GP Mill - December 2010

When my family and I moved from GA to LA in 2007, my layout was custom crated and moved with us.  Due to a deployment in Iraq and a busy job in LA, the layout remained in a crate for the duration of that assignment. 

Upon arriving to MD in 2010, I decided it was time to uncrate the layout and to begin working on her again.  Unfortunately, despite and excellent crating by my movers, the layout did sustain some minor damage moving around the country.  The most significant damage was to the wiring for the numerous lights that I had already installed on the layout.  The damage was due to design flaw on my part; I ran wires down through the original base of this unit (a pre-fab wooden workbench from Lowe's) so that when the layout was taken off that base in GA, the movers ripped/snapped many wires and destroyed a few lights.  I thought I had everything disconnected and safe....oops!

After many hours of uncrating and assessing the damage, I began working on the layout.  The first task was to ditch the workbench (and use it for the Grime Shop) and to build a rolling benchwork for the layout.  I knew this was my chance to elevate the layout to a more acceptable viewing level.  Instead of under 40" - the layout is now close to 50" in height on rolling benchwork.  This is great for N-scale viewing and comes in quite handy when young kids come to visit; my kids know not to touch the trains 8o)

Shortly after building the benchwork and sprucing up the layout a bit, I began making some of the big changes that can be seen today on the layout.  The following are pictures from Christmas of last year when I had ample time to work on the layout.

The proposed chemical delivery shed became the woodchip delivery shed, which I custom lit and detailed to include woodchip pits and railing:

I kitbashed and scratchbuilt a conveyor to carry the woodchips from the delivery shed to the kraft mill - this too is now lit and will be shown in future posts.  I also changed some of the track plan in this area.  My first plan was just a bit too busy!  I really like the diamond here - makes for a neat look!

I ripped up that "steam piping" that I made from coax cable (pipe) and some cable staples (supports).  Good idea....but it looked cheesy.

I was able to rework some of the wiring and get the lights back up and running.  I have steadily been adding more as this really adds to the plant feel.  Plus, it is awesome to run trains in the dark on this switching layout - all by the lights of the plant and street lights....pretty cool.  I will post current photos of all the lights soon.  One of the cooler features is the kraft mill which has alternating red lights on its two stacks.

Here is one of my favorite custom weathered and detailed NS engines servicing the mill at night:

A bit more ambient light to see her detail/weathering job:

One thing that was missing was a little Southern Mississippi vegetation.   I added some store bought and scratch built trees to my layout last December.  I really like Bachmann's new line of trees, especially there wire foliage....very good for N scale small trees and brush.