Land, Ho!

I've been taking most of my railroading time to really dial in the land contours of the layout. As I've mentioned ad-nauseum, shaping the terrain has never been my strong suit, so I'm taking my time and evaluating/adjusting as I go. The pace has been very much snail-like, but I want to be happy with the final result.

Here is a general overview of things as they stand now, with some buildings mocked up in place.

The biggest rise in terrain is to the west end of the layout. Here I had originally planned for the cafe and hotel to be adjacent to each other on dual levels, but in execution there really wasn't enough room for the terrain to rise naturally and still have space for the buildings. You can spy the beginnings of the road cutting up the hill; it will eventually pass in front of the cafe and cross over the tracks across the cut in the north-west corner.

I really like using lightweight spackle to contour the levels together; sets up quick, and sands easily.

The East end of the layout will be primarily flat, with the exception of a small rise and cut toward the north-east corner to break up the visual of the tight curve. Here, a yet-to-be named industry will be served by the spur, and the hotel (and perhaps one or two more related outbuildings) will help visually distract from the track at the rear of the layout. Of course, it's also the spot for our depot.

Once I get the final contours in, I'm looking forward to "banishing the pink" forever with a coat of earth-toned paint.