Progress Report 01.06.11

Change is a brewing in Stockdale.  The CRI&P's Engineering team was on sight this evening surveying the town.  A major upgrade is in the works. 

Below are photos I took outlining planned improvements, plus some areas that I'm open for suggestions.

Moving the freight station from West Stockdale to East Stockdale in the single track.  I believe the station will fit with some minor eave trimming on the rear (without requiring a track realignment).  The dark lines on the benchwork indicate the new Stockdale downtown area.  The road would cross to the right of station.

The new large grain elevator in Stockdale.  This facility also serves the adjacent flour mill.  Illinois Valley Grain that was formerly in the foreground would be moved to the N&W Meredosia Branch on the west side of town.

With the era being pushed up, Bader Ag has grown and now moving to Stockdale.  This will be the home of the new Bader Ag offices which will be a sheet metal "modern" building.  They will have a three car capacity receiving seeds, fertilizer and farm implements.

The Walthers box represents the Walthers Red Wing Flour Mill which will be adjacent to the large grain elevator.  The industry will feature two tracks: one for loading bulk flour in pressureaide covered hoppers, one for loading box cars with bagged flour.

West Stockdale. To the left was the former sight of the passenger station.  The branchline will feature three industry spurs.  One for Illinois Valley Grain Co, one for Billy J Hucks Machine Shop and further down by the window will be the lead for the Central Stone Company (which will be out over the ovalix).  I'm open for suggestions in this department.  I thought it would be better to have the smaller grain elevator further away from the very large elevator in town.  Thoughts?

Another view of the same area.

Top of the ovalix - site of the Chambersburg Central Stone Company limestone plant.

This is the area for which I don't know what to do with.  It is a small area to work with.  I have a wye track to the left at the flour mill that could branch off to this area.  Any ideas on what to do or should I leave as a natural area?  Maybe farmland or wooded?

The new WPSX coal train on the siding at Davenport.

Another view of the coal train.  Love the caboose on the rear!

Newly built station at Davenport.  I love it!

Overhead lights off in the room to give you a sense of the light put out by the rope lights.  I have/will install two strings of lights over the entire lower level.

New Milwaukee Road Difco dump cars by Walthers (on super sale at MBK).  The Hay Brothers loads fit nicely and look great.  They also add weight for better tracking.  I will ship out limestone from Central Stone in Chambersburg and receive in empties or loads of dirt to fill in the quarry.  I bought four of these all with the same number.  They will be renumbered into CRI&P cars.

Great Northern Walthers Difco dump car with a Hay Brothers dirt load.

Rock Island under one installed string of rope lights.

Progress Report 01.03.11

Installed some rope lights over West Davenport and Davenport yards.  The lights aren't as bright as I thought they would be, but it does remove some of the shadows.  I hope to continue installing lights this week. 

Before leaving Christmas vacation, I finished up the Davenport station minus some minor painting.  Both this depot and the Stockdale depot were placed on the layout.  I wasn't happy with the paint job on the Leeton Depot kit completed while on vacation.  I'm not sure what I will do with that one, but it won't be one of the main stations.  I might investigate outsourcing painting of the structures.

Worked on creating car cards for new cars that arrived over Christmas.