This is the new start of my Diorama after disaster struck in the form of two cats fighting on the diorama shelf and knocking it six feet to a linoleum floor.
The diorama is built on extruded Blue foam insulation. It is roughly 6 inches by 30 inches and the foam is 2 inches thick.
Thanks goes to Gary for the buildings (which I still haven't paid him for but I DO intend to). The string of four cars with the caboose are die-cast cars from Reader's Digest but the kingpin rivets are so tight that the trucks DO NOT swivel so the cars are useless for anything but a non-powered siding in their current state.
The F7s you see are B'Mann's powered A/B pair but I believe they have cracked gears. Neither run smoothly but are good looking locos so I may clip a motor wire and leave them on a powered siding so their lights work. These are for sale, make an offer. I paid $18 for the pair, and am simply looking to cut my losses. They might be worth it to someone with a damaged shell or chassis or in need of a motor or just to someone wth enough spare parts to replace the trucks.
The tractor is a die-cast toy that was bought at Walgreen's Pharmacy (of all places) for $2.99. It is beautifully detailed and based on measurements specs listed on the Caterpillar website, is nearly exact scale for N. The bucket is able to raise and lower and the backhoe exhibits prototypical range of motion, being able to raise and lowers, extend and retract, and the bucket tip and dump but the arm does not swing to the sides. The outriggers are solid metal and are not adjustable. The tires feel like real rubber and roll smoothly.
The camera used to take the photos is a piece of garbage but was also free so I do not complain.
click on thumbnails for larger, clearer (not much) views:
