Wiring Expertise

Sometimes you wonder. . . .  I told "The Wife" that I was using black and red wires for the buss and white and red wires for the drops while wiring the new section.  Would have preferred black and red for both, but all I have to do is connect red to red.  So, what did I do:

NOT Red to Black!!

Better:

So far, so good. . . .

More (Slow) Paper Mill Progress

 Making progress on Panama City, FL, paper mill in relatively small steps, it seems.

Roadbed

Track

Small Connector -- upper right

Started a little wiring of buss plus reversing wye electronics.  I hope "green means go".

Red and Black with Suitcase Connectors

The Paper Mill Layout Takes (Some) Shape

Tried a "new" method of planning and laying out track.  Used the free Any Rails application to work out something that might be a compressed Panama City, FL, International Paper Company mill in about 1956.  Since the mill is on a sort of a peninsula, it lent itself to a bit of a "switching" setup.  Maybe something like this:

The addition will connect to the existing double oval.

Since it was printable in 1:1 ratio, I did that and placed 27 sheets of paper on the pink foam:

Used something like a sewing pattern transfer wheel to run down the center of the tracks and mark the path through the paper.

If you look hard enough, you can see the tracks of holes!

Started laying roadbed halves using wood glue and rail nails (temporary):

Looks like it might work out OK.  This part of layout may not be quite so well scenicked -- maybe enough to get the point across.  We'll see. . . 

Switches are not permanently attached since rail nails are sticking up.  Nails will be removed!! 

A Reversing Wye?!

 Now planning a 2' X 8' addition that will focus on a compressed pulp and paper mill site.  Track design is not fixed for the moment, but it looks like there may be an option for a reversing wye, of sorts.  Still working on it. . . . 

A Year Later. . .

Wow, has it really been almost a year since the last post?  Oh, well, a little activity today to place a load of pulpwood on a pulpwood rack.

A buddy in the hobby found a pulpwood load at a local swap meet and picked it up for me.  He said I could have it for an arm and a leg, so I jumped right on it. . . .

One problem was that it was too long for the pulpwood rack I wanted to use.

A little time on the bench sander and we got a fit.

The ends of the pulpwood bolts seemed a bit yellow compared to other sticks of pulpwood I had around so I tried mixing fawn, licorice, and sunny yellow acrylic paint with a little bit of water to get a wash.  

Since each brushful required a little more mixing, the color is not uniform on the pulpwood -- probably a good thing!

For the moment, I'm very satisfied.  Looks good on the layout but now I think all of the pulpwood ends could be lightened up a little.

Cola Train Show

Took a couple of buddies with me to the Train Show in Columbia, SC -- nothing big or fancy although we were all surprised at the amount of Lionel equipment there.

My goal was to look for pulpwood racks.  After a couple of hours, nothing had shown up, but I did purchase a couple of pre-1956 cars -- Rocket Oldsmobile and "flamed" 49 Merc.  Figured the cotton broker might have an Olds but the greaser would probably be more likely to have the Mercury, unless maybe it's just somebody visiting.

 

Took a couple of packages to the car from one of the guys and upon reentering, found an L&N rack at the table just inside the door and a partly constructed Southern rack kit a couple of tables down!

Already had one L&N so will have to do some renumbering when time allows.

Cotton Broker's Office Change of Face

On February 25, 2016, a posting suggested replicating a Cotton Broker's office on the Black Top Crossing layout. . . which was done.  At the time, the future of the actual building in downtown Rock Hill was unknown; might even be torn down.  Well, no such thing:

Exterior hasn't changed much.

Opening January 28, 2022, the Cotton Broker's office will be selling Rum distilled onsite!!