Grass in the Valley

 

A week of traveling suspended work on the ground cover, but I've finished the rough base for the back of the layout, difficult to reach when it's in its normal place in the corner of the room. Above is a picture with the table turned toward such sunlight as we have on this blustery day. I'm still refining my ballasting technique; I definitely laid it on too thick in many areas, but I ran the loco around a few times and it only needed a little work with a dental tool to remove any bits that were causing it to rattle.

A view of the heaped-up ballast. The concrete supports for the bridge still need to be painted, and the bridge itself needs a little touch-up after getting hit with some plaster. I lightly sanded the surface of the rails where I had ballasted, and the loco runs very smoothly.

The entire layout, back in its normal spot. Hard to see my progress from this angle, but now I can continue on the areas in front that are easier to see, and easier to reach. You can also see my progress on the road and the level crossings. In the meantime I'm working on converting a construction crane into a yard crane, pictures to follow once I have a base coat on it.