It’s been awhile since I posted an update but now getting near “pulling the switch” for the first time.  Joints of my track have been soldered and I have almost completed placing the 18 gauge feeder wires.  Probably a little overkill towards flawless running but have feeders to each separate track section and my locomotives will have current keepers installed. 

Hopefully I will have enough time this Christmas break to run the bus lines, connect the wiring, and performing a test run.  
 

Joe

Over a year since the layout was torn down when the house went on the market.  This weekend I will start building the benchwork in the new train room!  Last weekend I hung signs and railroad memorabilia which cleared working space but also started making the space feel like a real train room!  

Will be moving in to the new house March 21st so thought this would be a good point to start blogging about building of the new HO layout.   

This will be my 5th layout and the first "prototypical" switching layout based on Missouri Pacific railroad operations in Fort Smith, Arkansas 1970-1980.  Because of space limitations, the track layout and industry locations are not exact in some locations but all industries on the layout represent actual industries severed by the Missouri Pacific. Historic buildings and sites are also represented.

Well, may have found that "perfect house" which combines the features of a nice vacation home including river view with practical needs such as being close to work.   Several things still have to fall in place before it's definite.

The last 3-4 weeks have been busy with little time for Model Railroading. My Wife and Me have had to contend with Mom's situation after she "took a tumble" and the maze of selecting and getting her into assisted living.

Things are settling down and last night I actually found time to continue work on my Frozen Foods plant.

The next step in my process was prepping the structure and starting the painting process.  Prepping included sanding down areas where I had to correct imperfections and repairs, (see previous blogs), with spackle or plaster.

Last blog entry I was dealing with a major setback.  The Hydrocal plaster building I was working on broke apart at the glue points with one end piece flopping over and breaking into three pieces. 

The cause, given the 12x24 inch footprint, was not having a stable base which would have prevented shearing when the building was handled. 

This week I got everything back together and added a 1/4 inch thick wood base.  I thought about going with a thinner piece of wood but anything under 1/4 inch had some give which risked another disaster.  

Like many things in life, Model Railroading is based on learning and experience.  As we take this journey sometimes learning and experience does not come easy.  So, when writing my blog, I decided to include "warts and all" that may prove to help model railroaders avoid similar situations.

​"The following photo may not be suitable for the faint of heart"  "Viewer discretion advised!"  

Took a break from modeling today to attend the "Arkansas Railroad Museum's" annual train show and meet.  The museum is located in the former Pine Bluff, Arkansas "Cotton Belt" railroad locomotive shop that built and serviced steam locomotives for the Cotton Belt including one currently on display. 

​Last entry I had put together the building's wall segments.  This week I went back and reinforced the areas where the segments were joined together.

Started work on what will be the largest structure on my layout.  This will be kit bashed with a modern warehouse that has seen expansion over the decades.