Road Bridge - Backdrop Transition - Part 3

Yesterday I finished the main structure sections of the road bridge, still have the pylons/arches to add, and a couple of concrete bases for the end sections.

Really happy with transition, once painted & weathered should really blend the scene, backdrop and bridge all together.  I can see this being a highly photographed section as trains enter the layout from staging.

I plan on adding some Cornerstone - Modulars kits behind the backdrop to hide the layout framing.

Next step will be priming and painting the bridge...

Road Bridge - Backdrop Transition - Part 2...

Working on the road bridge to backdrop transition again today.

The left section of the road bridge tapers from the right to left.  To accomplish a smooth join I scribed the level height of the bridge into the backdrop and carved a groove into the drywall backdrop for the 1.5mm styrene sheet to sit in.

I then glued the overpass concrete railing to existing section, and the section of styrene sheet roadbed.  Once this had dried, I then glued the styrene I beams into place under the roadbed.

Again, once the tractor trailers are placed into position it hides the translation further & blocks the viewable edge of the backdrop too.

Road Bridge - Backdrop Transition

School holidays have finished, that means back into the layout again...

Today was spent working on installing the road bridge that will hide the backdrop to layout transition.

A few strategically placed prime movers with trailers and some distant building photo backdrops and we’ll be right...

Next Locomotive Project - RDG GP35 - #3640...

Latest shipments arrived from the USA...

Next project will be converting this Undecorated - Kato GP35 - Phase 1b.

This will be RDG #3640, the only GP35 to be repainted in the Reading all green scheme.  RDG 3640 was the only GP35 to be re-painted into RDG's all green scheme before the Conrail merger in 76.

It will get a ESU - LokSound V5 - Direct Decoder, ESU - Power Pack Mini & will be converted to all LED lighting.

More soon...

Hershey Chocolates - HERX 50' NAC Boxcar Decals...

I’ve been searching for some boxcars to convert into a Hershey Chocolate Fleet of HERX 50’ - Plug Door Boxcars, for my Hershey Pa, plant.

I've found that the Athearn 50' NAC Plug Door series was the perfect match...

I’ve managed to get a few shots of the cars through some great help from Tom Jacobs, and was looking to source some decals.

AS DELIVERED FROM NAC FOR HERSHEY

LATER VERSION OF THE NAC BOXCAR SERIES ABOVE

Jim from HighBall - Graphics has helped me with some custom decals for my RDG number boards & WM cab road numbers over past builds.

So I asked Jim if he could help out with the Hershey decals.  Well Jim, did come through.  And he’s decided to run the series on his website as a permanent run.

HighBall Graphics - Hershey Foods - 50' NAC Boxcar

Happy Days & Chocolate Smiles for HO & N Scale - Hershey Chocolate Plant operators...

Bridges re-installed & more weathering...

Re-installed the bridges again today, some more weathering of the terrain on the south river bank.

I'll glue the bridge track down to the bridges tomorrow now that I have guard rails installed, and the bridge track is fully painted.

The bridges will then get weathered with some weathering powders...

Jason.