The nest is empty and it's time to get back into trains. I railfan in and around Mankato (UP and CN intersection) and in the Twin Cities occasionally. I previously modeled ho current to 10 to 15 years back. Sold everything 15 years ago. I'm back to prototype study and layout planning. I just switched from Atlas to AnyRail - I like AnyRail a bit more at this point. I have 10 to 15 more years of work and 10 to 15 years beyond that for retirement activity (maybe more, maybe less). My goal is to hone my modeling skills as I love realism and to create a space for fellowship with other modelers that enjoy attention to creating realistic scenes and operating sessions. I plan to center my layout on the Mankato sorting yard that is also the exchange with CN (east) and Rapid City Pierre and Eastern (renters) to the west. I am hoping for 8 staging tracks that will hold long trains for our local through traffic (I'm assuming some of it is UP-through traffic - anyone?) and the drop-offs/pick-ups that serve our local industries. I hope to model a sand plant or two, ADM, Alter Metal Recycling (they break down old rail cars), Ardent Flour, Mankato Depot, CHS Tanker washout and the splits to CN to the SW and NE. Ambitious? Yes. Will I tighten it up? I think I'll have to. Conundrum: I used to model DM&E and was hoping they'd be bringing coal trains through Mankato. Do I consider a little bit of fantasy RR as if that had gone through? Anyway, I've gone on long enough. Wow, if you made it this far, I'm impressed. Cheers
@RustyCoupler Moose bid you hearty welcome to da forum! Be impressed, Moose read entire post. Actually, be impressed Moose read any post that doesn't have photos. Looking forward to progress reports and photos!
What scale, unless you mentioned it in post and I missed it. Me like @Moose2013 kind of go in a daze if no photo's
Hi RustyCoupler, welcome. Happy to have you aboard. I like your focus. I look forward to your creation as you progress, with copious photos, PLEASE.
In the screen shot above: main level in the bottom area and lower level staging area in the top of this diagram.
Welcome to TrainBoard! Thanks for sharing some layout plans. Conversation about further development and photos of same always welcome! Whatever you do, just have fun!