Panama City. . . FLA

The Knowledge Park project is waiting for the display case construction, so thoughts have returned to the Blacktop Crossing.  How 'bout a 2'X8' addition at the Passenger Station corner?

During the late 1950's my family lived in Panama City, FL, area and Dad worked at International Paper Company.  The mill was constructed in the early 1930's and was a boon to local employment and economy.  The mill was served by The Bay Line (Atlanta and Saint Andrews Bay Railroad) which connected with the Southern Railway and maybe others.  The Bay Line and Southern were important in supplying pulpwood for the mill.

A couple of post cards and an aerial view:

Since the mill is on somewhat of a peninsula, a long narrow layout works OK.  Maybe something like this:

Some Clever Bros "kits" might help.  These are sort of add-on, kitbashing possibilities

Still planning but track and roadbed on order ;)   

 

KP Premiere

KP, as Knowledge Park in Rock Hill is known, should have a display case for the first two phases of the N scale train layout by mid-January, 2021.  Phase III is currently under construction, so some sort of signage is needed to communicate the status.  How's this?!

Let's Join Knowledge Park

 Seems this blog has been hijacked by the Knowledge Park project!  Oh well, railroads is railroads.

With the desire from the "owner" to combine the original 1953 era downtown Rock Hill (Phase I) with the extension down White Street (Phase II), a little adjustments needed to be made.  First, I and II were bolted together with the two tracks along what is now Village Way lined up pretty closely:

White Street (not shown) will need to be adjusted about 1/4 inch or so.

The trestle at the joint needs to be covered/converted to an extension of the bank for the higher track and the two Chatham Avenues need to be somehow combined:

Maybe a little more work needs to done with, say, sidewalk and grass/weeds.

A display case will surround the layout so the wiring for Phase II and III needs to go BEHIND the control box, like this:

And the light switches need to be placed under the layout:

Oops, photo of completed relocation is missing!

Need to get moving since Phase III is making progress:

Knowledge Park Phase II Gets Legs

 Here is Phase II on legs.  Used roughly the same approach as for the downtown area -- this time 1X4's instead of 2X4's for legs plus lauan gussets and 1X2" angle "stretchers".

"Helper" under the layout wants to join these two parts although that would mean some cosmetic work since part of the Cotton Factory is duplicated.  May not be too tough to do, and it would make the protective "case" for display a bit cheaper.  Besides, the layout belongs to HIM!

Full Cotton Factory on Phase II.

Knowledge Park and Rock Hill Phase II

 Jim continues to work on one of two additions to the 1953 model of Rock Hill, SC.  The focus is the "textile corridor" near downtown Rock Hill now being developed as "Knowledge Park".

The original section is downtown just up to what is now Dave Lyle, or just a bit to the northwest, thereof.  The second section will extend from current Dave Lyle to about halfway to Stewart Ave, and bounded by White Street on the southwest and the railroad tracks on the northeast.

Views from northwest, looking southeast with and without lights

The Cotton Factory with warehouses behind, looking from White Street on the southwest.

Cotton Factory owner's house (will need to confirm) on northeast corner of section.

A VERY neat boneyard!!  Must have taken a few watches to collect all those gears for N scale. . . .

Main parking lot.  Still probably a little small for a textile facility, but very good representation.  Seems the builder must like Clempson orange ;) 

Another bit of detail.  Note forklift (one of maybe 20 on this section) with straightened staples for forks and an operator with tie.

Remarkable work!

Builder needs to add some finishing touches and then get it out of the way to build Phase III.  These two phases are about 9X5', each.

Oh, and a movie of the switcher running between sense switches with a pause built in at

both ends.

Let there be LIGHT

Well, let there be a little MORE light.  The Wife mentioned that the plastic cover tended to cut down on the light on the layout.  And David Popp, on Model Railroader Video Plus, just installed some more LED rope lights on his layout.  So, why not give it a try on the Blacktop Crossing?

Actually, the lighting is a good bit better and without noticeable shadows.  This is about 16 feed of rope light from Walmart installed with one "factory" clip and several zipties.

BIL did say that he thought of a Christmas tree?!?!

18, Count 'Em

Here's a challenge.  I think I count 18 Clever Bros structures -- either the model as designed or some slight modification or just use of textures and parts -- on the layout.  See if you agree!  You've seen this "aerial" view before:

·         Woodyard shed – Yard Shanty

·         3 Company Houses – Small Company House

·         Horse Barn -- Furniture Factory file, Wood Shed

·         Military Warehouse -- Quonset Hut

·         Little Wooden Church – Rural Church

·         Crossing Tower -– Crossing Tower

·         Storage/House Trailer -- Construction Trailer

·         Ramp, Dock, Stairs -- Jackson Volume 3

·         Doctors’ Office – Photo Studio

·         Backyard Shed – Danged if I know, but it’s from Clever Bros

·         Cotton Gin -- Old Brick Texture for the boiler house exterior, Vertical Seam Sheet Metal texture for the unloading shed exterior walls, and Cedar Shakes for the roofs

·         Cotton Broker Office – adapted from Clever by Paul Egri

·         ‘Baccer Barn -- Tool Shop, Creeky Roofing foundation, Paul Egri

·         Ebenezer Grill -- Weathered Red Clapboard texture

·         Boiler house -- Small Brick Machine Shop and Paul Egri

·         Smokestack -- Old Brick (Colonial Brick?) texture