So I decided my yard needed an ash pit. I did a lot of research I won’t bore you with, but here are most of my steps:

First I weathered some track, cut it for the ash pit and leads, then filled in the “holes” in the side with clay, repainted, and installed.

Here you can see the tracks leading up the the ash pit. My research told me to keep it away from main buildings and structure (fire danger apparently, also hence the red water holder) so I put it on the last track in the yard.

So skipping ahead, I carved the pit and steps out of the insulation board base, and started adding platforms. Now that I see this, I realize I haven’t put in the guard rail I was intending to install, so I guess I’ll have to go back and do that.

Three guesses where the ashes came from ? ! ? !

And here’s everything more or less finished on the pit itself: (By the way, I love what I did with that shovel !)

That left the fascia to be finished up, although I want to add some shrubs and sticks:

So there we go. Thanks for taking a look.

edit because my typing sucks tonight!

Man that’s a great scene, full of details and believability!

Fine job on the ash pit, John. Very realistic construction, but then again, all of your modeling is a work of art. What is the width of the layout as shown in the photo below? Looks wider than what one could reach from either side, so I was wondering how you access it.

John Passaro said:

Here you can see the tracks leading up the the ash pit. My research told me to keep it away from main buildings and structure (fire danger apparently, also hence the red water holder) so I put it on the last track in the yard.

Superb! The shovel is particularly nice! But it all oozes reality in an artistic way. Love it

Thanks guys for the kind words.

Dan, the widest point in the yard is 82" but it’s accessible from both sides of the track, so it’s a little over three feet from any direction. Sometimes I have spots I can’t quite reach, but I stand on a small step and it’s fine. All in all, I think it looks wider than it is, both in phtos and in person.

My biggest problem is down by the tunnel entrance because I have trouble reaching the upper loop that runs above the tunnel. Don’t know quite what to do about it yet.

What about a removable section of scenery …

Lift-out model scenery is a very useful way of creating an access for hidden tracks on your model railroad layout. If you have trains going through tunnels, or if you have different levels of tracks with trains going over and under each other, you almost certainly have hidden track areas with limited or no access.

https://www.building-your-model-railroad.com/model-scenery.html

I hadn’t thought of that Sean, but it may come to that down at that end. Thanks.

The ash pit looks great John. I love all of the small details.

Shane

Really nice job on the pit John. The whole area has come a long way since I’ve seen it. Tell me a little about the spotlights in this pic. Are they functional? If so, How powered? What bulb/led?

Hiya, Jon. Thanks…and the lights don’t work yet, but now that Kevin taught me how to solder I think I’m on my way to getting some working lights.

This is what the lights look like, and pictures of the lights before installed; I used these:

And you’re right, here’s what I think the yard looked like last time I saw you:

Since then I reorganized the track layout:

Tore up all that hideous old Gargrave track:

And laid new Code 250 track.

that’s an impressive layout!