Ann Arbor RR Mt. Pleasant Branch

[dgaken]

Dan,

Great work so far! I know next to nothing about the AA, so even though your branch is fictional it'll still be nice to see that bright orangey-red paint scheme on a layout and maybe learn a little more about Michigan railroading.

Did you build the structures before the benchwork was up or after? The test-fitting looks great.

Oh, and to The Gauge. Glad to see another shelf layout in a spare room.

Galen

Hi Galen! Thank you for the greeting and feedback. The AA color livery, along with the historical connection to the region, was a primary reason in the selection of the road name.

I wish I could say that I purchased the structures after the construction of the benchwork, or even the design was conceptualized. However, for the past two to three years I've been collecting kits that I've found to be of interest. As it turns out, this was not the most efficient means to scenic my layout!

I knew that any railroad from this region should include the grain elevator, so that was a quick purchase. I have created a lumber yard (centered largely on the Walther's Walton & Sons Cornerstone Kit), but I was unable to work that into the layout as it has a surprisingly large footprint. I also spent a considerable amount of time (as well as $) collecting and constructing structures for a downtown area. Initially, I tried to work this scene into a track plan, before realizing that the amount of space it would require would severely restrict the operational potential of the layout. So, when I do finally have the space and resources for a larger layout, I have a good start on the structures!