Weekend Update 9/1/19

[prr7161]

On Labor Day, I labored...



PRR Monongahela Division main line on the upper level, P&LE Youghiogheny Division main line below through BK interlocking.  The Monongahela River is at the left edge of the benchwork and downtown Pittsburgh, PA is behind us.  The foam area is from a headstart I got in my previous apartment; now that I have more space I extended that module to pick up the P&LE and added the next module upriver.  I have another partial module to extend on the near side representing Beck's Run where it hits the Monongahela and then it's on to track.

[johnb]

Now I really need trolley poles...first 6 line poles are up

[BOK]

Mark, is that a replica of Hope, MN.? Nice job on the structures...the brick building appears to be an old creamery.

Barry

[spookshow]

Mark, is that a replica of Hope, MN.? Nice job on the structures...the brick building appears to be an old creamery.

Thanks, Barry. Yes it is a replica of Hope and yes that's an old creamery. That particular building dates back to 1919 and, amazingly enough, they're still cranking out Hope Butter there to this day (one of only two old fashioned creameries still operating in Minny).





-Mark

[Cajonpassfan]

Mark, that is awesome! I love prototype modeling “beyond the rolling stock”....
Nicely done.
Otto K.

[spookshow]

Thanks, Otto. Oddly enough, this whole layout has been about being lazy (despite the fact that I'm already 10 years into the project, lol). I just got tired of all the mental effort that goes into building a layout out of one's imagination, so I decided to instead model a place that I could actually visit (and then replicate down to the last detail). Yes, it winds up being a lot of scratchbuilding, but it's still easier IMO 

-Mark

[narrowminded]

... I just got tired of all the mental effort that goes into building a layout out of one's imagination, so I decided to instead model a place that I could actually visit (and then replicate down to the last detail). Yes, it winds up being a lot of scratchbuilding, but it's still easier IMO 

-Mark

It's funny that you say that as I've gradually come to the same conclusion. 

[BOK]

Mark, Hope is quite a little railroad location with the large unit train elevator just south of town and it's wye to loop track layout. Most towns on the spine line barely rate a spur off the big UP. these days.

This area is a bit of my old hometown area having grown up in Albert Lea back in the 50/60s which was really a railroad center with the Rock Island, M&STL, Milwaukee Road and Illinois Central plus the large Wilson packing plant.

Thanks for sharing your railroad.

Barry

[spookshow]

That new grain facility south of town is quite a wonder. Unfortunately, it came along long after I'd already set my layout in stone, so there was no way for me to retro-add it. Or maybe fortunately - that place is so bleepin' huge, the bins alone would need to be the size of gallon paint cans!

As is, I got more than my fill of that right inside town 





-Mark

[Cajonpassfan]

Thanks, Otto. Oddly enough, this whole layout has been about being lazy (despite the fact that I'm already 10 years into the project, lol). I just got tired of all the mental effort that goes into building a layout out of one's imagination, so I decided to instead model a place that I could actually visit (and then replicate down to the last detail). Yes, it winds up being a lot of scratchbuilding, but it's still easier IMO 

-Mark

Well Mark, I don’t know about “easier”, especially where a lot of structures are involved; that is a LOT of work beyond plopping down some kits. But yea, there is definitely something very satisfying and authentic about recreating actual places at a point in time. I’ve never been to Hope, but it just looks, well, right. A great example of modeling the ordinary and doing it well.
What’s the cloudy background if I may ask?
Otto

[jereising]

I'm with Mark.  I've been using Google Maps and Street View for some time now and have gotten a lot of pleasure from scratchbuilding interesting scenes.  It's a whole different side of the hobby.

[up1950s]

Progress on Global 3 in Rochelle on the UPRR Geneva Sub.

I read that UP 4014 recently went into Rochelle , you gonna buy a Bigboy ?

[peteski]

I read that UP 4014 recently went into Rochelle , you gonna buy a Bigboy ?

Mark buys *EVERY* new N scale loco that comes out (so he can evaluate and review them), but he already reviewed the previous runs of Big-Boy, so who knows . . . 

[johnb]

Mark buys *EVERY* new N scale loco that comes out (so he can evaluate and review them), but he already reviewed the previous runs of Big-Boy, so who knows . . . 

Kato...

[spookshow]

What’s the cloudy background if I may ask?

"Just Corn III" from trainjunkies.com - https://www.trainjunkies.com/trainjunkies-modelrailroad-backdrops-just-corn-3.html

-Mark