June Update

Staging Yard

The staging yard has now been completed, It has four stub end tracks and then a 5th that also serves as a reversing loop.  We have installed ground throws for the staging lead turnouts, the cost of tortoises didn't seem worth it for the staging area, especially since all turnouts are very accessible.  We used a Digitrax AR1 on the reversing loop to control the power of the isolated track.

 

River Crossing & Sedalia Quarry

When the trains enter the layout from the east staging, they enter here on the lower track of the river area representing the track between St. Louis and Jefferson City running along the river and through some rock outcroppings.  Once the train has passed through Jefferson City it begins its climb up to these bridges that cross a river here on the way to Sedalia, where we have decided to make home to a Quarry.  The Quarry will have a siding off of the mainline here before the mainline crosses over the staging to where the helix will be (above St Louis Staging).

These are the two areas that have been much transformed in the past few days.  For the basic landforms we have used a few different methods.  Most of the river area is cut from 2" thick foam board, the rock cliff between the river and lower tracks is made of layered ceiling tiles, and the Sedalia are is masking tape on cardboard strips.  All area have now been covered in plaster and soon will be on to paint.

Milling Facility

While the layout continues to change, the milling facility has been through many different configurations.  This is the latest and hopefully final configuration of the buildings to best fit the space, now I just need to finish the buildings, foundations, loading dock, windows, doors, details.  The roadbed has finally gone down into the facility, a pull through track just behind the elevator, holding track next to it, and then the short track in front of the elevator will the the locomotive holding track for the town that the Milling and Fuel facilities reside in.