A caboose train video just for fun

Lately I have been enjoying the YouTube channel called "N-Scale Union Pacific Evanston Subdivision" done by Roy Smith.  On a recent episode someone had challenged Roy to run a train with all cabooses but he has no cabooses as he models the modern era.

That got me to thinking about all the cabooses I have.  Some do run on my mid 1970's to 1996 era layout but many others have never been run on the layout.  So I thought it would be fun to get them all out and run them as a special train.   The train was pulled by an F3A/B pair and I made a video of it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qD_q3VlAUo

The main line has reopened once again

After installing the bridge and the track on the westbound / Southern Pacific line, the main line of the layout is again opened.  Test trains have been running with all the different type of cars and one of those is seen in this photo.  There is still work to do on the scenery but it is great to be able to run trains again.

On the other side of the lift bridge in an area that will someday become Carlin, a new return loop and stub end staging yard has been setup with Kato Unitrack.  The 4 stub end tracks are equal in length to the main staging yards below and the passing siding in Battle Mountain.   Using a double crossover at the throat of the yard allows a train to enter or leave any of the 4 tracks.  I am trying this arrangement out here because this would fit in what will someday be the permanent east end staging yard above Weso and I want to see how I like it.

A different finish for concrete

As mentioned in the last post on January 26th, I did something a little different to finish the bridge abutments for the Palisade Ranch area.  I have never been really happy with the look of my concrete surfaces and have been experimenting with different colors and techniques.  I ordered just about every shade of light gray Model Master acrylic that I did not already have and settled on # 4762 Light Ghost Gray (F) as a base color.   The tunnel portals were also repainted in this color and one of them is shown below.

I saw in a Youtube video someone using a technique of splattering tiny drops of white and black paint onto a surface to give the appearance of the aggregate that can show up in a concrete surface.  So I gave it a tray.  It took some practice and some time but I found the results to be satisfying.  Besides white and black I also added some darker shades of gray and some brown.   One of the finished bridge abutments is shown in the photo below.

After some weathering with acrylic washes the same bridge abutment looks like this and I am ready to install it on the layout.  Once it is locked into the right position I cover it with painters tape to protect it while I am adding scenery materials around it.

And here is that same bridge abutment after being installed and scenery material worked around it.