Rainbows in the Lehigh Valley Gorge

[TMo]

Back from the Lone Star State.  As far as we could tell, the granddaughter was happy to see us (she's only 3 months old, so we're making some assumptions here).

I've had a little time to work some issues on the coal breaker and play around with some ideas for the first floor.  The first goal there is to disguise that great big hole in the curved backdrop that descends to my storage level.  I painted a dull dark gray on the segment of the backdrop for the first floor - a big improvement over the light blue where that hole was in stark contrast.  In a little while I'll be mounting printed breaker "internals", pictures I've pulled off the internet inside breakers as well as sections of sheet metal walls that'll project from the ground to the ceiling.

I also decided that I'd permanently place some coal hoppers under the breaker, but I didn't have a stub track off my mainline for that.  I just decided to slap down a section of track that wouldn't tie into any portion of the main.  I had a short section of track, but no more cork roadbed.  Cut out at strip of foam board and painted it gray - same elevation as the roadbed, and it'll all be disguised by ballast soon.  The space between tracks was a perfect location for Plant #2, which also breaks up the sight line between the edge of the layout and the hole in the backdrop.

The two layers of double-sided tape wasn't working too well to hold up the first floor.  Replaced those with a single strip of PVC molding held on with a piece of double-sided tape.  Also painted that gray.

I also began getting the right shims under each of the piers that'll support the girders under the floor.  Once I get all of the shims permanently in place, it'll be time to lay the plaster cloth on this "ground" floor.  This is one case when I'll be building the rest of the building over a finished basement.