I spent a little time yesterday "fine tuning" my blog page in Freeway. I added two clickable graphics to the bottom of the page: one, the Central Missouri & Southern logo, is linked to my website - if anyone has an interest in craftsman-level modeling and train layouts. The second one, the "Made with Freeway" logo, is a link to Softpress.com, the publishers of Freeway Pro and Freeway Express - again, if anyone has an interest. You do need to be a Mac user, though, to use either of their web design programs.
Okay.... on to other things. As I have mentioned already, model railroading and craftsman-level modeling are among my primary hobby interests. The other is photography, and I really enjoy finishing up a layout scene or a diorama and then taking lots of photos of it. One of the outlets for my photos is, of course, my website. Another is the Railroad-Line Forums (www.railroad-line.com), where we discuss all things related to model building and railroading, and we post photos of our latest projects.
My last completed project, finished a little over a year ago, was one of my most satisfying. Completely scratchbuilt, the diorama depicts a 1920's-era Ozarks "tie hacker" and his son.
Tie hacking was a major source of income for many farmers and their families, especially during the winter months. With the railroads needing approximately 3,000 ties per mile and paying the hackers 10 cents per tie, a farmer with a strong son or two could earn as much as $.80 a day. The ties were typically stacked on the farmer's property or delivered to a designated collection point. In the spring, when the Osage, Current, and Black Rivers were swollen with rainwater, the ties were dumped into the water, lashed together into rafts, and floated down the river to the railhead. There they were snagged and plucked from the river, typically using Barnhart loaders. Tie rafting was an "art" unto itself and very dangerous. The rafts frequently were made up of literally thousands of ties and could stretch for miles down a river or stream.
My diorama, "The Tie-Hacker's Yard," is based on historical accounts as well as historical photos of the living conditions in the Ozarks before and during the Great Depression of the 1930's. As a way of life and an economic factor in the Ozarks, tie hacking pretty much came to an end by 1928. The great oak forests of southern and central Missouri were pretty much played out by then, and with the fall of the stock market railroad expansion began to decline.
Additional photos - if anyone is interested - can be found on my website.
A Curmudgeonly Thought for the Day....
It's not surprising that most political candidates can give you all their good points and qualifications in a 30-second TV commercial.
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