First train through the wall! The beefy little Atlas S4 took the first train to the end of the current progress. It took 22 cars up the 1.5% grade with no trouble.
Saturday night, I installed the lower level benchwork over staging level to the left of the HVAC. If you refer back to the track plans, the ends of the four coal yard tracks will peek out from behind the HVAC blower by a foot or two. There is room for another industry to the left, but I may leave this alone to be a scenic area.
Lower level benchwork is now complete in a counter clockwise direction from the classification yard, engine service tracks and coal yard. The next part will be to raise the stone viaduct up about 5-1/2 inches to meet the benchwork height. Speaking of the stone viaduct, it has been temporarily set in place again to determine the height difference. The main track to/from staging is now in place behind it, which will be hidden beneath the Elk River.
Beyond raising the viaduct, I’m going to have to decide whether to start building the false wall for the peninsula or start on putting plywood down on the lower level benchwork and lay track in the classification yard.
