The "Original" Kittom Lumber Company. Part #2

[Doctor G]

Tom, are you going to the train club tomorrow, or can you come by the farm? It's Jennifer's Saturday to work, so likely we will be at the farm.

Hi......will be at rr club on Saturday. Tom

 

[zathros]

It feels like you have miniaturized a whole county somewhere, and you have a huge space. It's hard for someone like me to grasp the hard work you put into every part you add. The randomness really isn't, it meticulous and fantastic!!!

 

[Doctor G]

It feels like you have miniaturized a whole county somewhere, and you have a huge space. It's hard for someone like me to grasp the hard work you put into every part you add. The randomness really isn't, it meticulous and fantastic!!!

Thank you Zathros. The details can really be a lot of fun on these mini layouts. This one is 48" X32". Here is little more:

The boys will soon have some help movin'them toothpicks with a contraption from up Philadelphia way.

Going to give all them backs a break tossing sticks down the roll way.

Thanks for checking in. Doc Tom

 

[zathros]

It's really hard to believe you've created that world in such a small space. It would be neat if you had one of those video trains, and you could video the track from the trains perspective.

 

[Doctor G]

Hi Zathros. Here is a video I did on my other "mini layout".....the Haitian sugar hauler:

It is about 36"X 30". Tom

 

[Doctor G]

Planting more winter bushes before bringing in leaf cover and more bare trees. I decided to soften the edge between the forest floor and the limestone cliffs heading in to the Red River.

I have been using some roots from garden plants that died off this summer to make vines and roots heading down to the water to get a drink

Here is a shot from a canoe in the Red River looking up at the log dump. Some of the mischievous kids like to be on the river on hot days to get a big splash from the cascading logs. They do not tell their parents.

I like the colors of winter/late fall set against the grays of the limestone.

Thank you for following along.

Doc Tom

 

[Gandolf50]

Yep. Basically send them $400-$500 or kiss all your pictures bye bye. Folks are fuming all over the Internet. I am glad I saved my favorites (not construction threads though) and will print them on durable paper.

Tom

actually it's more like once it's hit with ransomware they take whatever cash those that are dumb enough to send and they never send the key to get the pictures or files out and they vanish.

 

[Doctor G]

actually it's more like once it's hit with ransomware they take whatever cash those that are dumb enough to send and they never send the key to get the pictures or files out and they vanish.

Whoa....that's a horrid scenario. Tom

 

[zathros]

That was a lovely video. Got to get a pen Camera and run a train and get a POV shot!! I think you will be surprised how awesome it will look.

The Haitian journey would look so awesome!!

 

[Doctor G]

That is a good idea Zathros. My sister-in-law gave me a go Pro camera for train movies. In a few months I'll pick out a suitable guitar and banjo picking soundtrack and use iMovie to make a movie of this backwoods logging layout. Some of the scenes will be shot using an onboard camera. Dr. Tom

 

[Doctor G]

Another week of modeling squeezed in to real life. Continuing to work on the log dump scene. More Winter time bushes and roots and vines.

Looks like the loggers have figured out a way to unload the log cars and shove them in to the Red River.

Even sent Simon Lilpeep down on the logs to figure out what to do next.

Thank you for following along.

Doc Tom

 

[Doctor G]

Meanwhile down in Haiti the other side of the world HK Porter's offspring are hard at work getting in the sugar cane harvest.This is my other On30 mini layout Petit Neg la" (Haitian Kreyol for The Little Guy).

I frequently have this little mini operational as I work on the Kentucky/Tennessee stick hauler.

Doc Tom

 

[Doctor G]

Winter in the South can see some fairly warm days.And when you are working on the rail road you can even sweat.

Especially so when there is a log train bearing down on your activities.

Thanks for looking. Doc Tom

 

[Doctor G]

After some good discussion with fellow logger Mr Bill Nelson,here in Clarksville, and several good folks online I am learning just what size of logs a narrow gauge RR could haul in 1910. It appears on Eastern Lines up to 6-8 feet in diameter. So I cut up some 3 foot diameter specimens that Bill provided and they load nicely on the little narrow 30" gauge logging car.

The little Porter was even able to pull the load and get it in to the Log Dump area before nightfall.

I am learning a lot about the hardiness of early logging RR equipment and can't wait to cut and load a 6 foot diameter log.

Doc Tom

 

[Doctor G]

There has been more work done on the mini railroad. The Bluffs on the Riverside of the model have been completed with bushes and vines. I will plant more bushes on the River side of the layout over the next several days and began to apply ground-up leaves and forest floor litter.

Thank you for looking. All comments and critiques welcome. Dr. Tom

 

[Bill Nelson]

love the look of those cliffs!!

 

[Doctor G]

love the look of those cliffs!!

Hey Bill,
Glad you like em' The limestone cliffs along the Red River have come a long way from this:

Tom

 

[Doctor G]

I was able to use one set of accessory electrical wires buried at the beginning of construction.

I cut away the foam around the wires and put in an electrical connector block.

I built my first O scale structure, a shed from Banta Model Works (nice kit) and put a warm LED light in. I cut a groove to the structure in the sculptamold and wired the light.

Here it is lit up.

I will fill in the groove and “dirt in” the structure. The electrical connector hole in the ground will get a styrene cover and for awhile be removable for wiring the other structures to come in “rail camp” the backwoods headquarters and service facility for the Kittom Lumber Co.

Thanks for looking. Doc Tom

 

[Doctor G]

GOT ER' DONE.

That little shack is dirted in and ready for some use by the logging outfit.

It is definitely a temporary structure of wood, tar-paper and sitting in the dirt. Hopefully it will make it til the logs play out.

Thank you for looking. Doc Tom

 

[Doctor G]

Next layer of scenery is going on the mini layout. In keeping with the “backwoods” theme it was time to put in the forest floor. In this first picture on the left is the dirt and downfall and on the left this has been dusted with leaf cover. I used Scenic Express brown leaf material and ground up real leaves from last years Autumnal lawn. I highlighted it all with Scenic Express yellow ground foam.

The layers are fixed with 3M spray adhesive and dilute white glue.

Next to come will be the trees that dropped all these leaves.

Of course someone has to clean it all up and keep the leaves from covering the tracks.

Thanks for looking. Doc Tom