Saturday I spent at the train show--spent around $200 on a hatful of stuff (had to make three trips back out to the car to unload!) including a Walthers SW-1 (runs REALLY well, although it wobbles at low speeds--I think due to the plastic tube it has for a universal gear--but the flywheel and motor are amazing), another Bachmann GE 44-tonner (can't get enough of those!), a Roundhouse boxcab diesel kit (soon to be a boxcab electric), an armload of rolling stock (I needed some tank cars, hoppers and gondolas--too many boxcars in my current mix!), assorted structures, and a couple of dozen pieces of inexpensive detail bric-a-brac.
Saturday night I had a live show with my band so I didn't have a chance to play with my goodies until Sunday.
Sunday I cleaned up my purchases and tested out all the rolling stock that wasn't still in kit form (The way to go "RTR" without breaking the bank is buying up a bunch of used rolling stock for $2-4 each, adding metal wheelsets and Kadees where necessary) and sorting the parts into my various parts bins.
Then I was faced with my big slab of benchwork I set up last weekend. I had finally mapped out a track plan I can live with, and here are some photos:
This is the overall view: total measurement is 3'x6', consisting of one 1'x6' board and one 2'x2' board.
The spur to the left will serve a fruit-packing plant (California Packing Corporation, later Del Monte), to the right of that is the California Almond Growers Association (aka Blue Diamond Almonds), next is the main line (which leads to the yard module, under the Southern Pacific berm.) To the right of that is a dairy and a small runaround to facilitate switching. In the foreground is a small yard used for locomotive storage and light maintenance (I still need to cut a hole for the pit and lay flextrack there--right now it's sectional track for testing/clearance purposes) and a small freight house/team track.
A close-up of the Del Monte spur. Radius is 12", with an outside guardrail (mostly for looks, but it helps keep trucks on the track.) It managed a string of 50' boxcars, my largest rolling stock, with no problem, and the prototype was almost as sharp (originally intended for interurban freight cars that could handle such curves.)
Overhead view from the SP berm. I considered including an interchange track (the prototype had one) between the berm and the mainline but just don't have room--as it is it functions as a good separator of the two scenes--small layouts benfit from dividers to create a greater illusion of space. There was an article in Model Railroader about a year ago about building an underpass that is about a city block from this spot.
Close-up of the industrial trackage. It looks a bit cluttered but the prototype was equally busy and complex in appearance. Here's a shot of the prototype from the same location:
I would have liked to model the double slip switch in the foreground but couldn't find a suitable one. I have to do some under-table work for the wiring and then it's time for scenery...