This really looks great. I love the roof panels, you really did a good job on those. The entire dio looks very realistic and functional. Good job all around.
Quick update. I’m working on the first version of the punchlist or odds and ends to be cleaned up. I whittled the list in half today and added the same number of new finishing touches. Please forgive the background in these pix as the “dio lab” is not that luxurious and no one wants to vacuum and neaten it up! Most of these shots are mini-scene type of things around the Tie Mill.
Starting with the nearby Donkey Repair, there’s a new donkey being hacked out of new timbers.
Got all 3 roofs on. There’s a ladder on the Sorting Shed. Guess someone’s going up there for repairs.
Below, sawdust cleanup. The Linn halftrack hood is open and the Mack Tow Truck has shown up. It was only a matter of time.
Added an A-frame for positioning heavy stuff on donkeys.
I’ll end up with a few overall shots of the dio. You’ll see additional trees temporarily positioned for study from several perspectives. The shot between 2 trees looks interesting. Enjoy and have a good weekend!
ALCO great looking detailing and scene.
This is really coming together nicely. Love that last shot.
Very nice! I like the work train along with what looks like a derelict engine.
Love those last two shots Al! Nice detail work my friend.
All done! Here are the final pictures. I’ll start with a portrait and landscape big picture showing what’s where. Subsequent shots will get closer and closer.
In the first picture, upper left, is the (SWSM) Blacksmith shop. It has a removable roof, shown later. The derelict Shay engine is being torn down for spare parts. Next, two tracks of the (SWSM) Backwoods Work Train. After that is a roadway for equipment to get from one place to another. The (SWSM) BEST dozer appears to have lost its (SWSM) logging arch but I’m waiting for the glue to dry under the dozer before finishing this scene.
Just below the middle of the dio is the (SWSM) Donkey Repair Yard. This dio appears to represent a transitional point in time where donkeys are still being made by hand (and ax) but dozers have made an appearance. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it! Finally, below the straight track is the (SWSM) Tie Mill. The Tie Mill’s 3 roofs are removable. IMHO, Brett has come up with an innovative and easy technique to make one-piece pitched roofs. Altho’ it does involve the cursed “E” word (epoxy).
This next pic incorporates several pieces - Blacksmith, Work Train, Dozer, and a little of the Donkey Repair.
Next, a “thru the trees” shot of the Donkey Yard and Tie Mill. The trees in my foto background make it difficult to see the trees that are on the dio, to the left of the Donkey Yard and at the far end of the Tie Mill. That’s not a bad thing.
Next, looking thru the Donkey scene towards the Tie Mill. The Linn truck has its hood opened up. The driver, in the yellow shirt, has tried to crank ‘er up, to no avail. That’s why his palm is covering his face. I can imagine the words coming from his mouth. Thus, the tow truck shows up. In the Donkey scene, there are 2 axes buried in those skids but no one is working. One fella is watching the BEST. The other is probably taking a nap somewhere. There’s another LP shoveling sawdust and a guy on a Tie Mill roof doing some repairs.
Next pix are closer range.
Closer still…
Eagle taking flight…or landing.
Next, dogs will be dogs. Note the two skid assemblies, one is finished and the other awaiting the Blacksmith make some parts. A log would be supported by a pair of these and then drawn by horses to wherever they needed to go.
We’re up pretty high in the mountains! Thanks for watching.
Alco you have accomplished an outstanding diorama with so many great details. Not only that but it feels like it’s in the mountains with the backdrop. Are the train cars the SW backwoods train? Truly outstanding.
Yep, Backwoods Work Train is from SWSM. Great kit!
Congratulations, Alan. You have crafted a truly captivating diorama, brimming with countless scenes waiting to be discovered.
Wow! So much to look at. Every scene is so well composed. Thanks for sharing.
Outstanding! You have created an active and vibrant diorama full of life and story-telling that is a real inspiration to all of us. This is a real treat and I so much appreciate you sharing your modeling talent with us!
Wow! Beautiful and inspiring. Hard to keep this level of craftsmanship consistent across such a large space. Well done.
Once I had the real estate allocated to the 4 major parts, then it was just 4 separate dios. Much easier to focus; the individual parts are relatively straightforward. I was lucky!
Wow Al, what a great piece of work! So much to take in and examine. The amount of detail work is incredible and you pulled everything together. Seems so much bigger when you go through the wonderful scenes at ground level. Well done my friend!
This is incredible. What a great job you’ve done with this. That background really adds to the scene that you’ve created. Bravo.
Just when I thought I was finished with this dio, what did I spy on the SWSM site but the logging disconnects! I knew they were there but this dio was not in need of more stuff so I forgot about it. Until I remembered it. Just as Bret’s narrative about the disconnects says, they are a perfect addition to any logging-related scene. Convinced me! The following pix show the HOn3 (first), HO (second), together for comparison, and a revised look at where the HO version has been planted. I’m really done this time…?!
Excellent modeling on the lumber disconnects.
Nice addition Al.
I agree with Tom, they fit in perfectly!