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"How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!" -Bill Hogan, 2004- It would be easy to look at all needed to build Eldon C. Stutsman, Inc. and become overwhelmed. It's a complex complex (pun intended) for any layout, but it's key to The Hills Line... both prototype and model. Therefore, the key … Continue reading Tank Farm, Part One
The three most important things a railroad right-of-way needs are drainage, drainage, and drainage. Excess water in the railroad infrastructure decreases, degrades, and ultimately destroys tracks, ties, and turnouts. On The Hills Line, I've not modeled lineside ditches. Instead, the track is laid directly on the foam board sub-roadbed to replicate the not-as-high-speed-as-the-main look present … Continue reading Drainage
"If they can dye this river green today, then why can't they dye it blue the other 364 days of the year?" -Deputy Marshall Robert Biggs, The Fugitive- If progress begets progress, it would make sense that improved progress begets improved progress. Following the improvements to my version of the CRANDIC's lattice-truss bridge over the … Continue reading Muddy Waters
By far, the one railroad element we interact with most must be grade crossings. Doesn't matter if we're the most devoted prototype railfan or if we're only vaguely aware that flanged-wheel transportation exists somewhere in the world. At some point, we all stopped behind a gate, a flasher, or crossbuck and waited for a train … Continue reading Crossing Protection
The Hills Line 