Several (6/7) months ago we lost our basement due to the property sale of said building above us. We found a 1000 sq ft warehouse just off the expressway in the town of Waynesville in a 'row'' of similar buildings behind a Sagebrush Restaurant. It's sparse and bare but we're making it our own. Rent is tough to meet with our current level of membership (9) and it would be nice if some of the 'hanger-on's' would actually join but we're making it! We've used our old Scaletrax modular tables and built a bunch more using Gargraves to create a long folded dogbone with a 50' run down the back wall. We're building a farm scene at one end and an urban area at the other. Work is now going on for a yard, a three stall roundhouse, and an Atlas turntable we picked up for $35 at last week end's show.
Most of you have seen the scenic panels we had on our home layout which I've incorporated along the rear wall. Last week I painted 4 more panels to tie both ends together. These are 1/8" Masonite and were easily removed and remounted with little damage. Next is to add some texture below them to blend the tables into the background. Our area geography looks very similar to these scenes. Several of the hand built bridges from my home layout are finding their places here too.
All three loops are just operational and work is ongoing with a second level. We are hoping to have it enough together to hold a local 'Open House' by early summer. A few more warm able bodies are much needed.
We have a Factory (dealer table) Thomas set for little kids and a 4 x 8 Christmas table with the Polar Express, Lionel's Christmas locomotive and cars, with a ski operation on a mountain.
Most of the floor is carpeted with good carpet we pulled out of our house we moved into recently and it really dresses up the old concrete slab!
Here are some photos of the rough work accomplished. I wanted to give you guys (and gals) an idea of where we are on this project. Anyone traveling through this area this spring and summer, please plan to stop in for a visit. Our regular meetings are Tuesday evenings @ 7pm but I am usually available for a 'tour' most any time. Asheville is about 30 miles to the east with the Biltmore House and other attractions but the real attraction is the natural beauty of this area - the Blue Ridge Parkway, the many waterfalls, and beautiful Smoky Mountains.
We're solidly in the South but our elevation runs from 2500' to well over 4500' in many areas resulting in cooler summer temperatures and a late blooming season. The leaves don't come out here until late April/early May.
Member Jerry Beavers has set up a web site and along with Jr Member Josh Scott has hooked us up with Facebook et. al.
Check us out
http://smokymountainmodelrailroaders.wordpress.com/
These are the original panels we painted to depict winter snow and running through the fall colors to the lush greens of summer
Here are the new panels extending to the rear
This mountain was constructed the old fashioned way with strips of grocery bags and plaster. The rectangular opening is to access a Ross switch
