Train Weathering and Lighting Modifications

We tried to 'weather' nearly all trains for the opening in 2001, however, due to the time constraints related to the opening, parts of the layout were not included.

For those unfamiliar: 'Weathering' the models means to add dirt, rust, and wear to the models so they appear more realistic and life-like.

Since the beginning of 2005 we have started to go back and get at all the sections and models that were left out from this process in the beginning. We have completed nearly 90% of the layout with this process to date, and will most likely complete everything by the end of 2007.

Some parts will of course remain clean, since in reality not all trains and models are in 'used condition' - Germany's great ICE trains for example are always in mint-condition.

We also focus on addressing passenger vehicles that were not originally installed with 100% of the lighting they should have. To date, retroactive light additions have reached more than 10,000 soldered LED's.