from the eyes of a visiting photographer, part 2

Here is a second set of pictures of the layout in action from visiting photographer Hajime Hosokawa, showing artistic and creative angles:

Here is E7 #510 bringing the Empire Builder in from Chicago, through the cascade forests. More on that coming up in the next blog post.

This shot shows one train crossing Royal Brougham on the lower level while another crosses the Skagit River bridges near Mt. Vernon. I decided to leave out the water under the bridges to preserve the view of the road crossing below. (Another one of those painful design challenges we are always facing with model railroads.) The building flat on the lower level is a stand-in for what eventually will be a backdrop of the various freight houses and industries located east of Stacy and Argo yards.

At some point in the session, we brought out the Bachmann 3-truck shay for fun, and he captured it passing the rowdy swing dancing scene at the Everett passenger station. Nobody seems to be paying attention to the locomotive - too busy with their dance moves...

Despite the unfinished scenery and exposed wires, the view down the turntable track is still a favorite. This locomotive is clearly planning to do some work.

The GP9 has made it off the turntable and is taking on sand, but meanwhile our U-boat (see previous post) is seen chugging through town with its long train.

The Geep is now ready for action, while logs pass by in the foreground and aluminum billets in the background. The tracks in the center background represent the Scott Paper Co. in Everett.

I normally take this shot closer to the locomotives in the Skykomish yard, for dramatic effect, but Hajime's photo shows the overall context well, with the mainline along Carkeek Park on the lower left, the MILW's Limestone Jct. branch and its grey concrete silo in the upper left, and the gravel pit at Grotto in the lower right.

The next post will feature a series of shots following the progress of the Empire Builder across the layout.