Finally, some much needed layout work

Finally got to a good stopping point on work bench projects and turned my focus to the layout.  I'm working mainly on the structures on the Parker area and have turn my attention to the St. Just area just across the aisle also.  Parker is a on the lower level where the passing siding ends/begins.  It's a very rural area and I wanted to keep it that way.  Somehow a huge industry, the OSB plant worked it way in the area.  But it's a perfect industry for this rural area.  I finally painted the main plant building but still have a long way to go with the plant.  The highlight of the Parker area will be the small depot there.  It's 98% done and looks perfect for the area.  I also started to cut foam for the land forms for the area.  These will mainly support trees that will help hide the hole in the wall that leads to the helix/staging.

Foam in place to hold trees that will block the hole in the wall and hide the continuous run track.

St. Just on the the other side of the isle will have it's industry on this bluff.  I will add a retaining wall and an elevator to haul up fertilizer from the tracks.

The OSB plant an it's new paint.  It will be a huge plant when complete.  

The Parker depot looks right at home.  Once the foam has trees, it will be hard to see the hole in the corner.  This will be a very photogenic area.  

Operation series video

Did a little different video this weekend.  Instead of the typical update video, I did an operations video.  The video is several different videos combined into one big video.  It will follow the Orange turn train.  This trains will run from Battlefield Yard onto the helix west to the town of Orange, switching a few industries and meeting a couple of trains on the way.  Sit back and enjoy it and tell me what you think!

Op. Session yesterday

Had a friend email me back in June and wanted me to see if I could do an op. (operational) session on my layout in mid-July.  Now, it has been a long while since I did a op. session here on my layout.  Heck, I had not even ran trains on the layout pretty much the entire year.  So, to get my juices flowing, I decided lets do it.  I did a little track cleaning, even on the helix out in the garage.  I tested out some trains on the helix yesterday morning and they ran great.  I used Tsunami 2 locomotives exclusively and they did not disappoint at all.  Overall, the layout ran wonderfully and I could not be happier.  Wayland brought his son Dan (a CSX engineer) and both ran the entire session.  Dan ran the Virginia Central side and Wayland ran the Virginia Midland in the Fredericksburg Flats area.  Both really enjoyed the layout and in a way, it got Wayland's juices flowing on his layout.  Both were really thrilled of how much action can be put into a small railroad.

Dan (blue shirt) and Wayland figure out their next move.

Still working on their switching moves.  

Battlefield Yard is EMPTY!

A look at the lower level at Parker.  The new OSB plant is to the right and the passing siding is to the upper left.

I really like the lower level lighting when the upper level lights are off.  It highlights the lower level.  Gotta get some scenery going on here!

Latest video is out!: July 2018 update

Weathered Cars for a client

Completed some cars for a client this week and here are the results:

Awesome load in this BN gon.

Ex-SRN now COER 5293

NOKL 816388 

CSIX 210001

NECR 4154

Gotta love for the 2 bay hoppers

My favorite car of the bunch.

BNSF 401711

FXE 873898