Playing catch up.

OK then, here has been much silence on this blog since I began this latest APA project. Basically because I have too many blogs. Blogs on RMWeb, blogs here, then there's my "Ian Holmes and his model foam" on Facebook. Posting to all is a pain in the arse. So some things fell by the wayside. This being one. But as things are getting close to the exhibition deadline for this layout I figured an update was due. 

Let's be honest there's nothing special in the construction or any of the methods used. The structures are my usual foam core shells clad with Scalescenes downloaded paper. The backscene is a product I discovered by accident in my local hobby shop from an outfit called ScenicKing. It fits perfectly inside the APA box.

The big "selling point" of this layout is that I consider the structures to be anonymous enough to enable the layout to be operated with both UK and US outline stock. The pictures seem to bear this idea out.

The exhibition deadline for this layout is the Granite City Train Show at the National Guard Armory, St. Cloud, MN. On November 16th between 10am and 3pm. See you there!

A new APA project - British Oak.

Here's the idea then. The APA box we are all familiar with. If not, review the earlier blog postings.
A Google search for "British Oak coal disposal point" will reveal some remarkable pictures to whet your appetite.
Trackplan wise there's not an awful lot you can do in 25" x 11" and given the industry the plan sort of suggests itself. One road to deliver empties to which are then picked up by a small shunting loco to be loaded at the screens. Yes, really loaded. (You know my beliefs about how small layouts should have working features to keep peoples interest up.) before being returned to the front road to be collected and sent off to the rest of the railway system.

As I got to thinking about this basic idea my attention was caught by my DMIR stock and looking at pictures of loading screens on both sides of the Atlantic I realised they aren't all that different and one structure could easily cover both locales. As this rendering shows.

So, a transatlantic layout could be on the cards then. This would make things very interesting at a show. Bored with operating UK trains? People not interested in British Rail Blue? Change it over to DMIR maroon.
I like this idea.
A lot.
Follow along.
(the more astute of you will notice that this is a duplicate posting of one on the 7daymodelrailroad blog. At the moment I haven't decided where to post the development of this layout. I have too many blogs)