Musings on a 4x8...

Well, given the responses from my inquiry about creamery ops, I'm going to re-do that section of track to the creamery yet again. Instead of a curved siding, I'm just going to shorten the track and keep it a straight section parallel to the rest of the industrial trackage and the "main drag" through town. The creamery will be a truck-centric industry, but will have the occasional refer car of butter to ship out.

This will also help me with designing said street, as I've been trying to figure out how to route it from the edge of the layout, through town and to the other side of the layout. Now, I'll have a relatively straight shot through town. This will also allow me to orient Hope's downtown around the grain elevator, which is the commercial center of town.

Like many towns here in rural, SE Minnesota, Hope grew up around its elevator, as farmers would come into town with their crops, and then do business with the local merchants. Hope is also located on the intersection of two highways 19 and 76 (hey, this IS fantasy and 1976 was a good year! :D ), so, through traffic has also helped keep Hope alive.

At least, that's the backstory of Hope as I've imagined it thus far.

Anyway, I'm going to go do some re-aranging and tweaking. Hopefully I'll be able to post some new pics tonight, but we'll see.

Until then.

Well,

I went and gave a presentation to one of the local community groups in town the other night and they were kind enough to give a financial contribution for the layout, toward the purchase of the switch machines, so I ordered them today. Now, all I have to do is get some wire, and we'll be ready to wire up the layout.

I've also finished laying the roadbed for the spur to the engine servicing facility and the lumber yard (MMA Van Der Plas Lumber Supply LLC). All I have to do, is relay the track for the grain elevator area and lay the track for the engine servicing facility/lumber yard, and the trackwork will be done... again.

I also have some pics to post, so I'll do that here shortly.

promised, picture updates...



The Digitraxx "Zephyr Plus" DCC system and one of the twelvve DPDT (Double Pole Double Throw) switches I ordered from Radio Shack, which will operate the Tortise Switch Machines.



An in-progress shot of the rebuilt spur for the lumber yard (MMA Van Der Plas Lumber Supply LLC) and track to the enginehouse. I used the yard stick (labeled for Preston Lumber LLC, interestingly enough) to mark the center line for the track leading to the Pikestuff small, modern enginehouse.



I measured 3" and 4" from the centerline of the spur "ladder" to figure out the best placement for the engine servicing track. The track 3" from the "ladder" was determined to be the best choice, as it gave sufficent clearance between the enginehouse and spur track and a gentle transition from the turnout to the engine shed.



Utilizing a piece of Atlas Flexi-track, I laid out a gentle curve from the turnout to the enginehouse track.



Centerline marked for the curve from the turnout to the engine servicing facility. ready for cork and track.



And a look at the finished corkwork. Van Der Plas Lumber Supply LLC will run along the right side of the spur. The cardboard mock-up represents the location of the Pikestuff engine shed on the service track. A scratchbuilt concrete pad will be built next to (in front of?) the enginehouse which will feature fuel cranes and a sand tower (a mix of Woodland Senics and Stewart Hobbies details). The "L" shaped piece of cardboard represents the footprint of the passenger depot.



An overall view of the grain elevator track. The cardboard structure represents the Walther's Valley Grower's Assn. grain elevator that will occupy the scene. The feed/seed distributor and creamery will occupy the ends of the two tracks and the third stub track is for the bulk oil/fertilizer dealer (big enough for two tank cars). In the background, you can see the track leading back to the stock pens for the livestock sales barn.



A closer look at the elevator tracks and the track leading back to the sales barn.


As you can see, I still have a little work to do to finish up the re-design of the industrial trackage, but still have a LONG way to go with the layout.

I'll keep you guys updated as things progress!

Well, guys...

The RF&L will soon be taking delivery of some motive power...

Remember that SW-1 I mentioned a while back? Well, thanks to a financial contribution from another family member, the RF&L will be taking delivery of said locomotive.

Currently, it's painted in Rock Island colors, but it will be repainted in Milwaukee Road orange and black, with "bandit" paint-outs. The unit will also then become RFLX #1855. (As my hometown of Preston is hosting the Relay for Life this year and 1855 being the year that Preston, MN was established as a municipality (three years before Minnesota entered the union as the 32nd state!), I thought it would be a nod to the city's history.)

I'll post pictures as soon as it arrives on the property.

Anyway...

Nothing earth-shattering, but still worth mentioning. More updates to come, so stay tuned!


Here's a rough idea of what the 1855 will look like (without the "bandit" blackouts)...
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... ?id=101487

Did a little trackwork tonight on the grain elevator scene. The track is pinned down temporarily, but will be nailed/spiked down in the near future (tomorrow?). (I would have done so tonight, but the other inhabitants of the household were in bed, and loud hammering noises from the basement would not have been appreciated!!!)

But, that should give you a better perspective on what the grain elevator tracks will look like.

Hopefully, tomorrow I will be able to get some trackwork done on the spur to the engine servicing facility and lumber yard.

Another quickie, but I thought I'd share.

More to come...

I haven't done a lot with it for the last couple weeks, as I've been busy with other projects and have had to put the railroad on hold for the time being. I do, however, need to get this thing wired up SOON. Anyone in the tri-state region (Minnesota, Iowa & Wisconsin) who would be interested in assisting with "bulletproofing" the track and wiring can send me a PM if they want to lend a hand in that.

I have also ordered a magnetic gluing jig from Micro Mark to assist in assembling the structures on the layout. So, that will help speed up progress on that front. It should be here sometime this week, or early next week. Then, I can get rocking and rolling on that front.

I am also planning on running to Rochester (MN) in the next few days to get some paint brushes, so I can get working on that front as well.

So, things to do and things in the works and updates to come as they progress.


But, let me leave you with this parting shot...




Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific ("Rock Island") Baldwin S-12(?) #802, sitting on the track to the engine facility. Soon (hopefully!) to be re-painted into a Milwaukee Road, orange & black "Bandit" scheme and renumbered RFLX #1855. (BTW, anyone who can do said custom painting for me, send me a PM on that as well!!!)

(I'll post pics of some of the rolling stock that's been accumulated in a little while, they're boxed up at the moment to keep them clean and safe while I'm working on the layout and the other projects!)

More to come, so stay tuned!!!

MY MICRO-MARK GLUING JIG ARRIVED TODAY!!!

LET THE STRUCTURES RISE FROM THE "PLYWOOD PRAIRIE!!!

** EVIL LAUGH **

By the way, guys, I made a page on Facebook for the RF&L...

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/page ... 8673902359


Thought I'd use the power of Facebook to promote the project.

Roads... Highways, Biways... alleyways...

That's the order of the day, today. Get those planned out and ready for paving.

Well, guys...

Quick update here...

Got a box on Thursday, got my agri-businesses: the grain elevator, feed and seed dealer and the bulk oil distributor. I also happened to be in LaCrosse last Saturday, and got some stripwood (.250 x .250) to make the base for the depot platform and stumbled across a Walther's Southtown Hi-Fi kit, which will be an auxillary building for the feed/seed dealer (lawn care, fertilizer, pet supplies, etc.).

Also, on Thursday, I made a run to Rochester (MN) and got some paint brushes, so I can start painting the structures and some 3/16" thick foam core to use as the roadbed for the streets/highways and foundations for my buildings.

Friday was a call to my guy up in the Twin Cities who has a grain conveyer and a Smalltown USA trucking terminal, which will become the bulk of the creamery complex. I have some add-on windows I was going to use to build a brick enginehouse for another layout (that never materialized), so I'm going to add those onto it, then tack on a smaller, office structure and truck loading/unloading, made from DPM's modular wall sections.

So, things are coming along on the RF&L...

Now, if I can get it wired up, things will be even better. (Looks like I'm going to have to get a copy of "DCC For Dummies" and do it myself, though.)

Updates to come...

To paraphrase Lt. Kilgore (Robert DuVall's character) in Apocalypse Now...

I love the smell of "Airplane Glue" in the early evening. It smells of PROGRESS!!! :D

The glue bottle is out and structures are being knocked together. I think the bulk of this next week (minus time taken for "Holy Week" activities) and next will be spent working on structures. Gluing... and maybe some painting. Pics to come soon.

Ms. Evelyn's, the feed mill and the depot are all curing as we speak. I may even get another kit or two started tonight. (I have walls up, prepping them for paint, then windows and doors, etc. will be added.)

So, progress, progress, progress...