Forget it...

Well, its been 9 months since I placed an order with the P87 stores for some bits and pieces.

Now I appreciate that Andy has had some serious issues to take him away from the P87 business. But 9 months is a long time in anyones' books. As a result my enthusiasm for P87 is pretty well shot. I've tried to keep if going with some interesting plans schemes and concepts. But right now my interest in doing anything in P87 is totally zero.

Flurry of activity

Hmmm....
This is no less than the fourth post in THREE days to this blog. I haven't had activity like that since the start of the blog.
I don't know why. Surely its not just the impending arrival of that ExactRail boxcar...
Things have just conspired to inspire me lately. If I was at home this weekend who knows what I would do...
Anyway, I've also updated my list ofProto87 links over there to the right. P87 links are few and far between so if any of you have got any others and would like to share them. I'll post them there. I'm always up for inspiration.

Pages from the sketchbook

So, to expand on the idea outlined earlier here's a couple of sketchbook pages to illustrate what I'm talking about.

The above sketch shows the wide open backscene typical of prairie country like the Midwest.
This is exactly the same layout sketch with the backscene changed to something more afforested.

The scribble below each layout concept illustrates how the sloping backscene would look in profile. I'd bolt the backscene onto the back with a few coach bolts and wing nuts. There shouldn't be too much of an issue with the tree backscene. Perhaps the extra depth of the prairie might be an issue but this only needs to be made from the lightest thinnest ply so it wouldn't weigh too much and throw things off balance.

As another note I checked my stock of baseboards and I have a frame ready made that is 54" x 14" Almost the perfect size.

More layouts for your money.

It started off quite innocuously. I was looking at a thread over at RMweb concerning Nick Palette's latest layout. A slice of Cornwall in 5' x 1'. Very nice and atmospheric and to Nick's usual high standard. It always amazes me the atmosphere he can create in such a small space. Put me down as a big fan. However, as usual, I'm sliding off the point a bit.
Nick was ruing how the trees on the layout were encroaching on the stock because of the narrow width of the layout.
I was reminded of an idea that I had a year or two ago now concerning a sloping backscene.
In this instant the backscene would slope away from the layout allowing a greater depth of trees without adding much depth to the layout 50-75mm perhaps. The front of the backscene would feature fully modelled trees, behind would be tree tops and other foliage.
I'd also considered this idea for modelling the flatlands of the Lincolnshire coastal plain. In this case the slope would be much more gradual and a deeper section, 200mm perhaps, with a landscape modelled in muted tones and in diminishing scales to force the perspective. Perhaps the backscene could smoothly curve from the ground into the sky for extra effect.
This leads me to another thought. If the structures and detailing are sufficiently non-committal on the baseboard then it would theoretically be possible to change the atmosphere of your layout just by changing the backscene.
Think of it, change your layout from New England in the fall, to the Arizona desert, to a Midwestern city just by the changing of your backscene!
It's a pretty neat idea without a doubt. Especially for train shows. Imagine the looks you'll get from the punters if the second time they come back to look at your layout it has changed.
I think the concept needs a bit of tidying up. But it's certainly got me thinking and I'd like to try it. Wingetts Recyling is a self contained unit and would be unable to have the backscene changed out. So it would necessitate the construction of a new layout specifically with a narrow baseboard. I think I might even have one lying around the garage waiting for such a purpose...

Joy of Joys!

If you recall this post you will know of my love for ExactRail rolling stock and consequently my disappointment when I was not able to acquire one of the Waffle sided box cars in Southern livery. Well I am unhappy no longer because ExactRail have re-released said box car in HO scale and only in Southern livery ONLY.
You can bet that as soon as I found that out I placed an order. Hopefully it will be winging its way too me quite soon.

Field Trip

Here's a few more pictures of the Duluth Steam plant. From last weekends visit to Duluth. Magnificent structure.

Duluth Steam

I've been looking around for structures for this layout. For something that inspires me to want to build it. There is one building that I've always been fascinated with. It's the Duluth Steam plant in, not unsurprisingly, Duluth, MN. For over 80 years the plant has supplied heat to the downtown and Canal Park areas of the city and currently more than 220 buildings are served.

Though the structure is not currently served by rail, the tracks of the North Shore Scenic Railroad pass the building and there is at least one siding to the building. In the past coal would have been delivered there and fly ash would have been shipped out. The fly ash is a by product of the burned coal and is used in the making of cement. There is quite a demand for it. These days the fly ash would be shipped out by truck but the fly ash hopper (the cream coloured thing to the right of the second picture) is directly over the railroad tracks. So there is plenty of justification for having such a rail served industry on this small layout.

I'm sorry that these pictures are so small but for some reason I have lost the originals. I pilfered these from a plan I supplied to Carl Arendts micro layout gallery. I guess that means another trip up to Duluth for research purposes That will not be a hardship...