Week 578

Sun, Aug 24, 2025 thru Sat, Aug 30, 2025

Sun, Aug 24, 2025

Finished uploading Weekly Layout Update Video

To view this video, go back to Week 577 and go to the bottom of the page under Saturday's entry

Mon, Aug 25, 2025

Train Day!

Special Guests

Mindy brought her friends, Megan, Ryan & Connor to run some trains this afternoon at 4pm

Ryan started out running the Excursion

His younger brother, Connor ran the Amtrak from 
the Central Control Tower

Connor getting settled in...

...liking his position.

Ryan engineers the Steam Excursion Train

Here's the Mom, Megan with her two boys.

Then at 6pm Jordan Osborn stopped by and here's what we did...

Jordan starts off at his perch.

Trying to cover all the pink tonight with light green -
I would've like dark green but I didn't have any.

Some dark colored green to simulate manicured lawn.
Across the street is some mixed grass for not so manicured lawn.
Finally some mixed grass with undergrowth for around the
manufacturing plants.

Getting ready to paint the base and then add more
of the mixed grass and undergrowth.

It looks like the only thing left to do to cover the pink
is to ballast the tracks.

The grass and undergrowth is complete.

Jordan says, "Time to go."

Now I'm painting the gray wall - just a little pink left

I need to finish the sidewalk in front of the manufacturing
plant and the docks at the rail side of the other buildings

I also need to put away the supplies I had to use
and move around for this project

I finished painting the concrete walls.
No more pink!

A close up of the dock side of these two buildings
I need to finish.

Tue, Aug 26, 2025

No train activity today.

Wed, Aug 27, 2025

Whoa! Got a lot done tonight...

First step tonight is to fix this pink wall and glue
in the support wall

Removing the support wall and cutting back the
pink foam

Painting the pink foam gray

Reattaching the supporting wall

The next step tonight is to ballast the track on the bridge.
STEP 1: Spread the ballast

Also adding some "fill" for one of the storage buildings

STEP 2: Even out the ballast 

STEP 2: Continue - another view

I used the leftover ballast to weather the parking lot

STEP 3: Wet down the ballast

STEP 3: Continued - another view with the water applicator

STEP 4: Apply the glue to the ballast

STEP 4: Continued - showing the glue applicator.
I used about 4 parts water to 1 part glue

I also glued down the "fill" area I mentioned earlier
at the Warehouse building (now removed for application)

Another view of the work done tonight.
Time spent 6:40-7:39pm 1 hour

I also took a video of the work I did tonight to cover the pink foam.

I would say 90% is covered. I just have the following to finish:

1. Ballasting the rest of the Industrial Park tracks
2. Adding the sidewalk in front of the manufacturing plant
3. Finish ballasting the yard at the Power Plant
4. There's a part that is exposed at the plants on a spur that will be covered by ballast

After removing the blue tape I took these photos...
from the warehouse buildings...

...from the drone...

...and finally, from the Industrial Park entrance.

Time to call it a night.

I'm very happy with what I accomplished tonight.

😀

Thu, Aug 28, 2025

No train activity today.

Fri, Aug 29, 2025

Lots done on the RR today...

Up early to start ballasting the Industrial Park tracks

Laying out the ballast. Don't forget to cover the pink
foam by the loading docks

I used the blue painter's tape to cover the switch points

This shows the entry to the Industrial Park

All the ballast is poured over
the Industrial Park tracks

Another view

Then I spread the ballast to how I'd like it to look

A drone view of the project

Using the photos to see if I covered the dock spots

Just a little more work on the left dock

There, pretty good, just one more pink spot to cover

A work in progress.

Now to start gluing down the ballast...

...from start to...(wait for it)

Sat, Aug 30, 2025

One last step - finish the power plant ballasting

Gluing down the ballast

...(wait for it)...FINISHED!

Also, today I visited Marcus original home in Saint Charles IL

This is in the basement of the first home where Marcus
raised his family. He build it from the ground up.
Including digging out the foundation by hand.

His collections continue to amaze me.

He even stores things on shelves in the ceiling.

Now that is using all the space available.

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to view

Blog 578 Weekly Video Layout Update

Duration: 05:26 mins.

What's ON Track this week?

*Special Guests: Megan (mom) Ryan (son) & Connor (brother)

*Covering the Pink Foam in the Industrial Park finished this week!

*Weathering a parking lot

*Drone shots of Ballasting the bridge by the water tower

*Drone shots of two shops - Manufacturing Plant and the Superior Baking Company

*Final review of covering the pink foam at the Industrial Park

*Thanks for watching!