The weekend was spent building a concrete block wall along the front of the house to backfill with drain rock and divert some of the overwhelming amount of rain we had that turned everything into mud around here. Since the concrete takes a week to cure before I bust out the shovel and wheel barrow it seemed like an opportunity to get the layout room some benchwork. 

Conversations with my buddys' Boone and Pedro, it seems that my concept of the layout as a one-man show may change. "If you build it, ..." One interesting thought came up regarding a lighting valance. I had just planned on a backdrop up a ways and into the wild blue (so to speak) but was looking for better ways to light the layout and realize that some form of fluorescent lights with spots would be nice right over the track. Boone said that he has created a museum effect with the valance about six feet above the floor or only 12"-18" above the railroad. Too low for me. I'll set up the penensula wall and play with it and take some pics. Maybe someone here will have some better ideas.

In the meanwhile, back on the kitchen table, I've continued laying ties for the three track hidden staging yard. It's been a while since I've done this so look forward to trying out some new tricks. You may notice in the photo that I am not adverse to using my old HO flex track back here but am not quite sure how to make up the height diference of the ties. Perhaps a layer of door skin might work. More on that later. Now I have to wait for my FastTracks order of PC ties.

BTW. Been thinking that the Umauma Railway should have a way to load ships ... hmm. Umauama Railway & Navigation? URN (sounds doomed from the start :- )

Neil