Several objectives: model a railroad of antiquity, Colorado Front Range roughly similar to Golden, Colorado area, standard gauge, light weight, minimal size to fit in my hatchback to take to model train shows. The newly released, retooled Bachmann American Type is DCC ready with onboard sound and can be activated using a one amp analog transformer. Unlike the older analog versions, I've owned six and each one developed a terminal fail after ten hours of use, this unit appears to be as close to a Gold Standard of usability as there is. The older, tender motor Americans are still produced and available. You want to see how it looks after ten hours of gentle use, look within. If the new, retooled DCC ready Bachmann continues to function as well as it does, it may very well get a DCC upgrade in the future. If Bachmann can make good stuff, I will buy it and recommend it.
Starting to work on the butte. The vertical Styrofoam stanchions are getting wrapped in a single layer of aluminum foil fastened by panel nails, would have preferred thumbtacks, but could not find them, dipped in Quick Hold cement that binds anything it touches, but does not melt foam. This will provide a little firmness when the plaster cloth is laid upon it, so the stanchions will be hidden, and not protrude like bones. A few dabs of Quick hold will be laid down to give the plaster cloth something to anchor to, while it dries. Built up another tunnel in the foreground. I had hoped to lay in trestles in these overpasses, but soon learned that the angulation of the upper and lower tiers would make for an enormous, awkward span between the center bents. But tunnels are good. An access port is carved into the side, will be eventually covered by a flap if there are issues inside the tunnel. Buttes tend to have a buttress of ancient lava flow that once fueled the volcanic core, which is coming together on the left aspect. The base is flared out a little to recreate the fallen debris, over the millennium, that accumulates at the foot. I broke in the new American by running it for 1/2 hour in reverse. Quite smooth. Alas, if I want sound in it I'll have to add it myself.
