Sweethome Alabama was a visitor to Hartlepool Model Railway Show last weekend. Everything went together as intended and the layout worked well throughout the 2-day show. Many favourable comments were received from Joe Public, especially regarding the trees, which is no mean feat for a US-outline layout at a British show.

Here are some photos taken at the show, shot in natural daylight, which is quite a rarity for a model railway show, being more used to being shown in a windowless sports hall.














Jon

All I can say is bee-you-tee-full, and I should have put that in capital letters.

Lynn

Most excellent Jon!!!!!

Thanks guys

A few more photos from the show. I don't usually get the opportunity to photograph the layout from above.








The fiddle yards in action, including some of the hurriedly-completed cabooses I knocked together for the show








Jon

WoW..!! I'm sure that whatever compliments you received fell short...

That is the most beautidul rendering of a railroad I've ever seen...And I've seen a lot..!!

....and let me tell you, the photos are good, but it needs to be seen in real life to be fully appreciated - it really is a work of art
Jack

Always a delight to see this layout evolve... I can only agree with Steamtrains statement!

BTW, youtr ballast work on the industry yard is pure art. Very inspiring.

Matt

Really great looking layout. In the photo below, who makes the figures you have on your cabooses? I've been trying to find a diesel locomotive crew but all I can really find are low quality "engineers" with their hands in their lap with no real actions.

Jon Grant 4472 Wrote:

Jon beautiful layout! The scenery is stunning! And I am in love with the small cement plant, the detail and weathering on it is very nice!

Tom Lehrer, once wrote, " The key to success in Mathematics can be summed up in one word - - -Plagiarize" !!
- - - - only, please, always to call it , "research".
If I were to apply that concept to scenery, it would be yours that I would copy.
Natural sunlight doesn't hurt either ! "Home Alabama" is definitely "Sweet" !!

Thanks guys. A few more photos from the show













Jon

Jon Grant 4472 Wrote:Thanks guys. A photo from the show
Jon

8-) One of the very few Willow trees I've seen modeled !!

I'm still working on perfecting a building technique for those. The top of the tree looks good enough, but I still need to figure out a way to more correctly model the hanging branches. They are still a bit too "heavy".
[attachment=11707]

Sumpter250 Wrote:I'm still working on perfecting a building technique for those. The top of the tree looks good enough, but I still need to figure out a way to more correctly model the hanging branches. They are still a bit too "heavy".
[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]

Looks spot on to me, especially as so many trees have creepers hanging from them in the warm south. My willows were bought rather than made. I'm not sure if it was in the MRC range of trees or if it was made by one of the many small tree-making companies over here in the UK.

The construction looks to be from twisted wire for the trunk and the thin wire separates and is curved over to get the shape. Adhesive was added to the wire branches and foliage scatter sprinkled on to the wet glue.

Jon

This is it, right?

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.themodeltreeshop.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fthemodeltreeshop%2eco%2euk%2f&WD=willow&PN=TW22%2d%2d%2dWeeping%2dWillow%2d25%2ehtml">http://www.themodeltreeshop.co.uk/cgi-b ... d25%2ehtml</a><!-- m -->

Paulman Wrote:This is it, right?

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.themodeltreeshop.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fthemodeltreeshop%2eco%2euk%2f&WD=willow&PN=TW22%2d%2d%2dWeeping%2dWillow%2d25%2ehtml">http://www.themodeltreeshop.co.uk/cgi-b ... d25%2ehtml</a><!-- m -->

That's the one. I spent a packet at his stand during Hartlepool show, especially on his new fir trees - I can't make realistic-looking firs



Jon