Sunday, April 25, 2010

An Atlanta Backdrop Panel



Brian painting one of the three Atlanta backdrop panels. This video shows Brian working on the southernmost panel which transitions from the city into 'suburbs'. The top photo is Brian working the second panel showing the Trout House and Masonic Meeting House. You'll notice he is attaching a balcony to give the painting a 2-dimensional look. This technique works especially well when photographing the scene.

Dalton trackwork expansion

A few weeks ago I had Dick Taylor here to help on a few projects. One was to relocate the Dalton turntable 3' north as well as extend the yard, allowing for larger train capacity and easier switching. These photos give you an idea on the expansion as well as some of the point turnouts that are being converted to stubs. These are tricky in that each one, so far, has been spiked different. In order for the smoothest transition from fly rails onto the respective stub rails, the former point turnouts are trimmed to expose the minimal length of full rail. These are then spiked to ensure a gauge and smooth running. If I were to take my time I could probably work out a system. However, the generals are very anxious to have the trains running supplies and troops. They hear the North is preparring for a big push into Georgia this Spring!