I previously posted how I am "replacing" all my ruined Fastrack by mounting new Atlas track directly on top of it. This raises the rails 1/2 inch so it means i had to rebuild the terrain to accommodate that rise, often by raising the terrain itself 1/2 inch.
During this phase of terrain re-construction, this entire end of the layout was in chaos - just a mess, and the whole layout was out of action: I could not run trains except on a single tiny single test loop on the other end of the layout. This was the biggest mess/most chaotic project I have ever undertaken. Sixty five square feet of terrain had to be redone and about 70 feet of track ballasted, etc.
But this area is done, except for some cleanup details, and there will be no other "outages" of the entire layout!
Even though I was eager to get this done, I took the opportunity and time to "move" my layout from a southern Wyoming/Rocky Mountain Foothills terrain (Photo 1) where I lived when age five to the red rock/four corners area (age 6 - 12) in Photo 2. this meant redoing nearly all sixty five square feet at least somewhat - but it was worth it!
WHAT IT USED TO LOOK LIKE: WYOMING MOUNTAIN FOOTHILLS
BELOW: THE SAME AREA NOW - MESA VERDE/DESERT SOUTHWEST AREA
Apologies for the poor focus, but this is the only photo that got the color and texture
nearly right. The wedding-cake four-track straights to the left are the 'display' areas
for my locos - nine foot straights leading to sweeping curves (lower part of the photo)
all made to give a good view of all the trains as they come by
Fantastic!!: I can run trains again! and in the desert southwest!
Below, a UP BEEP moves a light load of short cars (nothing on BEEPworld can be
longer than a BEEP) south on the upper level of BEEPworld, while my new, sweet-running
UP Lionel Shifter pulls eight PFE reefers and a caboose north on my )-54 loop below.
Meanwhile Santa Fe Northern 3759, my favorite loco right now (barely edging out
the Vision Hudson and Blue Comet) charges north around the end of the layout on
my mainline loop, pulling 13 Slogan Map cars, passing an intercity bus headed south.
