Do Over, Part Two

Despite a tendency to "break every bone in its body" when attempting to build something for The Hills Line, even I occasionally have moments of mild success in constructing something from scratch. For the lattice-truss bridge over the Iowa River I have the advantage of having done it once before. I left the deck in … Continue reading Do Over, Part Two

Fire Sale

I'm getting better, or at least more consistent, with using my Cricut Plotter for scratchbuilding on The Hills Line. While my primary structures, especially the rail-served ones, will always require sturdier construction methods, the majority of the buildings can be quickly and efficiently assembled from styrene sheet. Case in point, Iowa Fire Equipment. The small, … Continue reading Fire Sale

A Glorified Parking Lot

In describing the multitude of streets in southern Iowa City, a friend once called them nothing more than glorified parking lots. Since a lot of the roads are either bisected by or parallel to The Hills Line, none are anywhere close to arterial thoroughfares. But since the prototype was first and foremost an electric interurban, … Continue reading A Glorified Parking Lot

Starting 2022

Welcome to 2022! Let's start the New Year out with a structure build. J&M Automotive is an independent car mechanic located on East 1st Street in Iowa City alongside the industrial spur. The simple concrete block garage is probably the smallest single structure planned for The Hills Line. However, its small size allows me to … Continue reading Starting 2022