The last of my non-relevant rolling stock has left the building, and this is my entire roster as of today:  One locomotive and four freight cars.  I've ordered more cars which suit my planned layout, but as of this moment I've never had so little equipment since I first started dabbling in this hobby in 1997.

If there is a "signature car" on the BCRY, it would be the grey DM&E ribside covered hoppers which Tag receives. First, let me give you a quick primer on what Tag does:  They are a manufacturer of geosynthetic clay liners, for use as waterproof barriers in landfills, ponds, canals etc.  The main ingredient is Bentonite clay, of which they receive about 100 hoppers annually from two mines in Wyoming.  One mine is served by BNSF, the other by DM&E.

This update will be for the structures that I am building/and have built for the relocated CNW Engine Terminal. The first one is a kit bash (sorta). I got this building as part of a collection I bought a few years back to resell. I wanted something a little different then what the original kit provided. After some research I think that it was from the Pikestuff series, and was the Pre Fab Warehouse. Well anyway what I did was repainted and weathered it. I then built the raised foundation and dock as shown in the first two photos.

Although rotary car dumpers seems like a fairly modern invention, the idea of turning a hopper or gon over to dump the goodies out is really pretty old.  

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I tried to make some sense of the JMRI Operations options but I found that it was way too complex for my simple railroad. As a long time programmer, I decided to write my own operations software.

Well, technically It's CCGX #1001, the reporting marks of her owner and operator, Cando Contracting. She's 61 this year and looks great! This is a rare phase III GP9 previously owned by the B&O followed by the Ohio Central.  The primary distinguishing feature between a phase II and III is that the latter has two 48" fans instead of the usual four 36". It's kinda like a cross between a GP9 and a GP18.  

After trying to find good dimensions of the Marion 4160, I decided that if I was going to 3D print parts I needed a working model to help get a handle on how it all goes together. Given the change in exchange rate and costs of 3D printing, I figure it is to my advantage to scratch build the Marion 4160 first. Then if/when I get it into 3D drawings and print the parts, I can have a couple of them.

Model South Louisiana and you almost have to have a creosote pile bridge somewhere.  I decided to put on in between the Baton Rouge KCS Yard and the Exxon North Baton Rouge Refinery.  There are a couple of smaller pile bridges along that route in real life, but this will eventually be a full blown bayou, complete with cypress trees and Spanish moss.  And, cause I'm just that guy, it's named for my good friend Robert Bufkin (and old Navy man) who insisted in rather salty language that I needed a D__n Bayou on my layout somewhere.

A quick update on the Fleur Yard expansion to my IAIS Grimes Line layout…