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There seems to be three schools of thought of how to handle buildings that extend beyond the benchwork: Compress them to fit Eliminate them all together Cut them off at the world's edge Option #1 is never a good idea. In practice it often crosses the line from selective compression towards cartoonish replication... a practice … Continue reading Fascia Extensions
Out of the 19 planned structures on The Hills Line, a grand total of two are served by the railroad. That ratio is all together appropriate for the modern era, but means a majority of the industries on the layout are pure filler. The goal then becomes how to replicate these offline buildings so that … Continue reading Iowa Business Supply
Reconstruction of the Lafayette Street backdrop required a bit more work than just paint and glue. However, the overall effect is far stronger and cleaner than my first effort, and offers a vista unique to The Hills Line. I've come to understand the pros and cons of using rolled aluminum flashing for my backdrop. On … Continue reading Going For Distance
"The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men Gang aft agley, An’ lea’e us nought but grief an’ pain, For promis’d joy!" -Robert Burns, 1786- It's a good thing that I continue to enjoy the act of model railroading. For there are numerous times that I find myself once again enjoying aspects of the hobby … Continue reading To a Mouse
The Hills Line 