The C & S West Short Line resumes expansion.

[Trussrod]

The C & S West Short Line is under new and more agressive management and they realize too much time has gone by with only a little expansion to show for the time passed but all is not waisted as a lot of thought took place.

I've not only electrictfied most of the blocks but started to lay the road bed for the upper line heading West from the Horse Medow Depot, Ridge Crest Area, to the engine house switch, the engine house is in the middle of the upper loop, and than on to a second passing siding That will be shared by Gold Creek Logging and at least the closest mine and then North to Amalgmate Mines. McKelear will become a Silver Mine and the Coal mine will move to the far back corner above the Cudhay stock pens and Slaughter House.

This has been in the planning for a long time and is now taking place so the excitement grows to see the progress. Once I get the line extended around Amalgmate Hill the layour will be at the half way point and laying the rest of the main line should go a lot quicker.

To let you know what materials I'm using here is the break down.
>Subroad bed is 7/16" Chip board attached to risers or stringers on the L Girders.

>Road bed is Sound board and works very well and is readly available and fairly reassonable.

While I've used individual wood ties glued to the sound board I think on the upper line where it not quite so visable and to speed things up I'll use Grandt Line's preformed Branch line tie strips which should speed up the track laying process considerably. The only thing I'm not crazy about is that they are Black where I would have prefered as light tan or grey color but I guess some Floquil Weathering spray should resolve that but it's just another step in the porocess.

On the lower line, that serves the Serpha Copper and Iron works and Anglin Oil, the main line is also ready to traverse the base of Amalgmation hill going across [Devils Gate?] tressel so things are on the move.

With that said it back to doing more construction as the towns folks, even though they're only a few are pretty put out about no business in the local due to the lack of expansion.

So off I go!! Pics will follow.

 

[Trussrod]

The line poushes West & North.

I'm pretty elated to again be working on the layout and advancing the line as planned. This particular area is where the Upper main crosses over the Lower Main while following fairly close along sid it for a short ways. I didn't really want verticdle cliffs but in some cases we have little choice.

So here's the shot of the initial progress beyond the Horse Medow Depot and just the sub roadbed is done at present but tomorrows another day, well it the new day already. As the picture shows with the cars placed on the new area it will be an extra passing sidding to handle Mine shipments headed for the smelter as well as log cars waiting to be transported to the saw mill at the other end of the loop.

The clutter in the right forground will be where the John Allen Engine house will go and a turntable and maybe a railcar shed? The lead track for this area will also come off the new extension line.

This really does my heart good to get the layout going again.

 

[Trussrod]

In this shot the lower line pushes farther North as it begins to traverse Amalgamate hill, yet to be built. Needed to get the lower line in so I would know how much room I had for the upper line to hopefully prevent too shear of a drop from above so things look more natural.

Please note that I found old plastic Mustard bottles work great for holding Yellow carpenters glue for easy despenseing.

Also, note the home made blue track templates I used to layout my curves.