Chesapeake Bay in 9 Modules, all in 1:220 // NEW MODULE

Let`s stay a little bit with water and ships. Today a new ship arrived from Peter Nolan, a „small“ Coastal Freighter. These small ships serve thousands of small harbors all around the world. This model is based on the dimensions of a small freighter based in Juneau, Alaska. It is 180 scale feet (54 m) long, with a beam of 28 feet (8.5 m). The model is thus 13.5 inches (343 mm) long and 2.2 inches (54 mm) wide. Height to the top of the navigation bridge, minus antennae, is 2.8 inches (72 mm).
The three hatches can be modeled open and stacked, or closed. We decided to have two hatches open and one closed in order to model an active coal loading process.
There are two main hydraulic cargo cranes, plus a forward long-reach post and boom. Custom photo-etched brass railings and stairways, custom-made windlass and rear winch, lifeboat, davits, anchors, bitts and other small parts fill out the kit. The gunwhales are raised just as on the prototype.
In order to make it easier to compare what that „small“ ship means for our harbor please see the attached picture. It filled it nearly completely. You can compare it easily with Uncle Will`s 100-Ton Chessie hopper on the right hand side behind the freighter or with the red truck. 



If you go down to the perspective of our small Z-scale Preiser men, then this ship becomes really impressive!

Thank you, Aaron,
but as you follow the thread, modeling the water is no magic but just the right combination of colors and later - very importantly - the three layers of clear coat, each of them well dried and dust free!
Here is another picture illustrating the impression of water.



BTW, this is Dirk`s first pictures from the detailing work. This one, to start with, is a very special one because the Danish-German couple, named Hansen, who is standing here at the quay wall waving their grandchildren good-bye who had visited them for the summer vacation.
This couple had been on all layouts Dirk built before and they are the (now retired) owner of the famous shop for ship repair and maintenance at Helenensiel. You don`t remember their shop at Helenensiel? Sure you do, here is a picture for you as a reminder ;-)



Want to know more about Helenensiel? Here is your link: www.helenensiel.com/Helenensiel
Enjoy!

Are we done with water and ships for the moment?
OK, then let`s have a look behind the dyke - a lot of work is going on here right now. And this not only with regard to the beautiful birch trees here in front of the tracks:



A good overview from a lower angle to the right gives this picture.



The Chessie cat (an AZL GP-30, custom painted by Aaron) is slowly approaching the still unsecured railroad crossing.

The car waits until the short train has passed.
(The car is from the huge portfolio of MWB, here is the link to the internet shop: www.mwb-spur-z.de/epages/61362572.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/61362572.)
Behind the stone walls which serve as fences and are so typical for the area, you can see some of the houses Dirk constructed by kitbashing commercially available Kibri kits ( www.viessmann-modell.com/kibri/index.php/show=shop&cPath=32&lang=en&cat=c201_Stadt%20Z.html ).
The small building, which is supposed to give some waiting passengers/tourists some shelter - in front before the tracks beside the birch trees - has been built from an Artitec resin kit (http://www.artitec.nl/index.php/en/kits ).
And there are of course fascinating details you may want to add to your buildings, too,.......

Between the old harbor and the little village with the fishermen houses is a little forest of pine trees. Please some in to have a view on the trees details (guests, you have to log-in to do so - please do so, it is worth it!!!)



About 25 trees have been necessary in order to create the „forest feeling“, but now you can take a picture from inside the forest through the pine trees of the old freight houses.
Not much happening there on a hot Sunday afternoon. (Dirk loves these kinds of scenes, which allows fantasy to gallop!)



The connection between the old harbor and the little village cuts through this pine tree forest. A Chessie, a GP-30 from AZL, is on its way to the pier after doing some yard work at the harbor.



(the picture gives you an idea about the correct sizes of trees in Z-scale as well, we usually tend to make them too small)



This, btw, is the biggest tree on our layout, but not the highest!

Is the narrow gauge track handlaid? Which kind of rail did you use for that? Code 20?

Dom

Now, early in the morning, the beaches are deserted......



zoom in please!








(in the background - The Big Dune!)

....but the early morning train ran into problems - another sand slide from the big dune!