Down at the right end of town, I thought I'd see how a more modern water storage tower would fit. Seems like this would be a good fit so poured a pad for it. When the pad dried, set everything in place and added a little ground cover outside the fence. Thinking once I clean this up and do some more landscaping, it will look decent enough. Update 3 of 5
To continue with the progress from the weekend, I updated my track plan with the switch numbers and posted it on each side of the layout. I know several folks commented on liking how I had my switches/turnouts numbered (and I liked it too), I had never planned to leave them like that so the toothpick farm is now out of business. What is new is signal relay boxes have started popping up at places where the under track uncoupling magnets are. Here's a pic pointing some of them out (a work in progress) along with adding a new section of road and a ballast shoulder. Here is another area where some buildings may be added. Not too sure on the ice cream shack but the other two might be a good fit. Found these signal bridges in a box of odds and ends items and wasn't sure what to do with them so they there just for fun right now. Also found a bunch of dumpsters in the box so maybe a quick and easy scene would be a recycle drop off site? Maybe? Update 4 of 5
And lastly, had to make another ground cover mess or two. That's it for this past weekend. Not sure what is next. I guess whatever shiny object catches my eye. Update 5 of 5
Not a lot of progress the last couple of weeks but did get a little time in the layout room yesterday. Basically, I just turned on a train video, the Belen NM railcam, and fired up a train on the layout. Cleaned up a bit of ground cover I was working on and cleaned out one side of the closet to finally get started on the storage shelves in there. That will give me some space to set out things I still have in boxes and places to move things off the workbench while glue or paint is drying on projects. Hopefully life will settle down a little after the holiday's and progress will pick back up. Here's a couple of pics of the not much done.
Well, got the shelves into one side of the closet over the weekend. This will be a huge help for the train room. Now just have to get the other side done. Not as many going on the other side so should go quicker. Do have to cut a few more supports for the other side though. More scenery work as well. Cleaned up around the water tower scene and poured a little cinder dive up to the gate. Even noticed a couple of trees sprouted up. Since I had the cinders out, I decided that would make a good base pad for the recycle drop off site so poured that. After that shifted over and cleaned up from some previous ground cover work near the bridge and then made some more ground cover mess.
Some 30 years ago or so, I put together and painted a Derick/wreck train that I thought was a good representation of the set that lived deep in NS/Southern Railway's DeButts Yard in Chattanooga. As the years past and I could see how rough the paint jobs looked, I became less and less enchanted with the setup. For a while now, I have been looking at the set and trying to decide if I wanted to redo it in Southern or maybe make a ATSF or BNSF Derick/wreck train out of it. Still haven't decided but did at least take the first step of opening my last bottle of Chameleon paint stripper and putting the first two cars of the train in to strip the paint. No turning back now. Behind me is this little section of the layout that I keep staring at hoping for some inspiration. So far, I'm still staring at it.
Had a few minutes free Christmas Eve to test fit a culvert. It and the creek bed need paint + but the fit looks good.
When last we left the recycle drop off, some cinders were being spread to provide a lot for everything. In just under a week, the crew progressed with the project by applying additional ground cover and putting some fence in place. Might actually look half good when done.
A little movement on that area I have been staring at for weeks now. Raising the area up to track level so the loading docks will be lined up with the freight cars much better. Also pouring a base for the cement plant. I know, I know, both look pretty bad right now but just hang in there with me for a bit and let's see what happens.
At the other end of town, I have been toying with how the road will exit and may have a plan.......... We shall see how it goes. And there you have it, you are now up to date on the 2019 progress of the JPT Sub. Be sure and check out the 2020 adventures. No idea how it will go but it should be fun. Happy New year everyone!!!!
Happy 2020 to you all. Here is a rare mid week update on the JPT Sub. The fencing is up and the dumpsters in place now at the recycle drop off. Even have a couple of users already. Still some details and signs to add but it is a simple scene that came together pretty good. Also still toying with how the bridge might work. Looks off but just up the road from here is a new overpass crossing the CSX at Emerson GA that is similar and maybe even steeper.
Cleaned up the excess ground cover and ballast that was being worked on in the last update and looks ready to start another round. And where in the world did those pesky telephone poles come from......
And it looks like there may be some streets expanding into that what to do with part of town. Hard to tell though under all that clutter. Thanks and that's it for today. Until next time.....
Another busy weekend in the train room even though it really didn't show that much. Finished up the last of the work on the shelves in the closet so that is completely off the to-do list now. Yeah!!!!! So picking up from where I left off the other day. Put down some turf around the start of the pole line. and then cleaned up around it after the glue dried. I know that's not much area but I'll take it.
From there moved back across the tracks to work around the ice cream shack. Put down a little grass around the front edge of the parking lot and spilled a little ballast as well. While that was drying, painted some sidewalks and a base for the shack. Then cleaned up the ground cover and ballast and put down the base for the ice cream shack. another view
Since I can't stay focused in one area, I then did a small amount of work on the new bridge. Now that I have an idea how it will look, I spread some ground cove around the approach area. Put together some road and bridge on the workbench Then did a test fit after it dried.
Then switched over to doing some wiring. This is one of those things that was easy but now it's hard type of deals. I was able to tap the bus wire close to the edge of the layout so instead of short runs through the layout to the closest point on the bus wire, I am cutting longer wire leads so it's through the layout and out to the edge. Bus wire on this layout is yellow and green. With those cut, it was time to wire a few lights (and I mean a few because it's still a pain). Two lights done in this shot and then just to the left. I was able to get the Gulf gas station sign light wired. Picture of that came out blurry so we'll pass on posting it. Then, after doing 3 lights, I was done so put down the last section of raised area to finish out the left end of town. So there you have it, another weekend in the books. Feels like I got 2020 off to a decent start.
I gotta say that I love the ice cream stand. I sent your photo to my wife and kid an they both insist that I find a place for one on my Delaware, Susquehanna & Northern when I think about structures.
Thank you Hardcoaler! I think these come in vanilla or chocolate. It was kind of an impulse buy when I got it but it has found a home. Hopefully I can find a table or two and some people to put in front to help the scene.
