hauled in a load of DG and rocks today, so I only made an additional five feet of progress.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/johnm/_forumfiles/el-patron-mine-extension.jpg)
for those needing video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9uJ0iJcAtA&feature=youtu.be
Nice! I you scheduled for snow next week?
So far the storms have been way too short and snowfall too light.
As much as I worry about the lack of winter it sure is nice to work on the layout!
Grading is underway for the El Patron Mine reload facility.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/johnm/_forumfiles/El-Patron-Mine-Grading.jpg)
I ended up pulling the left hand switch out and replacing it with a right hand that now will branch off into the El Patron Depot. In the process I yanked up about 12 feet of track, bent a sweeping “S” into it to finally head towards a small reload facility with a run-around track.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/johnm/_forumfiles/el-patron-s-curve.jpg)
Once I get more ballast, I have to toss down a couple three switches and maybe another 15 feet or so of track to get to the end of the branch.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/johnm/_forumfiles/El-Patron-Mine-Ballast.jpg)
Slow but sure progress.
Progress is good!
This afternoon was a pickup truck of decomposed granite… inching along. I think this branch is a stub end now, which will not allow me to go roundy-round just for Fred.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/johnm/_forumfiles/el-patron-dg.jpg)
The initial line to the future mine site has been laid in place.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/johnm/_forumfiles/El_Patron_siding.jpg)
…:)…
EDIT for page 3
Yesterday and today my brother in law and myself hauled in soil to create a 3 foot high mountain for the mine.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/johnm/_forumfiles/elpatron-hill.jpg)
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/johnm/_forumfiles/elpatron-hill2.jpg)
Looks good John. Hope you didn’t haul it in by the hopper load you have pictured. 
El Patron track is 100% complete to the mine and the station siding in town.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/johnm/_forumfiles/elpatron-mine-siding-done.jpg)
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/johnm/_forumfiles/elpatron-town-siding.jpg)
Next steps are to build a mine structure, a small cattle reload and some sort of a dock and the branchline is complete. My wife is taking her Class A Contractors test in a couple of weeks, then the real construction will begin.
Looking gold John
Nice work John. Thanks for the update.
My buddy gave me several bundles of redwood stakes, so a new twelve foot retaining wall is under construction.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/johnm/_forumfiles/retaining-wall.jpg)
Looks good JT. A lot better than the one I made. Big Thanks to James for sure.
this one looks better, installed with more riprap.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/johnm/_forumfiles/retaining-wall1.jpg)
Nice work. Layout looking good.
Construction continues on the El Patron Mine. As construction began the new businesses sprouted up in the small town of El Patron…namely the El Borracho Saloon and Casino. Needless to say, this has impacted progress on the mine. here is the latest progress…
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/johnm/_forumfiles/ePatron_dec2012.jpg)
