Backdrop Beginnings

I am trying to post a number of updates on my progress over the past few months and get caught up on the blog to where I currently am on the layout. I have the benchwork and the backdrop installed but I would like to cover where I am on one my favorite activities, painting.

While I considered multiple options for backdrops, I felt that my skill in painting was good enough to get the job done. Kudos to everyone who takes the time to do a photo backdrop but I wanted something that was less realistic and more loose. Plus, I wanted to keep the focus on the models instead of the backdrop.

To begin with, I would recommend that anyone looking to paint their own backdrop start with Mike Danneman's book on "Painting Backdrops for your Model Railroad." It is a great source for methods, technique and construction. https://kalmbachhobbystore.com/product/book/12425

Using this book and other sources,  I decided on creating a 16" x 10' backdrop made from a hardboard tempered panel. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Hardboard-Tempered-Panel-Common-1-8-in-4-ft-x-8-ft-Actual-0-115-in-x-47-7-in-x-95-7-in-832777/202046928 The smooth surface turned out to be a great canvas for the acrylic paints that I am using and it is sturdy enough not to flex when attached to gypsum board and the wall behind it.

I wanted a typical blue sky with a light, hazy horizon. To accomplish this, I chose two colors for my sky. My two paint choices included Glidden 0824 "Blue Cornflower" for the darker, sky color and 0826 "Harvested Blue Pearl" for the lighter horizon color. Both colors looked very good under 3000K light and were more importantly, cheap. For two quarts, I spent less than ten dollars and I'm very happy with the results.

By laying both colors next to each other on the backdrop wet, I was able to go from a two-tone sky to a well-blended transition. I did this by taking a 5" brush and blending the two wet colors in broad brush strokes until I was happy with the results. This took some trial and error along with time for the paint to dry but it was incredibly easy to get right using my colors.

More pictures of my backdrop progress are coming soon!

April 1979 Amtrak Passenger Timetable

I wanted to post another one of my timetables. This one is from the last year Amtrak ran the Empire Builder on the Willmar line.

As a station on the former Great Northern main line, Willmar used to see the railway's highest priority passenger trains until the demise of private passenger rail in the U.S. at the beginning of the 1970's. With the creation of Amtrak, the Great Northern's successor, the Burlington Northern was relieved of its passenger service duties. The Empire Builder, the former Great Northern's premier passenger train remained in service under Amtrak on much of it's original route. Notable exceptions were the reroute through Wisconsin via Milwaukee and leaving the Steven's Pass main line in Washington.

Click the image to view the full timetable.

Taking a look at the timetable, the westbound Empire Builder was scheduled to leave Midway (Minneapolis/ St. Paul) at 8:45 PM, arrived at Willmar at 10:37 PM, and arrived at Breckenridge at 12:28 AM the following morning. The eastbound Empire Builder was scheduled to leave Breckenridge at 4:43 AM, arrived at Willmar at 6:58 AM, and arrived at Midway (Minneapolis/ St. Paul) at 9:00 AM. These times were far from ideal for many travelers in west central Minnesota and was representative of Amtrak mismanagement during its first decade.

The eastbound Empire Builder crossing the Great Northern Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis, MN on July 9, 1977. In less than 3 years, Twin Cities passenger service moved to the new Midway station, the Minneapolis Great Northern Depot was demolished, and passenger train service left the Willmar line to be rerouted through St. Cloud. Photo Courtesy of Steve Glischinski.

The Empire Builder continued to run through Willmar through the 1970's until the St. Cloud main routed, North Coast Hiawatha was discontinued in 1979. With this reduction in service, it was determined that the Empire Builder would be routed via St. Cloud to fill the void. Nearly 40 years later, the Builder remains on the St. Cloud - Staples line and regional passenger rail service to Willmar and points beyond is set as a Phase II project by the Minnesota Department of Transportation. At the earliest, passenger service will not return to the Willmar line until after 2030.

http://www.dot.state.mn.us/passengerrail/planning.html

October 1954 Great Northern Passenger Timetable: Part I

Despite being consistently dogged by other tasks, I was able to scan my October 1954 Great Northern Passenger Timetable. This timetable works perfectly with the time that I want to capture in Kandiyohi on my modules. While I will not have a passenger train anytime in the near future, identifying their schedules can help plan operation in a more realistic manner.

Click the image to view the full timetable.