Wisconsin in N

[Kev1340]

Hi, I've been admiring the great modelling throughout this forum for a while, so as my first post I thought I'd introduce myself and show what I'm up to!

I've been modelling various scales for about 35 years, the last 10 I returned to N scale but now American prototype. My main interest is operations, so that is the focus of my layout, admittedly at the cost of creating a rats nest! But hey, it works for me. I've taken the bulk of my 'inspiration' for this layout from Wisconsin, based at the end of the Wisconsin Central period. The WC2scale yahoo group have been a great help in providing me with information and photos of areas I can't access as I live in the UK.

Basically this is a around the room 'nolix' design with three levels, staging at each end of the main, a depot and yard with adjacent industrial park (that was once a separate switching layout) in the centre and a branch to a paper mill.

So ..... here's a few photos, though no where near the level of modelling I see through this forum, but you all inspire me to do better!

First the depot and main yard - still a fair bit of work to do here, utility poles need painting and 'planting' once the moulded bases are removed, building at the back need finalizing:







Next the industrial park on the edge of town, lots of details and finishing to be done here (especially those utility poles! I must make that a priority :






Towards the other end of the layout are a couple of industries including a mill complex, this awaits weathering and detailing:


And a large lumber mill (which supplies pulp wood and wood chips to the paper mill) loads of work here still to do! More pesky utility poles to plant, trees to plant (loads more needed) pipes to the wood chip loader, and all buildings to be weathered:






And finally we have the paper mill itself, again far from finished!






Being a glutton for punishment I also have an HO scale shelf layout in progress based on the Wisconsin Central's Banta Sub, just bare boards, track and some building mock-ups done on this so far.

I'm also wanting to plan an N scale shelf layout to use the collection of Norfolk and Western diesels and rolling stock I've somehow accumulated! This would be based around 1968 to 1974, but that's as far as I've though so far!

Cheers,

Kev