Plodding Progress

I am plodding along with my phase 3 construction. I have wired and debugged the lower tracks through the Manayunk/Schulykill River, 30th Street station and Camden scenes. (Pavonia yard is in but not connected to the mainlines). Now I have to construct the higher level return tracks. Above the desk (and computer) I have a 10" wide section that has to handle 7 tracks (3 tracks lower level, 2 tracks upper level and 2 yard leads). I am attempting to hide 3 of the tracks with a bridge (Atlas viaducts) and earth fill between the piers. I have spray painted the viaduct brown and am attempting to match this effect (found near 30th street):

While I am at it, I am assembling some IHC Philly row house kits that I have had sitting around for 40 years. They still need steps, balconies, dormers, and shutters added. The great thing about these old kits is that they have an abundance of extra windows and doors. 

To brighten my day, a friend from Barnegat Light sent me a 1950 PRSL passenger schedule. I was shocked to learn that 13 commuter trains ran through Woodbury daily each way in 1950. (By 1954 they were down to 6 each way.) This was prior to the RDCs coming on board (6 late 1950; 6 more in 1951) so the PRSL used several doodlebugs in addition to the engines (steam and diesel) with Pennsy P70 coaches.

I am trying to make the most of boring through the desk bookshelves and treat them almost like individual scenes or dioramas. The corner one is the Schuylkill (pronounced school'-kill) River / Manayunk bridges scene which gives me my one chance for a decent sized hill/mini-mountain. Some of the hillside faces are almost vertical, but since they can't be seen from the side I should be able to minimize the effect. 

I used cardboard strips and a glue gun to rough in the forms. Then covered them with paper shopping bags.

The green circular wood in front of the lower level tracks is the foundation for the Schuylkill Expressway (know to the locals as the "Sure-Kill Expressway").

Adding some trains gives a better indication of the scenery size.

Made the first batch of sculptamold drier/thicker and slopped that on. Some sagging but everything held in there. I had a friend over to help. That made things interesting as each batch got bigger. Consequently I had a lot of material left over and began doing unplanned sections around the Camden yards and the Philly approach grade.

Now everything was so brown I thought my trains had left New Jersey and were now somewhere in the deserts of the southwest.

Next some more messy work. Scenic glue and grass blends. Try getting it to get it to stick to the steep slopes. 

Finally puff ball trees to give it a forested northeast feel.

Someday I'll get to the river surface and the bridges!

I have also been taking pictures of my freight cars to add to the waybill system and make it easier for the brakemen to ID the car they are looking for. I have taken 407 so far. (Next I need to do the 300+ freight cars I am trying to sell. It is a good thing the camera has lithium batteries!)