Scenery in the Denton Area
Now that I have done a little experimenting with the “Grass-a-nator”, it was time to cover a larger area. The photos below show the results of going grass crazy. I attempted to simulate a track that receives very little maintenance and has become over grown with grass.
Steven’s Repair Shop
Created a little scene around Steven’s repair shop in Denton. I added a few trees, some bushes, vehicles and a few figures. There is still a lot to do with some specific details, but you can get the general idea of finished scene.
Additional Structures for Lewistown
I completed the oil loading platform for the Conoco oil depot. There were oil fields north of Lewistown and a refinery was built there in the 1920’s. The refinery lasted until the 1950’s when production was moved Great Falls. A branch line from Lewistown to Winifred at one time saw multiple trains of oil per day. The oil tanks in the photo below have been printed on paper and will be attached to the backdrop. While not an exact representation of the original, it will work for a representation and an industry to switch cars for.
Original photographer unknown.
Lewistown Freight Depot
Modeling the Milwaukee’s freight depot in Lewistown was a challenge. I have not been able to find many photos of the original depot. It was time to get a little creative to build this structure. There was nothing commercially available that would work to recreate the depot. I used Walthers building sections to piece together an acceptable model. All that needs to be done is the final weathering and signage added to the building.
Original photographer John Jones from the MILW Yahoo Group.
Denton Grain Elevator
Finally completed some additional details to the Montana Elevator in Denton. Most grain bins have catwalks for workers to service the auger systems that move grain to additional bin storage. I scratch built the catwalk from wire and plastic channels. Now the last piece will be stairs coming from the side window down the roof for access to the catwalk. After that is completed the final weathering and signage will be added.
Ballasting Lewistown Yard
I decided it was time to complete all the track ballasting on the lower level. This really gives this area a more completed look. Ballasting is a long and tedious process, but the final result is very satisfying. Prior to ballasting the rails are painted a rusty brown color and the ties are painted various shades of gray to give a nice weathered look to the track.
