Since starting this project all photos have been taken inside, today I took the layout outside for its final photo shoot before storage. I do have another Fork Truck on order and this will be added, I did purchase a Gaugemaster electronic track cleaner and this will also be added to ensure good running.

Vehicles, People and Fork Trucks have been put into place and the small desert area has been detailed.

While I don’t think there is much chance of Exhibitions this year, I do hope to put together a virtual Show of all the layouts I have made during the Lockdown, five and counting!

Yes, I have eventually named the BNSF HO Layout, memories of those fantastic Mustangs and Cobras shone through in the end! I have spent the last two nights painting and weathering crates, pallets and drums, I am placing these on the layout to see the effect and how they blend, none are glued down yet. Lots more to find a home yet!

Before gluing the buildings and little items down, my thoughts turn to signage, both on the buildings and on the crates etc.

The ballasting and sanding in the yard is now just about finished, the only bit not done is the entry to the sector plate. I have wired two isolating sections on the layout for storage of Loco’s while awaiting a train.

The next task is to complete the wiring to the controller and the yard tracks. The points are manual as they are in the fiddle yard, so the wiring should not take long. After that I will finish the ballasting right up to the sector plate.

I have had lots of pallets, oil drums and crates arrive which will need painting and weathering. I have also obtained six HO figures that I will repaint. I need to get some vehicles both commercial and private cars.

Another busy few days on the BNSF layout. The buildings have now visited the garage for an airbrush and a bit of dry brushing. The main job however was the laying of about 50% of the layout with ballast and sand. After leaving it to dry overnight I then cleaned up all stray bits of ballast and ensured that a wagon ran up and down with no problems. I used a light brown paint to cover the track sides, very little rust here as it does not rain very often and the site is on the edge of an arid desert. The rule is very little rust, but lots of dust and blowing sands. I however will add some spillages and debris later.

Hoped to finish the buildings today, but it has been raining heavily and the garage is to damp to complete the job – below are a few photos after being washed and wiped as a base coating. I still need to do some dry brushing and a little air brushing when we have a dry day.

Anyway I think you can see how they have started to blend with the rest of the layout and backboard.

A lot of work completed, sky painted, background painted, fences added and pipeline bridge made, painted and put in place. All these things I hope come together and form the basis of a semi desert scene.

There is still lots of work to do, especially detailing and weathering the buildings, which I think will be next.

This is not a full update, but I have spent all day adding the rest of the concreted area and detailing what was laid already. Below are the results, beginning to look a lot better after some of the expansion joints added and a touch of weathering.

Still to be ballasted and desert edges sanded.

Sorry photos not great quality.