Large Scale Central

Update on the Bluestone Southern trackage

Track and Trestles
#1

Between the rain, mud and the heat, we have been doing a little more on the layout… Installed about 150 more feet of track on the Sparta Peninsula last week… Nothing great, just the mainline, and a siding and the begining of the branch line… Still working on the rock cliffs for the Hilltop Subdivision… Need to run the mainline down to Hilltop Subdivison, so I know where the “cut” will be and where to install the next cliffs… We have been working both, on the Hilltop Subdivision rock cliff wall and working the roadbed and trackwork on the Sparta Peninsula… The picture below is looking across the “Industrail Park”" towards Hilltop Subdivision, which runs along the top of the rock cliff walls…

This picture is a shot across the Blustone Southern mainline, across the industrail park, and looking at the Sparta Peninsula…

This picture shows the new “Y” temp bridge across to the Sparta Peninsula… Track to the right, is the mainline, and the track to the left, will be the branch line…

This picture shows the new laid track… The mainline will have a siding…

This picture is a shot across the town of Bluefield, yet to be fully installed, towards Hilltop Subdivision… The the bottom left of the picture, is where the trains will go underground,

#2

Looks much different than it did last fall. If I get back out to Ric’s this year, I hope we can do some operating on your layout. Keep up the good work…:wink:

#3

Wow. That’s VERY impressive.

#4

Yes wow , it is really a big railroad . have you considered one of the 6’ or 8’ umbrellas with a home made metal pipe to hold it with a steel spike to drive in the ground . Its moveable , and I drive mine in the ground and then place the big umbrealla in the pipe holder . just a thought . I use mine everyday during the Summer , and move it thru the day as the Sun moves , shade is mandatory for me .

(http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/dennispaulson/DRy%20posting%20pics/umbrella%20shade.JPG)

#5

Big and Pretty! Great Work!

#6

WOW Gee I want to move! That is alot area for a railroad and so far it is looking great!! It will require some thought to set up way bills to operate.

Paul

#7

Good descriptions Andy. Your explanations really add to the pictures. Nicely done.

#8

Looks great Andy cant wait to see it at the club meeting in the fall

Todd

#9

Thanks for the comments, all… much appreciated…

Ken, would be nice to see yall back out here again… Doug Matheson worked with my plan and my ideas for the railroad operation and he/we set up an operating senerio for the Bluestone Southern, to use with Railop… I have it all installed into railop at this time, and can run trains in the railop program… Now, I need to get the track down, to be able to work it on track…

Dennis, the umbrella is a good idea, if I was working in an 8-10 foot area all the time, but that’s not really the case here… They also worked a little during the rain, when we were out visiting you, however, the gazebo worked much better…

Ric, thanks… It really is kinda nice to identify the pictures by the railroad locations…

Todd, thanks bud, missed ya at the meetings… hope all is well…

Bruce, Cale, and Paul, comments appreciated, ty…

#10

Looking good! That’s a nice large area for a layout.

#11

thank you, Ray… We built on a 7 & 1/2 acre lot that we found a few years ago… Not using all 7 acres for the railroad… Altho, some days, it does feel like it…

#12

Very nice, Andy. Lots of progress since the last pictures I saw.

#13

Very nicely done, Andy. It’s great to see you getting track to the south 40… :slight_smile: :slight_smile: :smiley:

#14

wow–that’s a great looking layout. Very clever the way you bridged that gully. Get back to work–I want to see more!

#15

Cool, Andy. Very cool.

#16

Tom,

“Cool” is not a word that can be used with anything around here outside these days. The only thing I can imagine Andy saying, using that word is "Let’s go inside and “cool” down for awhile.

Andy has a master plan hidden away in the deep creases of his brain and every once in awhile some of it appears on paper or as actual trackage on the Bluestone Southern Acerage.

Around here August 15th is the magic date when days start getting shorter and though the days are still hot, the early mornings and evenings begin to be tolerable, again.

#17

thanks all, again…

tom, last night at 8:00 pm, it was 86.6 degrees, 78% humdididididity, and a dew point of 77… they said the heat index was 100… I sweat, just trying to breath…

Right now, @ 4:28pm, it’s 90 degrees, 60% Humdididididity, and a dew point of 73, they say the heat index is 100… and they forecasted 83 for a high today…

Must be nice, to have a job and not have to get anything right, and still keep the job…

#18

Been pretty hot and humid around here too. The wife finally broke down and turned on the A/C on tuesday nite…

#19

Andy - The railroad is really looking great. Now I know where all that track that was weighing down Ric’s van at York was going to :smiley:

Been real hot & humid at home too. Here on the banks of the Shaver’s Fork of the Cheat River it is tolerable, but still very humid. Yesterday at the top of Bald Knob was nice, but so much humidity the views were very hazy. Seems weird to go camping and hide out in the camper with the AC cranked up.

Try and stay cool working on those indoor projects.

#20

And people wonder why I run early in the morning:D