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
Tag: evergreen styrene
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
Surroundings Interiors
As I've previously mentioned, a majority of the structures on The Hills Line are not rail served. Including them on the layout remains necessary, since they're essential to setting both era and locale for the layout. The goal then becomes developing methods to construct these buildings in a way that's both efficient and effective. For … Continue reading Surroundings Interiors