As promised, Patrick was here today, and as usual a lot got done. We started by finishing filling in between the tracks with plywood. This will all be riverbed, but because it's winter, it will all be frozen.
We moved on to the Cottage Grove scene. Here Patrick is installing 2x4 supports.
By the end of the day this will all be covered with the OSB from the old floor, which was swapped out for 3/4" ply.
With all of the irregular shapes to fill, it's almost like a jigsaw puzzle, no seriously, we used the jigsaw to cut everything. As you can see, Patrick grabbed my camera again.
The OSB is filled in between the mains from St Croix to Chemolite the full length of the scene. Here you are looking uphill from St Croix.
Here it is looking downhill from Chemolite.
Patrick is installing another support for the section between the main and the Chemolite spurs.
I'm stapling sections of cardboard to fill the vertical gap between the mains. This will get plaster cloth, and probably some carved rock faces.
There's still one little piece left to fill in here, but a small section will remain open for access. The plan is to have 3D structures on both sides of the tracks.
This is the real 3M Cottage Grove site. The Mississippi is on the right, and the BNSF (ex Cb&Q) main is right next to the river. On the other side of the plant, on higher ground, are the CP (ex Milwaukee Road) tracks. Both railroads share both tracks and are dispatched by the BNSF in Ft Worth, TX.
Here's a closer view of the tracks entering the plant.
More of the cardboard embankment is stapled in place.
I'll be back at it tomorrow. The plan is for Patrick to return next Saturday.