Happy Victoria Day to all my friends north of the border. Why I would I even notice that today is Victoria Day? Well when you live in the US and work for a Canadian company you get all the US holidays off as well as the Canadian ones.
With summer upon us, days are busy with work and evenings and Saturdays with house and yard work. Sundays are “Date Days” with my wife, where we spend the day out of the house doing whatever. Very important when you both work out of a home office.
So with a sudden day off I was able to get downstairs. When I last left off in the train room I was working on buildings for the business district in New Brighton. My last project for the third block was combining a couple a buildings to make a hotel. This will represent the Exchange Hotel in New Brighton. It was “The” hotel in the town although in reality it was long gone by the 1950’s. Since it was important to the cities history (and I couldn’t think of another business to put there) I wanted to include it in the block. The problem I was having was it wasn’t turning out as I had hoped. I had joined the buildings and made an awning (not the right word, but the right one eludes me as I’m writing this) and vertical sign, but it just wasn’t working. So work came to a halt.
So with a found day I turned back to the layout. And I finished the track work in Brandon. The mainline is in to the crossovers on the north end of town and all sidings (except the spur to the gravel company) are in place.
In the photos below I show the three major businesses. The creamery building is a stand in for the feed mill, it’s from the Walthers ( walther.com ) Consolidated Dairy kit, but is the exact same building as their Columbia Feed Mill. The other stand in is the oil dealer. The one in the photo is pretty beat up and I plan on getting a new for the space. The grain elevator will be used.
North of the crossovers is the curve that heads into the helix. I worked out the elevations for it so that I can cut the risers for the subroadbed. Once they are in place I will lay the track and then start work on the helix. Although before that happens I will be making the doors for the cabinets. I told you my wife wouldn’t let this one go and it will be nice to get rid of the visual clutter from the open cabinets.
I hope all goes well with you and enjoy your summer.
Till next time, Happy Railroading…