Finally done with the support rolling stock. Two ammunition cars, two flat cars, a command car, and a dormitory car. Yet to go are two automobiles (a staff car and a truck) that are the loads for the flat cars. The dorm car is sophisticated enough a model that I took the extra time to use my 'box in a box' reinforcement. In hindsight, I probably should have taken the extra time to do that to the ammo cars as well. While building the dorm car, the texturing on the steps had enough resolution for me to figure out how the designer intended folding it. Naturally, that was the last car in the build sequence....so, I will have to go back and do a little surgery on the incorrectly folded steps. Thankfully, there are only eight of them in the incorrect configuration.
The build is pretty well on schedule. For the final diorama, I intend having at least two more dorm cars, some passenger cars, and another engine or two. That will have to wait until after the contest deadline. I figure two weeks for work on the diorama base, which leaves a bit over three weeks for additional rail cars. At a minimum, I want to have an armored car to lead off in the train consist, and a couple of flack cars for protection from air attack. Somehow, I need to figure out how to work in a week for travel back to Sacramento for my high school 55th reunion bash. I think I can see myself whining for a deadline extension.
I might mention that during this build I experimented with using an Xacto number 16 blade rather than the trusty number 11. Big improvement for cutting out the fiddly stuff. Try it...you may like it.
