HOW LONG!!!!!

I often check my own blog for what reason I don't know. Everytime I look at the blog it's a painful reminder of me not doing anything. I can make excuses and use work as a reason but the truth is I don't make the time to post anything. I will make a better effort to keep this thing more updated.

Small Layouts

I was looking at Google Earth and came across a spur with about 12 tank cars parked on two tracks. Since the Eastern Division is going to have a lot of tank cars on it I had to find out what this industry was. It turned out the be a Catania-Spagna plant that produces different oils for food. I was excited to learn more about this plant and then I saw another track that curved around the plant so I zoomed out. That track led to Horizon Milling which is next door to Catania-Spagna in Massachussets. I continued to zoom out and saw that the track was really a big loop with what looked like a small yard on the bottom edge of it. I thought to myself what a neat little operation for a small layout with two industries. Here's a pic for all to discuss.

Flip- Flopper!!!!!

Okay I went back to the milk crates but with good reason! I got an opportunity to grab two tables that were 2x5 each plus a 30x80 hollow door. I couldn't pass on the opportunity to get benchwork done a lot faster (and cheaper) so I can get back to laying track. The down side to these aquisitions is I had to lower the layout down to 34 inches. So the tables and the two dorrs are in place and so far I'm happy with it but I still have some work to do for Bear Creek Industrial Park. Unless I can get another 2x5 table I'll actually build the benchwork for this section which will only be two feet by four feet. Here are some pics of my progress and yes I know my foam insulation looks like a giant puzzle.

Progress Update

All the milk crates have been taken down so I can start mounting the shelf brackets to the wall. I need at least three more 10x12 brackets for the long section along the wall and 4 16x20 brackets for the short section going towards the garage door. I will need to add table legs for the end section as well as Bear Creek Indutrial park and for staging. With my hectic work schedule and limited funds I wanted to have the benchwork completed by March 27th but I think that will be pushed back to the middle of April.

PICS

Here are the latest pics for the layout. The tracks in the first pic on the far right are for the HFCS terminal that will be at Fort James. The other three tracks represent a small yard.

Progress Update

I took down the hollow door that was going to be Fort James and replaced it with 1X12X6 foot plywood board. I did this so I can simplify operations and not worry so much about how I'm going to fill in the extra space. Looking back at the door I now know that the one I chose isn't wide enough to get any type of layout going so it will be used either for a staging yard or a work bench.
After taking a look at Lance Mindheim's website ( ) I'm starting to think that 12 inches isn't wide enough even for N scale. Lance says he uses plain closet doors and the next chance I get I'll see how much they cost at Home Depot.
On a final note I will be taking some pics of what I have so far and adding them to the blog. Any crtiques are greatly appreciated.

Benchwork Thoughts

Right now my hollow core door is sitting on milk crates about 44 inches off the ground. I'm thinking about switching to a 2x4 3/4 inch plywood top and making a frame to go underneath it so the layout can be moved if need be. I keep going back and forth on this because I really like using the doors but I'm not sure which way would be cheapest in the long run.