I’ve been watching you build this monster the entire time Cliff, and I am so very impressed with the magnitude and excellence of this model. I know I’m late with my congratulations but I’ve just been holding off. The scale of your project is well beyond anything I would have ever tackled. I’m sure it will be admired by those who are lucky enough to be able to see it.
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Truly wonderful work, Cliff. (I almost feel like driving up to see it before you pack it up! When do you send it out?
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Swing by and pick me up Bruce so I can test the buttons before it goes west!
Doc, we’re in agreement: this has gone far beyond anything I thought I was tackling, haha!
It’s always an honor for me when you chime in, and I hope you are doing wonderfully. You’re a master-class modeler and a gentleman. Thanks so much for your generous assessment of this effort.
Cliff
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Bruce, that means a lot, thank you.
At first, I was going to say that… umm… I need to start disassembling and packing… But I can’t! Because Linda’s on a short trip, and she’ll throttle me if she can’t see the final thing. And then I can’t install it, cuz I’ll be dead. 
So I’ll be leaving everything as-is through Sunday afternoon, and after that I’ll be in packing mode.
Would love to have you over between now and then, and hope you’re ok with what I did with all your stuff!!
BTW Bruce, the tools you gave me have so helped this effort, especially the small drill press, drill bit set, and so many other things. Thank you!!
Rooster, and Hollywood, I’d hoped to get up there to see you guys, and your layout Rooster, sometime this summer. But each time I’ve thought I was caught up, this project has continually produced additional buckets of things to attend to. Call it poor planning on my part. I haven’t been able to go up there, but I’m certainly looking forward to.
Having said all that, you’re sure welcome to come down on Saturday, perhaps with Bruce attending as well?
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Sounds like Megadeath Lyrics to me so perhaps now that you are almost finished with this project you could write lyrics and sell them to Dave Mustaine cause James Hetfield his old compadre and him are done.
Cliff,
So what’s the next project aside from writing heavy metal lyrics for the big boys?
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I think I’ve finally completed the cover today. The rear panel needed stiffening (as described earlier), and knurly knobs on the top to keep it straight against the ceiling frame.
Its supporting joist also needed jacking rods on the ends, to alleviate the weight on the inside corners of the surrounding consoles. I realized that only 2 little levelling feet at those console corners were going to face half the mass of the cover, and I know those feet would eventually punch right through their MDF.
Hence, jacking rods to take most of the cover weight.
Another thing I fixed was the model height. I jacked it all up by 1.5" relative to the consoles and cover, due to a later design change. So now the terrain cross-section appears above the bottom cover frame, as it’s supposed to.
I don’t have the levelling feet on any of the model sections, so the model joints aren’t meeting well. Hopefully all will get tidier during final installation.
I’d like to say a few things about my colleagues on my Sutro side of life.
The rear panel will be covered by a large photo, taken by a pro photographer, Asa Gilmore. He’s lived on site in one of those transparent buildings, as caretaker. And his work is amazing. Asa will work out the lighting, cropping, etc., during the installation week, and also the printing and mounting.
The table is being done by a cabinet-making firm, and we’ve been corresponding on critical dimensions. I’m really looking forward to seeing their product.
The skirt is being made by a professional seamstress, Pam Abercrombie, who also happens to be a leader in the Sutro Tunnel restoration program and in many projects related to Comstock historical restoration and interpretation.
Dan Webster has been of invaluable assistance on the historical side, and and his partner, Julie Michler, has been of great help with current photographs. Both have enabled me to develop the building models in an appropriate manner.
Pam, Asa, Dan, and Julie are leaders in the Friends of the Sutro Tunnel (FoST). And then there are the higher-ups who make all this possible, thanks to Sam, Chris, Rob. I’m so very proud to know, and be able to work with, such wonderful people as these folks. Even though I’m a distant Marylander, they’ve welcomed me into their tribe.
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Dude, I’m still rocking to Toto, so I’m not sure about M’Death…? But hey, if I can help them…?
Oh no… you said the words “Next project”… no, no, no… DON’t go there…
Glad you got some use out of those tools! I would like to see this; when are you home?
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I’m home, and the model will be fully assembled, from now through Sunday. After that, disassembly, cleaning, shrink-wrap, encasement, padding and eventual crating…
Cliff;
All I can say is “WOW!!” It is just superb. I’m sure the museum will cherish it. Having worked in the Virginia Museum of Transportation. I can honestly say it is better than many of the exhibits we had.
Best Regards, David Meashey
Now go distill a batch of Trollish Punch
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Hi David (Meashey), always good to see you, and thanks for the generous comparison!
Yes, the Sutro folks seem happy; I sent them photos last night and they sounded really pleased in their responses.
A conversation got started among a couple of board members about whether the model can/should be eventually / periodically loaned to the NV State RR Museum and/or NV State History Museum, to boost Sutro awareness. I’d be fine with that, except it ain’t super portable… So we may (or may not) explore options on that, after the dust settles. But I thought it was cool that they even thought that.
From my understanding I believe I got the job!!
Now all we need are some circus midgets with a limo and a driver.
Yes indeed, Rooster! Please bring Grover. Feel free to push all the buttons. But with your sharp eyes, I’ll pay you $5 each to ignore any typo’s in the graphic panels…
But hey, between Bruce, Jean, Hollywood and yourself, I guess we got a party going!
If anyone else wants to come, we’re starting around 11am this Saturday. Please know you’re welcome, and pm me if you could. We’ll be trying to run a train or two, battery + DCC, it’ll be fun seeing what blows up!
Cheers,
Cliff
Thanks to you Korm, I gave things at least a cursory paint job. The back side may or may not be seen; and it may or may not get covered with a drape, like the other unsightly areas. I was sort of in denial, but your prod pushed me off the fence, and I’m glad for it.
good, that you are happy with it.
but to tell the truth, i never thought about the backside. i’m not that kind of tidy.
what i asked about was the front side of that panel. because of the nice texture of the panel.
but you answered that, mentioning the planned photoposter.
tthis thread was long, and i enjoyed it. your attention to details and even your “overengeneering” (not even in my cattlecorrals did i use latchbolts that large)
but in this thread we others used up all possible superlatives.
there is just one more in english, that comes to mind:
Glad you thought of that one Korm. As they say ’ Leave no stone unturned’ 
I’m working on a few detail items to drop on the model after it’s installed.
Yesterday and today, I made some lumber stacks. These, like the other details to come, are in a few historical photos. Bruce, these were made from tiny (.02 and .04) stripwood from you. I made a jig, put strips in the slot, put cross-pieces on, and dripped CA on them. Jig and base are polypropylene, which isn’t supposed to stick with CA. But, it was a challenge getting each row of sticks up!
Also some junk piles. Just tiny bits and pieces cut from whatever junk-box stuff. I made piles on wax paper, welded everything with CA, trimmed the paper away, and used Army Painter paints to finish.
Also pipe stacks, which were gradually installed along the tunnel. 3D printed, and dowsed with Army Painter “iron” and then diluted ink.
And dead tree trunks and branches. Lichen branches sprayed with brown and gray.
Sorry for my crap photography!
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Cliff, following this thread has been truly amazing! You are amazing! I’m sure you will, but pictures of the completed museum install with it’s background photo is required. Are you following the shipment out to assemble your master piece?