A new something, well actually an re-newed something. Years ago I discovered Carl Arendt’s microlayout website and caught the micro bug. I built a micro based on a layout called “Carls Imports” that Carl did in HO. I did mine of course in G because I’m nuts and called it the “Borracho Brewey”, the plan even ended up in Carl’s thrid book. But as many here know my hobby experience has been one of as many tear downs as build ups, this being no exception, and the first incarnation of Carls Imports got dismantled. It didnt help that I was building it in a very complicated that made it heavy and hard to handle. So it got dismantled and I switched to Pizza Layouts, which are about as simple as you can get. Pizzas are very addictive, mine has been a great deal of fun over the years and I have built 2 others in G and HOn30, and plans for a smaller N version, but thats another story. Recently as I was working on the indoor layout, self-editing aspects that look good on paper but didnt work in reality. One of these edits was to modify a two switch spur into a one spur siding at the far rear of the layout. After reworking the spur I had a turnout and some spare track, I wondered if I could redo the Carls Imports layout, after a quick trip to OSH and about three evenings work I’m roughly back to were I was when I dismantled the Borracho Brewery. This one is far simpler than the first incarnation. The base is 1/8 Handi-board Plywood, the frame 1x2’s where the first was 5/8" plywood with a 2x2 frame. Here I simply cut the ply in two, used one piece for the base, the other for the backdrop. The way it will work is there will be outbound loading doors along the back track, the sector plate on the left and the engine storage area on the right, the front track will be the fiddle track on the left where delivery loads are brought in and set out. and the lead track on the right where the inbound products door will be. The engine will trundle out of its storage shed and brought to the fiddle track. A car with inbound product will then be bought to the first set of doors where it will be unloaded, then moved to the outbound product doors, then back front to the fiddle track for pickup, then the engine moves back to its shed. Of course it also works if the fiddle track becomes the engine shed and the lead track the fiddle yard, We’ll see how best it works. Buildings will be simple foamcore with balsa and card paper detailing, need to keep the weight down as much as I can as this will be stored overhead in the garage. Now its time to hook up the power pack and start scenery.
