The Model - Scenery 

The photos below show the status of my layout as of the end of day September 8, 2020.

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To summarize,  The Tortoise Line exists only on this website, and not in reality.

I started the dismantling by removing and disposing of - mostly by selling - the rolling stock and structures to assure they would find a good home, which they will.

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After some preparation, today, a good friend who also is a builder, ex-fire chief, and one of the founders of the little community in which I live south of Santa Fe, named Tom, came in at 7:30 a.m. and left at 11 a.m.    During that time, we disassembled the layout and moved the debris into an nearby dumpster, to find a new home in a somewhat different form in a local landfill.

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I am at peace with it all.   It was time, the work was done well, and building the Turquoise Line was one of the best and most satisfying things that I have done in my life.

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Zen Masters say that peace comes from letting go of attachments.   I am still working on that one, but this was a first step.

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Thanks for visiting my website, which I thoroughly enjoyed creating it to share my enthusiasm with like-minded hobbyists.   I intend to leave this website online as it is as long as appropriate.

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Michael McCaffery

September 11, 2020

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My favorite part of model railroading is constructing structures and scenery.

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In this section I'll lightly discuss my methods, procedures, and why I chose certain ways of doing things to attain the effect I desire.

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As construction progresses, I'll add photos of my work as it appears on the actual model railroad itself, in this Scenery tab.

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My first portion of scenery is illustrated below, showing the beginning of the painted backdrop and some minor scenery construction in front of it to hide where it joins the benchwork.  Updates will be periodically provided depending on how successfully I am able to represent the scenery along the fictional Turquoise Line between Santa Fe and Madrid, New Mexico, where I now live.

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Perro Blanco

     Below you see the namesake for Perro Blanco, our dog Giordi.

      He is shown at full scale.

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Tucker to the left is a neighbor's dog with unlimited energy, boundless enthusiasm, and a voracious appetite.   Tucker and Giordi own the neighborhood.

Panoramic View of Perro Blanco

Bella Gato

Bella, the source of the town's name of Bella Gato.

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Bella Gato Depot

and

Manzana Warehouse

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Main road through town of Bella Gato.

Manzana Warehouse

and

Bella Gato depot.

Site of future

Mooney's Plumbing is in the far Background

Structure on right is division superintendents kit-built home (Sears style) with new shiny auto on the left. 

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Mooney's Plumbing

Mooney's Plumbing is shown above and in the two photos below.

Panoramic View of Town of Bella Gato

Galt's Gulch  

Galt's Gulch - West

Dropleaf at

Studio Entrance Door

Galt's Gulch - Bridge and Trestle

Galt's Gulch - East

 Cerrillos Turquoise Mine

Miners Cabins

aka

Red Light District

COMING EVENTUALLY!

Town of Cerrillos

(Final Scene)