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.  

A little change of pace

Had a chance to do some different things for a change on the layout.  I've finally got away from all my locomotive builds here lately and other things that involved not working on the layout.  From my post before the open house, I'm building an OSB plant on the lower level.  Of course, I started that right before the open house.  I made some progress on the loading shed (where the particle wood is loaded).  I started on the rest of the build that would stick out about 1" from the backdrop.  I also put together an old blue box kit of a Winchester and Western grain hopper.  A hard to find hopper that is not made in a newer reincarnation.  I also started on a wooden depot kit that will be in the Parker area, right down from the OSB plant.

A classic kit for a awesome railroad.

Here's one side of the OSB plant.  It will be about 4-5 feet long.

I love to put together wood kits.  I have a whole drawer full of them!

This the depot kit,  MPP was a great company and made lots of good products.  I find them from time to time at shows and on Ebay.  Very easy to build and look great.

First post of 2018

I had hope to get some work on the layout done on my winter break.  That sorta happened.  I replaced the bridge that hides the hole in the wall to the helix/hidden staging with a wider one.  I also want get started with scenery building in Parker but that lead to a newer future project: a large lumber facility.  Trackage could have been laid by now but I had to order a #4 turnout for the tank car spur. 

Let's get some pics going:

Here is the area the bridge will be replaced.  I had a narrow two lane bridge.

My good friend Greg McComas did some sketches for the OSB (oriented strand board) plant or one that makes

particle board.  It will receive woodchips and tanks of resin and ship the lumber.  

This will be the layout of the trackage of the plant.  The sharp curve with the arrows are the mainline.

The bridge was built from sheet styrene and left over Rix bridge pieces.   This was before I painted the underneath gray.  Why mismatching under pieces?  This part won't be visible.  

Footers had to re-dug to fit the next bridge supports.

Other footers done.

Here's the new bridge in all it's glory.  Decided to add stripes with decals.  That still needs to be done.