40' x 8' x 8' shipping container layout

[logandsawman]

great looking work you have done there dave.
the good thing about your container, if you want to create more layout, just buy another container and add it to the back, open the wall and baaam more room

Thanks! When I built this I thought it would be harder to fill up

I want both worlds, wide open spaces and cluttered busy areas, too. You present a good idea there...

 

[AuburnCentral]

Get some good upholstery fabric. Then you can always take it outside rinse it down or vacuum it in place

 

[AuburnCentral]

When adding another container all you have to do is cut a hole big enough and use heat ducts to connect it

 

[Jaz avalley]

Find pic of train shed with new steps, and the inside of the shed after a thorough cleaning. Still need to install the lighting (street lights, interior lighting) and getting some skirting in place for the layout.

I may be putting square bales around the train shed yet this fall, either that or foam



View attachment 237799

Here is the inside: (the lift out is on the floor on the left side)

View attachment 237800

Walk around throttle on the right.

View attachment 237801

Work bench on the left, slides out also find myself moving it to different locations

The sawmill area:

View attachment 237802

I would call those "nice" logs, coming from a former logger. One is a little "sweepy"

Thanks for looking, Dave LASM

Bails will almost certainly get rats
Rats eat foam too but far less damage and rat pee on bails is disgusting and the stink lingers, rat pee on foam appears to disperse

 

[Jaz avalley]

Oh and the layout has seriously upped its game while I was away lovely work

 

[logandsawman]

I was lucky enough to find a 1917 plat book with Grantsburg in it, so I could check out the actual layout in that village, and noticed they had stock pens near the Crex warehouse and depot

You probably noticed that I have Crex warehouses in Wyoming and Grantsburg, both locations harvested the grass and it was transported by rail to St. Paul where the old factory building still stands, I understand

Map courtesy of the Grantsburg Area Historical Society. Notice the Crex warehouses located on the far right. The track I have down is a good replication of the actual depot location. Notice also the turntable location above and left of the depot (mine is beyond the depot). I will have the stock yards located correctly in relation to the depot. This is the 1917 plat book.

I did my track plans the "easy way", using old photos and maps as templates.

Here is the Wyoming MN track plan from 1913. I have my depot, Crex warehouses, potato warehouse, and water tank correctly located. Credits Steve Monson.

These towns are about 85 miles apart, and from Wyoming to St. Paul another 30 miles. This would have been routine travel by Northern Pacific during the Crex era.

I mentioned stock pens now I am getting ads for same

Thanks, all, for commenting and the interest in the layout!!!!!!!

Dave LASM

 

[Jaz avalley]

Find pic of train shed with new steps, and the inside of the shed after a thorough cleaning. Still need to install the lighting (street lights, interior lighting) and getting some skirting in place for the layout.

I may be putting square bales around the train shed yet this fall, either that or foam



View attachment 237799

Here is the inside: (the lift out is on the floor on the left side)

View attachment 237800

Walk around throttle on the right.

View attachment 237801

Work bench on the left, slides out also find myself moving it to different locations

The sawmill area:

View attachment 237802

I would call those "nice" logs, coming from a former logger. One is a little "sweepy"

Thanks for looking, Dave LASM

Very clever use of branch cutting it for tree stump ….clever
I will be borrowing that idea, thank you for the idea

 

[logandsawman]

Very clever use of branch cutting it for tree stump ….clever
I will be borrowing that idea, thank you for the idea

I didn't want to spend any money on lumber so had to get creative out of necessity... As an added bonus it weighs about 250 pounds so is really solid.

The bottom step has a cutout with the iron grate so we can get the pebbles out of our shoes before we go in. The bottom step is one of the slabs, part of the same log, matches the cut surface of the top step. The tree was 16" in diameter so also got several wheelbarrows of firewood out of it, will be burning it after it dries thoroughly in a couple years.

Thank you!

 

[santafewillie]

so also got several wheelbarrows of firewood out of it, will be burning it after it dries thoroughly in a couple years.

In my climate here in North Central Texas with all of the 95°+ days, I can get hardwood to dry in just 9 months instead of a couple of years. Less woodpiles!

 

[Bruette]

Thanks, all, for commenting and the interest in the layout!

Thanks for entertaining us with your magnificent work!

 

[logandsawman]

Many of the stationary lamps and building have been installed, here are a few of the night shots:

Here is the schoolhouse in Wyoming MN

A scene along the tracks in Wyoming:

Here is a shot of Grantsburg on a very dark night

Thanks for looking, and all the comments above!

Dave LASM

 

[AuburnCentral]

Looks great

 

[DeaconKC]

Those night scenes are really striking.

 

[Kusojiji]

Wow! Very nice! Night ops!

 

[Colorado Midland Modeler]

Excellent! Very well done!

 

[jjames25]

Outstanding work! The modeling and the photography amaze me every time I check in on this thread.

 

[logandsawman]

Some progress on the layout, first the new stock pens:

Located at the Grantsburg, Wisconsin scene on the layout, circa 1915

made from popsickle sticks and scale lumber. Grantsburg had one of these, however was not located right next to the Crex building.

Unloading and loading ramps

Also, added a couple men and cut down a couple trees (were in the way of accessing the turnouts south of the Groningen, MN scene on the layout:

Its a big axe, also a pretty muscular guy. The swamper is trim, needs to be to straddle the trees in the limbing process.

Thanks for looking!!!

Dave LASM

 

[AmtrakCr74108]

Some progress on the layout, first the new stock pens:

Located at the Grantsburg, Wisconsin scene on the layout, circa 1915

View attachment 247251

made from popsickle sticks and scale lumber. Grantsburg had one of these, however was not located right next to the Crex building.

View attachment 247252

Unloading and loading ramps

Also, added a couple men and cut down a couple trees (were in the way of accessing the turnouts south of the Groningen, MN scene on the layout:

View attachment 247253

Its a big axe, also a pretty muscular guy. The swamper is trim, needs to be to straddle the trees in the limbing process.

Thanks for looking!!!

Dave LASM

Glad to see you back posting.

 

[DeaconKC]

Glad to see you back. Clever idea to make access for the turnouts!

 

[logandsawman]

I finally decided to switch over to all steel wheels on my rolling stock. Will be parking all the plastic wheeled freight cars on a siding, until I get around to converting them.

Coincides somewhat to switching over to mineral spirits as a track cleaner.

The steel are much smoother running and with the mineral spirits as my rail cleaner (previously used 70% alcohol) no arcing. And, more significantly, no gunk buildup.

Thanks for lots of recommendations from the forum members to reach this conclusion!

Dave LASM