AUG 2022: Past time for an update. While I maintain a build thread elsewhere, I am going to try and sync up my progress here. LAYOUT TRACKPLAN & CONSTRUCTION Over the past year, the track plan was updated to include a "negative space" area between the town of Cherokee and the Lightning Creek Mine. I have spent the past several months adding the section in the lower left: Previous Track Plan: Current Track Plan: There is a minor change for the town of Weir City at the upper right, giving the Long Bell Lumber Co. a small spur. The major change is the added section at the lower left, changing the layout to a "G" shape. The added section gives some space between the town of Cherokee and the Lightning Creek Mine. The prior version would have a train in town while working the mine area. There is also a small addition to the length of the mine area, providing spots for additional cars. The new sections were built using the torsion box (waffle) approach of the balance of the layout. and includes a 2-inch foam top: The added area has three main scenery features...an empty space, a curved wooden ballasted trestle crossing "Lightning Creek" and a small mining camp in the corner, south of the mine area. The first of these areas has macro scenery completed: This area is looking pretty nice and the photo (or very similar) appears in the June 2022 Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine. The second area of a curved ballasted trestle is coming along. The trestle, scratch built from dimensional lumber and using some old Frisco engineering drawings has been installed. The area still needs scenery work, ballasting, and water poured. The mine camp scene is least mature. I have been going for the look from this old photo of Empire Kansas (same area as layout, Kansas Historical Society (kansasmemory.org) image). and found this image of the nearby Monmoth Kansas (small mining camp, west of Cherokee) depot. (Ghost Towns & Mining Camps of Southeast Kansas and the Surrounding Areas) So for the town, I had one building donated by @JimJ (I think the right handle here), and a couple I have been building or modifying. Jim's (largest) is his own scratch build and the others kits and misc scratch builds. Still a bit bare, but coming along... More to come here as scenery and structures progress.... Take Care, -Bob T.
@rjthomas909 , Bob your torsion box modules are a work of art and the layout is too. Looking forward for your next update. Joe
AUG 2022: BUILDING A c.1908 CAR FLEET In the course of building the layout, I have done what most do....dug through old photos, maps, schedules, newspapers, etc. looking for inspiration. What I have found about my modeled area of SE Kansas is that the rail schedule was much busier closer to the 1900 timeframe than the late 1920s. For example, here is the Weir City schedule from the Weir Journal in 1901: I have also collected many images from around 1905-1910 and many feature the "Frisco System" herald (1900-1905-ish) timeframe. Several roads fell under the "Frisco System" during this time, such as the C&EI and roads absorbed by the Frisco, like the KC Fort Scott & Memphis. As a result of this interest, I have been working to build enough cars to have an operating session set around 1908. I have been building a few resin kits, models from Bitter Creek, and modifying Accurail 36-ft double sheath boxcars to have truss rod underframes and archbar trucks (a little out of dimensional accuracy, but give the right feel). I have also had the pleasure of working with William Brillinger at Precision Design Co to create a number of custom decal sets for the Frisco (System). Here are some examples: Four cars with the FRISCO billboard an Acccurail car with custom decals from Precision Design Co. Bitter Creek kits with custom decals from Precision Design. On these I use archbar trucks (5ft) from Tahoe model works. Bitter Creek Kit with Decals from K4 Modified Accurail with decals from K4. Westerfield inside stake wood gondola. Bitter Creek Model with decals from K4: Athearn has also released these old-time cars that I have been tweaking for the fleet, sometimes changing details and re-decaling. Recent release ( thanks @Jim Wiggin ) Previous run of these cars re-lettered. Again, more to come on this front. Need a couple of tank cars and way more gondolas. -Bob T.