The slump is over!

Maybe it was a good session at Kevin Beck's Central Carolina Southbound yesterday, or maybe it was just time for me to get off my duff and get some work done on the layout.  It was likely a little of both that got me inspired to actually do something on the CR&E this weekend.

To start off, Tim Heckman was around to help me put up some backdrop material Friday evening.  I had purchased a roll of vinyl flashing (10 inches wide) at Lowes, hoping to use it for the backdrop between Glace and the Loops.  The vinyl I purchased is white, is quite flexible, and seemed to me like it would be easier to use than the aluminum roll I had planned to purchase.

With Tim's help on Friday night, we made good progress wrapping the material around the scene divider made of 1X2's that separates the Glace/Coleman side of the peninsula from the Loops side.  With a few clamps and a level, we went from support-to-support, drilling holes and attaching the material with sheet metal screws.  A continuous sheet wraps around from Forester on the upper level to the Anderson's Geyser scene in the loops.  Another sheet was installed behind Glace on the lower level.

The other project for the weekend was the beginning of the eastward extension of the mainline from New Castle, through Abbott and Catawba, into the staging yard at Roanoke.  Currently, the trains enter Roanoke staging immediately after passing through New Castle.  Once the extension is complete, trains will travel around the peninsula in the middle of the room after passing through New Castle and before entering the staging yard at Roanoke.

This weekend I was able to get the brackets in from New Castle to a point past Abbott.  I decided to use brackets made of 1X4 pieces and 1X3 pieces fastened to a horizontal board instead of building boxes to attach to the supporting framework.  It seemed like an easier option than trying to hold long sections of pre-assembled benchwork above the lower level of the layout.

 Before the new backdrop went up, "See Through Mountain" allowed everyone to see everything going on in the room.  Here two trains are meeting between Ridge and Coleman on 4/17/10.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Loops will now be their own scene, with the backdrop separating them from Glace (lower level) and Coleman (upper level) on the other side of the peninsula.  10-14-10.

 

 

Glace (lower level) and Coleman (upper level) are now separated from the Loops on the other side of the peninsula.  In both of the above photos, the backdrop has only been secured at the top.  Additional screws will be used to pull it tight once it's had a little time to "settle."

The brackets and risers have been installed in front of the Roanoke staging yard.  This area will represent Abbott, VA.  The railroad descends gradually from New Castle to Abbott, where it will again beginning climbing toward Catawba.  The Roanoke staging yard will have to be "flipped" when the new extension is complete.  What is now the west end of the staging yard (the ladder pictured toward the corner of the room) will become the east end of the staging yard.  10-14-10.

 

 

 

A false "stud wall" has been built to support the upper level above the Kessler & Northern District below.  The first cross-support has been installed, which will support the subroadbed for Abbott on the near side of the framework and for Catawba on the far side.  Trains will exit staging on the Catawba side, near the glue bottle that is sitting in the staging yard, and will continue westward through Catawba and Abbott before joining the original alignment through New Castle.