Announcement

**Allen** · 05-07-2021, 08:51 PM

Looking forward to seeing more of the new layout Michael. Seeing you previous N scale layout, this one should as nice if not nicer.
It's also interesting how you made the layout fit your bunk bed, seems like a clever use of space to me.

**Michael Whiteman** · 05-07-2021, 09:26 PM

This is the track plan I decided on. It is the top level on a bunk bed at 53 inches. The curved area in the upper left is for access to the sliding closet door directly against this end of the layout. The secondary branch line runs along the 72" lower edge and track on the upper edge belongs to an old traction line that went out of business a year ago. This last year a connecting track has been laid through farmer Brown's field so that cars can be spotted on the back side of the future plant, represented by the area in white. There is a spur curving off the branch line that continues around to the shelf where Plant 2 is located. This one and only industry is a facility that takes raw fertilizer products and proportionally mixes them into bags for distribution through the big box stores and nurseries. Plant 2 deals with chemical fertilizers in the same manor. I chose this industry because I had a couple of the structures left form my last layout and it gives me an opportunity to utilize many different rail cars. The time period is just before the BN merger in 1970 when I briefly worked as a switchman for the Northern Pacific. I like the railcars form this period and there are a lot of different automobiles available also.

I spent way to much time doodling track plans for this. Everyone criticized me for not having a run around somewhere. I chose to make the trackwork as simple as possible, mainly for looks. Besides, there is a run around located a couple miles off the right edge of the layout past the imaginary crossing. More on this later...........

Even though this is far form finished I've been switching cars and have found I can spend 30 to 40 minutes without realizing it. This is plenty enough fun time for me. I do miss all my fellow modelers I ran with before moving to southern Oregon.

**Allen** · 05-07-2021, 09:53 PM

I like it Michael.
Small and simple and I can believe you when you say it takes up 30 minutes are better.
That's just enough time to have fun and scratch the itch.

**Michael Whiteman** · 05-07-2021, 09:57 PM

This is the main area of my layout. It is a single piece of 1/2 inch Homasote with nothing under it except 3/4 x 1 1/2 inch stringers on 18 inch centers. This is plenty strong enough to support the weight of anything I will be putting on it. I am a firm believer that most all layouts are strong enough to support an engine block in your garage and definitely overbuilt. I understand that considerations need to be made regarding temperature and humidity changes, but that's not the case in my climate controlled room. Just my personal opinion and not meant to create an argument.

**Paul S.** · 05-12-2021, 04:51 AM

Michael, this is a great example of a creative solution to the "no space for a layout" issue.

**TimMoran** · 05-12-2021, 05:03 AM

Michael,

Thank you for the additional pictures and comments! Now that I see the bunkbed portion of the layout is connected to the finished (?) portion on the other side of the room, the entire concept makes much more sense to me. Thank you for sharing your work!

Tim Moran

**Michael Whiteman** · 05-17-2021, 09:20 PM

Plant 2 is located at the end of a spur running outside of town. For whatever reason the local ordeces will not allow certain chemicals within the city limits. ( read more in post #3) Tankers and boxcars are delivered here bi-weekly. Once again a sincere "thank you" to MikeD for giving me these beautiful trees from his former layout the Colorado Front Range.

**Michael Whiteman** · 05-20-2021, 08:58 PM

My Wig-Wag crossing signal from Showcase Miniatures hasn't worked since I put it together. Maybe my signal maintainer, I think his name is Paul, can get her working. He's pretty good I hear.

I used a very small MV lens for the light in the target.
Any truck can be made into a Hi-Railer by adding kit #918 from Detail Associates

**Greg** · 05-22-2021, 05:36 AM

Michael,
Great use of space! It looks like your maintainer is just standing there. Maybe too many doughnuts for breakfast.

Greg

**Michael Whiteman** · 05-23-2021, 02:53 PM

If your industry only needs one fork lift let me recommend this highly detailed white metal kit by GHQ.

**Michael Whiteman** · 05-23-2021, 09:27 PM

This is the last feature on the shelf. Plant 2 is the liquid chemical division of my only industry. It's the Union Crane and Shovel kit in the Cornerstone series. All of these buildings are designed to be used on a 4x8 layout and look really wrong when one 50ft boxcar is as long as their side. Instead of buying a second kit to make it longer I chose to bring the back side around and add it to the front. It's now 18 3/4 in. long. Not being able to see the rear, I used a piece of .060 PVC sheet to fill in that area.