Hi. It's been sometime since I last posted on Big Blue. After building 2 small layouts based in Florida, it was time to look for something different.

Other than Florida, the only other US states I have been fortunate to visit are the New England states and New York state. I had always wanted to build a layout featuring some

'fall foliage'. As I don't have any power suitable for a New England layout , I decided to locate the layout in upstate New York where both CSX power and fall foliage can be seen.

The layout represents a small 'Transflo' transloading terminal with very basic facilities, a warehouse spur and a couple of team tracks all in a space of 5ft 3ins x 18ins plus hidden staging

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I'll post more info later

Mal

As usual; very nice work Mal! Interesting theme and locale too! Wondered where you disappeared to lately. Don't think I ever saw your completed last switching layout. Any place were I can see photos of that one?

FCIN Wrote:As usual; very nice work Mal! Interesting theme and locale too! Wondered where you disappeared to lately. Don't think I ever saw your completed last switching layout. Any place were I can see photos of that one?

Thanks Ed. Here is the link to my last switching layout 'Deerfield Beach, FL' (with plenty of pics). You may recall that you assisted me with researching the industries in the South Florida area.

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regards, Mal

You are a master of background imagination

ps. are those the indian summer trees of North Cumberland after we learned about the florida beaches of North Cumberland lately

Thanks Reinhard.

The layout started out with a UK theme and has been transformed from Glasgow, Scotland to upstate New York. Maybe I'm the master of disguise.

I've also been looking at the brilliant way you change your layout to a different location

I'm busy adding 'fall foliage' to the layout starting with the road overbridge which hides the entrance to the staging tracks.

Here are a couple of 'real' pics of the layout

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Mal

Excellent transformation Mal

Cheers,

Kev

Wonderfully done. Fall is a beautiful time to model and you have captured the feeling very well.
Charlie

Gorgeous pics!

Thanks guys,your comments are much appreciated.

Here is the trackplan. It's a typical UK exhibition plan with 3 hidden staging tracks, enabling trains to be easily shuffled on and off the layout.

The problem with this arrangement is that only 5ft 3ins is fully scenicked with 3ft 9ins used for the hidden staging. My plan is to scenic the full
9ft and change the front staging track into a industry spur.

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Here are a couple of more pics of the area around the road bridge.

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Mal

I think your plan to scenic the front staging track is a good one, and will add a lot to the layout. Do you have a particular industry in mind?

Cheers,

Kev

Yes Kev, the new industry spur will be a warehouse with a covered unloading area for grain (feed) for transloading to trucks.

Here is the new plan .

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Last night I tried an operating session with one loco staged on the rear staging track shoving a couple of boxcars into the yard sorting track. Loco uncouples and returns to collect 2 grain cars on the front staging track. Loco then pulls the grain cars into the front yard track ,reverses, shoving the 2 loaded grain cars into the feed warehouse. Loco uncouples and returns to the yard to spot the 2 loaded boxcars and pull 3 empties back into staging.

I've imagined that the staging tracks are simply one end of a run around, which is off-stage. Thia arrangement provides a means of switching facing and trailing spurs without the need to model a full
run around siding.

Sounds complicated but it's really very simple and fun to operate.

Mal

I've continued to add fall foliage to the layout using mainly WS fine leaf foliage - fall mix. However, I find that the colors can sometimes be a little too bright.

So I thought I'd try a 'sea moss' tree with green foliage and I'm quite pleased with the results.


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and a couple of more pics at the warehouse

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Mal

Mal,
As usual, awesome modeling!

Mark

Thanks Mark.

I've now begun working on the right hand end of the layout, the former hidden staging area.

In addition to WS fine leaf foliage 'fall mix', I've made some sea moss 'Super Trees' using autumnal greens rather than bright shades to balance the colors.


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I've also discarded the security fencing around the disused gray warehouse, to provide more space for a few trees.

Mal


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