Motivation

I think I've mentioned before that I tend to wax and wane in my progress on the layout. I focus on a few things, get them done then...don't seem to have the drive for a while. Lately, this has not been the case because there have been a string of events that have provided some serious motivation.
First was a shopping trip to T & K Hobby early this year when I went to visit my Dad. I picked up several items I really needed including a background scene to finish East McKeesport and the Engineering Office to round out the buildings along the flat. I also picked up some detail parts - figures, canoes, mailbox, telephone booth, parking meters, etc.
Next was the discussion with Bruce on painting the backdrop along the back of the layout. Once I tackled that, I was painting a little every day or two until it was complete. With that done, I had to finish repainting the trestle bridge, adding some weathering and finally the guard rails I had been considering for the last two or three years! Everything looked great, except the corner was just the brown base with the creek cut in - and I never liked the color brown I used. A few evenings and I had some hills, colored them a better shade of brown and then added the ground foam. A nice base scenery ready for trees, shrubs and people details.
Last weekend was the most recent motivation. My Dad, sister and niece were coming out to visit and see Nicholas and Adam in the Carroll High School play. I was ready to show off the painted backdrop and scenicked corner but wanted just a few more touches so I fixed the ballast on a few of the tracks and switch stands, added a window sign in Kay's Books, cleaned the track and fixed 4 of the 6 problem turnouts. Dad and my family were impressed with the progress.
Last week, I created a list of the next 90-some projects I would like to tackle. These are smalls things like "Add Farmer's Market figures in front of Isley's" to more involved items like "Build May Stern Factory" and "Mount computer shelf/drawer". I'll be busy for a while, and it's not a complete list, but I definitely have something to do!

Background Update

I had put off painting the background for so long because I felt I lacked the artistic talent to make it realistic. Bruce encourage me that I could do it and and sketched in the outline of the hills. Nicholas and Adam helped me get the right shades of green for the painted trees to blend in with the 3 dimensional ones. I started with the hills around the fake tunnel portal at the end of the trestle bridge, figuring it was so hidden, few would see it and if I did not like how it turned out, Bruce and I could paint over it.

Background started with the fake tunnel protal

I was very happy with how it turned out, so I continued. I painted from the tunnel, which is just west (left) of East McKeesport into the corner and it appeared to me as though it kept getting better. I doubt this was due to an improvement in my technique but more because as the background grew, it blended more. Bruce stopped over when I had reached the corner and thought it looked pretty good.

The stage of the painting Bruce was able to review

Now, I could not stop! Every time I stepped into the train room, I painted a little more. I finished the right side of the layout from the trestle bridge to the tunnel in Herminie. I was really excited with how realistic I felt it was becoming - not terribly artistic, but like the rest of my work, illustrative enough to get the idea across.

Completed background on the right side of the layout

The final background was really in two parts. The scenery divide between Uniontown and the tracks running along the back needed some background hills from the Uniontown tunnel to the end and these had to blend with the hills along the back wall and around the corner behind the barn. 

The complete background on either side of the peninsula

I really like how the project turned out, and when you first walk into the train room, it really comes to life! Now I need to invite my friends over and run trains while I add figures and more details to the scenes.

All aboard! 

Theme and tributes

Early on, I knew I wanted to add businesses and industries that placed my layout in the Pittsburgh area. Heinz, Pittsburgh Plate Glass, Isley's, Westinghouse, and Westmoreland Coal Company (I grew up in Westmoreland County) are all on the layout. West Penn Power was on the last layout on Restway Ct but, unfortunately there was no room on the current version. Alleghenies Cold Storage, Stetson (my grandfather) Convention Service and May Stern Furniture all have homes on the current layout.

Westmoreland Coal Company Mine No. 4

But I also wanted to pay some tributes to my family and friends. Appropriate ones that reflect who they are. Early ideas include LAS Fabrics for my wife, Lisa, who is an avid sewer, and GGS Cabinets who got me started in model railroading and "plays" with wood, building furniture and even his log home. My sister, in her early teens used to say "I'm so confused!" So my parents and I called her confused Cathy Lynn. And while she probably does not appreciate my tribute, C. C. L. Lumber is on the layout with both a business and a dedicated cover hopper for sawdust.
Two awesome co-workers, and good friends, got a shout out on the last layout and I incorporated their "businesses" on the current one. Vic lives on Cape Cod and loves fishing so, Vic's Bait and Tackle was an easy fit. Paul got a pun on his last name with Dailey's Fuel and Coal Service. The business motto being, "we want your business daily!"

Vic's Bait & Tackle

Dailey's Coal & Fuel

Others are on the layout or in the process. Camp Bruce is a scout camp in tribute to my railroad buddy and will have Troop 25o from Penns Woods PA where I earned my Eagle, Troop 329 which I belong to now and Troop 442 from Brazil OH which is the malcontent boys. If one of the 329 boys get in trouble, we tell them to say they are from 442. Adam and Nicholas have a machine shop, a bookstore for my mom, Angie and Joey have offices - public relations and investment, respectively. My cousin Dinah has a dance studio which is over my favorite local watering hole, Clancy's Tavern.
Some dedications are hard, really hard. One of my best friends at IBM was Bhupendra Mehta. An amazing portal architect, funny guy, and party animal. How do I do a tribute to a man from India in 1950s rural-ish suburb of Pittsburgh. It finally came to me and soon there will be Bhup's Hookah Bar, first of its kind in Pittsburgh and quite possibly the United States.
I had one more I needed to fit in. Bruce's son, Zach. I never met Zach, a talented swimmer when he was in high school, but it was important to me to give him a shout out. Along East McKeesport, you will see posters announcing tryouts for the Norwin High School (my alma mater) swim team. Interested? Call Coach Zach.

Posters on a building in East McKeesport shout outs to Bhups & Zach

So every time I got out to the train room, I don't just "run trains". I spend some time with my family and friends.
What better hobby could you ask for?