this photo around, some folks pointed out that the roof looked a bit thin - like it needed a bit more structure.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7hUE03SFpuUYbrRa9SG9hyphenhyphenWA2tbPzb1W67B76xaVqUxK0qiE13Yr8N6EY4Af3RzSvEdbS9KOgrOtiazCpGv_NEMdHwVs4BfVtsrwFdGGWY4W8OuI1g2bNvVdIng2kbRYEAzySAuWiQFNgTgbqMj05oaGEPQoBaZQqB9QpHOVSvFF6MMBQ7m0fOPo0lI/s4032/IMG_4202.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO7hUE03SFpuUYbrRa9SG9hyphenhyphenWA2tbPzb1W67B76xaVqUxK0qiE13Yr8N6EY4Af3RzSvEdbS9KOgrOtiazCpGv_NEMdHwVs4BfVtsrwFdGGWY4W8OuI1g2bNvVdIng2kbRYEAzySAuWiQFNgTgbqMj05oaGEPQoBaZQqB9QpHOVSvFF6MMBQ7m0fOPo0lI/w400-h300/IMG_4202.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>So, instead of actually doing individual rafters, I decided to simulate them by just adding fascia board around the perimeter of the roof. I think you'll agree it looks much more realistic this way.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ7JGafApzrRVx0SXVmOMfEnFmDpCTs7frXLDWEAW_5s9txesLB7VnmqHOAQLW16eMj4ONYBV_Ap0uqt54YDSdWt2_xHIyqI680o3yQcuLb2oQahHJiKK2hxoyh6nJUqUsoALMAgIGXAxbmg4Zk3mEaUoXtwmyJeiI8JMU8ffdBSEzZOZeaOkOMszr_Gs/s4032/IMG_4205.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ7JGafApzrRVx0SXVmOMfEnFmDpCTs7frXLDWEAW_5s9txesLB7VnmqHOAQLW16eMj4ONYBV_Ap0uqt54YDSdWt2_xHIyqI680o3yQcuLb2oQahHJiKK2hxoyh6nJUqUsoALMAgIGXAxbmg4Zk3mEaUoXtwmyJeiI8JMU8ffdBSEzZOZeaOkOMszr_Gs/w400-h300/IMG_4205.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ZS-iieORq8X9kVfY_6_HCkUYiH5ogEaDsHmW1AAA5SqdOVCu_v_I0k-RYdrT1578yeENoxjAVsEJtv5dIx2STCk9EigYdsXAfSg8ChkDcPqrP6hNytpw_rZIW8XDrFV-th8vjL0r2bDHKYpqbZxVqZZrqsJe9TWiyaP76lsueR-ZIhR235L1sIduh90/s4032/IMG_4230.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ZS-iieORq8X9kVfY_6_HCkUYiH5ogEaDsHmW1AAA5SqdOVCu_v_I0k-RYdrT1578yeENoxjAVsEJtv5dIx2STCk9EigYdsXAfSg8ChkDcPqrP6hNytpw_rZIW8XDrFV-th8vjL0r2bDHKYpqbZxVqZZrqsJe9TWiyaP76lsueR-ZIhR235L1sIduh90/w400-h300/IMG_4230.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>The last step on the roof was to paint the fascia boards to match the trim color. Believe it or not, especially considering <a href="http://blog.thevalleylocal.net/2018/11/throwback-thursday-choice-of-80s.html">my historic fear of airbrushing</a>, I masked off the fascia boards and <i>airbrushed</i> them to match the rest of the trim.</div><div><br /></div><div>With that done, all that's left to do is the roofing material itself and final painting and these cottages are within striking distance of being finished! Check in next time as we wrap up this build . . .</div>Chris Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18052818057825432279noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376057412116187041.post-4455298175380914662023-12-14T13:55:00.000-08:002023-12-14T13:56:25.701-08:00Bethel Cottages - Painting and Wall & Roof Assembly (pt.3)<p>Getting back to building the "Bethel Camp Cottages" (click <a href="http://blog.thevalleylocal.net/2023/11/friday-fun-modeling-camp-bethel-terrain.html">here</a> for part 1, and <a href="http://blog.thevalleylocal.net/2023/12/modeling-monday-camp-bethel-prototype.html">here</a> for part 2), it's a matter of preference when you do your painting. Some folks paint everything and then assemble. I've always thought that a bit more difficult since it requires you to plan WAY ahead in choosing your colors - and you may mess things up a bit with glue while you're assembling. But if you assemble everything first and then paint, it's tougher to paint windows/trim/etc.</p><p>So it's usually best to consider the order project-by-project and do what will be easiest and most effective for that particular project. In this case, I thought it best to paint early in the process.</p><p>Of course, that meant I had to figure out what colors I wanted to use . . .</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeH1WK-rqWtOfVrPVTf5z_NfSHolF90uDONhkK6LOvXQ9rNS7tFFWj3WRsnwhlve8XNKgMSS4DOvZnCaO02y1rpw4jrjpd9wLkTL9hoS_QbQzA8u9h-Ir-hNzoSiQRT7C1VbwpTUusDkXYuVH9Q9A2f2jzbQ7B7clxGQzT6sTE-SlV7yCCHoPah2c0Jdg/s4032/IMG_3711.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeH1WK-rqWtOfVrPVTf5z_NfSHolF90uDONhkK6LOvXQ9rNS7tFFWj3WRsnwhlve8XNKgMSS4DOvZnCaO02y1rpw4jrjpd9wLkTL9hoS_QbQzA8u9h-Ir-hNzoSiQRT7C1VbwpTUusDkXYuVH9Q9A2f2jzbQ7B7clxGQzT6sTE-SlV7yCCHoPah2c0Jdg/w400-h300/IMG_3711.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I started by noting (on the post-it) what colors I wanted generally, then I went looking for those colors - or at least close to them - in my stash of craft paints. You can see in the pic above what I chose.<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQEVkObJ0nXYur-am7s6NmmCnyDSstVNrEFMZ4UGQ5piSbtvFVbz1pEUq56finf6RHxN5M1qrI2SepKn-AUDrgceYNqGAFWQ1pgcoS_xAJx6Otqb8gGe_y14UV6vXwYDShlsYMF54g_hezOsvXw5zNdboiklXK0VpSNQ-0trrXKGApf2ChWMPj0N53lSk/s4032/IMG_3786.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQEVkObJ0nXYur-am7s6NmmCnyDSstVNrEFMZ4UGQ5piSbtvFVbz1pEUq56finf6RHxN5M1qrI2SepKn-AUDrgceYNqGAFWQ1pgcoS_xAJx6Otqb8gGe_y14UV6vXwYDShlsYMF54g_hezOsvXw5zNdboiklXK0VpSNQ-0trrXKGApf2ChWMPj0N53lSk/w400-h300/IMG_3786.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2Kaj5rJ5oJgl2sTb2ONvzwmF66qdnCOU6H1Gu0kR2biMNBPZLvtAy9inYUSrnWLfamBQzh8BmRzVbEQ1rfzgsF8HzxDlHkcqJkKtGjuebVuPl3DGJ3Hiww6gL2biifkf6smWUDJ4SSQEP_3JQFqpMd-Ec400wZ23-EEuZ8JKVjqrUjbUsNv11slb8DA/s4032/IMG_3788.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy2Kaj5rJ5oJgl2sTb2ONvzwmF66qdnCOU6H1Gu0kR2biMNBPZLvtAy9inYUSrnWLfamBQzh8BmRzVbEQ1rfzgsF8HzxDlHkcqJkKtGjuebVuPl3DGJ3Hiww6gL2biifkf6smWUDJ4SSQEP_3JQFqpMd-Ec400wZ23-EEuZ8JKVjqrUjbUsNv11slb8DA/w400-h300/IMG_3788.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I brush painted the walls, trim, and porch floors, and that worked fine with multiple coats (thankfully, the paint dries quickly - especially when helped with a hair dryer :^) but I kept getting lousy coverage on the windows, doors, and porch posts.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheua3m6ABzAXGiqT_gLSDbIWnkAD80aqcUynCwE1FIR2SdASWcJpCVviEbbXYx5BCVBF7w0XRVislCyWBi3Cadi0S7EojSRtJmOC3J95OqSWQO59ZJA6n5n-1ajL3rIX4vvr8XY0BsNk46PHa1-Rkqn_fUszpmTD9sArdslTIFs0wfHYRcrtrrUoj9eXw/s4032/IMG_3787.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheua3m6ABzAXGiqT_gLSDbIWnkAD80aqcUynCwE1FIR2SdASWcJpCVviEbbXYx5BCVBF7w0XRVislCyWBi3Cadi0S7EojSRtJmOC3J95OqSWQO59ZJA6n5n-1ajL3rIX4vvr8XY0BsNk46PHa1-Rkqn_fUszpmTD9sArdslTIFs0wfHYRcrtrrUoj9eXw/w400-h300/IMG_3787.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>So I decided to airbrush those. While I could have made my craft paints "airbrushable" (per an old <a href="http://blog.thevalleylocal.net/2018/11/tuesday-tips-airbrushing-craft-paints.html">RMC article discussed here</a>), I decided instead to find some "close enough" colors in my stash of Tamiya paints.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUitaVH2cLbdov2NWc4HB8iC_mmXH5Z9GYNj1lVNLqR0wkMWJPiFezFwDk_TrlqXOyMJUDX0EpjcinDs417NwsC3NVfCjiunlQdhNEc3nREKpRyKzZMHn_PL8h_44ZCT0a88MHZ1nFv6Uia_EG1W-P47AzZbrvSwfRwn3gHxBsq3-MZ_ir9vwwEO984S4/s4032/IMG_3795.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUitaVH2cLbdov2NWc4HB8iC_mmXH5Z9GYNj1lVNLqR0wkMWJPiFezFwDk_TrlqXOyMJUDX0EpjcinDs417NwsC3NVfCjiunlQdhNEc3nREKpRyKzZMHn_PL8h_44ZCT0a88MHZ1nFv6Uia_EG1W-P47AzZbrvSwfRwn3gHxBsq3-MZ_ir9vwwEO984S4/w400-h300/IMG_3795.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Once all the parts are painted, the real fun starts - putting the parts together so they start looking less like parts and more like a building!</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Pu-5EcbjrWmebFWHs2R1y4hl70iORQwhzM98m5zDTjR_HvxfzJ_b9USvqVm95CCb_i-S-QYdCbncBdvJNr00utbtI8-9PbuybIjKdOjSGDxJRY79la0Wa0JffCAT1_XySjJPqOyf5abrid7qD5QNROMQ3IlguFv4wdMGbZvGqaBKOVdSPyf9OyP_saU/s4032/IMG_3796.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2Pu-5EcbjrWmebFWHs2R1y4hl70iORQwhzM98m5zDTjR_HvxfzJ_b9USvqVm95CCb_i-S-QYdCbncBdvJNr00utbtI8-9PbuybIjKdOjSGDxJRY79la0Wa0JffCAT1_XySjJPqOyf5abrid7qD5QNROMQ3IlguFv4wdMGbZvGqaBKOVdSPyf9OyP_saU/w400-h300/IMG_3796.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At many points throughout the process of building these former Grandt Line kits, I realized how much more advanced they are than the "typical" plastic structure kit. Case in point: I couldn't get away with just one piece of clear styrene on the windows. As you can see in the pic above, the window castings are actually offset - just like the prototype. So of course I needed two separate "window panes", using calipers for precise measurement so the panes would fit inside the recesses. For what it's worth, I used my go-to adhesive for windows: Aleene's Clear Gel Tacky Glue - dries just like it says - clear.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKi3ZBpKoX5Cvs5WCfigmCg2x0jm4xP87Hwr9tZKUOFRVfe49B-2EU4FEXgpRFN0s-zJw_lrJBMrbiAlnck8k7mLSRuX2ontupIJadSU3CTQzYn0rPe4SdO8K0QObWaY0bfIxRKOuMpZBG3d-RLjBDZYMMu3EJo2L-BwxRQugvAJKdF_pXlypGYbRdabc/s4032/IMG_3797.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKi3ZBpKoX5Cvs5WCfigmCg2x0jm4xP87Hwr9tZKUOFRVfe49B-2EU4FEXgpRFN0s-zJw_lrJBMrbiAlnck8k7mLSRuX2ontupIJadSU3CTQzYn0rPe4SdO8K0QObWaY0bfIxRKOuMpZBG3d-RLjBDZYMMu3EJo2L-BwxRQugvAJKdF_pXlypGYbRdabc/w400-h300/IMG_3797.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Once the details (windows, doors) were added to the walls, I used 1-2-3 blocks to help me assemble the walls and keep them square.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNz6qZ9emndSO9K0XSDVjdIlCpK3c5WCpFDCjeSOnTVuVW3x4Wbru1cSdXQoN6aThF9Tn0OPJmaOJzqzbPlAkoT6G0NtAPdgG5xRa7DR3sx76Z9_FzmI8W_DD4girrNWY9OmSPGlNKdEsl1R1B6unH4irq3jspUSp_Brms7r-R2ZW6pHWtwyJq6iZ7dhA/s4032/IMG_3812.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNz6qZ9emndSO9K0XSDVjdIlCpK3c5WCpFDCjeSOnTVuVW3x4Wbru1cSdXQoN6aThF9Tn0OPJmaOJzqzbPlAkoT6G0NtAPdgG5xRa7DR3sx76Z9_FzmI8W_DD4girrNWY9OmSPGlNKdEsl1R1B6unH4irq3jspUSp_Brms7r-R2ZW6pHWtwyJq6iZ7dhA/w400-h300/IMG_3812.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Once the main structures were done, I next needed to build the roofs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGsKMt_HfKPwJkVe2Vc5RBNan2AEE3Yq6s3_ToXBIuhIYy0ayRaLLGKMfcqOv5DrWmnooYK0DUfWrqtIDtNxHDzOmojqvOirAo72CdGmBdxyHS9y3RYS8xVUhaw_xNLVesn43C7FXwD1mWIOKgFNMkr11ENFhcE8HD73XxOKuCciqDk9JGUSVP8YUtbX8/s4032/IMG_3792.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGsKMt_HfKPwJkVe2Vc5RBNan2AEE3Yq6s3_ToXBIuhIYy0ayRaLLGKMfcqOv5DrWmnooYK0DUfWrqtIDtNxHDzOmojqvOirAo72CdGmBdxyHS9y3RYS8xVUhaw_xNLVesn43C7FXwD1mWIOKgFNMkr11ENFhcE8HD73XxOKuCciqDk9JGUSVP8YUtbX8/w400-h300/IMG_3792.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Thankfully, a 90-degree block made that pretty easy.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKE8JXP2RuTbZuj9WzfY7Uc3bUK-aUaq6rGSjXa26ZjSxB3PhMtKbiw4MZaAioGPs2v20M_rgrIY2vobAOTBbwe5b5ZqOYwDYEouP5a2E559Tu-eLTvYFifTy42q5k2DCb71y8t7yrRMhnb3VAeLfhGgX-O7yF_ORC7F4ylsTu_t5bqBms-ie846NNINA/s4032/IMG_4082.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKE8JXP2RuTbZuj9WzfY7Uc3bUK-aUaq6rGSjXa26ZjSxB3PhMtKbiw4MZaAioGPs2v20M_rgrIY2vobAOTBbwe5b5ZqOYwDYEouP5a2E559Tu-eLTvYFifTy42q5k2DCb71y8t7yrRMhnb3VAeLfhGgX-O7yF_ORC7F4ylsTu_t5bqBms-ie846NNINA/w400-h300/IMG_4082.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>And lastly - the coup de grace - I added the beautiful gable trim included in the kits that really makes these little cottages stand out!<br /><p>Most folks would probably consider these structures just about done - and I almost did. Then it occurred to me that it'd be nice to provide a nice place to look out over the river . . . So be sure to check in next time to see how that turned out...</p></div>Chris Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18052818057825432279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376057412116187041.post-9064843068697197992023-12-13T00:30:00.000-08:002023-12-13T00:30:00.135-08:00Wordless Wednesday #454 - Southern New England Rwy #41912<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO14QU8Cw7tIRshu_I4mfFNSV1cImvvRIZOQJb4N7cxKWesuzjpMp9pL45m-Y6A1OYxQt0xKa0rR5pI9MOIW2orw_iTF3eIgkTQKl72Zpfa8DQC_gfxWCqEo1wq14IJB62hl7rXqQfQqEHaygsIQ-vbTLMxIitlmQ9nySOP32_LpI4faTIZGsTKVLY3_I/s4032/IMG_5179.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO14QU8Cw7tIRshu_I4mfFNSV1cImvvRIZOQJb4N7cxKWesuzjpMp9pL45m-Y6A1OYxQt0xKa0rR5pI9MOIW2orw_iTF3eIgkTQKl72Zpfa8DQC_gfxWCqEo1wq14IJB62hl7rXqQfQqEHaygsIQ-vbTLMxIitlmQ9nySOP32_LpI4faTIZGsTKVLY3_I/w400-h300/IMG_5179.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recent find, acquired at the <a href="https://www.hubdiv.org/fallshow/index.html">Marlboro Show</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p>Chris Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18052818057825432279noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376057412116187041.post-6175757381162305482023-12-11T00:30:00.000-08:002023-12-14T13:49:32.392-08:00Modeling Monday - Camp Bethel Prototype Pics & Starting to Model (pt.2)<p>Since the "<a href="http://blog.thevalleylocal.net/2023/12/friday-fun-and-now-for-something.html">something completely different</a>" (aka my Atlas RS-3 project) is sidelined for the time being, it's time to turn my attention back to <a href="http://blog.thevalleylocal.net/2023/11/friday-fun-modeling-camp-bethel-terrain.html">the cottages at Camp Bethel along the line in Haddam, CT</a>.</p><p>I'd heard that <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Bethel">Camp Bethel</a> was an old camp meeting grounds, but the only one of those I'd ever seen is in <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wesleyan_Grove">Oak Bluffs, on Martha's Vineyard island</a>. The cottages there are all very meticulously restored and very Victorian and Queen Anne. So I was eager to see what Camp Bethel would look like, especially if I was going to model it.</p><p>Unlike its island counterpart, there's a much wider variety of restored and "original" houses in Camp Bethel and many have been pretty heavily modified. But it was nice to get a feel of the place - and to realize that the model kit houses I had on-hand would help create a fine representation . . .</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWqFnWLqzESctSp865dzHTEFaojUevEb_AI1Agi9GTnAJgqvKx9HJ7pG8zD6UXhh9GnLjjWs-oP0b3PUEez3df_nNN6Rj8nn4ZUgqurh-Z_9K_uy8Eh1Pcky0ca2ef-ITS68L-i96fqC8LfCj8JRfbHFTA-yU8f-Nyg0JWvb3Q694OT93hgFGmxCkL-h0/s4032/IMG_0924.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWqFnWLqzESctSp865dzHTEFaojUevEb_AI1Agi9GTnAJgqvKx9HJ7pG8zD6UXhh9GnLjjWs-oP0b3PUEez3df_nNN6Rj8nn4ZUgqurh-Z_9K_uy8Eh1Pcky0ca2ef-ITS68L-i96fqC8LfCj8JRfbHFTA-yU8f-Nyg0JWvb3Q694OT93hgFGmxCkL-h0/w400-h300/IMG_0924.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVUN18_qFbdWoTC_he3S-rS6kDwgbHH7AWsdueujVQZeKBbIgc6RRkYyEOziUP47nCJ_9RYDFqbdpguUj_lgeBaKElxMHgDsr4VTr4obaD5hlcMX0LVbI3qVZQ3ZBcJZ0hUKUC_mhmzmw4-fLlMZYBzUb1WvTOW2DVP_WLF5RQDYmbZTQqe1A6s_nt_wk/s4032/IMG_0920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVUN18_qFbdWoTC_he3S-rS6kDwgbHH7AWsdueujVQZeKBbIgc6RRkYyEOziUP47nCJ_9RYDFqbdpguUj_lgeBaKElxMHgDsr4VTr4obaD5hlcMX0LVbI3qVZQ3ZBcJZ0hUKUC_mhmzmw4-fLlMZYBzUb1WvTOW2DVP_WLF5RQDYmbZTQqe1A6s_nt_wk/w400-h300/IMG_0920.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq4qLSq3pAPH0alPTEh8YcCom8o3-2Ip9yuu6TSUHblrZfxKwxbY_vDT_lFSGyFDe6VU7CEloXMbmTcx8Q62ItNB7Hs6BFuPogj3_L0zpJ5TPnIWjOb1glAZExqcZFNk861Tw2wajDa3ziefUzOqTMc0AcZa56n2tUuyAHP6Am97yyv7NZgdjYGYb8FWI/s4032/IMG_0921.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq4qLSq3pAPH0alPTEh8YcCom8o3-2Ip9yuu6TSUHblrZfxKwxbY_vDT_lFSGyFDe6VU7CEloXMbmTcx8Q62ItNB7Hs6BFuPogj3_L0zpJ5TPnIWjOb1glAZExqcZFNk861Tw2wajDa3ziefUzOqTMc0AcZa56n2tUuyAHP6Am97yyv7NZgdjYGYb8FWI/w400-h300/IMG_0921.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiupIunQy2llu_8dGZcgxUQHr4Os3XlrK_6rgK9JH9mmqigcK9qkOvOkgtGst_-pOjuxdcmK2F_zW6TZcmrsPVquKxfqqvbJj7_xoE8AYWvrOh4fGA3VsdqpJqIu6KjApvS9yAA1c6lS3tjUx5QnibcHjIszkeuU3nUxvjS-dx-hUHnHJbdXOls5rCE7LA/s4032/IMG_0923.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiupIunQy2llu_8dGZcgxUQHr4Os3XlrK_6rgK9JH9mmqigcK9qkOvOkgtGst_-pOjuxdcmK2F_zW6TZcmrsPVquKxfqqvbJj7_xoE8AYWvrOh4fGA3VsdqpJqIu6KjApvS9yAA1c6lS3tjUx5QnibcHjIszkeuU3nUxvjS-dx-hUHnHJbdXOls5rCE7LA/w400-h300/IMG_0923.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While all of the houses technically face toward the center of the campground, you can see in some of the photos how they back up to the top of the bluff overlooking the Connecticut River.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz02t1iSsGrtT5btGXPxAZpk5U6G0TMqEy2xAjZjmYI7if-pfZm2ujVOF2gwZU1JvGip0ZysvwFAioi08KluUHTVpaoUh_QtNtx2aHFkM3zaEnEota5VakAUWyKIu9YcbJdq4GM2IHlf-oIXiWQoLein7qkahaAiTOsn70iIo62YeRprRUccr_4c_mA1o/s4032/IMG_0917.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz02t1iSsGrtT5btGXPxAZpk5U6G0TMqEy2xAjZjmYI7if-pfZm2ujVOF2gwZU1JvGip0ZysvwFAioi08KluUHTVpaoUh_QtNtx2aHFkM3zaEnEota5VakAUWyKIu9YcbJdq4GM2IHlf-oIXiWQoLein7qkahaAiTOsn70iIo62YeRprRUccr_4c_mA1o/w400-h300/IMG_0917.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I think this will allow me to set up an ideal scene on the top of the hill between East Haddam and Shailerville bridge - I'll have the "fancy" front of the cottages face away from the river (and toward the aisle) and put porches on the back so that folks can sit and enjoy a nice view of the river.</div><div><br /></div><div>To see how that would look, I made some temporary mockups by photocopying the walls from the kit . . .</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUjVPwvMSGns2GzR8f5xojRZfA_lt-dXXYrMz7ePBjuImJhXIBEe6ooHnbn1tTY1ovXpq6FCO4IqJ_be7GM66lfhIonqh03J9qZXafMHIAZ_hoYndH53DS6ribkS4Ct-bjesVdaIOYrJoHoROa-P3vjmr1batXDmIKFIZHf9O66Nnr_2YpXbJEi1uAWTI/s2048/IMG_3661.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUjVPwvMSGns2GzR8f5xojRZfA_lt-dXXYrMz7ePBjuImJhXIBEe6ooHnbn1tTY1ovXpq6FCO4IqJ_be7GM66lfhIonqh03J9qZXafMHIAZ_hoYndH53DS6ribkS4Ct-bjesVdaIOYrJoHoROa-P3vjmr1batXDmIKFIZHf9O66Nnr_2YpXbJEi1uAWTI/w400-h300/IMG_3661.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rXjqYTtVLG1Fm4LFw5GW84DQyfVxqT5Xvwz0gPY7EqEWG3FW8QXgab9aKFLktmZbiM5M7TXxe1DtC_PnBxbH2J8G9RTvv2zAaotMZHcYXTTS5wgB6MQugE4dPSdC19X1adgmLqDEqg5iL8SI0nTar55y1OHuAlTIMezaqY5_uKEdJKkYZ9NSDhkNk5I/s2048/IMG_3665.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7rXjqYTtVLG1Fm4LFw5GW84DQyfVxqT5Xvwz0gPY7EqEWG3FW8QXgab9aKFLktmZbiM5M7TXxe1DtC_PnBxbH2J8G9RTvv2zAaotMZHcYXTTS5wgB6MQugE4dPSdC19X1adgmLqDEqg5iL8SI0nTar55y1OHuAlTIMezaqY5_uKEdJKkYZ9NSDhkNk5I/w400-h300/IMG_3665.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I pretty quickly discovered that the stock kits would be a bit larger than I wanted - all the better reason to photocopy/mock them up first.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNFnNW5pu4EJ-ZrIiJf50IHJLmP7d3kqPHQr5YMHmO4GTCymrcOcY5vTm3EDE5PLNclM-J_AuzCarzAv1X2cvP-tfF2hqmRdDnIYNdKLMMiBfKhso30R3K2qumxINb9YN_wWv_ygIV7LpBoMisRqeEE3bcQ8R_ofuCd_3BBR1qpH2ceK6qx7c7gsMKgZQ/s2048/IMG_3682.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNFnNW5pu4EJ-ZrIiJf50IHJLmP7d3kqPHQr5YMHmO4GTCymrcOcY5vTm3EDE5PLNclM-J_AuzCarzAv1X2cvP-tfF2hqmRdDnIYNdKLMMiBfKhso30R3K2qumxINb9YN_wWv_ygIV7LpBoMisRqeEE3bcQ8R_ofuCd_3BBR1qpH2ceK6qx7c7gsMKgZQ/w400-h300/IMG_3682.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>So I cut them down to a size that was closer to the stand-in I'd robbed from Somerset. These smaller editions will work out much better.<div><br /></div><div>It's a lot easier (and better) to cut up paper before committing to cutting up a perfectly good kit. And since I knew from my cut-up mockup that the smaller size would work, it was much easier to "ruin" the kit by cutting it down to the size I wanted.<br /><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCAJwhrJ1Dv0SV3bXSnJAT8_sBrFFFzzP2LcrlaHiBRo-FVtcNxxGNl5TCxNRYjjxDrhIOErYCxZUd2clc0_gMmv3njyLYYL5HgOUt7KCw6uf5XE7bOX0YsYjokKtegZKayOcbBE5X8EYCF_ZZnI7H3x6fn00l2ouJic734DShGBSb_A8Es1ZIMnA5hcE/s2048/IMG_3684.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCAJwhrJ1Dv0SV3bXSnJAT8_sBrFFFzzP2LcrlaHiBRo-FVtcNxxGNl5TCxNRYjjxDrhIOErYCxZUd2clc0_gMmv3njyLYYL5HgOUt7KCw6uf5XE7bOX0YsYjokKtegZKayOcbBE5X8EYCF_ZZnI7H3x6fn00l2ouJic734DShGBSb_A8Es1ZIMnA5hcE/w400-h300/IMG_3684.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The challenge with shortening the walls is figuring out how to disguise or otherwise hide the seam/joint. So I decided to cut along the edge of the corner trim as you see in the photo above.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh5d4sSsqJMgggcI_0MFm_FClfORWASQsk1NWl9W9UebG_v7jFYNxL-GEJCgzH0L1maVkTEoQrmxxqt3IwHMYiXWAY8ilbFdDmBwpDAjpU6Itj2YQfoLqffgyNhHODf1WtepYqwHpCvt7kvE2Bk8bva3ITsxjEas-pn5Hm_xDEbQM3Sfg0BMQC0uKTnMk/s2048/IMG_3685.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh5d4sSsqJMgggcI_0MFm_FClfORWASQsk1NWl9W9UebG_v7jFYNxL-GEJCgzH0L1maVkTEoQrmxxqt3IwHMYiXWAY8ilbFdDmBwpDAjpU6Itj2YQfoLqffgyNhHODf1WtepYqwHpCvt7kvE2Bk8bva3ITsxjEas-pn5Hm_xDEbQM3Sfg0BMQC0uKTnMk/w400-h300/IMG_3685.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Once all glued back together, the seam/joint virtually disappears! And don't forget to shorten the roof sections to match. I just cut off about 3/4" off of one end - which I plan to point toward the back - and made sure to orient the space for the chimney closer toward the back as well (on the stock it, it's centered).</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijhyojIHeCy140Xh60aL_ArB9BCADWwVLKnTMBbHJfk1I4teZN9B6AShMBlXICQs08m6VOF5F_zfxuiJ6aNme7DMc4MRWrHnfM8KoKgj1D8TDxMycx5WqEqSeAgYusTBR2nx12Th9BuxPPmE-PehKLaiy_EJozCWWvtM-7mGgp96GBa5wAZl65ZwhWqCA/s4032/IMG_3710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijhyojIHeCy140Xh60aL_ArB9BCADWwVLKnTMBbHJfk1I4teZN9B6AShMBlXICQs08m6VOF5F_zfxuiJ6aNme7DMc4MRWrHnfM8KoKgj1D8TDxMycx5WqEqSeAgYusTBR2nx12Th9BuxPPmE-PehKLaiy_EJozCWWvtM-7mGgp96GBa5wAZl65ZwhWqCA/w400-h300/IMG_3710.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>With the walls and roof sections shortened, the next step is to wash the parts in preparation for painting - which we'll cover next time!</div><div><div><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p></div></div>Chris Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18052818057825432279noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376057412116187041.post-89950898189235084972023-12-08T00:30:00.000-08:002023-12-08T04:57:29.113-08:00Friday Fun: Another Trackside Photo!<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaOqqpaFJoNWtHYvB1zDi5sdiL_Csv8cmrlz2MpZ82XAJRZhWFuc94t7yNARiFOfI-lKiWAR10_6aRJee26XtkIHDDwWWv8Inprb9AxQh8XeKanqSXzmNvWS6BZh4IsXouJCAY_5Aye3M-6UQFMFtIS4Pteda3W2VFXrUojjsBsHlAZ2RrUmHxgZ1GayA/s2048/72351126542__24C8CDC8-2BC7-49E4-884F-46A5E5AF216C.JPEG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaOqqpaFJoNWtHYvB1zDi5sdiL_Csv8cmrlz2MpZ82XAJRZhWFuc94t7yNARiFOfI-lKiWAR10_6aRJee26XtkIHDDwWWv8Inprb9AxQh8XeKanqSXzmNvWS6BZh4IsXouJCAY_5Aye3M-6UQFMFtIS4Pteda3W2VFXrUojjsBsHlAZ2RrUmHxgZ1GayA/w400-h300/72351126542__24C8CDC8-2BC7-49E4-884F-46A5E5AF216C.JPEG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p>A couple days ago, my friend Bob Murphy sent me this surprise - a photo I took of a couple of New Haven Railroad <strike>RS-3s</strike> <ahem> DERS-2c's on his beautiful layout will be a Trackside Photo in the January Issue of Model Railroader!</p><p>This will about wrap up what has been an unexpected - but really wonderful - convergence of a bunch of things I've been working on for a while, submitted a long time ago, and coincidentally almost all of which have hit the press these past couple of months.</p><p>Mostly for the benefit of my mom who asked :^) here's a list of everything I've had published since October:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://blog.thevalleylocal.net/2023/10/wordless-wednesday-448-latest-mrh.html">A cover story in the October issue of Model Railroad Hobbyist - <i>Running Extra</i> on how to install an ESU Power Pack (aka "keep alive") in a Rapido SW-1200</a>;</li><li><a href="http://blog.thevalleylocal.net/2023/10/november-rmc-upcoming-articles.html">An article in the November issue of Railroad Model Craftsman on building the City Classics gas station kit</a>;</li><li><a href="http://blog.thevalleylocal.net/2023/11/wordless-wednesday-450-familiar-site-in.html">My first ever Trackside Photo in the December issue of Model Railroader</a>;</li><li>And now, another Trackside Photo in the January issue of MR(!)</li></ul><div>Still to come are an article in the January RMC on how I detailed & weathered a Walthers SW1 to replicate B&M #1109 (why a B&M SW1 on a New Haven branchline? Well, mostly because <a href="http://blog.thevalleylocal.net/2022/05/friday-fun-boston-maine-sw-1-1109.html">it happened</a>...), and - coming full circle back to the SW-1200 - I'll have a feature article in the next issue of the NHRHTA's <i><a href="https://www.nhrhta.org/shoreliner">Shoreliner</a></i> magazine on the prototype New Haven RR DEY-7 class switcher (aka EMD SW-1200).</div><div><br /></div><div>I hope nobody thinks I'm boasting - I just think it is really cool that all this has come together like this. And anybody that knows me knows that I too easily let the joy of my accomplishments get overshadowed quickly by my obsession to figure out how to do more and better. After the output of these past couple of months, what can I possibly do for an encore? No way can I keep up this pace...</div><div><br /></div><div>So I'll try to just enjoy it for now - and hope you'll share in the joy. Without you and your encouragement to keep writing and documenting my progress here, these articles would never have happened. And for that I sincerely thank you.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here's hoping you and yours are having a wonderful holiday season - and that you're able to get to some modeling this weekend!</div><p></p><p><br /></p>Chris Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18052818057825432279noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376057412116187041.post-62635847224753438762023-12-07T00:30:00.000-08:002023-12-07T00:30:00.147-08:00The Atlas Classic RS-3 and the ESU "Drop In" Decoder (#58921) - A Cautionary Tale<p>I was excited to finally get started on my New Haven DERS-2c #529 project - <a href="http://blog.thevalleylocal.net/2023/12/friday-fun-and-now-for-something.html">click here</a> for why and what all I got in preparation.</p><p>Unfortunately, I've run into a major roadblock: The ESU "Drop In" decoder, with integrated Power Packs (#58921) does not actually "drop in" to the Atlas Classic RS-3 model I wanted to convert. In fact, it doesn't fit at all as designed.</p><p>Read on to see why - and hopefully to avoid the same (major) mistake I made . . .</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjz3yyR6LPDFpMuNj6t2zSZjawxHDmySxo0JLYnsU1-0r9KBkuS2SvCUCnUR2Gp1VPRAYgfkumDdO-pLX7RtZwUqJHhUKIKJOQrxJiLt2vig-XsxYVBaKUkF1DSeAFIQ_PSjeKamKZNoKpjNUbbwcNkwG7_S39uETODm_8fS4XhfUCbU9ddhn76G8jhq0/s365/Screenshot%202023-12-05%20214441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="216" data-original-width="365" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjz3yyR6LPDFpMuNj6t2zSZjawxHDmySxo0JLYnsU1-0r9KBkuS2SvCUCnUR2Gp1VPRAYgfkumDdO-pLX7RtZwUqJHhUKIKJOQrxJiLt2vig-XsxYVBaKUkF1DSeAFIQ_PSjeKamKZNoKpjNUbbwcNkwG7_S39uETODm_8fS4XhfUCbU9ddhn76G8jhq0/w400-h236/Screenshot%202023-12-05%20214441.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ESU photo</td></tr></tbody></table><p><a href="https://www.esu.eu/en/products/loksound/loksound-5-dcc-direct-with-integrated-powerpack/">ESU's Loksound 5 DCC Direct with Integrated Power Pack decoder (#58921)</a> promises a relatively easy DCC conversion, with the bonus of having "keep alive" capacitors already installed on the motherboard. While not a true "drop in" that doesn't require soldering (like <a href="https://www.esu.eu/en/products/loksound/loksound-5-dcc-direct/">the version without the capacitors (#58821)</a>), both decoders are touted as an "easy" board replacement. I can't speak to the 58821, but I know that's not the case with the 58921 - at least not in an Atlas Classic RS-3.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW7AWfG_QsysCFv4T3LefrN5NquFari-su6E0dET_EZm2AyIL5HygHBjqgIjPmXI0o8cHVyPFJMkuqMKamOXnMAz7ZtCe6gC-CmnmTVPfG1vJ9NKTJs7qvbmmg6mFFYoxzfUD0yzk1PDLmSKC-BIxHQm1jxvZcjvt4htzLj5ab4Yv3VVlTm6CJqAMrWIw/s4032/IMG_4894.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW7AWfG_QsysCFv4T3LefrN5NquFari-su6E0dET_EZm2AyIL5HygHBjqgIjPmXI0o8cHVyPFJMkuqMKamOXnMAz7ZtCe6gC-CmnmTVPfG1vJ9NKTJs7qvbmmg6mFFYoxzfUD0yzk1PDLmSKC-BIxHQm1jxvZcjvt4htzLj5ab4Yv3VVlTm6CJqAMrWIw/w400-h300/IMG_4894.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When you try to attach the board to the loco as indicated, you discover that the slots are a <i style="font-weight: bold;">little</i> too close together to allow an easy install. Note the slot on the left. . .</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6uXS0EciVawSaSDHEDzNNqoWA2Je6BMRVm0ok_8ma-EO5Ozj97ddjTwj8dH9facZKQtRE6qUxU08h-DnkmgWeqYRRrXBK-srs73becJWvQWfX4JLY4vKyHpaxiwWEnQfYwxZc0PeVkmwbljbTWCr-ZEqs451upFh_xezgrEZCtx1A07-Q0M03DB58Vak/s4032/IMG_4895.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6uXS0EciVawSaSDHEDzNNqoWA2Je6BMRVm0ok_8ma-EO5Ozj97ddjTwj8dH9facZKQtRE6qUxU08h-DnkmgWeqYRRrXBK-srs73becJWvQWfX4JLY4vKyHpaxiwWEnQfYwxZc0PeVkmwbljbTWCr-ZEqs451upFh_xezgrEZCtx1A07-Q0M03DB58Vak/w400-h300/IMG_4895.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The spacing between the slots is a good 16th to 3/32" too short.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhij-K5LI_V-h1cNNyrj-wa-Ud2Qc51VmSz4fKoRH14FC5rPY3MNMZiCv4uqTl6jAxBxZRBq5-l7MwWXnIk_OBzo3ALV-spjPw-hP9pXaVn3Es2i7NBtrw_VSBl80vSs0eAVAFRflrx3MXoDaZC9ufvZc6K9uLZ0emd2Ebu2ZFIbDk1ozxeHdF11zGm8Q/s4032/IMG_4896.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhij-K5LI_V-h1cNNyrj-wa-Ud2Qc51VmSz4fKoRH14FC5rPY3MNMZiCv4uqTl6jAxBxZRBq5-l7MwWXnIk_OBzo3ALV-spjPw-hP9pXaVn3Es2i7NBtrw_VSBl80vSs0eAVAFRflrx3MXoDaZC9ufvZc6K9uLZ0emd2Ebu2ZFIbDk1ozxeHdF11zGm8Q/w400-h300/IMG_4896.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p>But the board is <i style="font-weight: bold;">supposed</i> to fit, right? Maybe I'm being too picky?</p><p>Thinking so, I decided to press a little harder . . .</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8QBdt-UZciHrKHNoqk-Oy4OTvISQC4Bj4yUFYNQ0OLIV7U02amfK7qLcePnjxZzBEuP9YL8LMOJm040i5F57AbiRi0I7m9IOSJBZTKxBIxkiloy9MnhapFsd5nXaOyUV_Mefrj_9uFpcdhRlVrG2rW-84vAAjNb_jbPvPpCcrfEqAPMfxcxeHr6mlR4s/s4032/IMG_4897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8QBdt-UZciHrKHNoqk-Oy4OTvISQC4Bj4yUFYNQ0OLIV7U02amfK7qLcePnjxZzBEuP9YL8LMOJm040i5F57AbiRi0I7m9IOSJBZTKxBIxkiloy9MnhapFsd5nXaOyUV_Mefrj_9uFpcdhRlVrG2rW-84vAAjNb_jbPvPpCcrfEqAPMfxcxeHr6mlR4s/w400-h300/IMG_4897.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That was a mistake . . .</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVeP1Ls-c5sbvRPzNqRzENpfstkuPeXaKuJU9I7cxp0i6nZcqq3mWFSlqkuG-vkbaT0uHlOHLxQxUgWxyExo0jp6HztnXXwWzBUMaLR1kNOrN_ZcQQosWStJjVPT5WNkYr5CXExE1tY6DuMMTxaxnjzV3gV3ogDpu5I8JtEISk0ImMIEmyCDQ0UhNX53g/s4032/IMG_4898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVeP1Ls-c5sbvRPzNqRzENpfstkuPeXaKuJU9I7cxp0i6nZcqq3mWFSlqkuG-vkbaT0uHlOHLxQxUgWxyExo0jp6HztnXXwWzBUMaLR1kNOrN_ZcQQosWStJjVPT5WNkYr5CXExE1tY6DuMMTxaxnjzV3gV3ogDpu5I8JtEISk0ImMIEmyCDQ0UhNX53g/w400-h300/IMG_4898.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A <i style="font-weight: bold;">BIG</i> mistake!</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Note that the leg of the capacitor didn't break at the solder joint - it actually pulled the solder pad up with it(!!)<div><br /></div><div>UGH.</div><div><br /></div><div>Fortunately, I hadn't gone through the trouble of soldering all the wires to the board (which the 58821 doesn't require. Just sayin'). Unfortunately, I didn't check with anybody about alternative mounting suggestions or pro tips for using the 58921 before attempting to install it.</div><div><br /></div><div>Which is where I hope this post is helpful - not only to warn you about this board if you're trying to install it in an Atlas Classic RS-3 (I know many of you have them), but also to avoid the mistake I made - and to pass along an installation pro tip. At least it's how I plan to proceed . . .</div><div><br /></div><div>First though, this board is on its way back to ESU. To their <i style="font-weight: bold;">GREAT</i> credit, after hearing my story they've agreed to consider replacing it under warranty. I'll let you know how that works out.</div><div><br /></div><div>Regardless, since I really want the capacitors, I've since gathered a lot of input on how others have installed this particular board and the consensus is that they snip off at least one of the mounting clips (preferably the one closest to the capacitor) and use double-sided tape to attach that end of the board. I'll probably also use some Kapton tape to hold it all down.<br /><p>So the conversion of this Atlas model into NHRR DERS-2c #529 is sidelined for the time being. But hopefully, it'll only be a temporary setback and I'll be able to continue the install soon. Fingers crossed!</p><p>PS: If any of you reading this have actually installed the 58921, <i style="font-weight: bold;">please</i> let me know. I'd really be interested in learning how you did it.</p></div>Chris Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18052818057825432279noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376057412116187041.post-28827366313928782002023-12-06T00:30:00.000-08:002023-12-06T00:30:00.139-08:00Wordless Wednesday #453 - Beware the ESU 58921 Decoder<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiYx3y17mZcvlmHAaGI7PdfXkaYGkWvQ36u9nlZhwSkOpSlR3xWQmo0mI-Y2z3zOH5DF0q1Lk8qPiAtYBqYtDVHBKdVS5-od_zGt0pGRpYsXGa3e_RF-WqdK67ptbCu1_D64qJtJtYJbhfixsxSy9TT9xRM2OqiMIMI6PpF9y8-aLMXVY4c1fN2gIpyzc/s4032/IMG_4897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiYx3y17mZcvlmHAaGI7PdfXkaYGkWvQ36u9nlZhwSkOpSlR3xWQmo0mI-Y2z3zOH5DF0q1Lk8qPiAtYBqYtDVHBKdVS5-od_zGt0pGRpYsXGa3e_RF-WqdK67ptbCu1_D64qJtJtYJbhfixsxSy9TT9xRM2OqiMIMI6PpF9y8-aLMXVY4c1fN2gIpyzc/w400-h300/IMG_4897.JPG" width="400" /></a></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM5UdEiYxFiwUF4-xdxa2lLIM9IoHWv3_57CZa-LpLNzp9VKVKGra9npgZ7ZB0oVo2btCuTuO_lsfmYxR1LfkVDgBLJ8FeQU55NKXJ_Lza8w4PotCdpY5q-Fo5CeyLOvl7_8WnftzQoBlgIkJ3_aA0uwKirC62aRQR0O4AQ_OwHfEWqLxM_x_E8HYcnps/s4032/IMG_4898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM5UdEiYxFiwUF4-xdxa2lLIM9IoHWv3_57CZa-LpLNzp9VKVKGra9npgZ7ZB0oVo2btCuTuO_lsfmYxR1LfkVDgBLJ8FeQU55NKXJ_Lza8w4PotCdpY5q-Fo5CeyLOvl7_8WnftzQoBlgIkJ3_aA0uwKirC62aRQR0O4AQ_OwHfEWqLxM_x_E8HYcnps/w400-h300/IMG_4898.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Chris Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18052818057825432279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376057412116187041.post-54773316499951492582023-12-01T16:53:00.000-08:002023-12-05T18:38:18.439-08:00Friday Fun: And Now For Something Completely Different . . . (NH #529)<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6oS9ev-os87hFRXzVgPkSQPxipAYUxAikTQkb5PeSAsiRjnW9TPytX5IPx33knzv2eghUfDBqUzBXITbwJ08qXbGEQePNjrCi-HdkQ9Ze2Lz6O1iHMjwBvDH2tnPv4WFJL5IDbn9pV6Lf9dO1ze87tw0wsP9jZdshbTqkVJ1BZvKmakRNsB75QCzurOM/s3104/Scans%20for%20Schofield047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2047" data-original-width="3104" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6oS9ev-os87hFRXzVgPkSQPxipAYUxAikTQkb5PeSAsiRjnW9TPytX5IPx33knzv2eghUfDBqUzBXITbwJ08qXbGEQePNjrCi-HdkQ9Ze2Lz6O1iHMjwBvDH2tnPv4WFJL5IDbn9pV6Lf9dO1ze87tw0wsP9jZdshbTqkVJ1BZvKmakRNsB75QCzurOM/w400-h264/Scans%20for%20Schofield047.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside the Essex shop, before the Locomotive Service Facility was built, c. 1986/1987.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I first met New Haven Railroad DERS-2c (Alco RS-3) #529 in November of 1986. I was 17 years old, had had my license for almost 2 years, and was able to go on a solo railfan trip to the Valley Railroad's Railfan Day, which I'd just heard about a few weeks before.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Fast forward a few months, and I'm working on the VRR as a steam locomotive fireman and one of my "featherbedding" jobs (a hopefully good-natured accusation) then was to hold down the left-hand seat on the 529 whenever #97 (our venerable 2-8-0 and the only steamer in service at the time) was sidelined for a boiler wash. I even got to run it on a train a few times (under the watchful eye of the engineer, of course).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was at the Valley for 3 years before college, then lawschool, then marriage and starting my career got in the way. Eventually, we bought our first house and I finally had some space for a layout. The layout I started with was a donation (<a href="http://blog.thevalleylocal.net/2020/03/throwbackthankful-thursday-chester-chet.html">read more of that story here</a>) which didn't run all that well and was only going to represent the Shepaug Branch off of the Berkshire Line-themed layout I was planning.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_sg3_ubpxHvPSd1ZrGQw9I54pfQGVRQdZwI4v8IFvsfDGwICgtr_ePRP9L251iR4YenRGYRaYHtjSShimBC5AY7SSquWmrJypXLa2zHfPhFGCWDsBMghiTbSynTVaSGZ7mddBFg7INPHfENF98_58ldk4GwybpUAPnjgDP7aggmB8UMZwrZ4fef6QuHc/s4032/IMG_4787.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_sg3_ubpxHvPSd1ZrGQw9I54pfQGVRQdZwI4v8IFvsfDGwICgtr_ePRP9L251iR4YenRGYRaYHtjSShimBC5AY7SSquWmrJypXLa2zHfPhFGCWDsBMghiTbSynTVaSGZ7mddBFg7INPHfENF98_58ldk4GwybpUAPnjgDP7aggmB8UMZwrZ4fef6QuHc/w400-h300/IMG_4787.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I wanted to restore the layout to operating condition, but it wasn't until my friend Tom gifted me with a model of the 529 (pictured above) - and I wanted desperately to have someplace to run it - that the restoration hit high gear.<div><br /></div><div>Unfortunately/fortunately, the engine was DC-only (we're talking probably about 2001/2002 at this point) and I converted to DCC in May of 2003, so the 529 was sidelined until I could get around to converting it. But then I took up bike racing in 2005 and the hobby took a back seat for about half a dozen years . . .</div><div><br /></div><div>Now that The Valley Local has been up and running well for about 10 years now, I decided to start going through my stash of equipment to see what's now surplus and can be liquidated to fund other railroad-related projects. Consequently, I've sold off 4 of 6 DL-109s that have just been sitting new-in-the-box for years (incidentally, I have 2 left to sell if anyone's interested), and then I came across this now-old Atlas Classic #529, sitting like new in the box. . .</div><div><br /></div><div>I'd seen a while ago that Loksound had come out with a v5 decoder that has PowerPacks onboard, and is a <i style="font-weight: bold;">drop in</i> for the Atlas Classic RS-3. And <a href="https://www.scalesoundsystems.com/">Scale Sound Systems</a> sells outstanding speakers, which are also custom fit. So suffice it to say, I took some of the DL-109 money and made a visit to the SSS website.</div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDFHLuOMvVJMx2xar2VQduvkysLx5HwM6NOlCv6Mmx1zEP0GLvso__A4KMDZZrH6998vFLJCf_Xy9qIRrxPIjTtzY2sq_ZbqVrrMwx29bFk3whu5aE7CYvld_z_w6T09KmAdiWFfrj875yJX5_zJcgP8C4KjkJuiaRX4ifHv3-GfwAk3tY1iTAR5nYbzA/s4032/IMG_4785.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDFHLuOMvVJMx2xar2VQduvkysLx5HwM6NOlCv6Mmx1zEP0GLvso__A4KMDZZrH6998vFLJCf_Xy9qIRrxPIjTtzY2sq_ZbqVrrMwx29bFk3whu5aE7CYvld_z_w6T09KmAdiWFfrj875yJX5_zJcgP8C4KjkJuiaRX4ifHv3-GfwAk3tY1iTAR5nYbzA/w400-h300/IMG_4785.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And the package finally showed up today . . .</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMoRK7vNTKLonKt_4yUu0ewAk1WBUSjrIY7R2C7Gms5-qiXTnpwlUKhKiwYs0Pq7hY3NBEf-dvE31esJFupHs3Y6lge9ETDcigxlUqtDnWf2TUSMcbp5ILEUhgCrgHmpGYkxKRt56n4SObz87kiF4La3KWep8p7-Ydp3yGnEMFxEvQC9hWS5bIgXCSF4M/s4032/IMG_4786.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMoRK7vNTKLonKt_4yUu0ewAk1WBUSjrIY7R2C7Gms5-qiXTnpwlUKhKiwYs0Pq7hY3NBEf-dvE31esJFupHs3Y6lge9ETDcigxlUqtDnWf2TUSMcbp5ILEUhgCrgHmpGYkxKRt56n4SObz87kiF4La3KWep8p7-Ydp3yGnEMFxEvQC9hWS5bIgXCSF4M/w300-h400/IMG_4786.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">So, just as soon as I can end this post, take out my contacts, and heat up the soldering iron, I'm gonna spend a lovely evening listening to the Charlie Brown Christmas album, sipping a nice Cabernet, and converting my HO scale #529 for use on the Valley Local!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Q4qqNzOT7wPOIdtACLX0JG7t_1z3JF1fN05ZchWGHNoF6FgApeaKYIWoUMVPzT8C2pbuKz9sFjESJYoGFMtrHQzwC-uO9FrxGegSNDkZtRM2dpsA5iuFQpSd6NGCXW2rFyvkX-5c5IoLw8_HU9vUP6sXQ4zJt0qwhTLMtSeijWKN4J9EAS4cX6UdO3A/s3112/Scans%20for%20Schofield046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2031" data-original-width="3112" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Q4qqNzOT7wPOIdtACLX0JG7t_1z3JF1fN05ZchWGHNoF6FgApeaKYIWoUMVPzT8C2pbuKz9sFjESJYoGFMtrHQzwC-uO9FrxGegSNDkZtRM2dpsA5iuFQpSd6NGCXW2rFyvkX-5c5IoLw8_HU9vUP6sXQ4zJt0qwhTLMtSeijWKN4J9EAS4cX6UdO3A/w400-h261/Scans%20for%20Schofield046.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Photo Freight" southbound through "the Meadow" just north of Essex station on the Valley Line, Railfan Day, November, 1986.</td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;">And don't bother telling me it's past my era - I've actually run the prototype locomotive over the line that I model, so there's no way I'm <i>not</i> going to run the model on my layout. Now I just have to see if I can get <a href="https://www.miniprints.com/">my friend Bernard</a> to 3D scan me in a diesel engineer's pose . . .</p><p style="text-align: left;"><><><><><><><><><><><><></p><p style="text-align: left;">The actual, real 529 still exists today, but it needs your help. The <a href="https://www.rmne.org/">Railroad Museum of New England</a> is in the process of restoring it to operation, but unfortunately such efforts are costly. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/newhaven529/">Check out their efforts here</a> and consider helping get the 529 running again!</p></div>Chris Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18052818057825432279noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376057412116187041.post-59317213045974891192023-11-29T00:30:00.000-08:002023-11-29T00:30:00.131-08:00Wordless Wednesday #452 - Rosie Tribute<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT3k_CBSn521eHuw7Y-HfaOCoeCHPiyYY8QLx60qYeeciaExlA68RSaIPPN8fQZDM39tgR_eK_Z3JKAT1OGX19P0EKzMldlGJgBrSWzbrK_LYFeklfiT3gFUkFeDmGojLJmEspJ3-b7CSvFwc393Op0Cn4yD8rvyxCIh6mhW-NFshDAHrGu7rmB1IKdlE/s4032/IMG_4757.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT3k_CBSn521eHuw7Y-HfaOCoeCHPiyYY8QLx60qYeeciaExlA68RSaIPPN8fQZDM39tgR_eK_Z3JKAT1OGX19P0EKzMldlGJgBrSWzbrK_LYFeklfiT3gFUkFeDmGojLJmEspJ3-b7CSvFwc393Op0Cn4yD8rvyxCIh6mhW-NFshDAHrGu7rmB1IKdlE/w300-h400/IMG_4757.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitCN5eio-h1jDRcdN4uNCPYMr0zF6ScpqZPJzlfv0aTMHR5Zn9gkM-SzSgsgX7Z2ghybfEL0ZR_Zr9zJQWf7gR0wLQNFMMb23d6jVp7QpRkuMeRqwcyeH6y43riIjFTOl6jvN2Zw8GmVseQhx2Z6xiEUspqDw1Z6O0U0ISsQcF_mwNndj2Wt1cA58n3d4/s2145/IMG_4763.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2145" data-original-width="1170" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitCN5eio-h1jDRcdN4uNCPYMr0zF6ScpqZPJzlfv0aTMHR5Zn9gkM-SzSgsgX7Z2ghybfEL0ZR_Zr9zJQWf7gR0wLQNFMMb23d6jVp7QpRkuMeRqwcyeH6y43riIjFTOl6jvN2Zw8GmVseQhx2Z6xiEUspqDw1Z6O0U0ISsQcF_mwNndj2Wt1cA58n3d4/w219-h400/IMG_4763.jpeg" width="219" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhl-G7u7x_tHTS48bEa18gpnTRKU6m1A1yx-vZNqjlyCTMv9nyd0F14-AQYas0qpElbDBfhd_2tiuWyne5a8AkoEyzpIjZs90nkoBEk46T1qvQkg3MjexNfWQJtEb2INwxq-10MZylmgheqZaIl9FNl0TS9MEYVqZTmMxk5XuL3Z4qtE8DghmNdkHqI4/s4032/IMG_4756.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhl-G7u7x_tHTS48bEa18gpnTRKU6m1A1yx-vZNqjlyCTMv9nyd0F14-AQYas0qpElbDBfhd_2tiuWyne5a8AkoEyzpIjZs90nkoBEk46T1qvQkg3MjexNfWQJtEb2INwxq-10MZylmgheqZaIl9FNl0TS9MEYVqZTmMxk5XuL3Z4qtE8DghmNdkHqI4/w300-h400/IMG_4756.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /> <p></p>Chris Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18052818057825432279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376057412116187041.post-16655563060578872972023-11-24T00:30:00.000-08:002023-12-14T13:48:39.065-08:00Friday Fun: Modeling Camp Bethel (terrain prototyping) pt.1<p>As of <a href="http://blog.thevalleylocal.net/2023/10/quick-update-unique-switch-box-and.html">my last layout update</a>, I'd pushed basic scenery north into Deep River, CT. Since the next area to be modeled is East Haddam/Goodspeeds (actually located in Haddam, on the <i>west</i> side of the Connecticut River, but let's leave it at that...), I figured it high time to check in with the prototype.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqYwZr2F5-SyjmtzT6CRrm_zl001SS7exXvLKIR2LuD6vbKOKU-32lml_DDzuj6fc7ko60ArzcgWKSfkNNZoBzYXQSzcEfptRnGvTuAvnq-V2dhiofHReI58rvcZBzuk55hPgOW3g-y0WO9UtieYpSJW8gDbcr7lL66sop7i4ulLWIVamzTRSKA8ny3cw/s2048/IMG_3632.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqYwZr2F5-SyjmtzT6CRrm_zl001SS7exXvLKIR2LuD6vbKOKU-32lml_DDzuj6fc7ko60ArzcgWKSfkNNZoBzYXQSzcEfptRnGvTuAvnq-V2dhiofHReI58rvcZBzuk55hPgOW3g-y0WO9UtieYpSJW8gDbcr7lL66sop7i4ulLWIVamzTRSKA8ny3cw/w400-h300/IMG_3632.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the station area looking north. The car is heading east on Bridge Street (aka Route 82) and will be crossing the river on a <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Haddam_Swing_Bridge">1913 swing bridge</a> in just a few hundred yards from here. Off in the distance, left/west of the track, you can see the hill on which Camp Bethel sits.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0hH41F9SAkleXIzH4quZZ1qjJhRXdHkT4nnQLrksr3UVTb7pUj3uacs5ujH31N-W58erIlcUMlpgaXY4tRQ17aUE7yC6mItSHmZEfYTJBu050wKhOw75Bd68yde-tQMKTXmchT_QTVo7Tp_XuVzlBWwCn0noV6cF8btH4vUcuQRDLZroJ289ih4COxXk/s1272/IMG_3634.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1272" data-original-width="1170" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0hH41F9SAkleXIzH4quZZ1qjJhRXdHkT4nnQLrksr3UVTb7pUj3uacs5ujH31N-W58erIlcUMlpgaXY4tRQ17aUE7yC6mItSHmZEfYTJBu050wKhOw75Bd68yde-tQMKTXmchT_QTVo7Tp_XuVzlBWwCn0noV6cF8btH4vUcuQRDLZroJ289ih4COxXk/w368-h400/IMG_3634.jpeg" width="368" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Similar view, as it looks today, shot closer - from north of the grade crossing. Same building on the right, but modified.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRBFX4Sdy8px1bScoVYs_l3a0pu0FIKkgh-7UahaaOPOQKPwCguPcqp__DmoQLcBWtciXYrMR-kKgMQr8Vlud-7yHnJHS8bm1x0_DTlyc9tDJ6rfgnLdmSo9YvXs6Xcf90fipRrm2UfQUF91QQZLUXrrCFh7NEWVo0Q5Q8DqocmtjdMgDtEHaOyhNhQqU/s2048/IMG_3621.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRBFX4Sdy8px1bScoVYs_l3a0pu0FIKkgh-7UahaaOPOQKPwCguPcqp__DmoQLcBWtciXYrMR-kKgMQr8Vlud-7yHnJHS8bm1x0_DTlyc9tDJ6rfgnLdmSo9YvXs6Xcf90fipRrm2UfQUF91QQZLUXrrCFh7NEWVo0Q5Q8DqocmtjdMgDtEHaOyhNhQqU/w400-h300/IMG_3621.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walking further north, you can't really make it out through all the trees, but Camp Bethel is up on top of that little hill on the left.</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Ever since hearing of our own little version of the <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wesleyan_Grove">Martha's Vineyard Campmeeting Association</a>, I've wanted to model at least a hint of <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Bethel?fbclid=IwAR2J1H9D1x-YrEvVompSyKsYWeWppcSUvrzeeL7ytQ3lplcN5VWUpepxPI8">Camp Bethel</a> - which lies conveniently between the East Haddam scene and the <a href="https://www.thevalleylocal.net/layout-tour/shailerville-bridge">Shailerville Bridge scene</a>, providing a perfect scenic break.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVuUBSdApeCOyveIdjDXpPdg0rjr271vc4H4jZ0KKl4m0NttPokC5xfKdOJTeLiBeYrzAr7_fWWrV2WPVzGflfDoxm5nGvZAv9dum-ZL5HXS1Evl3YbS0CofCxmFBZDKBVng9pbTw6TwiEBFj7Tx5DtJGA2mrijv-Hki19vmkLrIY5fE_rNnWDv7QKlTs/s2048/IMG_3507.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVuUBSdApeCOyveIdjDXpPdg0rjr271vc4H4jZ0KKl4m0NttPokC5xfKdOJTeLiBeYrzAr7_fWWrV2WPVzGflfDoxm5nGvZAv9dum-ZL5HXS1Evl3YbS0CofCxmFBZDKBVng9pbTw6TwiEBFj7Tx5DtJGA2mrijv-Hki19vmkLrIY5fE_rNnWDv7QKlTs/w400-h300/IMG_3507.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>In fact, I'd planned <i>so</i> far ahead to include it, that I'd long ago cut the fascia to form the hill profile. Unfortunately, as I started looking more closely at the prototype topography, I realized the hill profile I'd made was WAY too high. I also needed some flat area for the cottages. The masking tape above indicates the proposed cut line, and also protects the painted fascia from my saber saw.<div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3wDvbPT1iiVMmB71keig2ZvjBhW8a5LsgAq0XkgU6xQtS_uZxZB-q4b4rMiU0W4bzEaKKvnCGVpFm8Saupup0JCAkriHFeKnU8wdxAmreC94wcAoh2nFIwOSrsewMQnFwBRvvbFGydmhJ4hx555ekiPz0E6fZU4kDkR5C_jtjHUdNIx2zuq_1Ha9YMG8/s2048/IMG_3511.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3wDvbPT1iiVMmB71keig2ZvjBhW8a5LsgAq0XkgU6xQtS_uZxZB-q4b4rMiU0W4bzEaKKvnCGVpFm8Saupup0JCAkriHFeKnU8wdxAmreC94wcAoh2nFIwOSrsewMQnFwBRvvbFGydmhJ4hx555ekiPz0E6fZU4kDkR5C_jtjHUdNIx2zuq_1Ha9YMG8/w300-h400/IMG_3511.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's how things looked after I cut the hill down - and added foam on edge along the inside of the fascia for mounting the cardboard strips.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVoeJM0g80SmZKzRIyc16TEEzXoPttoqqAFurqgHb4-Ib2bPi8KGWLaxo5oLYrklhVALG75zsl9itWD-anWlWqaN4nogCeMHVbulFYDebDlABsIvhWWcpNPf1eGcYtij889bYDO53uTj_7zi3lED06xLaDB8js1nqRKy5lnFVJV3Yi5aOMMY3aByOS7Q/s2048/IMG_3574.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUVoeJM0g80SmZKzRIyc16TEEzXoPttoqqAFurqgHb4-Ib2bPi8KGWLaxo5oLYrklhVALG75zsl9itWD-anWlWqaN4nogCeMHVbulFYDebDlABsIvhWWcpNPf1eGcYtij889bYDO53uTj_7zi3lED06xLaDB8js1nqRKy5lnFVJV3Yi5aOMMY3aByOS7Q/w400-h300/IMG_3574.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc7-zePcWA8kpLA8Ag-Iwg9CYkkJ0UwG37bDzU0OZurPPsFV3Yj-qnLP4Ic3J8d1Ee8cZCmt3I3iOkTaQ9-uECPyNj_q7ATA4tdrtiAZ1-UvC1wCsJYZYxjHHadX2abDIlFEPas39zYCGTnKl2uhDeID7L7KRlffmtM59T4CbLE7liG9FS3mD8KI-J1CY/s2048/IMG_3575.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc7-zePcWA8kpLA8Ag-Iwg9CYkkJ0UwG37bDzU0OZurPPsFV3Yj-qnLP4Ic3J8d1Ee8cZCmt3I3iOkTaQ9-uECPyNj_q7ATA4tdrtiAZ1-UvC1wCsJYZYxjHHadX2abDIlFEPas39zYCGTnKl2uhDeID7L7KRlffmtM59T4CbLE7liG9FS3mD8KI-J1CY/w400-h300/IMG_3575.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As you can see, I'd originally planned on adding a rock casting to the side of the hill to make up for the hillside being SO steep here.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiK8z1wDyUhzqS46rWw1ax1BG0NO1hgmQ2WzouSymX7PVRjSq0N74nuzYndNZrG3ePOiOCcjikbLCYzX6tPlYCn_MzAUh9paRQdvXugLdmfFlygUHJOgDvEAVXW_VXNCaTjlP1zALjzituqi0O8499Uqxwy63YDtlD0jnJGQY9MzV7HrqmX7Xq0k65htE/s2048/IMG_3633.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiK8z1wDyUhzqS46rWw1ax1BG0NO1hgmQ2WzouSymX7PVRjSq0N74nuzYndNZrG3ePOiOCcjikbLCYzX6tPlYCn_MzAUh9paRQdvXugLdmfFlygUHJOgDvEAVXW_VXNCaTjlP1zALjzituqi0O8499Uqxwy63YDtlD0jnJGQY9MzV7HrqmX7Xq0k65htE/w400-h300/IMG_3633.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But the more I looked "north" down the track, the more the hill <i style="font-weight: bold;">still</i> looked too tall and steep - especially when compared to the topography shown in the prototype photos.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3YY1hnDGfD3805tCm8Q2oK7umrNAtXRhSx-13Qoh8xNO5hkRfX-A-mt2vK1GxRxSbodc_9H_c3Qq5ib3Tk4z3qywuobS2w_LMVHe-zO761t64RlPTr0UKeNoPcUef_c77PFDYH3xA2YS_t02hJDMsW_8fVdXMvpFeWfjknSCGx8XHPlMu-LzGjgs0JQo/s2048/IMG_3639.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3YY1hnDGfD3805tCm8Q2oK7umrNAtXRhSx-13Qoh8xNO5hkRfX-A-mt2vK1GxRxSbodc_9H_c3Qq5ib3Tk4z3qywuobS2w_LMVHe-zO761t64RlPTr0UKeNoPcUef_c77PFDYH3xA2YS_t02hJDMsW_8fVdXMvpFeWfjknSCGx8XHPlMu-LzGjgs0JQo/w400-h300/IMG_3639.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>So, out came the saber saw again and down came more of the hill. I also decided not to use a rock casting since that would be really out of place in this spot - at least, again, according to the prototype.</div><div><br /></div><div>Looking at these photos again, I think I may redo the cardboard strips so that the stacked foam doesn't look <i>quite</i> so much like a huge outcropping.</div><div><br /></div><div>Incidentally, the little cabin/cottage you're seeing in the photos was borrowed from <a href="https://www.thevalleylocal.net/layout-tour/somerset-mill-hollow">Somerset</a> and is being used as a mockup for sizing purposes. Unfortunately, I can't really use it here since it belongs in Somerset - and I need more than one cottage to give them impression of a "camp" anyway.</div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZa_YouZQNiF8GBRczS9x4GSCJf1eJC-oVcby7YZymFmJ819mKRkGdhXrYQrXPJxKII69-IeFIelaAMNs-bgvO4TA2Ce-GIo4HkOaC7q1lwlXLIwscPsls5ZocaN-TTtOjQOYYaxzJGcaDIY1y23p7fheaKpKnSqm98Bt8iTmou2q9C5jyrxY4EYnfTPI/s816/IMG_3641.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="816" data-original-width="463" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZa_YouZQNiF8GBRczS9x4GSCJf1eJC-oVcby7YZymFmJ819mKRkGdhXrYQrXPJxKII69-IeFIelaAMNs-bgvO4TA2Ce-GIo4HkOaC7q1lwlXLIwscPsls5ZocaN-TTtOjQOYYaxzJGcaDIY1y23p7fheaKpKnSqm98Bt8iTmou2q9C5jyrxY4EYnfTPI/w228-h400/IMG_3641.JPG" width="228" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>But, thanks to my friend Bruce Edgerton, I already have on-hand some cottage kits that he gave me a few years back, which I think will fit the bill nicely. But to be sure they'd work, I figured I'd need to take a field trip to do more prototype research . . . That'll be the subject of the next post. Stay tuned!</div><div><br /></div><p><br /></p></div>Chris Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18052818057825432279noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376057412116187041.post-89847206534596679452023-11-23T00:30:00.000-08:002023-11-23T00:30:00.145-08:00Throwback Thursday: On Giving Thanks & Making Trees<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt1wnbD5PKElLnLc7vXtRYvtR74Hs6_3tCstHKFbgFp4vLHNOzaERdmcziBm9xplIXrVYyBlQXS3dK7eqxb03IfmVK9CC0sqmJmG0KxVN-YT5TsHhwEhYdyb9ec9LAaTtOYHgsB5fahIBvH65Xv10cG58szOVzosFgCSFuxyLQeFq2GbGyJuPwF6LL/s2160/786CF2F0-9896-4DF8-8012-9A72D4DF2CCE.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2160" data-original-width="2160" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt1wnbD5PKElLnLc7vXtRYvtR74Hs6_3tCstHKFbgFp4vLHNOzaERdmcziBm9xplIXrVYyBlQXS3dK7eqxb03IfmVK9CC0sqmJmG0KxVN-YT5TsHhwEhYdyb9ec9LAaTtOYHgsB5fahIBvH65Xv10cG58szOVzosFgCSFuxyLQeFq2GbGyJuPwF6LL/w400-h400/786CF2F0-9896-4DF8-8012-9A72D4DF2CCE.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="text-indent: -1em;">I think that I shall never see</span></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;">A poem lovely as a tree.<br /></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;">A tree whose hungry mouth is prest<br /></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;">Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;<br /></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;">A tree that looks at God all day,<br /></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;">And lifts her leafy arms to pray;<br /></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;">A tree that may in Summer wear<br /></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;">A nest of robins in her hair;<br /></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;">Upon whose bosom snow has lain;<br /></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;">Who intimately lives with rain.<br /></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;">Poems are made by fools like me,<br /></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: adobe-garamond-pro, Garamond, Baskerville, "Baskerville Old Face", "Hoefler Text", "Times New Roman", serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center; text-indent: -1em; vertical-align: baseline;">But only God can make a tree.</div><p>You've likely heard - and perhaps even participated - in the debate of whether model railroading is art. But have you ever thought of it as worship or contemplation?</p><p>After being sick all this past week, and almost missing Thanksgiving entirely, I woke up this morning feeling much better and noticed the beautiful sunrise from my back deck. The mood was enhanced by some <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5qGUhWPi6w">nice seasonal music</a> playing in the background (do yourself a favor and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBnUKvZpmt8">check out this song</a> in particular). I couldn't help but try and capture it in the photograph above and the scene reminded me of the poem by <a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/joyce-kilmer">Joyce Kilmer</a> - " . . . <i>only God can make a tree</i>."</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjfq9MFxhrJwxLxRmedPyFS2qvso5-FuOdOapNA1yMQnQrvaAWmQ73Zq69B1vTVmHecg3GZfnBVJ2oJLaTfR9n2YC5MZQNz7reRHNGt_GpUK_c7q_x-JEUK2AeEj2QxEcxzx1t2UznG0NWNGxQ3VJ5iAvDlk67kj8sK6T3bF6iB19VcbhVL7v-0GPM/s4032/IMG_0525.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjfq9MFxhrJwxLxRmedPyFS2qvso5-FuOdOapNA1yMQnQrvaAWmQ73Zq69B1vTVmHecg3GZfnBVJ2oJLaTfR9n2YC5MZQNz7reRHNGt_GpUK_c7q_x-JEUK2AeEj2QxEcxzx1t2UznG0NWNGxQ3VJ5iAvDlk67kj8sK6T3bF6iB19VcbhVL7v-0GPM/w300-h400/IMG_0525.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I think any time we engage in any creative endeavor, whether it be music, painting, dance, sculpture, or any of the arts - any time we create something for the purity of it <i>itself</i> - we are affirming our innate humanness and participating with God in Creation. While we can never be God, I believe our creative endeavors are reflections of the <i><a href="https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/image-of-god-meaning-imago-dei-in-the-bible.html">Imago Dei</a></i> in our lives.<div><br /></div><div>In this respect, our attempts at creating miniature worlds are echoes of our true identity as humans. We are born creators and while our attempts can never be any more than a mere reflections of the real world, I believe that the process of creating that world can itself be a contemplative exercise, affirming our humanity and providing an oasis in the midst of troubling times.</div><div><br /></div><div>Is it any wonder, then, that a creative hobby can be so calming and restorative? And I think doing it can sometimes be an act of thanksgiving, thanking our Creator for the privilege of being able to participate in creation, in even a small way.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've spent the past couple of Sunday afternoons dipping my toe in the deep end of this pool, trying my best to make some trees . . .</div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrPInYn-BCc-XfnAWhuwkIJsDRfSTTsav1iKg35zGFeudjcp8tDV4p9L4nRbqqp0ns4wAM77q-2KVmdXgDKsdyknvpsVR46KxbxCaModOxvkwb1Ja7blH2gdmnYJRznPgzxl8M3djzi200PGNad6vXBBarPOBS_J1NKrEHOIR-Cpa1MgQVLueZxAd9/s4032/IMG_0464.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrPInYn-BCc-XfnAWhuwkIJsDRfSTTsav1iKg35zGFeudjcp8tDV4p9L4nRbqqp0ns4wAM77q-2KVmdXgDKsdyknvpsVR46KxbxCaModOxvkwb1Ja7blH2gdmnYJRznPgzxl8M3djzi200PGNad6vXBBarPOBS_J1NKrEHOIR-Cpa1MgQVLueZxAd9/w400-h300/IMG_0464.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I started with <a href="https://www.sceneryexpress.com/SuperTrees/departments/1006/">armatures from Scenic Express</a>, separating them into separate "trees" and spray painting them a medium gray color. When I was young, I always colored trees brown - but, turns out, they're often mostly shades of gray.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn9nSg4U7Mjo7NjKmiBQlKGwmSnrzyM0PYWtFRGavjO56DURwyo0-KIDW5KSm_0Vrq67E5P0uokZZ2NHkwNOn5GmYaPfnSvl5zyT6iANbarZk4tYqKKB2-KElwIlITsrE1yNggEv_w7AelASLhBSQiUEcCGoLnK63L2TnXoAMKyU1AgruzEN9fbo4i/s4032/IMG_0463.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn9nSg4U7Mjo7NjKmiBQlKGwmSnrzyM0PYWtFRGavjO56DURwyo0-KIDW5KSm_0Vrq67E5P0uokZZ2NHkwNOn5GmYaPfnSvl5zyT6iANbarZk4tYqKKB2-KElwIlITsrE1yNggEv_w7AelASLhBSQiUEcCGoLnK63L2TnXoAMKyU1AgruzEN9fbo4i/w400-h300/IMG_0463.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">While the instructions recommend soaking the armatures in matte medium, I'm following the path many others have taken and am using hairspray (the cheapest, firmest hold you can get) to affix the "leaves" (various colors of flocking) to the armatures. I heavily spray the armature, then sprinkle the flocking over an old pie pan, which I then use to pour the excess flocking back into the container it came from.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9l7O44o2pB2TcwHmU1x4CwoyR0U6EgOGTwNzKLfHDBgRE0QbefMFIwo5sC_Wpo_p2UBrgrU_Amji8-JWy8VMbhjQoFiYCXckrL6TnB0cXkeQUnjU9Uf_JRPQUpgMdjOqSPMwbfTkJxIc8HsEGRPBhSU3Lh74HMGbuLFCRnteZCjET6b7yS_OaSpWV/s4032/IMG_0465.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9l7O44o2pB2TcwHmU1x4CwoyR0U6EgOGTwNzKLfHDBgRE0QbefMFIwo5sC_Wpo_p2UBrgrU_Amji8-JWy8VMbhjQoFiYCXckrL6TnB0cXkeQUnjU9Uf_JRPQUpgMdjOqSPMwbfTkJxIc8HsEGRPBhSU3Lh74HMGbuLFCRnteZCjET6b7yS_OaSpWV/w400-h300/IMG_0465.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a slow process - it took me an entire afternoon to do the trees you see above - but hopefully I'll get faster with practice.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg495_VwFKFN1kaTiPDhCNzrLv-JIwT0PbiOj-Fm_2N-Ze-lZQzl36Bqr-zJZzFecDDC3KpdQn-n5ySHa6Oz0_Y77HTnzhRvdK845dlGAIx33TSyqEq-d0QnhhYMenAHBUbWtsFSzzS3C5PY_1BHenuJI3wxAg2CMd3CbJ11hsYG4fT4FRGngqyKbco/s4032/IMG_0292.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg495_VwFKFN1kaTiPDhCNzrLv-JIwT0PbiOj-Fm_2N-Ze-lZQzl36Bqr-zJZzFecDDC3KpdQn-n5ySHa6Oz0_Y77HTnzhRvdK845dlGAIx33TSyqEq-d0QnhhYMenAHBUbWtsFSzzS3C5PY_1BHenuJI3wxAg2CMd3CbJ11hsYG4fT4FRGngqyKbco/w400-h300/IMG_0292.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But the results are definitely worth the time.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That's another thing I'm learning as I do more scenery on the layout: the time it takes often results in a better product, and the process itself can put you in a better, calmer, more contemplative frame of mind.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This Thanksgiving season, I hope you'll have a little extra time to spend working on your layouts - or doing whatever hobby you're in the mood for. And if you do, I hope you'll reflect on how blessed we are that, no matter what our level of skill or ability, we're able to create something that can bring us joy and maybe even a little peace.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz39xNZsY0OrcpaCGH6iCeuSSGAJ-_iAhuuf4LME2eEe_8glqbatpuOnDSUVhNeo8QuWk25W0YkS86z3SfVfSSssyNN14nb-yF62dFAAg1mThCl3-pXOURaq_CYuIV60BTddjgtvv0IhOq2iMbQDERNxVefmuSG6mmU4hM2hIA0MtN514Mdrjv-uK_/s4032/IMG_0300.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz39xNZsY0OrcpaCGH6iCeuSSGAJ-_iAhuuf4LME2eEe_8glqbatpuOnDSUVhNeo8QuWk25W0YkS86z3SfVfSSssyNN14nb-yF62dFAAg1mThCl3-pXOURaq_CYuIV60BTddjgtvv0IhOq2iMbQDERNxVefmuSG6mmU4hM2hIA0MtN514Mdrjv-uK_/w400-h300/IMG_0300.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">From our home to yours, we wish you, your families and friends, a blessed Thanksgiving and holiday season.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">(While this post was first published Thanksgiving, 2022 I think it fitting to repost in keeping with the spirit of the season, and to remind me to keep things in their proper perspective, being truly grateful for all my many blessings despite all that's going on in the world around us. I hope it helps you too during these difficult times.)</span></em></div></div></div>Chris Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18052818057825432279noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376057412116187041.post-30784977999309346152023-11-22T00:30:00.000-08:002023-11-22T00:30:00.149-08:00Wordless Wednesday #451 - A Visit to Northern Vermont (Neil Schofield's Layout)<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyqC6-K_3xFHstL7os2sHqJKKWuuU9I9iuBGEukNcqcRP71R7JozC4mwDAAew6vtZOSK8pNzi7yJLftWb-tA0QWnPkpsQPjUDd9ZfPYpLML4tSWhMrUTPdzOM-PqG9LQnySkWblwKS_jIjTW36AobxExvnqAAk-wSHE_snOIs08C2M13OMz_PrSIhNReU/s2048/IMG_3330.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyqC6-K_3xFHstL7os2sHqJKKWuuU9I9iuBGEukNcqcRP71R7JozC4mwDAAew6vtZOSK8pNzi7yJLftWb-tA0QWnPkpsQPjUDd9ZfPYpLML4tSWhMrUTPdzOM-PqG9LQnySkWblwKS_jIjTW36AobxExvnqAAk-wSHE_snOIs08C2M13OMz_PrSIhNReU/w400-h300/IMG_3330.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE13C3E-XnGhGZBjscKqIlG7J7vkLqEXHNddN2QHU4UB05iskYz6841_Mz5v2Z8cBufvG31h2867G7wYEfn0vpkFCd0DElbR2QNTjHlnRm7eea5v-17lm2OHjSvvHyaMmz1YcjIr-obTuu6F_Mj9nO0jG_LCCGCjme3B7EcBUgb9-JjhqVfLdqaPt_fWQ/s2048/IMG_3421.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE13C3E-XnGhGZBjscKqIlG7J7vkLqEXHNddN2QHU4UB05iskYz6841_Mz5v2Z8cBufvG31h2867G7wYEfn0vpkFCd0DElbR2QNTjHlnRm7eea5v-17lm2OHjSvvHyaMmz1YcjIr-obTuu6F_Mj9nO0jG_LCCGCjme3B7EcBUgb9-JjhqVfLdqaPt_fWQ/w400-h300/IMG_3421.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_LnHnZZdti1PynCSF0ocr8ZLmcLSHUo9KihyBkfBJ0l-SJYEXOPN1fiwMBN86ot902dtuIQFmgZWrFbEfcMQfes_OA6_KpvU-UeUwEaSPXIh6JLiT02aiNO-Gdp3-uFMMHbUVRV94m8X5iBT6YsBXy9JEipAe6lZJ41R7vG8b0qTlAniS-S9OfLVgrI/s2048/IMG_3403.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT_LnHnZZdti1PynCSF0ocr8ZLmcLSHUo9KihyBkfBJ0l-SJYEXOPN1fiwMBN86ot902dtuIQFmgZWrFbEfcMQfes_OA6_KpvU-UeUwEaSPXIh6JLiT02aiNO-Gdp3-uFMMHbUVRV94m8X5iBT6YsBXy9JEipAe6lZJ41R7vG8b0qTlAniS-S9OfLVgrI/w400-h300/IMG_3403.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfGqvJ7xqEcgjWSCM8WG4mVyMuR-JVvXLXPtiZE8-4TOi1QHdeAc_dWf1mLGZsL3q1VYDQrMQEmaYVh_nce8sejX7iT6eYEhX1HpbVtzf8hiDcb_qw13aAmYHFzVEn6Y0xeKciuGF8iiym7ggMQ7cSPQNzl6dxJRy-rCOy0V_IXNTSesytq_Z3q_IjFs/s2048/IMG_3401.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGfGqvJ7xqEcgjWSCM8WG4mVyMuR-JVvXLXPtiZE8-4TOi1QHdeAc_dWf1mLGZsL3q1VYDQrMQEmaYVh_nce8sejX7iT6eYEhX1HpbVtzf8hiDcb_qw13aAmYHFzVEn6Y0xeKciuGF8iiym7ggMQ7cSPQNzl6dxJRy-rCOy0V_IXNTSesytq_Z3q_IjFs/w400-h300/IMG_3401.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj91G1UjBPC4Ppjy3qnPzzzAfWt7mSeysLrOIoBeHn92edasMz5hyoEdos7edfkRgRrYsJz2Cn6ZBwgNilkEo1Hz6Gf0BdISGHbymlXba8GDyHslY2Ln6XDDyotuYhQOKYgxNEL3S56nF6HhIZOGvWRSx8so3glu2GeQ-IX2Ukdg1p6HMyRSXuTKM89PQo/s2048/IMG_3360.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj91G1UjBPC4Ppjy3qnPzzzAfWt7mSeysLrOIoBeHn92edasMz5hyoEdos7edfkRgRrYsJz2Cn6ZBwgNilkEo1Hz6Gf0BdISGHbymlXba8GDyHslY2Ln6XDDyotuYhQOKYgxNEL3S56nF6HhIZOGvWRSx8so3glu2GeQ-IX2Ukdg1p6HMyRSXuTKM89PQo/w400-h300/IMG_3360.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAhILNNN5LGCwKVRDSSxqtN8DjwUToutk-NZeB-aYR4GsdGMlFqh7y7sIQVTB9M9d-OqlIoyeYrlXHSvYeb-7_doF1oA65nZIvAc_tNXC5UO5nRlnho229T_9hdTeuXfqiDz6pxRNA8R2lEpwCG2Fi30Hzs8s_tdoedHE71zq_K4X60zUr3-YRVY4WYDY/s2048/IMG_3344.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAhILNNN5LGCwKVRDSSxqtN8DjwUToutk-NZeB-aYR4GsdGMlFqh7y7sIQVTB9M9d-OqlIoyeYrlXHSvYeb-7_doF1oA65nZIvAc_tNXC5UO5nRlnho229T_9hdTeuXfqiDz6pxRNA8R2lEpwCG2Fi30Hzs8s_tdoedHE71zq_K4X60zUr3-YRVY4WYDY/w400-h300/IMG_3344.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYbc-Q3qNnZHgdNMJqkWVRBtiHxBwmM9KSkfZR0jQaOAh6e52GDYMqvVhnwRXL4kVSOYuKmSG8l52lFQVf30GxTer2fFoJ4uXnzDgZg_4Rh4GxwtpkA6azM4ihTjNhlcpxn94zmLDlhetKfDDK2LNqQTG3oJ4GwRyxnVgD9pxgH5a6eoJ0chxpsfzbRDY/s2048/IMG_3335.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYbc-Q3qNnZHgdNMJqkWVRBtiHxBwmM9KSkfZR0jQaOAh6e52GDYMqvVhnwRXL4kVSOYuKmSG8l52lFQVf30GxTer2fFoJ4uXnzDgZg_4Rh4GxwtpkA6azM4ihTjNhlcpxn94zmLDlhetKfDDK2LNqQTG3oJ4GwRyxnVgD9pxgH5a6eoJ0chxpsfzbRDY/w300-h400/IMG_3335.jpeg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoBJHeS5R2OBRHmBqMfdVsRsPKUvuovjVPTy7OVraqjL2ACv0AhzL7fbokeaYn9tlKch8w0eOEUPDmjhviba8CMOTMzA9ibfvhUY5C9jBxjljpt9hdJ4SORZfWl-g0Tm04ETMcIdx7gANOl7WIlE1vj_DTrTjLPWkUbhzh2XPJsNZP7Xea2UdlSt2b2yQ/s2048/IMG_3328.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoBJHeS5R2OBRHmBqMfdVsRsPKUvuovjVPTy7OVraqjL2ACv0AhzL7fbokeaYn9tlKch8w0eOEUPDmjhviba8CMOTMzA9ibfvhUY5C9jBxjljpt9hdJ4SORZfWl-g0Tm04ETMcIdx7gANOl7WIlE1vj_DTrTjLPWkUbhzh2XPJsNZP7Xea2UdlSt2b2yQ/w400-h300/IMG_3328.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3U9tunJ3aqXyEcWHtwCYcOCKt1cDSwD09HBuwX1Zwu24FkrRst9bNO6eBY2NlPe9mcna_pzU_tOdsBDozXWlIxp3s0NvAgI7EjST83ZjqYK0Y1oYIIHP5RqyYy1GKyQSPQ2ywuG7kK4QrM1vaWHDlCkNBup2LIFghX5KrXEtnDK-h5PIT7sR7HMEriI/s2048/IMG_3313.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3U9tunJ3aqXyEcWHtwCYcOCKt1cDSwD09HBuwX1Zwu24FkrRst9bNO6eBY2NlPe9mcna_pzU_tOdsBDozXWlIxp3s0NvAgI7EjST83ZjqYK0Y1oYIIHP5RqyYy1GKyQSPQ2ywuG7kK4QrM1vaWHDlCkNBup2LIFghX5KrXEtnDK-h5PIT7sR7HMEriI/w400-h300/IMG_3313.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCOSneF1SqDbo2tP58c-jATqxFvODFIRazRS6z1SUGjjYI7H0vwBw-5WA-oKaUKtuDVbQsQakwhyphenhyphenOaWkN5sMF-iyxAMFk0OXI9LqCqGtdfoyH7vIT8OBdI83cxCNzizanxwSmbFDFtLpI2i8k1PVGqJOH5JDh7ghwQe5tbsmYiaKlnMI7faDmYYoPUas/s2048/IMG_3312.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCOSneF1SqDbo2tP58c-jATqxFvODFIRazRS6z1SUGjjYI7H0vwBw-5WA-oKaUKtuDVbQsQakwhyphenhyphenOaWkN5sMF-iyxAMFk0OXI9LqCqGtdfoyH7vIT8OBdI83cxCNzizanxwSmbFDFtLpI2i8k1PVGqJOH5JDh7ghwQe5tbsmYiaKlnMI7faDmYYoPUas/w400-h300/IMG_3312.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl6V8Wu0eYlkGeOL8zO1ed-36QVHR4uKJzD8tgYNfnWevX-5TFRVr3kIbTpQU2KUk23sFS3NNyw6Cjjv8HPpU_wObqKqakCIe4HIl8WbYvC1mGkwU301dmW5RornNhm-qMbILf7mD0N4G22Z1hIUuLln9FMXhG7mEPCdMyeJ752N5_ku44vJkhMzkMaII/s2048/IMG_3302.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl6V8Wu0eYlkGeOL8zO1ed-36QVHR4uKJzD8tgYNfnWevX-5TFRVr3kIbTpQU2KUk23sFS3NNyw6Cjjv8HPpU_wObqKqakCIe4HIl8WbYvC1mGkwU301dmW5RornNhm-qMbILf7mD0N4G22Z1hIUuLln9FMXhG7mEPCdMyeJ752N5_ku44vJkhMzkMaII/w400-h300/IMG_3302.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6XgfaSIgB6pO9PAE5GBiYOjcjDDxR2U9-JbADLvGt-WYpbSdEG9ME6NG2q27RcWiKprjqrL_tETxjOkLXhtjzOpDM3qF2-0rcVUkQ2edvOZaUsAwD2SOD3KSdiwyzw-2OSYF4Akte9XLkTcVJhvIq9CrAA_5pcDq2mBo9n5FXc8uykXL_g21i7Nc3aNM/s2048/IMG_3294.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6XgfaSIgB6pO9PAE5GBiYOjcjDDxR2U9-JbADLvGt-WYpbSdEG9ME6NG2q27RcWiKprjqrL_tETxjOkLXhtjzOpDM3qF2-0rcVUkQ2edvOZaUsAwD2SOD3KSdiwyzw-2OSYF4Akte9XLkTcVJhvIq9CrAA_5pcDq2mBo9n5FXc8uykXL_g21i7Nc3aNM/w400-h300/IMG_3294.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOJJj1Aqui8JEABaY1QQT1iAxLfaj4xuinvznvv2R2lChz5hG76nB0T-qE3AqwQuVlv8a21QWXdE5cuQYWm2ymNHfIryKhGvxEXVRAWKkyYwOKbrvpq3IQiac_OEsWfNQcuxzLPl7D004BpAMMeIqnVyiTzfm60pfbu4yhgjZ26lCfaBsgfUK3Z5r3kEc/s2048/IMG_3292.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOJJj1Aqui8JEABaY1QQT1iAxLfaj4xuinvznvv2R2lChz5hG76nB0T-qE3AqwQuVlv8a21QWXdE5cuQYWm2ymNHfIryKhGvxEXVRAWKkyYwOKbrvpq3IQiac_OEsWfNQcuxzLPl7D004BpAMMeIqnVyiTzfm60pfbu4yhgjZ26lCfaBsgfUK3Z5r3kEc/w400-h300/IMG_3292.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVslA2tsL94Smqej9Uru_rp-ejNg4-RLQpahewtNF9TKmw4UF20BAam6mPfRjWk1CALUqaDeRaZ6xCBRjL_jA7KnVuec-hfMFiYbuEfZVo_I8m_YB1msqY9OmIgihDhB-pGqWJMVz3dt1wp2EuvfK1zpnx-RfiG1ZTrxW40jFXeUPo35h-j3P2qaU7hQE/s2048/IMG_3287.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVslA2tsL94Smqej9Uru_rp-ejNg4-RLQpahewtNF9TKmw4UF20BAam6mPfRjWk1CALUqaDeRaZ6xCBRjL_jA7KnVuec-hfMFiYbuEfZVo_I8m_YB1msqY9OmIgihDhB-pGqWJMVz3dt1wp2EuvfK1zpnx-RfiG1ZTrxW40jFXeUPo35h-j3P2qaU7hQE/w400-h300/IMG_3287.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7fCqNY1IJ63CLlubgBv2QXnIs3nYEuFAsElEY1pf2hJl10fFaiio8kF8GWFlM1I20CqeAxily8v73cOO4BaG4qTuOj3zp_Ns4sQpSfv9wC2XfNDNpO815ecZ7oNIWgMPbqP0e3L4_ljXvkUuyoq_6agY1nmWZhxZDectMNGRKIDS0Y3CtYoqacgUSMag/s2048/IMG_3283.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7fCqNY1IJ63CLlubgBv2QXnIs3nYEuFAsElEY1pf2hJl10fFaiio8kF8GWFlM1I20CqeAxily8v73cOO4BaG4qTuOj3zp_Ns4sQpSfv9wC2XfNDNpO815ecZ7oNIWgMPbqP0e3L4_ljXvkUuyoq_6agY1nmWZhxZDectMNGRKIDS0Y3CtYoqacgUSMag/w400-h300/IMG_3283.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGip7ZCvgcU7Ki0e9pe2nubrpdC4EhtVOsIpNi2ikFYf7ELwp3DP7fMZ_2CzSsSUbA7HjCXP5r5y18B_1DMjGRVIPFs4q83ID8J551akZO_gXNfAs3sgUYbyy2DONcTJhIvtp-tCfiAbfqsZxbGqd2xvNZxjgNRmysZZht1Uh7duKb78QGkeUpycoTnOY/s2048/IMG_3275.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGip7ZCvgcU7Ki0e9pe2nubrpdC4EhtVOsIpNi2ikFYf7ELwp3DP7fMZ_2CzSsSUbA7HjCXP5r5y18B_1DMjGRVIPFs4q83ID8J551akZO_gXNfAs3sgUYbyy2DONcTJhIvtp-tCfiAbfqsZxbGqd2xvNZxjgNRmysZZht1Uh7duKb78QGkeUpycoTnOY/w400-h300/IMG_3275.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGvob6mirgA0cZDBWvdSeKuQbcUnbah7v4Ruz0c-7bfpgt0CuwDjHUtY70wxRKR1qAAxstUwoWaMjg8PzPkcVqCvi4aeWYf7iBE0j6pDXi8Hk6HUhkW3ZytZ_HVabrsbf1TttX6YvmKXIOZhiKiuCAEGymagCmvZEmoYkned62ce_jv0v_h4WF90Ji9I/s2048/IMG_3272.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXGvob6mirgA0cZDBWvdSeKuQbcUnbah7v4Ruz0c-7bfpgt0CuwDjHUtY70wxRKR1qAAxstUwoWaMjg8PzPkcVqCvi4aeWYf7iBE0j6pDXi8Hk6HUhkW3ZytZ_HVabrsbf1TttX6YvmKXIOZhiKiuCAEGymagCmvZEmoYkned62ce_jv0v_h4WF90Ji9I/w400-h300/IMG_3272.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmxWf-WvBnYkgBGC5rAe8Pbx-ObZVLnvkARQqQZ3znU3ZWFtiq2qzlYrVgAdEbrhvqlv4XxfeOhzYZ9SxQpgUX0jjoKYQ0DoCSKGdzVslKx-mns3Ac2OIn37GVrADUhwiSWT-KvDjGMp-VNEXjfdhqhYTM2rLtiJykwEGiKlnD5YdkD6HSkQQIKl1wvs/s2048/IMG_3267.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrmxWf-WvBnYkgBGC5rAe8Pbx-ObZVLnvkARQqQZ3znU3ZWFtiq2qzlYrVgAdEbrhvqlv4XxfeOhzYZ9SxQpgUX0jjoKYQ0DoCSKGdzVslKx-mns3Ac2OIn37GVrADUhwiSWT-KvDjGMp-VNEXjfdhqhYTM2rLtiJykwEGiKlnD5YdkD6HSkQQIKl1wvs/w400-h300/IMG_3267.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOblS-p6qjwwD2xM2lkNaySge3jkiQ1AOWVkKAJs4rCVl0h9NXxkTqp7G8c1HbKJKh67cwWVcAZcQb6QKmmY8MD6FeP860N0BcQpMfPYXHIy47fQnVgskX61IWm_I1jq0HW4WmSzsFiFL8gRG8qPXm7-Sx7JNd1MQQEoW66BQGyrPu97XsBRhVzrGstLU/s2048/IMG_3264.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOblS-p6qjwwD2xM2lkNaySge3jkiQ1AOWVkKAJs4rCVl0h9NXxkTqp7G8c1HbKJKh67cwWVcAZcQb6QKmmY8MD6FeP860N0BcQpMfPYXHIy47fQnVgskX61IWm_I1jq0HW4WmSzsFiFL8gRG8qPXm7-Sx7JNd1MQQEoW66BQGyrPu97XsBRhVzrGstLU/w400-h300/IMG_3264.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Chris Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18052818057825432279noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376057412116187041.post-41765733133314328122023-11-08T00:30:00.001-08:002023-12-05T14:11:19.214-08:00Wordless Wednesday #450 - A Familiar Sight in the December issue of Model Railroader . . .<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmmdjaoqBqvPLJSrokiyS-9a1N1xHgSak4s13p9KBjbH4bUGJzDhzsApWLJo-EbED0sRbotqBbRRIEKyo0IwB3kyjH1fYppV9kwCQDEI1iLq-i_PAXb2UY9ayJssNL3KEz2AShP1bdxOnlobzpcYEkoF8BkDmlZHqFa_pBU1Ja1J16mVqmeCSs0UsAYPU/s1353/Trackside%20Photos%20MR%20Dec%202023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="876" data-original-width="1353" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmmdjaoqBqvPLJSrokiyS-9a1N1xHgSak4s13p9KBjbH4bUGJzDhzsApWLJo-EbED0sRbotqBbRRIEKyo0IwB3kyjH1fYppV9kwCQDEI1iLq-i_PAXb2UY9ayJssNL3KEz2AShP1bdxOnlobzpcYEkoF8BkDmlZHqFa_pBU1Ja1J16mVqmeCSs0UsAYPU/w400-h259/Trackside%20Photos%20MR%20Dec%202023.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Chris Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18052818057825432279noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376057412116187041.post-44769331514244803082023-11-06T18:41:00.002-08:002023-11-06T19:18:36.446-08:00The Valley Local & Glenn Miller<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmm7bSGKlspJeHUsnl3HXqKsntWv1cBYqAiK-b1QLeUBB2Q1QIb8bOyegQM4a6C7HAd-eLN4gAzFmnAD4fYg1QiacAAfvPx5PAk6w4twlYo-42m8l3MrznEg8ZGQvDm5FfdRUZfyGHRoB8oPks28fJPj8o5l-T_eydWfMlIxlaia8w8tY_EOdvW21pBKE/s6257/MM%20Cromwell%20055.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4856" data-original-width="6257" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmm7bSGKlspJeHUsnl3HXqKsntWv1cBYqAiK-b1QLeUBB2Q1QIb8bOyegQM4a6C7HAd-eLN4gAzFmnAD4fYg1QiacAAfvPx5PAk6w4twlYo-42m8l3MrznEg8ZGQvDm5FfdRUZfyGHRoB8oPks28fJPj8o5l-T_eydWfMlIxlaia8w8tY_EOdvW21pBKE/w400-h310/MM%20Cromwell%20055.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Those that know me know that I love swing music, especially that of Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller. In fact, I typically pipe in such music during my 1940s-era operating sessions on a <a href="http://blog.thevalleylocal.net/2021/01/friday-fun-1940s-radio.html">period-appropriate radio</a>. And folks that have toured my layout, or seen my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0MYeSwWJqw">NMRA presentation on The Valley Local</a>, will hear me tell a story about a remarkable link between The Valley Line and the famous Glenn Miller.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It has to do with a little diner in Cromwell, CT pictured in the photo above. While it's fairly distinct, with its octagonal windows, you may not notice it right away, so here's a closeup:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYNi5loZ7a5W58QZx3farwSDSlyqT2A0Qp6pC8euR1I4Vlf9NkWiIrr9-yaMzeOOqSbtlemDYQdqyGswALD9s-4oCKqq-cZWdExZ65eNWDo_Kao694qgV-1U-uobDigwLcNwCG3LdXtOZClNIuYMuvMmpdqpk3-NfZMV353j0xB5N5Kg9v0vN-0kLiwkg/s1400/Diner.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1016" data-original-width="1400" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYNi5loZ7a5W58QZx3farwSDSlyqT2A0Qp6pC8euR1I4Vlf9NkWiIrr9-yaMzeOOqSbtlemDYQdqyGswALD9s-4oCKqq-cZWdExZ65eNWDo_Kao694qgV-1U-uobDigwLcNwCG3LdXtOZClNIuYMuvMmpdqpk3-NfZMV353j0xB5N5Kg9v0vN-0kLiwkg/w400-h290/Diner.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The first time I heard of any connection between Miller and the Valley Line, was when I read the description that Max Miller had included on the back of this photo:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicksIm9D6ZyoH3_QfHWdxY1cyJCEKFO_LF6Nm68DLZ9uf1qfDcaKAPk4y8FzMxHRuIFvofcKHYy-zYYP0L_d5tX822k50uceebicgok7EUKPUW-3xXBs2pJJ-U72nnta3aOoPrWNrR_vxRFhWDkvnHvCbWXgNIy6-cZgEmc5rfoEJe-F9IHL6rhaHlTT0/s2816/MM%20Cromwell%20055%20Descr.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2112" data-original-width="2816" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicksIm9D6ZyoH3_QfHWdxY1cyJCEKFO_LF6Nm68DLZ9uf1qfDcaKAPk4y8FzMxHRuIFvofcKHYy-zYYP0L_d5tX822k50uceebicgok7EUKPUW-3xXBs2pJJ-U72nnta3aOoPrWNrR_vxRFhWDkvnHvCbWXgNIy6-cZgEmc5rfoEJe-F9IHL6rhaHlTT0/w400-h300/MM%20Cromwell%20055%20Descr.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While Max misspelled the name, local dance band musician, Cromwellian Hal MacIntyre, figures prominently in the Glenn Miller Story . . .</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anyone familiar with the history of the Glenn Miller Orchestra will recall there were actually <i>two</i> Miller bands. The first one, started in the mid-1930s, wasn't successful. So what happened? What made Glenn Miller decide - despite his better judgement - to reform the band which ultimately went on to phenomenal success and provided the soundtrack of the early 1940s and WWII?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The answer lies within that little non-descript diner.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Apparently, the McIntyre family had a farm in Cromwell, CT where all the band equipment was stored. Hal had been a local celebrity before being discovered by Benny Goodman (briefly) then Miller, having led his own popular dance band in the early/mid 1930s. But the first Miller band never found its groove, broke up, and stored its stuff in Cromwell.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hal, who had become one of Miller's closest personal friends during those early years, finally persuaded Glenn to take another chance. While I typically relate the story based on some conjecture, I just tonight discovered verified proof in this book:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMC-paCdio4opv5OrNkava4-zmgR88E8syfQerVfoK61OciDE1BXKe4Cgm5IeK6ok4QK_2xh02sjje_0M1Uy51wJd3ECp7f5A8sBnF0sUnqMsGInW9Bz8UzsKPRrgElgdF7MCbdu2OauIVj6fXbkbzdrBTcGdIruf7Fbml7FoglatY-8Z3LItZKwoHuV4/s4032/IMG_4237.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMC-paCdio4opv5OrNkava4-zmgR88E8syfQerVfoK61OciDE1BXKe4Cgm5IeK6ok4QK_2xh02sjje_0M1Uy51wJd3ECp7f5A8sBnF0sUnqMsGInW9Bz8UzsKPRrgElgdF7MCbdu2OauIVj6fXbkbzdrBTcGdIruf7Fbml7FoglatY-8Z3LItZKwoHuV4/w300-h400/IMG_4237.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Instead of me telling the story, why not hear it straight from Hal himself from an interview from May 1945 about a day in the early spring of 1938 (p. 112-113):</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><blockquote>"After the first band broke up, I took all the equipment up to our farm in Cromwell, Connecticut, and got a job in a factory and played with my own band at night. I used to call up Glenn every Sunday afternoon at one and try to argue him into starting the band again. But he'd always say 'Nothing doing,' and that he hadn't gone through $18,000 too fast to want to go back into the band business. </blockquote></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> "Well, one afternoon he was driving through Cromwell and he called me from a diner. I went over to see him, and we talked for a while and I brought up the subject of starting the band again. At first he said 'No,' but I sort of detected a lessening of resistance, and I kept working and working and working on him until he finally said, 'OK, we start rehearsals at the Haven Studio next week."</div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And the rest, as they say, is history. The Glenn Miller Band went on to become the most popular band of the Swing & Big Band era, winning <a href="https://www.npr.org/2017/02/10/514522626/how-chattanooga-choo-choo-became-the-worlds-first-gold-record">the first ever gold record</a> for Chattanooga Choo-Choo (appropriately, another railroad reference).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I actually didn't know about any of this history when I first decided to model the New Haven Railroad's Connecticut Valley Line, but once I saw Max's note during my initial research, I <i>just knew</i> I had to model that diner on my HO scale version of Cromwell. And, thanks to <a href="https://rapidotrains.com/">BillS</a>, this little bit of history - and the story associated with it - can live on.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxaixYAnyX4sbpRxGpmfrUbx0u9qxeETU-9iCO5KnPkdH1kqmCKNbD9Nkx9e-06js9CaPodm9H8NZQnisnSyIJvla7Yi3N1fBN6gKpgYXW8x2gpo8h1wSyQiu8gqJqHnvvKyu3QxJLYNfXfiuhRYMEmPSjVHZ1SGvY-eraAiYyXZ2Gryf4eKf88vCwD8E/s4032/IMG_4239.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxaixYAnyX4sbpRxGpmfrUbx0u9qxeETU-9iCO5KnPkdH1kqmCKNbD9Nkx9e-06js9CaPodm9H8NZQnisnSyIJvla7Yi3N1fBN6gKpgYXW8x2gpo8h1wSyQiu8gqJqHnvvKyu3QxJLYNfXfiuhRYMEmPSjVHZ1SGvY-eraAiYyXZ2Gryf4eKf88vCwD8E/w400-h300/IMG_4239.JPG" width="400" /></a><br /><br /></div>Chris Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18052818057825432279noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376057412116187041.post-38810937823924493662023-10-31T00:30:00.004-07:002023-10-31T12:03:49.546-07:00Ghosts of Railroads Past<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4sZV9phOXWhRleQUuhuSkFg7Zj44Dd57Og0y8idb_m_jL8xAukPx3FkSsaAWg1BoN24EAzI1Dyw-7LTahyrze-VHaGNXgGJozM68GX9wBPl_qLHSaQFBpn_ulnQidv-ZRAwhhSH3g3gDdBdQGQRGCVEO81F13WbbNLvPF6NDz88UxMjCUCQAmKlF/s400/ghost%20train.jpg" style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="247" data-original-width="400" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4sZV9phOXWhRleQUuhuSkFg7Zj44Dd57Og0y8idb_m_jL8xAukPx3FkSsaAWg1BoN24EAzI1Dyw-7LTahyrze-VHaGNXgGJozM68GX9wBPl_qLHSaQFBpn_ulnQidv-ZRAwhhSH3g3gDdBdQGQRGCVEO81F13WbbNLvPF6NDz88UxMjCUCQAmKlF/w400-h248/ghost%20train.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p></p><em><span style="font-size: x-small;">(In the "spirit" of the season, and because it's All Hallows' Eve ;^) I hereby repost this from last October. I think you'll agree it's especially fitting this time of year...)</span></em><p></p><p>A big part of my motivation for recreating the Valley Line is to keep alive the memory of the men & women who were responsible for getting the stuff of life delivered to you, each and every day. From coal for winter heat to a <a href="http://blog.thevalleylocal.net/2019/09/on-new-haven-railroad-78-years-ago-today.html">bicycle to ride in the summer</a>, for over 100 years in this country the stuff of life was delivered almost exclusively by rail. And sometimes, if you're lucky, your historical research will unearth a ghost or two.<br /><br />Given that it’s Halloween-time, here's a question for you: Do you believe in ghosts?<br /><br />The answer for me depends on what kind of ghosts you mean. I don't believe in the creepy un-dead or goulish wanderings of departed souls. But I do believe in the ghosts of the past - the hauntings of a place by the memories of the people who were there. Who were they? What were their dreams and plans? Were they anything like us? While dead people don't actually haunt us, the spirits and memories of the past can - and often do. Especially if you're paying close attention.<br /><br />During this time of year especially, if you keep your eyes open and know where to look, you can see some of these ghosts of the past materializing. You have only to slow down, pay attention, and keep your eyes peeled.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQJ7nqq707llw1-zWfEHBQqzRf1oGzsuU47PzUf7FYktFgLXDZ9_ekJ107zquQvm9yRhLdrgPZ-9cG7kASd9ERkjV7_SkAizFc_XkNM0d6QgRtrHbZKD0rxlRaA5wq5wnTy3R_bKX_yjkDtHrBJ6PgebSiGe-FYA7ljFH3Qo6YTRwutTWQlk6thi3/s1600/Cromwell%20line%20Christmas%202005%20025.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQJ7nqq707llw1-zWfEHBQqzRf1oGzsuU47PzUf7FYktFgLXDZ9_ekJ107zquQvm9yRhLdrgPZ-9cG7kASd9ERkjV7_SkAizFc_XkNM0d6QgRtrHbZKD0rxlRaA5wq5wnTy3R_bKX_yjkDtHrBJ6PgebSiGe-FYA7ljFH3Qo6YTRwutTWQlk6thi3/w400-h300/Cromwell%20line%20Christmas%202005%20025.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p>This is a bridge on the old line between Middletown and Berlin, CT. The railroad was abandoned and torn up years ago, and the trees have long since reclaimed much of the right-of-way. But this bridge remains - a monument to the memory not only of the railroad, but to the spirit of the men who built it.</p><p>If during your travels you stop at a spot like this and imagine, even for a few minutes, how those men lived, what their hopes were and whether they ever achieved them, you might see some ghosts.<br /><br />And if you're especially quiet, you may even hear in the sound of the leaves floating by on the breeze a whisper of thanks from those men for not letting them be forgotten.<br /></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; font-family: "trebuchet ms", trebuchet, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="266" mozallowfullscreen="mozallowfullscreen" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_5I69aW6Fwg?feature=player_embedded" webkitallowfullscreen="webkitallowfullscreen" width="320"></iframe></div>Chris Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18052818057825432279noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376057412116187041.post-18818639373125256692023-10-30T20:08:00.003-07:002023-10-30T20:12:38.653-07:00Clear Signals & Warm Stoves Ahead* for Rosie<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgopCTh1EfoU3QcRuwmOHUZzN9abS7CLgayoNq2pi0UbJjhwsHIx0S71HG1ZpTTmnt7wWTgJilS9vu6hXgdh2UNnA8JU3Q38glABJjsKy3JeEXAMzpVCcTt6nBx6tDkacHUSnBDblsC_v-z3ZaXIr0QgiZh8Mt5XIIJsFYPgUaluzQHDXh45JCYEPPg4Hg/s701/387836354_10231286869264862_5697915611962382368_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="526" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgopCTh1EfoU3QcRuwmOHUZzN9abS7CLgayoNq2pi0UbJjhwsHIx0S71HG1ZpTTmnt7wWTgJilS9vu6hXgdh2UNnA8JU3Q38glABJjsKy3JeEXAMzpVCcTt6nBx6tDkacHUSnBDblsC_v-z3ZaXIr0QgiZh8Mt5XIIJsFYPgUaluzQHDXh45JCYEPPg4Hg/s320/387836354_10231286869264862_5697915611962382368_n.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_uq17HiHSDbxQ9Wnm3bRDs3ZvnkItT4eYn33jgn1IiqfRapd-Nnggo3xAIWu-GWPjED_0H8cPsIr-oFZrU5wLwmwOr2oajy09aVPZMtqjy2-HC2mIsFLoeGWCvQAi98jWH3kG1lm8jP-yOHL1l3pRRzRIcM7TBvFKeyH1LOhLPgDWYLmTNKb8KE3iAY/s2048/387136343_10231287985612770_3818420322446580554_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_uq17HiHSDbxQ9Wnm3bRDs3ZvnkItT4eYn33jgn1IiqfRapd-Nnggo3xAIWu-GWPjED_0H8cPsIr-oFZrU5wLwmwOr2oajy09aVPZMtqjy2-HC2mIsFLoeGWCvQAi98jWH3kG1lm8jP-yOHL1l3pRRzRIcM7TBvFKeyH1LOhLPgDWYLmTNKb8KE3iAY/s320/387136343_10231287985612770_3818420322446580554_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For those of you that didn't hear over at the FB group, the Valley Local lost its mascot and I lost one of my best modeling buddies this past Saturday. Our cat Rosie hasn't been doing well for a while and took a turn for the worse last week, so we had to let her go. Many of you know her from the many photos I've posted of her over the years, keeping me company by the NHRR stove, or in front of the fireplace. She was a real joy and we'll miss her very much. I know many of you will too. Rest in peace, my sweet little girl.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(*credit to my friend JoeV who wished this for her)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Chris Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18052818057825432279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376057412116187041.post-70979841627800356462023-10-27T00:30:00.001-07:002023-10-27T00:30:00.150-07:00Friday Fun: Rapido Dealer Event Video - including a visit to the Valley Local!<p><a href="http://blog.thevalleylocal.net/2023/10/friday-fun-rapido-visit-and-few.html">Last week</a>, I mentioned the fun time had at the <a href="https://rapidotrains.com/">Rapido</a> US Dealer Open House over at the <a href="https://essexsteamtrain.com/">Essex Steam Train & Riverboat</a> (aka The Valley Railroad). Well, THIS week, David Popp over at <a href="https://www.trains.com/vid/behind-the-scene/free-videos/visiting-with-rapido-trains-inc-u-s-dealer-event-fall-2023/?fbclid=IwAR2FHM3UXsj_41oqEJniU53uHBZGdr5aADyk1qbj29SJfMQ5-scW9P84snY">Trains.com posted the video he took of that event</a>, which includes many new product announcements and some great info and footage of the steam train.</p><p>And it also includes some great footage of my friend Bill Schneider's NYO&W layout, as well as - you guessed it! - The Valley Local (at 7:20)!</p><p>It's SO very cool to see the layout shot professionally - first time ever! - and David and Jason couldn't have been more fun to have visit.</p><p>So <a href="https://www.trains.com/vid/behind-the-scene/free-videos/visiting-with-rapido-trains-inc-u-s-dealer-event-fall-2023/?fbclid=IwAR2FHM3UXsj_41oqEJniU53uHBZGdr5aADyk1qbj29SJfMQ5-scW9P84snY">check it out</a> - hope you enjoy it!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.trains.com/vid/behind-the-scene/free-videos/visiting-with-rapido-trains-inc-u-s-dealer-event-fall-2023/?fbclid=IwAR2FHM3UXsj_41oqEJniU53uHBZGdr5aADyk1qbj29SJfMQ5-scW9P84snY" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="406" data-original-width="678" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiawH-EsbMt2oBCNmSHzOojPIQRt2Ds5cdrqiYtRgs5c0t4apubnn6Ws_Ygy1MoGzIQxQkzYKiK_vARfEn1ST-TlP3R8zIlu-M9OWszlpXSsdGmjeO5Q-kxE0HfHPdIZvqJcm3eJvzwNezBsVvScECVCNHRJUGC8x00qijbslar6Ra8-ejhhntnNO6SA4c/w400-h240/Screenshot%202023-10-26%20224951.png" width="400" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Chris Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18052818057825432279noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376057412116187041.post-22798891910426804032023-10-25T00:30:00.003-07:002023-10-25T00:30:00.138-07:00Wordless Wednesday #449 - Vernon Train Show!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5cCM34LumBnSRMqOpVqiS0KLCmZE6jz9VEdfSKBhngosCwoT-eot8FCvGN6_ZxgAOM9Ok0yuLq6YV4vxXClYPgmL8xEHJf55VKeyjUJdxrAXBzH6HOubnKwsU4uKL2tNAPpf9dL5D73mDUSFwUAKDmgOsor9WvjlwTIvdfkbsnTgorPP9ylZqvvKYlE/s635/2023%20Vernon%20train%20show%20flyer%20image.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="635" data-original-width="494" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF5cCM34LumBnSRMqOpVqiS0KLCmZE6jz9VEdfSKBhngosCwoT-eot8FCvGN6_ZxgAOM9Ok0yuLq6YV4vxXClYPgmL8xEHJf55VKeyjUJdxrAXBzH6HOubnKwsU4uKL2tNAPpf9dL5D73mDUSFwUAKDmgOsor9WvjlwTIvdfkbsnTgorPP9ylZqvvKYlE/w311-h400/2023%20Vernon%20train%20show%20flyer%20image.JPG" width="311" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Chris Adamshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18052818057825432279noreply@blogger.com0