Funny your video was first out! Got a load out of Dallas coming to California....I do declare a stop at one of many favorites ARNIEs! Hoping the new batch of SD45T-2s are in... awesome video

Captivating watch 👍 nice vid for a random recommended 36:19 pop up!! Enjoyed it

Looks really good…like the making your own ground cover idea…

Very nice looking!

Looking good mate & wifey person lady said to say thankyou for the benjamin update.

Nice work.

Mmmm - Vanilla icing on yer 'cakes' - yummy

That looks awsome! I learn a lot from your vids! Very nice!

Really coming along nice. Glad you're working on the layout. I think you're gonna like running trains even more. I know I'm gonna like watching them even more. One thing I would have done, I would have slathered some cheap craft paint on the hills before the dirt. Gray where you want rock, brown where you want dirt. That way if you do miss some spots, it won't be noticeable. I'm hungry for cake now 🍰

In sunny Southern California you can use organic materials but in the humid clIt of the North East it is better to use real rocks and plaster. Mold is a problem where I am.

The hills are alive with the sound of ? Diesels I guess. Excellent video . Is there a need to spray a light dusting of water to set the grout that you iced with the dirt?

Looking good!! Happy that you are taking your time in building your scenery! Can’t wait to see your UP switchers hard at work on the new scenery!

Awesome video! Glad you tried the saw dust idea! When I'm doing things like this I like to go a little lighter on the first pass of dirt, then hit it with an isopropyl spritz. And then come back in with a diluted glue spray. You can get a good idea of what's still gonna need a touch up while it's still wet, and don't have to wait to touch it up, you can just go right back in with a spritz of diluted glue focused on any bare spots and hit it again with the dirt mix.

I get those brushes by the box at Harbor Freight

Hi Rick & it's is Randy and i like yours video is Cool & Thanks Rick & Friends Randy

That bright green would make good springtime crop fields or shaded grass around trees.

If some asks why not Styrofoam? Styrofoam is good, but the way you're doing it, looks much better and more realistic.

yea Nightshift is very good watch

does the FBI know you are working on a grassy knoll? PS I prefer the carpenters glue as it dries a little faster.

That looks awsome! Great idea!! Love your layout and vids!!

All you need to do now is get some icing throw on a couple of candles right in there with a felt pen happy birthday you’ll have a great looking cake

looking good Charlie,,good to have a workin on the layout vid again. How is Ben ?? we havent seen the little champ for a while.

Quick and easy hills…I like your method…

Greetings! One trick of mine I learned from a friend is placing retaining walls and such in the wet grout. I also made foundations for buildings where I had them on the layout. One can do this long before you actually place a structure so it will look like it has a foundation that is below mean ground level. (Looks better, too!) I had experience with texture paint which comes in colors that I would decide would work best for the area. Saves time on occasion and can be replaced if needed. I am colorblind and need to fix color errors often.

Great how to video... thanks for doing that

I'm hungry now. . . the grout looks like frosting on a lemon cake.

You're off to a good start. The brush marks look like good layers of rock. Nice little break from the operations videos too.

Nice update! I do have a question - Why did you choose bunched up paper and plaster sheets? I understand it is a very valid technique but given the space you were working in, wondering why you didn't choose extruded foam that you could carve to fit the odd angle and then apply plaster/grout/etc. Just curious. Thanks.

Nice job on the hills. My method is a little more old school but tested tried and true. Not sure if it's cheaper or not but I use aluminum window screen instead of plaster cloth with plaster of Paris applied. It's rock solid after it cures. - Jason

Hey Rick getting it together looking forward to the grass and the hippie hang out 😮😊

Nice job 😊

Hi Rick & it's is Randy and i like yours video is Cool & Thanks Rick & Friends Randy

Great hauler video that I will try doing my layout. Thanks.

Good stuff, Rick!

I like that Idea to spot your cars. ( wear do you get that dice at ) I have n scale Kato lay out 10x3x10x3

Hey Rick, ABC for the tracks you’re confusing me now. I thought it was one through seven from the front to the back. front.lol!!!

Rick, I like your use of wee people in your vids so much I bought some. Unfortunately, I waited too long and they (the new Scenemaster ones with vests) were gone from shops and Ebay. I found an online shop that had them, but I ate a big shipping charge. Ugg. But it was that or wait for one to show on ebay again. RE: Locals and Haulers; I'm going to share this as info, again it's your operation and layout. I studied and model as an off-layout location Gemco yard up in Van Nuys. Now FWI I do the SP and back in the days when the auto plant was there. I have friends who worked the jobs there, even rode with them doing the jobs. It's a good example of how the Hauler (an SP term) and the locals interact. I'm going to talk in terms of how UP handles it for you though. Our Hauler goes from West Colton to Gemco with work in Aurant. The Same power is then used by the Guadalupe Hauler to run Gemco to Guadalupe and back. (right by me) so doesn't stay in Gemco. There are several locals that work out of the yard. The first Job on Duty will start switching out the cars brought by the Hauler. Their goal is to dig their cars out. They may switch between 2 tracks, 101 and 102 to sort their cars and the 'others'. or they may do the extra strep of sorting to the third local, 101, 102, 103 if they have the time, or are instructed to. Otherwise, the next local will do the same with the remaining cars. Once they have their train together, they may* order the cars for the work, depending on the job. One job uses a caboose because they have to shove a long distance. Then off they go to work their zone. Each local job has an assigned zone and only switches the industry in it. A local may go thru one zone reach another that is their job. Note that a local would not run out to leave a car 'off spot' There would have to be other work. Doesn't mean they couldn't leave with only that; as there may have been pickups for that day. Some jobs may use the same power. For example, you could have a local with a noon start and then another with a midnight on-duty that would use the same power. Railroads try to be frugal. I luv coffee too, live on coffee and diet soda (beer or margs on weekends) Cheers. hope this enlightens.

Don't make the same mistake as last week if you are not going to run trains for a bit. Maybe put something on each track so you know if the consist is heading out or ready to be collected by the hauler.

MWCX = Midwest Railcar leasing 😀

I like the way you took the hauler out of the yard, it’s comes in that away and it looks good going back the way it came. I like switching on my layout.

Next video just filming 1080 P that should be sufficient I would think

The notorious hand of God

I like watching you classify cars. Would be nice to build some structures for a change. Or backgrounds. Or whatever you feel like doing. Would be nice to see Ben again. Take care - Bill.

Say there, Eng. Ric; any thoughts on resurrecting the SouPac geep38 patch cab? Been around 1 1/2 - 2 years or so since any mention of it. (Fried decoder as I recall.)

both - I wanna see that styrafoam completed as scenery, but you don't have much town so if you add to urban environment it would be cool

That's why NCE or the TCS is better....in my opinion

Hey Rick! I enjoy your video I moved to Cerritos back in 1980 there used to be a train passing through Artesia Blvd through pioneer and through Cerritos ,

Great video Rick football weather and train time😊😊😊

Enjoying with my Afternoon Coffee 😊

Amazing video cant wait to start my layout