The ROCK 3.0: Post #800!

Whoa!  800 posts since day one of the ROCK nearly five years ago.  Let's take a trip down memory lane to see how the ROCK Layout came about, changed, was dismantled and rebuilt into what it is today.  There are a few photos and lots of links to old posts.  If you are interested in reading about the operations, you will find some good info below.

Memorial Day Weekend 2010 - The Layout Construction begins.  http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2010/06/construction-begins-053110.html

The first construction on Memorial Day Weekend 2010

The old Ovalix to connect levels one and two.

The center peninsula - lower level.

The first train to ever run on the layout albeit a short distance.

The future Davenport (Damnit Port as some called it) yard.

Train making the first mainline run by the yard.

Still heavy under construction - early stages of the first layout.

November 2010 - The ROCK came alive for the first op session a mere six months after construction began on November 22nd, 2010.

My good friend Larry ran the first train on the ROCK layout.

 http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2010/11/rock-is-alive.html

February 2011 - Operated for the second time.  

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2011/02/op-session-report-022611.html

March 2011 - The Tale of the Wyzas Sisters - They hated each other so much they rode separate trains from Bureau Junction to Chicago every day.  http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2011/03/tale-of-two-sisters.html

March 2011 - Backdrops are added to the layout dramatically improving the overall appearance. 

 http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2011/03/progress-report-030611.html

April 2011 - The first scenery of the layout.

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2011/04/progress-report-040311.html

April 2011 - Street Running Comes to Blue Island 

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2011/04/progress-report-041011.html 

April 2011 - Railfanning the BI Street Running on the Rock - http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2011/04/railfanning-rock.html

April 2011 - More Street Views 

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2011/04/progress-report-042411.html

May 2011 - A Photo Tribute to the Layout on the 1st Anniversary - http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2011/05/cri-company-photographer-report-051011.html

May 2011 - Op Session #3 Report - http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2011/05/op-session-report-051411.html

August 2011 - The layout expands to Peoria (after a trip to the real Peoria)

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2011/08/boomtime-blue-in-peoria.html

September 2011 - Carrie Ave Shops Rebuilt to be Functional

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2011/09/progress-report-091311-ready-to-rock.html

September 2011 - The Winds of Change - Change up of Freight Schedule - Imagine that?  My layout was in a constant state of change, but that is what happens when you build it first and research second I suppose.  http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2011/09/winds-of-change-on-rock-projected.html

4th Op Session Report - http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2011/09/rock-is-alive-once-again.html

5th Op Session Report - http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2011/09/rock-is-alive-once-again.html

A Day on the Rock Photo Series (November 2011):

I operated the layout myself taking tons of photos of the entire process.  Here's the series of posts:

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2011/11/day-on-rock-part-i.html

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2011/11/day-on-rock-part-ii.html

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2011/11/day-on-rock-part-iii.html

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2011/11/day-on-rock-part-iv.html

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2011/11/day-on-rock-part-v.html

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2011/11/day-on-rock-part-vi.html

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2011/11/day-on-rock-party-vii.html

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2011/11/day-on-rock-part-vii.html

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2011/11/day-on-rock-part-ix.html

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2011/12/day-on-rock-part-x.html

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2011/12/day-on-rock-part-xi.html

In December 2011 post op session, I had a new vision for Blue Island.  I drew this out.  Blue Island will be completely revised into "Devil's Island" as one crew member called it.

In January 2012, I scratchbuilt my first structure, a barn for Franklin Farms.  This was not a large project by any means, but a big moral boost to me as I had never attempted such a task before.  I was really pleased with my little barn.  It resides on the layout today at Franklin Farms. 

February 2012 - the First reportable accident on the layout.  I believe I cut the inside of my hand.  There was a lot of blood on that one if I recall correctly.  I thought I would require stitches.  I counted.  There was a total of five reportable accidents on the layout plus one OSHA write-up by our Dallas Division office.

February 2012 - I installed my first fascia board.  This was a very exciting point for me as I have never constructed a layout with a fascia.  It had always been a basic 4x8 sheet of plywood with no elevation change, no scenery, no fascia.  This was huge!  I loved it and was inspired to keep pushing forward testing my abilities.

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2012/02/first-fascia-board-installed.html

March 2012 - The layout is coming together as the fascia had been installed and painted as shown in this photo update.

Look at all that traffic staged in the Chicago staging yard!

April 1st, 2012 - The ROCK comes alive once again.  Here is the full Op Session Report.

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2012/04/rock-comes-alive-once-again-post-300.html

May 22, 2012 - An important day in ROCK history (at least on my layout).  The day I discovered Bing Maps and began railfanning via the bird's eye view remnants of the former Rock Island Lines.  I found this key picture which may have been the seed for the idea of the present layout.  As said many times before, the winds of change is present on the ROCK again!

June 2012 - The winds of change were very strong.  The catch phrase was heard on the layout "Ovalix to Nolix".  Drawings were made and destruction was imminent.  

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2012/05/ovalix-to-nolix.html

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2012/06/ovalix-to-nolix-confirmed.html

Post op session, the ovalix came down with a swiftness and the construction began to extend the layout to model more of the sand operations.  

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2012/06/committed-or-committed.html

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2012/06/progress-report-061912.html

By July 31st, 2012, the mainline was whole once again.  Construction was swift on the ROCK.

August 2012 - Sand becomes king on the layout!  

At the same time, LED lighting was introduced to the layout.  This was greatly needed with a double deck layout as much of the layout was in the shadows.

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2012/08/progress-report-082512.html

In September 2012 - There was a major push for more scenery on the layout.

September 2012 - With the expansion of the layout, there was now room to construct the first Westclox plant.

October 2012 - An overview of the layout.  At this point, the layout was coming together pretty nicely.

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2012/10/overall-layout-room-photo-gallery.html

September 29th, 2012 - The layout comes to life once again.  Here is the operating session report.
http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2012/09/op-session-report-092912.html


December 2012 - Operated for the ninth time.  This was my best write-up for an operating session.

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2012/12/ready-to-rock-operating-session-9.html

January 2013 - I was rolling weed with my good friend Marcus making our first Scenic Express Super Trees.  The results were amazing.

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2013/01/progress-report-011913-rolling-weed.html

March 1st, 2013 - The ROCK is on video.  Ben Earp created a video on the layout and posted to YouTube.

March 2013 - We operated for the 10th time.  Here is the full op session report.

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2013/03/operating-session-10-032313.html

April 3rd, 2013 - Enter Sandman - Ottawa Dreams.  The vision of the present layout was formed.  I had built the layout first, researched second.  It was a good run with the first rendition of the layout, but the new vision had taken hold.  It was only a matter of time before the layout would come down.

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2013/04/enter-sandman-ottawa-dreams.html

April 25th, 2013 - The ROCK's CEO meets with the corporate therapist (i.e. wife) regarding these crazy silica dreams.  http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2013/04/rock-island-v20-session-with-corporate.html

April 25th, 2013 - Post #500 - I purchased the out of print book "The Silica Sands of Ottawa".  It was on now!  The dreams of sand were alive!

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2013/04/rock-island-v20-post-500-ottawa-silica.html

May 2nd, 2013 - Extra Sand East.  I ran a long sand extra gathering all my sand hoppers pushing them east to Ottawa.

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2013/05/progress-report-050113-extra-sand-train.html

May 5th, 2013 - The Final Op Session on v1.0.

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-rock-operating-session-11-full.html

June 2nd, 2013 - Was it May 31st 2013 or May 31st, 1980?

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2013-06-12T22:43:00-04:00&max-results=7&reverse-paginate=true

June 3rd, 2013 - The ROCK is Dead, but ALIVE at the same time!  Read the full news report.

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2013/06/newsflash-changes-at-rock.html

Demolition took place immediately.  By, July 9th, 2013, it was all gone!

September 11th, 2013 - A new Vision of the Silica Dreams layout.  Slightly revised from the original plan, but designed to make better use of the room for all the family, but still operate the layout.

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2013/09/rock-30-new-vision.html

October 3rd, the final plan was created for Ottawa Silica.

By September 22nd, 2013 - The base benchwork was complete for the new layout.

October 23rd, 2013 - Blue Lights were implemented on the layout.

Ten month after the ROCK demolition began, the ROCK was BACK!
http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-rock-is-back.html

The first op session report.

http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-rock-30-1st-op-session-success.html

Various progress has been made since, but that is the story of how the present layout has come to life.  I hope you enjoyed going down memory lane with me.  



In other news, I created more GTW tabs today.  I also updated the rules for crews.  See below.