The ROCK: Photo Update

Here are photo's pre-op session of the staged layout.

LaSalle Yard (Drop Leaf yard)

Peru/LaSalle, IL

Westclox - LaSalle, IL

The skirting up around the layout.  Looking toward Ottawa Yard.

South Ottawa - Ottawa Silica and LOF.

South Ottawa - LOF

LaSalle Yard

A view of LaSalle Yard from Water Street

Water Street / Hwy 51 Overpass

Road construction on Water Street

Water Street and Putnam Street.  This will be the site of Peru Power.

Water Street and Putnam Street

Westclox at LaSalle

West Utica Signal.

Clear Block lined up for #13 Peoria Rocket

Westclox Plant at Mill Street

Mill Street in Utica

Utica, IL Station

Belrose Silica plant entrance behind a neighborhood in Utica

PQ spur in Utica

PQ Plant

Tank loading platforms at PQ

Looking over to Belrose Silica across the mainline from PQ

PQ

West Ottawa Yard

Loco and Caboose storage track

West Ottawa Signal

Ottawa Yard

Engine Service Facility at Ottawa Yard

Ottawa Yard

Franklin Farms behind the Yard

Franklin Farms residence on the farm

CB&Q Junction crossing the RI Mainline

Ottawa Silica in South Ottawa, IL

Scale Track at Ottawa Silica

South end of Ottawa Silica

Ottawa Ave Crossing between Ottawa Silica and LOF

LOF Utility and Shop Building 

LOF Sand Storage Silos

Truck loading entrance of LOF

Float glass loading at LOF

The ROCK 3.0: Progress Report 09.26.14

On the eve before the op session, I installed the signal bridge at West Ottawa.  It's a long tedious process hooking up the various wires and such.  After encountering some frustration with the install, once done, I cleaned up my tools and such and finished for the night.  I accomplished everything on my list except installing one additional inbound signal at West Ottawa.  Not bad.  I looked back and I really didn't start back to working on the layout after a long hiatus until 8/12.  So, I accomplished a lot in 45 days.

I guarantee progress will slow down for a little while now.

The ROCK 3.0: Progress Report 09.25.14

There is much to do as it is less than 48 hours before the op session Saturday morning.  Here's a recap of tonight's flurry of activity.

Cleaned the house, went grocery shopping for lunch for the guys Saturday.

Today, I cut apart 32 road signs to add to the layout.  This evening, I painted the posts brown and the back of each sign silver (as they were all white).  Drilled the holes and installed all of them on the layout with my daughter's help..  I really like my signs.  It's a small detail, but looks great.  This layout is 100 times better than v1.0.  I'm really pleased with the level of detail and functionality.  I have no regrets in my decision to downsize and make everything better.

Completed the fencing project around PQ.  It looks great!  I'm very pleased with how this plant is coming along.  Next, I want to add some bushes between the fence and the mainline.

Carrie Avenue Shops got the Soo Line GP35 #731 into service.  Tested and consisted with the sister #722 locomotive.

Cleaned all the locomotive wheels using a technique highlighted by my friend Ben Earp. Thanks for the tip Ben!

For Allen, check out the GP38-2s on assignment on the Ottawa Local on Saturday.    They look great!

Setup the construction scene on Mill Street.  I had a natural pot hole there form in the plaster.  I added the cracks to it and weathered previously.  Setup my construction crew and warning signs to complete the scene.

It was a wild night of activity, but I actually got everything on my To Do list for tonight completed.  I thought it was a pipe dream, but I set the bar high hoping for the best.  Tomorrow night will be more of the same.  Come Saturday evening, I'll be passed out on the sofa exhausted, but feeling accomplished.


Coming Soon!
New, updated video of the entire layout.
New, photo series of the entire layout staged and ready to go.