Update:
All foam now is covered with tinted concrete. We hope to cover the remaining exposed hollow tile this weekend. The end is in sight!
Oh, and Happy Veterans Day to all who served from my family and the Hawaii Civil War Round Table!
(Oldest Son ensuring none shall be forgotten at Oahu Cemetery. Pretty proud of him!)
Great picture
Bill,
Thanks! He was very excited to sort of fit one of my Civil War jackets! He has come with me every year for three years now to make sure vets from the Civil War to the Vietnam War rest beneath the Colors.
Back on topic…
All the concrete and a few washes are down. Oldest Son lent-to scribing the mortar. Of note, as I wetted the surfaces in preparation to lay on the concrete, I blasted off some of the stuff covering the foam. Ooops…Next step is a 50/50 fill of top soil and lava rocks, which seems to work well for sedum and succulents (many a plant died to teach us this.). We also have to transplant a “tree” (A well manicured rosemary) at the base of the military access road. The lads of Battery B are good with the caisson and limber, but not that good! With good fortune, we will deploy Fort Union and its garrison for a photo shoot and close out the project and this thread this weekend or next!
Next up for the crew of the Triple O:
In the meantime, to all who celebrate, Happy Thanksgiving!
Aloha,
Eric
That’s a nice thing about this hobby, it is flexible enough to be pretty much what any different person wants and needs it to be, and high on that is list is that it can be a continuing adventure.
Forrest,
Couldn’t agree with you more! I have learned to have a list of projects I / we want to do, then to flex my priorities to meet time and material availability. This is far less frustrating than hyper-focusing on something and constantly being slaved to shipping rates. I have also enjoyed being able to tailor projects to the desires and maturity level of the crew, something I cannot do with other hobbies in which I dabble.
Back on topic…Fair warning…SHAMELESS BRAGGING TO FOLLOW!!!
The saddle is done! The crew took turns today to help get Ft. Union and its garrison deployed for its photo shoot. I thought I’d sort to step through the results pictorially…
First, the main objective was to connect our two existing peaks with a saddle to hide some spindliness and to increase the illusion the trains go “somewhere” by placing them out of sight, if even for a few seconds. As viewed from the lanai, our primary viewing angle, I think we succeeded:
We gained an extra visual break when oldest son stacked some “worthless rocks” on the corner, off stage left of our blue building (The Pu’u’oma’o Yard Control Office and Observation Tower of Mik’s Challenge 2018 infamy), and declared it a “bandit camp.” With a bit of concrete and paint - and some bandits - this little peak gives a reason beyond “out of space” when the trains hook back around to the mountains:
He was disappointed we did not have time for the bandits to try the defenses of Ft. Union! Of course, better scenery demanded better track plan, and last week I finally incorporated Bill Barnwell’s suggestion to use my crossing track to allow trains to cross from loop to loop in any direction. Below is the view from the Pu’u’omao / Green Hills yard control station towards the crossing. Naturally, 2 of 3 “trees” seem not to have survived replanting…
Backing up, you can see how this saddle improved the view from our secondary viewing area, where we set up our grill and fly:
Oh, and as for the garrison, they are most happy! Here we see a supply column ascending the military road under heavy military guard:
Where, of course, the intrepid lads of Battery B, 2nd US Artillery are hard at work drilling at the guns, safe from passing trains:
None of which detracts from the more mundane duties of a remote garrison guarding a vital railway system:
Anyway, high on PLAYMOBIL, low on trains, but I did want to close this string where it began with concern for the safety of Battery B! Thanks to all of you for following along and to Warner in particular for encouraging me to explore foam as scenery material. I think the end result added to the Triple O’s appearance as well as to its “play-ability” without sacrificing long term goals to mature the Triple O in theme and scale in line with my crew’s interests and my abilities. Most importantly, all the crew have their hands in the saddle’s concrete, paint, and foam and helped to transform it into part of our miniature world. Only one question remains…whatever will we do with the rest of the rocks? Did Oldest Daughter just say “Extension?” Yes, yes, she did!
Have a great week!
Eric
Eric,
Congratulations to your whole “crew”. It looks terrific!
One question for you. Are you a reenactor or a skirmisher?(https://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
Joe,
Thanks, and, yes, I am a reenactor. I still go out east every so often to fall in with the National Regiment, and we have a living history program out here that I support. Based on the uniforms, and assuming you are a reenactor as well I suspect we may have been brigaded together a few times over the years!
Eric
Addendum: Last evening was the first time we had the trains out since we finished this project. Those few seconds when the trains were out of sight were unnerving! I’ll get used to it…
Once I added a tunnel, most derailments happened inside it. I guess my trains perturbed the gremlins that had moved in.(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
You’ll get used to it or not…(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)
I was in a Civil War group through high school (1962-65 Centennial years) In Tennessee before your time. Was in skirmishes on the battlefields at Shiloh, Brices Cross Roads, Vicksburg and Chickamauga with real weapons and black powder (they don’t allow that anymore on National Park grounds). Still have a uniform and muzzle loader but those days are long gone. My biggest thrill was riding as a Confederate honor guard on the actual fired up restored General (4-4-0) during the centennial before it was retired to museum. I went to college near Chattanooga, about five miles from the spot where the Great Locomotive Chase actually ended in Ringold, Ga. I wrote undergrad research on the effects of railroads on the Civil War. Small world.
Warner,
Small world indeed! Most of my efforts were Department of the South and the Virginia theater. I’ll send some photos privately of our work out here.
Have a great week!
Eric
