UP SD40-2's NEW Layout

[UP SD40-2]

Thanks so much for the very kind words Wayne, Mike and Don, really means a lot coming from you guys

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LAYOUT AREA SPOTLIGHT= Rock Valley RR Museum 

I have been considering doing a layout area spotlight series, and I decided to start it out with my RR Museum. No, that area isnt even close to finished, nor is it the best modeling I have done in that area, nope, I am starting here to let you folks know how this area gives me piece of mind   .

Like many modelers i made the mistake of buying all the things I really liked instead of staying focused on a time and place, well, that and the fact I bought a bunch of stuff for some of my Dads many layouts, that didnt help either. Now I have amassed a ton of stuff that doesnt go together, nor does it fit my layouts time frame, UP's merger era 1982-96...and kinda spills into today   . So what do I do with all this stuff? Sure, its my RR and I can do what I want, but that kinda bugs me, its just I guess I'm a little weird about it, it just has to make sense in my mind, ya know. 

One of my favorite places, bar none, is the Illinois RR Museum, man I love that place(sadly I have only been there once since my Dad passed away). A RR Museum.... BINGO!! This solves everything!    Now it doesnt matter what I run, it all makes sense in my mind, PROBLEM SOLVED! But, but Deano, there are no Veranda turbines around, or running cab forwards, or...insert a list 78 pages long....OH? REALLY? well let me be the first to tell you sir, the Rock Valley RR Museum has restored those fine items of years gone by and they DO run today.


A couple other great things about having the RR Museum, you only need a small footprint of it to insinuate its there, and is huge...





Another great thing about the RR Museum is you can do "operations" with it. The track that runs alongside the Museum is dedicated to it and is 13' long, so I can string up anything I want on it and when I'm done running what ever it is i have on that track I can just leave it and it doesnt bother the other two main lines if I decide to run them. Its kinda like an Industry, only the load returns back to its self. UP gives the Museum trackage rights so the people run through three towns before coming back to the Museum, nice.


Located in the town of Chester WI (fictional, with prototypical aspirations, like everything on my layout )


The Museum was real fun to do too, I have a bunch of people taking pictures, walking around, and looking at stuff. it enabled me to put old RR vehicles there, and I'll put other things in it when I go back to working on that area. 

Anyways, It really worked out great for me in many ways. I hope you all enjoyed this, please let me know if the "Area spotlight" idea is worth doing. Till next time....
-Deano